montvillegarden

garden visitors in 2012

2012-01-15T02:59:00.000-08:00

photo: "The Shambles" south rose garden

Christmas and family birthdays are just behind us and bus visits to our garden, arranged last year are looming. The benign weather, continual grooming and a deliberate strategy of putting plants into empty spaces has our garden looking the best it has for a while.

We have to keep on our toes not just to have a display for visitors in January but because of our Open Garden Australia opening at Easter , Saturday, Sunday and monday 7th-9th April this year.
A little stroll today identified flowers on just about everything in the long narrow East garden. At one end is an arch with mauve flowering Phaseolus caracalla and at the other an arch of flowering Phaseolus giganteus and a climbing frangipani not ready to display. Old fashioned roses, Salvias, Abutilon and Cannas are in flower along with Eryisum bicolor (wallflower), Mirabilis jalapa (4 O'Clock plant), a very late flowering Quisqualis indica and a big tall clump of Crinum x powellii.
At the south east stone circle garden and walkways along with Hydrangea there are both blue and pink flowering Plectranthus ecklonii and a great crowding in of fresh green growth on our species Camellias, Spiraea, Clerodendrum nutans, Thunbergia erecta and white flowering Orthosiphon stamineus
Never being shy of a challenge we planted three Forsythia x intermedia 'Lynwood Gold' interspersed with single pink and mauve Azaleas along under the cool south side of the house. Colour madness you might say! We shall see what the result is next spring or perhaps the one after. We also planted Deutzia gracilis in and around a garden which is already too busy with Spiraea and white species Camellias and the odd young Pliladelphus mexicanus ? coronarius.
Lastly near the stone circle we planted a tiny Kolwitzia amabilis "Pink Cloud' where we can keep an eye on its early life.
Elsewhere in our busy garden old fashioned roses of all sorts are coverd in bud and bloom, the Agapanthus are just at the end and Hibiscus syriacus of several coloyrs are still flowering.

And so this friday and the following week bus trips are bringing visitors to the garden for an hour or two and we feel that there is quite a lot of colour and interest to see for all tastes. Along with plants mentioned above there is lots of other perennial colour and in our forested areas and tropical foliage plant areas the rain and humidity have interesting new growth on plants which don't normally flower at this time of year. Brugmansias, Iochromas, Cetrodenia, Ipmoea carnea, Bauhinea corymbosa and Lagerstroemia speciosa/ Lagerstroemia indica and in display.
Its raining tonight again but we hope that there some moments of sunshine for our visitors
Michael Simpson

Gardening up to Christmas

2011-12-18T22:25:00.000-08:00

picture: Clerodendrum bungeii

Summer this year seems to be like 2010 with cooler cloudy days , showers or rain and ideal growing conditions for the garden. The damp soil is ideal for weed growth such as the tropical chick weed, but also ideal for pulling them out.
All of our juvenile heritage roses are doubling in size (with only one or two casualties). Newly acquired Salvias such as 'indigo Spires', 'Megans Magic' and several unnamed Salvia microphylla cultivars are growing well.
A bit of insect protection has meant that our various Hibiscus syriacus, Hibiscus mutabilis and Hibiscus insularis cultivars are flowering and look much better than last year.
Kyleigh has estabilshed healthy cuttings specimens of all manner of perennials to sell at our Open garden in Easter 2012 or to offer to Bus trip visitors in the new year. Some of the cuttings such as Ruscus, Hypericum and Iochroma warscewiczii we will keep for ourselves.
Even tough our days are sometmes quite dark and cloudy it is still quite relaxing to sit in the garden, listening to the birds. Oh! just remembered we saw a Richmond Bird Wing Butterfly head through the garden the other day.
New Cordyllines added today, along with replacements for our Salvia discolor . Cuttings of old roses 'La Marne' and 'Peace 1902' also planred out in south rose garden.
We hope Christmas is a fine day for all of us
Michael Simpson

New England and Mount Wilson

2011-11-13T15:25:00.000-08:00

Alpine garden at The Boulevard, Armidale.

