Visit 17th November

One one day visit this time due several commitments. 26 mills in the guage. Garden not quite at its spring best as daffodils still dying back. Tons of plants in flower, in particular bearded irises, flanders poppies, arctotises, love in the mist.

The Russell Lupins have done well this year. Also the perennial yellow lupin is in full bloom at the moment.

The day lilies have appeared in flower. The one in this photo belowis particularly attractive, brown and gold, Hawthorn colours.

Most of the time on this rush visit was spent weeding. Not even enough time to lop more of the Laurel Tree...

Visit 2/3 November 2011

45 mills in the gauge. Garden looked good but the daffs are still dying back which makes for 'natural' untidiness. Weeds pretty horrific at this time of the year, particularly the dreaded 'sticky' weed, which has thrived after recent rain. The back was given a decent workout trying to draw the weeds out by the roots, with mixed success.

The Aquilegias, particularly the dark blue and pink, are putting on a great show on the south side, Look impressive from the kitchen window.  The Flanders poppies are beginning to bloom and will be quite prominent by Remembrance Day.  Bearded irises are at their best now, various varieties including yellow white, and dark blue. 

The Variegated Weigelia is in flower.

The lavenders are now beginning to bloom in earnest. I particularly like this one, so bright and colourful.

This time I planted more pink marguerite daisies to replace those which succumbed to the frost over winter and seedings of Penstemon lyallii, Penstemon 'Lilac Frost' and Verbena hastata rosea. I can't wait to see the flowers when they bloom as these are new varieties for me. 

The first of the salvias to flower for me are the 'Hot Lips' which will put on a great show until well into autumn.

The horses have returned to the paddock after a break of about 4 weeks. Good to see them back as the grass was really starting to move.

More of the poor Laurel tree(s) was lopped.

About to flower: Watsonias, peony poppies, penstemons, salvias, pigface, species gladioli, roses, rock roses

Visit 18th/19th October

25 mills in the gauge. No golf as I took advantage of the warm weather, low 20s, to burn off a lot of garden rubbish in the paddock and all the laurel tree prunings. I had 5 fires going at the one time. Most successful.

The last of the daffodils had just about finished flowering. The garden looked OK. One highlight was the clematis on 2 of the verandah posts, one white, the other a delicate pink.

Also in flower were the Snow in Summer, prolific even though I'd cut it back hard some time ago. Here it is intertwined with African Daisy.

I don't have many tulips, perhaps 25, but they are at their best at the moment. They are scattered. For better effect I must remember to plant several together next year. 

The poppies have started to bloom. One I'm pleased to see is a delicate orange one. The seeds were brought back by a friend from England some years ago. 

One of my more interesting wallflowers, a yellow one, is in full bloom. The red flowered one is not nearly as impressive. Also pleased to see some pink 'bluebells' in flower, gifts from Pat Murphy. 

The Apple and Quince trees are in blossom at the moment, plus my small lilac tree. Also the one decent rhododendron, Pink Pearl, is ready to burst into bloom.

The purplish colour of all the Honesty plants is becoming evident in various parts of the garden.

Planted this time were 10 more gladioli bulbs, some pink and red marguerite daisies, and a few Penstemon lyallii seedlings. 

This is the time when Sticky Weed is at its most prevalent. It's a damn nuisance and very difficult to root out. I must admit to spraying where it is out in the open. 

I spread some pea straw as a mulch around various plants. Let's hope the chooks from next door don;t scatter it as they have been known to do.

I had some produce this time, plenty of rhubarb plus some asparagus. 

Visit 4th/5th October

Lovely spring day on the Tuesday. 50 mills in the gauge, temp. about 18C. Took advantage of the weather to play golf. 3 pars but 2 10s spoilt the round.

Daffodils are wilting but still making a show. My aim was to have at least some daffodils in flower from June to October and have done so.

There was still plenty of colour in the garden although October is an 'in between' period, until the perennials put on their show in November. One plant which is attractive currently is tall, over 2 metres high, with lovely small soft blue flowers, similar in size to the Easter Daisy. I can't remember its name, if ever I knew it.

Now is the time for the Bendigo Wax (Eriostemon myoporoides) to be at its best. This snap has behind it a small quince tree, now in blossom.

The clematis are just starting to come into flower on two of the verandah posts. How they have grown 

this year.

So pleased have I been with the clematis that I bought a new one 'Golden Tiara' from Broersens and planted it in front of the tank to the right of the cottage. Hopefully it will eventually at least partially cover the tank with its golden blooms and purple stamen. Also from the same catalogue, I planted a Show and Tell Dinner Plate Dahlia (on the south side), plus 3 Lake Michigan Oriental Liliums, (soft pink, fragrant flowers with white centre), one in front of the same tank and two on the north side.

