DFB's Greenthumb Project

[DFB FGXR6]

Convolvulus sabatius, pronounced "Con-vol-vew-lus", an oldie but a goodie that is in full flower at the moment.



The above is the original cultivar that is generally a well-priced low spreading groundcover. The flowers close up at night, reopening when the light reappears in the morning.

We only occasionally stock the original variety, preferring to offer the newer versions from PGA. These have the same shaped flower but a slightly larger leaf and more variation in colour selection. The newer cultivars also seem to be denser and less "gappy" in growth habit.

'Purple Moon' and 'New Blue Moon' for instance are much deeper in colour -

https://www.pga.com.au/Plants/Plant....?plant_id=3669
https://www.pga.com.au/Plants/Plant....?plant_id=3245



'Artic Moon' is pure white -

https://www.pga.com.au/Plants/Plant....?plant_id=3670



There is also the dual colour 'Two Moons' -

https://www.pga.com.au/Plants/Plant....?plant_id=2577

[DFB FGXR6]

Another oldie, 'Cécile Brünner' rose that is in full flight at the moment.



This particular example would be at least 40 to 50 years old. I've hacked it back to stubs a few times over the last 15 years, each time it laughs and comes back stronger than ever.

Being a much more vigorous variety that certainly needs a special position in the garden, we don't sell many of these anymore.............that is if we can find someone growing them for wholesale.

[Citroënbender]

Looks like the one I have in my front yard, woven into an azalea and ready to attach itself to passers-by. Beautiful, mild and slightly “soapy” fragrance?

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Looks like the one I have in my front yard, woven into an azalea and ready to attach itself to passers-by. Beautiful, mild and slightly “soapy” fragrance?

Yeah, a mild aroma, nothing special though.

[roKWiz]

That rose bush does look like the one I've been fighting off since I bought the place.
Haircut right back every year, the Firetails love nesting in it.


Do you see Toothbrush Grevillea's around much these days ?

Planted 2 a few years ago, bought at the local markets, 1 suddenly died last year and haven't been able to find another since.
These ones seem to be the yellow bush variety, out walking, I've spotted some red tree like variations around our town, Wangaratta Council has a red ground cover variety growing along the footpaths.



My most favourite Grevillea, considering the poor thing has been broken several times.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

That rose bush does look like the one I've been fighting off since I bought the place.
Haircut right back every year, the Firetails love nesting in it.


Do you see Toothbrush Grevillea's around much these days ?

Planted 2 a few years ago, bought at the local markets, 1 suddenly died last year and haven't been able to find another since.
These ones seem to be the yellow bush variety, out walking, I've spotted some red tree like variations around our town, Wangaratta Council has a red ground cover variety growing along the footpaths.

image

My most favourite Grevillea, considering the poor thing has been broken several times.

image

We occasionally get them in, but not often.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

We occasionally get them in, but not often.

Thanks, been meaning to head over there one day.
Not sure how true this is but a local nursery told me, it's a plant, native nurseries haven't grown in 25 years or so.

[Tonz]

cant you go for an evening walk with secetures hidden and snap a few specimens for propagating

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Thanks, been meaning to head over there one day.
Not sure how true this is but a local nursery told me, it's a plant, native nurseries haven't grown in 25 years or so.

We occasionally see it come through, but it needs to be on a stock list for us to be able to order it.

Grevillea hookeriana is what you are chasing.

[Citroënbender]

Originally Posted by Tonz

cant you go for an evening walk with secetures hidden and snap a few specimens for propagating

It's nicer to ask people. Many are happy to share cuttings.

[roKWiz]

Not sure I would want to grow one from cuttings these one have taken a long time to establish themselves.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Every year it's always "oh, we'll fit them all in".............not this year. Surplus trees are being housed in our holding bays out back...............

image

When you consider how much of the nursery is dedicated to advanced deciduous trees, that's saying something. And that's not all of them, there is about another 50 odd trees to go in there yet. A combination of slower winter sales plus ordering as much as we could is the cause.

