I could never successfully grow tulips until we moved to a cooler climate than Sydney’s. I followed all the tips about storing the bulbs in the fridge until planting but they never flowered. All I have to do here is plant them in the ground in May and they flourish. I’m thankful for that since […]
Visitor plants
Visitor plants often pop up in my garden. They are usually self-seeded and arrive unexpectedly. Some are generally regarded as ‘weeds’ because of this but I admire their will to live. Several of these Corydalis plants have popped up recently but I didn’t know what they were until I used the PictureThis app to identify […]
In my garden column: September 2021
As is normal in September here, some days and nights are cold while others are warm. It’s noticeable that the season is changing, with blossoming trees in all the streets and gardens. The crab apple in my back yard is in all its blossoming glory (look at those colours!) yet the one in the front […]
In my garden column: August 2021
It’s a beautiful winter’s day here – sunny but with a cold breeze. Perfect for inspecting the garden and noting how much work needs to be done! Tackling one section at a time seems to be the only way to not be totally overwhelmed. Focus Erica, focus. 😀 This is one of my rhododendrons with […]
In my garden column: July 2021
We’ve had such horrible, cold winds this month and that’s limited the time I’ve spent outdoors in my garden. I’m gazing out the window now and see blue sky and sunshine yet, at midday, the temperature outside ‘feels like’ 0.9 degrees. I find these ‘feels like’ measurements handy. As I scurry inside, they allow me […]
Garden inspiration from Elizabeth Farm
Several years ago, I visited a Spring Harvest day at Elizabeth Farm in Rosehill, NSW. Let me tell you a little about that place. It was the home of John and Elizabeth Macarthur, who arrived in the colony in 1790 on the Second Fleet. The building commenced in 1793. It is the oldest existing colonial […]
Do my plants talk about me?
I read an article recently that outlined how trees communicate with each other to warn of danger. It focused on the work of Suzanne Simard. To quote from the article:“Chemical alarm signals generated by one tree prepare nearby trees for danger. Seedlings severed from the forest’s underground lifelines are much more likely to die than […]
In my garden column: June 2021
Aah, June – that month when winter finally arrives. We’ve had a blast of cold air this past week and some long-term locals even started talking up the possibility of snow. That didn’t happen, thankfully, but I wouldn’t rule it out as the season progresses. There’s lots for me to do in my garden this […]
In my garden column: May 2021
Hello to everyone who loves camellias. May is the month when they feature in our gardens here – fat buds are on all my shrubs and many are starting to open their blooms. A lovely time to choose new ones to plant! My May column for our local newspaper, Southern Highlands Express. features these gorgeous […]
In my garden column: April 2021
This month is all about autumn leaves in my garden. The deciduous trees in our area are showing all their glorious autumn colours this month. It’s hard not to gaze at all the shades of red, orange, yellow and brown. But what to do with all those fallen leaves? Please enjoy my column from our […]