Xperiment

That lake and channel is an awesome and beautiful part of the world too. I was at the local tip today and in a new native garden there are great healthy specimens of suaveolens and longifolia bursting with flowers, and an obtusifolia which was glowing in the sun, but yet to flower. Definitely heading back at seed pod time!

Does anyone have any experience (or anecdotes) with regard to A suaveolens? I have been keeping an eye on them in the local reserves/roadsides and now they've flowered and been identified, wondered if anyone has put them to use. They grow fast but sparse and spindly. I will be collecting seed too in a few months once they've set pods, if anyone's interested in some.

#4 with fingers crossed. Thanks for the opportunity Gimli

The thing about roots is they can be soft and fleshy yet still exert incredible force. Have you ever seen an abandoned road? Within a few years the bitumen is torn up by weeds and wattle trees growing through it. The seeds germinate and the roots find a crack and slowly swell with water and life. Similarly, a city footpath with 40 year old fig trees tossing the slabs of concrete aside in slow motion. There's a lot of power there - plant wisely with the mature size of the plant in mind

6

Thanks, yeah I managed to get some home grown turmeric out to a fellow member who was after some. I still have some in the ground if anyone here would like a few pieces. I've also been giving the herbal tea a good go. Mostly chamomile before bedtime, with good results, but also passion flower and others. I have developed a bedtime ritual in my head to get to sleep and so far so good at that end, but still waking up exhausted!

I've had mixed results. Germination can be slow, and definitely less success from older cones. Plant a heap, if you end up with too many, they make good bonsai, if you're into that

Paper bag in the sun... As it dries and opens out the seeds will fall out. Even the crusty older cones on the ground normally have a few seeds still stuck in them that can be prised out with a knife

Hey @Alchemica, good to see you here and posting - I'd been wondering how you'd been getting along. I have a little bit to share with regard to these topics but can't seem to put the words together right now. Anyway, I didn't want to just "like" your post and leave it at that. Take care

Chop it an inch above the highest rotten part. Look at the cut piece, if you can still see rot or it's overly soft or you even suspect it's on the way to rot, cut again a bit higher. After that, re-callous and start again.

Happily received mail from Mr @spooge this morning. Thanks! Time to dig out the microscope.

Hi there and welcome to the forum. I don't know of those special cultivars but normal (garden variety ) A. absinthum grows readily from seed. My plants are still only babies but swing me a PM if you'd like some seed

Also received mine today. Thanks bardo, generous in deed and generous in quantity. Much appreciated!

My first ever Leonotis nepetifolia flower, grown from seed (thanks @Martyh64)

Just don't post any photos of Uranus... Sorry had to be said..

So pink they almost hurt your eyes! Mirabilis jalapa - "4 o'clocks"

Yes please! Very generous of you

A piece of seaweed at the beach with one end stuck in the sand, patterns made by the wind. Small things amuse small minds... I thought it was cool

In the front garden of my old place in Newcastle, from 5 or 6 years ago

Nah it's a Bunnings baby. First decent cactus I've got there.

Thanks for your answers. I have noticed on a lot of "plants of interest" such as Coleus, all cacti, and some others show in very small writing on the tag the words "Not to be consumed". Funny that, because I'm the sort of person that on reading those words, would think "well I never thought of that, but since you brought it up... " and before you know it you're on a forum like this with a greenhouse full of unusual plants I was suspicious of this cactus because all the other cacti there were well labelled with common and botanical names and growing requirements. What prompted me to buy this one was it was conspicuously devoid of useful information A sure sign there's something to hide...

Hi, Picked up this little guy yesterday, unhelpfully labelled "Cactus". It's about 10cm tall. Can anyone reveal it's true identity from the picture? And it would also help me greatly if you could say what distinguishing features led to your diagnosis. Thanks in advance!