The wet weather is thrilling me to pieces. It's soaking everything and the ground's sodden which makes for easy pitch-forking. It's been years since I've gotten stuck into a garden and I fair-dinkum love it. And gardening's not rocket-science. If it doesn't work, you pull-it-up and start again ... though I did recently read an article about whether plants feel pain. It appears the jury's out on that issue, but because plants don't have synapses or things-akin, that work as quickly as animals, they may not feel pain in the same way or as rapidly as we do. Still, pain or not, I am always reluctant to dig-up flora.
There are four camellia plants in the garden. Three different varieties in the back yard, and one larger bush in the front yard. Camellias didn't feature too highly in my mind's eye for this yard (given I was thinking a heavy-Mexican influence) but I am reluctant to dig them out, because really, what harm have they done, and I have a yearning to bring them back to what I suspect is their former glory. The poor things have been suffocated by a veritable quagmire of nasty, ravenous ferns.
Those are going this weekend. Once you get under them, you can pull them up like a carpet.
Front yard before I took to it with a lizel (Our word. Lever-slash-chisel), shovels and pitch fork.
Gone are ferns, some big leafed tuber thing, asparagus fern, Birds of Paradise, wayward frangipani and a succulent that's rife.
I plan-on clearing out this front bed whilst trying to hide the hideous air-conditioning unit. I'd rip that thing out with my bare hands if i could.
Look at bare brick wall. What's not to love?
There's a yukka and that camellia bush. They've weazelled their leafy little ways into my heart. Okay chlorophylled green things, you can stay.
Birds of Paradise damn near killed us.
Because I spend my weekend waking hours in the garden, I've let the house go.
I had planned weekends spent painting walls stark white and generally filling the house with funky new things but of course I forgot how expensive paint is.
Hello five-year-old!
She is! She's five and ready to take school by storm!
I'm impressed with the Mateus. Now if you could rustle up some Black Tower, I'll be over!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lot of hard work you have put in! It is funny in a way though because we would love to be able to grow plants like that over here in England and there you are ripping them out. I understand though because if it isn't what you want, it isn't what you want, plus when things go rampant like those ferns you just need to clear out and start again don't you. xx
ReplyDeleteYou've done so much work in such a relatively short time! I have no doubt you're going to turn your yard into a paradise.
ReplyDeleteAH ! The big five year old here would be most impressed with your "baby" as she once called her.
ReplyDeleteChuck lots of tea leaves on your camellias base. My old neighbour, Bob, Swore by this for magnificent blooms on his wife's camellia .
It's because they're a type of tea plant it seems.
As for the white paint- I'm planning a marathon in the Christmas break with some smelly teenage boys wielding the rollers. When the time is right we have got our own little chain gangs right under our noses!
Oh man, you are putting my meagre gardening skills to shame...We've got camellia's here too, but they form an impressive hedge and we just added another five plants to hide the neighbours colourbond fence! And I hate those sword ferns with a passion. Good on you. Keep it up and keep us up-to-date with your progress. xx
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