What's Goin' On - In My Garden!

[Tropical_Trish]

Corr, I'm green with envy looking at all these wonderful, amazing plants.

I sure wished that I could show you something 'tropical' .....

..... like my 'plums' ......


v


v

but I fear that I would get thrown out of the forums .....


PS: 'Plums' .... short for Plumeria, aka Frangipani.
I've been growing them for years now and they simply will not flower. They are growing tall and branching out and look healthy enough.
Not enough hours of summer heat/sunlight I reckon. I bring them indoors every autumn/winter as they are not frost hardy, repot every spring - nurture, feed, talk to them, and cuss them for not rewarding me with one single flower.

[Oldandintheway]

Corr, I'm green with envy looking at all these wonderful, amazing plants.

I sure wished that I could show you something 'tropical' .....

..... like my 'plums' ......


v


v

but I fear that I would get thrown out of the forums .....


PS: 'Plums' .... short for Plumeria, aka Frangipani.
I've been growing them for years now and they simply will not flower. They are growing tall and branching out and look healthy enough.
Not enough hours of summer heat/sunlight I reckon. I bring them indoors every autumn/winter as they are not frost hardy, repot every spring - nurture, feed, talk to them, and cuss them for not rewarding me with one single flower.

Hey Trish - you show me your Plums - & I'll show you my Flavum!

Would you believe one of our local council's floral emblems is our native Frangipani - the Hymenosporum flavum which is very common 'round here!
I don't have one meself - because it seems like there's one in everybody's yard, & I want to be different. They grow like weeds here!
These are net pix.

[Oldandintheway]

G'day all

Shesa - your "Pineapple Plant" appears to be a member of the Dracaena family to me?
Actual Pineapples, are Bromeliads & can easily be grown from the tops. Although it can take a year or 2 to develop a fruit.
Some are grown for their fancy foliage & make a great indoor pot plant.

The baby orchids breath through the lid & brown rubber stopper, which have a small hole, stuffed with surgical cotton or a synthetic inert wool.
They are sewn under sterile lab conditions & remain in that sterile environment until the seal is broken. Virus, fungus & bugs can't get through the wool, but air can.

OK - here's the latest orchid in bloom for yuz! It is Oncidium sphacelatum common name the Dancing Lady orchid, because it's said the flower looks like the dress of a flamenco dancer. Native from Mexico to central America, Venezuela & Sri Lanka. Enjoy!

[Tropical_Trish]

Hey Old, I'll gladly show you my plums ...... it will be worth it to see your Flavum!
I cannot believe that these lovely flowers grow like weeds - I would gladly swap them for the dreaded Chamaenerion angustifolium (Rosebay willowherb) and Dandelions (Taraxacum) which I struggle to eliminate from my gardens seemingly all year round. I don't mind the Clover flowers too much that grow in the lawns, because it attracts the Bees but the red leaved variety is a nightmare spreading everywhere in my flower beds like the red weed in the War of the Worlds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLhoXJWE4ps

[Shesawaya38485]

Now, Trish - we can't have you getting tossed from the forums! LOL!!! Weeds - Grrrrr........ Living out here, I gave up on having a nice lawn long ago. I can't use "weed & feed due to the chickens, so I just mow what ever pops up and there's getting to be more weeds than actual grass. Flower beds is another story - it's a goo thing that I find pulling weeds a relaxing chore, as you just can't keep the weeds out of them so I have to weed often.

You might try putting a light on over your Plumaria when you bring it inside to make it think it's getting enough light & warmth to bloom??

Old, you are right - it is from the Dracaena family but since I have 4 from that family, I call them by their common names because I can't remember their "formal names" - getting old! LOL!!!. The Cornflower plant that bloomed last year is from the same family and I also have a Tarzan plant and a Lucky Bamboo plant.

Thanks for the explanation of having the wool - I can relax and not worry about your "babies" now

"Dancing Lady" is very prolific!!! How old does a plant have to be before it starts getting that many blooms? The ones I usually see at the garden centers usually have just one long stem with one flower at the top. Or does it vary by the type?

You like Flamenco Dancers, huh?? LOL!!

[Oldandintheway]

G'day all

I have my own War of the Worlds red weed here Trish. It's called Fire Weed, & is a real problem to try & get rid of. It's red, & lays flat so the mower just goes over the top.
It seems to thrive on poison, & if you try to pull it up, any bits left behind just regrow. A right royal pain in the bot bot.

That Dancing Lady in my pix is probably about 6, & the larger the clump gets, the more spikes of flowers you'll get.
The ones they sell in stores are usually the smallest divisions of the plant they can get away with, & would take some years to grow into a decent display.
They like lots of light & can stand being in full sun, although mine are under 70% shade cloth. They also like plenty of water, perfect drainage & should dry out before nightfall. (same for most orchids) The flowers are said to resemble the flowing skirts of the Flamenco dancer - Yes I like them, & Belly dancers!

I came home from Bro & Sil's with 2 new plants as an early Chrissy present. Pix will come later.
Sil did me a pot of a variegated leaf African Violet - one that I have been trying to grow from leaf cuttings (& failed miserably)
Also a large clump of our native Dendrobium speciosum orchid - called the King or Rock Lilly orchid. This is large enough to cut in half, & I will be replacing a couple I lost behind my retaining wall.

[Oldandintheway]

Hi folks!

As promised, here are the shots of my spoils from the big smoke trip to Bro & Sil's
1. is the variegated African Violet & 2. is a couple of pix of the Dendrobium speciosum clump!

We have rain here ATM & forecast to continue for the rest of the week! Temps down to 23c brrrr!

[meebo1]

They all look healthy and well. But 23*C is not cold. For me it is the perfect temperature.

[Oldandintheway]

They all look healthy and well. But 23*C is not cold. For me it is the perfect temperature.

Thanks meebs - yep they're doing OK ATM. I'm about to divide that clump into 2 bits soon & plant them out in the garden.

I'm in a cardy most of the day & in tracky dacks in the evening - must be the wind chill factor!

[madelaine]

Stylosa - right under the house because they live best in rubble

and the first snowdrops of the winter