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. ;-)

On Sat, 27 Oct 2012 21:18:47 +1000, "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.

In article , Maroochy
writes

[ A UUEncoded file (c-6527-damarea-01-10-12-40-20.jpg) was included here. ]


One Torbay palm is enough for one view. At least they're easy to cut.

What's growing out of the dark trunk to left of centre?
--
Sue ]

"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

In article , Bob Hobden
writes
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.

There's a couple down the street who have a heliotrope growing against
the front of their house. In summer it looks nice and smells lovely.
In winter it has a plastic cover and its own thermostatically-controlled
warming system, all home-built. I think they just enjoyed the technical
challenge.
--
Sue ];(

On Sat, 27 Oct 2012 22:57:57 +0100, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:

"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.
I had a greenhouse on my second floor west 40. I had to do away with
having plants in it when it cost more to heat than this big house.
I had some wonderful plants back then. I still have a lot but manage
to keep them alive inside the house during the cold spells here in
Phila. Pa.

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

Thank you, you're quite welcome to visit, should you ever make it down here.
:-)

Mad Cow wrote:
One Torbay palm is enough for one view. At least they're easy to cut.

I had to Google 'Torbay Palm', never heard cordylines called that before.

What's growing out of the dark trunk to left of centre?

It's a young Staghorn (Platycerium superbum) an epiphytic fern.

Bob Hobden wrote:
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.

I wish you all the success there is.
I do have some Hedychium gardnerianum and Hedychium coronarium growing wild
in the dam overflow area. The perfume from the coronarium, is almost
intoxicating when it is in full flower.
I also have a area earmarked to be planted out totally with various gingers,
but I have a few other things to do before I get around to that.
I'm not a purist, I'm quite happy to have exotics growing amongst the native
plants, however there were a lot growing here that are obnoxious as far as I
am concerned, though I know they are prized in other countries. Chief
amongst them is lantana ( a declared noxious weed and declared weed of
national significance) and Dutchman's pipe vines (Aristolochia littoralis).
I've just about totally eradicated both from all parts of our land, thank
goodness.

"Maroochy" wrote

Mad Cow wrote:
One Torbay palm is enough for one view. At least they're easy to cut.

I had to Google 'Torbay Palm', never heard cordylines called that before.

What's growing out of the dark trunk to left of centre?

It's a young Staghorn (Platycerium superbum) an epiphytic fern.


I know in the UK we call them Torbay Palms or Cornish Palms because for a
long time those were the only places they were seen growing those areas
having a milder climate than most of the UK. Now you see them everywhere
indeed I had a large one felled last year but still have another. Funny that
the UK name should have travelled across the world when they are actually a
New Zealand Cabbage Palm.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

In article , Maroochy
writes

What's growing out of the dark trunk to left of centre?

It's a young Staghorn (Platycerium superbum) an epiphytic fern.

That'll look fantastic when it's old and huge.
--
Sue ]

In article , Bob Hobden
writes
"Maroochy" wrote

Mad Cow wrote:
One Torbay palm is enough for one view. At least they're easy to cut.

I had to Google 'Torbay Palm', never heard cordylines called that before.


I know in the UK we call them Torbay Palms or Cornish Palms because for a
long time those were the only places they were seen growing those areas
having a milder climate than most of the UK. Now you see them everywhere
indeed I had a large one felled last year but still have another. Funny that
the UK name should have travelled across the world when they are actually a
New Zealand Cabbage Palm.

"Torbay palm" recalls the "English riviera", a budget substitute for
places where real palms would grow. In the 1970s there were three huge
grimy specimens outside St Johns Wood tube station.
--
Sue ]