gardening

A while back, I planted out some cuttings, and it just occurred to me that I didn’t follow up on how they did.  The trailing geranium cuttings are doing well; I planted three of them in a hanging basket by the back door, assuming that there’d be a loss or two along the way.  Well, they’ve all survived.  They’re not thriving like maniacs or anything, but all of them are shooting new leaves and starting to look a bit happier.

The rosemary, on the other hand, has been a great disappointment.  I made up some lovely free-draining soil, too, and dipped the ends in Vegemite (yeast extract) which apparently helps root formation.  Well, all but one are rooted, in the terminal sense.  The only one that appears to be surviving, so far, is a tiny little softwood cutting.  It’s surrounded by four of its dead friends, which I’m too scared to pull up in case I disturb its fragile hold on life.  The way it’s going, I’ll be able to actually plant it out by about 2012.

I decided to try some more cuttings today.  My plumbago plants are looking really happy and healthy, so I thought I’d try getting soft tip cuttings from both.  I have both Plumbago auriculata and P auriculata var. alba (ie. the blue and the white ones).  They’re pretty, easy to look after, and tough as old boots. And it has an attractive way of sprawling about, which appeals to me:

Currently my plants are in our backyard, next to the fence, and in a hidden away spot.  I thought I’d try to get some cuttings and if they work, I’ll put them in the front yard where they can enjoy the sun.

I also made a discovery when I was getting the plumbago cuttings.  We dig all our kitchen scraps (barring meat and dairy) into the ground, add water, then cover back over with soil.  It’s one way of reducing landfill, and it turns waste into compost.  Well, it turns out that some tomatoes have sprouted.  I have a number of tiny tomatoes as well as full-sized ones that are happily growing without the benefit of watering, fertiliser, or slug pellets.  Amazing but true.  I don’t know what they’ll taste like, but at least I know they’re organic – untouched by any chemical additives whatsoever.