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This last two weeks has seen us flat out with the watering system as far as possible. We've had a few hot and humid days which have been too uncomfortable to work for long in so that has delayed things. Anyway it's nearing completion now. The rosebed, housebeds, hedge, herb bed and side bed in the back garden have dripline installed; the vegie beds and the fuschias under the willow have great sprays. In the front garden there is dripline on 2 side beds and sprays on a third. Still to go are the beds under the windows which will be sprays as i have lots of fuschias in pots under the tree ferns. The fruit trees have drippers in a circle round their bed edges. The roses in pots around the patio have a dripper each. It's wonderful to know that just by starting the bore pump everything in the garden will get a drink. The only hand watering I will have to do will be another 2 groups of roses in pots, 8 strawberry pots and a few odd small trees in the lawn, a Jacarandah, Lilac, Forsythia, Kerria, Banksia, Dryandra, Grevillea, Lemon, Callistemon, Wattle, and a few assorted pots plus the little Frangipanis. Gosh that sounds like a lot !!
The blackspot on the roses is definitely controlled better by Healthy Earth Plant spray than Triflorine. Trouble is I can't source any in Vic and have had no reply to 3 emails I've sent them. Very annoying. Haven't quite given up yet but I'll have to do an interstate phone call. The thrips are still around but not in such huge numbers as before.
I've sprayed everything with a cocktail of Epsom salts, seaweed concentrate and Algoflash. Have side dressed the tomatoes with potassium Sulphate. I cut back all the daisies which had gone feral and found a rose, a guava and a couple of other things that had been swamped !
The rose cutting has bloomed, it's an Henri Matisse which I'm thrilled with :) When I went to vote at the primary school they had their monthly market on and I bought another rose - Queen Elizabeth. The freebie roses I rescued from death are still starting new blooming and so the surprises keep coming. Yesterday an orange and lemon one opened and there's a lovely red. I can't believe how much new growth has happened. I had to go to Bunnings (so what's new ? ) to buy some more stakes today or a big wind could have done a lot of damage.
Yesterday was the cherry harvest, a BIG bowl full. Not as many as last year but they're larger and sweeter and juicier !
While fixing up the sprays on the front flowerbed I pulled out a lot of feral pelargoniums, hiding under them I found Daylilies in bud!! The irises had also been growing but no sign of buds on them.