Hi Margaret. Your before & after shots will probably be of great interest to them. If they want the best opportunity of shots of birds early morning would be best. Perhaps they already know this.
Well i told them that 7am would be a good time for birds. The last few days I spent time out there early in the morning and it was very busy.
Hi Woko,
Here's some questions for you Woko so i can look like i know what i'm talking about. I can't even pronounce some of the plant names!
IS an understory necessary for insects to breed ? or why is it important?
Do exotics attract and allow Indian minors to flourish? I've been wondering about those ugly street trees that are everywhere. I don't know what they are but they are very common street trees probably planted 20 years ago. They have fairly nondescript trunks, leaves and berries that get underfoot. The question is do they encourage minors?
Do minors hurt native birds?
My yard had a flock of lorikeets this morning, and the wattle birds are doing some sort of mating ritual where they fly touching each other. There have been 4or 5 of them in my yard too. Will they discourage the little birds?
Understorey & Insects: Like birds, I would say different insects breed & live in different parts of the vegetation structure. So there would almost certainly be some insects which would depend on understorey. For example, some butterfly species are dependent on specific native grasses to breed. Replicating what used to grow in your area, both in terms of species & vegetation structure, would be most likely to attract the optimum range of insects.
Exotics & Indian Mynas: Keep in mind I'm fortunate to live in a Myna-free zone. However, from what I've read & observed on interstate trips, exotic vegetation would be likely to advantage Mynas because they would have less competition from native birds which would depend on native vegetation. I believe Mynas are more common in urban environments which are more likely to have exotic vegetation than rural areas. It's highly likely that if people plant vegetation which grows naturally where Mynas naturally live (i.e., in South East Asia) then Mynas will be more advantaged than they are now.
Mynas Hurting Australian Birds: Certainly, in the sense that they take up large amounts of space which naturally would populated by Australian birds. I believe that Mynas can be aggressive towards Australian birds but I don't know much about this. When I've seen Mynas on my trips interstate there haven't been many Australian birds around!
Wattlebirds Discouraging Small Birds: Red Wattlebirds can be aggressive towards smaller birds & therefore discourage them. Many people plant Grevillea hybrid for their beauty. However, the larger flowers provided by the hybrids advantage the larger honeyeaters such as Wattlebirds & Noisy Miners. This is another reason for planting indigenous species so that, as far as possible, the natural community of bird species can be attracted.
GArdening Australia came last monday and tuesday. Thanks for your help Woko - i tried to mention those things. Costa came, plus the producer, camera and sound guys. Costa is a very charismatic person, really enthusiastic about all aspects of plants and animals. He filmed my duck and posted it on FB https://www.facebook.com/CostasWorld
I don't know what birds they got but i think they got a fairy wren. Whenever i noticed birds to film, they were filming something else. He liked my verge, and they looked at my front yard as well which is cottage garden so has exotics and natives. It is going to air on November 3 and 4 on ABC tv.
I think I saw a pheasant cuckoo in my yard today - have never seen this bird before and I only saw it for a few seconds because it was getting harassed by a wattle bird. It was big, black and speckled with a large fan shaped tail.
Technically I think it's a "Pheasant coucal", and after checking my Reader's Digest Bird Book I now know that it's not actually a cuckoo either - it rears it's own young apparently.
The other thing that makes me smile is that my local guide to the Wildlife of Greater Brisbane lists "Woop-woop bird" as one of it's common names. That is what we always used to call them as kids, when we first had one visit us in Newcastle, due to their deep "woop woop woop woop woop" call.
I also watched it on iView. How good was that, what a great garden you have created, what great knowledge of plants and how to create a garden . You were fabulous.
I watched it and didn't realise it was Margaret's garden until they showed the "before" shots. Then it was twice as interesting. Well done Margaret. I hope the show gave some ideas to those many unimaginative people out there who have nothing in their backyard except a Hills hoist, sterile lawn and perhaps a struggling lemon tree planted years before in a mad moment of green exuberance.
I didn't know how big a buddleja would grow and was amazed when I saw yours Margaret. How long did it take to grow to that size? We planted on last Autumn and it's just starting to shoot a few new branches but it's only about a metre high.
