garden doings, garden undoings and May GBBD

During these autumn days, the only predictable thing seems to be deciduous leaves changing colour before their fall. First it's hot and sunny, then it's cold and rainy. The plants seem OK with the weather. Because of the rain over the past year many plants have grown a lot. Except for the ones that have been moved lots of times. I suspect they're not sure whether it's worth the effort of putting down roots.

When I think about it, I do seem to have managed to continue gardening in spite of the surgery. I've done a little bit myself, and had friends and a temporary gardener to do stuff for me.  So this is the May update... 

I removed some of the plants from the bed along this path because I felt they had grown too large and looked uninspiringly messily messy, instead of gorgeously, casually messy ...

The lovely heart shaped leaves of Lasiopetalum macrophyllum. I moved this shrub from the middle bed to a position further back against the Pittosporum garden picture frame when I realized that it grows to 1 metre tall by 1 metre wide.

I have been in love with the Australian native Leucophyta brownii, or Silver Cushion Bush for ages, but never grew it in the garden because it needed full sun and I couldn't think where to put it. Now I have recklessly bought 4 specimens, planted them in part sun, and hope for the best. 

I moved the smallest of the group of three Grevillea shiressei, or Blue Grevillea, from the fence on the north side of the back garden to the fence on the opposite side. When it fills out I think it will look good here, and I think the micro climate here will suit it. Only time will tell. This is the spot where the chunky Albany Woollybush (Adenanthos sericeus) grew for a few years, but I think I wanted a lighter, more delicate feel.

Usually it is notoriously difficult to move Australian natives once they are established because they put down a long tap root that they depend on. These tea trees have been in for several years but have never grown much. They were moved and managed to survive.  I'm so proud of these resilient toughies!

These Correa pulchella 'Dusty Bells' seem to flower for much of the year. I love the way this flower's shyly hiding in the shadows.

Apart from the traditional sage we use in cooking,  my favourite salvia is S. gregii. This one is the white flowered variety. I also have it in lemon and pink. Actually, I wonder if this flower IS edible? Can't be poisonous, so I'll pick it for a salad tonight. (If this is my last post .... only joking ...)

I planted this Lomandra longifolia, an Australian native grass, about 20 years ago. I love its neat habit and bright green colour. I saw it as a highlight of the bed, but in time it became obscured by the plants growing around it. That's why I moved them, and I think it's worth it. The gaps you can see are not beautiful but I think of them as opportunities, so to me they are beautiful, and part of the evolving process.

This sad looking plant didn't deserve its fate.  It is/was a Philotheca that didn't survive being moved. It was just a bit too big to cope with the change, even though it received the best TLC and nurturing possible.  This photo is not black and white!

Thank you Carol from May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.