One of the two happy Cycuses in my garden. Love the fresh green color of the new growth.

Inspired by a picture of a huge adenium in flower I saw in a Facebook friend’s profile, and others I have seen on the Internet and comparing them with what I have in a pot, I resolved to plant it in the ground and let it grow.

I believe I got the right spot for it. It’s now planted by the front gate right in the middle of the oriental-style gravel patch. Here it is:

The petunias and geraniums were way past their best I knew, but I just didn’t have the time or inclination to do anything about them, yet they did need to be removed and that we did this morning.

So now, instead of the untidily flowering geraniums and petunias, I’ve planted three colors of gazanias and three colors again of selocias – cockscombs – to grace both sides of the front path. As you can see from these pictures, our efforts should be rewarded soon with a multicolored, multi-textured borders.

This time, close-ups of its beautiful flowers too.

Penelope is on fire!

Only a couple of weeks ago this majestic tree adorning our front garden was bare. Naked. Unclothed. But within just a few days it has sprouted all of its leaves and buds which have now started to open up and, typical of this tree, started to shed the flowers all around it, sometimes making the lawn turn blood red with its lovely flowers.

Some would consider this tree very messy, we don’t mind at all. It’s a lovely sight and humans, animals and birds love it.

I think this is a “single” Sultani or as they’re called locally “Mohammedi” Rose. It has a very nice scent. Unforutnately some bugs have taken a shine to these and other bushes in my garden and they’re chomping at the leaves and damaging flowers. I’ll take some advice from the botanists in the Budaiya experimental farms and hope that they’ll identify what needs to be done, if anything.

Do you have any idea what’s chomping at my plants?

Isn’t this gorgeous?

I instantly fell in love with this plant when I saw its picture of a seed packet. Yes, I do fall in love easily, I admit, but this one is a bit different. And not so different at the same time. I love tall grasses and I have several clumps in the garden as well as outside the house, so I thought that this particular variety would add some good texture; the “tails”, as you can see, are particularly nice and they fill in the space they’re in very well.

To be honest, I didn’t think that they would survive, let alone thrive. Well, they’re doing very well so far and am looking forward to them surviving our punishing summer.

For now, I shall continue to enjoy them.

Remember a couple of days ago I posted that I was ecstatic that the adeniums by the pond in the front garden were budding? Well, I noticed this morning that one of them has bloomed! Happy happy. Love the deep red of this one.

I don’t think a garden is complete without some nice statues or other accessories.

In my garden, I placed quite a number of accessories in several places, but not enough to overwhelm it though, I think you have to have good balance in what you’re doing, otherwise it will rob the essence of a beautiful garden and you’ll end up with a backyard second hand store!

One of the best accessories that continues to give me a lot of pleasure is the bird bath. I’ve positioned this just outside my study and I have a full view of it through bay windows. It has become a mecca for all kind of birds who not only use it to have a drink, but also seem to really enjoy themselves bathing in it at all times of the day. Click the link above to see some of the pictures I’ve taken of some of the birds enjoying it.

One of the garden accessories that I would love to have but know that it will be useless here is a hummingbird feeder. I’ve seen them in action in Canada and I never tire of just sitting there watching hummingbirds feedings.

What’s your favorite accessory? What accessory would you really like to have in your garden? Please enter your comments below.

I love hibiscus flowers. There are thousands of them I know, but they all obviously share some basics which distinguishes them from the others. I’ve had and still do have several bushes in my garden, unfortunately, they’re very susceptible to the dreaded mealy bug, especially in the summer, and as the summer is already here (and I’ve already had to uproot and young afflicted hollyhock) I do hope that they won’t suffer too much this season.

In any case, this is the first bloom in the two hibiscus bushes I planted in this location at the front garden. I’m very pleased with its dainty and organic appearance. Love the serration on its petals and that stile is quite magestic too, don’t you think?