My "garden" here is still very much in its beginning stage! says Dinah, as she's only recently moved house. But I'll rake up a few things...
D I N A H M O W
does
Beginnings and
Borrowed Views
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Because my "proper" garden is not yet established, I'm going to cheat with some of the borrowed view! So there!
Uncertain of ID, but advise caution! possibly Arbrus precatorius "Rosary Beads" Entire plant is highly poisonous to humans and (some) domestic animals. This is growing in the mainly native bush area opposite our house. Whether seed dropped by birds or "fly-tipped" by a lazy gardener, I don't know. It may not be what I think it is!
[And there's a bonus creepy-crawly, too! - IDV]
Very dainty un-named orchid; has a delicate scent
Eucharis amazonica ~ Another scent-worthy and relatively easy to grow in ground or pots. Well, probably not in very cold climes!
Phaius australis ~ Swamp orchid
Tetradenia riparia ~ Still Iboza to me. I love its scent, but some folk say it smells like cat pee!
Hoya [Take note of this one as I may refer back to it in an upcoming GPE post - IDV]
Angelonia do very well here (by that I mean tropical coast and the associated winds) and that's great help, as it's going to take some time for shrubs to establish. I have actually planted several, all in shades of mauve/purple, with some white. But the camera was arguing so this is my final offer!
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Like Melanie and her bear, Dinah came up trumps with her photo of garden wildlife:
A goanna. About 4' from nose to tail.
A goanna is any one of several species of lizard of the genus Varanus found in Australia and Southeast Asia. Around 70 species of Varanus are known, 25 of which are found in Australia. This varied group of carnivorous reptiles ranges greatly in size and fills several ecological niches. Wikipedia
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Dinah didn't send a triffid shot for Hallowe'en, but she did publish the photo below in her most recent post so I asked her if I could use it:
The glamour shot? Yes, go ahead. I'm now too ___ [insert suitable word here - IDV] to care. I am waaaay beyond caring how I look shoving a lawn mower!
To save The Very Mistress the trouble:
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If you can hear me from wherever it is you've been banished to Dinah, thank you for taking part despite having only just begun getting your new garden in order. As always, you have some unusual & exotic (to us Northern Hemisphere dwellers) greenery!
The Garden Photos Event continues on Wednesday with a rampant specimen from someone who has not entered since 2015, so be sure to pop back then when all will be revealed!
Welcome to the jungle, indeed! A fabulous and exotic selection of blooms, as ever - love the orchids in particular.
ReplyDeleteI am intrigued by the Eucharis amazonica, so I looked it up - bulbs are available here in the UK, but need to be treated as a houseplant/need winter protection. Those pretty Angelonia are also in our garden centres, but are treated as annual/bedding plants...
I can't wait to see how this garden develops - knowing Dinah, it will be splendid! Jx
Jon, I started my first Angelonia from a small grocer's bunch which put out roots while in a vase. So that might work for you (in summer) and save the price of potted ones!
DeleteIt's not quite common enough here to be in "a grocers' bunch" (not that many grocers here these days do bunches of flowers; supermarkets, yes, but they're generally "carnation-heavy")... Jx
DeleteExotic is the word! I do like the look of the Eucharis Amazonica - it looks very pure and delicate, like my good self, ahem, moving on, I have a swamp! But I bet Dinah’s orchid won’t grow here! So pretty.
ReplyDeleteOh Dinah, like Jon, you have such a passion - I wish I could see the garden as more than just a chore!
Sx
Scarlet, I love the Eucharis, too, mainly for its easy-care, but also for the scent...not unlike the narcissi tribe. But in Devon? Definitely a hot house!
DeleteOh Dinah, Congratulations on getting banned from the Infomaniac! Of course, you're still part of the group when we can't visibly see the crocs, which is 99.8% of the time. My favorite is the swamp orchid, but the others are nice too. I'm allergic to eucalyptus, but that flower puff is so fun! At least I can safely appreciate it from here. The Goanna is cool and big! In Florida, iguanas are have become invasive and sometimes when it gets really cold they have to put warining sign up that say "Beware of falling lizards!" If they get to cold, they just fall off of whatever tree or ledge they might be perched upon.
ReplyDeleteYe gods! That sounds like Australia's infamous "Drop Bears." (Google knows about them!)
DeleteI always look forward to Dinah's entries as she never disappoints and has the most unusual of flowers and plantings. Things I never see elsewhere. The swamp orchid is stunning!!! I wish her luck on the new garden. And as much as I enjoy Dinah, I'm not about to step foot in her garden with a goanna roaming about. I'll say sat in Jon and Madame's back passage. The worst to happen there is I'll get nipped by a cute boy or smothered in bugle beads.
ReplyDeleteBut..but, you've been to Belgrade, you lucky minx. And you have a gorgeous garden, perfectly suitable for where you live. Most of your plants would be fried here. Horses for courses, yes?
DeleteOrchids, goanna and poisonous "Rosary Beads" how exotic can you get borrowed or otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Dinah's new garden is going to be amazing and I look forward to seeing it.
I'll do my best! Right now, it's a toss-up between the garden hose and rain...Sigh...
DeleteYou know, speaking of cat pee, my late husband always said alyssum smelled like cat piss, although it smells like honey to me. Some people....
ReplyDeleteA friend of ours used to describe the smell of Alyssum as "piss in a bus shelter". Jx
DeleteOh! Most noses differ in what we call "perfume." I grow night-blooming jasmine near the bedroom windows and it's divine. Until you touch the leaves...leaves cat pee for dead!!!!!!!!!!
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DeleteNot sure which "jasmine" you grow, Dinah? Here that name is used for both the species and the unrelated Trachelospermum - but I've not noticed any "pissy" smell from either of those. Jx
DeleteJon, Cestrum nocturnum is the one I mean. Leaves are horrid, foetid stinkers, but it's worth it for the scent of the flowers. Just plant it away from pathways!!
DeleteA new one on me! I have found that it, too, is available in the UK, but needs protection. And, presumably, a peg on the nose when it comes to pruning time... Jx
DeleteAnother round of wonderful clean and orderly blossoms & plants, enviable.
ReplyDeleteAnd a reptile, not a spider !
hahaha! Sadly, all those lovely spiders have disappeared these past few years. I am concerned. Perhaps they emigrated to Franconia or somewhere?
ReplyDeleteHow lovely... beautiful examples. I adore found plants and making the most of what exists. Bravo. That first photo... breathtaking.
ReplyDeleteI was just getting over the shock of the goanna when I saw the Crocs! I need a lie-down.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine having a quiet doze in Dinah's garden only to wake up and find that thing, flicking it's tongue at you. I think I'll go and join MJ for a lie-down.
DeleteLove the swamp orchid, they look similar to bamboo orchids and often found in Morrisons supermarket.
That looks like something I could grow here!Thanks, Mitzi
DeleteSomething I forgot to ask: Dinah, do you know what that insect is amongst the 'rosary beads'?
ReplyDeleteThanks again for sending in your snaps - Crocs, I mean: goannas and all!
Can't tell from this photo, but it's an ant, maybe a carpenter ant. Really not clear enough to be certain. As long as it stays over there and doesn't come a-chomping in my house!
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