Sunday 31 August 2014

Acalyphas




Acalyphas or Fijian Fire Plants are a favourite plant of mine.  They love the summer heat and they don't mind drier soils.  I love their varying leaf shapes, their combination of colours and their different leaf patterns.














The same one 1 month later and it is about 3 times the height now



I have quite a few Acalyphas planted along the back fence in the pool area.  Many of these have been moved from other parts of the garden and they were moved last spring and summer.  It will take them a while to fully settle in and grow, so I am looking forward to this spring and summer when they should take off and start growing.


 

 

Acalypha Raggedy Anne and I will move this one in spring as it is not getting enough sun to keep its red colouring
 

 
In summer they are more subdued in colour.....

.....and in autumn they become more vibrant in colour


Brugmansia Frosty Pink is in flower, the pink flowers bring out the pink colouring in the Acalypha.  
 
 
A couple of new ones for my garden, these will be planted into the garden in Spring
 
 
 
 
 
Some Acalyphas in Bundaberg Botanical Garden.  I would have loved some cutting of these but all I could do was just look at them as it is illegal to take cuttings in Botanic or Botanical Gardens.
 




 

Sunday 10 August 2014

August in the garden

 
A couple of the Hibiscus growing in the garden on the nature strip.

 
 
In the Front Garden 
 
 Brugmansia Aurea
 
  
 Brugmansia Maya
 
 Hibiscus Patricia Noble is a pale orange colour during the warmer months of the year.

 Hibiscus Rosalind is looking very different during the cold in winter.
 
 
 Abutilon Thompsonii


My crotons are still looking beautiful, even though we have had a lot more frosts this winter.



 




In the Lower Garden

 Brugmansia Domain
 
 
 Malvaviscus aroboreus var. mexicanus
 
 
 Justicia brandegeeana







Brugmansia Lipstick in her pale winter colour and a close up photo below.  I am very surprised that this one is in flower as the glass pool fence next to this one has had ice on it this winter.


 In the Pavilion garden


Brugmansia Meroo Pink in her pale winter colour.


Codiaeum Captain Kid


 




Justicia aurea 
 
 
Brugmansia Avalanche flowering in the pool area.
 


Pavilion renovation and Aglaonemas




I have been waiting for more than 3 years to have a deck built under the pavilion and it was finally built this year.  Here are some before and after photos of the Pavilion.


 
 






I love Aglaonemas and I have been growing them for many years. 

These Aglaonemas have been growing under the roof of the pavilion for several years, it is a very dry spot here as they are protected from the rain.  I love the patterns on their leaves up against the wood, so I decided to get some more when I saw them in local garden centres. 


I placed the new ones around the pavilion still in their pots to see how I liked them there.  I will plant these in the garden when the weather warms up in spring.

 



Here are a couple that have been growing in the garden for yearsI plant them close to palms or large shrubs to keep the soil around them drier.






 
When we were up at the Queensland Garden Expo last month, I bought some more to add around the Pavilion and in the garden.  I am keeping these ones inside until the nights get a little warmer as the stand I bought them from comes down from tropical north Queensland.
Some of these I will plant next to the pavilion and the other ones I will plant next to my Brugmansias as they take a lot of moisture out of the soil and they will keep the Agalaonmeas dry.  These are the new ones.
 






I love the pink stems on this one.