2 blogs in one night :) lucky you, eh? *wink*
I just wanted to write about the flowers I planted a week or so ago. I have called them my 'flower babies' and while it's all still quite new to me, I'm feeling very passionate about keeping them alive and well.
Do you know I worried about my little flowers when I was away in Narrogin?
I got back and didnt even unpack my suitcase. No. Instead, I filled up my pink watering can and strode out purposefully to the back garden where half of my flower babies live. I was devastated (truly) to find they weren't faring well. I planted 6 little flowers in a little row...and one of them was dead. It had drooped sadly and just looked grey and dead...and when I gently touched the leaves, they felt like paper - dry and fragile in my hands...and crumbly.
It made me really sad. The other 5 were starting to droop so I watered them really well and talked to them. I've heard talking to plants helps them grow so I encouraged the leftover 'babies' to not give up and to keep growing. I hope it's working. They're still quite droopy now but thankfully no other floral deaths.
Yet.
I took my pink watering can out to the front garden. Along the front 'border' of the house - right by the front door, I planted another 6 little flowers - these gorgeous little "fairy-like" purple blooms. These flower babies were doing GREAT! They'd grown *excited dance* and had proudly produced a few more blossoms each. I laughed out loud - it was so delightful to see them flourishing.
I also got off the bus 3 stops earlier and wandered around Bunnings' garden section yesterday, just dreaming of what I'd like to buy when I next get paid. I think I'd like to plant some daisies and some "succulents" which will last out the dry heat of a Perth summer. I thought "succulents" were only cactus plants...but there are some really lovely flowering ones. I'm so excited to plant some. I've been reading the little 'instructions' tags on a lot of the flowers and trying to learn a bit from them. I'm glad they come with instructions, to be honest. I wouldn't know what was best to plant or where to plant it otherwise.
I've also been influenced by all my sustainability studies at Uni and would like to plant some fruits and vegetables! I know, right? Look at me go :) I would ideally like to plant a little lemon bush in a pot (a nice big one but I wont put it into the ground so that if Al and I have to move house, we can take the lemons with us), and maybe buy some herbs and chilli plants so Al can use fresh ingredients when cooking. They also had little strawberry plants - I'd like to try my hand at that.
Oh the excitement of eating something I planted myself!
We have awful soil where we live though. It's mostly dark grey sand...I dont know if anything will grow in it and I anticipate a few more 'flower baby' casualties in the back garden where it's sandier than ever. When I planted the flowers along the front garden, I noticed the soil seemed more like proper soil...dark and more 'earthy' than sandy...so I'll have to concentrate my efforts on the front garden instead.
I have great plans to plant some 'creepers' (see? I'm learning) near the mailbox out the front so they can greet the postman happily and cheer our home up a bit. Something bright and floral. I'll have to look into this as the soil around the post box is really sandy, too.
I wonder if there are pretty flowers that can grow in sandy conditions?
I just wanted to write about the flowers I planted a week or so ago. I have called them my 'flower babies' and while it's all still quite new to me, I'm feeling very passionate about keeping them alive and well.
Do you know I worried about my little flowers when I was away in Narrogin?
I got back and didnt even unpack my suitcase. No. Instead, I filled up my pink watering can and strode out purposefully to the back garden where half of my flower babies live. I was devastated (truly) to find they weren't faring well. I planted 6 little flowers in a little row...and one of them was dead. It had drooped sadly and just looked grey and dead...and when I gently touched the leaves, they felt like paper - dry and fragile in my hands...and crumbly.
It made me really sad. The other 5 were starting to droop so I watered them really well and talked to them. I've heard talking to plants helps them grow so I encouraged the leftover 'babies' to not give up and to keep growing. I hope it's working. They're still quite droopy now but thankfully no other floral deaths.
Yet.
I took my pink watering can out to the front garden. Along the front 'border' of the house - right by the front door, I planted another 6 little flowers - these gorgeous little "fairy-like" purple blooms. These flower babies were doing GREAT! They'd grown *excited dance* and had proudly produced a few more blossoms each. I laughed out loud - it was so delightful to see them flourishing.
I also got off the bus 3 stops earlier and wandered around Bunnings' garden section yesterday, just dreaming of what I'd like to buy when I next get paid. I think I'd like to plant some daisies and some "succulents" which will last out the dry heat of a Perth summer. I thought "succulents" were only cactus plants...but there are some really lovely flowering ones. I'm so excited to plant some. I've been reading the little 'instructions' tags on a lot of the flowers and trying to learn a bit from them. I'm glad they come with instructions, to be honest. I wouldn't know what was best to plant or where to plant it otherwise.
I've also been influenced by all my sustainability studies at Uni and would like to plant some fruits and vegetables! I know, right? Look at me go :) I would ideally like to plant a little lemon bush in a pot (a nice big one but I wont put it into the ground so that if Al and I have to move house, we can take the lemons with us), and maybe buy some herbs and chilli plants so Al can use fresh ingredients when cooking. They also had little strawberry plants - I'd like to try my hand at that.
Oh the excitement of eating something I planted myself!
We have awful soil where we live though. It's mostly dark grey sand...I dont know if anything will grow in it and I anticipate a few more 'flower baby' casualties in the back garden where it's sandier than ever. When I planted the flowers along the front garden, I noticed the soil seemed more like proper soil...dark and more 'earthy' than sandy...so I'll have to concentrate my efforts on the front garden instead.
I have great plans to plant some 'creepers' (see? I'm learning) near the mailbox out the front so they can greet the postman happily and cheer our home up a bit. Something bright and floral. I'll have to look into this as the soil around the post box is really sandy, too.
I wonder if there are pretty flowers that can grow in sandy conditions?
Cow manure (well, any animal manure) is excellent to improve soil quality - you can buy it in bags from Bunnings. It'll help your sandy soil hold moisture. And mulch! Any kind of mulch helps. Lemon trees can do well in pots but remember you'll have to buy a dwarf one and water it often. :) I have apple trees in pots here! On of them died unexpectedly this year - I think it got a fungal infection in the roots :(.
ReplyDeleteHi Lynelle *big hug*
DeleteThank you so much for your advice. I'll defo check out some mulch and/or cow manure at my next Bunning's trip and try to get the soil a bit more 'plant friendly' before I plant anything else.
A dwarf lemon tree. Gotcha. Does that mean the lemons will be dead little too? Ooo! Exciting! I keep seeing "potting mix" in garden stores so I guess I'd better get a whole heap of that for putting my dwarf lemon bush/tree into a nice big pot - as well as growing a little 'kitchen garden' with herbs and tiny chilly's in little pots.
I'm sad to hear about one of your apple trees dying :( I think when a plant dies, it's just as sad as a pet or a person :(
Also, look for natives - like pigface (sounds terrible but it's hardy & has pretty flowers!) And make sure to mix some water-saving crystals in your lemon tree pot - they'll help keep it from drying out quite so fast.
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