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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
 Posted - 07/12/2008 : 10:25:44
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I was beginning to think I would never get a photo of mine flowering.
This morning the wait was over..
Melastoma affine: Common Name Native Tibouchina.
Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts
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pitta
head gardener
Australia
1209 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2008 : 13:23:16
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MA Thats lovely, Now I'll go to look up all about it. Beaut colour.
We are still waiting for rain. Pitta.
If you want to live and thrive, let the spider run alive.
Gwen
Cooktown |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2008 : 13:46:16
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It heaved down this morning between 3-4 am woke me up and another 47.5 mm in the gauge..
That plant should do well up your way, I nearly lost it last year to the frost, the past winter we covered it every night with a old sheet. In my garden it does not like the dry either most likely more at home up north..
Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2008 : 15:53:55
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They are a worthy addition to any warm area garden - always a neat rounded shape to the ground up to 1.5 to 2m high and 2m+wide, and covered in large pinky purple flowers a couple of times a year. They prefer regular watering but will survive with less. I have one of mine (the one from another post that suddenly browned off) growing in full sun on top of a bank behind the house and only gets watered by rain - it is about 9 years old and went through several years of drought without extra water - though does prefer more. The other one we have is only 2 or 3 years old and probably gets a little too much shade as it has only had a couple of flowers on it. It is only a metre or so tall and wide. I love them and would have more if I had somewhere to plant them.
Yours is looking pretty Mary-Anne 
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2008 : 16:20:47
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Thanks Gail..
Yes it is a nice rounded shrub now only those couple of flowers so far..
Heaps of buds though I hope they open together it will look so pretty.
Not full size yet only about 1 mt tall and 1.2 wide but getting there.
Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2008 : 19:57:14
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Gosh it is a pretty bloom and bush. And you say it likes water. I would love a bush like that in my boggy mauve and yellow garden and I will go and see the local nursery about it tomorrow.
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2008 : 20:26:50
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It wont survive down your way Pamela its hates the frosts...
Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2008 : 20:55:26
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Thanks Mary Anne. No frangipanis and none of this. But then there are pluses and minuses everywhere.
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2008 : 21:08:00
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That's right Pamela. But you can grow Frangipani in a pot.
And put it under cover in the colder weather.
Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2008 : 06:07:04
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I am too busy to manage any pots except the few I have with rose babies which will be planted out soon. Learnt that from experience.
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2008 : 07:08:16
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So many Roses but no Frangipani, remembering you don't have to water these plants anywhere near as much at Roses.. Frangipani cuttings look after themselves in a pot till they grow roots then they only need watering about once a week or two depending on how hot the weather is..
Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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Jacqueline
assistant gardener
Australia
249 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2008 : 06:48:50
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Lovely flower Mary-Anne. I also like the shape of the bush and the pretty green of the leaves. Will have to look into getting one of them!!!
Jacqueline, Brisbane |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2008 : 06:55:40
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Its a lovely bush Jacqueline.
Though does need to be covered in the Winter on those Frosty Nights.. 
Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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The Estate
head gardener
Australia
3676 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2008 : 07:51:10
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will look great in full bloom 
My basic weeding rule: if they grow in rows they're flowers;
if they don't they're weeds.
Melbourne |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2008 : 08:41:25
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I dont think that is ever going to happen somehow..
Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 25/01/2009 : 20:34:36
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They did not bloom at the same time maybe a quarter of them did..
So now they have heaps of seed pods on them.
Gail is it time to prune and by how much do you think as it grew so much the past year, thankfully its not a rose  so it wont matter if I am a little heavy handed or will it.
What do you think 1/3 or 1/2 or even less or should I wait till later, what did you do with yours. Did that one that was looking a bit off recover or not..
I am a little confused about this plant as it almost died the Winter of 07 due to frost only one green leaf left then and Winter 08 found the old cotton drapes on it covered with a sheet of thin ice a few morning during the coldest part of the year..
Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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Topic |
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A Flowering Melastoma affine