Just off the telephone from Mrs. Brown who is sending me an Albertine Rose. You may remember Mrs. Brown, as she is a not infrequent visitor to these pages. Mrs. Brown of the poppy and ornamental grape fame no less, in case your wits are at their end at present and who could blame you. So that was a telephone call to lift the spirits and now I shall be on the look-out for the perfect spot for what will be, a quite substantial rose.
Roses from our garden in one of our most popular rooms, aptly named the Garden Room for it’s long view of the front lawn.
I have had Albertine here before, it was a victim of the 2014 water heist and I must own, I had completely forgotten about her. What I do remember, however, is masses of apricot flowers in spring on an imposing frame of wait-a-while thorns. Albertine is a rose that does not need company around her, perhaps I shall plant her on a creek bank as a child deterrent? In case you are wondering, the deterrent is to work from inside the garden, I am not intending to keep small children out!
The garden beds along the creek bank cascade into the water, with Brian’s wrought iron Pelican watching proceedings.
Another that was lost was at that time was L’Amarque, somewhat easier to get along with, a different personality altogether. Superb cream flowers with a hint of lemon, she scrambled up a gazebo post and fought for roof space with the white banksia rose. Cousin Essie was there as well, she was duly planted in honour of a childhood poddy and not for the rose description which I am sure was beguiling (aren’t they all?).
The boat is always a source of great entertainment.
All in all, a charming way to start the day and brighten what is fast becoming a pretty drab outlook. In this we shall say no more though, I promised myself to only write of interesting snippets where possible and I mean to continue. So, despite impending gloom, we have green feed and paddocks blooming and this shall be our focus.
Roses on the kitchen table, with Brian’s maps we think date back to 1932.
I have the garlic ready to plant, the bed is prepared as well, which is a rare but satisfying alignment of programming. I think I shall plant my Sweet Peas nearby but will need to check if they are friends or not. I wish I was more disciplined with the lunar/solar charts and knowing who liked to holiday with whom. I shall just see if old Mr. Seale has it in his Garden Doctor tome; Mr. Yates offers nothing on companion planting, I expect he thought they should just get on regardless.
One of our favourite vistas, looking from the kitchen out over the front lawn and beyond to the creek, captured by Richard Waugh in November last year.
Oh dear. Mr. Searle suggests that peas do not get along with onions, so I imagine we can assume that Sweet Peas will feel the same about garlic if they follow the Capulet-Montague model of family politics. Great to know that Shakespeare is with me in the garden still and I shall look further for the sweet peas, which will not be planted here until late April.
The verandah of Bill’s Hut is a cool respite, shaded by a hanging garden and old faithful Plumbago.
This garden will be working hard this Autumn-Winter, our prime vegetable time. Sowing seeds never fails to thrill, the promise of our own produce on our dinner plates is both satisfying and comforting. I shall be on the hustings for some tip cuttings as well, the summer has been hard on the salvias and wallflowers, so I shall glean what I can and see if we cannot entice some new plants from old.
View to the garden seat, another of Brian’s creations, towards the bottom of the garden.
In the meantime, I shall share a picture with you: green lawns strewn with Mock Orange petals, the spent flowers of Murraya paniculata. They have burst into blossom with the recent rain, the garden a fragrant vision of cream and green. Now they have fallen and continue to please with their cream scented carpet of snow. For so many reasons I am grateful they thrive here.
Cosmos and lavender beside the vegetable garden.
It is a year ago this week that I sat down and wrote the first little gardening letter to you. This last year has been a still life of flowers and vegetables framed in a haze of dust; if you look carefully, you will spot an old duck squinting in the background, her hair mad as ever, her fixed gaze seeking storm clouds on the endless clear horizon. Waiting for rain. Even so, I have enjoyed chatting with you and I thank you for listening.
This too shall pass,
The Moble Gardener
A table made from a wagon wheel displaying some treasured ceramics beside the straw bale hut.
