Easter in the Garden, Rare and unusual plants for sale

Lush Garden Paths to explore at "The Shambles"

"Easter in the Garden" will not only be a chance for visitors to see many interesting and unusual plants in the garden at "The Shambles" but will also be a chance for some to buy new varieties. 

Come along to 85 Western Avenue, Montville, between 9 30am and 4 pm on Easter saturday and Easter Sunday 2014 (19th and 20th April). Garden tour admission $5 for adults, under 18 free.

The Hunchy Community Association has put together a large collection of perennials, shrubs, vines for the Giant Plant Stall. Many favourites such as the Salvias of all sorts will be available as well as Heritage Roses , grown from cutting, including of course the popular 'Montville Rose" a tea rose known as Duchesse de Brabant but probably more accurately is Comtesse de Labarthe.

Refreshments will be provided by the Blackall Range Horseless Carriage Club

In the Mean time we continue to collect and record in our plant inventory new genus, species and varieties, even when space is now at a premium. There are literally thousands of plants collected at "The Shambles" from hundreds of different genus. The following is our latest list of those arrived and planted, or those ordered, or perhaps waiting for planting. It's a busy garden out there.

Amorphopallus bulbifer  This pops up in summer but we haven't taken much time to study it.

Amorphophallus (from Ancient Greek amorphos, "without form, misshapen" + phallos, "penis", referring to the shape of the prominent spadix) is a large genus of some 170 tropical and subtropical tuberous herbaceous plants from the Arum family (Araceae).

These are typical lowland plants, growing in the tropical and subtropical zones of the paleotropics, from West Africa to the Pacific Islands. None of them are found in the Americas although a remarkably similar but not closely related genus, Dracontium, has evolved there. Most species are endemic. They grow preferentially on disturbed grounds, such as secondary forests.

These small to massive plants grow from a subterranean tuber. From the top of this tuber a single leaf, is produced atop a trunk like petiole followed, on maturity, by a single inflorescence. This leaf consists of a vertical leaf stalk and a horizontal blade, which may consist of a number of small leaflets. The leaf lasts one growing season. The peduncle (the primary flower stalk) can be long or short. Orchid Walk, Blue trellis garden

Abelia floribunda - Mexican Abelia

This evergreen shrub flowers from Spring to Autumn. Beautiful clumps of long tubular flowers. Full sun to part shade. Height 1m. Width 1- 1.5m. Frost tolerant. Drought hardy. Being reordered from 'The White House' Nursery Victoria. What had been sold to us as A.floribunda in the past turned out to be a Deutzia

Buddleia colvilei

A large evergreen shrub or small tree. Beautiful large flowers from Summer through to Autumn. Full sun to part shade. Frost tolerant and drought hardy. Height 4m. Width 3m.   The flowers are huge and will weigh down the branches, and an attractive feature is the combination of single as well as double flowers on the same panicle. Some years it can be one or the other, but mostly is a combination of both.  Buddleja colvilei is endemic to the eastern Himalaya; discovered by Hooker in 1849, he declared it 'the handsomest of all Himalayan shrubs' 

Buddleia colvilei pendula

This is a lovely, evergreen shrub. Beautiful dark pink tubular flowers from Summer to Autumn. Full sun to part shade. Height 2m. Width 1m. Frost tolerant.

Deutzia gracilis - Slender Deutzia

Deutzia gracilis variegata

This erect and bushy deutzia has masses of fragrant white flowers in upright clusters for weeks in spring and early summer. Height to 1.5m. Width 1m. Full sun to part shade. Beautiful fragrance, deciduous, frost tolerant and drought resistant. Deutzia is named after the 18th century Dutch patron of botany, Johann van der Deutz. Central Shrub Garden

Deutzia kalmiiaflora

This lovely shrub flowers in Spring. Pink flowering Full sun to Part shade. Deciduous Height 1.5m. Width 1m. Frost tolerant The deutzias are fairly new to gardens: the exception, D. scabra, was noticed in Japanese gardens by Engelbert Kaempfer (1712) and Carl Peter Thunberg (1784) but not actually seen in Europe till the 1830s; two-thirds of the species noted in the R.H.S. Dictionary were gathered in from the wild during the 20th century. Central Shrub Garden

Dierama pulcherrium - Fairy Fishing Rods

This beautiful evergreen, clump forming, Summer flowering perennial, is from South Africa. Flower colours vary from burgundy to pink to white. Prefers Full Sun. Height 75cm. Width 75cm. Frost tolerant.

