Its In The Spelling

For a long time, all I had to go with on this blue flower is its called seeanothis. Least thats what my leading hand told me. I tried to google it and hunt down more information but have struggled. The other day I had a brain wave and started looking up pictures of "Blue Bottlebrush". Took a few goes but it turns out I was spelling it wrong, its Ceanothus, also known as a Californian Lilac. Feeling quite proud of that little victory.

Nommy Weed

Im sure everyone has the same complaint as me at present, a little bit of rain and all the weeds seem to spring up out of nowhere. This is a very common one and almost everyone I know has seen this one, its Sow Thistle. A native to Europe, Asia and Northern Africa, it has managed to naturalise itself pretty much over the entire globe. It spreads by seed that is dispersed on the wind in the same way dandelions do with their fluffy parachutes attached to the seed. There is an old saying, one years weeding is seven years seeding. Essentially if you weed it out before it goes to seed, your problems are halved. The plants themselves are easy enough to pull out of the ground when weeding, but make sure you get the taproot, otherwise it will just re-shoot.

Interesting to note, this plant is also edible. My stepdad and I used to pick the leaves, wash them, then boil them up like spinach. I used to love it and I have it a guilty pleasure occasionally. Its full of iron and rather good for you.

Clivia

The Clivias are looking quite spectacular at present. Their vibrant colour is a welcome burst of happiness after all the winters rain. One of the hardier plants that will flower in full shade. Most commonly available in orange, though if you hunt around you can occasionally find some of the newer varieties in red-orange, yellow or cream.

The genus is names after Charlotte Percy (nee Clive), Duchess of Northumberland and the governess of Princess Victoria of Kent, future Queen Victoria. The Duchess grew up in a plant loving family and was the first person in Great Britain to get this lovely South African plant to bloom.

Grounded

So, the vet in Armadale thinks we're stalking them today. When we come across an injured bird, we usually try to take it to a veterinary clinic that has contact with a bird sanctuary. With some luck the bird can be healed and returned to the wild. This leads me to these two little characters I met today. A general rule of thumb is if a bird has suddenly lost his ability to fly, he most likely will be picked off by natural selection. It was just unusual today to find two injured birds in completely different circumstances. The first little character was the White Corella that I found wandering round Minnawarra Park. Corella's are entertaining to catch, as you want to keep your skin away from that beak. They bite hard. I essentially just dropped a hessian bag over the top of him and let him chomp on that til I could put him in a bucket and take him to the vet. You cant tell from the photo, but he was missing an eye and had a bit of a chunk taken out of his wing. He was lively though, hissed at me a bit, completely unaware that Im helping. The second injured bird we came across to day was a crow. I saw him hopping around in Memorial Park during the rubbish run, but didnt think too much of it. When he was sitting still when we returned to Memorial after smoko, thats when we figured there was something wrong. It took myself and my workmate to corner and grab him. His foot was curled up and there was something wrong with his wing, but no visible signs of any wounds. He was relatively quiet little guy, though he did make a few rattling noises when he got sick of being manhandled on the way to the vet. Unfortunately it is very unlikely that I will hear from the vet again on the outcome for these little guys. God speed fellas, hope you make a full recovery.

Pop Up

What do I like best about first rains? Funig! It pops up everywhere. Quite literally as this photos shows. Im not sure which type of toadstool this this, but it has pushed its ways through the the clumps of lawn clippings. Never underestimate how determined plants and fungi are to show their little faces to the world.

Technobin

It is part of our job to empty the bins around the parks, so we have quite the stash of Wheelie Bins. We just get the reject bins from the tip. You know the ones where you ring up the counsil and say that your bin is cracked, broken, or otherwise behaving in an unbin-like mannor and you are given a shiney new bin while the old one mysteriously disappears. Well, we get the pick of the disappeared bins. So some are newer and some are older, depending on when we restock. I was most ammused the other day to discover something resembling a QR code stamped on the side of the bin. I was unaware such technology was required for rubbish removal. Learn something new every day.

