Got off work early today as the internet was down and nothing was working.
Thought I would get back in the garden but at 11.30am it was over 80f with a warm humid breeze coming up from the south. Managed to get three bucket loads of gravel around the new pond and one wheelbarrow of soil from the duck yard and packed that around the pond.
Back in doors after that for a spam sandwich and then some time working on the stamp collection and dollshouse construction in the cool.
Back out doors at 3pm, still hot so trimmed some fern leaves off the tree ferns in the new pond area. Figured it would be cooler under the ferns and got quite a bit done in 30 minutes. Back in doors for a break and will wait for the cooler evening to push some soil around.
Would like to get the pond finished so I can put back the waterlily, add some more water plants and then do some bedding plants around the edge. Must take some pictures.
Hen peacocks (Peahens) have been taking a morning stroll along the driveway and eating the water lily leaves. Hopefully this habit will soon stop!
Off work tomorrow so will strive to finish the pond. Tradewinds are forecast to return so might be a bit cooler.
Purchased two Canna Lilies a couple of months ago. Nice yellow ones, strong growers and prolific bloomers. They also produced seeds. The harvested seeds have just sprouted so looks like I will be propogating Cannas for a while.
The Voodoo Lilies, Amorphophallus, are showing signs of new growth so need to repot them for the season.
Did not have time to shake out the Gladiola bulbs from their pots last year so just left them along. Now seeing so new growth so not sure how they will do. Pots are full of weeds.
Once I get my blog brain organized I will get everything in in one update.
Will try to keep a blog going but don't get much time.
Main changes to the yard since the last blog are the Bamboo poles along the driveway for hanging baskets and a few more water lily tubs, also along the front driveway. The large bamboo at the back of the house was overhanging the water tank and collapsing to the ground after hurricane Iselle and a couple of strong windstorms over the past two years so it had to be cut back. Its was a six month project but is finally about finished. Also the copse of Waiwi trees next to the bamboo has been taken down so the back yard is now looking more like a garden. Lots of space to transfer plants to if the chickens will leave them alone.
So at the back of the house we now have the memorial garden, the Kennel Garden, the Copse Garden, the Wetlands Garden, the back 50 and the ponds garden. All separate areas separated by paths or/and fences. Just have to keep up with maintenance.
New pathways have been cleared through the forest to make the different planted areas of the forest accessible from different directions. So now a can go on walkabout without having to backtrack.
Light rain and warm and longer days over the last couple of weeks have made everything grow so lots of trimming to do. Pond weed covers the surfaces of the larger ponds and has to be skimmed almost weekly.
A new pond is going in at the edge of the driveway. It is a black plastic formed pond that a client got from Home Depot about 10 years ago. It was too much work for her so she gave us the pond, a water lily and a catfish. The last couple of days have been spent building up a raised garden about 6 feet by 4 feet to contain the pond. A lot of work. Just have to find soil to fill in around the pond. I think mother nature will fill it if it keeps raining like it is now.
Epi blooms have been plagued by rats this year. On the day the bloom opens the rats chew into the bloom stem, almost detaching it. It is more an ugly nuisance as the bloom still opens and looks great.
Bamboo growing season is starting. The running bamboo is going nuts, have to keep kicking off the new canes to contain it. The clumpers are just starting to show new growth. Giganteus and Nastus Elastus have good new shoots as does one Oldhamii. Its really too early yet to see serious growth.
Main goal this year is to catch up with path maintenance and clear some of the forest areas that were planted in earlier years and have become overgrown. The plants are already there and are maturing they just have to be exposed to be enjoyed.
After a very humid July and August, September turned out to be a little better but still hot. We had two or three hurricanes pass to the north and this weekend we have a tropical storm passing to the south. Lots of heavy tropical rain and flash flood watches during September.
Since July I have cleared the site and built another greenhouse for the Orchid Cactus. Purchased another 100 hanging pots. This greenhouse (a Costco Car Canopy with a clear plastic roof) has been fitted out with metal rails in the roof so should be able to get three tiers of pots. Problem is the ground under the greenhouse is uneven. So I will be hauling buckets of gravel for quite a time as needed to make the paths walkable. Too narrow to get a wheelbarrow through. There is also a 16 ft long by 6 ft wide bench down the middle for larger plants. Two benches of Amorphophallus have been moved outside from the other greenhouse. They are doing much better with the steady rain. I was underwatering them on the same schedule as the Orchid Cactus. The cleared space in the greenhouse has now been fitted out for more hanging pots.
