December 1999: The turf is really growing well now. I finally decided to plant the Banksia coccinea , which had new growth, in an elevated section of the garden. Snails ate a bit of the new growth (damn!). The drainage down the bottom of the garden is better than I expected. A builder who owned the place 20 years ago put alot of gravel and river rocks there, down to a depth of a foot or two at least. I've put in a Banksia serrata and Banksia aemula there. I have another elevated bed, 4m x 1m x 50cm high on well-drained soil, which I filled with sand, gravel and compost and put in a Banksia speciosa (foolhardy me, but I really like this species -"Death or Glory!!"). I also put in a Hakea laurina and Grevillea "Sylvia" (for my daughter, Silvia) in another well-drained section. And a Sollya heterophylla and Kennedia rubicunda.

January 2000:Well, no millenium bugs in my garden yet, I've put a path through a gravelly partly-shaded southwest facing area and planted a Banksia brownii and a white-flowered form of B. ericifolia (we'll see just how white the flowers are...I'll post a photo when it flowers..). Given the drainage is good in another raised area I got a waratah (the kosher Telopea speciosissima) and a white one too! A Banksia spinulosa "Birthday Candles", a Banksia nutans and Chamaeleucum uncinatum all for pots, while I got 2 Pimelea ferruginea, one normal, one "Magenta Mist", for in between big plants. A couple of weeks later, I visited a government native nursery in Randwick and got some tube stock of Pimelea linifolia,Billiardiera scandens, Hardenbergia violacea, Correa alba, Correa reflexa, Wonga wonga vine (Pandorea pandorana) and Darwinia fascicularis. On Australia Day, I got some Hibbertia serpyllifolia, Kennedia nigricans, Conesticks (Petrophile pedunculata), Narrow-leaved Drumsticks (Isopogon anethifolius), Pandorea pandorana 'Golden Showers', Banksia marginata (mauve), and Nauclea orientalis, both of which I'm leaving in pots for the time being..

February 2000: We've had some hot (40 C) days which have caused the first garden fatalities ( some Pimelea, both species, and the Banksia brownii). I've now got Hakea bakeriana, Pultenaea pedunculata, Isopogon anemonifolius "Woorikee 2000", which is a shrubby form, Viola hederacea "Baby blue", and Kennedia microphylla, a prostrate example of that genus rather than a vigorous climber.

March 2000: Now to adding in bits, small plants such as Pratia puberula, Dillwynia retorta and Dianella caerulea. Towards the end of the month I also picked up Eucalyptus macrocarpa, Grevillea scortechinii, Grevillea quercifolia(grafted onto Silky Oak(G. robusta) and Scleranthus biflorus. The Dillwynia is looking pretty miserable and one of the Darwinias died after a child sat on it (occupational hazard in my garden!), and the 'Baby blue' is looking vulnerable. Oh well.

April 2000: Wet weather (and rootrot fungus) has sent my B. nutans and B. blechnifolia to that great big nursery in the sky. I've found a native species growing naturally (!) in our garden, Scurvy Weed (Commelina cyanea). It is actually quite common in our suburb. Later in the month a friend gave me some seedlings of Hakea archaeoides (formerly NSW from of H. trineura) a couple of days after I'd sown some seeds myself as no-one was growing them anywhere. Also, my young Correa alba wilted and died, maybe because a rose, which I thought I'd killed with a bulldozer has risen like Lazarus underneath it (it is Easter after all).

May 2000: Bought a couple Acacia cognata 'Green Mist',Grevillea laurifolia, Brachysema latifolium, Banksia baxteri(couldn't resist) and Westringia 'Sea Mist'. The Geraldton Wax has buds on it and the Hakea laurina has sturdied up nicely. A week or two later I got a Banksia canei, B. praemorsa, B. spinulosa 'Lemon Glow' and a B. media, as well as a Viola hederacea 'White Glory' from Kuranga in Melbourne. The Grevillea quercifola grew a suspicious looking leaf on the trunk which looked like it came from the stock. Naturally, I pruned it and crossed my fingers.Also, my B. aemula got some sooty mould on it so I've pruned the bad bits off. I have a feeling it won't do great. Strong winds late in the month bent over my Hakea laurina and my Rose of the West, but I've re-staked them again. Also my 5 new seedlings of Hakea archaeoides got knocked over not once but twice in two days (I hope they survive this..). I also got a tiny plant of Xanthorrhoea arborea, then the wife says she wants something that smells nice, so i get a mint bush (Prostanthera incisa) and 2 sweet native jasmine(Jasminum suavissimum).

