DFB's Greenthumb Project

[DFB FGXR6]

I love new Spring growth on plants.

My Japanese Maple is starting to come into leaf after Winter. This variety is called Acer palmatum 'Dissectum Seiryu' and features bright green foliage that is finely cut, giving it a delicate look. In Autumn is changes from yellow, to orange and deep red. One of my favorites.

[FTE217]

yes maples are awesum, yours has started earlier than mine.
Must be different climate.
I'll check in the morn but I'm sure I have no new qrowth as yet.

Agree re the spring blooming.
I took some more pics late today of a couple more starting bloom thinking to add to the thread but I'm not sure to post, its your thread !

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by FTE217

yes maples are awesum, yours has started earlier than mine.
Must be different climate.
I'll check in the morn but I'm sure I have no new qrowth as yet.

Agree re the spring blooming.
I took some more pics late today of a couple more starting bloom thinking to add to the thread but I'm not sure to post, its your thread !

Post away, I don't mind.

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Post away, I don't mind.

Well if you insist

I did Australian plants as part of my apprenticeship. The lecturer was a seasoned old bushman that loved nothing more than to take us out for a brisk *read blood and sweat* walks in the scrub pointing out plants. He introduced me to native orchids.

Springs here and we've just been down to the Margaret river region. This combines a few of my passions, plants, photography and driving on dirt roads to get there.
Heres some I found this week.


Threatened Cape spider orchid


Endangered Carbunup Spider


Super cool 'Flying duck' hammer orchid, about 50mm high and under 10mm in flower. This one took a bit of finding...

And springs only just started!

[Citroënbender]

They’re beaut!

[DFB FGXR6]

I found this Freesia in the garden today.



These a granny favorite prized for their strong perfume.

[DFB FGXR6]

This weeks project. Over 750 roses set down for sale.



Potted, pruned, priced and spaced just so, we also apply a pre-emergent weed killer to reduce maintenance.

[DFB FGXR6]

Pieris japonica or Lily of the Valley Bush.



I noticed this plant as I parked at a job this morning. These are extremely slow growing shrubs that prefer a sheltered position and plenty of summer watering. Pieris flower in late winter and early spring in pink, or white in this case. I just love how the flowers appear in clusters and hang delicately from the plant. This is another of one of those plants that fade into the background for most of the year before leaping into view when in flower.

[FTE217]

Very nice re the rose’s FS.

Well here some spring is in the air from my garden.....



Beautiful white !


Yes DFB mine is starting !

View from my lounge room


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by FTE217

Very nice re the rose’s FS.

Well here some spring is in the air from my garden.....
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Beautiful white !
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Yes DFB mine is starting !
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View from my lounge room


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What a gorgeous garden!

Those Clivia's look great. They get smashed by the frost here in Vic over winter if not planted in the right spot.

[FTE217]

Cheers mate !
I can’t take credit for the garden for we bought as such some 3yrs - it was a rental for many years and very overgrown.
The original owners sure had an eye and idea what to plant and set up beautiful sandstone retaining walls everywhere.
We loved clearing it cutting back and found many treasures starving for sunlight and air.
Yes Clivias looked fantastic and other spots have huge bunch’s of agapanthus yet to grow their shoot.
Coldest we get is around 3-4 but feels like 0 lol - we’re in a valley and creek runs by 2-3min walk.
Even though some see a packed stressed out Sydney burb we call it paradise tbh.
My bro was a horticulturist so I have a an idea what’s doing and the wife loves gardening but as you know it’s a lot of work !

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by FTE217

Cheers mate !
I can’t take credit for the garden for we bought as such some 3yrs - it was a rental for many years and very overgrown.
The original owners sure had an eye and idea what to plant and set up beautiful sandstone retaining walls everywhere.
We loved clearing it cutting back and found many treasures starving for sunlight and air.
Yes Clivias looked fantastic and other spots have huge bunch’s of agapanthus yet to grow their shoot.
Coldest we get is around 3-4 but feels like 0 lol - we’re in a valley and creek runs by 2-3min walk.
Even though some see a packed stressed out Sydney burb we call it paradise tbh.
My bro was a horticulturist so I have a an idea what’s doing and the wife loves gardening but as you know it’s a lot of work !

very nice, Reminds me of Avalon.

[FTE217]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

very nice, Reminds me of Avalon.

Funny we were just there on Sunday arvo, 20min drive from where we are so your not far off the mark and ofcourse alot of typical bush and National Park surroundings. Love these parts of Sydney.