Thanks Araminta - I actually don't know much which means anyone can have a go at creating a garden. Hehehe green exuberance Night Parrot, yes it would be good if it had that sort of reach. And Kathie, that buddleia is rather large and grew very quickly.-- 3 years? I got it from the cheap, on their last legs, plants section at Bunnings and I think that yellow one grows more profusely than the purple ones. I have seen large purple ones but mine are tall and thin.
Thanks. Mine's a dark purple but hasn't flowered yet. Pretty sure I have a pink one too but can't remember where I put it in the garden We have a big garden.
I normally work when Gardening Australia is on so I forgot all about this episode and missed seeing it until now. Love your garden, Margaret. Looks even better when seen on video than in the photos.
Alison
~~~~~~
"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
Wow, Margaret. Your garden looked stunning & so casual, too. It showed that you don't need a huge area in which to create habitat & a relaxing, attractive environment. I can identify with your point that there's always something new to discover in a garden like yours. And it's so good for the soul discovering it, too!
And I loved your Eremophila nivea, among other things. A real stunner.]
Have any of your neighbours commented? I ask because I'm wondering how likely it is that others in you neighbourhood will do what you've done.
Thanks Gyn55 and Woko - my neighbours have dug up their lawn in the front yard and have planted an acacia that i gave them. They intend to get rid of the jade and replant there with natives. They have my mulcher but don't seem to be getting around to mulching which means there is lots of weeds appearing. And another friend of mine has a 6 yr old boy with autism and he wants a garden like mine so we bought numerous plants from the Cumberland Forest nursery which stocks lots of indigenous plants. The boy, Louis, has named all the plants after Star wars characters and he also knows all their botanical names!
Everyday he looks at them and has a checklist which he marks about how they are growing.
Hi Margaret, this is "the most heartwarming and inspirational story" I have heard in a long time. Most of all I want to give Louis a BIG HUG, what a great kid.
Green tree frog, a lost frog who lives in the backyard. Hope he survives winter. He is really loud and such a tiny size. oh dear i bet Woko will tell me off about the water weed !
Hi Margaret. Things seem to be going swimmingly fory you, your garden & the green tree frog & all of you are obviously having an impact on others.
I don't know much about "water weed" so I don't know what that is under the green tree frog. Do you know which species it is? Did you plant it or did it generate from somewhere? In any case, it's unlikely to be invasive as your pond is confined & not running water so it won't transport seed or runners or whatever the plant uses to regenerate. Besides, if it's providing habitat for the green tree frog then that's all to the good.
I think its mosquito fern Woko, commonly sold in aquarium shops as azolla. I don't think its a problem especially in a contained area but it can take over a pond and choke it. I used to clean it out two or three times a year, leaving a few remnants which would regrow and spread over the pond. The water must have nurients for it to grow and it also shades the water; without it algae will proliferate and the water will spoil. It also provides habitat for critters that are probably on the menu for Margaret's cute tree frog. Well done Margaret.
I miss the sound of frogs at my place. We haven’t had any decent rain in months. The waterhole is dry, no water at all , so the frogs are under ground . Only until it rains, then they will be singing again. I wish I had a green tree frog, only boring little brown ones.
I don't know the name of any of the water weeds but i had another one here at the time of the Gardening Australia visit and they later wrote to me and advised me to get rid of it. As you say Woko, it wouldn't seem likely that it would escape, however I did get rid of it and the birds then ate my fish. One way it could escape is that I have seen the wattle birds diving into a water container and i suppose they could fly off with a bit on them.
And getting back to the purple fountain grass. You know how i pulled it out but it wasn't the bad one? then i planted a green version and it is spreading however the guy at the nursery said you were probably talking about a different pennisetum and the one i have is indigenous so it doesn't matter if it spreads.
Thanks, Night Parrot. From what I can gather Mosquito Fern refers to the various species of Azolla, an aquatic plant. There are two Azollas native to Australia: Pacific Azolla Azolla filiculoides & Ferny Azolla Azolla pinnata. I get the impression from Wikileaks, oops, Wikipedia that Azolla filiculoides is one of those plants that seems to be cosmopolitan in that it has spread to many parts of the world & is regarded as being native in many countries, including Australia. Wikipedia says that Azolla filiculoides fixes nitrogen & is therefore used by agricuturalists to grow various aquatic crops such as rice. It seems to regenerate by natural division rather than seed spread.