Teenage Mutant Ninja 30 Year Olds

I realise an explanation is needed. My friends inform me that Im a bit on the nerdy side, however what kid didnt like the Ninja Turtles? So lets all embrace that!One of the awesome things about working in parks is you find the occasional action figure.  I was excited to find a Donatello action figure as he was my favourite. My partner informed me that yesterday was the 30 year anniversary since Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles first came into being, in the form of a Comic Book. So I took my little found Donatello on some action and adventures in the day in the life of a gardener. :D

Joovie

This leafy looking specimen is a healthy little Creeping Fig. I have actually doctored the photo a bit and layered the two different looking leaves on top of each other. Creeping figs are one of a number of species of plants that are capable of having both juvenile and adult foliage at any stage of its life. The large flat deep green leaves are that of the adult foliage, capable of flowering and baring fruit. The smaller, heart-shaped slightly bumpy leaves are juvenile foliage that is used to grow and establish where the plant will grow. Creeping fig is a climbing plant and quite a vigorous one at that. So it uses the juvenile foliage to grow upon a surface such as a wall or tree trunk, when the plant has sufficiently anchored itself and grown the thicker, woodier stems it begins to grow the more adult leaves which are stronger in order to support flowers and fruit. If you are like me and prefer the much nicer looking juvenile foliage, simply prune off the adult leaves so the plant is forced to send out its juvenile runners again.

A word of caution with Creeping figs. They can be a very vigorous climber. We regularly have to prune the runners off the windows at work where it grows. If you dont have a way to keep this plant contained, or have the time to control it then please dont grow it. Its like Ivy, it will grow, smother, and take over.

Tricksy Little Weed

I'd like to introduce you to Commelina cyanea. It gets around on a few different common names such as Wandering Jew and Scurvey Weed. It is native to the eastern woodland areas of Australia which means that over here it is just a common garden weed. It acquired its common names from the fact its leaves look very simmilar to a South American Spiderwort plant also known as Wandering Jew, however that species flowers are white and it has a very weak root system. The name Scurvey Weed came about as the first settlers in the eastern states would chew on the leaves to keep Scurvey at bay. I do not recommend doing this in the present day and age, as we have pretty much stamped out scurvey and if you should mistake it for the spiderwort species it may not end well for you.

It is a prostrate ground cover weed that grows easily by seed. You have to be thorough when removing it as any pieces of stem left behind will quickly sprout root and youre back to square one. When it gets enough water it grows quite rapidly and the flowers are rather pretty. Most people I know get excited by vibrant blue blossoms and this plant is no exception. I have been told off a couple of times by people thinking that I am ruining the flower bed.

It took me a while to identify this weed when I first started in the Horticultural Industry over 10 years ago, as it was such a pretty plant that was growing in an annual bed I thought it was just another annual. Until it started taking over the bed.

Remember

On Anzac Day people can sometimes be seen wearing sprigs of rosemary at Dawn or Afternoon Services at the local War Memorials. There are 2 main reasons for this. The first is that since ancient times, it has long been believed that rosemary has properties that will improve memory and as such has been associated with fidelity and remembrance. The second is that the plant grew wild over the Gallopili peninsula, a place where many Australian and New Zealand soldiers lost their lives in a botched campaign. The boat carrying the soldiers landed too far north in a barren and exposed area of beach, the solderiers were ambushed by Turkish troops up on steep cliffs surrounding the cove. In the 8 months the soldiers were fighting in Gallipoli, 11410 ANZACs lost their lives. As the great grandaughter of  a man who was sent to that hell and was fortunate enough to return, I personally feel that this plant is a fitting tribute to such a memory. Most people I know are able to conjure up some form of hidden memories from the slight scent of rosemary. It is also tough as old hog nails, thrives in full sun and if you give it a little love and care, it is a most rewarding plant to have in your garden.

I had a friend once tell me that they didnt like dawn service and the like as they thought that it glorified war. It kinda shook me as I would go to ANZAC services as a teenager, I occasionally go to a Dawn Service. I didnt realise some people thought that way. To anyone who believes this please understand, nobody celebrates the old lie of the glory of war. War is hell. We celebrate and remember the mateship and comradery between those who fought for our freedom. To remember and give pause for those who never got to come home. And to stand together in hope that peace will prevail. Lest we forget.

Creepy Crawlys

Ok, I realise that this is mounds of unfair. I take a hiatus because life is being a bit on the crummy side and when I return I fill your computer screen with a vicious creepy crawly. Please bare with me. I have wanted to post about these guys for a while, and when my brain is in the mood for blogging then I really do try to take advantage of it. If it wants to tell you about centipedes, then you may as well listen, Im sure nicer things will follow. If you are arachnophobic, or scared of anything that has lots of legs, For goodness sake do not google this creature or its genus.

