The rain settled in for almost 24 hours on Saturday. A fine soft mist that soaked into the soil and washed all the dust off the trees and plants and came at just the right time to prepare the area previously shaded by the palms. (go here to see the palms being cut down) 48mm fell that also filled the rain water tank.
The area had been a shade garden and now bathed in sunlight it needed a make over.
On a visit to Bunnings, the large, local hardware and nursery store, I found some gems. Hidden away on shelves at the back of the nursery section they stacked the unloved plants, pot-bound and drooping waiting for some one to rescue them and give them some TLC. Instead of being $10 to $15 each they were $2 to $4. Just what I needed. Daisies, Petunias and Pentas all sun-loving and cheerful colours.
After an overnight soak in water and Seasol and all the dead heads cut off they bounced back to exuberant life.
This is now a sunny spot
In a few weeks I hope this will be a blaze of colour
2 palms round the back did not get cut right down, now they have young stag horns on them
I am missing all the beautiful vegetables we had at Malanda. Our garden does not have a suitable spot or the room to put a full size veggie garden so I have compromised with some lettuce, rocket and basil in a Styrofoam box I brought home from the fruit market. Remember the Black Russian tomatoes? (go here to see them) I took some of the laterals and potted them up. They are growing well so they are now in larger pots and I hope they will produce some of the delicious tomatoes like we had at Malanda
Now they have to be nursed through our hot humid summer and I will post photos of them in a few weeks to, hopefully, show them filling that corner with lots of colour.
gypsy life 
How we loved your garden and it still looks lovely
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Thank you Joan
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Glad to see your garden makeover PP ! Will give a lift to the wintery days here if you post updates 🙂
I love the ‘sad and struggling’ section in our local nursery too .. not always a success when I get them home though Lol
Rocket .basil .. home grown toms smashing ! I must try harder .
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It is satisfying with the “sad and struggling” ones when they do survive. I will put an update in the new year. Gosh where has the old year gone…..!!!
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incroyable 🙂
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🙂
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Lovely garden Pauline – I too have been preparing the garden for summer. Ferns & palms in lots of pots are scattered around. Potted plants are so versatile, I can swap them around every season fro a different look.
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Pots are good in our climate but not so good when you travel a lot. I’m lucky I have good friends look after the garden when we are away.
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with the slow internet, many photos did not load, but i have a great essence of the new plantings in my mind. it’s such a stark difference when shade-giving plants are suddenly gone, and we, as visual people, have to adjust to the loss.. sort of like bobbing one’s hair!
when i have a shade=loving garden, i crave those sun loving plants.. and when i have a sunny garden, i miss seeing the shade lovers.. you will surely enjoy those explosions of color that the smling sun lovers will give you!
lisa/z ps, i’m typing this in a distortted field so cannot see what i’m typing. perdon for any typo!
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Love that comment Lisa, especially the comparison with bobbed hair. Now we have taken the palms down there is a nice balance of sun and shade, it was predominately shade before. It’s great to hear from you again.
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hey
it’s always grat to have friends like you and jack who understand how ‘promitive’ internet can be in some areas. i keep thinking that i’ll soon be online again w/faster connections, and those dates keep getting shoved back. though i was home for two weeks, (with slow internet) i spent half of that time going to immigration for my visa, and then with a tour group.. tomorrow it’s back to immigration and on wednesday, back to mindo… by mid dec i hope to be home and w/a newer internet provider who hopes to get a better connection here!
i’ve missed so much and have so muh to share, but for now,i’ll keep hobbling along!
thanks, amiga!
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Good luck with the connection, sooner than later I hope, maybe it will be a Christmas present for you. Look forward to all your news and photos.
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The rain on Saturday was just lovely. Your garden looks beautiful
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Thanks Irene, It was lovely to have just a nice steady flow not the storms that we can some times get that flattens every thing
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