Finally, 10 gladioli bulbs were planted across the front garden. Given the 3 months it takes for them to flower, they should be in bloom shortly after Christmas. 10 more will go in next fortnight.

The leucadendrons on the north side are great to lift the garden with that splash of red.

The gazanias around the garden are always great value with bright colours. This one with light blue felicia in the background.

This dark pink arctotis does best for me, in particularly tough spots.

More of the laurel tree was lopped. I estimate I have now reduced its size by about 1%.

Visit 20/21 September

17 mills in the gauge. The weather was cool and showery with occasional sunshine. No golf. The garden continued to be dominated by daffodils, although some were now past their best.

Wattles were in full bloom, particularly a couple of the Ovens Wattle. I noticed a few had self seeded around the dam.

I was very surprised to notice a very early flowering orange peony poppy in flower. Normally they do not flower until late October. I have many around the garden. None of the others is anywhere near flowering.

Plenty of hyacinths are doing well. One which was particularly impressive was magenta coloured.

A friend dropped in a Clematis Ruutel which I planted against the only one of the 4 verandah posts not supporting a clematis. It was a great and timely gift.

Also Sally's 4 rhubarb plants were most welcome. They were planted in the vegetable plot accompanied with a decent serving of horse manure.

I needed to consult with Bill next door after my chainsaw locked. Not only did he fix the problem but serviced it after which it cut through some fallen branches like butter. More of the Laurel tree was lopped, using the rejuvenated chainsaw.

I lifted one of the nicer gazanias, divided it into 5 plants, reinserted 2 and potted up the other for our cottage plant sale. Similarly with the smaller Golden Rods (Solidago) and and large clump of Veronica Oxford Blue.

Several wallflowers I'd grown from seed were planted out around the garden. I have no idea what colour flowers they'll bear as the packet said simply 'Cheiranthus sp.' Similarly with candytuft seedlings.

I finally got round to cutting back several Salvias, (Hot Lips and Bog Sage). They promise to again put on a great show this summer.

The northern (Daylesford) side of the garden is looking good with the red of the Flowering Quinces, and leucadendron contrasting with the yellow of the daffodils.

Visit 6th-8th September

Only a few millimeters of rain in the previous fortnight. Palyed golffor the first time for many weeks and was reasonably happy with 47 and 50 at Hepburn. This week is the best of the year for daffodils and the garden didn't disappoint. It was as good as it's ever been in spring.

All around the cottage there was plenty of colour. On the Melbourne side (above), at the back (below),

and in the front, (below)

A pair of kookaburras seem to have adopted the place as part of their territory. I managed to catch a shot of the two of them.

and the horses continue to keep the grass down while occasionally appearing to check out the garden.

This time I planted a Ruffles (pink flowering) lavender near the big tank, plus more of the corn flour seedlings. Most of my time again was spent in cutting back more of the perennials: salvias, penstemons etc. and the carpet roses.

I've been very disappointed with the load of soil I bought and which I've used to build up the soil before introducing new plants to the garden. It has really caked up, hard as a rock and many of the seedlings planted a while ago haven't advanced at all as a result. 

I took advantage of the dry weather to do some burning off, of gardening rubbish in the paddock and lopped some more of the laurel tree.

Visit 23rd/24th August

Many thanks to Isaac for the Lugano banner!

Good recent rain. 55 mills in the gauge. Lovely fine late winter days although very frosty overnight, no water in the morning with pipes frozen.
Although the Magnifique daffodils are starting to die back, others are coming into their own. Another couple of weeks should see the garden at its Spring best. Several years ago, I planted a punnet of the miniature tete-a-tete daffs. Now there are hundreds of them.

The blue of the Winter Joy wallflowers and the red of the flowering quinces, and red hot pokers, and leucodrendrons combine well with the yellow of the daffodils.

The leucadendrons are looking particularly good at the end of winter, particularly Safari Sunset.

A surprise this time was the appearance of a lovely blue crocus. Where it came from I have no idea. I certainly haven't planted any. 

I planted more Danish Flag poppies and cornflowers, more maroon coloured asters and light blue campanulas.

The Mt Franklin Grevillea had come to the end of its lifespan, must be 15 years,  so was lopped, giving the viburnum room to breathe and show off its white flowers. Unfortunately not a perfumed variety. Also the perennial yellow lupins had grown into small trees and needed to be tied up. 