First rule of centipedes, DONT PICK IT UP! Im a little upset I wasnt quick enough to get a shot of his head, as it is the part of a centipede you need to avoid. Centipedes have modified pincer-like foreleg called "forcipules", in laymens terms this is a stabby like limb that injects venom. Avoid, I have heard it is many levels of not fun. Rarely fatal, more a swollen and extreme ouchy of unpleasantness. Worse if your allergic. Probably see a doctor.

Primarily nocturnal hunters, they do not have true vision like humans. They can have a cluster of eye like structures that in all honesty, mostly just tell the difference between light and dark. They pretty much rely on their antennae to find their way around, and the funny looking appendages on their tail also serve as antennae. Kinda like having eyes on the back of your head.

Visitor

Life has taken a few unexpected turns in the past month or so, to say the least. So I do apologise for taking so long to blog. I have been meaning to introduce you all to this little dragonfly I met a few weeks ago. I was spraying the weeds in the spillway in Minnawarra when I spotted him. His wings caught the light and shone a bit, it kind of comes up in the first photo. He even let me pick him up briefly.

Always nice to have a visitor.

Damsel

I do so enjoy it when a damselfly comes to say hello. Damselflies are of the same family as dragonflies however they tend to be smaller and more delicate than Dragonflies. They arent as strong a flier as their counterparts, and tend to fold their wings behind them when resting. I personally find them alot more bolder than dragonflies, as they will almost always pose for photos if youre gentle enough.

Tropical Touch

Ok, first thing I will say about bromiliads is that they are fantastic at attracting mosquitoes. The general funnel and cup shape of the plant allows it to store a reservoir of water in its center, and mozzies love stagnant pools of water to lay their eggs in. Just make sure you have a healthy garden before you plant them and the frogs and other predatory critters should help keep them in check. After all, bromiliads are stunning plants that are great at adding a tropical touch to your garden, especially when they can have such fascinating and unusual flowers. They dont require a heap of water once theyre established. Ive had one growing in a pot for years and am quite proficient at killing pot plants. It even flowers! Im impressed by its sheer audacity to live through my absent minded home pot plant care.

Red

The modern red roses that we know today were hybridized from red roses that were introduced to Europe from China in the 1800's. Symbolising deep love, passion, affection, beauty and desire, they are the most traditional of Valentine's Day flowers and are a time honoured way of telling someone "I love you". Red was associated with Aphrodite and Venus, the Greek and Roman Goddesses of Love. It has long since been used to decorate weddings and similar ceremonies, so when the giving of flowers and gifts became popular gestures of love, red roses were a natural choice. The deeper the shade of red, the deeper the feelings of the giver.  I was surprised to learn that even the number of red roses you receive conveys additional meanings to the "I Love You" message:
1 Red Rose - I love you deeply
2 Red Roses tied together - Engagement "Will you marry me?"
Dozen Red Roses - Gratitude
25 Red Roses - Congratulations
50 Red Roses - I love you unconditionally

Red is also a colour that symbolises power and strenght, so outside of Valentines Day, it is good as a congratulations gift, or for the birth of a child.

One thing to remember though, like all relationships, the giving of gifts and such conveys a personal meaning more so then a traditional meaning. If your sweetheart doesnt like the colour red, then for goodness sake dont get them red. If you can only afford one rose, dont break the bank to get him/her 50 roses when you know that they would appreciate just one. Hell, I would even appreciate just a hand drawn picture of a rose. Valentines Day is and always should be about celebrating the person you love and finding a way to tell them so. Not big grand displays of over the top frou frou. The simple "I love you", a small token (even if its just cooking breakfast in bed) and a kiss should always be more than enough for Valentine's, everything else is a bonus.

Pink

Pink roses were the first colour of rose to be cultivated, ranging from faint blushing pinks to a deep pink. They are quite possibly the oldest colour of rose and have been depicted in some of the earliest known artworks. They were depicted as symbols of gentility, admiration, grace and elegance.  More subdued than their red counterparts, pink roses are a gift of beauty and are perfect for the secret admirer. After all who doesnt have butterflies in their tummy and blush pink after a first kiss ...

Pink is typically associated with little girls, which is where they can acquire and innocence about them, so they are great for the obvious gift to a little girl. If you look beyond their feminine overtones they can be used for many different occasions. For couples who are apart, they are good for an "I miss you" gift, the admiration of beauty from afar. With their grace and admiration qualities they are good for congratulations, promotions or even just something to make someone smile.

