When over in Australia visiting my daughter I was completely smitten with the blossoming Jacaranda trees (they also come in white). Not indigenous to Oz, they originally came from South Africa but enjoy the similar climate in Australia and have flourished.
Although they will not tolerate an English winter I was determined to try to grow one here. I picked up a seed pod underneath one near Perth, W.A.
Later on my daughter sent me a small wooden box with some of the seeds in it. Shades of The Lord of the Rings when Galadriel gives Sam a similar box:
"For you little gardener and lover of trees," she said to Sam, "I have only a small gift." She put into his hand a little box of plain grey wood, unadorned save for a single silver rune upon the lid."Here is set G for Galadriel, but also it may stand for garden in your tongue. In this box there is earth from my orchard.......there will be few gardens...that will bloom like your garden if you sprinkle this earth there. Then you may remember Gladriel and catch a glimpse of far off Lorien that you have only seen in our winter...."
Over the years I have planted seeds and nurtured a tree. It has to be "portable" since it must live indoors when the first frosts come. I have pruned it and steadily reduced the root size in the hope that it may "bonsai". The sorrow is that it will never blossom at such a small size, but it is a memory of Oz and my daughter.
10 comments:
There is such satisfaction when plants of any size are persuaded to grow. However, a word of warning which I am certain you must have thought of already; that tree in Perth looks mighty big to be moving house twice a year, unless you are considering building it it's own house with removable roof. :)
Tom:
I reluctantly have to keep my baby pruned back each year to preserve its "mobility". Although I would dearly love to let it grow to blossoming size.
The only answer would be to install my own "Eden Project" type greenhouse in my small suburban garden - that might be a bit over the top.
So that's what a jacaranda looks like! It makes a pleasant house plant as it is. One of the millions of weed ash seedlings that sew themselves willy-nilly round our place appears to have taken root in a confined space by the drive and to be bonsai-ing itself, I keep wondering if I can get it out and cultivate it. Trouble is I mostly kill things that live in pots.
Sorry, that should have been 'sow' not 'sew', silly so-and-so!
Gorgeous trees, but with invasive roots, that destroy septic tanks (so not one for our garden I fear). Looking forward to seeing the 'mini' tree soon!
Daughter x
Poignant and persistent (that's you)... oh, and living. The perfect reminder. Round about December 16 you could complete the memory bridge by hanging a cardboard cut-out of a bottle of Grange Hermitage on one of the lower branches.
Lucy:
Give it a try. I find plenty of watering and additions of "Tomorite" liquid tomato fertiliser (it ain't just for tomatos) do wonders.
Daughter:
Shame you can't grow one in your "new" garden. Couldn't you have one far away from the septic tank? Or is the tank taking up all the room in your half acre?
RR:
I am non-plussed by the date, 16th December? (note the last comma, which was very nearly a hyphen)..... Oh! I get it (I think) Christmas tree substitute.
RR.
PS: I have just looked up the price of Grange Hermitage ( $38,420 ) A cardboard cut-out would be all I could manage.
Darn roots. All my life trees have had to go because of their roots. The first was a beautiful weeping willow. I hope your potted tree thrives. Did you wrap any wire around it's roots inside the pot?
Vita:
I have never tried (but will next time I repot) the wire wrapping idea. Thanks for that.
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