During November our Queensland branch of 'Heritage Roses in Australia' (HRIA) toured gardens at Warwick, Glen Innes, Tamworth and then enjoyed the St.Peters garden weekend in Armidale where 10 gardens were on display.
Once again hanks goes to Barbara and Vic Beerling for the research and organization which made this trip so successful. For our part after an extra night at Armidale we travelled on to Mt Wilson via the Upper hunter and Bylong Valley to Mt. Wilson in the Blue Mountains.
For Queenslanders the European trees in New England and the Blue Mountains, the Acers, Oaks, Elms, Liriodendron, copper Beech, Poplars, Willows and conifers such as Norwegian Spruce are are visual contrast to what we see around us at home. Shrubs such as the Rhododendrons, Kolwitzias, Laurels, Crabapples and Peonies are also new experiences for Queensland eyes.
The exuberant growth of so many fabulous roses reinforced how difficult our aspiration for rose growing is in the sub-tropics. However, I did notice a conspicuous lack of the sort of old tea, china and noisette roses which grow in our climate.
The heritage rose garden established at 'Pringle Cottage' at Warwick is a credit to the society who manages this historic precinct. We stayed at 'Guy House' with some beautiful gardens in Warwick.
At Glen Innes we visited the beautiful country gardens of Eileen Landers and her son next door.
In cattle country near Tamworth we visited an extraordinary garden of Evelyn Loseby with collections of all sorts including roses, iris, pelargonium and elegantly displayed large cacti of all sorts.
The tour was a marvellous and varied experience, in perfect weather. Unexpected pleasures came from our visit to Nundle with its working woolen mill and the wonderful hospitality of Sue and Rob Bedford and their neighbours with a bar-b-que for the HRIA group at their beautiful garden in Armidale.
We hired a car while the others travelled in a hired bus and at Armidale we stayed at Lindsay House overlooking the beautiful park and cathedral precinct. Our car enabled us to enjoy a wonderful afternoon at the house and garden of Saumarez Homestead at Armidale and visit Booloominbah House in the grounds of the New England University.
It is quite a long step to Mt.Wilson from Armidale (and home again) but the roadside scenery was dramatic and always wonderful to see. Towns such as Scone, Murrurundi and Rylstone on the way there and back, including Tenterfield of course, had some surprisingly good cafes. The industrial landscape around Lithgow is dramatic in itself.
At Mount Wilson we stayed at the old teachers cottage and met Tim Gow who had agreed to show us around. Luckily for us the bush was full of wild flowers including both red and white waratah and the beautiful Mountain Ash. The large 19th century hill station gardens at Mt.Wilson are so special as to defy description. Very few people actually seem to live there, there are no shops , cafes and almost no one around. The silence is deafening.
We visited 'Bebeah' (Tim Gow was staying at Bebeah Cottage) with 12 acres of manicured garden rooms, century old oaks, a large ornamental lake and collections of Rhododendron, Maple, Azaleas (including Mollis Azaleas) and much more. The owner Barry Byrne was apparently away.
Next we went to 'Withycombe' yet another extraordinary collection of fine old, European trees ornamental shrubs, lawns and terraces around a beautiful house encircled by verandahs. Yet again the owners were not home sadly.
At 'Merry Garth' yet another garden, the result of 30 years of expert plant collecting, where, this time, Keith Raines but sadly not Libby Raines was at home. With views to the valleys far below 'Merry Garth' contains an enormous variety in many genus including alpine species, Rhododendrons, Maples and the remarkable Kalmias.
Storm damage, which was not so obvious to us had dramatically affected some residents such as the owner of 'Wynstay'. Mt. Wilson had lost part of its historic avenue of Elms. We visted St.Georges Church and yard with its ancient tree ferns and the dramatic stony Wynnes lookout.
We visited 'Sefton Cottage' with its stone walls and may beautiful shrubs and perennials. With a camera each our collection of photographs was expanding by this stage.
At 'Windyridge' the beautifully diverse terraces, steps, ponds and paths contained a wild variety of ornamental plants in excellent condition. As always no owner around but we did find a gardener to speak to.
Now we love our quiet at Montville but the degree of isolation and even loneliness at Mount Wilson made it quite a relief to visit Mt.Victoria and then on to Katoomba and the unmissable view from Echo point. At Leura we even found a present for our grandson Leo.
In spite of all the diverse beauty we saw in those elevated cold climate gardens we are so glad to live and garden at Montville in Queensland.
Michael Simpson

The Rain returns

2011-10-31T01:19:00.000-07:00

Picture. Our rustic fountain of coral and shells.
With a return to rainy weather a number of gardening chores become easier. We have added yet more plants of course, transplanted yet more and added more succulents (Bulbophyllum, Echieveria etc) to the from embankment.

Salvia microphylla "Penny's Smile", Salvia microphylla "Miss Scarlet" Salvia unidentified cultivar resembles s.microphylla red flower black calyx Cuphea purpurea (Batplant) Stokesia Blue Parasols and Tagetes patula Marigold "Vanilla' cream flowers

Kyleigh has prepared and labelled hundreds of pots with cuttings of many of our best and most reliable perennials for our Open garden in April 2012. Although our solar founain pump did not last more is expected from our solar outdoor lighting.

We have completed a makeover at the Montville Village Hall including adding new plants (A Gardenia, Cuphea compacta, Salvia microphylla cv red flowers/black calyx, Parsley, Fennel, Thai and Greek Basil). Roses were all sprayed and all plants fertilized. Very tall Hibiscus were extensively pruned as were many perennials.

