The East Talgai Plant Ledger, a brief analysis

East Talgai from the West

Courtyard Rose Talgai Homestead

The East Talgai Plant Ledger, a brief analysis

Kyleigh and Michael Simpson sept 2013

East Talgai and the Clarks

In 1868 George John Clark commissioned architect Richard Sutor to design and build Talgai Homestead. The large building with wide verandahs was of sandstone quarried locally with 6 chimneys and shingle roof. The stone cottage with its cellar may have been built for the Clarks to occupy until the homestead was completed. The original avenue of Bunya Pines from 1869 lines the first entry road (over Dalrymple Creek)

From 1869 the English style garden was developed with a prodigous amount of palnt material, probably sought by mail order. George and Ellen Clark were musicians and entertained at Talgai which was also the venue for charity fetes and garden parties.  Mrs Clark won prizes for her flowers at agricultural shows.

Enormous lists, numbered and detailed in the Talgai plant ledger show Roses, Camellias, Chrysanthemums, Conifers, ornamental shrubs of all kinds had been collected. Scroll Down for a transcription of the Roses in the Talgai Plant Ledger 1869-1925.

Further the plant ledger also has long lists of different varieties of Grape Vine, Apples, Apricots, Peaches, Medlar, Quince and other productive plants.

The Clarks designed a watering system which drew water from Dalrymple Creek.

The evolving plant ledger is a fascinating document. Very little of the evolving garden from the 19th and early 20th century remains.

Early Sources of the plants at Talgai include Michael Guilfoyles nursery Sydney, Shepherds Nursery Sydney, "Cribb" explored below.

Later references are made to acquiring roses through Brunnings in Victoria and Summerlin Nursery Brisbane.George John Edwin Clark. (1834-1907) born at Ellinthorpe Hall in Tasmania.

In 1863 George married Ellen Louisa Henrietta Smith, daughter of an English paper manufacturer of Fiume on the Adriatic coast. He then visited leading sheep studs on the Continent and stations in New Zealand before he went to Queensland with his wife in 1865.

 After Ellinthorp Hall in Tasmania was sold to Samuel Page, brothers Charles and George in partnership bought the Old Talgai station on the Darling Downs in 1868 and began to consolidate its leases into freehold. George, a 'marvel with sheep', built up their flock by breeding first from the Learmonth and Shaw studs in Victoria and later from the Kermode and Taylor studs in Tasmania. Although his average fleece weighed only 3½ lbs. (1.6 kg) in 1868, he could claim an average of 7½ lbs. (3.4 kg) in 1886, when some of his stud rams were selling for over £400 at the Sydney sheep fair, and others were being exported to Tasmania. He is also credited with introducing the paddock system on the Darling Downs.

George helped to found the Warwick Examiner and Times in 1867 and represented Warwick in the Queensland Legislative Assembly in 1867-68. He claimed to be 'a moderate liberal' but was highly suspected by townsmen and smallholders for his evasions of the Land Acts. As a member of the court for revising electoral rolls he was said to have deliberately disfranchised many selectors around Warwick, thus displaying 'a disgraceful elasticity of conscience in dealing with public matters which were likely to infringe on his private interest'. He contested the Warwick seat in 1870 but narrowly lost. Although he had seldom spoken in debates he found the strain of politics immense, the expense high and the rewards slight. He was glad to retire to his sheepbreeding and the solace of his violin. He also withdrew from the conventional respectability of the Church of England and became a priest of the Catholic Apostolic (Irvingite) Church, fitting up a room at Talgai as a private chapel. In 1890 financial pressures forced him and Charles to sell 24,250 acres (9814 ha) of East Talgai to the Scottish Investment Co. for 34s. an acre (0.4 ha), leaving George with 9000 acres (3642 ha) and the homestead. When he died on 6 February 1907, his assets were valued at more than £40,000. When George Clark died the property passed to his son George Carr Clark  (b.1864- 1942), who also became a Catholic Apostolic priest. In 1907 George Carr Clark sold-off 5000 acres of Talgai and purchased 'Yanna' station on the Warrego. About 2000 special stud ewes remained at Talgai and the stud sires were bred there and transferred to Yanna for fattening. Aberdeen Angus stud cattle were introduced to Talgai in 1916 and ultimately became the main business of Talgai. In 1934 both the cattle and the sheep studs were sold at public auction, leaving about 750 acres on the homestead block around East Talgai house.