Margaret, was the plant Gardening Australia advised you to get rid of different from the one in your photo or the same? Did they say why you should get rid of it?
As far as a wattle bird flying off with a piece I doubt that the piece would survive long enough to become established elsewhere unless there were lots of water about. Nevertheless, once established Azolla filiculoides does spread rapidly. My only concern would be if it were to compete successfully with an already established indigenous aquatic plant. It's one of those plants that's difficult to make a decision about, particularly if it's not competing with indigenous aquatic plants while simultaneously providing habitat for at least one green tree frogs as well as fish.
What's your plan for your pond now that you've removed the plant & your fish have provided a feast for some bird or birds? (It would be interesting to know which bird species made a meal of your fish.)
It'll be interesting to see what happens with your bird life as the indigenous Pennisetum spreads. You might get seed eating species such as firetails migrating to your garden and wouldn't that be something!
I love the riotous noise of frogs after rain. We spent Christmas a year ago at my folks place at the Sunshine Coast and I had great fun finding the variety of species of frogs that came out after the rain - at least 3 species and the smallest ones make the biggest noises :)
Woko this is the one i got rid of - salvinia, not the same one as the above pic. I also have a couple of other plants that seem to be VERY BAD. I got them from the market place at cabramatta but they can't escape because they are bigger. I think the Vietnamese eat them. One is called water lettuce and the other one, water hyacinth.
well i just have these weeds giving cover to the fish now, i bought more fish because they eat the mozzies. I like small colourless ones that the duck can't eat. Goldfish are highly visible and don't last long. White clouds are good because they don't eat frog spawn. I do have the gambusia in a bathtub and they do eat frog spawn - i thought they didn't when i got them from the local creek but they are VERY BAD too apparently, i don't know what to do with them because I can't get rid of them or couldn't kill them and they are very good mozie eaters.
Timmo I think the first pic looks right. I kept hearing it for a long time before i spotted it and listened to all the frog sounds online and failed to find it. It sounds like a guiro and it is very penetrating. I have marsh frogs as well which are twice the size and half the volume. After i found it , i saw it regularly and it was unconcerned with me shining a light on it and filming it whereas the marsh frogs take off when they see you.
Salvinia is something which deserves swift eradication in Australia so good work on removing it, Margaret.
A native of South America water hyacinth one of the most damaging, if not the most damaging, aquatic plants in Australia. It produces huge quantities of seed which remain viable for nearly 30 years. It also provides wonderful habitat for mosquitoes. So if you're planning to contribute to the saving of Australia's waterways it would be important to seek advice on its removal & disposal.
Frankly, I believe it's most irresponsible of people to be selling water hyacinth anywhere in Australia, let alone at the Cabramatta Market.
woko - here, just for you, In a garbage bag in the sun for several days and then into the rubbish bin
btw last weekend I was woken by the pounding of acorns on the tin roof, usually they just fall randomly, this wasn't random, it was corellas throwing them there. I suppose they were just having fun !
Good one, Margaret. I use tightly sealed bags for disposing of the dreadful Monadenia orchid after I've dug up the bulbs.
I've often wondered if birds experience delight/joy/pleasure whatever when they engage in such correla behaviour. It probably serves some practical purpose like keeping their beaks clean/sharp/tasty whatever but who knows. We'll be able to tell when we have corella psychiatrists.
Can you please provide a pic of the green pennisetum?
the purple one you removed (p. advena f. rubra) (which incidentally is not P.setaceum as is often claimed but may have hybrid origins) was actually completely safe in terms of invasive potential, it's a sterile cultivar and so does not set viable seed or produce spreading rhizomes.
Though it's not native so may have been out of place from a purist's perspective.
Margaret, that is sensational. It shows what can be done. Not even patience is needed so quickly has everything grown. I'll be interested to learn if any of your neighbours proceed likewise.
You are an inspiration. That is amazing! Very beautiful. I am so far away from having that effect here, but I know that if I just keep going I will get there.
