Author: Christine

Dominated by large trees on a medium sized property, my garden is very shaded. With no “full sun” areas I have to plant shade and partial shade loving plants. I love shrubs and flowers including camellias and azaleas but Roses and Irises are my favourite and getting these to thrive is a challenge …

February in two gardens for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

Post author By Christine
Post date February 15, 2012
17 Comments on February in two gardens for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

It’s the height of Summer here in the Western Cape as we do our twelfth combined post for February’s Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day. Time flies when you are gardening….. Summer has whipped up a few eye-openers when the hazy heat hit us all badly and a few plants struggled to cope. But overall most of the garden showed great resilience and with lots of blooms to share this Bloom Day.

Here’s whats blooming in Christine’s Garden in February 2012

As Summer seems to be winding down and we approach Autumn, I look forward to seeing my Autumn bloomers spring to life, but for now I am enjoying the last of the summer blooms. The Mexican Petunia has been my star performer and two new acquisitions are the Coreopsis verticillata “Moonbeam” and Sutera “Bermuda Sky”, both of which want Full Sun so it will be quite challenging to place them in my garden. A Valentines Day purchase was the rose labelled simply “Patio Rose” which was so pretty that I bought it anyway. Its a miniature rose of the prettiest pink, I couldn’t resist. Thanks for joining me in my Summer Garden.

[one_half]Coreopsis verticillata “Moonbeam”[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Sutera “Bermuda Sky”[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Coreopsis verticillata detail[/one_half]

[one_half_last]The label said “Patio Rose”!!![/one_half_last]

[one_half]Iceberg rose[/one_half]

[one_half_last]My first and only Water Lily bloom[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Bougainvillea[/one_half]

[one_half_last]I love the yellow centres[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Supertunias are taking over[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Tibouchina[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Very proud of my Hydrangea[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Abutilon[/one_half_last]

[one_half]The lovely Mexican Petunia[/one_half]

[one_half_last]My favourite Hibiscus[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Day Lily[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Calibrachoa[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Dahlias starting to flower[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Dahlia Top Mix detail[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Fuchsia[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Vireya Rhododendron[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Pretty Dahlia[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Angelonias[/one_half_last]

Here’s what’s blooming in Barbie’s garden in February 2012

Wow – Christine’s garden is so colourful and vibrant. A constant blooming garden. Unfortunately, my country garden has fewer blooms but still offering colour and respite to my many bugs and bees.

[one_half]Gaura looking lively and one of my favs[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Courgette flower – an edible one[/one_half_last]

[one_half]My lemon blossoms are back[/one_half]

[one_half_last]The last of the sunflowers – had a great show[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Gerbera and Alysum still happy together[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Calibrachoa coping really well in the heat[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Bulbine growing strong[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Favourite Salvia “Hot Lips”[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Cleome present from Christine – love them![/one_half]

[one_half_last]Salvia “Coral Nymph”[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Tansy in bloom and the bees are loving it![/one_half]

[one_half_last]Borage back in bloom[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Pineapple sage survived the heat![/one_half]

[one_half_last]Pink Gaura finally in bloom[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Roses are in full bloom[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Comfrey blooming quietly in the corner[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Strawberry blossoms making a come back[/one_half]

[one_half_last]This flower needs little watering[/one_half_last]

About Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

Join Carol and friends over at May Dreams Gardens for February Garden Bloggers Bloom Day to see what other gardeners around the world have blooming in their gardens today. And if you haven’t joined yet and have some blooms you’d like to show off, please join in the fun of showcasing your blooms! We’d love to see what YOU have blooming in YOUR garden right now!

Thank you for joining us!

PS: Please join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter – we’ll be so happy if you do!

Happy Gardening!
xxx

Tags garden bloggers bloom day

Christine's garden Gardening Home page features

Oxygenators for the pond

One of the things on my “List of Things to Do in 2012” is to sort out my pond / water feature. That was pushed to the top of the list when my pond guy upped his rate by another 30% (30% every year for the last three years) which means he is now very expensive for the twenty minutes it takes him to clean the pond. I haven’t fired him yet because I like him, but it’s very extravagant. So I’m now learning to take care of the pond myself.