George Carr Clark resided there with his wife and various family members until his death in 1942.

Many of the roses in the East Talgai ledger are annotated "Cribb". Because of clear associations with Grape vine Cultivars imported from the USA by John Cribb (Qld. Acclimatization Society) and found on the Talgai list, it seems certain that he is the source. So far I am unable to find a rose list but there are references to the acclimatization activities of John George Cribb throughout early newspapers and Journals. John George was the son of Robert Cribb 

 Robert Cribb , his wife, four of their five children and three relations arrived on 20 January 1849 in the first Lang ship, Fortitude. Benjamin, with his wife and three children and Robert's daughter Mary, reached Moreton Bay four months later in the second Lang ship, Chaseley.

Robert settled in Brisbane where he had a bakery for about six years but later acquired extensive land holdings in and around Brisbane through his commission and land agency.

At 55, after his wife died, he married Sarah Walton. He died at his home in Milton on 16 April 1893, survived by three children of his first marriage.

Cribbs in Milton. The eccentric ‘Dunmore’ was built by Robert Cribb close to the intersection of Coronation Drive and Lang Parade, land that is now occupied by an office building. The name of the house was a nod to John Dunmore Lang, whose efforts to import upstanding immigrants from the motherland had brought Robert Cribb to Brisbane in 1851. Cribb’s Dunmore Estate spanned all the way back to Milton Road and along the river from Western Creek to what is now Chasely Street.  John George also lived in Milton and it would appear that plant importation, acclimatization and distribution happened via his gardens at Milton.

John George Cribb was an active member of the Queensland acclimatization society.

Roberts brother (uncle of J.G Cribb) business man of Ipswich, eventually founding Cribb & Foote. I can't find evidence that "Cribb and Foote" were involved in the plant material acquired at Talgai. The name "Cribb" appears to refer to John George Cribb.

John George Cribb (son of Robert Cribb and Sarah Sansom) was born 12 Apr 1830 in Poole, Dorset, England, and died 10 Jun 1905 in Fairholme, Milton, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He married Lucy Foote on 12 Jun 1856 in Kingholme, Teneriffe, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Cribb Island received its name from J.G. Cribb, the son of Brisbane Council Alderman, Robert Cribb. 150 acres (0.61 km²) of land was bought from the Queensland Government in 1863. In 1885, Cribb sold 65 of those acres to James Jackson for the purpose of growing bananas. This area became known as Jackson's Estate. The land that wasn't used by Jackson was leased out to livestock farmers.

The hand written inventory was not always easily read or translatable.
Copies have been given to Heritage Roses in Australia, Darling Downs Branch to help with corrections.

Talgai Rose Inventory 1869-1925  * notates that the rose has been crossed out
Inventory starts 1869

