Self care by growing a garden

[Smc]

@Former-Member, I'm particularly looking forwrd to seeing the bromeliads in flower. A lot of them have buds.

I've been getting out and doing weeding today and yesterday. Still lots to do, but at least a couple of my beds now have more flowers than cleavers growing in them.

Lily of the Valley is up and has buds... tulips still going but getting a bit flopsy... potted dahlia shooting... irises starting to flower. Boring white ones first, the more exciting named bearded irises will follow soon and give a lovely show. I've brought a fair few of Dad's irises back here over the past year. A lot of them have lost their names (no tag, or the name's faded off it) so as they flower I'll be trying to identify them. My sister will recognise a lot of them, so I'll have to take photos to check with her.

Wanting to kick off some veggies too.The potato peels and the pumpkin and capsicum seeds in the worm farm are sprouting, so that says it's the right time for them.

[Former-Member]

@Smc  Hope you are pleased with the  bromiliad flowers. I love the anticipation of new colours in irises and do hope you get a good variety. I have some given to me due to flower was told they were "dark".  I don't mind white, perhaps see it as more versatile than the more common purple variety. 

[Smc]

@Former-Member, I don't mind white per se, but the old fashioned one is a little bit invasive, and it swamped out a couple of nicer ones that were growing next to it, so I'm actively reducing how much of it I have. Problem is, you can't tell which ones they are until they flower.

I've got some lovely colours in the garden already, including orange, white with purple edges and dots, sky blue, burgundy, apricot, and one of the "almost blacks". Some are from when Dad got interested in named varieties back in the '70s, and then my sister started up an extensive collection herself. I love them too, but don't have the budget to buy up new releases, so I happily take whatever surplus divisions I'm offered. Means my sister hopefully has a backup source if she loses any of hers. 🙂

Houdini, an old "almost black".Blue Petticoat, bred by a friend of ours.

Apricot Nectar, one from my sister.Burgundy Bubbles. I lashed out and bought this one.

Fogbound, I think? One of my sister's.Distinction, one of Dad's '70s classicss. And my veggie garden in better days.

[Former-Member]

Didn't realise the white iris is a prolific breeder @Smc.  The colours you gave are lovely.  

Mr Darcy is going hammer and tongs at our place,  he had roughly cleared quite an area and is keen to mulch it; I went and helped for an hour or so after lunch. A trip to the nursery in order as I don't want to have a bare bed after l the effort that has been extended. 

[Shaz51]

wow they are beautiful @Smc

Hello @Former-Member, @eudemonism, @Determined, @Adge

[eudemonism]

Yea wow @Smc amazing colours... can you cut them and put them in a vase?

[Smc]

@eudemonism, they do look beautiful in a vase, but usually I just enjoy them in the garden. They last better that way.

The petals are very easily damaged, so that's why Bearded Irises don't turn up in florists' shops, but the tougher Dutch Irises do.

Went spring veg punnet shopping today. Bought two punnets of tomatoes (one mixed cherries, the other mixed heirlooms) and one punnet of basil. I've carefully transplanted some of the pumpkin and capsicum seeds that had sprouted in my worm farm into pots. Want to get beans, zuchinni and cucumbers going too.

[Former-Member]

 @Smc 😀

[Former-Member]

Hi @Smc our trip to our local garden centre did not yield suitable plantsfor the weeded patch;  I would like a hedging plant that will take up a good portion of the bed.  I am thinking I might try some port wine magnolias which I know I can get in our nearest major centre. I did not come away empty handed though,  got some hydrangeas which will fill another spot. 

[Smc]

@Former-Member, there's a strip down the back of our place, over the sewerage line and towards the creek, that's out of reach of the hose. However, it does grow prolific grassy weeds in springtime. I'm slowly digging over that area and replacing the weeds with drought tolerant herbaceous and shrubby perennials, sticking with ones that (1) will survive with no watering at all; (2) won't spread down the creekbed and become environmental weeds; and (3) are easy to propogate so that if the sewerage line ever needs to be dug up for repairs, I won't lose anything that I can't regrow.