ALMOST THE END OF A (RATHER MUDDLED!) YEAR.

I make no apologies for my absence from here. Suffice to say, moving house is not really recommended when you reach a “certain age.”

Apart from the body parts not always moving like a well-oiled machine, some of us STILL seem to accumulate stuff we no longer need.

So, down-sizing, whilst highly commendable, is bloody difficult. You get clothes packed into suit cases, books packed into boxes, the bigger kitchen utensils packed likewise, flower pots and cuttings assembled in a shady place for later transportation and you very wisely get the heavy-duty pros to shift the whole lot.

Nice theory! So how come the “spare” bedroom is still piled high with things?

Ah, well, I daresay places will be found for them. I must say I’m loving my new drawers! (No, Muriel, not the new knickers…). The kitchen has wonderful deep drawers with, oh joy! even more wonderful easy-glide hinges.

Did I mention that we are not far from the beach? Hmm…would have been closer, but new building approvals have seen some “new people” restrict others’ access. Ah,well, the walk will be lovely in cooler weather.

We had some drama over having the telephone transferred. Finally, after TWO HOURS on the ‘phone, being switched through THREE states and assigned a new number I was told I could expect it to be completed in 2 to 3 days. Guess what? No one could get through on the new number!Why? Our old number had been transferred. I may have said some cuss words…

Anyway, here we are, loving our new place.

Of course, Sporran was not allowed to roam alone and for the first few days tolerated a harness-and-leash outings. She seems fine with the new place and comes home when called (if she’s ready!)

Let’s play a guessing game! I’ll put a picture up and you guess what it is. What? You want a prize? Dream on, Sunshine!

Here’s a snap of some plants, still sheltering in the front entryway…with temperatures into the 30s I’m not going to risk planting much until autumn!

There are two trees in the back yard which I think are a native known as riberry https://www.gardeningwithangus.com.au/syzygium-leumannii-riberry/ . I doubt the birds will leave enough for jam! That’s OK- it’s far too hot to slave over bubbling pots of jam!

One more small amusement before I do something about lunch…

This is not our house; we have cleared all our gutters, lest we end up with a similar nightmare.

SUCCESS…I THINK!

Well, somewhat occupied elsewhere. Trying to get some interesting photos for the Great Garden Expo, to be featured in mere weeks (gulp!) over at our mutual friend’s place. Believe me, I can’t even begin to come close to that! But The Man did stumble across a Grevillea neither of us had ever seen . So, I followed Tarzan’s Trail…

… along the side fence and up to the top of the yard and stumbled, painfully, upon this holly look-alike.

I then went on a trek through the Slough of Google Despair, eventually arriving at this Not sure how long before we see any flowers…

Oh! Didn’t have time to take pics, but a small frog was on the kitchen floor the other day. Poor little fella was almost wrapped in cat fur and dust bunnies (so much for the housekeeping here!!!) I soaked a paper towel and carefully picked off as much hairy stuff as I could. It was very foggy earlier and the leaves over the deck were obligingly drippy so I put Froggy on a nice wet heliconia and he slid down into the garden. Possibly one of these. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_dwarf_tree_frog.

What else has been happening here? Not much of interest to my readers, but enough to keep me out of trouble. What? You didn’t think I ever got into trouble? Oh, trouble comes in many guises…

Now, I’m off to the library and then to the Purveyor of Plonk and other comestibles…

And that old rascal, Time, has morphed into a different day.……

I went to the Big Box hardware store and wandered through their plants section. A hideous, impersonal place, where pots are crammed, yes CRAMMED onto shelves, to the point of being damaged. Where red-shirted staff have no idea of plant names and don’t seem to give monkey’s tassle.

So why do I go there? Because Big Box stores, like big chain supermarkets, are forcing smaller enterprises out of business. 20 years ago, this town had several garden shops, privately owned and staffed by knowledgeable people. Sigh…

But I did buy a couple of things to fill some gaps along a fence. And I found a discrepancy in the pricing. Once, I would have politely pointed out the mistake. But not yesterday. If staff are so careless I’m not going to correct their mistakes. So I happily dropped my plastic for the lower price! Bugger ’em!

Oh, you want to know what I bought? Tecomanthe hilli the Fraser Island creeper, and Arabian jasmine http://Jasminum sambac . I had both, growing like an invading army, at the old house so I’m confident they will perform well here.

And I picked up a sweet little miniature cyclamen at the grocer’s the other day.

And I was very chuffed to see flower buds forming on a Dracaena! So I prowled around, peering down into the leaf whorls, looking for more. And, yes, some of the others also have buds!

Dracaena fragrans.

Back to the mundane…

But I’ll leave you with another Croton…black as night!

Oh! Why stop at one! My current fave…

UPGRADE NOW DISMISS MESSAGE

Sponsored Content

 

TODAY IS NOVEMBER 4. YES, REALLY.

And I thought I should mention that, as the Wizard of WordPress seems not to like showing the date. Probably embarrassed that I show up here so infrequently!

But we are still busy Chez Dinahmow. I’d really like to be in the garden, but a) it’s far too hot and dry and b) there is no garden.(See a) )

I’m managing to keep things alive in pots and will re-pot some into even bigger pots and plant them out in autumn.

What’s that? Oh! you want to see photographic proof?

Well, I did manage to scrabble together a few pictures for the show over here. And I kept a few in reserve, in case I carved out some time on this page. I must thank Mr. Device for his wizardry in the presentation of the Triffids. Scared the pants of Muriel, he did. No, Muriel we don’t need proo___________MURIEL!

Let’s start with a warning…if you live in an area with cane toads (Buffo marinus) please remember that they are poisonous and can cause nasty reactions in humans and can kill cats and dogs if eaten. Even being squirted in the face with their poison is serious.

A few years ago, some people noticed that crows had figured a way to avoid being poisoned. The toad’s poison sacs are on the back of its head and the crows reasoned that by simply flipping toady onto its back they could get to the soft belly safely. This one was on the front lawn after a crow (I presume) had killed it.

It’s OK to come back now. I’m moving on to pretty things!

Just as we were leaving our former home, this Strelitzia nicolai was in bud for the first time! I see potted plants in the stores, but the price is a bit steep, especially as they take years to flower. But I was chatting with the neighbour next door to the old house and damn! there was a second plant, flinging blooms over the fence. She handed me her secateurs and said “Cut it.” When freshly open, those white petals really are silvery!

Among some little “treasures” are a salvia, which doesn’t have a varietal tag, but I do know the family, S. greggii, and I like the colour.

It’s almost Happy Hour so one more plant… This is a Yucca and I think Yucca elephantipes. But I’m happy to be corrected if it’s one of the others in the tribe.I did think Y. filamentosa, but the flower is different. Anyway…there was a sliver of moon at 5am the other day so I managed to balance on a box for this…

And one more, a little later…