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That hibiscus will grow like a weed for you Richard, super easy from cuttings if you want more. Enjoy!

1 - Completely agree this is a seedling of some sort of a Ptychosperma relative, with the notches leaf tips. I would probably guess Carpenteria. 2 - Uncertain but possibly Saribus rotundifolius. I can also see Pritchardia. 3 - Copernicia alba or prunifera, they look nearly identical as tim said. 4 - Howea 5 - Carpenteria

As Ben points out, and we've been consistently noticing this for probably 10 years or more. When eastern Tas is warm eastern NI NZ is cold and vice versa...a pretty interesting pattern. Therefore I've got my fingers crossed that you Kiwis will be freezing your arses off soon!

My $6 hibiscus seems to be recovering from being a home for spider mites and then a home for fire ants.

Watering the garden for the first time this season tonight. The latest I’ve ever resumed watering. But with 26-28C tomorrow then 35-37 on Monday I thought it would be a good time to juice things up a bit for the growing season ahead.

Yes it’s a crazy protocol in place, you can’t work out how they do it. It has to be understaffed in Australia, after all customs is a government business so they have to show a profit for that business, just like any business it cost money and has to make money!

Aren’t they normally a burgundy colour.

I’ve never seen one for sale in Australia. They may exist in some collections over here, but they’re never for sale. If I ever managed to get seed I’d plant a dozen of them in close proximity for future seed production. That’s the best way to grow any Ravenea in my opinion provided you have space. I’ve done that with Ravenea rivularis and Ravenea glauca var Andiginitra.

A beautiful almost white silver colour on the elegans flower at the moment, the ground is covered in tiny star dust looking particles. It’s just a shame it’s 7 metres up in in the sub canopy. The iPhone pic just quit can’t capture what the naked eye can see.

Here too it happened to me that the seeds had to be inspected by customs, first of all they don't open the envelope and the seeds are not checked, then they arrive at least after 40 days, with a tax to pay, but the tax let's say that compared to you Australians it is very little money, maximum 15 euros, for me here it is just a way to take money from the poor people who buy or are given seeds outside the European Union, I repeat the envelopes are not opened and they don't check anything

I recently got a bill for $390 from customs unexpectedly. No explanation of what it was for. After some questioning, I found out it was for an import last year for about $300 worth of seeds of which a significant chunk ended up getting destroyed. Only after I requested did they give me a breakdown of costs. $78 for standard inspection, $312 for costs relating to testing and disposal. I gave the pre authority to destroy any seeds found to be contaminated mainly to try to get good seeds as quickly as possible. Still trying to find out what testing was required and why.

A nice kerriodoxa new leaf gleaming away.

Oh ok, i take back what i said. Our climate is not the same. I have seen 30F in my garden already last winter and lows of 40F are very common. I don't know if chambeyronia will make it, we'll see. How many years ago did you get that chambeyronia from Maui?

It does seem that your longitude has been taking it for the team with respect to the cold from Antarctica needing to spill out somewhere. There is plenty of the landless Indian and Pacific ocean it could do so instead! By contrast locally this November blows away any I can recall for warmth. It's felt like the middle of summer from the get go. A few cool nights but that can happen in summer too, and not so noticeable with early sunrises meaning it back into the mid teens by 8-8:30 am.

It's official, I hate you. Right now I am training Binky to attack to kill. Prepare to meet your maker at the jaws of 2 kilos of living fury. If you don't believe it, here is her big sister Suki terrorising a great dane who hid behind a fence for safety

Can’t beat smelling good and looking good!

Both are beautiful flowers and the Rothmania has scent that is divine straight from cleopatras perfume range!

Pm me for seeds!

Yes iam impressed, they don’t need a pollinater they will set seed by themselves very easily, you’re one will flower one day, what day well let’s say dont hold your breath with some palms!

Not to bad if I do say so!

Three in total now for lytocarum, one variegated lanonia dasyantha and one licuala ramsayi var tuckeri I have found in germinating seeds l, I guess germinating so many seeds helps. The dasyantha is planted in the garden already and it’s a wow already! Richard

Wow you are on Santa’s good list! Just as well you put rubbish bin out all year and did the dishes or you would have been on the naughty list and we all know what happens then!

Too true well written words, when they introduced phytosanitry certificate I was astounded that they still needed to be inspected, I asked them even with a phytosanitry certificate and yes that was the answer. They tried to not let me have sabinara magnifica sent me a email saying no not on the bicon and before I could get back to them they sent another email saying oh yes they are we looked and they sent me a bill for even doing that, on top the inspection fee as well! There is no common senses with a government agency, now even to dispose of seeds thay dont meet bio security requirements you have to send them a form and heaven forbid if it’s not in the correct format they reject it, even down to in bold writing. Ita all about keeping themselves in a job! Richard

Yes , it has the burgundy new leaf . Mine is now above the canopy it had so the red leaf doesn’t last long before turning dark green. Our Winter lows are in the low 40’s only occasionally . In 28 years here the lowest I have seen is 38f only once or twice . I am above the city on a south facing hill so it is a bit of a micro climate. Due to the dry conditions , I water a lot most of the year. Harry

And it puts the price of palms up to recover the cost, it’s basic economics. Richard