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Self care by growing a garden

Self care by growing a garden

A SOS to any green thumbs out there

I have always found gardening to be therapeutic and it has given me great joy. However, after a major crisis with Mr Darcy's health I have not had been able to get back into it. Have other gardeners suffered from a similar hiatus and how have you recovered and got going again?

Darcy

PS have a spot that needs filling any recommendations for a 1m high cool climate white flower plant?

2358 replies

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In response to: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

@Former-Member, @Adge, we've got a massive Eucalypt leucoxylon "Rosea" in our side yard that was here when we moved in. Mature tree, maybe 9-10 metres tall. It's not a wise tree to have that close to the house. It takes first share of all the nutrients in the soil, drops leaves in the box gutter, and would be awful if a fire went through... but it attracts so much wildlife. All sorts of insects and birds... possums, who are less welcome. Despite it's "problems", I love that tree, so I work around it. Raised beds, potted plants, accepting that any fruit trees in its root zone will be somewhat dwarfed. We rarely see flowers on it because the possums and birds eat the buds.

Further down the yard, where there's more space for mature trees, I've planted a Casaurina, a Silky Oak, a Blackwood Wattle, and another wattle which I think is Acacia cultriformis? Also a violet flowered bottlebrush and a Kurrajong. The Kurrajong is still quite small and keeps getting knocked back by the wallabies and frost, but it'll get there. There was a lime green bottlebrush too, but the wallabies ate that one to death. The Casaurina, Silky Oak and Blackwood are all about 6m tall, and are a lovely screen across the back boundary.

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

@Adge

Internet pics = better for anonymity.

I haven't seen a silky oak for ages @Smc , I knew someone that had one in their front yard and it used to drop leaves continuously.

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

They do, @Former-Member, which is another reason why "down the back" is a better spot for them than near the house. The leaf litter over time creates its own mini-ecosystem, so it's much better if it can be left undisturbed.

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

This one is nice - it's Melaleuca nesophila, Showy Honey-Myrtle (from south-west WA).

I planted it about 15 years ago.

It's small (only 3 or so metres high), & very pretty.

Adge

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

I have one of these too - Melaleuca armilaris, Bracelet Honey-Myrtle.

It's an "exotic" from NSW, I planted it about 15 years ago.

It has not done very well, probably because it doesn't like the sandy soil here.

Adge

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

Beautiful plants @Adge .

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

beautiful bushes @Adge

hello @Former-Member , @Smc , @Former-Member , @Determined

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

Hi @Shaz51

How is your garden coming along?

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

the bushes and the hedge looks good @Former-Member and with mr shaz trimming them to look tidy is good

my plants are growing out of their pots , I will need bigger pots or replant them in the front garden '

Mum said I can plant them in her garden if I want too

In response to: Re: Self care by growing a garden

Re: Self care by growing a garden

I grew several of these Tipuana Tipu trees - from seed collected from shopping centre carpark

They're a Legume (like Wattles & my Carob tree) - so very good for improving Nitrogen levels in soil.

Unfortunately mine never made it to this size (photo), they're long gone...

Adge

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