New developments, new plantings Spring 2014 at "The Shambles"

Bouvardia longifolia Pink

Encouraged by warmer weather and a couple of showery days (no real rain) we have seen new spring foliage and flowers start to erupt throughout the garden.
Newly added plants include Bouvardia longifolia "Daphne" series in pinks, white and also in red. These were placed in a sheltered position below the verandah.
A collection of Iochroma being held over winter were planted out in a redeveloped area near the drive, shaded by a very large Tabebuia chrysotrica and Cassia fistula. Iochroma include "Wine Red" I. warweszekii and other varieties.
Juvenile specimens of Forsythia viridissima, Viburnum suspensum, Viburnum opulus and Kolkwitzia amabilis have survived the winter and are producing their spring foliage or flowers. At last we have flowers coming on Hippeastrum papilio and a well established group of Smow Poppy Eucomis.

Our car garage, being immediately on the left when entering the garden has been made over by being lined and with the addition of fancy cornices and columns to compliment the garden all around it. The Cardinal creeper Ipomoea horsfallii has been preserved and the Honeysuckle which once dominated will be kept low.
Michael Simpson

"Thje Shambles" Spring approaches, new projects

 

 

The whole of the ground beneath this Cassia fisula and the Tabebuia next to it needs to be regardened before spring.

Several new plants were added and a couple replaced over the weekend

Stenocarpus "Doreen" near wishing well
replaced Grevillea "Caloundra Gem" near Gatehouse
replaced Rondeletia amoena near gate and a group of thriving Camellia sasanqua

Prumnopitys ladei or Black Pine is establishing well near Blue trellis garden and is a much safer bet than Wollemia nobilis which hated our rich soil and wet conditions at times.

Plans advancing well to renovate our 4 bay car garage to better compliment the style of the house and garden
Michael Simpson

The Shambles New Plantings for Spring

Heliotrope arborens or Cherry Pie

See our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/montvillegarden

The Shambles Montville Facebook page is loaded with attacractive photographs,, and website www.montvillegarden.com

Plants added to “The Shambles” august 2014

Dracaena godseffiana “Florida Beauty” Ovate pale green leaves strongly speckled with creamy white, bourne on weeping stems RainForest Corner

Draecena marginata “Colorama” long narrow leaves stiped in cream, red and orange bourne on woody stem Blue trellis garden

Alpinia zerumbet variegata Variegated shell ginger Rain Forest Corner

Philodendron “Xanadu” ZSrongly clumping Philodendron with wave edges leaves, popular with landscapers Rain Forest Corner

Luculia fragrantissima  A little specimen which had been hardeniong off in our propagation area South East Corner garden

Luculia grandiflora A tiny specimen planted from our propagation area into Rock Stone Circle Garden

Rosa mulitiflora “Allys Rose” resembling “Ballerina” planted into Front Path garden and South Rose Garden

Rosa ?chinensis “Weeping Pink” A cutting planted into South Rose garden

Eranthemum pulchellum “Dark Blue Blue Trellis Garden

Pachystachys lutea Blue Trellis garden

Plectranthus eckonii (white, pink and blue) Blue trellis garden

Azalea “Orange Delight” South Rose Garden

Spring preparations and new arrivals at "The Shambles"

Our fifth gardening book "A Garden Forever", which is a colourful and complete essay on writing a domestic garden history is at the printers. Not sure when we will launch this book but it should have wide appeal.
It has been a long dry winter in fact. Winter in Queensland is never truly cold , but the weather has been such that many of our temperate plants have had a chance to rest and become truly deciduous.
The bare branches are quite pretty, but signs of spring are everywhere now.
Recent rain added to the prospect of a decent floral display from our relatively young Magnolias while mature Azaleas ad Pieris japonica are already in flower.
Our collection of Salvias has survived winter and the dry without any casualties.

New acquisitions which are awaited are a collection of Bouvardias, and a selection of Lilium lancifolium "Tiger Lilies"

Could resist planting a young Black Pine on western boundary  and a Lagunaria "Cow itch Plant" in the north eastern border garden . These are doing well.
Also planted out when thinning out our propagation material were many different Salvias including Salvia amarissisima and Leonotis leonuris in the North Rose gardens.

Our new border collie "Bear" is quite enjoying the garden and has no destructive tendencies except to pinch salty sea shells from the coral fountain while we are not watching.