The first thing I did was do a bit of research and one of the first websites I got info from via a google search was from Pam at Diggings in her post entitled “How to make a stock tank pond“. It’s an extremely informative post where I learnt this: “You’ll want to choose at least three types of plants for your new pond: oxygenators (submerged plants), marginals (water’s edge plants), and deep-water aquatics (plants that sit on the bottom and have leaves on the surface, like water lilies). Water lilies may be sexy, but the hard-working oxygenators are very important in maintaining a natural balance in the water, keeping algae at bay, and producing oxygen for fish“.

So there was my “Aha!” moment. There are NO oxygenators in my pond! Not a one. You’d think that the pond maintenance guy would (or should) tell me that? Perhaps? Seeing as he was tasked with the original planting in the pond 3 years ago? Obviously not.

So I’ve been looking for oxygenators at the local nurseries and at last I found some in the Aquarium supplies section. I purchased ten, brought them home and planted them – Best planting experience ever! Just throw in the pond. Finis.

Oxygenator in the baggie …

Oxygenator plant getting “planted” …

And now we wait to see how it works on this …

Happy Gardening
xxx

Tags oxygenators, pond, pond plants, water feature

Christine's garden Gardening Home page features

The Ugly Post

After yesterdays post in which I gave a brief update on my summer garden, I received such complimentary comments and praise that I started to feel like a bit of a fraud. The reality is that it is still a young, developing garden with quite a number of unsightly corners and patches that need work. I seem to have become quite good at taking photos at angles that show my garden as a lush flowering little haven, and truth be told, I also tend to only show those areas in the garden that I am reasonably happy with.

So to keep things real, just for today I’ve decided to “show and tell” some (not all) of the less attractive spots in my garden (including an ailing plant). Only today. Just this once. We’ll call it “The Ugly Post”, ok?

[one_half]The still bare “Garden of Twelve“…[/one_half]

[one_half_last]I’ve not been inspired to work on it[/one_half_last]

[one_half]An ailing Azalea (I don’t know why)[/one_half]

[one_half_last]and the gorgeous one next to it[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Crowded in front, bare at the back[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Lots of bare patches in the back[/one_half_last]

[one_half]We’re slowly filling up here …[/one_half]

[one_half_last]and here and there …[/one_half_last]

[one_half]and waiting for things to grow[/one_half]

[one_half_last]and waiting for things to fill out[/one_half_last]

Oh dear, where did all the pretty go? Most of these photos are from my unfinished, work-in-progress back garden, which seems to be a bottomless pit that sucks up and devours plants. I’ve been buying plants on an almost weekly basis for a year now and I STILL have huge bare patches back there. I’m starting to wonder if it will ever look like those gorgeous flower-filled beds I see on all the blogs and in magazines … surely one day it will have enough plants to wow my socks off? I’m optimistic. Maybe NEXT spring!

If nothing else, gardening has taught me to be patient.

Happy Gardening
xxx

Tags azaleas, lessons learned, ugly

Christine's garden Gardening Home page features Perenniels

My Summer garden update

The last few days it has been a whole lot cooler here in Cape Town which means I felt more inclined to walk around and see what the heat of the previous weeks has done to my garden and plants …

Angelonia is a hard-working little flowering plant that seems to thrive in the heat of the sun…

[one_half]In the “Gardenia bed”[/one_half]

[one_half_last]there is plenty of lush growth[/one_half_last]

[one_half]In the “Rose Bed” …[/one_half]

[one_half_last]water for my birds[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Lots of pretty in the back garden[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Grasses that I love in the Alley[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Colour courtesy of some “Supertunias”.
[/one_half]

[one_half_last]and abandoned doggie toys[/one_half_last]

At times like this I am particularly grateful for the big trees in my garden that cast so much shade. My plants have not suffered the way Barbie’s garden has suffered in the heat. If anything, growth is lush and everything that has not been attacked by pests is looking green and great. There have been more than usual bugs and ‘pestie’ things around – but such is life and nature and we try to tolerate them all here in my garden, even when I shed tears about destroyed plants.

Seems there is still lots to look forward to this summer!

Happy Gardening
xxx

Tags angelonia, summer, update

Bloggers Harvest Day Christine's garden Gardening Home page features

My February Harvest

My February harvest is meagre … I’m almost embarrassed to show how little there is to harvest this month, but in the spirit of joining in with Garden Bloggers Harvest Day in February, here is what I’ve managed to “harvest” in the last month.