Michael Simpson

Open garden new plantings

2011-09-26T00:23:00.000-07:00

One of the exciting things about having an open garden and a birthday close together is the number of new plants which come into the garden. Here is a list of our latest additions

Plant additions sept 2011

all from Kate Stock at Hunchy as cuttings

Salvia x hybrid 'Phyllis Fancy", mauve and white from "Waverly"

Salvia x hybrid "Waverley"

Salvia involucrata hybrid "Romantic Rose"

Salvia hybrid (S. longispicata and S. farinacea) "Indigo Spires"

Tradescantia andersonia hybrid (purple flower)

Penstemon hybrid

Tea Roses from cutting "Lady Hillingdon" South garden

" Rubens" “Hay Valley Tea ROR” probably same as "Rose sold as Mme Hoste ROR". ... (usually sold as 'Rubens' or 'Mme Laurette Messimy', sometimes as “Octavus Weld" East Garden

"Parks Yellow Tea Scented" Wisteria trellis

Other roses from cutting "Safrano' Uniting Church

"Carabella" Uniting Church

" Weeping Pink China" Montville Hall

Plants as birthday gifts

Leptospermum "Naoko" L. flavescens 'Cardwell' x L.scoparium nana

Rhododendron indica "Alba magnifica' from Montville Surgery

Rhododendron indica "Mrs Kint" from Eleanor , both Azaleas near

Cassia fistula

Camellia japonica "Emperor of Russia" variegated Chris and Ed Donlen, near drive

Magnolia grandiflora "Kay Parris" from Margaret and Jon Outridge, placed near Wisteria trellis

Dipladenia sanderi red, from Mum and Dad near East boundary

Rhaphealepis indica "Springtime" from Mum and Dad near the stone circle

Calceolaria x hybrid yellow from Paula and James, Hydrangea walk

Ornithogalum thyrsoides hybrid "Chesapeake Starlight", one from Mum and Dad, one from Tracy and Chris Collie, East Garden

Shrub roses "Make a Wish" Floribunda, Treloar Michelle and Michael Johnston, path garden

"Paul Bocuse" Guillot, France Ruth and Tom Moroney , south garden

"Lili Marlene" Floribunda Kordes 1959 Germany, from Eleanor, path garden.

Open Garden

2011-09-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

Thankyou to everyone who came along to our Open Garden on the weekend. We were very fortunate with the weather and it was the complete opposite to last year being beautifully sunny and warm.
Thanks to the local Hunchy Association there were hundreds of plants including heritage roses on sale and many people were walking out the gate laden with plants.
There were also two classic cars in addition to our fords and we thank the owners for having them on display.
I particularly enjoyed talking to the visitors and watching the many children exploring the garden.
Visitors came from far and wide and everyone seemed to enjoy their time here. It is always nice to see people have an extended visit to the garden and to see them relax and take their time because there is a lot to see.
So many people asked if I had made the scones that we served for Devonshire and Maroochyshire teas. No ,I didn't make the scones but I did prepare the garden.
Once again we asked ourselves why we open the garden ?
It is a great deal of work and we decided to do several new projects in preparation so having a date to work to certainly makes you get things done.
We always enjoy meeting visitors to the garden and talking about plants.
We like seeing local organisations benifit from the day through the plant stalls.
We like sharing the garden with others.
Most of all we hope that visitors will go away with ideas for their own gardens.
Our next Garden Opening with Open Gardens Australia is in April 2012 on the Easter Weekend.

Open garden Countdown

2011-09-04T21:43:00.001-07:00

With our Open garden fast approaching on the 17th and 18th September we are finally approaching the end of some projects and some of the preparation.
The 'plough Inn' , our old packing shed has been renovated or at least brought back to a safe condition with the help of friends. Our rustic garden feature/fountain has reached a satidfactory stage although I have not really identified the various ferns which we have planted to decorate it. some i can identify such as the Doodia, Pteris and Adiantum species. Other identifications will be a job for the future.

Our 'Gatehouse' has been erected near the front gate to greet visitor in shelter. The gatepost nearest had to be removed and will need replacing this weekend.

Showers and rain continue and all that we can hope is that he weather will be fine for the day

Dendrobium moschatum yellow flowering orchid, South America

Pedilanthus tithymaloides syn Euphorbia tithymalacoides (zig zag plant, devils backbone)

Euchomis comosa var. "Chocolate pineapple lily' South Africa Garden hybrid

Hibiscus mutabilis var. "Tony" single crimson

Hydrangea macrophylla 'maiko'

Hydrangea macrophylla variegatum

Osteospermum varieties

Otocanthus caeruleus (Little Blue Boy, Brazilian Snapdragon)

Pelargonium hortorum "Big red", also a single pink

Pandorea jasminoides variegatum

Pandorea pandorana var. 'Golden Showers'

Pandorea pandorana

Camellia japonica 'Helenor'

Camellia japonica 'Tabb'

Camellia japonica 'Fimbriata'

Camellia japonica 'Great Eastern'

Trees removed or heavily reduced

Anona (Custard Apple) , overshaded in an area dominated by Red cedars and other trees

Delonix regia (Poinciana) , very tall, brittle and has not flowered in 15 years. In an area already fully occupied by Brachychiton acerfolius, Bolly gum, Red cedar.