17	Lady Alice Peel	Shepo,   ...... double good?
18	Saffrano	Free bloomer, sort of apricot. Best as bud
19	Duchess of Norfolk	........much
20	Lord Raglan*
21	Madame Boll	good large pink
22	Celine Forester	pretty yellowish-white,full well shaped
23	Madame Furtado*
24	General Jacqueminot	Rich crimson,not very full sweet scented.
25	Solfaterre	Cribb, O S yellowish,white large and sweet scented
26	Mareschal Neil*	Cribb
27	Prince Camille de Rohan	Beautiful dark crimson
28	Marshall Souchet	Very deep rose colour good
29	General Washington	Not so good crimson
30	Lord Mcauley	Beautiful crimson ,very large, full sweet scented
31	Lord Raglan*
32	Jules Margottin
33	Madame*	Cribb
34	Professor Kick *	Cribb
35	Catherine Guillot*	Cribb
36	/ Notting*	Cribb
37	Elizabeth Vigneron	Cribb
38	John Hopper	Cribb , beautiful rose colour ,full well shaped very sweet scented
39	Madame Laffray	Guilfoil
40	Ransome Prevosr	Guilfoil Deep pink rose, full shaped. Do well as standard
41	Roque*	Guilfoil
42	Prince of Wales*	Cribb
43	Elizabeth Vigernon*	Cribb
44	William Lobb	No good, moss rose
45	Princesse Adelaide *
46	Baronne de Margottin*
47	Louis Margottin	good,very small pink ....
48	Souvenir de Malmaison	Pinkish white rose,large well shaped
49	Saffranot
50	Jean Cherfine	very dark ,s very good
51	Victor Verdier*
52	Madame  Schmidt*
53	Duc d"Amale	good
54	Gloire de Dijon	very large rose,pinkish,yellow inside
55	Madame Charles Woodward.*	July 1881outer  petals white good standard
26	Mareschal Neil Shpo	Beautiful  Salmon .................?
31	Grace Archer	Beautiful crimson,sweet scents
32	Queen of Waltham	Deep rose
33	Princess Beatrice	Well ..... full apricot
34	Magna Charta	Pink full
35	Firebrand	Very full
36	Madamoiselle Bouvaire
37	Countess de Orford
41	Duke of Edinburgh
118	Black Prince	Very good
42	Mme Victor Verdier
43	Captain Christy	? white blush centre, very good
45	Coquette des Blanches	very pretty full white rose
46	Peach Blossom	Do not care much about it.
51	Francis Trieves	very full crimson would have to open well
52	Rev JBL Lawers?	Pink  full
55	Queen Eleanor
58	Diane	Pink full
117	Mme Marie Rady	Light crimson, sweet scented
60	Star of Waltham	Well shaped ,light crimson
61	Boule de Neige	Deaver
63	Louis van Houtte	dark ,handsome rose
64	Madame Berrard	Apricot,best as bud
65	Antoinne Ducher	Dark pink
111	Abbe Bramerel	Large dark ...flat rose
85	Alfred Colomb	light rose crimson sweet scented
112	Ferdinand de Lesseps	Good ,very light crimson
66	Fisher Holmes	Beautiful velvet crimson
68	Madame La B de Rothschild	light pink very good
13	Cloth of gold	very good
116	Prince Eugene Beauharnais	very sweet scented
69	Charles Lefebvre
120	Reynolds Hole	Dark velvet crimsonlike F Holmes
	Niphetos??
70	Duchess of Bedford	July1884 Shep & Stewarts    1884 roses
71	Pride of Waltham
72	A K Williams
73	Madame Massop
74	Marie van Houtte
76	Mabel Morrison
77	W H Turner
78	Reine Marie Heuriette
79	W Allan Richardson
80	La Marque
81	Climbing Amy Vibert
82	Climbing Victor Verdier
83	Lord Beaconsfield
84	Dr Andre
87	Harrison Heir
88	Mrs H  Turner
90	William Allen Richardson
91	Countess of Rosenberg
