A few weeks ago I bought three plants to add to the Moora garden. I bought a vanilla lily (Sowerbaea juncea), chocolate lily (Arthropodium strictum) and a nodding saltbush (Einadia nutans). They are tiny but hopefully will grow. The salt bush is going well and already has new leaves. It was really too late to buy a vanilla lily as it is supposed to die back due to it being winter. The chocolate lily doesn't seem to be thriving and some of its leaves are going yellow. It was flowering when I bought it and I chose, foolishly, to leave them on. I have cut them off now, so hopefully it will be happier.
I am worried about the soil that I planted them in. All I had was a commercial soil bought for vegetables. Really, it is not appropriate for natives but I am crossing my fingers. To compensate I spread soil from the block on top. I thought they should begin to get used to it. Wishful thinking probably.
They have been planted in our Melbourne home. I didn't plant them directly at the block because it is winter and very wet. They would have drowned. It is nice having them here. I visit them daily and it feels like they are a link to the block.
The pot is a wooden box. It will be easy to be transferred to the garden when the time comes. There is also a succulent-like native that I had pinched a piece of from work. I don't know what it is, yet, but I will search.
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| In the front is the vanilla lily. Far left is the nodding salt bush and next to it the chocolate lily. The found plant sits just in front of it. |
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| The nodding salt bush is in front, the chocolate lily is behind it and the leaves of the vanilla lily are in view on the right. |