Thanks everyone, I just plant things but am now out of space :/ When i first moved here I found a local nursery, and was told as they had no native potting mix, that their one which seemed fairly sandy would be fine. Years later I am wondering if the casualties i have had are a result of their soil.
oh and many of these grasses came from Cumberland Forest Nursery, a perfect place for plants indigenous to the cumberland plain. The bad news is that thanks to our despicable government, the nursery is going to make way for a treetop adventure.
someone told me that but i just looked it up and it appears to have become taken over by Plantsplus
no luck with neighbours planting. The one rare neighbour who let me plant things in their yard have just had their rental house sold. The very next day, surveyers came in. I assume that means that the house will be knocked down and replaced with some ugly mcmansion with lots of concrete
I don't think it's a Pennisetum, though I could well be wrong, looks kind of like a Dichelachne sp.
Poaceae (grasses) can be very difficult to identify...
Edit: Are the two pics under 'zosterops this?' of the same plant? if not the first picture indeed looks like a Pennisetum, my tentative id was based on the second photo of the fluffy seedhead.
when i put them up, i thought they were the same plant. however only the second one is flowering. the first one is the one that seems to be spreading and there are a few none of them are flowering. i think they must be 2 different grasses
woo hoo Margaret, how awesome is that! Let us know when it's scheduled to be on, to make sure we dont miss it.
Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
Hi Margaret. Your before & after shots will probably be of great interest to them. If they want the best opportunity of shots of birds early morning would be best. Perhaps they already know this.
How did your droving in the long paddock go?
Well i told them that 7am would be a good time for birds. The last few days I spent time out there early in the morning and it was very busy.
Hi Woko,
Here's some questions for you Woko so i can look like i know what i'm talking about. I can't even pronounce some of the plant names!
IS an understory necessary for insects to breed ? or why is it important?
Do exotics attract and allow Indian minors to flourish? I've been wondering about those ugly street trees that are everywhere. I don't know what they are but they are very common street trees probably planted 20 years ago. They have fairly nondescript trunks, leaves and berries that get underfoot. The question is do they encourage minors?
Do minors hurt native birds?
My yard had a flock of lorikeets this morning, and the wattle birds are doing some sort of mating ritual where they fly touching each other. There have been 4or 5 of them in my yard too. Will they discourage the little birds?
I HAven't been droving yet, it's in october.
Hi Margaret.
Understorey & Insects: Like birds, I would say different insects breed & live in different parts of the vegetation structure. So there would almost certainly be some insects which would depend on understorey. For example, some butterfly species are dependent on specific native grasses to breed. Replicating what used to grow in your area, both in terms of species & vegetation structure, would be most likely to attract the optimum range of insects.
Exotics & Indian Mynas: Keep in mind I'm fortunate to live in a Myna-free zone. However, from what I've read & observed on interstate trips, exotic vegetation would be likely to advantage Mynas because they would have less competition from native birds which would depend on native vegetation. I believe Mynas are more common in urban environments which are more likely to have exotic vegetation than rural areas. It's highly likely that if people plant vegetation which grows naturally where Mynas naturally live (i.e., in South East Asia) then Mynas will be more advantaged than they are now.
Mynas Hurting Australian Birds: Certainly, in the sense that they take up large amounts of space which naturally would populated by Australian birds. I believe that Mynas can be aggressive towards Australian birds but I don't know much about this. When I've seen Mynas on my trips interstate there haven't been many Australian birds around!
Wattlebirds Discouraging Small Birds: Red Wattlebirds can be aggressive towards smaller birds & therefore discourage them. Many people plant Grevillea hybrid for their beauty. However, the larger flowers provided by the hybrids advantage the larger honeyeaters such as Wattlebirds & Noisy Miners. This is another reason for planting indigenous species so that, as far as possible, the natural community of bird species can be attracted.
this is exciting! make sure you mention me as well :p
haha just kidding
do you know what date its going to be held?
GArdening Australia came last monday and tuesday. Thanks for your help Woko - i tried to mention those things. Costa came, plus the producer, camera and sound guys. Costa is a very charismatic person, really enthusiastic about all aspects of plants and animals. He filmed my duck and posted it on FB https://www.facebook.com/CostasWorld
I don't know what birds they got but i think they got a fairy wren. Whenever i noticed birds to film, they were filming something else. He liked my verge, and they looked at my front yard as well which is cottage garden so has exotics and natives. It is going to air on November 3 and 4 on ABC tv.