92	John Bright
93	Duc de Montperier?
94	Jean Rosenkrauz
96	Marquis de Castellarni
97	Dean of Windsor
98	Prince Leopold
103	Marguerite Jami
104	Gabriel Fournier
122	Duchess de Caylus
123	Boieldieu
124	Madame de Girodde
125	Star of Waltham
126	Climbing Jules Margatin
127	Climbing Charles Lefeire
128	Dr Andre
129	Mademoiselle Annie Wood
130	Madam Jacquier
131	Olga Marie
132	Glory of Waltham
133	Monsieur Norman
134	Baron Chaurand
135	Mabel Morrison
136	Emily Sartou
137	Margriet de Liguiers
138	Mademoiselle Eugenie Verdier
139	Crown Prince
140	Marchioness of Exeter
141	Clark	1884 continued
142	Sir Garnet Wolseley
143	Paul Verdier
144	Baron Haussmann
145	Penelope Mays
146	Marguerite de Arnaud
147	Constantine Tretiakoff
148	Mrs Jowit
149	Dr Sewell
150	E Y Teace
151	Rev TC Cole
152	Pavillon de Prequy
153	Exposition de Brie
154	President	lovely as a bud in a wet season
155	Reine des Blauches
156	Abel Grand
157	Princess de Heigel	no good does not ..........
158	Princess Beatrice
159	Auguste Rigotard
160	Stadtholder
161	Madame Plantier
162	Motte Sanguinne
163	Ipswich Gem
164	Amadis
165	Princess Alice
166	Mrs Veilet
167	Amie Vibert
168	Souvenier  de Dr Cavour
169	Monsieur Cordier
170	General Simpson
171	La Sylphide
172	Dr Baillou
173	Catherine Bell
174	Anna Reluge
175	Charles Lawson
176	Devoniensis
177	Lady Emily Peel
178	Maria Leosisda?
179	Mrs Triffle
180	Reve D'Or	1884 continued
181	Richard Wallace
182	Pearle de Blanches
183	Mrs Covdier
73	Margaret Bennet*
74	Maurice Bernandiu*
75	Pierre Notting
76	R. Radcliffe*
77	William Griffiths*
78	Julius Caesar*
79	Madamme Boutin*
80	John Grier*
81	John Keynes*
82	Alba Rosea*
83	Madamme Baronne   de Rothschilde*
84	Madamoselle Ingram
85	Alfred Colomb	very good  S  crimson
86	Mervrille d Aujon
87	Margaret de St Arnaud*
88	Princess Mary of Cambridge *
89	Maria  Bowman.*
90	Leopold Hausburgh *	good full pink
91	Marcella
92	Belle*
93	Madamme Marie Ciroddi*
94	Alpaide de Rotalier*
95	Baron Lelliters de Killkelou ??	Magnificent deep red ,large well ... perfect
96	Charles Lefebvre*
97	Souvenir de WilliamWood*
98	Duke of Edinboro*
99	Leopold Second	? white
100	Princess of Wales
101	Le Geaut	no good
102	Duchess de Mornay	good very  small dark pink petals S
103	?
104	Comptesse de B??
105	Abbe Giraudier	large handsome bluish pink ,very full
106	Eliza roselle	Not S, White does not ?
107	Jean Guillot	No good, open floppy,not S
108	Madame Justour	When good-beautiful pink  like???
109	Paul Neroven	..............loose but very good
110	Souvenier de Baronne  Rothschild	Beautiful,wonderful bush rose
111	Abbe   Raimerel	Standars planted July 1877 good
112	Ferdinand de Lesseps	ggod, very ? minature
113	Antonia Ducher	very good dark pink
114	La France	very large pink very good
115	Madame Berrard	good bush apricot colour
116	Maurice Eugene Beauharnais	good very
117	Madame Marie Rady	good,light crimson, sweet scented
118	Black Prince	Very good
119	Louis Van Houtte	?
120	Francois Treves	S does not open
121	Lou??	not...good large loose
123	Felix Gevies	Shep July 29/81 Standard  Small well shaped full dark pink
		Scroll down for inventory 1893