June 2000: My goodies from Fairhill arrived today; 2 Gardenia scabrella, G. ovularis and 2 Banksia plagiocarpa. I also got a Themeda australis, to liven up a stoney bed. 4 of the H. archaeoides are still alive, and heartened by this, I'm trying to grow Banksia spinulosa spinulosa (black styles, shrubby) from cuttings and seed (12/6/00). Unfortunately, my Grevillea quercifolia is looking very under the weather, and there's been a bit of precipitation this month. An expert told me that this species doesn't do well grafted, and on cue it's going downhill rapidly....
On a brighter note, I've planted 2 Banksia blechnifolia and 1 B. repens seeds on 19/6/00, as well as raising the garden bed under my B. aemula to see if that helps with drainage. Both my Hakeas are now staked, which is not surprising.

July 2000: Cold and Windy, I got some flora from Rozelle and planted a Lomandra longifolia under my Poinsettia. On the 7th of July I planted 2 Banksia caleyi and 2 B. dryandroides seeds. Also noticed that the Coral Pea is getting more vigorous and have had to remove tendrils from nearby Banksia serrata..On the up side, my Golden Showers Wonga Wonga vine is starting to flower and the Purple Coral pea has buds on it. The geraldton wax has had many buds for a month or two but none have opened. The Isopogon anemonifolius also has a few buds!

August 2000: Well, I've got some flowers at last on my Geraldton Wax, Pandorea pandorana 'Golden Showers' and Kennedia rubicunda., Purple Coral Pea and Mint Bush (purple flowers as well!). On a down side, the Banksia baueri is looking very unhealthy, very suddenly as has the Gardenia scabrella, which has died in the same manner of the plant it replaced (a cursed area of garden maybe??). Anyway, not doing to much as 3rd baby coming next month..

September 2000: I planted some Banksia oblongifolia seeds on the 5th. The 2 Banksia caleyi and a B. blechnifolia seeds have finally germinated after 7 weeks or so. Also, I have potato plants sprouting about the place after burying vegetable waste in various parts of the garden, as compost bin is full. Also, lots of nice flowers on the Pultenaea pedunculata, which is starting to take off. My worm farm is still alive and I've been splashing around its runoff, plus seaweed stuff and iron and osmocote - some plants were a bit yellow are now much greener.

October 2000: The Sollya heterophylla is flowering, and the white form of my native violets are spreading - in vigour they are halfway between the 'Baby Blue' (weak) and the normal form (robust.). My hydrangea has buds too, time to see if all the ammonium sulphate I've been dunking on it all winter has acidified the soil enough to turn it blue... After being dormant all winter, alot of plants are putting on new growth now.
Also been reading alot about bonsai and visited the HardwareHouse at Ashfield, which has alot of neglected B. serrata, integrifolia and marginata that must have been sitting in 8 inch pots for years, with thick gnarly trunks, so I got a B. serrata, which had a trunk 6cm wide at the base, and will try to grow it in a quasi-bonsai style...
On the 10th, 2 of the 4 B. oblongifolia seeds had sprouted. I also planned a new raised bed at the side of the (shrinking) lawn, and bought a Grevillea venusta for it, as well as a Grevillea 'Carpet Queen' to go under/between the Banksia robur elsewhere. My friend George gave me a 5 year old London Plane Tree in a 6cm wide pot and 35cm high, grown as bonsai. I'll start a bonsai page with all this stuff. Iron deficiency is not uncommon, and I've been chucking around plenty of iron chelate and seaweed emulsion which has greened things up nicely. Another problem is a particular area of the garden which has claimed several plants (Gardenia scabrella, Banksia brownii (no surprise there really) and B. aemula) for no apparent reason - drainage appears reasonable. I've now planted a Hakea sericea there, if that dies then I know there's something wrong biologically, chemically or supernaturally. On the 22nd, I planted cuttings in 75% river sand and 25% seed mix - 3 B. spinulosa, 3 Hakea bakeriana and 3 Myoporum. Unfortunately, the sand was very porous and most ran out the holes.
Visited the Rozelle Landcare volunteers and picked up some tubestock on the 29th - 3 Eucalyptus robusta, 2 Hakea sericea, and 4 each of Casuarina torulosa, Allocasuarina littoralis and a Rulingia hermanifolia.They had an excess of trees and I suddenly had a really good plan to use all these species as bonsai......

November 2000: My young Banksia media went brown and died suddenly - which was odd as it was in a pot. After months of inertia, my 2 Banksia paludosa are starting to grow. On the 9th I sowed 3 more Banksia oblongifolia and 2 B. dryandroides seeds. My Grevillea 'Sylvia' appears to have fruit or seeds growing from it. Also bought 3 Bulbine bulbosa. This has been on of the wettest Novembers I can remember and I have various fungi sprouting about thinking it is easter. My potatoes have withered so I have pulled up the spuds (more room for my waratahs now). I stuck some more potato clippings in another bare mulched area of garden, and 2 Banksia aculeata seeds in tubes on November 21st. On November 24th I planted a New England Banksia (Banksia spinulosa neoanglica) and 2 Hakea bakeriana seeds. The next day I put about 50-70g Dynamic Lifter on most of my plants, as well as Fongarid on the rootrot sensitive ones. Today (the 27th) I discovered just how sensitive the plants are to phosphorus, as most had scorched older leaves (oops..). I have just doused them all generously with iron chelate. Also planted 2 Hakea sericea seeds.

December 2000: Rain, rain and more rain... My Banksia speciosa has gone a sinister shade of yellow and brown (methinks the rootrot fungus has finally struck). My paved area is becoming filled with potted plants which I intend to put in the ground at neighbours', friends' or relatives' houses. I just picked up a Hakea gibbosa, Grevillea banksii and Leptospermum sp. (? squarrosum) at our local SGAP meeting...on with the crusade.. Also bought a couple of local Acacia myrtifolia to stick in as understorey plants as the local form is quite small (50-100 cm). My native violet is flowering like crazy, whether because of the rain or Dynamic Lifter I don't know... Unfortunately, the phosphorus claimed one casualty, my planted Banksia plagiocarpa, which keeled over despite remedial iron chelates. Also, the B. speciosa came out and my mauve (supposedly) B. marginata and mint bush went in (possibly a bit hasty transplanting these in summer).

January 2001: Oh dear, the mauve B. marginata didn't survive going in the ground. On the bright side, my bougainvilleas are starting to grow (after a year in the ground!) and turn my old school fence border into a thorny green mass. A waratah also died in the heat (it hadn't really grown since going in a year ago). I took the Leichhardt tree and planted it at the in-laws (it was too big for its pot, we'll see how big it gets..). I saw a wattlebird feeding on my Grevillea 'Sylvia', first wildlife to do so I've seen. The Grevillea 'Carpet Queen' packed up as well for some reason. Got a couple of Indigofera australis tubestock and put them in part shade to see how they grow. My B. ericifolia has a bud on it (and we'll see what colour it is..). Got a Correa baeuerlenii to fill in a gap somewhere.

February 2001: On the 7th or so, 6 out of 6 Hakea sericea seedlings appeared (finally). I planted 4 more seeds of the same (if they germinate it's open season...). The coral pea is really running rampant and requires frequent checking. Every couple of days or so I have to remove tendrils from nearby shrubs. The new correa keeled over and I'm not sure why.

March 2001: March 9th, cutting day; trying 3 Chrysocephalum ramosissimum, 4 Hakea bakeriana, and 12 Grevillea mucronulata to see if anything takes....
. Talking of buds, the B. ericifolia bud is turning whitish & my Correa reflexa has some pale red and green buds on it. This is early and I hope signifies the start of a long flowering season. A Hakea bakeriana seed planted in November germinated in mid-march, as have 3 of the 4 H. sericea seeds. Maybe it's the colder nights (finally). Buoyed by this, on the 19th I've planted 4 Hakea trineura (i.e. from Rockhampton) seeds, and some feathery things I think are Pimelea linifolia, a well as another Banksia oblongifolia. The native indigo in clayish soil at my mum's is growing twice as fast as the one in sandy soil here. Finally, bought a green Correa reflexa and was given a C. alba tubestock. Planted both in well-drained areas and part shade (trying to make an understorey).

April 2001: Planted 6 Hakea macraeana seeds on the 1st. Cutting situation looking grim with most having turned grey. 2 Banksia aculeata seeds have germinated after 5 months in 2 tubes. My bonsai Banksia serrata has died (water excess I think). 2 H. trineura seeds have germinated. I've made a new raised bed in half shade for a variegated Correa 'Dusky Bells' I bought at Mt Annan and the Rulingia hermannifolia. I tried to relocate (disentangle) my 2nd Acacia cognata 'Green Mist' from the roots of a palm tree to the new bed but it died (too much root trauma)

May 2001: Preoccupied with renovating currently, but planted a bunch of seeds (Hakea bakeriana, macraeana & Banksia oblongifolia in mid may. The aculeatas withered and died, not yellow so not sure why (too much water? rained heaps). One of my Banksia roburs has a big bud on it, and the ericifolia 'white candles' flower looks good (photo soon). Bought a Banksia baueri, nutans & dryandroides, all in 6" pots in late may. Also got 2 Macrozamia spiralis, in tubes which had been planted April 29 1999. They are still quite small - I put them in 2 terracotta pots.

June 2001: Planted out several B. aculeata & caleyi seeds in tubes with a dose of phosacid on June 1 having been sent to me form Melbourne after germinating sometime after April 8; luckily most survived after my son tried to make mudpies out of them. Unfortunately, the B. nutans wasn't so lucky and perished quickly.

July 2001: Rain continues but we're finally back home after 3 weeks turned into 3 months of renovations. My Hakea sericea has buds on it, 1 year after being gotten as tube stock. Also the Wonga vine 'Golden Showers' is flowering a bit better this year. None of the seeds planted in the last few weeks have germinated with the cold weather (Spring and autumn are definitely the best times). The Gardenia ovularis looks sad too but it's hard to pinpoint what the problem is.
Walking to work in Campsie, I noticed a Persoonia pinifolia bush with some berries on it. I picked 9 of them.

August 2001: Hurricane force winds have wrought havoc in the garden; a gust dropped a palm frond on my G. venusta, breaking a substantial portion, while my Hakea bakeriana was blown over. I pruned it a bit and staked it (fingers crossed). I have been forwarned about H. laurina's vulnerability to wind and it has been well secured for some time. My white waratah has a large bud on it too. My Golden Showers Wonga Wonga vine has flowered more this year and the Purple Coral pea has some flowers again. The Geraldton wax has a few buds and the Isopogon anemonifolius also has a few.
My Hakea trineura (Rockhampton) seedlings are growing okay, but have been knocked over at least twice by toddlers and winds :(. Hopefully they'll survive.
I'm also gathering stuff for a new raised bed - Grevillea iaspicula, a year old Banksia oblongifolia seedling, now a year old, and the B. spinulosa 'Birthday Candles' which produced no flowers this winter after a few when I got it. I also got 2 B. dryandroides in 6" pots, now in 8", both with buds on them.

September 2001: Planted 3 B. aemula and 3 B. paludosa astrolux seeds in an egg carton for inside germination on the 1st. Since June virtually nothing has germinated by the 'plonking in a tube and crossing fingers' method, so time for some other methods. I'll keep this inside where it is a little warmer and see how it goes. On the 5th of September, I tried the damp-paper-in-a-box method of germination with 7 Hakea macraeana and 2 H. platysperma (Cricket Ball Hakea) seeds (amazing looking things these!)
The Grevillea venusta & Gardenia ovularis are both a bit yellow (a Qld thing?) - time to get out the iron and nitrogen.....
The other problem is all the onion weed (again) -furthermore, I had some Bulbine bulbosa which may or may not have self-seeded, so that I can't tell the young plants from each other (hmmm).. On the up, I did see a native bee feeding on my Banksia robur flower; a nice feeling, that. BY mid-September, I noticed that selfsame B. robur had a second bud on it. Also, the Isopogon anemonifolius 'Woorikee 2000' had plenty of flowers. The Hakea platysperma seeds both germinated after 12 days and I popped them into tubes with some seed-raising mix with some Fongarid cover - 4 of the H. macraeana did likewise a few days later. The Rulingia hermannifolia has begun to flower as well, though only has a short flowering season. I also saw a Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus) in the yard (wow!).
On the 26th I put 10 B. aemula & 2 Petrophile pedunculata seeds in between some damp paper towelling (after the Hakeas germinated). The next day I did 6 B. paludosa astrolux & 4 Lambertia formosa.

October 2001: On the 8th I opened some Hakea bakeriana seeds and a weevil or something had gotten one so I put 'em in a tub with some Mancozeb quick smart and crossed me fingers...
Much as I have misgivings, I think I need some form of fungicide for this seed-propagation-in-a-tub as the banksia seeds are in danger of being overtaken by green fuzzy invaders. Some success on October 12th when a B. aemula, Lambertia formosa and B. paludosa astrolux sent roots out. By the 17th 2 more Mountain Devils and 3 more Starlight's Banksias had joined them,but alas, the B. aemula tray was overrun with white fuzzy fungus. The hakeas seemed to be either germinating or disintegrating. After a couple of days I noticed that the roots were comnig and the cotyledons were turning green , but they were all in fragments. Weird - I tossed 'em. On the 22nd I put 5 H. constablei and a couple more Petrophile pedunculata seeds in a tub. Interestingly, a couple more Mountain Devils have germinated - so 4 of 5 have germinated in a 4 week period.
Vermicast turned out not to be a good idea for WA banksia seedling (went yellow), hopefully some iron will correct this..

November 2001: One of the Hakea constablei seeds germinated by the 1st, so I planted it in a tube. Two others went white and fuzzy (I thought I used Mancozeb.....). Put 5 H. lorea (Atherton tablelands provenance) in a tub on the 2nd. Something weird has happened to all the Starlight's Banksia seeds/seedlings in that nothing much is happening in their pots. Made a cardinal mistake with the first to appear in trying to remove the seed capsule from the cotyledon. I didn't move it much but the seedling went all floppy the next day. Fingers crossed one comes out the other end of this...
Meanwhile the B. robur buds are all developing nicely. One has long thin ones, the other short fat (good bit of genetic variation, I have left the old bloom on one in case seeds develop.). The white candles has seed pods all over it (goody...).
Bit the bullet and put the grafted B. solandri in a bed between the mint bush and a Dianella caerulea. I figure with integrifolia roots it will make its own root space here. A couple of days later I planted the B. brownii in a patch of lawn in an area of half shade or so.
After 10 days 2 of the H. loreas have germinated but again there is some fungus in there. Sadly, only one of the Montain Devils has kicked on and none of the Starlight's banksias - I think it must be the mould and we had a couple of hot days. I had been watering them up to twice daily.
I am suspicious about a drop off in proper germination so I am trying some expendable seeds, namely 10 Banksia ericifolia from a plant 3 doors down, which I have placed in a margerine tub with some Mancozeb on November 15th. Got some Brunionella and Isotoma axillaris to fill in gaps in my purple area.

December 2001: Nothing has germinated, even with towelling. On the bright side, one of the Starlight's Banksias did germinate and is growing slowly. 3 Hakea loreas were growing, but one died in a heatwave. The B. roburs both have flowered well but annoyingly set no seed.

January 2002: Both the B. roburs have new growth and have finished one lot of flowering. One already has some buds in its new growth (continual flowering??)
I have today (25th Jan.) put some expendable seeds (Banksia ericifolia from next door's large shrub) and Hakea sericea in a margarine tub with damp towelling and mancozeb and will put it in the fridge at night to see if I get any results. One benefit of the seed-in-a tub method is it is alot easier than putting a bunch of tubes in the fridge.

February 2002: Very wet indeed, everything OK though. The grafted B. brownii is growing apace, and the cuttings Warren sent me through the mail are growing. Of my original Hill Banksias, one is twice the size of the other and has about 9 buds on it, while the smaller one has one. I may turn that into a bonsai.....
The fridge experiment has not worked; nothing has germinated so back to the drawing board. I am trying to stop myself from replanting things until autumn to avoid losses. Picked up a grafted Banksia speciosa (on B. aemula stock) which looked happy enough. I'll get it in the ground soon.

March 2002: While waiting for cooler nights to try germinating seed again, I read an article that suggests B. aemula may like warmer nighttime temperatures (20-24C), so I have sown 6 seeds and 7 Stenocarpus sinuatus to see if this is true, on the 8th (with some Mancozeb and crossed fingers........). On the 13th, I have been given some Hakea clavata cuttings, and I am trying 6 in 2:1 sand/peat (sorry, bought it before I was aware of the issues).
The nights have suddenly gotten cooler (time to start seedlings again?). I made a new raised area and put in it the grafted B. speciosa, Isopogon fletcheri and one of the Banksia dryandroides, in mostly sand with some old soil and vermicast. Now where is the next bit of lawn I can dig up........
On the 16th I planted 4 Hakea gibbosa and 3 H. eriantha seeds in a triple pot - see if things will come up yet. I also noticed that my H. laurina may have a couple of buds on it (finally). I'll have to prune it after flowering to stop it getting too big. On the 27th I got sent some more Hakea clavata cuttings from Victoria and am trying to strike them (3) along with 3 H. bakeriana ones. This is the third autumn for the original banksias I put in (2 B. 'Giant Candles' & 2 B. spinulosa collina), the former of which are doing nought flowerwise, but the latter have 10 and 1 buds developing respectively. The B. ericifolia 'White Candles' has 3 on it. All should be looking nice and peaking in early may I would think.

April 2002: Two (out of six) B. aemula seedlings are poking their green cotyledons through the dirt. I am happy in the knowledge that stuff is germinating again. Also, by the end of the month 3 Stenocarpus sinuatus have germinated. I also got another prostrate banksia, B. repens at Mt Annan, as I have had no luck with B. blechnifolia, and a Melaleuca thymifolia.

May 2002: On the 10th I noticed that my Hakea bakeriana has finally got some young pinkish green flowers on it and buds elsewhere (hooray!). I have also gotten some Bambusa lako, Black clumping bamboo from Timor (well, it's pretty close to Australia..) and was given a native bamboo (Schizostachyum sp. 'Murray Island'), which I have put in a corner. I have also been given another grafted Grevillea scortechinii, which true to form, has already been pulled out of its pot by one of my children. I have planted it and the melaleuca in a large square terracotta tub which was home to a large clump of agapanthus I have now donated to a friend and Silvia's kindy. On the 24th I got 8 cuttings from Persoonia linearis (let's hope it is easier to strike than P. pinifolia), and 4 Banksia spinulosa spinulosa. I have 4 of 8 Hakea clavata cuttings left but they look well enough, and the 3 H. bakeriana ones still look OK. One of the B. aemula seedlings appears to have succumbed to damp, and I lost a Stenocarpus sinuatus seedling tring to get the seed coat off it (silly me).

June 2002: Cold weather and nothing germinating (hmmm, maybe time to bring some tubes inside....). Anyway, the 3 Hakea erianthas appear to have germinated after 10 weeks or so, followed by some of the H. gibbosa. Also, my white waratah started to look the worse for wear (not yellow or brown foliage but just being nibbled on more often, more moth-eaten in appearance), and is really overshadowed by its neighbour, the Hakea bakeriana, so i have replanted it in a large glazed terracotta pot. Unfortunately the soil was pretty sandy so most of it fell off (oh dear....), but it had no soft growth on it, just the hint of some leaf buds. I will have to watch this one closely over the next wee while. Also, on the 21st, I noted 3 of Ben's Hakea clavata cuttings are showing new growth, after being in sand : peat (2:1) for 3 months, an without a plastic lid half the time.

July 2002: I have put 6 Hakea teretifolia and 4 Banksia serrata 'superman' seeds in a plastic tub on the 4th. Unfortunately, the tub accidentally got thrown out with the garbage (oops). Also, my white waratah is looking the worse for wear in its new pot (I was expecting this. Fingers crossed that it survives the shock long enough to rally and make new growth.). My Acacia myrtifolia has started to come into flower and looks like it will flower quite well in half shade or more. The Hibbertia dentata has buds too.

August 2002: The white waratah is rallying a bit (fingers crossed...), and my Hakea laurina had two flowers on it (Murphy's law of course dictated this was on my neighbour's side of the fence where I couldn't see them.). On the 11th, the kids were driving me crazy so I took eldest child and went to a nursery in Earlwood (about 3 minutes by car), couldn't find anything but my daughter was chasing a cat around and following her came face to face with Backhousia citriodora, which I promptly bought and planted along with a Callicoma serratifolia in a shadier part of the garden. A lemon myrtle was always on my 'to get' list, just never gotten around to it. So, surrounding my new little 3m x 3m deck are those two, a largish Grevillea venusta, a small Persoonia lanceolata and some Bambusa lako (I have also got some Schizostachyum 'Murray Island' but it really hates Sydney winter and has gone all brown and yuck.). I also found the tub which I thought had been thrown out, with 2 of the B. serrata 'Superman' having germinated (I will never use tissue paper again as water turns it to mush!), so I put them in tubes.

September 2002: The dry spring seems to have dessicated all the buds on my Geraldton Wax, very annoying. On September 7th I got a packet from Marilyn Gray with 7 Stenocarpus salignus cuttings and 8 seeds, which I have duly planted - let's see what strikes.......

October 2002: Misery; all Stenocarpus cuttings have gone brown (oh well), and none of the seeds have germinated either. I have been given 2 Gompholobium latifolium and a Hovea acutifolia (which has gone in the pot of the newly expired white waratah). The grafted Banksia solandri is starting to grow well, and the grafted B. brownii is recovering from being 'pruned' almost to the graft by my son. My B. dryandroides has 2 blooms on it. The Melaleuca thymifolia has flowered despite only being 10cm tall! The Geraldtom Wax had a few late flowers after all the buds dropped but mum wanted it so I dropped it at her place. Hibbertia dentata and H. serpyllifolia have been flowering and seem to have just finished by mid October, and my 'roo paw has several growing flowers on it only a couple of months after finishing the last lot (!).
The &#$@# high wind snapped my grafted Banksia speciosa clean off at the graft, despite having a suppoting stick (which was very flimsy though). Nothing else is damaged. The grafted B brownii is fine, possibly because it is still very short after being 'pruned' by my son (so I should probably thank him....).

November 2002: On November 2nd, I bought a Dampiera linearis and put it in a hanging basket, as well as a Leschenaultia biloba and put it in a waterwise pot. Also got an Adenanthos sericea, Eriostemon nodiflorus and ....... and put them in at mum's. Amazingly, one of the Stenocarpus salignus seeds appears to have germinated, just after I had seen it in the shops and not bought it and then wondered whether I should have..........
On November 6th I had delivered to me a Banksia telmatiaea and a B. aculeata from WA which I have potted up, and bought an old toilet bowl and filled it with potting mix and sand. It drained a lot slower than I expected so I planted an Acacia glaucoptera in it. A few days later IWEG had a plant giveaway and I got a local-provenanced Acacia suaveolens for my neighbour, and a Kunzea ambigua and some Dichelachne sp. for me

December 2002: The Backhousia citriodora is flowering and has attracted some insects I have never seen before, including a Teddy Bear Bee (Amegilla bombiformis) and a Fiddler Beetle (Eupoecila australasiae). The wattlebirds have claimed the Banksia robur, which are flowering well. Also, at least 2 buds have appeared on my B. canei. I found an old metal glazed cylinder form some old washing machine and planted a Banksia blechnifolia and B. aemula from Stradbroke Island in it. I put a B. repens in the hole vacated by the B. speciosa and it got a bit brown and burnt looking. We'll see how it tolerates summer.

January-February 2003: The summer has gone by in a blur as I try to focus on quite difficult exams for work and the garden is left to tend for itself. The Banksia canei has flowered twice while the B. ericifolia only had one bud, which a child accidentally snapped off. Both Banksia roburs seem to be suffering despite additional water. The Hakea bakeriana had a few small flowers on it by the end of february. On the 28th, I was given 15 odd hyperpigmented B. robur cuttings, which I am hoping will strike. I also bought a variegated Ficus rubiginosa to try to make a colourful bonsai with. I put another F. rubiginosa in the ground to bulk up over the summer and it has done so nicely (now to find a nice bowl.....).

