July 2012 - Two
Back from the Dead

When I look at these photos of the hardenbergias growing over our front fence,
it's hard to believe that twelve months before, they were covered with
spotty, gnarled leaves, with only one or two measly little flowers over the whole bush..

I took samples of the leaves (carefully imprisoned in a sealed plastic bag) to Kuranga Nursery
and their advice was to spray it with Macozeb.

 

I thought that really nothing could save these diseased shrubs, but perhaps if I sprayed with Mancozeb,
after pruning off every singe leaf I could find, at lease I could plant a couple of new hardenbergias
in between the original three, and they could use the framework of the dead branches to climb up.

 

So I stripped the leaves - sprayed - and lo and behold, there came forth shiny new leaves!
The drastic pruning, plus the Mancozeb seemed to kick it back into vigorous new life,
and the two small (purple) plants, in between the original three, will have a hard time
establishing their own territory.

After these flowers die off, I plan to repeat the severe pruning, and if any bad looking
leaves appear, I shall once again apply the Mancozeb.

 

And just so you don't think "why on earth is she showing us a whole page of the same plant",
here's one more of the many little ferns which have sprung up all over the garden.
If they all turn out to be tree ferns, I'm afraid I'll have to find new homes for some.

next - Spring Returns to The Duckpond

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