Roses June 1893 At this time all the roses in the garden were renumbered and the old lists done away with.

1	John Stopper
2	Paul Neron
3	Souvenir de Baronne Rothschild
4	Mareschal Neil
5	Cloth of Gold
6	Captain Christie
7	Seline Forester
8	Lord Macauly
9	Abbe Bramarel
10	Marie Vanstonette
11	...de Wateville
12	Niphetos
13	Pearl des Jardins
14	President
15	A K Williams
16	Sinises??
17	Eclair
18	The Bride
19	Ma Capucine
20	Reynolds Hole
21	Grace Archer
22	Ulrich Brunner Filo
23	Mrs Inu Laing
24	Countess Berttia
25	Lady Helen Stewart
26	Prince C De Rohan
27	Duchess of Leeds
28	Glorie de Bonrg la Reine ?
29	Devoniensis
30	William Allan Richardson
31	Climbing Niphetos
32	Pink Rover
33	La Marque
34	Charles Lawson
35	General Jaqueminot
36	Pavillion de Pregny
38	Abel Grand
39	Souvenir de Malmaison
40	Crown Prince
41	Motte Sanguine
42	Reine des Blanches
43	Mabel Morrison
44	Paul Verdier
45	Exposition de Brie

46	Jean Rosencrantz
47	Souvenir de W Cavona
48	Ernest Bergmann
49	Madamoiselle Marie Rady
50	Jean Cherpin
51	W sewell
52	Climbing Amy Vibert
53	Glorie de dijon
54	Maria Leonida
55	Constantine Tretiakoff
56	Eliza Boelle
57	Madame ...
58	Fisher Holmes
59	Coquette des Blanches
60	General Simpson
61	Louis Margottin
62	...d'Aumale
63	Dr Andry
64	Baron Von Haussmann
65	Madame Jacquier
66	Queen of Waltham
67	Lady Astill
68	Felix Genero
69	Madame Victor Verdier
70	Madame Plantier
71	Rev JBC Cann
72	Madame Bosauquet
73	Antoine Ducher
74	Lyonaise
75	Princess Eugene Beauharnais
76	Pearle des Blanches
77	Madame Berrard
78	Denmark

"All former numbers and lists of roses done away and new roses put in top of garden and numbered June 1898

Half standards fr Brunning and Sons, Melbourne and Bush roses from Summerlin Brisbane."

1	Souvinier de......Joseph .....*
2	Maman Cochet
3	Grand Mogul
4	Wanmark
5	Earl of Dufferin??	best ? dark?
6	Captain Christy
7	Merverille de Lyon
8	Prince C de Rohan
9	Christine de Noel
10	Paul Nabonnard
11	Devoniensis
12	Mrs  ? Laing
13	Glorie de Dijon
14	Eugene Furst -	good dark
15	La France
16	Lady Helen Stevens	large,compact,blooms
17	AK Williams	good
18	Sunset	?
19	Queen of Queens
20	Glorie de L Expositions de Bruscelles	?
21	Marie Van stonette?
22	Marchioness Lorne	rather open
23	Alfred Colomb	good
24	Ulrich Brunner Fils
25	Princess de Bearn
26	Mrs G Sharman Crawford
27	Lord Macauley

Barely decipherable 1925 (jottings on page)

5	Safrano
2	Star of Wa (? Star of Waltham)
3	Maman Cochet
6	Marie Henette 19-3-25  ?
order	30 standards,20 bushes ,? for climbers
	Roses 1901 Labelled 13-54 ? (page missing)	1901
28	Climbing Devoniensis*
29	Lady Castelragh
30	Pearle de Lyon
31	Mad  Chedane Guinovissenn ?Madame Clemence Joigneaux?
32	Duchess du Aucrasads
33	Sylph
34	Baron  Gaston Chandon
35	Dr Grill
36	Pink Rover
37	Madame Glorie de Magottin*
38	Ma Capucine
39	Improved Homer
40	Madame Lambard
41	Lorna Doone
42	Catherine Mermet
43	Reve d'Or
44	Crimson Rambler*
45	Charles de Legrady
46	Mons Desir
47	Shirley Hibberd
48	Climbing Kaiseran a Victoria
49	Climbing Berthe Siebrecht
50	Souvenir de Malmaison
51	Karserin Auguste Victoria
52	Belle Siebrecht
53	Mc Bride
54	Beaute Inconstante
13	Glorie
14	Eugene Furst	good dark
15	La France
16	Lady Helen Stevenson	large compact blooms
17	A K Williams	good
18	Sunset	?

19	Queen of Queens
20	Glorie de L 'Exposition de Bruscelles	?
21	Marie Van Houtte
22	Marchioness n Lorne	rather open
23	Alfred Colomb	good
24	Ulrich Brunner Filo
25	Princess de Bearn
26	Mrs Sharman Crawford
27	Lord Macaulay
	Roses...???????
	Comtess Caledon
	Marion D..ugell
	?
	White Maman Cochet
	Lady Mary Fitzwilliam.....
	S de ............
	Madame Louis.....
	Aurora
	La France 89
	President

Roses in the garden 1913.

Reckoning from Bunyas and Path

Front line

Madame Vermerel?

Molly Sharman Crawford

Killarney

Captain Christy

Maman Cochet  Pink

""""""""""""""" White

Frau Karl Druscki

Mary Kenyon Stanby

Mrs Laing

Maman Cochet white

Madame Lambard

Back..line

Anna Oliver

Maman Cochet White

Frau Karl Druscki

Prince C de Rohan

La France

Sunset

Medea

Captain Christie

Sou de Pre Carnot

Kaiserein Augusta Victoria?