Elaecarpus bancroftii Ebony Heart. Small tree from Johnston River, with elegant pendulous white flowers. The fruit is eaten by Cassowarys in the trees normal range. We may use this to replace the Tabebuia chrysotricha given the latters bad habits. Australia

Escallonia Macrantha

A tall evergreen shrub that is good as a hedging plant. Flowers in Spring with clusters of red flowers on arching stems. Ideal for screening, hedging, coastal gardens or exposed windy sites. Full sun to Part shade. Height 3m. Width 1-2m. Frost tolerant. East Border Garden

Hydrangea scandens subspecies chinensis f.formosanum.

Cuttings hardening off ready to go in in next few weeks. A white lacecap Hydrangea with very narrow leaves. Southern Taiwan

Iochroma "Wine Red"

This is a lovely evergreen shrub. It flowers in Spring through to the end of Autumn. It requires shelter from frost. Sun or Shade. Height 2m. Width 1m.

Iochroma fushiodes

ochroma fushiodes is a medium, evergreen shrub that flowers in Spring, Summer and Autumn. It has salmon orange tubular flowers in pendular clusters. Can also be pruned to shape as a specimen shrub at the back of a perennial border, or container grown Height 3 - 3.5m Width 3m. Frost tolerant to -2. Then it needs protection. Drought hardy.

Iochroma warscewiczii

Iochroma warscewiczii is a medium, evergreen shrub that flowers in Spring, Summer and Autumn. It has light purple funnel shaped flowers, 8 - 10cm long in pendular clusters. Can also be pruned to shape as a specimen shrub at the back of a perennial border, or container grown Height 3 - 3.5m Width 3m. Frost tolerant to -2. Then it needs protection. Drought hardy.

Luculia Grandaflora

Luculia is a small genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It presents as a shrub or small tree. The plant has large leaves from 20-35cm with prominent veins carried in opposite pairs and with a terminal of an umbel or corymb of tubular/open ended white, pink or creamy flowers with 5 spreading petals. The floral terminal may be from 10-20cm, depending on the species.

Commonly known as white luculia, this shrub grows to a height of 2m with a spread of 1.5m. This summer flowering variety has the most gorgeous perfume. Plants require full sun to part shade. During the winter, frost turns the leaves of this plant to a red copper colour. Frost tolerant.

Luculia gratissima 'Fragrant Cloud'

This is another evergreen old fashioned favorite. Large heads of pink perfumed flowers in autumn and winter. Large leathery type leaves. Height to 3m. Width to 2 - 3m. Full sun to part shade. Protect from severe frost (-4C and cooler). Drought tolerant.

Pavonia coccinea syn, Lebretonia coccinea . The genus named for Manuel le Breton a French Botonist.  'Shooting Star' Erect shrub with red flowers not unlike the rosella Brazil Central Shrub Garden

Philadelphus "Belle Etoile"

This wonderful small shrub has lime green oval shaped leaves. In Spring, it grows upright sprays of single white, outward bell sprays of flowers with a pink eye in the centre. Each flower is about 3cm in diameter. The flowering shrub has a lovely orange blossom fragrance; hence the common name 'mock orange'. The foliage then turns yellow in Autumn and then falls off. Winter dormant.Height 1.5 - 2m. Width 1 - 1.5m. Full sun/ part shade.

Physocarpus opulifolius  referred to as Ninebark or Atlantic ninebark, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae, native to eastern North America. Don't get it confused with Hydrangea radiata, which is also sometimes called ninebark for the ragged peeling of its bark.

Sambucca nigra purpurea Elderberry

Non fruiting variety. Large umbels of white flowers tinged with pink in spring. Ideal for a pot, shrubbery or specimen tree. Height to 3m. Width to 3m. Full sun to part shade. Frost and drought tolerant.

 Spirea Japonica Goldflame

A deciduous shrub. Beautiful lime green foliage with clusters of tiny pink flowers in spring. A wonderful small shrub for those areas that are to tough to grow anything. Height to 1.5m. Width to 1m. Full sun to part shade. Frost and drought tolerant Japan Central Shrub garden

