This autumn's obsessions

I have recently been obsessing over (reading about, buying, planting...) Penstemons of all varieties, Cosmos atrosanguineus (Chocolate cosmos), Nepeta spp., Salvia spp (including, but not limited to, Salvia leucantha, Salvia nemerosa, and Salvia discolor), Agastache spp, Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage). I seem to be creating a perfect hummingbird-attracting backyard; shame we live on the wrong continent. Let's hope honeyeaters will enjoy these plants just as much. 

Pictured below are  just a few of my newest acquisitions. I might have bought out most of Adelaide of the supply of smaller (read: cheaper) Chocolate Cosmos... 

Edit: forgive the strange bold/not-bolded text. Sometimes technology will not cooperate with me. 

Bargain plants make for happy gardeners.

We might have moved temporarily to another house, but it hasn't stopped me shopping for the garden and the nature strip takeover.Since we're now within walking distance of the 'Village of Stirling' (which, by the way, is a very pretty place to spend the Autumn even if I am dreading Winter here just a little) I was able to wander up to the monthly Stirling Sunday Market, where I discovered, to my joy, that there were many stalls selling plants and one in particular even had cheap plants (bonus for the gardener on a budget). These little beauties were $2.50 each, or 10 for $20 (5" pots, woot!). Naturally, I got 10 plants without even blinking, asking the plant-guy for bags to put them in as I walked around choosing my babies. 

I got:

Catmint 'Walker's low' (Nepeta × faassenii) because I've read it's a traditional rose under-planting, and very pretty, and attracts bees to the garden.

Pepino Gold (Solanum muricatum) for it's 'melon-like fruit,' even though I've never eaten it in my life.

White butterfly bush x 3 (Gaura lindhermeri) because I've recently fallen in love with it. 

Common Rush (Juncus usitatus) because I'm quite taken with rushes and grasses at the moment.

And to help me in my quest to bring in the birds I bought:

Correa 'Dusky Bells', One of my favourites, as you should know if you're a regular reader. 

Eremophila 'Rottnest Emu Bush' (Red form).

Eremophila maculata compacta (Red form).

Melaleuca fulgens 'CF Payne'.

Those four are Australian natives though not indigenous to my area. Stay tuned for updates on their progress.

How nice.

I found something sweet on the ground today: an pale blue egg shell speckled with brown, blown out of a tree nearby after the bird hatched and landing in my yard under the washing line. It's paper-thin but much more fragile. I can hardly wait until SP is old enough to share my excitement at such precious things.

On my travels through Etsy I found this simply lovely 'Robin's Egg' set of nesting bowls by Alina Hayes (http://www.etsy.com/people/alinahayes). Tempting, tempting...

Charley Harper

Wow! I think I have just discovered an artist to add to my favourites list: Charley Harper (1922-2007), Wiki tells me he was an 'American Modernist' based in Cincinnati. I found a few of his bird pictures on cards and prompty fell in love. Is this because of my current bird obsession? I've noticed they are all the rage and I'm raging right along with that particular trend.
Having not done an arts degree, I don't have the right words to describe why I like this art. Suffice to say, I find it quite funky and would like a wall covered in it...
All pictures borrowed from http://charleyharperartstudio.com



Web of Life


Limp on a Limb


Ruby-throated hummingbird


Bittersweet


Blue Jay Breakfast.