On wire netting Climbers Bardon Job, Fortunes Yellow, Marchall Neil 

All about the Weather at "The Shambles"

Magnolia liliiflora 'Nigra' in full leaf by mid september."The Shambles"

Mid September and heavy rain and thundery showers in the last 24 hours have transformed our spring and summer prospects. Up to this point 7 or 8 weeks of very dry and unseasonably warm weather had made our ongoing plant propagation very water dependent.
New plants are always going in here but in the last couple of months were in peril, needing constant watering.
The enormous variety of long established perennials, shrubs, vines and trees were not troubled by the dry at all. However, the failure of a cold winter and the warm dry spring had made from some uncharacteristic early flowering and a less spectacular show from some usually reliable display plants.
Weigela florida, Weigela alba and our newly established Weigela 'Eva Rathke' still have last years spent leaves hanging and haven't decided when spring starts as yet. Hopefully these storms will ginger them along.

New additions which will be harden on in pots are Spiraea japonica 'Gold Flame', Garrya elliptica 'James Roof' and Buddleja lindleyana. The Weigela  florida variegata which have established in pots, we will try and venture out into the ground.  The rain will now help along newly planted Cleome 'Senorita Alba', Heliotrope arborense, Nictotiniana spp, Neomarica caerulea, Russelia equisitiformis (red) and our newly planted roses 'White Maman Cochet' and 'Laure Davoust'.

In our rainforest corner newly established young palms Livistona chinense and the newly planted ferns here and in the fernery can now get cracking.

Of course long established plants displaying best at the moment are Brunfelsia latifolia, Brunfelsia excimia, Spiraea cantoniensis, Eupatorium megaphyllum, Clivea miniata and of course the many arborial epiphytic orchids. Tabebuia chrysotrica is having a half hearted display this year having not lost all of its leaves in our brief winter.

Michael Simpson

Spring in August. Orchids are early

Argyranthemum  in August

With a visit today by the "Red Hat Ladies"  the garden was full of spring flowers. Shrubs and Orchids which usually flower from mid-September are in full display in mid August this year. Also our run of reliable showery weather has dried up, it seems , for the next few weeks.
Eupatorium was definitely a feature in late September 2012 for a book launch and garden party. It's about to burst now, as is Eranthemum pulchelum. All of this while Camellia japonica are still in flower and Magnolia liliiflora and Azaleas are fully out.
We have no Open gardens planned thank heavens because it would seem difficult to predict a best time with such different seasons.

Thelychiton speciosus

Busy Busy Bees at The Shambles

Camellia japonica just about finished for 2013 "The Shambles"

Busy Busy Bees

A busy time because of our lack of winter and advent of spring at "The Shambles'

We are always adding more and new plants. Also there is a real chance to strike more plants for a planned Plant Sale and Opening Easter next year. Very kindly Rowena Cavanagh who lives nearly in Montville allowed us with Kate Stock to take plant material for next year. Some is listed below.

A couple of specimens of red and also white Rosa multioflora were moved from a hopeless position in the fenced rose garden to the trellises in the South Rose garden. We added a new rose "Renae" Moore, USA 1941 a climbing polyantha. This rose will share a trellis with a fairly derelict "Albertine" and roses "Violette" and "Bloomfield Courage". We'll see who wins.

 We removed a big, but sparsely flowering "Spray Cecile brunner" and in it's place put a semi-mature Magnolia acuminata x denudata Butterflies'. 

Thinking of Magnolias made me do a little more research on "Kay Parris" and Magnolia × loebneri which we already had

Magnolia grandiflora "Kay Parris" Named for Katherine Killingsworth Parris. She was the mother of the horticulturalist Kevin Parris, sometime Arboretum Director at Spartanburg Community College in South Carolina who first discovered the cultivar. Central Shrub garden (We added this in 2010)

Dodonaea triquetra, known as Common Hop Bush or Large Leaf Hop Bush, is a species of shrub occurring in eastern Australia Described by J.C. Wendland Botanische Beobachtungen (Botanical Observations) 1798 collector unknown Rainforest corner

Magnolia × loebneri This small tree is a cros of M. kobus and M. stellata. It has star-shaped flowers (3 to 5 inches across) with 10 to 14 narrow white petals, sometimes tinted in lilac-purple or pale pink.North Rose garden (added in 2011)

Magnolia acuminata x denudata Butterflies' usually forms a small tree with an upright central leader or sometimes a multi-stemmed shrub. It has yellow cup to star-shaped flowers . Genus name honors Pierre Magnol, French botanist (1638-1715). Bred by Phil Savage USA  South Rose garden

Arisaema candississimum It has been a popular garden plant since its introduction from Yunnan by George Forrest in 1914. Hydrangea Walk

Beaumontea grandiflora Easter lily Vine. Himalayan tropics. 