Easter in the Garden Preparations, Fern Study Group Visit

Double Abutilon . Many Abutilon flowering in "The Shambles" at the moment

Any garden is a place of constant renewal, replacement and rebuilding. To prepare our relatively small 3/4 acre garden for Easter the last opportunity for large scale works is past.
Sean from "Abel tree Works" has just finished a fairly big and difficult job which is our annual wrestle with the large southern hedges. The old hedge of mixed Duranta repens, Ligustrum ovale and Ligustrum japonicum (small and large leaf Privet) also contains Cinnamomum camphor (Camphor Laurel) and god knows what else and can reach the telephone wires in height. A days heavy work has brought it down to a neat 2 to 3 meters in height. Dead branched from high in a particular Brachychiton acerfolium (Flame tree) and removal of a young but large Araucaria heterophylla (Norfolk Pine) completed that little job.
In general the garden has maintained itself extremely well, largely unscathed by a very dry, hot summer and the silly unpredictable weather of the last couple of years.
New plants added
variegated Agapanthus into edge of Clivea garden ( South Rose garden)
A replacement variegated Ablia grandiflora "Shorty" in Central Shrub Garden
Two replacement Rosa " The Fairy" along edge of front path gardens where their short stature will be easier to manage.
A beautiful , possibly seedling Abutilon magapotamicum x pictum discovered in a crowded Front path garden yesterday. Both calyx and petals are quite pale soft yellows. Hippiatrum papilio bulbs generously given by Rowene Cavanagh are shooting new leaves. There are flowers to discover  everywhere.

Easter in the Garden preparations for 19th and 20th April are steaming ahead. The refreshments catering will now be handled by members of Blackall Range Horseless carriage Club.
Literally thousands of plants have been prepared for the giant plant stall by Kate Stock and Hunchy Community Association.
Kyleigh and I will now be able to devote ourselves to meeting garden visitors until Smokin' Melaleucas kick off the musical entertainment on the Sunday afternoon.
Roll on Easter in the Garden
Michael Simpson

Sunflowers and King Parrots, Toowoomba feb 2014

On to Easter in the Garden after successful Book Launch

Welcome to our Gulag  , we mean Book Launch

Rain and heat held off, to give a beautiful day for the Launch of "A Year in my Gulag Garden" by Kyleigh Simpson and Christina Donlen. Over a hundred visitors enjoyed the afternoon tea, the wine and champagne before hearing Kyleigh and Christina launch their book. After the book launch the authors cut the celebratory 'Choko' cake for their surprised audience.

While the band 'Smokin' Melaleucas' entertained, Kyleigh and Chris signed their books. Sadly for those not there on the day, only a handful of these limited edition books remain.

Visitors discussing deeper issues raised by "A Year in my Gulag Garden"

The garden was a picture for visitors with lots of unseasonal flowers, decorations and preparations by Kyleigh and Chris. It was another successful afternoon at "The Shambles". A very great thankyou to all who attended and to everyone who helped make this day a happy one.

Book launch Entertainers; the very well read "Smokin' Melaleucas"

Michael Simpson

Gulag/Garden Entertainment

As the preparations come together for the launch of the new book "A year in my gulag/garden" thoughts have turned to entertainment. Luckily the "Smokin' Melaleucas" have agreed to play and add a certain ambiance to the occasion. Anthony, Kev, Chris, Martin and Michael are happy to give it a go and are even learning some new tunes.

Book Launch, "A Year in my Gulag"

Invitation

To afternoon tea in the garden

To celebrate the launching of a new book

(limited edition)

"A year in my gulag /garden."

by  Kyleigh Simpson and Christina Donlen

This is not a serious gardening book because gardening is not a serious business. A fun, colourful and slightly rude look at your backyard & how to make it a hip, hop and happening place to be.

Date :  Saturday 8th February 2014

Time : 2.00pm

Place: "The Shambles"

85 Western Avenue Montville

Ph K:  54429542  0429429524  C: 54469205      RSVP (or else) 6th Feb

email shambles@southernphone.com.au

         obied@activ8.net.au

It is difficult to decide who won't want to read this book. If you have ever have gardening questions, a tricky little problem with what to serve for dinner or need to find out how to keep your body in shape after the Christmas glut. This may be the book for you. It will answer the questions you didn't want to ask and possibly say some stuff that just didn't need to be said.

Chris Donlen lives on a farm in the Obi Obi Valley a quaint little back water where farmy stuff happens . Kyleigh lives at "The Shambles" at Montville where there always seems to be gardening going on except when there is nothing happening. At afternoon tea we will help you to debrief over a glass of bubbly, herb tea or a mug of pretty ordinary coffee. Feel free to bring a support person or guardian just in case.

Reviews: " My favourite gardening book"  Rodney Rude

 " Well I never..!!"  H.R.H. Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall.