Tibouchina 'Noelene' An area to be redeveloped to illustrate Michelia and very old fashion Camelias with variegated or mottled flower patterns.

June 2011 In a cleared area where a Custard Apple tree was removed.

Rhoeo, Bromeliads and 3 x slowly recovering Sygygium spp

Cordylline fruticosa rubra x3

Deiffenbachia var. x1

Pleomele reflexa 'variegated' Song of India India

Codiaeum var. x2

Begonia rhizomatous

Cycas revoluta (Sago cycad) x3 Southern Japan

transplanted small non thriving Cordyllines x3

From Mount Tambourine and Sunray Nursery Nambour

Magnolia x loebneri 'Merrill'

Magnolia x soulangeana unknown hybrid

In renovated gardens both front and back of house

Echium candicans x3

Felicia amelloides x2

Artemisia pontica Roman Wormwood Southern Europe

Artemisia arborescens Tree Wormwood Middle east

Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa French Tarragon Caspian, Siberia

Tagetes lucida Mexican Tarragon

Dorotheanthus bellidiformis Livingstone Daisy South Africa

Osteospermum var. 'Serenity Sunburst'

Pachyveria glauca hybrid Mexico

Pachyphytum oviferum Mexico

Echeveria hybrid Mexico

Rhoeo spathacia central America

In Northern gardens

Abrophyllum ornans Native hydrangea

Randia benthamiana syn Atractocarpus benthamianus Narrow leaved Gardenia

Alocasia brisbanensis formerly A. macrorrhizos Cunjevoi

Anopterus macleayanus Macleay Laurel

Seedlings and seeds sewn during June/ July/ August 2011

Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla Rainbow chard

Lactuca sativa L. var. longifolia Cos or Romaine lettuce

Borago officinalis Borage

Helianthus annuus Sunflower

Viola X Wittrockiana Patiola violet Pansy

Viola tricolor

Petunia x hybrida

Pisum sativum garden Pea

Oenethera missouriensis Evening Primrose

Cleome hasslerianan

Antirrhinum majus Snapdragon

Brassica oleacea var.sabellica Kale

Capsicum annuum

Cucurbita pepo Zucchini

Dianthus barbutus Sweet William

Gypsophila panniculata Babys breath

Limomium tataricum Statice

Petroselinum crispum Parsley small and large leaf varieties.

Daucus carota Queens Annes Lace

Garden history and garden inventories

2011-08-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

August 2011 we spent the weekend at Maryborough discussing garden history. The following draft was presented on Sunday on the topic of Garden plant inventories.

Our preparations for our open garden have been put on hold but for a very pleasant reason. Heavy rain after 8 weeks of dry has given our seedlings and new plantings a guaranteed lease on life. New additions include (from Mt Tambourine) Magnolia x loebneri 'Merrill', and Pelargonium 'Big Red' among others.

Our rustic coral and shell fountain structure is coming on well and enhanced by the planting of different fern species which I ave not catalogued.

Draft of Garden History and the vital Role of Garden Plant Inventories in Conservation.

Dr Michael Simpson

Australian Garden History Conference

Maryborough, August, 2011

Picture: Kyleigh at "Baddow House" , Queens Street, Maryborough

Any of us who has visited a large old garden and seen the twisted remnant shrubs and big old trees in it may wonder about their past and worry about their future. The lumps and bumps on the ground and half buried lines of stone may reveal mysterious clues to previous garden beds and structures. Old photographs may show a house in a luxuriant setting where we see only remnant trees and shrubs or a place telling a story of many phases of rise and decline.

The study of a mature garden is inexorably linked to the study of the plants grown within it as much as an understanding of the people who made the garden and those who altered it and recorded it in successive generations.

Even though Queensland's European settlement and therefore its oldest remaining gardens only go back about one hundred and seventy years a wealth of maturing gardens and plant populations has been lost in the pressure to subdivide urban land with little or no protection on the basis of "heritage value". Queensland's remaining garden heritage rests in mature gardens which should have plant inventories made for them. The fashionable plants going into newly built gardens in new suburbs today will be the historic gardens of the future and therefore should have their plant catalogue documented. Gardeners lucky enough to live with an old garden and those of us who make gardens now should be recording the plants in them for future researchers of garden history as well as for historical, genealogical, horticultural and conservation purposes. For completeness and rigour a garden plant catalogue should include everything from the bulbs and rhizomes under the ground, grasses, shrubs, perennials, vines, water plants, trees and all things ornamental and productive

The topic of conservation of gardens perhaps using plant inventories is not just an academic one, based on the evidence and data possessed and understood by a few. Beautiful gardens touch us all because they decay, are revived and evolve, sometimes over generations, to become a work of art. Seeing bulldozers rip through a mature garden to create a new development, a common event in Queensland, is no different to seeing someone throw acid over a painting by Fred McCubbin. Whereas we all expect that the painting is protected and secure the garden as a work of art has almost no enforceable protection but survives on good will and luck alone.

