September 1, 2008
· Filed under Australia, Gardening, Weather · Tagged Australia, Weather
Have returned home after a month away to find the garden looking like a bit like the rainforests we have seen on our travels. This shot above was taken on the first, misty morning of September, the day after we got back. Up in northern Queensland we saw many plants we know as exotic houseplants growing in public flower beds. I got to thinking, how about trying to grow some of those plants outdoors here, in warm spots such as our front garden? It probably won’t be successful, but it will be worth a try
August 2, 2008
· Filed under Australia, Gardening, Weather · Tagged Australia
Sometimes it seems the garden is at its best just when you’re about to leave it behind. Tomorrow we fly out to Australia, via Bangkok, and winter in Sydney. Back here everything is lush and green after the recent rain, the pots of fuschias are luxuriant, and even the gladioli are just about to come into flower. By the time we return from what I’m sure will be a great trip summer will be over here. You can’t have everything
July 20, 2008
· Filed under Gardening
A tale of two gardens: my mother was up for the week, and we called in to see Steve. He works six days out of seven, and consequently his garden had become a bit of a wild, untamed tropical jungle, thought he said that was the way he liked it; banana plants and other huge ones with spiked, rather vicious leaves. I told him I was sorry I hadn’t spotted any of the indigenous people that obviously lived and lurked among it all; they must be very shy. ‘Oh yes, the pygmies,’ he said. Later in the week we called in on Grace and Eric; no hostile vegetation, instead an almost overwhelming sense of colour, petunias, begonias, busy lizzies, you name it. A bit too much of everything for my taste, but undeniably spectacular. Both of them much better gardeners than me
