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Monday disappeared over the Pacific. But on Tuesday first things first. The Sydney Opera House. Smaller than I assumed based on the millions of pics of this icon. But textured, patterned and more beautiful than I could imagine.
It’s located right next to the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens.
Thanks J, for garden-sitting and making sure the harvest continues.
Flowerpower for your handlebars. Anti-tech indeed.
Ptilotrichum spinosum is blooming in the balcony garden. This little alyssum is a pretty purple pink, and its loose wandering flower stems and leaves are a striking contrast to the solid, structured saxifrage in the troughs. It likes the full sun and a well drained soil.
You bet. And sweet. Harvest started.
And while we are talking colour, ever seen a blue tomato?
it’s not the ideal time of year to be pruning trees, but Mother Nature decided that she’d have a go at it this afternoon. An intense little hail storm blew through downtown and in a very short time did a bit of damage.
Most of the damage is obvious. This is what it looked like in my ‘hood by the time I got home from the office – shredded foliage blanketing most of the street, the sewers nicely stuffed with greenery and the boulevards overflowing with leaves, branches and pine cones. The damage that isn’t as obvious is to the old trees on our streets that are getting close to the end of their lives. They’ll now struggle for the rest of the summer trying to recover. They’ll be a bit more susceptible to attack by disease and insects and the broken branches most likely won’t get trimmed and cleaned up, so tears and minor damage will just slowly get worse.
But the balcony garden didn’t get touched – an advantage that I note every summer when the hail bangs through. With an overhang and south exposure, the garden has escaped all hailstorms unscathed since I’ve been in the apartment.
Knock on wood.
Potentilla shrubs are native to Alberta and the common yellow-flowering variety is considered by some to be a ‘gas station’ shrub, because they are tough, drought-tolerant, can survive in poor soil and be completed neglected for a while before they final succumb.
But take this much maligned shrub and shrink it down to an alpine variety and you get a pretty rock cinquefoil with a white flower that looks right at home nestled up to some rocks in a trough.
Potentilla rupestris nana is in bloom on the balcony right now. It will grow to be about 10cm (4 inches) high and wide. I really like the dark green foliage and although the first blooms on this young plant are going to be short-lived, the bold yellow centre is quite lovely. I have grown the yellow-flowering variety, and the spectacular red- flowering Potentilla atrosanguinea. Common indeed, but a balcony gardener favourite.
