[Hilary]

Nothing ventured nothing gained

Do you have the room for it?
Do you have the kind of soil it likes?
How much does it cost?
Would it be an investment or gamble?

[Hilary]

AN ORANGE FLOWER IN A PAST DECEMBER
Hibiscus sinensis

[John J]

David, after having a quick look at this plant I'd tend to agree with Hilary. It appears to be native to the California region and is described as drought tolerant. I also noticed that the photo of it on the Wikipedia page was taken in Melbourne, Australia, so it could be worth a try.

[David Dickinson]

The "Shall I, shan't I?" was really a space question. My garden is ultra small. I am always willing to give things a go on the "nothing ventured, nothing gained" approach to life. I think I am going to have to invent a planted-up trolley to attach to the back of my bicycle as a kind of garden overflow. And some kind of hat with a plant holder on top for the days when I go to work on the tram.

[Hilary]

A YELLOW FLOWER IN A PAST DECEMBER
Chimonanthus praecox

[Hilary]

A PLANT WITH BLUE FLOWERS, A DECEMBER PAST

Rosmarinus officinalis, Rosemary

[Hilary]

TWO PINK FLOWERS FROM DECEMBERS PAST

Clerodendrum fragrans
Malva sylvestris

[Hilary]

Looking for something to post today I decided to go round the block of flats and the immediate neighbourhood.

These two were on a windowsill

[Hilary]

Another plant enjoying the sunshine in the block of flats

[Charithea]

Hilary thank you for the posts. Very colourful and what we need to cheer us up as we are once more ' locked down'. I also tend to photograph other people's 'plants/flowers' and  ask them for cuttings which of course they oblige. About two years ago I photographed somebody's purple/blue pots/flowers  and posted them on the forum.  A few weeks  ago I had a skin appointment which took me back to that neighbourhood and I re photographed the pots.  I have not had the time to put them on the computer as yet.

[John J]

Hilary, I remember the plant in your latest posting as being a favourite house plant in the UK, back in the dark ages, when it was always known as a Coleus. Apparently there is now some dispute as to whether it should be included in the Plectranthus or Solenostemon genera. Whatever, it is a useful outdoor plant in this part of the world.

[Hilary]

I remember that the flowers were always nipped in the bud but here they seem to let them bloom

[Hilary]

A veritable garden outside another flat in the block

[Hilary]

DECEMBER IN THE BACK YARD

There is a narrow strip of land, given over to bushes and trees, in the backyard of the block of flats. Over the years some have died, some have been unofficially moved to another home and some have grown and grown and grown.

About twenty years ago the then small children brought home from school tiny trees to be planted. Room was found for these small trees and some of them have become so tall and prone to processional caterpillars that ‘a man ‘is brought in the spring to chop off some branches and lop off a bit of the top.
One of the three pine trees is producing cones

The Judas tree which my husband planted for me when a piece of this strip became available. The tree is looking autumnal at the moment

The next door neighbours planted Bougainvillea along one of the dividing walls. Their garden was landscaped at the beginning but that block has been turned into offices and the garden is left to look after itself

Several of us in the block fight off suggestions that this strip should be turned into parking spaces!

[Hilary]

SOME DECEMBER FLOWERS IN THE TOWN