What's Goin' On - In My Garden!

[meebo1]

I love those violets. Sadly I always seem to kill them. I have a white Camellia in the garden, well it used to be white, but this year the flowers are turning pink.

[Oldandintheway]

G'day all

meebs, sorry I didn't reply sooner but, I know nothing about Camellias (except one makes a nice Tea) That sounds like something has changed with either the soil PH, or a nutrient deficiency for the colour to change like that?
I don't always get the African violets growing happily either! eg. ATM I'm having great difficulty trying to propagate a variegated leaf type I got from my SIL.
This is my 3rd attempt to start leaf cuttings, & this time I'm trying them in a water bath. Hopefully, if I get root growth, I can then transfer them to soil?

As promised, here is my latest orchid in flower. It is Cattleya violacea, a species from Venezuela. The flowers are 3 - 4 inches across & smell exactly like honey (to me)
Enjoy!

[meebo1]

Thanks Old. and the orchid is beautiful.

[Anniemcc2]

Beautiful orchid colour.

My garden is being over run with Violets! I got the initial plant from my MiL years ago and they've seeded EVERYWHERE.

[Shesawaya38485]

Meebo - I'm just a bit too far north to take a chance on Camellias but here are 2 links that I found about them changing color:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/4133088/camellia-flower-change-colour

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1782324/change-of-flower-color

I'm inclined to think it may be as Old suggested and addressed in the second link if the entire plant has changed color.

OLD - your Cattleya is beautiful - but pink and purple are my favorite colors so I'm a tad bit prejudiced Honey, hum??? That's interesting - have you noticed a lot of bees attracted to it?

Will try to get back tomorrow and post pics of what I've had bloom but I've been sitting way too long catching up on things and need to stretch these old bones a bit.

[moonwitch]

Eastbourne Council has their own definition of a garden....6 inches thickness of turf rolled onto concrete....at least that is what I suspect after attempting to plant roses in a bed in the centre of my 'lawn'....

I think it was a cost cutting exercise. They didn't want to employ a landscape gardener so paid a carpet fitter instead

[Oldandintheway]

Shesa, I'm sure bees & others insects would love it, BUT, they're not allowed anywhere near it.
They can't get to them in the orchid house, & in any case, it's in the house ATM.
Bees are a major pollinator of orchids, but as soon as they do their job, the flowers fade & collapse!
Some may then become seed pods. (which takes a lot of energy out of the plant)

[Oldandintheway]

Oh poor Moonie! gardening with a jackhammer eh?

There is an outer Brisbane suburb called Lawnton which was an air force training base & camp during WW2.
After the war, the suburb was built over the top of the base, including the runway/s.
Those unfortunate enough to have a house on top of a runway, only get down about 12" & run into concrete!

[olivia8143]

Eastbourne Council has their own definition of a garden....6 inches thickness of turf rolled onto concrete....at least that is what I suspect after attempting to plant roses in a bed in the centre of my 'lawn'....

I think it was a cost cutting exercise. They didn't want to employ a landscape gardener so paid a carpet fitter instead

When my house was built the builders buried a few tons of rubble under the lawn then forgot about it 'til I asked them to dig a pond. They regretted burying the rubble every time the digger struck another boulder BOING!!!!!

Talking of ponds; the marsh marigolds are in flower and brightening the place up

there's also a double version

[Shesawaya38485]

I "feel for ya" Moonie!! Living between 2 creeks, which flood on occasion, I've got lots of rock which makes it harder than heck to dig a new spot. If you put them in tubs would they survive the winter where you are located??

OLD - If I had any orchids they would all be kept in the house. A shame that the flowers die off so fast after being pollinated, but as you said their "job is done"!

OLIVIA - Marsh Marigolds grow wild here but I have yet to find any - they are lovely!! I always carry a shovel in the truck just in case I find something along the road I want to dig up and bring home - lol!

I got to go clean out a flower bed yesterday and get a good look around at what is coming up - I've decided that there will be no new additions to the garden until I find out what areas are going to get sun and shade after having 3 large trees removed and 3 more with branches pruned up as high as they could reach. I have Alliums shooting up in an area that they haven't grown in for about 15 years - amazes me that the bulbs stayed dormant that long!!

Enjoy!!

My Forsythia started blooming last December because temps were so mild and I worried that it would not bloom this spring but it did!


The daffodils bloomed way early this spring and then we got a cold spell that held off the Paperwhites from coming up - hubby mowed them down the other day so I'll have to wait until next year to see them



Blooming now are the Dogwoods, Blue Flag Iris, some of my Azaleas (horseradish and garlic shooting up in front) and Violets along the creek bank.



What did not bloom this year was the Azalea I got from my step-dad's funeral. It has always been the first to bloom and has done so prior to 11 April, the day he passed. It has leaves but not a single bud. Since today is the 12th anniversary of his passing, I'll show you what it looked like last year when I happened to catch a butterfly on it