Therefore it seemed to us that every tool available, including garden plant inventories, should be used when creating the evidence planners require when arguing for the conservation of important gardens and landscapes. Publishing the evidence, including inventories, widely and especially online, may enrol popular support when a conservation issue may become a political one.

The membership of the Australian Garden History Society, when surveyed, "strongly endorsed our continuing advocacy role-after 25 years, this is still a key objective of the society" (1). Detailed garden plant inventories should be seen as a standard tool in this advocacy for the conservation of gardens and landscapes.

Are plant inventories being made? Are they widely available? The answers are maybe and no! The Garden Plant Conservation Association of Australia (GPCAA) registers collections of garden plants and these collections are the subject of updated plant inventories (refer www.rbg.vic.gov.au/garden-plant-conservation-gpcaa) .The journal of the Australian Garden History Society contains a few reports which include detailed garden plans accompanied by printed or online plant lists (2) (3). Branches of the Australian Garden History Society in Victoria and ACT-Monaro have prepared booklets which include a garden plan and a plant list for sites such as "Belmont", "Buda", "Bishopscourt", "Turkeith" and "Mooleric" and a few others (4). Australia's botanical garden curators of course maintain inventories of the changing plant populations within their gardens for example the Brisbane Botanic Gardens plant Census 2010 which lists plants systematically without description or notes (5). This census describes a collection of 15,000 plants representing 3988 taxa (5). Commercial nursery catalogues form an ongoing source of record of the plants grown in Australian Gardens. Yarralumla Nursery in Canberra, has been recognised for its role in development of the cities tree lined streets and gardenscape by being placed on the register of the National estate (6). Yarralumla Nursery like many other nurseries has its plant catalogue published online (6).

Historical references such as 19th century plant catalogues of Australia's Botanic gardens and plant Nurseries are not only of research interest but speak of evolving domestic garden fashion and the role of plant inventories in the development of colonial commerce and development (7),(8),(9). They may also illustrate how many garden plants we use today have been popular in gardens throughout European history in Australia. They may also be used as reference material when planning the replanting of an historic garden in keeping with a nominated period such as the 1870s for example.

As for frequently visited gardens it may be possible to request inspection of the current plant list, for example at "Everglades" at Leura and at "Alton" at Mt. Macedon there is a tree survey from the 1990s available on their website if you go looking.

A visitor or researcher may ask to see the 1997 Garden and Grounds conservation Plan for the magnificent garden at "Runnymede" at Hobart (extract, appendix 1.) but you'd have to be aware that this document existed.

The 1997 "Runnymede" garden conservation plan only mentions two plants by name and only one of those is the binomial. There was no plant inventory included in the plan to objectively describe the garden and assist the recommendation to plant specimens "in common use" during the period of significance. This latter recommendation seemed at odds with the 19th century ambition to acquire new plants very much not in "common use". Overall the conservation planning for the garden at "Runnymede" as in other important gardens would be very much enhanced by the wide publication of the gardens plant inventory today, as it would have been in 1997 (appendix 1.).

On visiting the open garden "Tallaringa" on Mount Tambourine the owners Christine and John Youngman keep a card system with the binomial at the top of a card for each plant and a picture plants label or a photograph. This is a large garden with extensive collections of exotic shrubs going back to the 1920s. At "Tallaringa" a rain forest area has been the subject of a formal report by a botanist identifying species within it. Only by asking would anyone see this private record of the collections of plants at "Tallaringa".

Some well known and historical gardens may have privately or officially compiled garden plans and plant inventories which are not available to the public. However, I would contend that most of Australia's private gardens, even those of historical importance may not have a current plant inventory or any systematic record of plants grown throughout their development.

A few gardens do have well researched and detailed photographic and descriptive accounts of the plants within them due to the energy and devotion of a literary occupant.

The renovation of the garden and the development of plant collections at "Forest Hall" in Tasmania has been described beautifully in a book by Susan Irvine (10). Another 2002 book by Leo Schofield described plantings in detail, including plant lists, in his renovation of "Bronte House" in Sydney (11).

Conservation of these latter gardens is greatly assisted by having a permanent readable record for interested citizens and Government organizations to use as evidence.

The Walling survey report of 2003 sponsored by Victorian Heritage attempted to list and make recommendations about extant gardens with plans by the garden designer Edna Walling (12). This report did not include plant inventories, except in listing natural landscape vegetation in areas advocated by the designer. However Edna Walling's labelled plant schemes have been widely published and comparing these to what remains of these plantings, for example at certain properties at Bickleigh Vale, would demonstrate the evolution of those gardens (12) (13). A brochure by the Victorian heritage register for an Open garden Scheme day in 2005 lists Indigenous trees, conifers and Edna Walling 'signature' plants at Bickleigh Vale (Heritage Victoria 11/10/05). Accuracy still depends heavily on the plans of the original designer rather than modern record keeping.