 " An eclectic collection of narratives, bespoke design but free of artifice. We loved the evokative images and our journey on a stylish culinary adventure" Monty Don and Kevin McLeod

    Love to see you at the launch

                 Chris and Kyleigh

Coming up, Christmas, Preparations for 'Easter in the Garden' Book Launches

There has been a lot of work done around the old place since a pattern of showers and the odd storm have restored some moisture. "The Shambles" will be the venue for an Open garden and Giant plant stall on Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday 19th and 20th APRIL 2014.
In preparation there has been a lot of plant propagation done with many tempting unusual perennials on offer, with best prepared by Kate Stock at Hunchy. As in the past ther will also be an excellent range of cuttings grown Heritage Roses, Teas, Chinas and Climbers for sale.
The principle purpose of the Open garden and plant sale is to raise funds for the Hunchy Community Association , for their Hall insurance (the Old Hunchy School and grounds) and maintenance. These plant sales are a principal form of fundraising for the group and a great source of rarer, hard to find and unusual plants.

About Hunchy

The very small locality of "Hunchy" is situated just below Montville on the Eastern side of the Blackall Range. The small community of less than 40 families support the upkeep of the Hunchy School as their community hub. The insurance and running costs are very hard for such a small group to raise so this fund raiser is a good way  for them to make a big dent in their costs for the year.

In our own garden we have been so happy to see some newly acquired species get a great start. We are always nervous about planting juvenile specimens when rain is unreliable. We have no irrigation system.
Cracking on are 
Plants collected Garden History trip October 2013-10-23

From Casino            Salix matsudana (Twisted Willow) named for Japanese Botanist Sadahisa Matsuda. A realatively short lived tree which is invasive near water courses, Northern China and Korea            Blue Trellis Garden

From Glen Innes     Centranthus ruber (Red Valerian) Perennial from Mediterranean Central Shrub Garden

Euonymous japonicus aureo-marginatus (Golden Variegated Japanese Laurel) Central Shrub garden

Escallonia rubra "Crimson Spires) evergreen shrubs with glossy, leathery, toothed leaves, sometimes sticky, and 5-petalled white, pink or red flowers in terminal racemes or panicles in summer and early autumn South America Eastern Border garden

Physocarpus opulifolius purpurea (Atlantic Ninebark) eastern North America on rocky hillsides and banks of streams^[3] as well as in moist thickets, especially in counties south of the Missouri River .It is fast-growing, insect- and disease-resistant, and drought-tolerant. Central Shrub garden rel, to Spiraea cantoniensis.

Osmanthus heterophyllus purpureus (False Holly) 'Purpureus' is a compact evergreen shrub to 4m, with leathery, spined, holly-like leaves, dark coppery-bronze when young, and small, fragrant white flowers in late summer and autumn China Eastern Border gardens

Abelia schumannii syn. A. longituba  native to central China. It is a semi-evergreen shrub growing to 2 m (7 ft) tall by 3 m (10 ft) broad. Pink flowers with red calyces are produced in late summer and autumn. The species is named after the German botanist Karl Moritz Schumann. In cultivation it requires a sheltered, south-facing aspect. Central Shrub garden

Aristea ensifolia (Blue Stars) Acquired from Hunchy gardeners and only identified after visiting Coffs Harbour botanic gardens. An elegant clump forming plant with sword shaped, Iris like foliage aroubnd long stems that bear masses of lovely small six petalled blue flowers in spring and summer. They are only marginally frost hardy and the flowers close up at night. South Africa South of fenced rose garden, Wishing well.

Juveniles which had been potted up and waiting for rain

Buddleja lindleyana                          Front Path and Criss Cross Gardens

Spiraea japonica 'Goldflame'            Central Shrub  Garden, stone circle

Spiraea cantoniensis 'Reeves' single                    Central shrub garden

Garrya elliptica 'James Roof'                  East border garde, stone circle

Abelia grandiflora variegata                                central shrub garden

Abelia grandiflora "Kaleidoscope"                      central shrub garden

Hippeastrum papilio                                             Blue trellis garden

Kolkwitzia amabilis                                              Hydrangea walk

Lamium maculatum "Marshmallow"                    Hydrangea walk

Pittosporum tenuifolium. Small tree to 10m.  The flowers generally go unnoticed because of their colour, a very dark reddish-purple, and are scented only at night. It is found growing wild in coastal and lower mountain forest areas up to an altitude of 900m New Zealand             Stone circle

Pittosporum tenuifolium "Irene Patterson"           stone circle

Retama monosperma   syn. (Genista monosperma, Spartium monosperma, Lygos monosperma)  Mediterranean                                Front Path garden

Viburnum opulus                                                   Hydrangea walk

Weigela florida variegata                                      stone circle

Weigela foliis purpureus                                       stone circle

Rose "Monica of Omeo"  ROR, a gift from Darling Downs HRIA and Bonita Cattell.

