The pleasure of POTS and...vases

Poinsettias in a vase make a good show but...are not reliable cutflowers as they wilt quickly.

A small collection of succulents, the white one is a very pretty cactus which grows since many years in this tiny pot. Perhaps I have to give it a bigger one soon.

Snowdrops, Schneegloecklein, Leucojum aestivum, "Irene" is the name of the lady who gave a pot full to my daughter and L. in return offered some corms to me. Irene died in 1990, she was a nice lady and I remember her every winter time I see her snowdrops in flower.

This succulent grows like a little tree and makes bunches of starlike flowers.

I planted a bougainvillea, my daughter made from a cutting, in this pot. Waiting for the warmer times to grow rapidly. For the moment the little terracotta bird has made its home in this pot.

There are still some late Camellias flowering but "Drama Girl" has nearly ended her blooming season. She has been very generous because we had good rainfall to keep her dancers feet nice and moist.

I couldn't praise more the merits of succulents. They are stylish, elegant, easy to grow, cheap to propagate; look practically after themselves, don't need to be pampered, don't need much water ; always cheerful, never talk back and are great companions around the garden!

Basket fern, Drynaria vigidula. I have cut off the old green fronds. Please click to see the intricacy of the basket leaves.

The fertile fronds of this fern can grow up to one and a half metres long. They were once divided, with the divisions extending to the rachis (the main axis of the lamina).
The fronds are irregular, leathery and stalk-like with irregularly toothed margins, their spores in a single row on either side of the mid rib (principal vein).
The nest leaves can be up to 36cm long and 8cm wide.
Its distribution is Queensland generally, and northern New South Wales from the coast to the ranges and the tablelands.
The Basket Fern is a very common fern throughout its range that can grow as an epiphyte or lithophyte (on wet rocks).
These ferns can grow to form large clumps, with fronds of two types on one growth. They have small brown leaves that catch leaf litter from the canopy to provide nutrients and larger leaves at the top to carry the spores.
The Basket Fern’s distinguishing features include the pinnate fertile fronds, and the fleshy rhizome (underground stem) bearing fronds of 2 types.
They are easily grown in a pot or basket of coarse mixture.
The Basket Fern forms a micro-habitat of its own as frogs, ants, birds and possums live there and other ferns and plants germinate in the basket.

'Basket fern' or 'Oakleaf Ferns' Drynaria spp. of the family Polypodiaceae have similar habits to the Bird's Nest fern, growing as epiphytes high in trees and catching debris falling down.
Despite their fertile green fronds being much more slight, they still nevertheless catch and retain a lot of debris with quite different looking 'base leaves' that are brown, short and fat.
Basket ferns are common in rainforest in tropical Australia and Asia, but will also grow on rocks in some drier habitats within this range.

I like Echeverias and how they change their colouring. I think they are the most charming plants and easy to grow too.

Daffodil Erlicheer is the only Daffodil that returns faithfully every winter in my garden.

Succulents are planted in pots in my garden, mainly because I have clay soil that stays wet for a long time after torrential rains we get in summer and winter.

Believe it or not: Liberty can not be preserved without general knowledge among people.(August 1765) John Adams

Organic tip of the week:

Things to avoid when you start to make a vegetable garden.

Low areas to avoid pooling of water
Steep slopes so water has time to seep in before running off.
Shaded areas, as the plants require at least 6 hours of full or partial sunlight.
Near trees due to the problem with tree roots interfering with turning soil.
Next to streets due to automobile fumes.
Treated wood
Leaving soil bare of plants for longer then 30 days
Stepping directly on planting areas.

This is from a very good website: Henry's organic gardening tips.

Thank you for visiting!