Category: Gardens

‘Planty Fierce’ Saturday, 28th April 2018 10am – 4pm $10 gate at each garden

Manettia cordifolia – Brazilian Firecracker Vine at ‘Sea-Changer’ shade hut, a thick, high summer rug of tiny scarlet bells

Garden Lovers, see Facebook Event page for Planty Fierce details this year, bringing you two Central Coast gardens. Visit Ray Henderson’s iconic ‘Paradox’ at Glenning Valley in the morning and my ‘Sea-Changer’  after lunch at nearby Forresters Beach. Its a lovely day out of the city, to see a pair of exciting designer gardens as inspiration for your own, just an hour’s drive north on the Pacific Motorway from the on ramp at Wahroonga. 

‘Paradox’ vibrant textures and exciting plants sales

Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible, I’ll be giving a ‘ Q & A walk & talk’ at 2pm 

Peter Nixon’s ‘Sea-Changer’ – 21 Lavinia Street, Forresters Beach plant sales by Coachwood’s Ruth & Peter Donnally  

Ray Henderson’s ‘Paradox’ – 25 Curringa Close, Glenning Valley plants sales featuring sun tolerant bromeliads with designer companion plantings

NOTE: many of the plants you see at each garden will be for sale on the day !!  

 

‘Tabu’ by Mark Vowles in Cairns

 

 

 

Delicate copper water lily leaves at ‘Tabu’Garden Lovers, May last year brought the chance to revisit Cairns

Garden Lovers, May last year brought the chance to revisit Cairns and a long time colleague and friend Mark Vowles and his partner and interior designer Fairlie Kerr.  

‘Tabu’, I would say, is the distillation of all Mark has learnt about wet tropics garden making and the  planting combinations that excel in the monsoon driven rainforest. 

Inviting descent to the cleverly designed pool ‘fence free’ pool

Aside from the  impressive garden, ‘Tabu’ is also a swish Bed & Breakfast I can highly recommend for that next visit you’re planning to FNQ… !!         

‘Planty Fierce’ Saturday week, 29th April 2017 don’t miss it !

Peter Nixon’s ‘Sea-Changer’ for Paradisus at Forresters Beach – Dichorisandra’s Blue Ginger heads popping with Alocasia mafafa ‘Lime Zinger’ against pink puffs of Calliandra haematocephala

So much ‘Planty Fierce’ for you on Saturday week 29th April …

Start at any of these three fabulous Central Coast gardens only 20 mins apart, bursting with designer inspiration made by industry horticulturists. These are their own home gardens, where they have really been able to let it rip in mining the rich vein of warm temperate coastal plant selection. As SMH gardening contributor Robin Powell covered on Easter Saturday .. for Spectrum

David Fripp & Blake Jolley’s ‘Living Edge’ at Peats Ridge,  with sculptural Agave sp. with A. gypsophila & Achmea bracteata
Belle guarding the ‘Paradox’ welcome garden by sun bromeliad specialist Ray Henderson with Portmea ‘Joe’ flushing into spike

Address details & lunch suggestions from the ‘Planty Fierce’ FB Event page  Its a great garden day out of Sydney with exciting plant sales for your own garden at every destination,so bring plenty of boxes as you’ll be sorely tempted ! Peter Nixon with give a “walk & talk” at ‘Sea-Changer’ at 2pm and $5 entry at each garden, (no doggies please). Event map shown at.. Sea Changer Map – 2017

Su’s Neem Oil fixerupper .. !

Scale & mealy bug affected Citrus at Su’s
 

Get NEEM on your team …

Welcome to high summer and all its attendant pests and disease that can really spoil your gardening fun. I don’t often make product suggestions but Su Trathen has found Neem oil in her Balgowlah garden, to be an effective drench or foliar spray against  sap sucking insects and maybe even those pesky Stink Bugs, that can commandeer your best citrus in a few hot weeks.  Also effective against similar scaly attacks on orchids and especially patio pots like lush philodendron & spathiphyllum, susceptible to attack on dry foliage within overhanging eves or shade sails.

Clean citrus foliage within 9 days of application !

Its often the price we pay for a short summer holiday away, returning home to horrid plants looking a sticky mess.  Try Neem as a quick and easy way to restore them to good health !!