White

There are many fables on the origins of the white rose. Most revolve around the petals blushing from a kiss or being stained by blood, which in the story turns the rose red. White is a stunning rose, representing purity, innocence, honour and beauty. It is a colour that catches your eye in any arrangement it is put it and will enhance any other colours around it. Because of its pure and virtuous meaning, it has long been associated with weddings and is commonly used in the bouquet for the bride. As with all flowers, there is always a deeper meaning from tales gone by. Long ago, girls would use small white rose buds to show that they were too young to court. White is a colour representing hope, so it is also fitting as a funeral tribute for a departed loved one or comrade.

White roses on Valentines Day represent more then just passion. They represent a love that is untarnished and pure, a love that endures, the kind of love that transcends this life and the next.

If you cant tell, these are one of my favourites.

Orange

Orange roses havent been around for all that long really. They were created towards the end of the 1800s in Europe, when there were new advancements in hybridization, and the red roses could be crossed with the recently discovered wild yellow roses found growing in the Middle East.

Orange is a colour that sparks the imagination and reminding us of the glow of sunrise. It is the perfect colour for new beginings and great for when you wish to transition out of the friend zone into relationship territory (though be careful, not everyone will get the subcontext). They hint at passion and fire with their warming tones.

They are a colour for new beginnings and when not given in a romantic context like Valentines Day, they are great for situations of pride and fresh starts, such as a new home or job. They are also a great choice for the birth of a baby.

Yellow

In the lead up to the biggest Hallmark Holiday of the year, florists are going nuts in preparation for having enough stock to supply for lovers, potential lovers, romantics, sweet hearts and every kind of best friend. Im talking soft toys, chocolates, bottles of wine, balloons, flowers and more red roses than you can poke a stick at. So I thought I would give you some food for thought in the lead up to Friday the 14th of February. Some of the beautiful roses growing in the gardens, and the meaning behind giving that colour of rose as a gift.

First up, YELLOW. Yellow symbolizes joy, happiness and wisdom. It is actually a common colour used as a get well gift, or a congratulations gift. Its warm tones are associated with friendship and if given for events such a Valentines Day its meaning is focused more on platonic relationships, without the romantic subtext. It honestly is the best rose to send to a true friend who needs a smile on Valentines Day.

Something to be wary of, when yellow roses were first introduced into Europe back in the 1800's, yellow had more negative connotations behind it (for example "Yellow Bellied"). So yellow roses back then were symbols of jealousy and dying love. The friendship and happiness meanings have pretty much taken over in the 200 years since they were introduced, however you can still occasionally find people who still hold true to the very old European meaning. My boyfriend, for example, is one of those people. When we began dating, I sent him a card with a yellow rose and wrote inside the card the friendship meaning of yellow roses and a whole heap of romantic stuff that I wont bore you with right now. When he opened the envelope and saw the picture he panicked and thought that it was a fancy way of me breaking up with him. When he read the inside he calmed down, but I still had to explain that we werent breaking up when I saw him next. So yeah, just be wary of sending yellow roses on romantic occasions, just in case.

Gran's Garden

I remember when I was a little girl, my great gran used to have a massive garden. It was your typical "grandma's garden", a mish-mash of what ever will grow that looks pretty. There was no rhyme or reason to it all. It was by no means an exceptional garden, except for the fact that is crystallized in my memory that I used to love it. Im sure its where my love of gardens came from. I would spend hours playing amongst it all and I used to love picking the assorted flowers that grew there. These are a flower that I know my gran grew, African Daisys. They are terrible for cut flowers as they curl up and wilt very quickly, but to a 5 year old girl they were quite the novelty. They are incredibly hardy plants and grow quite happily on very little water when they are established. They get a bit manky after a year or 2, so best to pull them out when they get too big and they usually self seed so you just start the process over again. There are a multitude of cultivars of them now. Some have played with the colour, so you get various shades of white, pink and purpley pink. Others have played with the flower shape, so you get the double blooms (petals in the center) like you see above, or you can have a pin wheel look with the petals curled inwards onto themselves (looking kind of like a wagon wheel), or you can have just the plain old fashioned variety which is just a plain daisy flower. These plants are very rewarding for very little effort, they are great at attracting butterflies an will brighten up most corners of your garden. I hope you will love them too, give them a burl, I dare you.