The Snow in Summer (Cerastium tomentosum) was starting to crawl over everything so half of it was pulled out. Salvias, Hots Lips, Pineapple Sage and Bog Sage, were all chopped back to new growth.  

Cuttings were taken of a red and white flowering Sims carnation and more campanulas potted up.

Another rhubarb was lifted and transplanted, this time into the vegetable plot, with loads of manure.

The last of the roses, the climbing Gold Bunny, received its pruning.

I again spent half an hour on the sprawling Portuguese Laurel in the paddock. I wonder whether I will ever remove it completely.

Visit 9th/10th August

5 mills in the rain gauge, the lowest fortnightly reading for some months. However, it started raining shortly after my arrival and a further 10 mills had fallen by next morning. The rain was frustrating but I've been lucky with the weather this winter so couldn't complain.
After many years of working on having colour in the garden all year, I feel I've just about got there

So many things flower even in a cold winter, with the wallflowers, winter iris, hellebores, early daffodils, 'Winter Cheer' pokers flourishing in Daylesford. 

This visit I planted a euphorbia, 'Thorn' penstemon. seedlings of the unusual poppy 'Danish Flag' (Drapeau danois) which should be spectacular. Plus more cornflower seeds. For some time now, I've had a bit of a craving for stewed pears, so took the plunge and bought a 'Williams' Bon Chretien Pear and planted it in the paddock. Hopefully the horses won't also develop a liking for the fruit.

4 more roses were pruned and some of the cuttings planted in the vegetable plot.

It was pleasing to note that the 'Bulbinella nutans' is beginning to flower, surely earlier than usual. Such a delicate flower. Also my one camellia is doing well, the best ever. It really seems to have benefited from all the rain this year.

Much time was spent chopping perennials back, chrysanthemums, bog sage, penstemons and scabiosas. 

Also, the time has come for the feijoa to get the chop. It was producing plenty of foliage, never fruited and was beginning to cover some nice day lilies and irises. This time, I took cuttings of the blue and white penstemon, the pink buddleia, and divided the maroon aster for potting up. 

The rain prevented me lopping as much of the laurel as I would have liked but a bit more of it was removed. I noticed the horses tasting some of the cut foliage. They must be looking for more variety in their diet. One of them popped around to check out what I was doing in the garden but didn't offer to help!

Visit 27/28 July

35 mills in the gauge since last visit. Rainfall has been most regular this year. Again I was lucky with the weather, cool, becoming sunny in the afternoon, freezing overnight, the temp. -2C at 7.45am according to a neighbour who dropped in on his morning walk. I had to wait until 9am to get out into the garden.

The winter garden again looked as good as I've seen it at this time of the year. Many more daffodils in flower, the blue winter iris still flourishing and the wallflowers continuing to stand out everywhere. Outstanding also was the large red hot poker against the back fence (see photo) and there are 5 or 6 other smaller ones around the garden ready to flower. Flanders poppy seedlings are beginning to appear in earnest but no peony poppies, unfortunately. I hope I haven't lost the beautiful white, and pink and white ones, which were a feature last year.
I took advantage of a Tesselaar's sale to buy 2 Foxtail lilies (Bungei and Romance) and planted them on the south side, one near the hedge, the other further west. I hope they do as well as some I saw in England 2 years ago where they are a real feature in the best gardens. Also from the sale, 3 Oriental Lilies (Rialto), and 3 Asiatic Matisse Lilies (Black Spider), plus a small Kniphofia (Traffic Lights) were inserted in various spots. More cornflower seeds were sown, plus some seedling wallflowers, propagated in my little hot houses.
Another rhubarb was lifted, divided and planted down the back, nourished with a bucketful of horse manure. 2 more roses were massacred and several cuttings again planted in the vegetable plot.
I was rather ruthless in chopping back the pink rock rose which was starting to take over  down the back.   This revealed quite a few daffodils which would have struggled to do their best, plus a watsonia and a red penstemon. I replanted a root of the rock rose in the front, north side, to give some more colour there
over the summer. More campanula and watsonias were lifted for potting up for our sales later in the year.

Armed with my chainsaw, sporting a new blade, I lopped several acacias in the paddock plus another section of the laurel. My aim is to rid the paddock of the laurel before I die, which means living until at least 91. Only one golfball was found this time.