The 19th century inventory of the plants in a large private garden, written in the hand of the owner, such as the extensive plant ledger of East Talgai Homestead on the Darling Downs, is a rare and valuable document (14).

Although the garden is very much altered and much of the planting has disappeared one can point to trees and shrubs in the garden and using photographs for comparison know when they were planted and whose hand recorded the event (14). However, there is no published modern catalogue of the plants in the garden at Talgai Homestead and no planting information is mentioned in conservation documents such as the listing on the Queensland Heritage Register (www.epa.qld.gov.au/chims place ID 600006 21/8/1992). The website for heritage NSW lists quite a number of gardens and named gardens without any access to plant lists if they exist (www.heritage.nsw.gov.au).

The lack of an accessible plant catalogue, accompanying notes and plans is a common situation for many of Australia's historic gardens.

Without an inventory of plants and the collation of previous inventories there is no evidence of what plants survive from an historic period in a garden and what plants, if any left to see, are new.

Without old planting records it is difficult to interpret historic garden plantings today.

Without new plant catalogues being created there may be no evidence to pass on to future generations for the care and protection of important new or renovated gardens.

Without the evidence provided by planting inventories it is more difficult to construct a case for conservation on the basis of heritage value or horticultural gene pool.

Sadly, the conservation of beautiful and historic gardens and landscapes requires this evidence to be available and maintained to manage the threat of destruction through inappropriate development.

As a members of the Australian Garden History Society and as builders of a complicated garden over twenty years my wife Kyleigh and I undertook a project to revise and record our own garden plant catalogue of "The Shambles" at Montville (15). The plant inventory of our garden had already been published in two previous books and illustrated in a garden DVD film (16), (17), (18). The plant catalogue is also published and updated online at our website www.montvillegarden.com

In order to answer the question, "Was this grown in the 'old days' in Queensland?", we used the revised version of our own plant inventory to research and record evidence for the 'heritage plant' label attached to many of the plants grown in our modern garden. To this end we selected a number of references, including the oldest available botanical and acclimatization garden, nursery and garden catalogues and annotated each plant in our list. The inference we drew was similar to that made using stratigraphy in geology.

We inferred that if, for example, Agapanthus praecox was grown in the Brisbane Botanical gardens, as recorded in Walter Hill's Catalogue of 1875 (7) then it may well be found in private gardens from 1875 if not earlier and therefore, in current parlance, may be termed a 'heritage plant'.

Overall, the aims of writing and publishing "Australian Gardens Making History, the Vital Role of Making and Keeping Gardens Inventories" and presenting this garden inventory to the Australian Garden History Society conference were threefold

1. Create a discussion around what we see as an important tool, namely, Plant catalogues, labelled planting schemes and photographs in garden history research, which may guide conservation and even legislated protection of historic gardens and landscapes. For a modern gardener the creation of a plant inventory may inform future researchers and conservation planning for gardens of our time.

2. To propose for debate a model for cataloguing a garden which may include plant lists, interesting descriptions, horticultural notes and reproducible evidence for the use of certain plants at earlier stages of European settlement. In our model references to specialist plant societies, including web references, are made when recording particular species where there are large numbers of plant varieties and specialist study of them.

3. To contend that garden plant inventories should be made readable, interesting and available by publication in printed format and distributed as widely and freely as possible via websites and social media. Long plant lists may be collected by a few researchers but a more readable, frequently updated document may survive the test of time if supported by plans, photography and written evidence.

A more readable document may help the reader understand the context of the garden and the aspirations of the people who made it and therefore be a better tool for conservation.

Already we have received comment and online suggestions for corrections to plant names and other data in our own garden inventory which I have reprinted as an 'erratum' page included in the print version of "Australian Gardens Making History, the vital Role of Making and Keeping Garden inventories" (15) and on our website www.montvillegarden.com .

Lastly we presented a seven step suggested guide for commencing a garden inventory in language which would be suited to the non professional gardener (15) & Appendix 2. The task of creating a garden inventory de novo is quite challenging and time consuming but at the same time can be very absorbing.

Many of Australia's important gardens are in private hands and not all keen gardeners have been interested in cataloguing bulbs, vines, trees shrubs and perennials etc. except perhaps in their own memory.

Hopefully, our project will stimulate debate about the role of inventories in preserving the knowledge of these gardeners and providing evidence to assist the evolution and conservation of their gardens and those of historic places for future generations.

