don't you love giveaways

Visited a friend who lives on acreage near Cooroy on the Sunshine Coast - she isn't into gardening and neither is her neighbour but they have great soil, lots of water, plenty of shade and can afford to hire maintenance men to keep it all immaculate.

Gardens without gardening LOL .

Our friend's garden is mainly trees and shrubbery but the neighbour's is a mix inherited from a previous owner. So there are roses and perennials, tropicals and who knows but nothing edible I don't think I didn't get to see it but the owner was told by our friend that I had a very new garden and so she presented me with a box of cuttings, 2 orchids and a philodendrun. I think I have scored hydrangeas - don't know if these will grow here - doubt it but can strike and hand them on.

Don't know what the orchids are - have thick strappy leaves and were attached to a tree in their previous life LOL

We will have our work cut out today potting up. Ordinarily I would have it done but DH is still in bed - had a late night after a long drive yesterday. I can't manage outside yet and the potting mix etc is in the shed.

Looking forward to seeing what happens - how much of it I can strike - wish me luck

How lovely getting lots of freebies. I got the same when we moved here - a garden full of grass and pine trees, because we'd lived in this town for many years before taking a 2 year change, people knew I'd need plants and I got boxes of cuttings. So now I can name the plants by those who gave them to me. have Lyn's corner, Nancy's corner and so on. Hydrangeas like cooler climates but if you can grown them in the shady part of ther garden where roots are kept cool, they might be worth a try. Mine are very neglected and you've reminded me to get some cuttings off them this year.

well done Fran, I love my freebies and it is always a challenge to get them back to their former glory I have a lot of Hydrangeas and they did not fare to well last Summer so I intend on moving a lot of them to a shadier spot of the garden, Mmmmm there goes a weeks annual leave

Thee, Blossom - hydrangeas used to be considered oldfashioned but now they're back in vogue. Mum grew them I remember - there was one under the kitchen window that used to cop the boiled cabbage I threw out when her back was turned LOL

I saw some in pots at the NRG in Tassie last year that made me envious. They were short - are there dwarf varieties because they make a picture in pots - lovely in a shrubbery too. I really love them.

People are always giving me plants - know I love gardening. Had visitors drop in while on extended caravan holidays and bring me things - you end up with an eclectic mix and a lot just won't grow in this climate but I try to strike whatever I'm given and hand it to someone else if I can't find a place for it.

DH and I are in competition for the best strike rate. He's not into gardening except for vegies but seems to be able to strike anything he puts in a pot - has the magic touch. It's one of our favourite things to do

I must admit in the past 12 - 18 months I have been getting very interested in growing by cuttngs as seeds, boy the savings a huge and I get a lot more pleasure knowing that I grew it myself