All photographs in this week’s blog were kindly supplied by Richard Waugh.
Quilpie Garden Suggestions
The bold denotes that this plant may be suitable for bore water however, as no two bores are the same, it will be trial and error to see what suits your particular bore water.
Trees
Bauhinia Bauhinia blackeana, B.varigata, B. alba
Bottlebrush Callistamen spp
Bottle Tree Brachychiton australis
Buddlieia Buddleia spp
Chinese pistachio Pistacia chinensis
Chinese Elm Ulmus parvifolia
Chinese tallow tree Sapium sebiferum
Celtis Celtis spp
Claret Ash Fraxinus oxycarpa
Date Palm Phoenix canariensis
Fig Ficus macrocarpaand other ficus spp
Crepe myrtle Largerstroemia indica
Cotton Trees Hibiscus tileaceus
Frangipani
Golden Shower Cassia fistula
Eucalyptus spp
Indian Siris Tree Albizia lebbeck
Jacaranda Jacaranda mimosifolia
Lily Pily Eugenia spp
Kurrajong Brachychiton populneus
Melaleuca leucadendra and other Melaleuca spp
Mulberry Morusspp
Olive Olea europaea
Drunken Parrot Tee Schotia Brachypetala
Pepperina Schinus molle
Yellow Poinciana Peltophorum pterocarpum
Pomegranate Punica granatum
Silky Oak Grevillea robusta
Race Horse tree Tipuana tipu
Tabebuia Tree Tabebuia palmeri
White Cedar Melia azedarach
Shrubs
Bauhinia galpinii
Buddlieia Buddleia spp
Blue Potato Bush Lycianthes rantonnetii
Box Buxus microphylla
Pinkilla Hedge Clerodendron heterophyllum This hedge is as tough as Nanny’s knees!
Cotoneaster spp
Duranta spp great for hedges and topiary as well
Emu Bush Eremophila spp
Fiddlewood Citharexylum spinosum
Grevillea spp
Indian Hawthorn Rapheolepis spp
May Bush Spirea catoniensis
Mock orange Murraya paniculata
Oleander Nerium oleander
Photinia Photinia robusta
Plumbago Plumbago spp
Privet Ligustrum spp great hedge
Prunus spp
Russian Olive Elaeagnus spp
Vitex spp
Westringia spp
Climbers
Coral Bells Antignon leptopuswill frost
Banksia Rose
Blue Potato creeper Solanum wendlandii and alba for white
Bougainvilleas spp
Cat’s Claw Creeper Tweediana Invasive declared weed
Chinese Star Jasmine trachelospermum jasminoides
Honeysuckle Lonicera spp
Jasmine spp
Ornamental Grape Vitis sppfind an older variety for extra toughness
Petrea Petrea volubilisa drought buster!
Orange trumpet Vine Pyrostegia venusta
Quisqualis
Climbing Roses
Stephanotis floribunda
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Wisteria spp
Garden Perennials etc
Agastache spp
Aloes
Agapanthus
African daisy
Canna
Catmint Nepeta spp
Chrysanthemum
Crinum Lillies
Curry Plant Helichrysum
Cuphea
Day Lillies Hemerocallis spp
Pink Evening primrose Oenothera speciose
Grasses, Miscanthus spp, Penesetum spp,
Geraniums and pelargoniums
Hippeastrum Armaryllis spp
Iris
Lavender
Liriope
Sacred bamboo Nadina spp
Rosemary, thyme, Oregeno, Sage, Tarragon, Basil all make great fillers
Dog bane Plectranthus spp
Salvia spp
Seaside daisy Eriginon karvinskianus
Succulents varied, I find many don’t love the heat but have a go!
Roses if you have good water
Teucrium
Wormwood Artemisia spp
Thank you for reading all the way to the bottom! I’ll reward you with a photo of Moble Homestead taken in 1986-ish from the other side of the billabong. Anything is possible!