Orchid Cactus had a good season with over 900 blooms. Now in the process of going through each plant, trimming out ugly branches or cutting back oversized plants and creating cuttings. Dose of 20-20-20 before the end of October. The large plants are intertwining their branches on the benches so the new bench space is almost full of large plants needing more space. I have a 4ft by 16 ft empty bench in an enclosed duck run so will move some larger plants to that location. Have to hope that the black pheasant in with the ducks does not go scratching at the pots.
Finally got the back 50 under control. Outlined paths by laying down bamboo canes and straight tree limbs. Slowly filling in the open areas with plants gained from breaking up clumps of gingers or moving plants from across the stream where I can no longer keep up with maintenance. Just trimming the existing Azalea bushes around the yard gives me lots of cuttings.
Added two new bamboos since the last blog. There are three or four bamboos that I need to split up and move so need to clear some more forest. Three large bamboo clumps have started to fall outwards with the weight of heavy rain. The 60ft long canes arch over until they reach the ground creating large dark tunnel like canopies. Really ugly debris and hard work to clear. WARNING - BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR WITH BAMBOO. THEY GET BIG! ONLY BUY CLUMPERS.
The Amaryllis has done well this year. After blooming earlier in the year they put out new leaf growth and then normally they go dormant. This year the leaves kept coming and they still look a mass of green. Spotted the first bloom stalk last week. It is early, don't really expect anything until November or December.
The Fuschias did well this year. After the plants got crushed by a fallen tree last August during Hurricane Iselle they bounced back really well. Still getting some blooms here and there.
The neglected ponds have been dredged and cleaned. New waterlilies springing up from nowhere. A number of night blooming waterlilies are currently blooming well. I Seem to have got into the routine of skimming the surface duck week on a regular basis. Now need to restock with goldfish.. I need about 100 so need to find a local breeder. New project this summer was water lilies in tubs on our front deck. They grew very well and are still producing blooms. The deck gets a lot of hot morning sun to heat the water. So we purchased two more tubs for the driveway and still have to stock them.
Otherwise it all comes down to constant trimming of tropical growth. This year the humidity and heavy rains have encouraged everything to grow at a rapid rate. Its wonderful to watch and enjoy the environment but it is an endless battle.
With no easily defined seasons the above day to day activity remains pretty much the same. I do not foresee much changing in my routine in the next twelve months. My famous last words are "no more new projects, and don't start collecting a new type of plant" Of course if I see something I don't have ..... and its the annual nurserymans plant sale next weekend!
First blog at ATP.
Nothing stops growing in a tropical rain forest.I'm slowly clearing the area between the potting greenhouse and The Dome. Its loaded with Bromeliads, a couple of gingers, ferns and camellias. The grass and weeds were out of control. After moving three overflowing wheelbarrows full of rubbish I could finally see what I had. Its amazing. Everything had grown so much, nice pups on the bromeliads, buds coming on the miniature Kahili Ginger and orchids thriving. Tree ferns have now been cleaned up so that I can attach bromeliads and Tillansias. Australian Tree Ferns are 8 ft high and nice long trunks to grow things on.
Did the same clean up on the slope from the Dome path up to the driveway. Lots of Pink Angel trumpet growth that had to be thinned out, ground ferns too thick had to go and two wheelbarrows full of common bromeliads that will get distributed along the road edge outside out fence. That slope will get terraced for more bromeliads in pots.
Next job is to remove weeds from under the benches in The Dome (a greenhouse full of Orchid Cactus) and then move out the other side of the Dome to make space for another greenhouse.
Upper round pond is slowly filling from downpipe that was rerouted. Water lilies blooming in there this year. Night blooming waterlilies in the back pond #2. Rain just started to does not look like I will get too much done this afternoon.
Will have to move into the potting greenhouse and pot up the bromeliads, Tillansias and gingers I purchased at the farmers market this morning. All $3, $4 or $5 each. Can't beat the price.