This rose was found at Omeo, an old rose in a house lived in by longstanding resident Monica.  Red double, upright shrub.       Central Lawn and border

Scutellaria costaricana (scarlet skullcap) Royal Horticultural Society (Great Britain) 1864 "It is a native of Costa Rica and was introduced into Europe, we believe, by Mr. Wendland, to whom we are indebted for our living plants which flowered in a warm stove in 1863". Panama Costa Rica    East Garden

Ruellia elegans (Brazilian petunia) This species has open-faced coral-red blossoms from late spring until fall. a large native range from Chile to Brazil.  East garden

Brugmansia variegated. Apparently with pink flowers.      Blue trellis garden

Centratherum punctatum (Porcupine Flower) - A tender perennial to 1-2 feet tall by 2 feet wide with coarsely-toothed heavily-veined dark green leaves that smell of pineapple when crushed. The lavender button-like 1 1/2 inch wide flowers bloom from spring into summer.                                               Fenced Rose garden

Euphorbia cotinifolia is a broadleaf evergreen shrub native to Mexico and South America. Treated as a shrub it reaches 10 to 15 ft (3.0 to 4.6 m) but can be grown as a tree reaching 30 ft (9.1 m). Small white flowers with creamy bracts bloom at the ends of the branches in summer. The purplish stems, when broken, exude a sap that is a skin irritant                      South Rose Garden, Central Shrub garden

Gynura aurantiaca, Velvet Plant, Purple Velvet Plant. so called because of the color of its orange inflorescences. This plant is also commonly known as "Purple Passion" because of the velvety purple leaves Native to Java, velvet plant (also purple velvet plant) is a woody-based evergreen perennial that is noted for its velvety, purple-haired foliage. Indonesia       Orchid Walk

More Plants for "The Shambles" inspired by Northern NSW

Our accommodation, Lindsey House Armidale.

On a fascinating tour with a group from Heritage Roses Australia we all enjoyed visiting gardens in Casino, Grafton, Glen Innes and Tenterfield in early October.

We stayed on after the group returned to Queensland and enjoyed whale watching from our cottage verandah at Woolgoolga. At the wonderful Coffs Harbour (Northern NSW) Botanic Gardens we identified some of our unknowns from their displays

After a look at Dorrigo, and the National Park  for the first time we headed to Armidale for the national Conference of the Australian Garden History Association. The selected gardens and homestead were of course inspirational, so we couldn't help buying yet more plants to add to "The Shambles".

These have been duly added with some thought for colour and position. We now all wait for rain.

From Casino            Salix matsudana (Twisted Willow) named for Japanese Botanist Sadahisa Matsuda. A realatively short lived tree which is invasive near water courses, Northern China and Korea

From Glen Innes     Centranthus ruber (Red Valerian) Perennial from Mediterranean Central Shrub Garden

Euonymous japonicus aureo-marginatus (Golden Variegated Japanese Laurel) Central Shrub garden

Escallonia rubra "Crimson Spires) evergreen shrubs with glossy, leathery, toothed leaves, sometimes sticky, and 5-petalled white, pink or red flowers in terminal racemes or panicles in summer and early autumn South America Eastern Border garden

Physocarpus opulifolius purpurea (Atlantic Ninebark) eastern North America on rocky hillsides and banks of streams as well as in moist thickets, especially in counties south of the Missouri River .It is fast-growing, insect- and disease-resistant, and drought-tolerant. Central Shrub garden rel, to Spiraea cantoniensis.

Osmanthus heterophyllus purpureus (False Holly) 'Purpureus' is a compact evergreen shrub to 4m, with leathery, spined, holly-like leaves, dark coppery-bronze when young, and small, fragrant white flowers in late summer and autumn China Eastern Border gardens

Abelia schumannii syn. A. longituba  native to central China. It is a semi-evergreen shrub growing to 2 m (7 ft) tall by 3 m (10 ft) broad. Pink flowers with red calyces are produced in late summer and autumn. The species is named after the German botanist Karl Moritz Schumann. In cultivation it requires a sheltered, south-facing aspect. Central Shrub garden

Michael Simpson