I thought I posted this on the gardenweb forum. Now it's houzz? Had to sign up for a new user name. Anyway soo - you can get the Naked Gardener Compost or Debco Premium Potting Mix from Masters (closing soon). Course Perlite is from The Perlite & Vermiculite Factory Myaree (much cheaper than anywhere else). Sand I got from a bulk landscape place (lawn mix) but you can get 10 or 20kg bags of builders sand at Bunnings. Zeochlor is in the pool section at Bunnings. Rock Dust I got from the manufacturer direct somewhere in Bibralake (called Natural PK) but I think but you can now get a similar product from Waldecks (in Myaree at least). Waldecks also sell bentonite clay. I still want to try the gritty mix but getting my hands on all the materials has proved very difficult when I tried last year. I found a Queensland company that makes course DE (for mopping up oil/chemicals) but they didn't have a distributor in Perth. Nobody I could find has pine bark in the right size - and even if they did I'd have to by a cement mixer and modify it with a fine wire to screen it. Honestly, if an agricultural company were to produce the gritty mix and sell it in bags I think they'd make bank - even considering how long it lasts.

yes any sort of fig tree grows fast and is easy to look after but may outgrow your tubs(they dont mind being root bound or having there roots pruned and make great bonsai's). What about a bay leaf tree(can use it in cooking also). A citrus treeS good(need more fertilising/pruning though). Yeah frangipani but they loose all there leave so are'nt very good for screening. There would be heaps you could plant in a sunny,sheltered court yard with no frost..maybe ask your local nursery.

All trees drop their leaves - the only difference is when, and whether it's all at one time. I have a huge wisteria which drops an enormous quantity of leaves onto a paved area in autumn. I HATE sweeping. So the leaves are left until they have all fallen and then get cleaned up in one foul sweep and put onto the garden. Wouldn't suit a lot of people (like my friend who regularly washes her front fence) but gardening is such a personal thing. From the sound of things, you are only going to have one tree. Make it a tree that you are going to be happy to have and happy to live with. Forget the evergreen ash. How about taking a walk through your botanical gardens and similar places and looking for "your" tree. Council parks and streetscapes, as well as leafy suburbs will also provide examples. If staff or owners don't know what the tree is, ask permission to obtain a piece and take to a nursery for identification.

Bob I have this plant. It wouldn't be what I would call a pale pink - it is certainly pink - not a hot pink - but not a pale pink - does this make sense? As the flowers age, they lighten in colour. It is not what I would call a dusty rose either - more of a mid pink? Very reliable flowerer. I recommend it. Better than my Kings Park Special, which often suffers from its ends browning off. I am in Perth, WA. So I actually come from the plants' place of origin !!