To all the smokers out there

To all the smokers out there please see the picture below for two uses for an ashtray. Both are far more wonderful than using these receptacles to assist your dirty habit. On the left we have an ashtray acting as a repository for stray violas. On the right we have an ashtray acting as a shallow well. Add the contents of the one on the right to the one on the left for best results.

* To any of my smoker friends out there (who are the reason I have an ashtray on the balcony in the first place) I wish no offence and love you all dearly, but really, surely, this might just be a healthier option ...

Hot Poppies

I never really thought much of poppies. I love going to Hot Poppy for breakfast (they do a mean French Toast) and it's not like I have a life devoid of poppies. Sure there is the version linked with war remembrance that features heavily in the Australian landscape at various times of the year, and there is the more nefarious version featured in various documentaries about Afghanistan and its neighbours. It is just not a plant I seek out to grow. That all changed with a random Rockery Seed Mix that I threw in megapot. It already brought the beauties of Balsam and Allysum. But it also has not yielded some lovely California Poppies of various colours. The ubiquitous orange:

and also some lovely, creamy yellow flowers:

and some soft, dusty pink.

 The flowers don't last long, and if picked and put in a posy they end up a hot mess in a couple of days. However, overall they've added a hot burst of spring colour to the balcony garden and cost next to nothing. They're a winner in my books.

And finally - check out the foreground blurred bit in the above image - Mr Fig Twig is finding his leaves again! Yippeee

Ridiculous Ranunculus

I picked up this flower/bulb/short lived miracle at Poynton's nursery the other day when searching for early tomato seedlings (victory on that front on which I'll post in a day or two.) It has to be the most ridiculously fluffy flower ever. Just how many petals does one flower want? Are you cold? Do you need your petticoats to stave it off, or for modesty??? Or are you just a show-off? Each flower lasts ages, and just gets fluffier and fluffier.

It is currently making merry with Kermit by the window and has another few flower buds in various stages of undress.

Ridiculous name, ridiculous ruffles but also ridiculously good at making the house a little brighter (then again that could also be the increased sunlight with the onset of 'almost Spring' ...) and Kermit's not about to let go any time soon.

Even more flowers

Well not exactly flower, but potential flower, and in some cases, potential fruit. These were the pics of bits that didn't quite make it into the garden bloggers blooms day lineup, because they hadn't quite got their bloom on.

The nectarine, buds forming for blossoms. There aren't many so I don't like my chances of actually getting any fruit this year, but fingers crossed.

And little Mr Succulent! See the flowers forming. They will slowly grow out on a long stem, then open. I never really appreciated succulents until I saw them in flower.

So today is dedicated as garden blogger's almost blooms day.

More and More flowers

If you want flower from the balcony garden you will have to check out the previous post. This post is dedicated to cut flower and all things presenty. Although graduation time means more students and their families loitering around uni, which can be a right pain if you need to get anywhere, it also means the florists are doing peak business. Beautiful flower posies light up union house and make it smell amazing. THey also come with a rather trumped up price tag.

 Rather than spend a motza at those places, the lovely other half picked me up two terrific small bunches of tulips from the markets to celebrate the occasion. One was a luscious, soft pink while the others were my favourite, yellow and orange.

That night I had some of my cousins around for dinner, and they brought with them some lovely lillies.

My vase collection veers towards skinny, slight glass numbers which don't fit such a bouqet. And the tulips were already in the one, colourful bohemoth vase I had left, which was a last vestige of my 21st birthday all those years ago. What's a girl to do? No vase = no way to keep flowers. Solution - Chop them carefully and put them in together!

Over the days they have opened more

and more

and more

Love those flowers.

Garden Bloggers Blooms Day

It has been a couple of years (I think) since I participated in Garden Bloggers Blooms Day. It wasn't for lack of floral bits on the balcony garden, it was simply one of the things that went by the wayside. But I'm back, and with some little floral tidbits from this winter month. Currently blooming:

The four year old geranium (pelargonium for the pedants.) I've never changed its pot, never added soil, never really shown it any care and yet it flowers and flowers and flowers, through any season (we are almost at the end of winter right now, but given the rain and low temps you would think it was mid winter)

Above: random purple flowers from the rockery mix. Anyone know what they are? (I know the ones in the background are violets, it is the ones in the front that have me muddled.) And if you know what that flower is, can you tell me what this one is? Here is a close up on the violets below:

Violas/Johnny Jumpups, jumping up everywhere (wanted and unwanted places alike.)To see what can be achieved in the kitchen with these, visit here.

