Identification

Camellia japonica Elegans variegated form

We are continuing with our camellia identification and are fairly confident we can tick another one off the list. This camellia is the variegated form of C. japonica “Elegans”. Lexie found a photo of the variegated form in her book “The Complete A-Z of Gardening in Australia” by WG Shead and Gerald Schofield. The flower measured 11cms across. We found a photo of this camellia taken at Wildwood, a garden in the Blue Mountains at Bilpin so it is definitely available in Australia.

 

native earwig (order Dermaptera)

We are continuing with the renovation of the garden around the bench in the bluebell wood and when digging hole for camellias Lexie dug up this insect. It is an Australian native earwig. Earwigs are omnivores but the native species are not considered a threat and are probably beneficial.  We have planted 8 Camellia sasanqua around the bench, 5 variegated leaf hydrangeas and a Kalmia and Pieris. These last two are planted with the aim of creating a screen along the neighbour’s mesh fence.

 

Snow in Blackheath on Friday evening

Friday was a snow day in the upper mountains. The snow began falling at 3pm and didn’t stop until around 7pm, resulting in some snow decorated Friday evening gatherings.

 

163 mm of rain

Winter lawn after rain

We experienced an east coast low 2 weeks ago bringing damage to the beach side suburbs in Sydney but delivering much needed rain to the top of the mountains.

Camellia japonica “Nancy Bird”

The camellias are now flowering with confidence.

We hosted a winter wedding under the Linden tree last weekend and the gardens looked lovely after the rain. The day was cool, sunny and calm.

Winter wedding photographed by Sharon Ferrari

We have had an arborist in to remove some old birches plus a splitting and leaning conifer and now that it has rained we can weed and plant in the spaces. The birches removed were planted along a fence with a neighbour’s

Lichen on remaining birch

house close by and a path underneath. They had started to drop branches and so Council gave us permission to remove them. The arborist found them to be quite rotten. They did have beautifully lichened trunks which we miss. We have saved one birch that is in the middle of a garden bed and so is no threat to houses or walkers should a branch fall.

path and peony pots

renovation underway around the bench

We have put two potted bush peonies on the most obvious stumps and I am thinking of planting some tree peonies beside the path, making  a peony walk.

Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney – VIVID

Reclaim the night

There were aspects of “Reclaim the night”about our particular adventure to Vivid Sydney this year. I went along with my teenage daughter and 3 of her friends, we caught public transport part of the way there and back and then the Cathedral of Light in the botanic gardens put me in mind of Judy Horacek’s cartoon.

200 years

at least one of these is a conifer!

The Royal Botanic Gardens were part of the Sydney Vivid Festival this year. The Gardens are celebrating 200 years of botanic endeavour.

Purple projection with bridge and Opera House behind

The  200 vertical garden is planted with grasses and the purple trees are conifers. We entered the garden through the gates on the Opera House forecourt. The projection onto  the opera house was mindblowing, made up of art works from 6 indigenous artists both traditional and modern. The harbour was still and beautiful and the bridge was outlined in colour. Inside the gardens the stone wall along the harbour front was covered in a mesh of golden LEDs leading to the Cathedral of light, 8m high and 60m long made of golden flower LEDs.

Cathedral of light

 

ghostly fig

snake fig

The fig has been  3D video mapped and  light projected – stunning moving images!