The two mint plants seem to be on a mission to take over my veggie planters. It’s a good thing that I have someone to take all the mint off my hands or I’d be drowning in mint right now. My new tomato plants have started to produce – I have the start of two tomatoes on one of them and my new Borage plant has its first flowers (thanks for gifting me the plant Barbie – I love the flowers!) and the seeds I planted are all sprouting. Now if only I could remember which are the radishes, which are the coriander and what was the third seed I planted?

Lettuce and two bags of mint ready for the restaurant …

Lots of chillies harvested today …

And all the rest …
[one_half]Lots of Mint, far too much[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Cos lettuce still going strong[/one_half_last]

[one_half]I have plenty of hot Chillis[/one_half]

[one_half_last]And I can’t remember what these are[/one_half_last]

What have you managed to harvest this month?

About Garden Bloggers Harvest Day

Please join us on the 5th of every month and show us what you’ve harvested from your veggie or herb garden. Whether you have a massive vegetable garden or grow a few herbs in pots or just pick a few peaches from a tree … we’d love to see! It’s all about sharing our experiences, photographs, successes and failures as we “learn to grow”. See this month Harvest Day posts at February Garden Bloggers Harvest Day.

New here? If you would like to get involved in the gardening blog community, consider joining a blog meme. See a list at Gardening Blog Memes.

Tags garden bloggers harvest day

Annuals Christine's garden Gardening Home page features Perenniels

This ever happen to you?

I don’t know why but right now I’ve lost a bit of interest in my garden and am a little disappointed. Nothing fun is going on in it, there are visible and invisible things and creatures destroying plants and the sun has done a fair amount of damage whilst I wasn’t paying attention. Growth has been great all round, unfortunately too great in some areas. Once again my lavender plants have become unruly (do they want baby-sitting all the time?) and something has started to destroy my Impatiens, one plant at a time. I’ve lost three in the last week.

Most of the time in the garden is spent cutting back and pulling out the now thuggy Lamium or dead-heading spent roses and Dianthus. The supporting stakes of two of my standards snapped and needed emergency rescuing. My Agapanthus have been attacked by a worm of sorts and I’ve lost a Carex and two Acorus to something … See? It’s all not a whole bunch of fun right now. Lots of casualties but no “wow” moments and no fabulous flower shows.

My question is to experienced gardeners – is this normal that I feel this way? Do all gardeners get fed up with their gardens for a while and get over it? I’m hoping this is an annual malady and that I’ll snap out of it really soon.

Photo: The Impatiens the way they looked …

And after they have been attacked. Snapped off at soil level.

I wouldn’t be as upset about the Impatiens if they at least ate the whole plant. But they don’t. They just bite them at the stems, they break off and then die. (Who “THEY” are, I do not know. Yet).

It’s time to share our highlights and disappointments of the month. I’m joining Bumble Lush and friends in “best of” and “worst of” the garden in January.

By the way, if you want to get involved in the gardening blog community, consider joining a blog meme. See our list at Gardening Blog Memes.

Tags Annuals, impatiens

Bugs & Pests Christine's garden Gardening Home page features

The Sunday Bird Show

Well its been hot, hot, hot here and I’ve really not had much inclination to dig in the dirt. All I can motivate myself to do as far as gardening goes is to lounge around, enjoy the garden and appreciate the birds who took over the back garden this afternoon. At one stage there were so many flitting around that I had to put the camera down just to appreciate the very sight of all these different birds who now find some reason to visit my little space in the world. It was really quite something to have all these visitors in such a short space of time.

Most of the birds today were regulars (Yay! I now have “regulars”!) but we also had new birds in the back garden. The Cape Bulbul was new to me and the Redwing Starlings are usually in the front garden, but today they joined us at the back. Every bit of “birdy equipment” was in use this afternoon and the birds showed me what else they’ve been drinking from …here the Redwing Starling is drinking from one of the pots on the Terrace.

[one_half][/one_half]

[one_half_last][/one_half_last]

The Starlings are really not shy at all. They’ve been making my garden their home ever since we’ve lived here but usually confine themselves to the front garden where they have plenty of water features and bird baths which is what they seem to want from me. Water! They also enjoy the Frangipani tree in the front.

