"joevan" wrote

"Maroochy wrote:

At some time, a previous owner has sort of landscaped part of our land,
he/she must have had a thing for cordylines as there are huge ones
everywhere. Subsequent owners have not maintained what gardens that were
there and when we bought it, it was very much overgrown, the only reason
I
knew there may be gardens under the overgrown grass, many vines and weeds,
was because I could see the cordylines many of which are 15-20 foot high.
So
over the past 2.5 years with gallons of Round Up, a chainsaw, heavy duty
loppers and shears and a lot of bloody hard work, we've now managed to
clear
the weeds and feral vines on about 2/3rds of the block. In a couple of
sections, once the long grass and weeds had been cleared, I found the
remnants of garden beds, many hippeastrums are now appearing, also dietes
and walking iris. From what is planted, I'm guessing the original Gardner
preferred exotics, despite the block have many native trees. I sort of
feel
a little bad about cutting down a lot of the cordylines, but I just don't
want them, though my husband likes them, so I've left a few here and
there,
mainly the smaller ones. I am replanting with natives and putting in
understory plants and ferns, under all the many tall trees. This section,
near the dam is almost finished, well, that is unless I decide to change
it
a little. ;-)

It is just so beautiful. Wish you well with all you do. Wish I could
be there in person.


You have so many beautiful natives I agree with you. However it's in the
nature of gardeners to prefer the unusual, the exotic, it's why some of us
in the UK have heated greenhouses at huge cost. Just to keep plants you
think as ordinary alive. I have a large Hedychium greenii which I am trying
to keep alive through the winter, too big for my little heated greenhouse,
yet you could easily grow it in your garden.
Strange world.


--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK