Paradisus Garden Lovers

“Sea-Changer” launch .. so much for you !

Relaxing at “Sea-Changer” under the Shade Hut

Happy Melbourne Cup and hope you back a winner today. A sure winner for you and your garden is the “Sea-Changer” Launch !

Its best to have more than one reason to get people out of the city for a “planty” day on the Central Costa. So, together with “Sea-Changer’s” 19th March Launch here 10am till 4pm, at 21 Lavinia Street, Forrester Beach, you can visit 3 other gardens, 2 of these with plants sales AND one of the best Australian bromeliad growers.You might like to start your day early by leaving Sydney Metro around 8am, onto the Pacific Motorway at Wahroonga. Just 20 or so minutes past the Gosford turn off, take the Budgewoi, Charmhaven & Charlestown exit, then left in Rutleys Road just past Doyalson.

Bromeliads Australia & Apex Plants – 49 Rutleys Road, Wyee Point plant sales 9am till 4pm, where you can find the near gammut of bromeliad perfection, from giant hero plants to tiny fascinations for your garden. Owners Bob & Gleness Lanarch and their son Jamie and his wife Jennifer can answer your every question to make sure of bagging a few treasured winners.

Bob Lanarch and hero plants Vriesea hybrids featuring ruby "snake skin" patterning — Bob Lanarch and hero plants Vriesea hybrids featuring ruby “snake skin” patterning

Grassy Tillandsia's — Grassy textural Tillandsia’s

Beautiful full sun hardy Alcantarea imperialis x vinicolor hybrids

… and don’t forget Peter & Ruth Donnelly will severely tempt you with tables of many treasures for sale here at “Sea-Changer” like these beneath, happily growing at “Sea-Changer”.

Mesembryanthemum sp. ever flowering copper suns

Rosa sanguinea ‘Miss Lowe’s Rose’ coastal evergreen & winter flowering, makes a great hedge

Watch this space in coming weeks, for details of the other three mystery garden & nursery destinations … EXCITEMENT !

Busy Bees & Warm Bulbs

Its always good to keep in touch with owners, because there’s always something to be learnt from a new garden and even more as it gains “weight” across successive seasons.

Hippeastrum striatum, easy spring flowering refined version of their larger more flamboyant "stripy" cousins — Hippeastrum striatum, easy spring flowering refined version of their larger more flamboyant “stripy” cousins

Calling in at Susan & John Trathen’s Balgowlah garden last week, I was reminded how easy the Sth American hippeastrum species are for us in coastal Sydney. Its possible, as in Su’s case, how just a bulb or two of say Hippeastrum striatum can quietly increase or a few years and look so good near a water source.

Hippeastrum calyptratum, the seductively appealing "green hippeastrum" — Hippeastrum calyptratum, the seductively appealing “green hippeastrum”

Probably because this tribe is often found in habitat near creeks or rivers, in shady micro climates, building slowly in rock crevices or even in trees as epiphytes if the conditions are right. Providing drainage is assured, most adapt very well to garden conditions grown as a terrestrial, like this interesting green, May flowering relative H. calyptratum here at my “Sea-Changer” Forresters Beach.

Veltheimia bracteata, a beautiful late winter Sth African even in dry shade pine needles

Another steady performer that Su & John have succeeded with, is Veltheimia that dies down in the heat to re-emerge around easter to flower late July and August. Especially commendable in Su’s case, this clump started as very small tube sized plants; such is the perseverance of so many women gardeners with the right nurturing approach to garden making …. so proud of you Su !!

I also noticed John & Su have added a Sugar Bag Native Bee Hive Box to encourage and house the much tinier, glossy black native bees into the garden. Even hoping this season to attract the native solitary bees who prefer singular accommodation in one of the tubular homes in a covered hive stack. Interesting huh …. Maybe you could think about encouraging some more nature to your garden this season too .. !

Simply the best species sun hardy neoregelias & their hybrids, vrieseas, tillandsia, guzmania and MANY more .. !!

Just click here Brom fair 0ct2015 for opening times, NOTE trading on Sunday ceases at midday :0

Gary Flemming at Collectors Plant Fair will be selling at Concord Bromeliad Fair

Mark Paul from the Greenwall Company, Peter Tristram, Gary & Angela Flemming from Melanquin Nursery and Michael Firenze are some of the best of the former NSW Bromeliad Society growers and suppliers I use for my own Paradisus designs… A rare opportunity to enrich your own home gardens from the one location over 1 & 1/2 days in Sydney.

Concord Senior Citizens

9 – 11 Wellbank Street, Concord

For more information contact Gary on 0265 5539868 or 0413 178884

and Peter Tristram Peter@bromeliads.com.au

Central Coast Plant Lovers Fair ’15 THIS weekend !!

CCPLF ’15 Growers

Click on the above link for good garden plants for your client designs, to expand your Growers List and diversify your own home garden towards the more interesting and resilient.

The Fair at Kariong Mountains High School, Kariong, Central Coast NSW, is open both days of THIS weekend, Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th 9am till 4pm and forecasts are both pleasantly overcast so bring plenty of boxes !

CCPLF '14 Fair action — CCPLF ’14 Fair action

All stall holders are worth considering and the following are particular faves of mine for garden making plants par excellence –

Stephen Bridge at Addictive Plants, Andrew Harvie, Keith Tollis and Colin Hunt at Andy’s Rare Plants, Ross & Chris Bolwell at Bloom’n Greenery, David Fripp at Screen Trees Australia, Klaus Eckardt at Green e Roses, Royal Botanic Gardens Growing Friends, Donnovan & Jessica Linney at Plant Life, Robyn Bible Geraniums & Pelagoniums, Wes and Lorraine Vidler at Weslor Nursery, Don Teese at Yamina Rare Plants, Michael Dent at Aloe Aloe, Elaine Slade at Kawana Nursery and Bob & Gleness and Jamie Lanarch at Bromeliads Australia .. !!

You can always expect a stand out selection of very kool plants also, at Ruth & Peter Donnally’s Coachwood stall. Among so many faves across their tables just bulging with horticultural treasure, you can expect a good supply Ipheon sellowianum the golden Star Flower. Excellent ground covering companion to autumn white flowering Zephyranthes candida the Autumn Crocus.

Sometimes best contrasts to ornamental grasses with good humidity tollerance like ultra fine sage green Poa ‘Eskdale’, are found in the rubbery pink and eau de Nil green scallops of Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi dwarf forms as a nice little texture rug.

Or you might have a decent sheet of glossy but over homogenous glossy green Billbergia pyramidalis that pokes out into the sun, for a nice contrasting splodge of cochineal Senecio amaniensis. Crassula ‘Springtime’

Or what could be nicer as a break from Mini Mondo Grass, to use the rich coffee shades of Crassula ‘Springtime’ between that brick or salt textured concrete paver slabs … heaven 🙂