It is the first Sunday of the month, which means Garden Day here on the blog. It also means Berry Market Day, for those in Berry or perhaps Sydney who might want to drive down one Sunday. I myself have never been but I would like to go one time!
So how does the garden do? Obviously, the resilient and fantastic Portulaca are going great guns.
One of them decided to have an apricot and pink moment. I really love these plants. I bought some more this week, as well. Of those, I would like to mention this portulaca, which was found at Bunnings named “Christmas Colour” and was the expensive sun of $2.84. Your local Bunnings may have some, or none at all.
If you want to try Portulaca this is a cheap way to get a more advanced plant than the seedlings. Mine has pink and red flowers, I did not see any white there, though they may have had some.
The nasturtiums which were not fenced off, as expected, went a little bit downhill, while the fenced off one was quite happy. They are now both protected.
There have been a lot of leaves and bark falling from the trees – we did a big sweep up and rake last weekend, and the chook leaf pile has grown. The chooks are not so sure about this – firstly, it is very noisy, compared to their already well worked over by chooks pile. Secondly, it is a lot taller. I can always tell when they are brave enough to turn over the newer scary leaves. The noise travels.
The garden bed is a mixed result. The Brussels are taking off somewhat. The chard, not so much. The baby spinach did not do very well and I gave up and pulled it out. The chooks enjoyed it.
I suspected one of the reasons the plants were not taking off in this planter box was the location. There is a tree next to our property which means that spot is in shade from midday or so until mid-afternoon, then the shade kicks in from other trees, and this spot did not get as much sun as these plants would like.
I said to The Other Half – can you move the planter box? He said no, remember when we built it, I told you to pick the spot well because it would be too heavy to move later.
I said well, you really can’t go to Mars if you can’t move this planter box, with science. Pulleys and fulcrums and physics, and shiznit. I’m sure you can manage it, with science.
And manage it he did, with a sack truck and a crowbar. The Other Half can now go to Mars! We’ll see how it goes with more sun.
Finally an update on the Penstemon – ours is called Sour Grapes.
This plant baffled me for some time, growing taller and taller but no actual buds appearing.
Last week, they finally arrived. It was worth the wait.
Would you like to join in with Sunday Selections?? The rules are very simple:-
1. post photos of your choice, old or new, under the Sunday Selections title
2. link back to River at Drifting Through Life, somewhere in your post
3. leave River a comment so that she knows you’ve joined in and can come over and see what you’ve posted.
The Penstemon has very attractive flowers. I have seen it, but I never knew its name.
Andrew, something about that plant spoke to The Other Half so he picked it, I’ve never had one of these before. I might have to add it to the list of awesome plants to grow.. :)
We had a Penstemon (a white one) which only provided leaf for several years. Lovely things when they bloom though.
Windy here too. Crap everywhere. Sigh.
This is not meant to be “fall” is what I keep thinking, EC, lol. And yet things are falling all over the place! ;)
Is that the penstemon growing tall in the first photo?
I haven’t been to the nursery yet to look for portulaca, I’m going to have to wait until next year. From now until Easter I have Christmas (well, we all do) then two family birthdays, an engagement party, then seven more family birthdays. Then of course it is Easter.
River – yes, that is the Penstemon in the first pic. The Bunnings Christmas Colour portulaca is enjoying its new home, spreading out and flowering happily. I did feel like that was quite a bargain. :)
The Penstemon is magnificent! I have a weakness for apricot or color colored flowers, especially two tone ones. My rhody in the front is orange/apricot with a pink heart. It is lovely. :)
Apricot is my most favourite shade of flower, Margaret. :) I do not know why it is so fascinating to me! ;)
When I was a kid our house had two large cement planters at the end of the driveway filled with portulaca. It would reseed itself and come back every year.
Kathy G – I’m looking forward to seeing what these Portulaca do across various seasons.. I read that flowering is mostly in summer so I have a lot of upcoming flowers to enjoy, yay! I think the three large ones with two seedlings in each pot will need to be put in a larger pot at the end of summer if they keep going this way. If I had known they would take off like this, they would have gone into separate pots.. :)
This all gives me the warm fuzzies. I love Portulaca and yours are wonderful. And, oh more sour grapes! (The Other Half is a saint.)
Mitchell, I loved them so much, I bought 2 more punnets of 6 Portulaca seedlings this past week, it will be interesting to see how those go. :) Happy moments!
I love your determination to get the planter moved. I should use this tactic on my husband more often!
Lovely portulacas. Aren’t they the most delicate looking blooms?
Congrats on getting some of your veg to grow. Ours are very slow-growing here. It’s been a mild winter and our broccs, beets and peas aren’t sure what to make of it!
Enjoy!
Penstemon are great garden fillers. My mum always called them Granny Bonnets.