The Jacobinia is flowering!!! Such beautiful colours but the leaves have thinned. I don't think it is the snails that have been thinning leaves elsewhere but will have to keep an eye on it 

No matter what I did I couldn't get a clear photo of the daphne, which has been flowering the last few weeks. Besides who needs a photo, with Daphne it is the smell which is more divine.

So much of this Allysum growing in the garden, it even overhangs the balcony on occasions (I pull it back in case the body corporate don't approve.)

The lime tree is getting into the action, and so is the lemon tree.

And my favourite at the moment, one very sad looking sunflower. It took all winter to grow and is spindley and sickley but its single flower opened today. Yay sunflower!

May Dreams Gardens hosts the Garden Bloggers Blooms day, so head on over there to see many more garden in full bloom.

Viola et Violet

I simply love violets. I love the look, the smell and even the taste particularly when they are sugared and presented on a dessert. Lovely friend L gave me a violet a few years ago, but I killed it. She gave me another one this year and so far so good. So good, in fact, it is flowering.

Violas are good too (known to some as johny jump ups) and since sewing a couple of seeds a few years ago the balcony garden has never been without violas, though they're not always in positions I choose! Usually transplant them to a little pot like this:

I even found this lovely yellow variety to add to the collection.

They are idiot proof flowers, what more could I need? Well I guess they aren't that idiot proof because I've killed the two pictured violas in the last few weeks. Neglect ... maybe ... poor positioning ... definitely. I left them in the only really hot winter sunny spot in the garden, in smaller pots than most of my garden, and they didn't like that, or the fact I failed to water them. Ooooopsss.

At least there are about 20 other violas springing up in the garden to replace these guys.

Floral thoughts

I popped home to Adelaide last week to visit the folks. It was to make up for Easter when I went to Adelaide and spent the entire time marking assignments. This time round there was no marking to be done, although it didn't mean I was completely work free. I spent most of the time hanging out with these fellows:

And spending quality time with my Mum and Dad. To say thanks to Mum (and Dad) for taking such great care of me I have a tradition of buying some flowers, and this is what I stumbled upon this time.

I know some people think buying cut flowers is a waste, they just open and die, but I'm not just some people. I happen to love cut flowers, and feel it brings the garden indoors. Yes you can have indoor plants, but indoor plants are not without their problems. I've posted before about the flowers I cut from my balcony garden and bring inside for colour. But the rest of this post is meant as a thankyou to my delightful other half, who looked ater the balcony garden in my absence, but who recieved no such pressie! And how do I thank him? By showing the world his lovely and thoughtful nature. Here is a collection of only some of the flowers he has bought me over the last few months. They were for different reasons (e.g. I was severely overworked, I had just finished a PhD so congratulations were in order ... and just coz!)

I don't know why I don't have pics of more of them, as they were lovely. Such a thoughtful and kind man. He also brought home three seedlings on the weekend, a red kale and two varieties of peas.They went straight in the garden and should prove tasty when it comes time to harvest (look at my latest harvest here) This was after he bought this lovely fern below, which I promptly accidentally killed!

 I have never given him flowers, but I did once make him a bag. Well I make everyone bags, as they help me practice my sewing. And I guess I cook him delicious food, but I do that for myself as well as him. All these flowers and he just gets one bag, think I better lift my game :)

Mum's a Garden Smarty

Another reason to love my Mum - she identified the mystery flower! It is ... a balsam. She also informs me they are hardy, flower for ages, and are really hard to find in Adelaide so lucky me to have about six of these spring up from the seed mix in the balcony garden! Here are some more pics to tell her thanks.

What's me Flower?

A change took place slowly in the balcony garden, I embraced flowers. Sure there was always the hibiscus and the two abutilons, and all the veggie flowers, but they have never featured very heavily on my planting agenda. Then slowly but surely more little floral numbers began to populate the garden. There were the two new fuschias (though the white and purple one I've blogged about before). The frilly pink and purple one is delightful, while the purple and white one seems pinker in some lights.

The random rockery mix which produced these flowers (I can name all of them except the pink one, any help?)

The portulaca kept its centre position on the table. But it was joined for a while by a gazania.

This plant which the lovely fellow gardener L gave me finally decided to flower (it's been a while coming, but what the heck is it?)

Even two of the mints joined in! The bees love the berry and cream mint in particular.

I've always had a few floral additions to the garden before but it has never been this crowded or free-ranging. Any ideas on what my mystery plants are?

Oh and if you want to see some other florals - check out my poor sewing attempts on my other blog, A Teetoal 2012 (it's what I do when I'm not drinkin')