Keteleeria, a rare Asiatic conifer in Australian shrubberiesFor one raised and used to living in cooler, moister climes, living in Sydney can bring on ‘conifer-depletion syndrome’. Continue reading
Comfrey for bonesA fall in the family means I’ve had broken bones on my mind lately. This particular break (my mother’s broken shoulder) is going to need the best medical science has to offer to make it better but in days gone by, people often turned to the garden for a remedy.
Nature artistNature, and all its beauty, is at the heart of the work of self-taught artist, Murray Ulan. Studies in horticulture and biology have also clearly influenced his sculptural work.
Indoor plant careIndoor plants are very much in vogue. But it’s important to look after them. Here are some top tips to keeping your indoor plants looking good.
Seasons GardenLet us introduce ourselves – we are Brigitte Moseley and David White and we own the garden ‘Seasons’ at 5 St Georges Rd, Leura, which will be open in this year’s Leura Gardens Festival. Continue reading
The beauty of a swampThe Green Swamp Preserve, 17,424 acres (7051.24 hectares) in Brunswick County, North Carolina is owned by the Nature Conservancy. It is an area of pocosins, Algonquin meaning “swamp-on-a hill”.
Rydal daffodilsThe small village of Rydal nearly 1000 metres above sea level has the ideal climate for growing daffodils and like its namesake in England where William Wordsworth lived for a time and wrote about daffodils, Rydal New South Wales can present a host of golden daffodils.
Harvest, an exhibitionThe inaugural Harvest exhibition, celebrating fruit and vegetables on the first site of (European) agriculture in Australia, was on at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney in August. Continue reading
Going pottyWhen the weather’s cold, days are short and the soil is wet, there’s little incentive to get out into the garden. Winter needn’t be dull downtime however if the garden includes some large containers arranged in a sunny spot.
Art in the landscape in ProvenceI have quite a fondness for the south of France, even when the days are cold, crisp, and still. Perhaps in Provence the lavender in the heat can no longer tickle the nose, but the shimmering autumn colour can dazzle the eye as you drive through the rolling hills.
The jewel of Kew GardensWhat a summer we are having in London! The thermometer has sat in the high twenties for nearly a month now and there is no sign of rain. As an expat Australian working at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, I’m enjoying the warmth after the bleak cold and snow of February – the only downside is that the Gardens could really do with a big drink.
The rise of the Instagram gardenerWhat has the world come to that we are reducing everything to a series of words pre-empted by a hash tag? #gardening #pot plants #indoors #foliage . Whatever the less social media savvy might think, social media is very much part of the modern world. It’s here to stay and is influencing and shaping modern gardening in a positive way.
Malahide Castle gardensMalahide Castle and its gardens, north of Dublin city in County Dublin, are a very worthwhile visit for at least three reasons. The first is the historic Malahide Castle itself, owned continuously for about 800 years by the Talbot family. The lands and harbour of Malahide were granted to founder Richard Talbot by Henry II in return for his part played in the Anglo- Norman invasion of Ireland.