Perhaps a project of the Australian Garden History Society could be to collect, collate and publish online, via the AGHS website, as many modern inventories of gardens great and small, as can be gathered with web links to those inventories published online by other organizations. Perhaps gardens, including the inventory of plants within them could be registered with the AGHS in the same way that plant collections may be registered with the Garden Plant Conservation association of Australia (refer www.rbg.vic.gov.au/garden-plant-conservation-gpcaa )

One of the main challenges that confronts the goal of conservation of mature and historic gardens in Australia is the loss that may occur when the garden changes hands by sale or when maintenance fails due to inheritance by less interested family members. Succession planning for the ongoing care of a mature garden, using updated garden plant inventories and a formal guidance and advice role through the AGHS could be used to manage this issue. Farmers and other businesses recognise the need for succession planning. Gardeners such as ourselves may do well to plan to preserve the gardens name or title, important structures and living plant inventory in our gardens by recording these and nominating a successor, succession timeframe and training. A role for development of specific and legally binding conservation protection with advice from the AGHS could be modelled on the documents developed by the Garden History Society in the UK (refer conservation@gardenhistorysociety.org)

Legally binding codicils protecting the garden when making a will or placing protective restrictions on a gardens real estate title might be an avenue for conservation which would be assisted by updated garden plant inventories. As a lawyer would perhaps say in this context , "If it isn't written down, then it never happened".

References.

1. Colleen Morris, Visions & Voices, The Australian Garden History Society 1980-2005: Foreword, page 1.

2. Wendy Joyner and Cas Middlemis An Adelaide Garden: Dulwich House, Australian Garden History, Vol.15 No.5 2004 pages 9-14

3. Volkhard Wehner Genesis of a Historic Garden Part 1-edna Walling at Folly farm Australian Garden History, Vol.16 No.2 2004 pages 8-14

4. Helen Page, Visions and Voices , The Australian Garden History Society 1980-2005: Helping Hands: Many Willing Hands, page 14.

5. R.D. McKinnon, P.M. Cameron and B.H. Cooney Brisbane Botanic Gardens (Mt.Coot-tha) Plant census 2010, Brisbane City Council, Brisbane 2010

6. Yarralumla Nursery Plant catalogue www.tams.act.gov.au/live/yarralumla_nursery

7. Walter Hill Catalogue of the Plants in the Queensland Botanic Gardens, Government Printer, Brisbane 1875.

8. Frederick Manson Bailey, Colonial Botanist, Catalogue of Plants in the two Metropolitan Gardens, The Brisbane Botanic Garden and Bowen Park (The Garden of the Queensland Acclimatization Society), Government Printer, Brisbane 1885

9. Catalogue of Plants for Sale by Michael Guilfoyle” Exotic Nursery, Double bay, Sydney 1851

10. Susan Irvine, The Garden of Forest Hall, Viking ,Australia, 2002

11. Leo Schofield, The Garden at Bronte House , Viking Australia, 2002.

12. Karen Olsen, Walling Survey Report, Heritage Council of Victoria, Australia, 2003.

13. Edna Walling, The Edna Walling Book of Australian Garden Design, Anne O'Donovan Publisher, Australia, 1980.

14. Talgai Homestead, Plant Ledger, commenced 1868-1907 Ellen and George Clark. Additions after 1907-1942 George Carr Clark, 1945-1965 Bardwell”

15. Kyleigh and Dr. Michael Simpson, Australian Gardens Making History, the Vital Role of Making and Keeping Garden Inventories, self published 2010

17 Kyleigh and Dr. Michael Simpson, The Shambles, the Story of a Montville Garden, self published, Australia, 2007

18. Kyleigh and Michael Simpson, Over the Fence and Overlooked, Traditional Plants In Queensland’s Gardening Heritage. Copyright publishing, Brisbane, Australia 2009

19. A Garden in the Rain, The Shambles DVD film, Producer Robert Simpson, Director Michael Simpson, Montville Australia 2009

Appendix 1

Extract from: Runnymede Garden and Grounds Conservation Plan

Prepared for the National Trust of Australia (Tasmania)

Nigel Lewis Richard Aitken Pty Ltd. November 1997

Summary of Major Recommendations

Conservation of the garden should include a combination of retention of existing plantings, some new plantings, and some removal and replacement of existing plantings. The framework of the garden should reflect the period of primary significance (i.e. Pitcairn and Nixon) but in general the detail planting and layout should reflect the period of contributory significance (Bayley and Bayly families, especially to 1941), especially where there is considerable interpretive potential in later plantings.

Where new trees are required these should be drawn from plants known to have been widely available in the period of primary significance to ensure that the property overall retains its mid-Victorian character.

Any trees not in common use during the period of significance should be progressively removed and replaced.

Existing shrubberies and garden beds should be progressively reworked to remove modern hybrids and plants not in common use during the period of significance.

