More images of the lovely Poinciana

This time, close-ups of its beautiful flowers too.

The Revived Caper

I bought this caper several years ago from one of the Bahrain International Garden Shows, I think it was the 2006 or thereabouts. I left it in a medium-sized pot and it did well for a while. But like with everything else, time caught up with it and I thought it had died and being lazy (with a copious measure of hope) left it there.

I confess that after a while I gave it no further mind but fully remember its majesty when it did flower in its younger years. I further confess that as the cats started using the planter by the front door as a latrine – abhorrent beings they are – I resolved to move the plant and plonk it in the position it occupies now in order to prevent those infernal felines from doing their business there. My success in that department was good, but imagine the amplification of that feeling once I saw that the dry twig actually sprouted some very healthy looking leaves!

Now, just this morning, I notice this lovely flower – a day or so old and past its prime to be sure – yet, it serves as an excellent indication of the health of this lovely plant, especially when taken with the second bud to grace it too.

I am rather happy that the Caper has not only survived, but out of necessity, also found what seems to be its perfect place in my garden.

I so look forward to it thriving for some time to come.

Through the eyes of a lens

Gallery, Garden Design

It’s really strange that when you observe a garden, or any other space for that matter, and you are used to that particular view, you not only get to take it for granted but your mind disappears some detail and you never really appreciate it. However, I found that if you do frame it through the camera and take a picture, more often than not you would be pleasantly (or otherwise!) surprised. It’s almost as if the two-dimensional view – especially if done well – would make you see it for what it actually is, in all of it’s glory.

Consider this for instance. It’s a view I pass several times a day without giving it much thought. In fact, I didn’t think it as “lovely” as it obviously appears here:

Isn’t this a picture fit for a gardening magazine?

Looking at it now and noticing the beauty of the “tear drop” in the middle; the depth that the Ixora on the left leads to the lovely purple Datura flowers and then onto the bed of Calendulas and onward to the rose bushes below the French windows. Then we notice the gorgeous framing offered by the two plumerias, going through to the two Cassia Fistulas and then at the very back, at the wall, we see the passion fruit climber in the middle and the plentiful flowering of the Oleander is just.. well, beautiful!

And then just imagine this space a few weeks from now once the plumerias are fully clothed and the fistulas have shed theirs leaves and replaced them with new growth, and you will be once again pleasantly surprised.

All of this in the arid climate of Bahrain? Yes, indeed it is. As I’ve said in the previous article you can indeed grow just about anything in this lovely country, but for a short while until the scorching sun put an end to this particular enjoyment and forcibly transfer your attention to the most heat tolerant plants; namely the palms, plumerias and the cacti.

But let’s not dwell on that. Here. Enjoy this view as well, taken a minutes of the one above and is what is available opposite. The one on top I call the Southern Garden; while the one you see below, obviously, is the Front, or even Northern garden.

I do love my garden!

Have a pleasant day.

The Witch’s Cauldron

Gallery, Gardening

It’s flourishing this year, thanks for my wife’s choice of filling it to the brim with red chrysanthemums

And here’s a close-up of those gorgeous mums:

If you wish, click the picture above for an original size which you can use as your desktop background, or flip it 90 degrees and use it as a background for your iPhone.

A panorama of my garden this morning

Gallery

Welcome to my refuge. My sanctuary.

Aloe patch

Gardening

The aloes are doing very well in this patch and as you can see, when they flower they add a really nice colour and texture to the area too.

Birds welcome!

Gardening, News

I put up a couple of bird houses in the front garden this morning, in view of one of our favourite chilling out spots. I hope they get made use of, especially by ‘Flitty Fred‘! (the Graceful Prinias which have made our garden their home, very sweet!)

Lawn repair in progress

Gardening

Last week, the lawn was a disaster, looking like almost a desolate muddy lunar landscape than a proper lawn and I resolved to do something about it. I did. But although that the ants are still around (the bastards!) at least with the spreading of five kilograms of ryegrass seed, the results are already astounding. Just over the last couple of days, the new fresh gorgeous green shoots have started to appear, and this morning, well, see for yourself:

See what I mean?

Lawn Problems, sorry Gaia, I had to give up

Gardening

I’ve succumbed. But before I go on, have a look at the state of my lawn now:

and this is how is used to look like just 3 years ago:

Can you imagine my distress every time I walk into the garden now with the images of how it used to look like firmly in my mind?

For three years I’ve been battling ants with every natural product I can lay my hands on to no avail. I tried Neem Tree Oil and a variety of other “solutions” which were anything but. So this week, the last of the year, I declare that I am beaten. Well and truly beaten by bastard ants. Ants that have dug into every single square inch of the garden and are now seriously threatening the trees too. So, I decided that it is now high time to employ science at its worst. Yes, my friends, I have succumbed and bought a few products from the local vendors in the hope that I would reduce the ant’s effects – there is no hope of ever annihilating them of course – but if I can limit their effect enough to have a semblance of the loan at the hight of its glory, I shall be happy indeed.

So what I’ve done all through the morning is spread Diazinon pellets all over the garden. This was the product which has been recommended to me by the garden centres I’ve visited and the agricultural engineer at the government’s experimental farm. I hope to Gaia that it works!

I know that this is not the season for the grass anyway and that planted South African grass goes into semi-dormancy, but even with that it never looked as bad as it does this year. So to aid it a bit, along with the Diazinon, I spread copious amounts of Ryegrass which I hope will start filling in the ugly gaps until summer arrives.

Once that is done, I had to compress the spongy earth a bit. So out comes the roller and I went all over the garden with it. Now instead of the puffy ugly surface, it’s actually looking somewhat level and compact. Now if the poison does its job, I should see those ugly puffs any more. Whether the lawn will ever look like its former self, I won’t be able to venture a guess, but I can promise you this: if what I’ve done today doesn’t fix it, I’m fully prepared to rip the whole bloody thing off and start all over again. A good lawn is worth it.

Have a wonderful New Year!

Nature’s Christmas gift to me…

Gardening

I brought this hydrangea as a cutting from Canada last summer. I never thought that it would actually survive, it actually almost died when I planted it in a test-tube planter and almost gave up on it. I thought I won’t lose much if I plant it in the garden. It was so poor looking that the gardner thought to pluck it out and throw it! I rescued it from the bucket and once again planted it under the Plumiera. Checking on it this morning (a mere 3 months since it began its journey) it is flourishing with new shoots coming out from the roots, new leaflets appearing from the main stem and new small leaves at the crown.

Needless to say, I am absolutely chuffed!

Merry Christmas!

This is a Variegated Lacecap Hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Mariesii Variegata’