In reality, these trees will probably grow and fill out better than the stock crammed into the nursery.

Two months later...................





Can't believe its been two months! If it wasn't for the hot-cold-hot-cold-hot we have had over the last two months, these would likely have been further along than this.

[DFB FGXR6]

Dahlia "Dalina Tampico", looking irresistible in the nursery today.



This is a compact variety of Dahlia, only growing 40cm high and 40cm wide. It will flower from late spring to autumn and best grown in full sun. I just love how tightly arranged the petals are, not to mention the variegated coloring.

[Rallye Sport]

Very cool, we don't see Dahlia's much over hear but when you do they're something to behold.

My sunflowers are growing by the day at the moment. I'm trying some new seed this year. I found some at a farm gate we visit, they were the biggest I've ever seen, the heads must have been 60cm+ I asked for some seed and the owner was happy for me to take some. They were sewn on Bathurst day in line with my yearly superstition / blueprint for growing giant sunflowers.

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Convolvulus sabatius, pronounced "Con-vol-vew-lus", an oldie but a goodie that is in full flower at the moment.

image

The above is the original cultivar that is generally a well-priced low spreading groundcover. The flowers close up at night, reopening when the light reappears in the morning.

We only occasionally stock the original variety, preferring to offer the newer versions from PGA. These have the same shaped flower but a slightly larger leaf and more variation in colour selection. The newer cultivars also seem to be denser and less "gappy" in growth habit.

'Purple Moon' and 'New Blue Moon' for instance are much deeper in colour -

https://www.pga.com.au/Plants/Plant....?plant_id=3669
https://www.pga.com.au/Plants/Plant....?plant_id=3245

image

'Artic Moon' is pure white -

https://www.pga.com.au/Plants/Plant....?plant_id=3670

image

There is also the dual colour 'Two Moons' -

https://www.pga.com.au/Plants/Plant....?plant_id=2577

image

What’s the go with convovulus cnorem, it’s more of a low shrub than ground cover like the ones you have pictured.
They tick all the boxes in the nursery with silver foliage but out of 10 you plant six will die off within the first couple of years. Not sure if that’s Adelaide soil specific.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

What’s the go with convovulus cnorem, it’s more of a low shrub than ground cover like the ones you have pictured.
They tick all the boxes in the nursery with silver foliage but out of 10 you plant six will die off within the first couple of years. Not sure if that’s Adelaide soil specific.

Yeah, C. cnorem can be a bit of a diva. Nine times out of ten, it's too much water that gets them. If you have them planted out and on the same dripper system as the rest of the garden, sometimes that can be too much for them. In which case, choose a lower flow rate dripper to suit.

I also treat them like Lavenders, as in if you get a few years out of them, then be happy. They seem to lose vigor and become straggly after a few years. And just like Lavender, prune them early and often to keep them productive.

[DFB FGXR6]

These young Hydrangea quercifolia, or Oak-Leaf Hydrangea, now flowering in a renovated garden at work. Fittingly, these are planted under an old multi-trunked Pin Oak.





Like all Hydrangea, quercifolia does require plenty of moisture during the warmer months.

[DFB FGXR6]

Jack of all trades....................





Christmas gift wrapping in full swing, those ribbon bows all made by me.

[Tonz]

bet you'll be happy tomorrow evening when the doors are shut.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Tonz

bet you'll be happy tomorrow evening when the doors are shut.

I'm happy every day when the doors shut! It's funny, customers at this time of the year, or more to the point in the last week before Christmas, seem to shop with purpose and without procrastination. I'm happy with that, no small talk, no time wasters, just in, out, next.

I don't mind wrapping plants, it makes for a change of pace, especially on a warm day and the a/c is on in the shop.

The gift shop has some very challenging things to wrap though. One of the guys was asked to wrap a bird bath yesterday, no idea why, it was bleeding obvious what was under the wrapping paper when he was done. And I had to wrap some glass solar stem lights for two separate customers today.

[DFB FGXR6]

Morning Glory..................and not the pleasant one................