Visit 14/15 July

50 mills in the gauge since last visit. Cloudy when I arrived and cold but the sun appeared in the early afternoon and perfect winter conditions prevailed. Cold but sunny next morning. I was lucky with the weather.
Everything looked pretty good for this time of the year. Many daffodils had appeared in bloom (the wonderful Magnifiques), the hellebores had really come on and the wallflowers provided their usual winter colour. The blue winter iris continues to look very healthy in several locations, as did the orange kniphofias (unspectacular) and the more interesting red and yellow one.  I was a little concerned that the Medlars tree seemed to have stalled in its progress so I relocated it from the south to north side of the house, a much more sunny spot. I planted a Hawthorn daylily (yellow and brown) and a maroon aster . The rhubarbs need rejuvenating after several years in the same spots so I dug one up and transferred it to near the shed after loading the soil up with a bucket of horse manure. I'll do the same with more rhubarb over coming visits. The last of the Flanders poppy seeds were sown in a new strip on the Daylesford side. Yellow (I think) kniphofias were lifted and divided. One was replanted, the others will be potted up and made available for sale. The same with the pink watsonias and another campanula. It was terrific to see that some of the poppy and cornflower seeds sown a month ago had appeared. The cornflower ones will be particularly interesting as Genevieve sent them from England.
I started on the rose pruning, a terrible job, with the beautifully scented red rose on the north side. The cuttings I stuck in the vegetable plot. Some might strike, which would make the pruning more worthwhile. The blue and white penstemon was chopped right back, almost to the ground and I potted up several cuttings.
I've decided to attack the spreading laurel in the paddock as it is getting out of hand and would be hiding at least 20 golf balls which it seems to attract like a magnet. Each visit I now devote 30 minutes on hacking part of it back. A byproduct is the wood which hopefully will be warming the house after drying out. At a conservative guess, I reckon there would be 10 tonne overall.

Visit 28/29 June

I didn't play golf this visit which gave me more time to do other things. 60 mills had fallen in the past fortnight. Had been a frosty morning but it turned out a perfect winter Tuesday afternoon.
The garden was looking pretty subdued but was lifted by the several patches of the blue flowering winter irises which were at their best. Also the first daffodil for the season was on the verge of raising its yellow head, a Magnifique, remarkably early, the earliest I can remember. As  there w[are plenty more in the garden, should be a good daffodil show now until the end of September. There are daffodils popping up everywhere,
I planted several nerines, gifts from Pat Murphy, which should give a good display next autumn, plus a yellow wallflower.
Much of my time was spent cutting back perennials, especially the penstemons, gaura and michaelmas daisies which have become a bit of a weed. I divided some maroon asters, more of the light blue campanulas and a lovely brown and gold daylily which does particularly well there. I should be able to make plenty of new plants from that lot.
I continued to sow plenty more poppy seeds, a row of Danish Flag (red and white), in front of the big tank, and a 'giant' variety (Pavot d'orient), the last of the seeds from Europe, in various spots. More Flanders poppies and corn flour seeds were also scattered around. If everything flowers, should be a riot of colour.
The paddock is looking pretty clear at the moment. The horses have cleaned it up very well and most of the broom and blackberries are looking very sick after the spraying.
I called over to see how the new house is progressing. Tim and Dan O'Halloran were working there. It was hoped to have been finished 3 weeks ago but there have been holdups with weather etc. Tim invited me in to check it out. It will be a very comfortable home for Dan and Liam. All mod cons, ensuite etc for main bedroom.  Carpet has come from the Casino in Melbourne which was excess to their requirements, via a tradesman the boys know. Dan is a star with Hepburn, an onballer. He had 38 possessions last weekend, 35 kicks, 3 handballs and is one of the favourites for Hepburn's Best and Fairest this year. He says that unfortunately flooding is also part of the game in the Central Highlands League. Tim enquired whether the 2 acre block is still for sale. He reckons that land in the area is in short supply and he knows several people who could be interested. I'm only interested in selling to locals, preferably with a family, who want to build there.

