Wednesday 31 July 2013

A Stroll Around The Gardens.

 

Last Tuesday I needed to take my bike to the workshop for registration, & was told it would be ready early afternoon so decided to hang around in Wollongong till it was finished. I went to the bus stop & jumped aboard the 'Gong Shuttle. Looking at the passenger demographic it dawned on me that we were probably on the way to the Uni, giving me the idea of a change of plan; why not spend the morning at the adjacent Wollongong Botanic Gardens, have lunch at the Uni & then do the quick walk back to the bike shop. The following photos were the result of my morning stroll:-

 

Dragon Trees (Dracaena draco) dominate the succulent mound, along with Aloes. I've worked out the former make good bonsai subjects:-

Plant on the left was set up last summer, the other two just recently.

Euphorbia tirucalli 'Firesticks' from the Horn of Africa make a bold statement in colour.

 

Massed Aloes in flower; notice the similarity to Red Hot Pokers' blooms. Both come from southern Africa & are bird pollinated.

The taller- growing or Tree Aloes are my favourite:-

 

Aloe barbarae at the nursery. This group make good subjects for pots:-

 

Two nice pot plants, the younger & the older.

Livingstone daisies add a splash of colour:-

 

Gasterias are found in arid regions but generally under other trees or shrubs; not all succulents are at their best in sun. A good candidate for culture in dry shade. 

 

More Euphorbias. This one is known as the Indian Fig as it produces edible fruits:-

 Close- up of the fruit:-

Contrast the shape of this mound-forming species with those covered previously:- 

Some plants in the Euphorbia millii group; variations on a theme:-

 
 

Some pink E. millii from the nursery:-

 

Carissa sp. sold as 'Desert Star' by the nursery trade. Perfumed white flowers with edible fruit. This plant is unusual in that new growth will die from oedema under prolonged wet conditions; most plants will transport excess water into the lower leaves to preserve the growing points, causing leaves to spot & blacken (eg. Yucca).

 

Queensland Bottle Trees (Brachychiton rupestris).

These make excellent features & should be more widely utilised in suburban plantings:-

 
 

Good-sized plants for sale at the nursery, $75 each.

 

Another favourite group, small Agave species.These make great pot plants, especially when kept as single rosettes:-

 
 

Agave weberi (below):-

Agave medio-picta alba at the nursery:-

 

Another favourite, Dasylirion acrotriche from the Americas:-

 
 

Lastly, don't forget the Camellia sale, $15 for 200mm pots. This is C. 'Yuletide', a miniature variety:-

 

C. japonica 'Buttons & Bows', just opening:-

 
 

More photos to follow in future posts.

Gardening. Have fun with it!

Russell.

 

 

Monday 22 July 2013

Autumn, Winter or Spring?

It's hard for plants to know what season it is at present. Hours of sunlight are increasing after the shortest day, & cooler temperatures have only just arrived though they are hardly at winter levels.


Coneflower (Echinacea) seedlings preparing to flower; these are usually dormant over winter & bloom in autumn.
 
 
Chinese Ground Orchids (Bletilla striata) producing flower spikes on new growth for spring; these also flowered out-of-season in autumn.
 
 
Platycerium hillii, the Cape York Elkhorn, producing new nest or basal leaves in winter.
 
 
Colocasia 'Black Magic', still producing new growth; note the greener fresh leaves at the plants' centre. C. esculenta is usually winter dormant, often dying down completely at this time of year, especially if wet during cold. This plant has been kept on the north side of the shed & is not sitting in water.
Microclimate has a lot of influence on a plants' growth & condition:-
 
 
Pachypodium lamerii or Madagascar Palm in good winter condition; these plants often defoliate during winter, & as a group are prone to rotting when cold & wet. This has been avoided by placing the pot on the sheds' sunny side, using a potting medium with good drainage & keeping watering to a minimum.
 
 
This giant specimen was moved in mid- December, as growth really hits its' stride.
The root system was cut through just below the stems' base, & the top removed for ease of handling. Plant was left in dry semi- shade for a day to allow the wounds to congeal, then sealed with Steri prune, left for a few more days, more Steri prune applied & only then potted up. The top was also a success:-
 
 
Most of the leaves were removed or trimmed, & the above described procedure applied.
Timing of the transplant was the key here, working with the plants' growth period.
 
 
This is Pachypodium saundersii, a hardy species commonly grown. One of the plants' branches has rotted during the cold wet spell we had the other week. The arm has been cut through to allow drying out of the diseased area (dark colour in photo). When first incised the area was soft & filled with brown putrid fluid. Sulphur can be applied to the wounds' surface to further promote healing after trimming back to healthy tissue. I suspect the potting medium has begun to break down & hold too much moisture; repotting will be done in late Spring when the plant is in active growth & can recover from the root damage that ensues from this procedure. Major disturbance at present will most likely exacerbate rotting, resulting in the plants' death.
 
 
The same plant pictured in April, near the end of its growth period.
 
 
The natives are in bloom, this is Grevillea 'Ned Kelly'.
Available in 140mm pots, $12.50 each.
 
 
First of the Flowering Quinces.
Available in 200mm pots, $13 each.
 
 
 
 
Pterostylus pedunculata, winter flowering.
Pots available for $15 or $25.
 
 
Paintbrush Lily (Scadoxus puniceus) from South Africa
$25 in 200mm pots.
 
 
That's it for now,
Russell,
The Niche Nursery,
Thirroul.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sunday 14 July 2013

Camellia Sale at The Niche Nursery.


The Niche is having a Camellia sale during July & August, starting Thursday 18th. Over 100 Camellias are in stock, of the highest quality, hand picked by myself from a specialist grower.

 

Selected japonicas & sasanquas in 200mm pots.

$15 each.

Most plants are in bud or flower. Here are a few examples:-

C. japonica 'Black Tie'

C.sasanqua 'Something Special'

C. sasanqua 'Yuletide', a dwarf variety.

Camellia 'Star Above Star', available in 300mm pots for $55.

My favourite camellia, 'Tama no Ura'. This is a flower from my stock plant that will be used for propagation in spring.

Here are a few photos to keep you up to date with goings on at the nursery:-

Grevilleas & Hardenbergias.

Flowering natives in 140mm pots; $12.50 each.

 
 

Salvias growing on for spring; some are already of saleable size.

$7.50 in 140mm pots.

$12 in 200mm pots.

I've checked out the recent activity on this blog & it appears I have a large number of fans in Russia; horticultural enthusiasts or phishermen?

That's it for now,

Russell,

The Niche Nursery.