March 2003: On the 5th of march I got a tube of local-provenance Banksia integrifolia, which I plan to bonsai after reading a great article in the Australian Plants As Bonsai Newsletter, and wired it. Also put 3 Hakea chordophylla & 3 Hakea lorea seeds in tubes of cocopeat and sand.

April 2003: By the beginning of April the H. chordophylla seeds had all germinated and the Eremophila macdonnellii, which Warren sent me, had a big purple bud. Most of the hyperpigmented B. robur cuttings succumbed to some desiccating infection, but 3 are still alive 6 weeks on. I went to Mt Annan and got lots of goodies; another Banksia aculeata, Leionema (= Phebalium) lamprophyllum, Correa "Federation Belle" (very nice this), Lechenaultia formosa (red) and a largish Gardenia scabrella. Again, the Banksia "Birthday Candles" hasn't flowered - it seems to do so in alternate years, but is growing vigorously. Then spent most of the rest of April languishing with the flu. Did recover enough to remove both semi-prostrate B. paludosa and B. "lemon glow" from the ground. The B. paludosa were supposed to cover a colourbond fence but as they are only growing to 60cm, this isn't likely to happen anytime. None of the 3 plants had grown very quickly and I figured it was do-or-die time. The 'Lemon Glow' in particular was a bit close to the palm and palm roots were starting to invade its space.

May 2003: The rain has stopped and plants all look OK apart from the 'Lemon Glow' which is starting to look a bit sad in its pot. Got 2 Banksia chamaephyton, probably the first two to be grown in NSW. The Leionema lamprophyllum has buds on it and the 'Federation Belle' keeps spotting flowers here and there.

June 2003: The 'Lemon Glow' has died, though the two Banksia paludosa have survived. I have sacked my Eucalyptus macrocarpa and given it to someone who has a property at Rylstone just on the right side of the great divide (i.e.west), as it has grown about 80cm in 4 years. (Now to find a waratah for the wine cask.....). I also got a Persoonia levis for the space vacated by one of the paludosas and then dug out my rasied bed which had an ailing Banksia dryandroides and loads of onion weed. There I put an old part of a boiler, essentially a 90cm diameter cylinder about80cm high made of metal with dark grey enamel coat and filled it with potting mix and lots of organic matter. Finally got the B. paludosa astrolux in the ground too.

July 2003: Little time in garden as trying to cram for exam. I did get 2 Athertonia diversifolia, a Hicksbeachia pilosa and 2 Alpinia arctiflora in the mail which I have planted up and am hoping will recover. Am also trying a B. marginata 'minimarge' as well as a small form from Mallacoota.

August 2003: Unfortunately, Banksia aculeata doesn't seem to appreciate organic matter and is very burnt looking. On August 24th am attempting to strike Hakea bakeriana, Lambertia formosa and Banksia spinulosa cuttings as well as planting 6 Banksia oblongifolia seed. Gompholobium latifolium is flowering, while everything else is just strating to grow.

March 2004: Have been very very busy with exams and boring stuff (well, and fun stuff too). Was going to try to retrospectively fill this 9 month slot but I feel my time is better spent doing something else (i.e. can't be a*sed). Summer was hot and I disciplined myself not to replant things as they would die. In early march I potted up nearly everything that was in a pot (which I had previously potted up in november), and around march 18 sowed some B. oblongifolia, B. marginata, B. conferta penicillata, Brunfelsia americana & Eucalyptus codonocarpa seeds.
April 2004: The Banksia marginata (Anglesea form) & B. oblongifolia seeds are arisin'.

September 2004: Been busy - picked up a shrubby Banksia grandis and Dryandra viscida in Victoria last week. Also, 3 surviving Eucalyptus codonocarpa have 4 leaves. Planted 4 Hakea lorea, 3 H. corymbosa & 3 Banksia marginata (Gulpa Island) in tubes on September 10th. I planted a grafted Banksia candolleana in winter and it is 15cm tall. Unfortunately the hail over the weekend palyed havoc with large leaved plants while I was away; it will be interesting to see what makes it through.....