Africanaussie

Since I showcased the pinks over the weekends I thought I better show you where the red Kalanchoe went....   I did tell you it was red!   I planted them just below the poinsettia which is showing its colors right now as well.  Unfortunately the Poinsettia is always plagued by white flies when it starts to color up.  I have not had any success with strong water pressure, or garlic chili spray.  My hubby got out the fly spray and thought he had eradicated them but even that did not work.  After it has finished flowering I will cut it right back, and if the white flies come back the whole plant might have to go.  I do love the red color they add for months to this area of the garden though, so if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.  The coleus in this area tends towards the red and yellows, with the new leaves being the most colorful. The stars in this garden are the crotons, they are pretty slow growing, but I have quite a variety, and with their curly variegated leaves they a

Hot pink is the order of the day out in the front yard.   With the bouganvilla on the left side of the gate and this bed off to the right, I think it was a good choice to remove the red Kalanchoe to the back.    Definitely sunshine and the drier weather is what brings out the pink in the Cordelines.  Look how colorful the new leaves are!  Then the iresine too is definitely happier with this weather.  This is spreading all around the base of the bouganvilla. I love the frilly pink edges of this coleus.  I will be rooting some more of this lovely and spreading it around the front of the bed.  It is so easy just to cut off a little piece, dip it in rooting hormone and then plant it out. It survives here year round, but becomes more colorful at this time of year. .Funny that I have been feeling that the garden doesn't have  much impact at this time of year, but when you get up close you can really see the color.

For a while now I have been waiting for the kalanchoe to bloom.  They just love this time of year,and bloom for extended periods throughout the dry season. One of my favorite plants.  So easy to propagate too, and I often will break up a  big clump and fill in empty areas.  without much thought so it seems..... As I have happily been adding more and more pink tinged plants to the front garden, the kalanchoe has been waiting silently in the background to pounce.  Oh dear, that red just does not go with any of the other colors around there.  Some of the reds I have out in the front seem to do OK with the pinks, but not that one. I did take photos, but the light was very bright and quite honestly I didn't want to share as they really clashed.....   But they are lovely long flowering plants and they attract .... butterflies:) so out they came, and have now got a new home in the butterfly garden which in actual fact is turning out to have more reds and yellows.  With a bit of blue, a

You know you live in a rural area when you call up one of the neighboring farms inquiring after some mulch.  "Sure I will pop some over this afternoon, I am going past there anyway, and you don't want to get your car all dirty.  Pay me when you see me....." At 5.50/bale this is pretty inexpensive mulch, and the public areas have been really needing some mulch.  I did sprinkle some slow release fertilizer around and watered it in well.  Those areas have been depleted for so long that I think they need a pick-me-up.  I don't use chemical fertilizers in my own garden so it will be interesting to see the difference.   I hope that with continual adding of mulch and natural amendments that I will be able to forgo the chemicals. I like to use a variety of different mulches over time, and while this hay can look a bit untidy until it has broken down, it does add different nutrients to the soil, and does not pull nitrogen from the soil as it decomposes, the way the freshly