Cool Margaret! There are quite a few comments on the video of your duck on the FB page. I'll look forward to seeing your episode on TV.
Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
It's in my diary, Margaret.
I think I saw a pheasant cuckoo in my yard today - have never seen this bird before and I only saw it for a few seconds because it was getting harassed by a wattle bird. It was big, black and speckled with a large fan shaped tail.
Cool, Margaret!
Technically I think it's a "Pheasant coucal", and after checking my Reader's Digest Bird Book I now know that it's not actually a cuckoo either - it rears it's own young apparently.
The other thing that makes me smile is that my local guide to the Wildlife of Greater Brisbane lists "Woop-woop bird" as one of it's common names. That is what we always used to call them as kids, when we first had one visit us in Newcastle, due to their deep "woop woop woop woop woop" call.
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
well i hope i get to see and hear it again Tim :)
Did anyone else watch it? I did. You did great Margaret and now I've seen you in person!
Was wonderful to see your garden on TV. You deserve to be proud of what you've done. A great job!
Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
Yes, just watched it on iView.
Great work, Margaret - the variety in your garden is fantastic.
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
Thanks Kathie and Tim, yes the cinematography was great - made it look good.
I also watched it on iView. How good was that, what a great garden you have created, what great knowledge of plants and how to create a garden . You were fabulous.
M-L
I watched it and didn't realise it was Margaret's garden until they showed the "before" shots. Then it was twice as interesting. Well done Margaret. I hope the show gave some ideas to those many unimaginative people out there who have nothing in their backyard except a Hills hoist, sterile lawn and perhaps a struggling lemon tree planted years before in a mad moment of green exuberance.
I didn't know how big a buddleja would grow and was amazed when I saw yours Margaret. How long did it take to grow to that size? We planted on last Autumn and it's just starting to shoot a few new branches but it's only about a metre high.
Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
Thanks Araminta - I actually don't know much which means anyone can have a go at creating a garden. Hehehe green exuberance Night Parrot, yes it would be good if it had that sort of reach. And Kathie, that buddleia is rather large and grew very quickly.-- 3 years? I got it from the cheap, on their last legs, plants section at Bunnings and I think that yellow one grows more profusely than the purple ones. I have seen large purple ones but mine are tall and thin.
Thanks. Mine's a dark purple but hasn't flowered yet. Pretty sure I have a pink one too but can't remember where I put it in the garden
We have a big garden.
Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
I normally work when Gardening Australia is on so I forgot all about this episode and missed seeing it until now. Love your garden, Margaret.
Looks even better when seen on video than in the photos.
Alison
~~~~~~
"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
Wow, Margaret. Your garden looked stunning & so casual, too. It showed that you don't need a huge area in which to create habitat & a relaxing, attractive environment. I can identify with your point that there's always something new to discover in a garden like yours. And it's so good for the soul discovering it, too!
And I loved your Eremophila nivea, among other things. A real stunner.]
Have any of your neighbours commented? I ask because I'm wondering how likely it is that others in you neighbourhood will do what you've done.
Thanks Gyn55 and Woko - my neighbours have dug up their lawn in the front yard and have planted an acacia that i gave them. They intend to get rid of the jade and replant there with natives. They have my mulcher but don't seem to be getting around to mulching which means there is lots of weeds appearing. And another friend of mine has a 6 yr old boy with autism and he wants a garden like mine so we bought numerous plants from the Cumberland Forest nursery which stocks lots of indigenous plants. The boy, Louis, has named all the plants after Star wars characters and he also knows all their botanical names!
Everyday he looks at them and has a checklist which he marks about how they are growing.
Hi Margaret, this is "the most heartwarming and inspirational story" I have heard in a long time. Most of all I want to give Louis a BIG HUG, what a great kid.
You are doing such a great job.
M-L
the other day
Green tree frog, a lost frog who lives in the backyard. Hope he survives winter. He is really loud and such a tiny size. oh dear i bet Woko will tell me off about the water weed !
Hi Margaret. Things seem to be going swimmingly fory you, your garden & the green tree frog & all of you are obviously having an impact on others.
