Another gardening weekend and there's still so much to do!
By bernieh
20 comments
Saturday morning I woke early eager to start some more work in the garden and this was the view as I walked out onto the verandah -
Fantastic start to the day! So I decided this weekend was the time to get to work on the two real problem areas that had resulted from our record monsoonal rainfall this year.
First, in the courtyard: we have a pergola that covers approx. 40 square metres and it was covered in a beautiful jasmine.
This is a photo of the jasmine trunk (can’t call it a stem anymore):
Unfortunately it was overgrown for the first time and I mean overgrown. Not only did it now cover the entire pergola but it was spilling down over the edges and dropping around 1 metre at the front (strangling the hanging pot plants):
- and dropping around 2 metres over the side near to the kitchen. It was even dangling through the tall tree in the courtyard:
So it was time for a haircut. As well as that, the section of pergola garden near the pond was overgrown with russelia and very leggy dracaenas, so that needed a good trim:
Work in progress:
Finished! Much better – but now I have to re-pot those hanging baskets!
Hanging baskets next weekend – I finished off Saturday sowing some brachycomes, nasturtians, and snapdragons. Then I potted up my geranium seedlings.
Sunday morning – didn’t get up quite as early (a little tired!) – but another beautiful gardening day!
Now this next shot of the front garden beds shows the other problem area – the front garden beds!! The closest garden bed has acalyphas that are nearly touching the vernadah hood and the garden bed down the hill is totally overgrown with russelia.
So, to work:
It was hard work digging out the russelia. I had to trim back the lower branches of all the hibiscus (there are 3 well-established old red hibiscus shrubs in the front and 2 variegated ones in the back) just to get in there. Once I got most of the russelia out or trimmed back, I then could push the poor old mussaenda back up (it had fallen over during the heavy rain). I then found an azalea bush that had been hidden away (I thought it had died) and it was full of new growth – what a find!
It’s hard to spot – it’s behind that rock but it will look spectacular in the spring!
Unfortunately I’ve lost a beautiful pink poinsettia which I will try to replace.
This was the result about 7 hours later (with a lunch break and a cuppa!). Notice my hubbie’s well-intentioned efforts at staking up the mussaenda – he was going to tie it with plastic rope and then tie the rope to the rock next to the shrub!!! Not one of his best ideas.
Then it started to drizzle and that was a great excuse to pack it in for the day, and the weekend. Too exhausted to continue. So there’s still plenty to do next weekend!
15 Mar, 2009
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Comments
Realy lovely photos your garden is lovely same as you sprithenry You felt like you are there. Lovely
15 Mar, 2009
Well now Sunday night for you as we in UK reading this - wow what a garden totally tropical not sure how far it extends but looks like you could be gone a while !
No light pruning required like Spritz felt I was there and should be armed with a machete to go exploring .. lovely thanks for sharing.
15 Mar, 2009
It's such a treat seeing gardens from all over the world that are so varied. Yours is incredibly lush and it must be difficult to keep on top of all the pruning. The resuts are fantastic, though.
15 Mar, 2009
Exactly right Marguerite - the rains certainly gave our gardens a push along after so many years of drought. This is the first year (and it's only just started!) that I've seen so much growth in such a short time. Yes it is that little jasmine that is covering our pergola and it's had an explosion in growth. I do agree though there's such a wonderful aroma in the evening out there in the courtyard. Can understand why the wrens love to nibble on the marsh flies after they've had their fill of jasmine nectar!
15 Mar, 2009
Wagger it has been difficult keeping on top of all the pruning needed especially after our 'wet' season - couldn't get into the garden for 2 months because it was pouring, then had to wait until the ground dried out and now it's a massive job - but I'm enjoying it!!! Gardeners are a little wacky like that!
15 Mar, 2009
BB I could have done with a machete today actually - trimming those huge hibiscus shrubs and trimming back all that russelia - it was like hacking your way through a jungle. I'm all scratched and have quite a few bee and wasp bites - the wasps had nests in there and the bees were everywhere drinking the nectar from the dwarf mussaenda. The things we do for our gardens!
15 Mar, 2009
Lovely pictures Bernieh, and you managed to get so much done! A gold star for you!!! : )
15 Mar, 2009
Knowing your insects your wasps are probably the size if our small birds,so dont envy you those bites.! But I do envy your garden ! Lol
15 Mar, 2009
What a lot of work you got done. Your plants will benefit from being pruned and so will the ones they were covering. You have a lovely garden. It looks as if it's on a slope. Must be in a beautiful spot.
16 Mar, 2009
What a fabulous garden, you have worked so hard it looks magnificent well done Bernieh
16 Mar, 2009
Such a beautiful garden, Bernieh, I do envy your hibiscus! I love them but they aren't so vigorous in my garden.
16 Mar, 2009
It looks a dream place and I was envious until Bb mentioned the possible size of the bees and wasps LOL. now I,ve decided to admire from afar........
16 Mar, 2009
Thanks one and all - but so much more to do! Once I've done lots of clearing out and cutting back I want to think about more planting - getting excited thinking of the possibilities!
16 Mar, 2009
Lincslass while the size of the bees and wasps might be scaring you off, I haven't mentioned the snakes yet! I think that would definitely put you off for good! We get quite a few during the year, yes even at night (it's a myth that snakes don't move around at night), but most of them are harmless tree snakes. They just give you a fright and you give them a fright as well and they're gone. The ones that are not harmless are given a very wide berth until they have decided to move on. (I won't even mention the approx. 6-metre long python we saw one Xmas Eve at around 10.00 pm because you might just die of fright over that one - no I won't say a thing about that).
16 Mar, 2009
Aww Bernieh you have such a beautiful garden, thanks for sharing them with us.
17 Mar, 2009
Thanks Panther while I do appreciate that aspects of my garden are certainly lovely - when I look at it I see so much to be done! I think gardeners become workaholics when it comes to their gardens.
17 Mar, 2009
Most interesting visit to your lovely lush garden....so very different from ours, could almost smell the growth when it started to drizzle!! you certainly have to be fit to cope with all that pruning, I really enjoyed your pics.
17 Mar, 2009
i agree with comments above, really lovely piccies.
21 Mar, 2009
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Beautiful photos - I feel as though I am there with you! You got such a lot done... I bet you are happy with it, though.
15 Mar, 2009