Love to see all the varieties up close... but I'm totally awestruck with the photos showing the entire beds! BEAUTIFUL!
"Awesome" is a good word for your foto's this time, Choccy. That Carolyn has a way with words, doesn't she. Well what t I like is the variety that you have. The Cordylines are a special group and planting them together with dracena and coleus (for instance) is nothing less than inspired. The "overall" views were good as well to give an idea of how they fit-in to the planting scheme there. I mean to say, a piccy of one plants certainly shows the specimen off...but it is also nice to see how you have them arranged and how the overall view works. Thanks again. I have enjoyed looking at the pics that you have presented in this posting so very much.
Good morning and thankyou everyone.Carolyn...the answer is none.Lizards are welcome because they feast on snails and grubs.Birds also help there as well.The butcher birds here will get in the way of my handheld garden spade to get worms.There is peobably some small green snakes which are harmless, if I see anything REAL nasty like a black or brown snake, the 'forsale' sign would be at the gate in 2 seconds.When I kept white pigeons in my garden there was a large python which thought he would like to live here but he was'moved away' and I no longer keep birds so there is no real attraction for any others.The python will come for the rats who come for the bird seed.I kept the bids for 12yrs and only saw 2 snakes, maybe there was more but I never saw them, never lost birds..maybe some rats though. There is a native snail which eats the other snails....so everyone helps.The only thing I have do look out for is this little fellow who loves to dig in the vegie patch..... Helping drag the rubbish ( photo / image / picture from chocolate's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from chocolate's Garden ) Waiting for a'chug-chug'ride ( photo / image / picture from chocolate's Garden ) 'Please' ( photo / image / picture from chocolate's Garden ) Meet 'Chocolate' our 3yr old toy poodle ( photo / image / picture from chocolate's Garden )
chocolate, Your flowers just "blow my mind".....I was just saying to hubby that Fall and Winter are coming, now we can look forward to chocolate's gardens, flowers and plants. He loves to come over to my computer and see your pictures. We beg you to post pictures every week. PLEASE? Barb in Pa.
What a glorious riot of colour you have there! I've only ever seen coleus as a houseplant here in the UK. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has a dog that likes to "help"
Well my next plant[hoping to appease the masses] is this very brightly coloured 'clown plant'.That is the common name but the real name which I cant say is exoecaria cochinchinensis...also known as chinese croton. It has lovely variegated leaves and on the back of the leaves it has bright red colours.It also has a tiny white flower which is not much to look at, but arent the leaves pretty, it grows to about 2ft high here in my garden Leaves of 'clown plant' ( photo / image / picture from chocolate's Garden ) Underside of leaves. ( photo / image / picture from chocolate's Garden )
Chocolate, I had no idea other than what I have read and heard about the "wild life" there. Usually incredibly strange ( to me anyhow) poisonous spiders and snakes...just not my type of thing to want to watch out for. I have never had to before and wouldn't want to start now....Glad to hear that. Especially if I had to move anywhere close to any area where there was anything to "look out" for, but I am not anticipating ever moving from here.....I would love to garden year round and I am trying with my greenhouses and high tunnels, but it is not quite the same as outside gardening. sometimes it's better sometimes it is not.
Thankyou, Carolyn...of course if we go camping we are always 'looking out' for the nasties,I think there is too much activities going on on our area to encourage anything to live close.There is the resident bandicoot who loves to eat grubs and he is very greedy so that is good and also territorial so there is only one.He is a ratlike animal with a very long nose and moves lightning and is very wary of humans. There are spiders which could be nasty but the birds are continually taking care of them ,I am always careful in the areas I weed etc. but been here 20yr and have not seen much to do much harm.I am not planning on moving out to the 'bush ', where there are 'real nasties' Cherylad..it is a cute plant, I dont seem to be able to propergate it though, most plants I seem to be able but this little one just doesnt.I have to find the trick. My next try will be with the seeds, the flowers are so small hope I dont miss.
For those people who grow cordylines, this is what can be done to create bushiness and several growing tops. Prune off the main growing stem and 2 or 3 new branches will form. The plant in the photo is a small grower but the foliage is very pretty. If the plant is healthy dont be nervous about pruning them. P.S. forgot to say, dont waste the stem that is cut off...put it in a pot of good soil and keep it damp, doesnt take long for a new plant to be born. ( photo / image / picture from chocolate's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from chocolate's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from chocolate's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from chocolate's Garden )
