Jonquils and other narcissusJonquils are in full bloom in my garden and the scent from a bunch I’ve picked is wafting through the kitchen. Jonquils are thought of as spring bulbs but these fragrant, yellow-flowered bulbs bloom in winter in my garden. In warmer zones than my Tasmanian garden they can begin to flower in late autumn.
A celebratory gin for Tasmanian gardens’ bicentenaryGin flavoured with botanicals is on trend right now and Tasmania is developing some cracking products. The latest flavour sensation is a gin distilled by Kristy Booth-Lark from Killara Distillery for none other than the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens.
Shade lovers in the gardenWhen designing the Wyevale Garden Centres ‘Solutions Garden’ at Gardeners’ World Live 2018, which won a Platinum award, the aim was to show panicky planters stylish solutions to some of the UK’s most common gardening problems, including managing shade.
Hidden gem of Ku-ring-gai: Seven Little Australians Park“Before you fairly start this story, I should like to give you just a word of warning. If you imagine you are going to read of model children…you had better lay down the book immediately…Not one of the seven is really good, for the excellent reason that Australian children never are…There is a lurking sparkle of joyousness and rebellion and mischief in nature here, and therefore in children”. Ethel Turner, Seven Little Australians
Water in the gardenWater in the garden has a long history, as long as gardens themselves. Any history of gardens and gardening will show that the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Chinese, Roman, Japanese, Persian, Mughal, Aztec, French, Italian, Dutch and Spanish gardens all featured water prominently in their designs.
Love leaves a memory that no one can stealThank you…To Mark and Faye Leveson, for letting us into your lives and for allowing us to bring to you what we do best – to make a garden in memory of your son, Matty. While we know that nothing can replace Matty our entire team hope this token of creation will help you slowly find some form of normality in your lives.
Mind blowing cactus and succulents
Re-purposing in the gardenUsing re-purposed items in the garden is not just about being more sustainable. It is also a great way to add character to the items in your garden, save money and can be a lot of fun.
Botanica exhibition in SydneyThe Royal Botanic Garden Sydney has shone the spotlight on the fascinating, complex and remarkable relationships between plants and animals in its Botanica: Symbiosis botanical art exhibition. The exhibition finished on Sunday 6 May 2018.
Sophie’s PatchWhen I think of my childhood, I don’t visualise toys or things; I see a magical place of beauty and majesty – the garden where I grew up. I see the path winding up to the house and having to push aside the weeping foliage to get past, surrounded by an ever-changing array of flowers and foliage. The air was filled with a kaleidoscope of scents and, while at first it seemed quiet, once I tuned in, there was a cacophony of sounds – all natural sounds from insects such as the bees and crickets to frogs, birds and the wind rustling through the foliage.
Botanic History in TasmaniaThe Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is celebrating its 200th birthday this year with a series of events and a new publication. The Gardens: Celebrating Tasmania’s Botanical Treasure 1818-2018 has been released to celebrate the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Garden’s bicentenary this year.
Fruit fly crisis hits TasmaniaThe discovery of fruit fly adults and larvae at several sites in northern Tasmania and on Flinders Island has sent a chill through the state. Fruit fly is a serious pest of soft fruit though out much of mainland Australia but was not present in Tasmania.
How to grow and use carawayCaraway is used to flavour a whole lot of food that we eat, like havarti cheese, rye bread, sauerkraut and caraway seed cake in Britain. What may surprise you is that the roots can be cooked as a vegetable like parsnips or carrots and also that the leaves are sometimes eaten as herbs, either raw, dried, or cooked, just like you would with parsley. Continue reading