Garden News October 2014

Judy has been sick with a very bad dose of the flu and basically has not been able to get out in the garden, then our youngest son arrived with wife and two daughters aged 2 and 4 (Charlotte's birthday).

They are presently touring our great country for two years and called in to spend a couple of weeks with us

Of course not much was done in the garden as our Grand Daughters took first preference, all in all it was a wonderful time and we miss them so much but their adventure continues.

You can follow them on the web either on their site or Facebook both called ‘This is our Australia’.

I went to Caboolture garden club to give a presentation but unfortunately after six slides my computer froze so all I could was give a talk about our garden, they seemed to like it but I did leave feeling more than a little embarrassed.

I had to go out and purchase a new laptop computer.

Later this month we went to Kilcoy Garden Club for the third time, as usual it was very friendly, typical of country people, only problem was that we had two scares driving home ‘idiot drivers in a hurry’.

Then we had a visit from ‘Rose-lovers’ who enjoyed the garden even though it was very dry.

Double Hippeastrums

I honestly cannot remember ever being this dry, I thought 2009 was bad but this is worse, it has only rained four times in 15 months, we have had a few mills here and there but that dries out as soon as the sun comes out. At this point in time with the ‘Open Garden’ only a few weeks away we are truly desperate for rain.

Cliveas

I have spoken to several gardening friends and they say they have lost more plants this year than any other year; I tend to agree having lost torch gingers, beehive gingers and costus among others.

I have to say I am sick and tired standing watering for hours on end.

Red Passiflora

Blue Mist

Yellow Candlestick

Euphorbia

Variegated Shrimp Plant

Princess Lily

It is now official; October has been the driest month ever recorded in Brisbane with only 5 mills of rains recorded, it has also been windier that any other time I can remember.

Day Lily's

Cymbidium Orchid

Vanda tricolour

Miltonia

A very stressful time but unfortunately completely out of my control although I do wish sometimes we were lucky enough to have underground water, we have of course but it’s just too salty to use.

ASmorphophallus

Tecomanthe Shannon

Cleaning out the pond.

Jaboticaba

Dracontium

Tecomanthe hillii

Kohleria

Alcantrea braziliana

Alcantrea rubra

Other than that there are some good things happening in the garden, you can see by the photos I have included.