Six on Saturday – 31/12/2022

Categories six on saturday, , 35 Comments on Six on Saturday – 31/12/2022

I managed to make a start on clearing up the garden in the week and there are signs of life amongst the carnage. In fact, I could have done a six based on what is flowering now, on the last day of the year. Four Camellias, Muscari and Cyclamen coum. However, I’m going to save them for next week and do a midwinter guest post, pictures provided by Sue down under. There is a reason, along the lines of blowing my own trumpet, which will be revealed in due course.
She is staying near Caboolture, about an hour’s drive north of Brisbane. Most of the six are from the garden there.

One.
Bismarckia nobilis is in their lawn at the back of the house. It is just reaching a size where the lower leaves can be removed to head height, which is better than being savaged by them and gives back the space below the tree.

Two.
You can see the trunks of a couple more palms to the right of Bismarckia, in this picture you see the tops of them as well as another spiny much smaller palm in front of them. The tall ones are Alexander palm and the small one is a dwarf date palm. Assorted bromeliads and gingers grow in the shade beneath them.


Three
Frangipani, or Plumeria, are simple to grow if you have the right climate. We don’t, they do. Specimen tree in your front lawn, simples.

Four.
Cat’s whiskers or Orthosiphon aristatus was a plant we admired in Brisbane Botanic Garden and found in a native plant nursery in Maleny. It seems to be a terrific plant, keeps flowering, gets a bit leggy, gets chopped back, grows back and keeps on flowering again. Both pictures are of the same plant; shade plays tricks with the colour, it’s white.

Five.
They do have Bougainvillea but saw some better ones up the road, even further from growing in my garden.

Six.
Scribbly gum. Or rather, a sign about scribbly gum. One of my blogs about Australia, a Saturday six from 2018, caught the eye of the ranger service at Mount Mee, who got in touch to ask if they could use one or more of my pictures on their interpretation boards. I said yes and sent them a few. Sue and Elsie checked the place out in the week and this is what they found. I’m famous. I spent a lot of time at Mt Mee when I was last out in Australia, I’m chuffed to bits to get a credit that will mean nothing to anyone else.

I hope that was a bit of a break from winter grot here. It’ll be business as usual next week. May I wish you all an excellent New Year, both in your gardens and away from them.

Published by Jim Stephens

Gardener, no-dig allotmenteer, camellia enthusiast. I love colour, it cheers me up. Retired nurseryman.

35 thoughts on “Six on Saturday – 31/12/2022”

  1. Due to the ‘what day of the week is it?’ confusion that I seem to have sunk into over the holidays, I have forgotten to do a blog, so I’ve just dropped by to wish you all a very Happy New Year.
    Great to see that info board Jim, and all the interesting plants.

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  3. Frangipani are such a favourite of mine too, my son recently sent me a photo of one from his Brisbane garden, so jealous of Sue! I have just been sorting through my Australian photos from 2014 so I have enjoyed today’s post, I too have photos of a scribbly gum, but no alas no-one picked it up so I remain fameless. Happy New Year Jim, impossible to know what the weather has in store for us in 2023, but I am sure the SoS gang will soldier on.

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    1. It’s interesting to see peoples gardens around the world but especially to get a bit of an understanding of what is entailed in creating and maintaining them in such a wide range of conditions. At least here, we can always tell ourselves it would be worse elsewhere.

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  6. Thank you for the therapy of seeing the beautiful tropical plants in Brisbane. Spent a day in Grenada in the Caribbean and saw frangipane for the first time there.
    It is warming here in the American South after the brutal cold of a few days ago. It is too early to assess all the damage but I do see some pansies that have survived. It is sad to see azaleas and tea olives showing signs of frost damage. I will be checking them regularly for signs of new growth.
    Here is my six for you.

    https://mensgardenvestavia.wordpress.com/2022/12/30/five-for-friday-30-dec-2022/

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  9. What an interesting Six-on-Saturday and a most impressive sign! No wonder you are pleased with yourself. I haven’t braved the garden this week so I shall just enjoy reading all those who have ventured out. Happy New Year and thank you for taking over from Jon.

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  12. Nice – looks like San Diego, same climate, I guess, as the plants seem pretty similar. Alas, in Wisconsin we went from a white Christmas to a green New Year. Rain in the forecast, and jacket only need be waterproof, not rain proof. I will not show any pictures of dirty dwindling snow piles. I think next week will be about houseplants. Happy New Year! Here are my six: https://wisconsingarden.wordpress.com/2022/12/31/december-31-2022-six-on-saturday/

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  13. Lovely idea for a six, such an antidote to the grey drizzle outside my window. And I think having a photo featured the other side of the world is really cool, no wonder you’re pleased!
    Happy new year to all SoSers near & far.

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    2. If you are ever in Sydney, Jane, check out the Stony Range Regional Botanical Garden which is an oasis of Australian native plants and located at Dee Why in the heart of the northern beaches, Sydney.

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      1. I was a little worried when I read your comment, Jude, because we lived in Sydney for decades and have never heard of these gardens. A quick search tells me they opened in 2007, and we had moved away by then. We visit frequently, so will make sure we make a visit. Thanks for the info.

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  19. That tour took me right back to my childhood. The garden down is beautifully cared for, and I do like the large pink flamingo. Bet your wife and young friend were as pleased as punch to see your pictures on the board. Happy New Year to you and all the SOSers, and many thanks to you Jim and everyone else for this interesting gathering each Saturday. Here is my post: https://noellemace.blogspot.com/2022/12/six-on-saturday-last-on-last-day-of-year.html

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  23. Lovely seeing a garden just down the road from where we live (well, about 40 minutes away!) in your blog! That is great news that your photos are on display on those information boards! I still have not been to Mt Mee, and hopefully will plan a day trip out there during 2023. The Orthosiphon looks lush and green compared to my rather spindly plants.
    Happy 2023!
    Here is the link to my SoS: https://hairbellsandmaples.com/2022/12/31/happy-new-year/

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