Hiptage benghalensis ,Hiptage is a member of the Malpighiaceae plant family and is native to India and south-eastern Asia (i.e. Sri Lanka, southern China, Taiwan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines). It is not yet a declared weed Not going to plant this. 

Nephrolepis exaltata 'Rita's Gold' Slightly more compact than classic Boston ferns, this golden-leaved selection features striking chartreuse fronds that prefer shade but will tolerate intermittent sun. Fernery and elsewhere 

Neomarica caerulea is a rhizomatous plant from Brazil with tall, attractive fans of evergreen architectural foliage (ht to 1 m) Blue trellis garden & Criss Cross garden 

Farfugium japonicum 'Aureo-maculata' (Leopard Plant) East Asia Hydangea walk 

Selaginella moellendorffii Spikemoss. Belongs to an ancient non seeded group of plants called lycophytes and often classed as fern allies. Fernery & Central Shrub garden

Eomecon chionantha Snow Poppy. a perennial from China, with white, cuplike flowers in sprays. First described by Henry Fletcher Hance in 1884.Central Shrub garden  

Anenome hupehensis  All throughout.

Scutellaria ventenatii

Sinningia cardinalis  first published as Gesneria in 1850 by Carl freidrich Phillip Von Martius. Tropical South 

There are early spring flowers everywhere, including >20 sprays on our big orchid 
Thelychiton speciosus formerly Dendrobium speciosum. Having become dry inthe last couple of weeks we now find it necessary to water again. What a cycle life in the garden is.
MS

Bee Basics Montville ,The Shambles Collection

Just a quick up date on Bee Basics Montville , our Home based  business making natural products based on quality raw materials and essential oils.Naturally it is inspired by the garden. Lisa and I have decided to launch a "Shambles" range that is available only to our garden visitors. All of the items in this range are beautifully scented and lovely to use.
As a gardener I always need to reach for the Bare Hands solid lotion moisturiser for my rough hands . Not only is this a soothing blend to use it also repairs my skin . In our range we have also formulated a body scrub to use in the bath or shower that leaves your skin smooth and fragrant and a body oil that can be rubbed on after the shower .
My favourite in the range has to be the "Lawn" room and body spray. Who doesn't like the smell of freshly cut grass apart from Lisa? Lisa made me one of these about a year ago and I love it.
Our Mum's, Dad's and Baby range has recently added the Bare Baby Oil to the collection and this is a really cute useful gift for the new babies in our lives.

Townsville Garden Club Visit

We enjoyed having a visit from the lovely members of the Townsville Garden Club last week .It may be the middle of winter for us but everyone seemed happy to see the garden and have a chat over a delicious lunch provided by the  members of the Hunchy Association.
 Many Thanks to Iris who organised the visit .
On the day one plant that received a lot of attention was the Callicarpa bodinieri var.giraldii( beauty berry).
This sprawling lax shrub is well over a metre tall and produces tiny pink flowers in summer and then most notably shiny purple berries in clusters at this time of the year.I hope that the people who have taken some cuttings have some success.
As many of the group met Cooper the wonder dog on the day I will share a story about his latest escapade.
Cooper follows me everywhere and when I go  up to the Montville Village Hall to work in the garden he always comes along. Generally he is under my feet or sitting near by after he has had a scout about and a sniff.Anyway just a few weeks ago it came time for us to go home and Cooper was no where to be found.
I called him and knowing he is an old dog wondered if he had fallen off the cliff or something dire. Anyway I listened and I could hear him barking. I ran and followed his barks to find him tied up to a lamp post in front of the shops. Some "good" person thought he was lost and tied him there. Cooper was barking as if to say"I'm not lost". "I live here". Anyway he was very relieved to get home that day.
happy gardening
Kyleigh