Garden update

We have a quiet weekend, so I figured I had better do something about the wholesale greenery destruction that's been going on. We're obliged to replace one of the trees we cut down in the form of at least a 25 litre tree within 30 days of removing the old ones. Since it's nearly summer, we don't really want to put an advanced tree in the backyard right now, so I chose one for the front. After changing my mind 25 times, I decided on a native frangipani - Hymenosporum flavum. Our local garden centre is not great, but since I'm not long on time, I went there anyway. I finally found someone and asked for a native frangipani. He quoted the botanical name back at me, so I figured he knew what he was on about. They didn't have 25 litre plants, only smaller or larger. I decided to bite the bullet and get the bigger one, get it delivered and get it over with.

But of course, life is never that easy. When I got home I realised that the name on the bar code I had used to pay for the thing was not hymenosporum flavum, but randia fitzalanii. What the hell was I getting delivered? Google told me it's common name is native gardenia. Still native, very similar foliage, white fragrant flowers instead of yellow ones and fruit (although I don't know whether it will fruit this far south). I rang the garden centre, they apologised but assured me it will do well in the position I am putting it, and it is rather lovely. So, because I was too lazy to do anything about it, I have a different tree, which looks like this.

It will be planted tomorrow.

In the meantime, I've planted some stuff in the empty raised garden bed - but only little things, so it still looks pretty bare.


There are two frangipanis - one pink and one cream/yellow. The pink one came from my great aunt's garden and I bought the yellow one today. Behind them are two climbing roses (Crash has a major soft spot for roses) which we hope will eventually grow up and screen the next door neighbour. There are some herbs and there will be more understory, but it's a bit tricky because there is no sun protection yet, and won't be for a while because frangipanis are not the speediest growers in the world.

Charlie came with me to the garden centre and mostly hung out in the shade house. He chose this plant, and I couldn't think of a good reason to say no, so it came home with us too.


The pot is what I took the pink frangipani out of this morning.

The death and destruction is not yet over, however. The plant next to the front gate has always been awkward and too large. It's coming out too - this is where I got to this afternoon.


I'll put the potted gardenia that is being evicted by the tree on the spot until all the roots have disappeared somewhat. Then I'll decide whether to keep the gardenia in the pot or plant it.

I've also got to do something with the plants we had to dig out of the back garden. I'm trying to work out whether they would be ok out the front, or whether there is too much sun. I no longer have a truly shady garden, so I guess I may as well put them out the front and see how they go. It will be a long time before the back garden has enough tree over it to be shady again.