I don't know much about "water weed" so I don't know what that is under the green tree frog. Do you know which species it is? Did you plant it or did it generate from somewhere? In any case, it's unlikely to be invasive as your pond is confined & not running water so it won't transport seed or runners or whatever the plant uses to regenerate. Besides, if it's providing habitat for the green tree frog then that's all to the good.
If the "water weed" isn't local to you there are native water plants which you might like to try sometime. Go to http://www.aabr.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=94:frog-frie.. for a list of aquatic plants indigenous to your area.
I think its mosquito fern Woko, commonly sold in aquarium shops as azolla. I don't think its a problem especially in a contained area but it can take over a pond and choke it. I used to clean it out two or three times a year, leaving a few remnants which would regrow and spread over the pond. The water must have nurients for it to grow and it also shades the water; without it algae will proliferate and the water will spoil. It also provides habitat for critters that are probably on the menu for Margaret's cute tree frog. Well done Margaret.
I miss the sound of frogs at my place. We haven’t had any decent rain in months. The waterhole is dry, no water at all , so the frogs are under ground
. Only until it rains, then they will be singing again. I wish I had a green tree frog, only boring little brown ones.
M-L
I don't know the name of any of the water weeds but i had another one here at the time of the Gardening Australia visit and they later wrote to me and advised me to get rid of it. As you say Woko, it wouldn't seem likely that it would escape, however I did get rid of it and the birds then ate my fish. One way it could escape is that I have seen the wattle birds diving into a water container and i suppose they could fly off with a bit on them.
And getting back to the purple fountain grass. You know how i pulled it out but it wasn't the bad one? then i planted a green version and it is spreading however the guy at the nursery said you were probably talking about a different pennisetum and the one i have is indigenous so it doesn't matter if it spreads.
Thanks, Night Parrot. From what I can gather Mosquito Fern refers to the various species of Azolla, an aquatic plant. There are two Azollas native to Australia: Pacific Azolla Azolla filiculoides & Ferny Azolla Azolla pinnata. I get the impression from Wikileaks, oops, Wikipedia that Azolla filiculoides is one of those plants that seems to be cosmopolitan in that it has spread to many parts of the world & is regarded as being native in many countries, including Australia. Wikipedia says that Azolla filiculoides fixes nitrogen & is therefore used by agricuturalists to grow various aquatic crops such as rice. It seems to regenerate by natural division rather than seed spread.
Margaret, was the plant Gardening Australia advised you to get rid of different from the one in your photo or the same? Did they say why you should get rid of it?
As far as a wattle bird flying off with a piece I doubt that the piece would survive long enough to become established elsewhere unless there were lots of water about. Nevertheless, once established Azolla filiculoides does spread rapidly. My only concern would be if it were to compete successfully with an already established indigenous aquatic plant. It's one of those plants that's difficult to make a decision about, particularly if it's not competing with indigenous aquatic plants while simultaneously providing habitat for at least one green tree frogs as well as fish.
What's your plan for your pond now that you've removed the plant & your fish have provided a feast for some bird or birds? (It would be interesting to know which bird species made a meal of your fish.)
It'll be interesting to see what happens with your bird life as the indigenous Pennisetum spreads. You might get seed eating species such as firetails migrating to your garden and wouldn't that be something!
Love the frog pic, Margaret.
Based on the photo and your descriptionof size, it looks to me like one of these:
http://frogs.org.au/frogs/species/Litoria/fallax/
(or possibly these http://frogs.org.au/frogs/species/Litoria/phyllochroa/)
I love the riotous noise of frogs after rain. We spent Christmas a year ago at my folks place at the Sunshine Coast and I had great fun finding the variety of species of frogs that came out after the rain - at least 3 species and the smallest ones make the biggest noises :)
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
Woko this is the one i got rid of - salvinia, not the same one as the above pic. I also have a couple of other plants that seem to be VERY BAD. I got them from the market place at cabramatta but they can't escape because they are bigger. I think the Vietnamese eat them. One is called water lettuce and the other one, water hyacinth.
well i just have these weeds giving cover to the fish now, i bought more fish because they eat the mozzies. I like small colourless ones that the duck can't eat. Goldfish are highly visible and don't last long. White clouds are good because they don't eat frog spawn. I do have the gambusia in a bathtub and they do eat frog spawn - i thought they didn't when i got them from the local creek but they are VERY BAD too apparently, i don't know what to do with them because I can't get rid of them or couldn't kill them and they are very good mozie eaters.
