Monday, March 03, 2014

The Rebirth

We had planned to go to our local HPS monthly meeting last Saturday but the sun was shining and the lure of the garden was so strong that we abandoned the idea and spent most of the day gardening instead, oops!

Usually Kniphofia thomsonii almost totally disappears in the winter but this time it remained evergreen and the old growth has gone floppy hence it's received a good trimming. White crocus have emerged between it and the Cotula hispida
Now the garden has been pretty much left to its own devices for most of the winter. The areas that were affected by the fire last summer were pretty much untouched from the point when the builders had finished constructing the new jungle hut up until last Saturday when we started clearing and tidying up.

Eremurus have started to creep up, together with Cyclamen seedlings
The garden recycling bin was filled up in no time!
Trimmings get dumped in the middle patio first before they get taken to the recycling centre
How nice it was to finally get stuck in again! We didn't do any clearing out of debris and dead plant materials in the autumn and winter and now that spring is looming we must remove all of them to make way for new growth, and more importantly to make our garden look nice again.

This Dicksonia antarctica fell down during the fire and was never propped up since then. Late in the summer it threw out new fronds much to our delight but as it was lying sideways the growth continued to go skywards...
It was well rooted on to the ground before the event. We'll be propping it up again very soon and bury almost a foot of the trunk on the ground to give it the best possible chance of recovery and make re-rooting much quicker (and make it more stable too). It will be one of the first things we'll do in this month before the new growth comes out so the fronds won't be lopsided in relation to the trunk.
This one wasn't a victim of the fire but of winter 2010-11. It will be used as a pathway edging.
It looks like there are loads to do and it also feels like we are starting all over again. But after spending nearly the entire day clearing out and making plans we reckon it won't take us long to sort things out. 

The gravel is heavily contaminated with ash, broken glass, and other debris that the top layer needs to be skimmed and replaced with fresh gravel
Where a tall Magnolia delavayi once was has now been finally cut down to a stump. Some new growth sprouted at the base and we'll let that take over. Hopefully its growth will be vigorous.
Some surprises - Chamaedorea radicalis sprouting back and...
Chamaedorea microspadix making a comeback after this potted plant was totally burnt to nothing but a charred root ball. The plastic pot was gone and was just a black ball but the rains have washed the soot to reveal the roots and looks like also triggered it to throw out new growth.
We're feeling quite excited on how the garden will shape up this year. The rebirth of the garden has begun.A Phoenix will rise.

Mark :-)

34 comments :

  1. So sorry to read about a fire, it sounds pretty devastating. Plants can be tenacious though, good to see things starting to grow back.

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    1. The fire seems like a distant memory now despite the many signs of it are still around which we'll have to clear out. Getting the jungle hut rebuilt and new fences re-erected has helped immensely. The replanting bit is going to be exciting :)

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  2. What keeps me going through the spring cleanup is finding all those little surprises hiding beneath the detritus. Aren't you glad you opted to stay home and garden?

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    1. Same here Ricki :) It was the best decision that time and so glad we did!

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  3. Wow!! it is awesome how plants survive to this type of events! they've really got strength!!

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    1. The Chamaedoreas were particularly Lisa, we're impressed that they're a lot tougher than we thought.

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  4. The siren song of the garden has claimed many a soul. Such wonderful signs of life and rebirth as spring approaches!

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    1. So true Evan! The topic of the talk and the speaker was very appealing but the call of the garden was too much to resist!

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  5. I'm so happy to read of unexpected surprises (of the good kind) in your garden, kudos to you for staying home and tackling the clean up.

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    1. That felt great Loree, to stay at home and start the clearing out. Best decision that weekend!

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  6. Wow, signs of new life are wonderful. I am so happy for you and I bet that they take off! I am cleaning up myself and doing lots of debris tossing.

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    1. Thank you Candice! One other about clearing out is that the visual changes are instant which is very satisfying.