[DFB FGXR6]

Dwarf Yellow Broom or Genista x spachiana.



I have a love and hate relationship with these plants. When in flower, these guys fly out the door, the bright yellow flowers sell themselves. However, if not all sold in flower, these things will sit on the shelf for months before having to be heavily pruned (hacked) then fed with a high Nitrogen fertilizer and regrown for hopeful sale months down the track. This additional work really detracts from the profit margin, especially on a small 140 mm pot.

[Tonz]

and to think Broom is a weed in parts of New Zealand

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by FTE217

Funny we were just there on Sunday arvo, 20min drive from where we are so your not far off the mark and ofcourse alot of typical bush and National Park surroundings. Love these parts of Sydney.

Do quite a lot of jobs around the northern beaches, many storm damage rebuilds.

[Rallye Sport]

I thought I'd share this one with the other greenthumbs on here, I've been playing with this one for a few years now.

We used to do this style of topiary in the nursery, mainly with Ficus for indoor use but I've seen some spectacular Azalea's done in this style too.
This one is an Abyssinian tea tree, Cathus edulis, a 'curiosity' plant that I've collected over the years.

Today was the day the pipe was removed, most of the grafts have taken but I've re-wrapped them all with budding tape to let them set further.




Its not quite holding its own weight yet so I've wired it to the patio pole for now. I may look at suspending it from the roof with stainless trace when it stiffens up some more.

I also need to make it less appealing to the chooks, it's next to their food bowl and they've taken to perching on it and having a scratch in the dirt every morning whist waiting for brekky

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

I thought I'd share this one with the other greenthumbs on here, I've been playing with this one for a few years now.

We used to do this style of topiary in the nursery, mainly with Ficus for indoor use but I've seen some spectacular Azalea's done in this style too.
This one is an Abyssinian tea tree, Cathus edulis, a 'curiosity' plant that I've collected over the years.

Today was the day the pipe was removed, most of the grafts have taken but I've re-wrapped them all with budding tape to let them set further.
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Its not quite holding its own weight yet so I've wired it to the patio pole for now. I may look at suspending it from the roof with stainless trace when it stiffens up some more.

I also need to make it less appealing to the chooks, it's next to their food bowl and they've taken to perching on it and having a scratch in the dirt every morning whist waiting for brekky

Nice work! Although I have my eyes on those pots of cactus in the background.

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Nice work! Although I have my eyes on those pots of cactus in the background.

Good spotting, theres some gems amongst the mess out there, think of the mechanic thats going to fix the oil leak on his own car... one day

If the house ever caught on fire I'd push the Escort out and then wrestle this one to safety. I can still remember the day I picked it up as a single 'peanut'. Its about 700mm in girth now and will soon be covered in eye stinging orange flowers.

[FTE217]

Awesum on both counts.
Amazing grafting.
I can't imagine that would ever hold itself up fully bloomed up top BUT I expect the stems will thicken up over time and trasplanted into a bigger pot 0 chooks will love a bigger pot lol.....
Yes the cactus got my eyes as well, and amazing plant shapes and sizes.
A started from a single peanut - that is pretty damn NICE !
Is that Bay Leaf in that other pot ?

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by FTE217

Awesum on both counts.
Amazing grafting.
I can't imagine that would ever hold itself up fully bloomed up top BUT I expect the stems will thicken up over time and trasplanted into a bigger pot 0 chooks will love a bigger pot lol.....
Yes the cactus got my eyes as well, and amazing plant shapes and sizes.
A started from a single peanut - that is pretty damn NICE !
Is that Bay Leaf in that other pot ?

Spot on it's a bay tree, the mrs is a chef and uses it quite often at work and home.

I've got a big edibles project happening soon, if DFB is cool with it I'll post some progress.

We've just had a new shed / facility built on the golf course and theres a spare acre or so around it and the carpark that we're keen on planting. I'm collecting some unusual plants as we speak, lemon myrtle, ice cream bean tree, custard apples, bananas, pineapples so far.

We've got access to commercial quantities of compost and supplies, as well as tractors, rotary hoes, irrigation and fertigation.
I do a couple of paid hours on saturday mornings so I'm happy to hang around for a few afternoons for free to build the orchard I could only dream of.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Spot on it's a bay tree, the mrs is a chef and uses it quite often at work and home.

I've got a big edibles project happening soon, if DFB is cool with it I'll post some progress.

We've just had a new shed / facility built on the golf course and theres a spare acre or so around it and the carpark that we're keen on planting. I'm collecting some unusual plants as we speak, lemon myrtle, ice cream bean tree, custard apples, bananas, pineapples so far.

