The rain had washed in all the compost and fertilizer, the soil was now ready for the plants. So let’s go shopping…
The nearest native plant nursery, Nielsen’s Nursery, is approximately an hours drive away. As we walk in we are greeted by this fellow.
Not a friendly greeting. But then walking into the nursery area the selection is overwhelming.
This is only a small section of the displayed plants. I have already decided I want kangaroo paws and I spot a large display of them.Can you see that little cart? I rather like that too. But it is over $100.
Jack says “I’ll make you one of those”. (I’ll wait for that to happen!!!)
Notice the paper daisies under the shaft of the cart? They are also on my “want” list and I see a large display of them too. They are such sunny, happy little plants. Tiny rays of sunshine.I had seen them at the local Bunnings nursery on the Gold Coast, they were $10 for one punnet and I want to fill all the spare spaces in the garden with them. Not paying that for annuals. So I bought a packet of seeds and they are coming along well at home.
(Here they are back at home, about 2 weeks old. Just think how many $10 punnets I have now produced from one packet of seeds…)
This long-beaked Corella calls out “Hello, scratch cocky” Jack falls in love with him, but he is not for sale Jack.
I buy 2 different Kangaroo Paws, a yellow and pink, a Grevillea, Peaches and Cream, a Prostanthera rotundifolia (roundleaf mint bush) and a Westringia (Grey Box). Now it is time for a coffee.This little water dragon was wandering around, hopefully waiting for crumbs. We saw another one on the way out and look who he is having a confrontation with…
I bought the plants 10 days ago and potted them on to bigger pots and gave them time to acclimatize to my area, then yesterday I planted them.


I have put the paper daisies along the front and will be putting more in other parts of the garden as I still have plenty left.
This morning I woke to the sound of rain on the roof. Not a gentle rain, but a torrential, full-on downpour. I thought of my poor little baby seedlings that had gone out yesterday into the big, wide, open world of the garden bed from their sheltered, protected nursery area. I worried about them being washed away.

But when I went out to check them they were perfectly ok, in fact I think they were loving the rain. Now I’ll worry about the sun burning them, when it comes out again. The forecast is for rain all this week.
It is such fun to buy new plants for the garden. I grew the paper daisies as you call them from seed in my garden in Doncaster so I’m sure they’ll do well in your garden. I do believe I have the Prostantheria mint bush – bought in Devon in April. it seems to be doing OK so I hope it flowers for me next year! I also bought a NZ daisy shrub which is also doing OK. Let’s hope there are no severe frosts here!
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We are lucky and never get frosts. But having said that I guess with the crazy weather we get now nothing is guaranteed. Going to another nursery this week as I still have a couple of spots to fill
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I only wish I could come with you, it would be such fun 🙂
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I would love to have you with me, then you could help me chose. I have difficulty making my mind up
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Not sure I’d be much help PP, I love wandering around a nursery!
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So do I
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There are so many scary animals in your neighborhood. That scary pink chicken even comes with a warning! The white one looks just as scary; and that Tyrannosaurus rex is too much!
I just featured ‘Peaches and Cream’ grevillea a few weeks ago. Those strawflowers used to be grown for cut flowers in a field to the east of my Pa’s house in Montara! The area has a history of cut flower production, like I keep mentioning, and was the inspiration for some of Diego Rivera’s paintings of people harvesting cut flowers.
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I have a chuckle about your take on our “scary” animals Tony. I’ve admired peaches and cream grevillea for quite a while so I’m pleased I now have space for it. I’m tossing up whether to get another grevillea or a small wattle tree as I have another sunny spot to fill
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You know, I like what ‘Peaches and Cream’ looks like in a parking lot landscape in town, but I can not plant it in my garden. I am allergic to grevilleas, almost like poison oak! It is a rare allergy, so I suppose I am one of a fortunate few. I really think that grevilleas should be more popular here because they are so well suited to our climate, just like eucalypti. Some of the wattles should be more popular too, although Acacia dealbata is a serious weed problem!
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You know, I like what ‘Peaches and Cream’ looks like in a parking lot landscape in town, but I can not plant it in my garden. I am allergic to grevilleas, almost like poison oak! It is a rare allergy, so I suppose I am one of a fortunate few. I really think that grevilleas should be more popular here because they are so well suited to our climate, just like eucalypti. Some of the wattles should be more popular too, although Acacia dealbata is a serious weed problem!
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I had a friend who came out in a rash if he brushed against or pruned grevilleas. I’ve not heard of that acacia I’ll check it out.
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Acacia dealbata? Wow! It is really bad here. It is worse than the blue gum eucalyptus! It naturalizes anywhere it can, and is even more combustible than the native vegetation. It is the reason why wattles (acacias) are so unpopular.
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Sounds nasty I will stay away from that one
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It might not be a problem in the native environment. It is bad here primarily because it proliferates more aggressively than native vegetation, and of course, the combustibility is a concern. It may not be so aggressive there; and if does not grow as such dense thicket growth, it may be less combustible. The Monterey pine that is such an aggressive exotic in parts of New Zealand and Australia is native here, and is actually a rather nice docile pine. I grew up with it, and it is still one of my favorites. However, I have heard about the problems it causes with the native ecosystems where it naturalizes.
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The golden wattle is Australia’s national floral emblem, were we get the green and gold from for our national colours too. In the bush I love to see masses of wattle in flower in the spring. Never heard of it being a problem over here
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Hey, green and gold were the colors of Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, where I went to school! I know the golden wattle . . . I think. We call it the Sydney golden wattle. It has simple leaves instead of pinnately or bi-pinnately compound. Maybe they are phylloides like those of the black acacia.
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Yes it is also known as the Sydney wattle
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Phyllodes, oops
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I like your choices Pauline. The mint bush I had in a previous garden had rounded leaves, very pretty plant. Tell Jack he has no excuse not to build you a little cart since you have a very good photo to guide him!
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The mint bush, not surprisingly. Has a beautiful minty smell. I took photos from all angles of that cart Gilly, so here’s hoping!!!
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[…] a visit to a native plant nursery back in November 2017 (I can hardly believe it was that long ago, it only seemed like yesterday!) I […]
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