OBSERVATIONS IN MY GARDEN AND BALCONY

Some of my plants are out of control and are very difficult to maintain whilst others receive the greatest of care, especially those on my balcony. When I moved my Hoya plant from the lounge window ledge, it looked in distress and badly neglected, and so it had been because we, the family, decidedto close off part of the house and it was only months later that I  remembered it was in there. It was a sorry sight, only had a few leaves and looked as if it was dying. I felt so guilty but within a few weeks of being on the balcony in a sheltered place a new leaf appeared and it not only survived but flourished and all I did was give it a good watering.

The Hoya Carnosa

As it grows on one side of the pot, I placed some stones that I thought looked interesting on the other side which I picked up on the farm. Stones and pebbles fascinate me, and I usually have either one or the other in one of my jacket pockets. 

The balcony is very hot in the afternoons as it's sunny from 1 pm until 7 pm but a Hoya plant cannot be in full sun, so I devised a way of shielding it from the heat with a shoulder wrap. I tied one end to a branch, and the other end to the iron gate which covers my window. The fabric is made of fine cotton material so the sun's rays can penetrate the cloth without harming the leaves.

The border of the shoulder wrap has a peacock print all the way round These wraps are very useful on cooler evenings and I have two more in different colours, also with bird prints, that can also be used as wrap around skirts Getting back to my cossetted and esteemed Hoya plant, it is thriving in it's new home, and I check it every day for new red leaves, water it sparingly and clean the green leaves with a soft damp cloth.

Some of you may remember that  my beautiful Bougainvillea was cut down to the ground last year and pulled down by the tractor. I never thought  it would regrow let alone so vigorously, but now it's out of control. It needs training along both walls when there is more time to do so,as now it is the grape and fig harvest and the men are busy.

It did flower, but I only remembered to take photographs when the flowers were past their best, but how lovely  that it flowered at all, and grew so tall. It may not look the same as it looked before but in a few years time who knows!

The  Morning Glory vine growing out of control. It needs cutting back and it will soon cover the orchard wall with it' beautiful blooms as in one season it quickly reaches a height of 15 feet. 

Please forgive me if I have told you this before. This Oleander shrub was originally a large cutting used as a stake for another plant. This plant died, and the Oleander cutting  took, and grew into this  pretty tree

This Oleander tree was pruned last year but has grown too tall and needs pruning again to half it's size or even less.

The  Amaryllis belladonna Lily              .

This blushing beauty is in flower now in the garden. It is a species native to Cape  Province in South Africa. It is drought tolerant and produces abundant nectar for the pollinators. It's long stem gives it a  statuesque appearance, but it is a toxic plant that animals avoid.

My Geranium are doing well, in spite of the visit from the Geranium Bronze Butterfly last year.

Also in  flower in the garden is the Lantana, a heat loving plant that is also drought resistant,It also attracts  pollinators but it is also toxic to animals.When I had dogs they left it alone.

I love the different pretty species of heather in bloom now in the garden. Its beautiful colour and  earthy fragrance attract the tiny butterflies and many bees to the pollen and they fly from one flower to another.

Heather is also drought tolerant, as most of the garden plants are.

That's all for now, I hope you have enjoyed this different kind of post. Photos were taken on the balcony or just outside the kitchen and front door. Linking up now to Saturday's Critters.