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  7. A wise decision as it sounds as if you had a most positive day. Now I thought that my wheelie bin was full but yours takes the prize. It's interesting how bin colours vary - here it's green for green waste, blue for paper, plastics etc and black for domestic. Have just visited my mum and did some weeding, tidying up etc. and was happily flinging stuff into what turned out to be completely the wrong bin :)

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    1. Different council different takes on colour :) these bins are so handy but being gardeners we could do with bigger ones don't you think so (storage might be an issue though)?

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  8. You have signs of new life everywhere, this time of year is so wonderful, seeing what has survived the winter, welcoming old friends back into the garden. You must be so relieved that so much has survived your fire.

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    1. So true Pauline. We're also starting see which ones that totally disappeared last year are actually still set to come back. The new growth spring brings plus the replanting is something we look forward to :)

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  9. They say after a fire that the new growth that survived grows amazingly fast. You do have a lot to do this year but now that your time will be dedicated to this, it will be quick work for you guys.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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    1. We hope so Cher, pretty confident :) there's a lot of truth to that especially if the rootball is intact which will help the top growth grow fast and recover. We're hoping our Magnolia delavayi will be like that.

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  10. hah ! the phoenix begins to rise ! Spring is, in essence , a phoenix every single year, but after your fire, it will have so much more significance. Luckily the winter here in the uk has been gentle with us so far, so , as yet, we haven't lost anything (I'm whispering that bit!). 2010 was dreadful for us too and we lost tree ferns , palms and also lots of hebe hedging.

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    1. That's so true Jane! Each spring is like a Phoenix rising again to start the yearly cycle. Winter 2010 was dreadful and so many losses were incurred indeed. This winter was such a fab bonus and very gentle to all our plants.

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  11. I love how things are resprouting, even ones that seemed gone for good. Also, I am intensely jealous that it is actually spring where you are.

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    1. Some of these new sprouters just took their time to send growth after being scorched, perhaps waiting for the following spring rather than sending out new growth immediately. We're currently having frosty mornings but at least day time temps are good and weather has been sunny lately.

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  12. I love seeing new signs of life in the spring. So much to explore in your garden. I hope the cleanup is quick and easy (as if it ever is, LOL).

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    1. True Gerhard, lol! Relatively quick and easy but more likely not as quick as we'd want it to be :)

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  13. The resilience of plants - and people - never ceases to amaze me. I'm glad you have the time and the weather to begin enjoying your garden again.

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    1. Thanks Kris! The weather is cooperating at the moment. Frosty mornings but daytime temps are good and sunny too. Could do away with the frost but may the sunny weather last! :)

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  14. Looks like you made the correct decision, Its good to get stuck in. I hope your Magnolia comes away nicely.

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    1. It felt great to get stuck in Alistair, best decision that weekend :) we're very optimistic with the Magnolia wit the big root it has to back up the new growth.

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  15. I love this time of year, trying to figure out if you can sneak material into your neighbors' debris bins . . . It cheers me to read that you're getting some surprise regeneration. I can't wait to see what other surprises your garden gives you!

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    1. Thanks Heather, hopefully lots of good ones and no more nasties :) Debris bins never seems big enough!

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  16. Oh how we're longing for weekends with sun or at least not pouring rain so that we can get out there and work in the garden! Looking forward to seeing how the rebirth of your garden progresses!

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    1. Thanks Peter :) I know you're a weekend warrior too just like like us and great weather especially over the weekend is always desired. Hope you have some good ones soon!

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  17. It's starting to look good again. I must admit that wonky tree fern has reminded me to get yet another one and plant it nearly horizontal (a bit different). I don't really have much problem with garden waste as I tend to compost and shred everything cod I iz a propa gardoner :-)

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  18. Yay to the rebirth!!!! I was just thinking about that today...and I think I may have finally come out of my funk too! Looking forward to getting in the garden this weekend :)

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