We've got access to commercial quantities of compost and supplies, as well as tractors, rotary hoes, irrigation and fertigation.
I do a couple of paid hours on saturday mornings so I'm happy to hang around for a few afternoons for free to build the orchard I could only dream of.

Post away, would love to see how it all go's.

[FTE217]

yes absolutely - glad DFB is cool we raid his thread
Look forward to your project ! and I forgot you work on a golf course one of my other passions !!
Played a great track in Sydney Tuesday.
I'm married to a portugese and bay leaves are used regularly for marinating nice large no fat chunks of beef called espetada madeirense, look it up, its to die for and we have 6 odd small ones growing away for use, our previous home had a huge mature one that was very handy.
I have taken a few more garden pics as well, will post up once I get on tapatalk.

[DFB FGXR6]

Took these pics of my sisters garden in full spring glory this morning.





I designed and maintain this garden. The house is rented out, with me maintaining the garden and hopefully maintaining / improving the value of the property.

This garden is at its best in early spring, the Loropetalum and Cercis 'Forest Pansy' the stars of the show.

[DFB FGXR6]

This post has a bit of theme, with all three of these plants seducing with their beautiful fragrance.

The first being Magnolia "Princess Cinderella". This is a large growing evergreen shrub ideal for screening or as a feature plant. This variety of Magnolia was bred in Australia, is fast growing and displays fragrant creamy white flowers in early spring. I will often recommend these for situations where a Camellia may struggle.





People either love or hate this next plant, Jasminum polyanthum or spring flowering Jasmine. This vigorous growing climber has an extremely strong perfume that will either delight or disgust. Jasmine is known to aggravate hay fever. Luckily for me, I absolutely love the smell, something that reminds me of my Grandmothers garden.



The final plant is has a somewhat unfortunate name, Syringa vulgaris. There is nothing vulgar about the sweet smell of a Lilac tree. These small deciduous trees have had a resurgence in popularity. They are slow growing and prefer a shelter from afternoon summer sun.



I love this time of the year, with many plants at their peak and before the heat of summer arrives.

[DFB FGXR6]

Double Flowering May or Spirea Cantoniensis.



This is an old fashioned plant prized for its display of white spring flowers. It grows to about 2 metres high with a span of 2.5 metres. This particular example is filling a large section towards the back of a garden bed and they can also be used as a hedge.

These plants always sell very quickly at this time of the year, whilst in flower.

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

This post has a bit of theme, with all three of these plants seducing with their beautiful fragrance.

The first being Magnolia "Princess Cinderella". This is a large growing evergreen shrub ideal for screening or as a feature plant. This variety of Magnolia was bred in Australia, is fast growing and displays fragrant creamy white flowers in early spring. I will often recommend these for situations where a Camellia may struggle.

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People either love or hate this next plant, Jasminum polyanthum or spring flowering Jasmine. This vigorous growing climber has an extremely strong perfume that will either delight or disgust. Jasmine is known to aggravate hay fever. Luckily for me, I absolutely love the smell, something that reminds me of my Grandmothers garden.

image

The final plant is has a somewhat unfortunate name, Syringa vulgaris. There is nothing vulgar about the sweet smell of a Lilac tree. These small deciduous trees have had a resurgence in popularity. They are slow growing and prefer a shelter from afternoon summer sun.

image

I love this time of the year, with many plants at their peak and before the heat of summer arrives.

Ok, so I’ve often wondered about the word “vulgaris”, as I see it in the Latin name on the seed packets, it does have a negative connotation.
But its simple-it means “common, or usual type”.
Ahh the wormhole a DFB thread takes you down

[Work Horse]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

Ok, so I’ve often wondered about the word “vulgaris”, as I see it in the Latin name on the seed packets, it does have a negative connotation.
But its simple-it means “common, or usual type”.
Ahh the wormhole a DFB thread takes you down

How do you go with Iris unguicularis
?

[DFB FGXR6]

Another unfortunate name for a beautiful flowering plant.



I really like finding out the meanings behind Latin plant names.

"Unguicularis is derived from the Latin Unguis meaning 'claw' in reference to the shape of its flower."

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Another unfortunate name for a beautiful flowering plant.

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I really like finding out the meanings behind Latin plant names.

"Unguicularis is derived from the Latin Unguis meaning 'claw' in reference to the shape of its flower."

Oh, good, I’m glad you looked it up, I was afraid to google it.