Home Sweet Home

I have been home four days now since my Indonesian sojourn. In the last week or so, I had been planning what to do in the four days I had at home before I start work again (tomorrow). Should I try to get the recovered couch delivered and play at interior decorating with my new purchases? Of course, there would be a major gardening onslaught, not to mention writing up a report of my last 7 weeks' work, unpacking, laundry, a dozen other chores, but most importantly, cuddling the pups.

Gentle reader, I must confess that I have accomplished nothing - except the cuddling. The bug that I thought I had shaken in Jogyakarta returned, and I have spent much of my time in bed. Onslow doesn't mind at all. It's cold, windy and wet outside. He thinks that if he sinks really low into the doona beside me I won't notice him.

Miss Bella comes up to the bedroom door to check on us from time to time.

But she prefers downstairs on the couch, especially if she has a extra rug or old towel tucked around her to keep her cosy.

And, of course, I had to sneak out for a quick look at the garden.  The weeds are thriving; there have been a couple of losses in the potted plant collection (mainly those that were undercover); and it is mid-winter, but there was still some colour to be found.

Some bromeliads were in bloom...

Guzmania wittmackii

 Aechmea fulgens 'Burning Bush' 

so  too, the little Rondeletia.

Rondeletia splendens 

The aloes and succulents are always stars during the winter months. Mine are just coming into bud.

'Diana'

Aloes 'Gemini' and 'Southern Cross'

One big surprise was waiting for me in the backyard. How often have I complained that my heliconias never flower?

Finally, one of my favorites... The foliage had been given a good chew, but there was still a perfect bloom to welcome me home.

Hibiscus 'Wilder's White'

My Jakarta garden

I'm feeling very mellow at the moment. I left work early today, because the rumbling thunder in the distance seemed to be getting closer. I didn't want to be caught out as I nearly was on Friday: told that because of the afternoon storm there would be no taxis till 7.30. I was lucky and managed to walk home between downpours, while tonight there are still rumblings and flashes of lightening but no rain as yet. It is typically tropical weather here in Jakarta with an afternoon or evening storm threatening several nights each week.

With a little extra time on my hands, I have been able to catch up with lots of my favourite blogs. As always, I feel inspired but also a little nostalgic. I know how lucky I am to have the chance to explore this great city and country, but I do miss the dogs and can't help but wonder how my garden is faring back in Brisbane. How are the seeds I planted in early autumn going?  Quite a few seemed very slow to germinate but may have been washed out by the heavy rain we had before Easter. Others had emerged, but I don't know if they have had enough regular rain or watering to support their growth. The weeds I'm sure are thriving.

Fortunately, Jakarta is a generous host, and, for now, its streets and suburbs are my surrogate garden.

Hibiscus

Masses of crows nests and elkhorns established in this impressive specimen tree, with a bed of Spathyphyllum in the foreground.

More from the front of the same home, in a street full of mansions and embassies running between the antique market and Plaza Indonesia.

Love these little palms.

One of many impressive statues throughout the city.

This gracious colonial mansion had been converted to a  museum.

Not sure if this is a cycad or a palm; I love its spiky fronds. They were planted in groups of five along the traffic island.

Heliconia in bloom in the office grounds.

More from Tony's garden

Have you seen one of these before? 

I hadn't, until I noticed in my brother Tony's garden a year or so back.  I saw it again during my Christmas visit, and have been wondering ever since what it was and how I could find out. This weekend when the pups and I headed down to Ballina again, I asked Tony (now why didn't I think of that last time). He found the original tag, which made it easy.

It's Aphelandra sinclairiana 'Panama Queen'. I love the sizzling tropical colour combination of the pink flowers with orange bracts. It's a tall shrub (about 9 foot). I brought home a piece, and this afternoon, I planted 4 tip cuttings and still have more temporarily in water. Here's hoping I get at least one plant. I think I have the perfect spot!

Although the pups and I only arrived late on Saturday afternoon, we packed a good walk, a garden tour, as well as a trip to the beach, into 24 action-packed hours. It was only five weeks since our last visit, but there was still plenty to discover in the garden, starting right at the front doorstep.

I think it is a Brassia Orchid. (whoops, turns out it was a Miltonia!) Tony gave a small plant in bud that he thinks is the same. I hope so, I love it. All will be revealed when it flowers: I'll keep you posted.

Here are a few more from his orchid collection.

A late-flowering Dendrobium speciosum 'Zeloa'

Another example of the variety potted at the front door.

Onslow was quite oblivious of the Cattleya blooming behind him.

Dendrochilum magnum was brought into the house while it flowers.

Another orchid indoors temporarily, Zygopetalum Blue Lake 'Atlantis'

Back in the garden, many of the plants are in flower.

Fiddlewood Citharexylum spinosum 

Banksia

Hibiscus

Heliconia

Heliconia

Heliconia 'Golden Torch'

Heliconia rostrata

Ginger lily Hedychium gardnerianum 

Torch Ginger Etlingera elatior

Flowering Gum Eucalyptus

Finally, none of this would be possible without these little fellows and their like.

Tony keeps two hives of native (stingless) bees on his upstairs verandah.

Great job, guys! And thanks to Tony and Leanne for another fabulous garden tour and visit.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day January 2012

Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, the first for 2012. 

On the 15th of each month, Carol at May Dreams Gardens hosts this meme, which provides a chance for garden bloggers around the world to share what is happening in their gardens.

Here in sub-tropical Brisbane, it is midsummer. The garden has taken a bit of a hammering since last GBBD as December was as uncharacteristically dry as November had been (and, in the chaos of the holiday season, I was a little remiss with my watering). 

Since then, I have had a big tidy-up and have pulled out most of the 'Wendy's Wish' salvias and the cosmos. There is a bit of a gap in the garden, but it won't be for long. I am replacing the salvias with cuttings, and the cosmos have self-seeded. I have supplemented them with some interesting and different cosmos seeds that I ordered online and have sewn directly into the garden bed. I have 'Psyche' doubles, 'Seashells', 'Versailles' White and Flush, 'Sensation' Gloria and C. Bipinnatus 'Daydream'. I can't wait to see them in flower.

I am really enjoying one of my more recent additions to the garden, Nymphaea helvola, a miniature waterlily, and have bought some new goldfish to add to the existing white cloud fish family.  

Just opening...

The Brugmansia or Angel's Trumpet has been a mass of flowers. It is difficult to decide what is more beautiful, the flowers or its perfume.

The brugmansia is underplanted with Costus, or spiral ginger. There is a faded beauty in their spent flowers.

The Leopard Lily Belamcanda chinensis can always be relied on for a splash of colour.

So too, the variegated Alstomeria. I made lovely little Christmas posies using the flowers and foliage, combined with red pentas and parsley flowers.

There's lots of new growth on the Zamias.

And the Hammerhead Frangipani Plumeria pudica is just stunning.

Another pristine beauty is Hibiscus 'Wilders White'

The daylilies are reflowering.

'Fetish'

'Passion for Life'

'Velvet Rose'

Finally, I can always bank on a bromeliad blooming. This Neoregelia is another purloined on a visit to my brother's garden. It is almost a miniature so helps to provide variety of size as well as the contrast of its speckled foliage. Also, for brom growers, I spotted this handy tip on ABC Gardening Australia Magazine's facebook page. Editor Jennifer Stackhouse talked about mosquitos breeding in bromeliad cups - to stop them breeding, regularly add just a few drops of coconut oil, which you can find  at Asian grocers and health food stores