[one_half][/one_half]

[one_half_last][/one_half_last]

According to my notes, these with the grey heads are females. They came really close to me and seemed very unfussed by my presence. Then is the “new” kid in town, the Cape Bulbul (Pycnonotus capensis). Cape Bulbul eat fruit, seeds, nectar and insects. They’ve been making short work of the goodies on the new bird feeder.

[one_half][/one_half]

[one_half_last][/one_half_last]

This next bird is new to my garden (I haven’t seen it here before). I’ve looked through my “bird” books and can’t find a match for this one. I thought it looked a lot like the Rooibeksysie which is now a very regular visitor, but … I really don’t know what this is. Does anybody recognise it? It has also been eating off the new bird table, but seems a bit shy.

[one_half][/one_half]

[one_half_last][/one_half_last]

Here is the Rooibeksysie (aka Common Red Waxbill) again – they enjoy the hanging bird feeder and are regular everyday visitors now. They seem to prefer the apple pieces to all the other things we’ve tried. Apple and seeds. They are very cute, have become quite forward and are not shy to let the other birds know when they are around.

[one_half][/one_half]

[one_half_last][/one_half_last]

The sweet little sunbird that visits every day between at around five in the afternoon is growing up. (I first wrote about him here when he was a juvenile). I’ve watched him mature over the last three weeks and enjoy seeing him. Amazing that the same birds seem to come back every day or actually live somewhere in my garden …

[one_half][/one_half]

[one_half_last][/one_half_last]

And then the last bird of the day, the Hadeda – Just as the sun was starting to go down I looked out of my bedroom window and saw this female Hadeda perched on the neighbours roof, looking into my garden. The light was not great so my photos are not good, but here she is – she gave us quite a show when I went outside to photograph her. Lots of preening and posturing.

[one_half][/one_half]

[one_half_last][/one_half_last]

Here are a few other random shots of the birds using their old and new birdy things. I’m thrilled to see they are actually using everything I’ve put out for them and are eating all the fruit and seeds. Having all these birds visit is a wonderful side-effect of gardening.

[one_half]More than one bird type …[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Glad to see they do use these[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Can you see them peeping from behind?[/one_half]

[one_half_last]The Birds main Meeting Point[/one_half_last]

Thanks for joining me and “my” birds for our Sunday Bird Show 🙂
Happy Gardening
xxx

Tags birds, hadeda, rooibeksysie, starling

Christine's garden Gardening Home page features Perenniels

Mexican Petunia – My favourite plant of the season

Post author By Christine
Post date January 29, 2012
7 Comments on Mexican Petunia – My favourite plant of the season

My favourite plant of this Summer season has been hands down, without contest, the Mexican Petunia (Ruellia brittoniana). I first took notice of this plant when I read about it on It’s Not Work, It’s Gardening (thanks Alan!) and then shortly thereafter I found them at the local nursery. I bought one, planted it and within days I knew that I wanted more … bought two additional plants and now I wish I had bought lots more as there aren’t any left.

I planted them as a trial in my “Gardenia Bed” (as I am looking for replacements for the Gardenia which I plan to move soon). During the hottest days of summer when everything else looks a bit limp, Mexican Petunia just does her thing looking all fresh, green and gorgeous. I planted two seedlings against a low wall I want to partially cover, and they have grown quickly and are getting the job done. They don’t flower profusely for me yet, but I don’t mind as it’s the foliage and form of the plant that I like. The flowers are a welcome bonus.

[one_half][/one_half]

[one_half_last][/one_half_last]

[one_third][/one_third]

[one_third_last][/one_third_last]

[one_half][/one_half]

[one_half_last][/one_half_last]

See? Very, very pretty. I think they will start flowering a lot more soon as the plants are getting bigger, stronger and have more buds now!