Michael Simpson

Gardens and Websites

Our Gardening website www.montvillegarden.com is still up and running, but the programme we used to build it is no longer "supported", so we can't access it and update it any more.
In any case we can still get at this blog thing so will try and continue top record changes to the garden and events as they arise.
Lots happening here. It is finally winter but caring for the garden continues apace.
Michael Simpson

New plants added June 2014 expand our registered Salvia Collection

Plants added June 2014

Camellia lutchuensis x "Tinsie"

Grevillea "Pink Surprise" Origin: Cultivar (Grevillea sp. from Mundubbera (cream flowered) x G. banksii (red flowered).

Description: Large shrub 3+ metres with finely divided grey/green leaves. The flowers are large pink/cream brush type and flowers most of the year.

Lagunaria patersonii (Lagunaria is a monotypic genus distantly related to Hibiscus. Its single species is endemic to Australia (including Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island), and is known in the vernacular as the Norfolk Island Hibiscus, and the best part of a dozen other names. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental and amenity tree in warm temperate and moist subtropical regions. The genus was introduced by Reichenbach in 1828, based on De Candolle's 1824 description of Hibiscus sect. Lagunaria. The genus as currently understood is monotypic, the single species being Lagunaria patersonia (Andrews) G. Don. This species is divided into two subspecies, patersonia from Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island, and bracteata from Queensland.The genus was named in honour of Andres de Laguna (d. 1560), a Spanish botanist (and physician to Pope Julius III), and the species in honour of a Colonel W. Paterson who first sent the seeds of the species to England.(Norfolk Island Hibiscus)

Prumnopitys ladei  (Black Pine)

Salvia hybrid "Amistad" Large dark purple flower spikes with nearly black calyx bloom constantly from early spring until winter. Fenced Rose garden

Salvia "Charles Sloan" Raised stone garden back stairs

Salvia chamaedryiodes & S.greggii "Cookie" small shrubby perennial with the most intense azure blue flowers that sit out from the foliage. These appear right through from late spring to autumn. Very hardy to heat and dry and enjoys full sun , but can take half shade if in well drained soils. Raised stone garden Back stairs

Salvia dorisiana This is a late winter-early spring flowering shrub which grows up to 2m tall. It has large velvety leaves which have a delicious scent of fruit salad, and spires of quite large hot-pink flowers. It can cope with a degree of shade. Fenced Rose garden

Salvia "Embers Wish" Bright coral flowers bloom year-round in frost-free climates, or until frost Path, Next to Salvia confertiflora

Salvia namaensis x africana "Fingrove" blue flowering. Raised staone wall garden near back stairs

Salvia microphylla (heatwave series) "Glow" Glow produces mass displays of  soft peach to apricot colored flowers. Raised stone wall garden near back stairs

Salvia holowayi  Holways sage, purple-red Guatamala, Mexico Raised stone wall neat back stairs

Salvia "Majenta Magic" A fabulous new offering producing long wands carrying deep magenta flowers above a vigorous bush some 80 cm or so tall. It flowers from summer through the aytumn into winter and is happy in sun or light shade. NE corner of back verandah next to Salvia confertifolia

Salvia "Omaha Gold" (Variegated Anise-Scented Sage) Rumpled and lance-shaped, the spectacular leaves of this sage are yellowish-lime with splotches of emerald. Rub them and you smell anise, a licorice-like scent. The bountiful, cobalt blue flowers cover the plant from summer Central Shrub garden near S. oxyphora

Salvia greggii "Pumpkin" apricot flowering , low growing shrub Fenced Rose Garden

Salvia "Superior Purple" small leaf salvia purple flowers Stone wall garden near back stairs

Salvia involucrata  "Warwick Joan" mid pink flower colour Stone wall garden near back stairs

Salvia "Wendys Wish"  fast growing variety displays vibrant magenta flowers for much of the year (warmer months). East Border gardens

Tetradenia ripera syn Iboza riperia (Nutmeg bush) 

Vinca Minor Also known as periwinkle or myrtle, vinca minor is an evergreen ground cover with glossy foliage and lavender flowers in spring.

Art in the garden

Children love our garden so it is natural that when we have art classes here on Wednesdays there is always plenty of time to run around and play as well as paint ,draw and sculpt.
Background- I have a Diploma in Fine Art , A Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching and a Post Graduate Certificate  in the  Early Phase of Learning. I see Art as an  essential and complimentary way to communicate especially for children. When children have the experience of using a variety of mediums they have access to a whole new way of seeing and expressing their world.
Art at 'the Shambles' is fun and relaxed. The children are able to experiment with clay,paint,textiles, drawing media and construction materials. The aim is for children to  become  familiar  and confident  with art materials and processes.

Today we are finishing our first mosaics and starting to paint some really cool Gourds that have been grown locally.