May- June Garden News 2023

 

I seem to be spending most of my life these past two months watering as it has been extremely dry, badly needing some good falls of rain.

May has been busy with visits from ‘Banksia Garden Club’ and two ‘Probus’ Clubs.

I gave a presentation to ‘Carina Senior Citizens Club’, which was good as we did not have far to travel.

Arno King also visited and spent five hours here, lots of plants here that he was interested in, he will be coming back in September to take some Spring cuttings.

In June we travelled to Caloundra to give a presentation to ‘Pelican Waters Garden Club’, bit of a fuss getting set up but turned out well.

We had bus trips here from ‘Logan Village Garden Club’ and Caboolture Bromeliad Society’ both went down well.

Another presentation in June was to ‘Bribie Island Garden Club.’

We have given over the years over 200 presentations and feel it is now time to cut back, we will still accept bus visits as we enjoy those and it’ is relatively easy to prepare for them.

Not a lot happening in the garden, just a lot of Winter cutting back, old Heliconias, Costus and Gingers and of course it is time to cut back all the fruit trees.

While doing all this I have done something to my knee, very painful and X Rays show no damage so it will be off to the Physio for some treatment as I still have lots to do.

I have been trying to add to my Amorphophallus collection and the only way I can do this is through auction on eBay, I get beaten every time and the competition is fierce, I am limited in what I can spend.

Talking about Amorphophallus, I have emptied them out of their pots, cleaned the tubers and stored them dry in my shed on a layer of vermiculite, a big job.

My petrol pressure cleaner pump packed in, so I had to purchase a new pump from Karcher.

My new best tool is this Ryobi hand held Chain Saw, I can climb a tree, hang onto one branch, and cut with the other and I bought it at a great promotional price.

Talking about Ryobi One tools, my lopper broke, so as it has a six-year warranty back to Bunnings to get an immediate replacement.

Another job was our almost 30 year old swimming pool which had become quite badly stained over the years, I bought a product which claimed to get rid of all the stains, well it did, so much calcium, irons and other metals that had to be vacuumed off the pool floor, but it was well worth it to see our pool so sparking clean.

Some photos.