I’m not making as much headway as I’d like, but I am getting a few more bits and pieces for the garden. Most will have to be potted-up and kept alive (one hopes!) until the cooler weather. I have scattered a few seeds of things like nasturtiums and escholtzia californica California poppy, and I’m going to bite the bullet and sow some sunflowers. Those of you who have Dark Arts forces on your side are asked, ever so nicely, to use your forces against vandal predation. The vandals in this case would be the Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, which decimated my only other attempt to grow sunflowers.
The Swamp Orchid flowers withered eventually and I’ve cut the stems, to propagate more.
One of the hibiscus already planted is a pretty thing…soft apricot colour and double-flowered.
And a dwarf Heleconia we brought down in the wheelbarrow. I think it is Little Jamaica.
And the jury’s still out on this chap. Maybe when it’s more advanced…best guess is Regelia.Don’t quote me!
And still we are battling weeds, like this, Dolichos. Not sure which one it is.
But, drum roll, please… we seem to be winning against the Sensitive Weed,http://Mimosa pudica In fact, The Man has done such great job there are no pics to show you! I expect a bare foot will tell us if any more *&**%$#! have sprouted!
Oh! We have a passion fruit. Yes, singular.But still more flowers to come and I’ve cleared the rubbishy dirt and stones, given it some TLC, water and coffee grounds and have hope.
That ginormous Eucalyptus torelliana in the front yard is seething with birds and bees.The noisiest by far are the Rainbow Lorikeets, but every so often they shut up and I hear, though cannot see, other birds up there.
Now, I must get some shoes on and go up the road to feed a neighbour’s cat. I might take a camera…
Moreidlethoughts Weblog 
“Those of you who have Dark Arts forces on your side” — That made me laugh. I’ll see what I can do.
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Thank you.I really don’t want to be mean to the brats…
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Loving your garden, and looking forward to seeing more. Sadly my efforts to discourage the sulphur crested vandals are pretty much failures – though I do enjoy gunning them down with my pump action water pistol. It has improved my aim no end too.
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We don’t see many here,but…
I HD
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Blimey, even your weeds are pretty.
I have enough bother with greedy Blackbirds nicking my strawberries, heaven forbid that a sulphur crested whatnot takes a fancy to my soggy bloomers.
Sx
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The really annoying thing about these birds is that they just do it for the hell of it. So…we shall see…
And I’ll cross me fingers that my bloomers don;t get soggy.Or shredded.!
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I am very happy to see these signs of life in your new garden and have to agree with Ms Scarlet (doesn’t everyone?) as to the prettiness of your weeds – that little Dolichos is lovely! Although, I looked up the MImosa and, although pretty, I see what you mean about bare feet…
As for Dark Arts – I’d love to help, but my wielding of such energies is pretty much restricted to line-of-sight, these days so I don’t know how much good my particular brand of witchcraft will be?
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Oh, you are kind.I didn’t expect your sigils’ vibrations would cross to this hemisphere.I may have to do a deal with a local to point a bone…
Pretty weeds? Oh yes, but pretty annoying, too! I’m happy to leave some, but draw the line at pricklies!
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That was a cheering series of photgraphs. I am still sulking about the blasted chayote taking over from the passion flower ….but live in hope that it will shrivel and die when the summer starts. If not I shall be out by night poisoning its roots.
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Ooh, someone else who employs the Dark Arts…bubble, bubble, toil and trouble….
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Going widdershins too, if I don’t trip over anything and scare off the evil spirits by raving and cursing…
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Oh, yes, such a shame that Dolichos is invasive in your neck of the woods – I can only imagine we’d need a hot-house to get such a pretty flower! Love all the others in your “show-and-tell”, too – even the Mimosa (which to us is a novelty because of its reactive leaves, and I’ve only ever seen in Kew Gardens around the Lily House)… Jx
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It’s only by the flower that I can locate the Mimosa as I usually stand on the leaves(I don’t go bare-foot!) and , well, you know.
Like so many pests, it was introduced as a novelty plant.
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I wielder of the Lighter Arts, have some recommendations for you try one or combine methods. 1. Loose weave cotton muslin for protection of seeds and early growth. 2. Scare tactics using something in the form of a bird of prey like a kite or figure that cast a shadow resembling a hawk or eagle. Item should be moved around now and then or the ruse is up. 3. Spray bottle with a good jet spray on it. Startle the birds, neighbors cats and anything else often and early so they won’t want to come around anymore (also works on ex-boyfriends.) 4. Use an alternate lure, make the seeds you want to grow hard to get too while having easy access to cheap seed for the birds. It won’t attract more birds, just distract the existing ones. If your growing seeds are planted in the back, but the lure in the front of the house. Might need to bring lure seeds in at night if attracting rats is a problem. Hope this helps! I love hibiscus! We get one hardy hibiscus that grows in my climate. I also like hibiscus tea.
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Hah! Good tips for many areas, but not always practical. The dominant raptor in this area is the Fork-tailed kite.We also sometimes see the Pacific Baza. Fortunately, we don’t have as many Sulphur Crested cockies as in country areas.
And I try to discourage other people feeding wildlife so am not going to try that! If my sunflowers make it to flowering stage I’ll be happy.And if not? I can buy a “grocers’ bunch”
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I agree about not wanting to fed the wildlife. I thought if it was only for a short time it might not be so bad. It also depends on the area. The problem we have with feeding the birds is that the black bears always join the party and break something. If not the bears then rowdy raccoons or an army of rats. I primarily plant native plants and I leave the seedheads on over the winter so the birds always have a natural source of food that other animals aren’t interested in.
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Much the same here.Well, no bears…
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Weed, eh ?
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Some are useful and pretty…only some
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I bought an old fashioned catapult from Amazon to use on the pigeons, I’m a rubbish shot but the thrill it gives, beats bingo!
Love the apricot coloured hibiscus.
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I was rubbish with a catapault, too.
That hibiscus is a pretty thing and has a mass of buds.Not easy to photograph in high winds!
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Is it a big garden? It’s looking lovely, whatever its size, love the hibiscus.
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Big? Not really, but bigger than most others nearby. And it needs work. A lot of work!
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Still on weed ?
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I may be a bit late, but it comes from the heart : All the best, dearest Dinahmow !
Allerherzlichste, beste Glückwünsche !
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Danke.
When you say “weed” I know you don’t mean the illegal kind …and anyway, our weeds have mostly gone.But there is a MASSIVE crop of horrid weeds across the street so when the wind changes all that seed will be over here.!
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So you have to weed it out – HA !
And the prize for the lamest joke goes to : 63Mago ! Applause, applause !
There comes that old Capt’n Link feeling again ….
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Oh! we are BIG on the old jokes here.Even lame ones! (PSSST. don’t get the author started on limericks…she can go for hours!)
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Limerick ? I never understood this. It may be something like a Haiku, just in Irish. And of course I never understood Haikus too – missed the inner beauty totally. Limericks may be something like an Irish roadmap – all roads lead to Guinness.
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