Alan’s intro which I read and motivated me to buy the Mexican Petunia is here: Enjoying the blooms. He does another post in which we see that Mexican Petunia are easily propogated by putting stem cuttings in water, so I know I should just take a few cuttings … but I’ll wait for the plants to get a bit larger before I remove any stems. Besides, its just to hot to do anything right now 🙂

Happy Gardening
xxx

Tags mexican petunia, petunias, Ruellia brittoniana

Bugs & Pests Christine's garden Gardening Home page features

A partly reclaimed view

In my list of Things to Do in the Garden in 2012 I mentioned that I want to prune some trees in order to reclaim a portion of mountain view. In the heat of summer we have managed to get that done and I am happy with the result.

This is a small corner view as seen from one corner of the entertainment area of our back terrace. It’s a place I love to while away a hot summers day either with a good book or good company. It’s a marvellous spot as the air is always full of bird song, its private and peaceful and the views of the garden and surrounds are lovely.

[one_half]Before: Mountain hidden behind trees[/one_half]

[one_half_last]After: Trees tidied and removed[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Now we can see the mountain again[/one_half]

[one_half_last]And … birds on the wire[/one_half_last]

[one_half]In the early evening …[/one_half]

[one_half_last]And a zoomed out view[/one_half_last]

I am happy with the result, I think it looks a whole lot better. I hope you approve!

In other news …the little sunbird that visits me every day almost has all his markings now! (I first wrote about him here when he was a juvenile). Isn’t he gorgeous? He comes every day just after five and does a little show for me in the tree. Then he goes back to the rest of his family who hang out on the other side of the tree, overlooking my neighbour’s garden. It’s been lovely, I’ve watched him mature over the last three weeks.

Happy Gardening
xxx

Tags birds, malachite sunbird, sunbird

Bugs & Pests Christine's garden Gardening Home page features

Something new for Someone new

Post author By Christine
Post date January 26, 2012
13 Comments on Something new for Someone new

It seems that whenever I add something new, someone new turns up to inspect my garden … A week or so ago when I spotted the little Rooibeksysie (Common Wax-bill) eating the apples in the bird feeder, I asked what I should be doing to attract different and new birds to my garden. One suggestion I got from Clare at Curbstone Valley Farm was to add different fruit and she suggested citrus. Other suggestions included different seeds, more water, other fruits, different feeders and a few other ideas including supplying the birds with nesting materials.

With thanks to everyone for the suggestions, so far I have added another bird feeder – a wooden free standing feeder which I’ve filled with seed, apple and granadilla pulp, (will try some oranges tomorrow) and I added some water bowls (we have bird baths and plenty of moving water in the pond for them in the front garden, but no drinking water in the back shade garden, hence the addition). After finding the adorable baby doves sitting in the shade garden last week I realised they need some water nearer ground level, as those babies would not be able to fly up high to reach the nectar bottle or the water in the bird baths and pond.

Twenty-four hours later I have new bird visitors …

Armed with my new book, “Birds of Southern Africa”, identifying the the new visitors was a breeze. Above is a Cape Robin-Chat (Cossypha caffra). It’s a cute 17 cm little bird with a pale orange throat, upper breast and rump and white belly. According to the book its song is a series of melodious phrases, usually starting with ‘cheroo-weet-weet-weeeet’ and also often mimics other birds. It’s a common resident in gardens in the Western Cape.

Below is a Cape Sparrow (Passer melanurus), 15cm little bird that nests in bushes or small trees or in a wall or roof cavity. The male has a striking black-and-white head. They like to eat seed, fruit, buds, nectar and insects. The Cape Sparrow is near-endemic and lives in grassland, fields and large gardens (so obviously just “passing through” my back garden).

A few more photos …

[one_half]Cape Robin-chat, first, furtive look around …[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Cape Robin: “Ok, this looks pretty cool …”[/one_half_last]

[one_half]The Cape Sparrow is not shy at all[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Cape Sparrow getting stuck into the food[/one_half_last]

[one_half]New feeder under the big tree[/one_half]

[one_half_last]New water bowls under the tree[/one_half_last]

Tomorrow we’ll try oranges and see who turns up …

Happy gardening
xxx

List of Birds seen in my garden so far
Cape Sparrow
Cape Robin-Chat
Common Red Waxbill'(Rooibeksysie)
Doves, doves & lots more doves
Red-winged Starling
Southern Double-collared Sunbird
Greater Double-collared Sunbird
Hadeda Ibis
Cape White-eye (Witoogie)

Tags baby birds, birds