Timmo I think the first pic looks right. I kept hearing it for a long time before i spotted it and listened to all the frog sounds online and failed to find it. It sounds like a guiro and it is very penetrating. I have marsh frogs as well which are twice the size and half the volume. After i found it , i saw it regularly and it was unconcerned with me shining a light on it and filming it whereas the marsh frogs take off when they see you.
Salvinia is something which deserves swift eradication in Australia so good work on removing it, Margaret.
A native of South America water hyacinth one of the most damaging, if not the most damaging, aquatic plants in Australia. It produces huge quantities of seed which remain viable for nearly 30 years. It also provides wonderful habitat for mosquitoes. So if you're planning to contribute to the saving of Australia's waterways it would be important to seek advice on its removal & disposal.
Frankly, I believe it's most irresponsible of people to be selling water hyacinth anywhere in Australia, let alone at the Cabramatta Market.
woko - here, just for you, In a garbage bag in the sun for several days and then into the rubbish bin
btw last weekend I was woken by the pounding of acorns on the tin roof, usually they just fall randomly, this wasn't random, it was corellas throwing them there. I suppose they were just having fun !
Good one, Margaret. I use tightly sealed bags for disposing of the dreadful Monadenia orchid after I've dug up the bulbs.
I've often wondered if birds experience delight/joy/pleasure whatever when they engage in such correla behaviour. It probably serves some practical purpose like keeping their beaks clean/sharp/tasty whatever but who knows. We'll be able to tell when we have corella psychiatrists.
Jungle ! with kangeroo grass as you suggested Woko, but also that green fountain grass pennisetum ? it is indigenous i think and is spreading.
Great garden. Nice and leafy with not a straight line or lawn in sight.
Can you please provide a pic of the green pennisetum?
the purple one you removed (p. advena f. rubra) (which incidentally is not P.setaceum as is often claimed but may have hybrid origins) was actually completely safe in terms of invasive potential, it's a sterile cultivar and so does not set viable seed or produce spreading rhizomes.
Though it's not native so may have been out of place from a purist's perspective.
Margaret, that is sensational. It shows what can be done. Not even patience is needed so quickly has everything grown. I'll be interested to learn if any of your neighbours proceed likewise.
Margaret,
You are an inspiration. That is amazing! Very beautiful. I am so far away from having that effect here, but I know that if I just keep going I will get there.
Thanks for sharing your garden with us all.
Happy Birding!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/138588528@N02/
Zosterops this ???
more grass, looking pretty in the lighting
Thanks everyone, I just plant things but am now out of space :/ When i first moved here I found a local nursery, and was told as they had no native potting mix, that their one which seemed fairly sandy would be fine. Years later I am wondering if the casualties i have had are a result of their soil.
oh and many of these grasses came from Cumberland Forest Nursery, a perfect place for plants indigenous to the cumberland plain. The bad news is that thanks to our despicable government, the nursery is going to make way for a treetop adventure.
Terrific shots of native grasses. Now you need neighbors to do likewise all the way to the nearest patch of bushland.
Sorry to hear about the Cumberland Forest Nursery making way for another development encroachment. Is the nursey to be relocated, Margaret?
someone told me that but i just looked it up and it appears to have become taken over by Plantsplus
no luck with neighbours planting. The one rare neighbour who let me plant things in their yard have just had their rental house sold. The very next day, surveyers came in. I assume that means that the house will be knocked down and replaced with some ugly mcmansion with lots of concrete
Thanks for the pic, Margaret.
I don't think it's a Pennisetum, though I could well be wrong, looks kind of like a Dichelachne sp.
Poaceae (grasses) can be very difficult to identify...
Edit: Are the two pics under 'zosterops this?' of the same plant? if not the first picture indeed looks like a Pennisetum, my tentative id was based on the second photo of the fluffy seedhead.
when i put them up, i thought they were the same plant. however only the second one is flowering. the first one is the one that seems to be spreading and there are a few none of them are flowering. i think they must be 2 different grasses
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