Gardening on the verge.

It’s still Saturday somewhere, right? I’m a little uncomfortable about chucking in an entry because the Six On Saturday gardening contributors are very friendly and chatty, and of course, I am too, but my blogging program is giving me all sorts of problems and hence my communications are sparse, which doesn’t seem fair. Apologies in advance. But I have a few shots of my current fancy which is my verge garden, and it was Saturday here just a few short hours ago, so here goes.

My bluebells (Wahlenbergia communis) have gone nuts this year. They are in their element here with other woodland and grassland plants. It helps that it has rained. A lot. There is a lot of yellow in the verge at this time of the year so the bluebells tone everything down.

I’ve been learning a lot about what is a local plant over the last year. For example, from my perspective (and it will be different for you depending on where you live), plants can be native to Australia, native to the broader region surrounding Canberra, local to Canberra and/or local to my part of Canberra. When I first bought these native leek lilies (Bulbine semibarbata), I wasn’t au fait with all these intricacies. These lilies are not native to Canberra but grow in the broader region. Still, they are doing okay. The flower is tiny and not in focus. I was in a hurry and was too distracted by the lovely hoary sunrays (native to my part of Canberra and elsewhere) behind them. The latter must be the cheeriest flower of all time.

As you can see, the other bulbine lilies have bigger flowers. I don’t know whether these are Bulbine bulbosa or Bulbine glauca. I have both and I swear I was going to remember which was which but now I can’t. The bulbosa likes moist conditions while the glauca is a bigger, tougher beast and can cope with dry woodland.

The clustered everlastings (Chrysocephalum semipapposum) have just started to flower. They look a bit spindly because this is their first year.

The verge is meant to be a miniature grassy woodland so grass is a big feature, or it will be when the grasses grow. For some reason, I got distracted again and bought a number of different grasses. I don’t know whether they will all mesh together but I will soon find out. Here is some wallaby grass (Rhytidosperma sp.). You never know what you might end up with when you buy a non-specified species, but I am really happy with these cuties. They are only about 30cm tall. I really like them.

It seems that I am one photo short on the verge so I will finish off with a photo of this beautiful nepenthes which lives in a pot on our laundry window. It is as big as it looks. It prefers dusty, cobwebbed windows. You wouldn’t clean your window if you had to move this plant, although looking at them up close now, I can see the window needs a good scrub.

Jim Stephens from Garden Ruminations is the new host of Six On Saturday, a weekly challenge of all (six) things gardening. Pop along to Jim’s blog to see what’s in bloom at his house and in the gardens of the other participants.

Anyway, I had better go to bed now as I am exhausted from working on a mystery project. Hint, hint, it is plant related.

Talk soon if I can get the comments and the likes working (that’s blog speak for the information of you, non-bloggers).

Take care, everyone, and happy gardening.

Kind Regards.
Tracy.

44 thoughts on “Six On Saturday – 5/11/2022”

  4. I was very surprised to learn that Australia has native Bulbine species; we grow Bulbine frutescens, which is South African, as are most of them. Wahlenbergia I’ve only seen as a New Zealand Alpine, your one is much taller and a pretty blue.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Jim. I had a look at Bulbine frutescens. It looks very frisky and like it might get out of control. The Wahlenbergia I have growing naturally in my garden is just the common one. I also have a couple of different forms which I have planted – Wahlenbergia stricta is quite a tall one and not flowering yet, and Wahlenbergia multicaulis which has the tiniest flower I’ve ever seen so I am not sure I can photograph it.

      Like

    1. Thanks, Punam. I have plans to sprawl a little more but for now I’m happy to learn what likes growing where. The little wallaby grass is pretty. I had a visit from the grassland experts today and they said that they had never seen that particular variety look quite so boofy. I am not complaining though.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I am really enjoying it, Worms. Still need to expand it a tad more. I’ve also decided to devote more of the front lawn/weeds to grassland plants. I have been hesitating because the weeding is a big job and because every time I get a nice native garden going out there, the tree gets into the sewer or stormwater line and we have to dig it up.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. You are making excellent progress with that verge garden, a project which so many people benefit from. I like the wallaby grass, didn’t know there was such a thing, although I know about kangaroo grass. That nepenthes is impressive😲

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks, Jane. Wallaby grass is one of the most prolific native grasses in Australia. There are many species from big to small. Red-anther wallaby grass is magnificent in dry, shady spots. I must take a photo.
      The nepenthes is huge! Not sure what it is eating to stay so healthy.

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Your verge garden looks utterly delightful, Tracy.

    Personally, I think all nature strips (as my Mother used to call them), should be planted with Australian natives. I’d also like to see some herbs and veggies if the area is large.

    I’d like to see children sneak a bite from a veggie patch and find the love of eating fresh food, instead of processed.

    But whatever the choice of plants and flowers, I hope many more gardeners (or wanna-be gardeners) take the time to share their love of nature with the neighbourhood.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks, Vicki. A lot of people like a cleared nature strip to park their cars! Thank goodness verge gardening has become more fashionable. I like natives on the verge too, especially if co-located with a eucalypt. I’ve seen many verges with exotic plants under very unwell eucalypts because the householder has piled on the fertiliser. I feel like having a serious chat to the occupants. My family thinks I should mind my own business.
      Good luck on Tuesday, Vicki. I’ll be thinking of you.

      Like

  15. I think your garden looks great! And it took me a minute to realize why you were posting about gardening in the Fall….I read several blogs from Australia, and yet I never seem to remember that our seasons aren’t on the same schedule. Clearly, I can be a bit slow on the uptake!

    Like

  16. Lovely to see your garden with things so unusual to us. ‘Local’ things – well, Australia is huge and you have quite a variety of climates, haven’t you, just like France. So glad you stuck the Nepenthes in there – fabulous!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes, we do have many different climates across the country. I live in a temperate zone much the same as fellow gardener, Jane. It gets hot. It gets cold. It is wet now but that will not last. It will be interesting to see how the new garden copes with drought conditions.
      The Nepenthe requires very little attention.

      Liked by 1 person

  18. From a hemisphere away from you – a continent, experience and passions different from yours – I read, enjoy and find connections I can relate to in your posts – 😀

    On communities we love/that inspire and bless us – yup – hear ya! We appreciate so ever much, we can’t bear to walk away from, but worry if we show up – not at our ‘best we have to offer’ – fronts –

    On the plants you share pics of?? OH! How so many of them resemble the things that grow just find and dandy, with zero planning/help from me, here at my place – the petals, the leaves, the seed head, the stamen, the pistols, the stalks – leap out to my eyes as ‘I know that one! a family member of that one grows here! though – this year it has been (colder/hotter, wetter/drier, etc.) and my plants don’t look EXACTLY like her’s, but I have cousins of that plant family tree, right here, next to me, I KNOW I do!!! 😀

    And so, through your words, your challenges, your hopes, your dreams, what you post pics of? I feel connected with those far from me/different from me/dealing with totally different life path/geo region – but, still – I feel connected to something more than just me/my backyard, all the same – – does that make sense? At all? And no worries/hurries or if Never you reply! I get it! But I love your blog and the place to connect, ruminate, ponder upon connections, same, but different, topics – here in WordPress/bloggy land – and thus, just saying Thanks after long winded reasoning/explanation of why – ❤ this and Thank You!

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are now closed.