Visit 14/15 June

First golf. Poor round, wind was freezing, no excuse, couldn't putt to save myself. The only consolation was that the others weren't much better.
14 mills had fallen in the past fortnight.
The garden is at its lowest ebb at this time of the year. Still there were several things in flower, arctotis, yellow chrysanthemums, light blue felicias, yellow and blue (Winter Joy) wallflowers, Knifophias, some orange and one red and yellow, winter iris,(Unguilaris), white nerines, the wonderful tall blue and reddish scabiosa, plenty of gazanias of all colours, plus the penstemons which are just hanging on.
Plenty of bulb activity. The jonquils and the Magnifique daffodils are starting to form blooms and should be flowering in a month. Bulbs are poking through everywhere. It is hard not to stand on them when weeding. The marguerite daisies are showing distinct signs of distress, following the recent heavy frosts.
I planted a blue perennial lupin which I divided up from one at Hawthorn, plus another yellow chrysanthemum. More Flanders poppy seeds were scattered around and also a variety of corn flower seeds.
Cuttings were taken of a red and white penstemon, smallish blue wallflower and orange arctotis.
The Easter and Michaelmas daisies which were prolific this year, I chopped back to the ground. I may need to dig some out as they keep marching through the garden. Also cut back were all the Japanese Windflowers.
Lorraine and Bill mentioned they had seen rabbits in my backyard. I could see where they had dug up some ground but don't seem to have done much damage so far.
The hedge looks most untidy. Normally it needs to be cut only once a year, in November, but it could certainly do with a trim now.
The Easter spray has been very effective in killing off a lot of the blackberries and broom in the paddock. The spray is supposed to take effect on the gorse in spring. Here's hoping.

Visit 31st May/1st June

First golf at Hepburn. Beautiful crisp weather which became quite warm during the round. Reasonably happy with 46 and 47, 2 pars.
It was 3 weeks since the last visit so I was looking forward to checking on the state of the garden. Frosts had arrived in earnest so the marguerite daisies were showing signs of distress. Only the yellow daisies seem to be unaffected by heavy frosts. Everything continued to look pretty good as we go into winter. When I arrived I was pleased to note 3 yellow flowering kniphofias coming into bloom. I can't remember planting them! but they were standing up over 1 metre tall. Unfortunately by next morning, when the temp. was -3 (the coldest June morning in Ballarat for 9 years), the flower heads were drooping forwards quite prominently. The blue bog sages had stopped flowering but the penstemons (red and red and white) were still going well. The pink salvia, my favourite, is coming towards the end of its flowering for this season. I took more cuttings in the hope that they will strike. The red flowering gladioli had snapped off after giving a great show, so late. I will lift the bulb shortly and mark it. One last gladioli for this season was in flower, an orange one, pretty remarkable for June. Last year, some Japanese windflowers were still in bloom in late May. Not this year so I cut many of them back. The blue winter iris (unguilaris) is starting to flower on the south side. White nerines are having a good year, the pink ones not so good. I planted 2 different ones I bought at the Rare Plants Fair at Silvan a while ago. Should be good next year. A packet of Flanders poppy seeds were scattered about, to ensure plenty of colour in late Spring.
I also planted 6 small wallflowers, 4 Winter Joys and 2 reds, plus the 'Hawthorn' gazania, Joan's birthday gift. The hellebores are starting to flower. They should be in flower through the winter. Daffodils are starting to really push through. No doubt these would be the Magnifiques which start flowering in July.
One of the trees on the dam had dropped a couple of branches which will provide firewood next year.
A gentleman from Ballarat Blinds came to replace the curtains in the kitchen. I was a little disappointed in the colour which was more sombre than I thought I'd ordered. He told me that blow ins from Toorak buy a place in Daylesford, tart it up as a B & B and express great surprise, in a toffy voice, at the expense of things, as though they expected everything in the country to be cheap.

Kevin Slattery's Musk Vale Gardening Diary

May 11/12, 2011
Weather cold Tuesday but fine, rain overnight. Temps 1-7 Wednesday. Lit fires in paddock to get rid of garden waste and gorse etc, remaining from the cleanup in March. There had been little rain the previous fortnight so fires were still possible.
Planted 3 Wallflowers, the wonderful Winter Joys, the cream Clematis bought at the Maytime Fair and remaining daffodils (probably too late for them). I divided up a clump of Bulbinella and replanted two offshoots in other parts of the garden The clematis will hopefully climb up  the verandah post, the 3rd to do this. The other two have been great success. Amazingly, a dark red gladioli is in full bloom on south side, planted at Christmas time. Amazing in that it is flowering so late. The Bog Sage at the back is still flowering well, and a few dahlias are hanging on, although the frosts have started. The chrysanthemums are now doing well, although the small pink flowering one has almost finished flowering. The pink salvia is still full of blooms. I took several cuttings as it obviously does very well here. Several kniphofias (yellow and orange) are still in flower and more blooms are coming. Over the past year, there always seems to have been at least one of them in flower.
I picked the last of this year's apples. Great for cooking. There were no mushrooms in the paddock this year despite all the rain. Evidently there was not sufficient warm weather at the right time for them.

A visiting neighbour mused that the time is not far away when I'll have to park the car outside the front as I keep chipping away at the lawn with new plantings!