Native to Mexico and Central America, Ipomoea purpurea or Morning Glory, a fast growing and aggressive plant that has the ability to easily smother other plants and reduce habitat for native birds and animals.

Control is difficult, the actual vine is extremely strong and the root system extremely robust. The vines that touch the ground also have the ability to grow roots and create another plant to continue the rampage. Like any noxious weed, Morning Glory has evolved to be very resistant to mechanical and chemical control.

In the above case, I managed to eradicate the stuff in this garden about 8 years ago. Annoyingly, it has resurfaced again. At the moment, the plants infested with this weed are in flower themselves, so I'm waiting for the appropriate time to go through and cut everything back in an attempt to gain access to the multiple root sources.

[Citroënbender]

Weeds!

One of my customers was telling me how she and her sister thought it a great game to smuggle plant stock into the country when they had not long arrived (30 years ago). Absolutely no respect for biosecurity. I struggle to control some of their precious “private imports” and would gladly turn them to ash.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Weeds!

One of my customers was telling me how she and her sister thought it a great game to smuggle plant stock into the country when they had not long arrived (30 years ago). Absolutely no respect for biosecurity. I struggle to control some of their precious “private imports” and would gladly turn them to ash.

I have an aunt that would do that, we're talking about 45 years ago though.

[DFB FGXR6]

My first attempt at a Terrarium.....................

[Tonz]

you will get hooked mate Iam warning you.

20 years ago I forced myself to stop I had over 30 of them largest was 1M diameter

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Tonz

you will get hooked mate Iam warning you.

20 years ago I forced myself to stop I had over 30 of them largest was 1M diameter

Probably a wise warning, when I get into something, it sort of gets out of control.............................

[Rallye Sport]

Looks awesome! Haven't seen the freckle face, Hypoestes? in years, neither the groundcover in the foreground, the name escapes me, starts with an A I think.

Tonz is right it could be a gateway, I started with terrariums, built a vivarium then went to aquascaping. Its the only horticultural interest I have around my house nowadays (bit sad really)
The tanks are super responsive to light, c02, water quality and fertilizers. Really lets my inner plant nerd come out. Add a couple of critters, shrimp in my case, and it turns into a real ecosystem.
It started at one, then two, now three

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Looks awesome! Haven't seen the freckle face, Hypoestes? in years, neither the groundcover in the foreground, the name escapes me, starts with an A I think.

Tonz is right it could be a gateway, I started with terrariums, built a vivarium then went to aquascaping. Its the only horticultural interest I have around my house nowadays (bit sad really)

image

Looking good!

This is what I have in there -

- Hypoestes phyllostachya, Freckle Face or Polka Dot Plant (larger pink foliage), which is apparently considered a weed.
https://weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au/Weeds/FreckleFace

- Ophiopogon japonicus or Dwarf Mondo Grass

- Ajuga Burgundy Lace (front center)

- Adiantum fragrans or Maiden Hair Fern (lifted out of the fernery)

- Selaginella kraussiana or Green Spikemoss (groundcover, which I also stole from the fernery.

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Looking good!

This is what I have in there -

- Hypoestes phyllostachya, Freckle Face or Polka Dot Plant (larger pink foliage), which is apparently considered a weed.
https://weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au/Weeds/FreckleFace

- Ophiopogon japonicus or Dwarf Mondo Grass

- Ajuga Burgundy Lace (front center)

- Adiantum fragrans or Maiden Hair Fern (lifted out of the fernery)

- Selaginella kraussiana or Green Spikemoss (groundcover, which I also stole from the fernery.

Ajuga reptans as I know it. Thankyou I can stop trying to recall it now

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Weeds!

One of my customers was telling me how she and her sister thought it a great game to smuggle plant stock into the country when they had not long arrived (30 years ago). Absolutely no respect for biosecurity. I struggle to control some of their precious “private imports” and would gladly turn them to ash.

It continues to this day, I know a guy who considers himself a rare cacti enthusiast who happens to sell at weekend markets. He thinks nothing of ordering plant segments from OS via the mail.