During the Second World War, there was a glut of wheat in Australia, and for obvious reasons there were difficulties in the exporting of it. As well, hessian sacks and corn bags (also used for wheat) were in short supply and the need for somewhere to store an enormous amount of grain became urgent. It…
Author: Jane
Winter arrives: SoS June 8, 2019
It’s officially Winter here in Australia, and after an Antarctic blast during the week, the weather has settled itself into the more common pattern for us: frosty mornings followed by beautiful sunshine and warm(ish) days, although it is, in fact, cloudy today. We’ve been away for a couple of weeks south to Victoria, and I…
Frosty Morning
Frost crept into the garden today creating silvery spangles on the lawn. Minus three this morning – Winter has really begun.
Japanese Gardens Cowra.
We are recently returned from another touring holiday of Victoria -extended distances again, and a sense of freedom on the long day drives. On our first day, on our way south to Canberra, we stopped at the Japanese Gardens in Cowra, New South Wales, for a horticultural treat. During WW2 there was a Japanese PoW…
Pink(ish): SoS April 13, 2019
At this time of the year, as the garden begins to get ready for its winter sleep, it becomes more difficult to find six interesting items to present for Six on Saturday. This week I’ve selected a clutch of plants with a pink, or nearly pink hue, which have flowers still persisting despite the cooling…
Saved by Salvias: SoS March 30, 2019
The appearance of my summer garden was largely saved by Salvias this year. I’m not overstating things when I say that the days were torrid and the garden parched during five weeks without rain, but the Salvias kept on flowering, even after their January trim. I lost quite a few plants: a beautiful Ceonothus ‘Blue…
Progress: SoS February 16 2019
We bought our present house four and a half years ago, and as so many friends told us, we had a ‘blank canvas’ to work with. My SoS this week chronicles the progress we’ve made in the garden since we moved here. All the before photos were taken by an agent, so have a professional…
Harbourside Gardens
Along with the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, the Royal Sydney Botanical Garden is a jewel in the tiara that forms the city of Sydney’s foreshore. Glimpses of the city buildings in one direction and the harbour in the other create a perfect setting for a floral visit. On a hot…
Farewell January-thank goodness! February 2, 2019
Throughout January the heat continued unabated. Although we got off lightly compared to others in Australia, several days in a row of 40 degrees, and many in excess of 36 made gardening not an option. In Mudgee, our maximum temperature for the whole month was 4.9 degrees above average, making it the hottest January ever….
Troopers: 1st January, 2019.
The weather has been relentlessly hot. Since Boxing Day, the daily maximum temperature has only once been below 35 degrees (to 34), and several times up to 38 and during all that time, only 4 mm of rain has fallen. Of course, there are places in Australia experiencing far hotter temperatures, but ours have been…