Selection of appropriate plants should be based on documentary sic.(such as early photographs) supplemented by information from early plant and seed catalogues. (references page 54-55)

Detailed planting plans based on this conservation plan should be prepared by the Runnymede House Committee in consultation with the head gardener, House Manager, garden volunteers and outside consultation as deemed appropriate. (page 54)

Back yards

2011-07-28T23:11:00.000-07:00

Even since I was a child I have loved to look at gardens. Usually over the fence as I walked home from school or even from the train as I travelled on the Shorncliffe line to Brisbane.
Looking over the fences you could see the plants and so much more. Many people went to great lengths to make their gardens useful and there were vegetable gardens, flowers, bbq areas, car ports ,clothes lines , pathways and low chain wire fences. Every home seemed to have a point of difference and there were people who obviously took great pride in their garden spaces.
Naturally there were others who couldn't care less and cursory lawn mowing may be all that was done or not.
The garden is a reflection of the owner and making a home can extend into the outdoor space.
Roy Strong in his book ,'The Lasket' states,"Gardens are not created in limbo. How few books I have read on particular gardens have ever spelt out the social,political and economic climate against which they were conceived."
When I think of those suburban Brisbane gardens in the late 60's and 70's there was a definate mend and make do aspect to gardens suggesting the economic restraints. I remember one garden right near the Sandgate station that was quite flash because it had so much concrete and fancy balustrading. It all seemed to be home made and someone obviously put time and money into that garden. People didn't seem to spend money on gardens when we lived. There might be one or two people who had lovely lawns and a sense of design. Often the arrangements looked like the Yates Garden Guide cover and the fashion for gerbras and low brick fences reminds me of that time.
Most people had gardens that were grown from cuttings . Plants that were shared over the fence mean't that certain hardy plants became the common staples of everyones garden.
When you were riding home on the afternoon train during summer the sea breeze would get into full swing at about Nudgee. The wind would rush through the carriage and you would forget the heat of Brisbane and the stillness of the inner city suburbs.
The houses with their back yards up against the rail line would begin to become shady and the dry clothes flapped wildly on rotary hills hoists. The green lawns looked subdued and welcoming. Sometimes there would be children and dogs playing there. Waving hands stretched up at the train and gone in a flash.
I love that domestic garden space and I like that there are people doing diffent things in every garden. Someone might be building a boat, fixing a car, arriving home from work, someone is watering the garden, mowing the lawn, bringing in the washing. It is that the space outdoors has a use that intrigues me. It may be the home made trellis , uneven paving, obviously repaired fences and repainted letter boxes that make the space unique. It may not be a work of art or classic garden but it tells of the social and economic time.
Kyleigh

Gardening Australia ? Blow, Blow thou winter wind

2011-07-16T23:35:00.000-07:00

We expect in Queensland to get a few cool days over winter. This year the uneasonal heavy rain all over a cool summer has extended to an almost cold winter here at Montville. I'm cuddling up with the heater on near my legs as I write this!
Our open garden on 17th 18th september has us concentrating harder on preparations in 2011 than we did in 2010. It's wet as I write this, otherwise I'd be outside.
The old house has had it's long overdue repairs and is being repainted externally after twenty years. The restoration with new cedar sash windows has really enhanced the houses appearence. Pic. Justicia rizzinii
We are gathering coral, clam and other shells for our rustic fountain to recapture a garden feature once popular in the 19th century.
The local foundary is manufacturing he steel frame for our gate house and materials are being gathered to bring back to life the partly dismantled 'plough Inn' near our Northern Boundary.
Horticulture wise the annual rose pruning has been started, and cuttings material potted up in the cuttings house shelves.
Rain this weekend has helped along our Pansys, Violas, patiolas, Primulas, Kale, Chard, Peas, Queens Anne's Lace, Baby's breath, Statice, helichrysum, sweet Williams and Allysum. We have sewn Sunflowers and have many other seed packets to sew. Hell!
Last weekend the guys from the car club; Joy and John, Norm, Graham, Ross, Bryce, Wendy and Ken helped us trim back some ragged corners and edges of Brugmansia, Photinea, Duranta, Ficus, Waterhousia, Syzygium and tons of Tradescantia (2 utes , 1 dual axle trailer). This weekend our friends Tracey and Chris came all the way up from Brisbane to help clean out our shed of demolition, windows, paint tins, tyres, batteries and other flotsum and jetsum (1 ute load).
From this point our plants can afford no more heavy pruning. from tomorrow it's light pruning, spraying and feeding and a concentration on garden structures.
Dr Michael Simpson

house and garden

2011-07-01T16:33:00.000-07:00

Camellia 'Julia France', Montville Uniting Church (where we also garden)

Tis the season for repairing.
The poor old house has received a fair bit of long overdue repair and we took the opportunity to replace sliding windows fitted in the 1960s. Now our century old house has cedar sash windows all around and the painter has been called to freshen things up (after 20 years).
In the garden our september 17th -18th open garden preparations continue.
With the removal of some trees whole vistas and opportunities have opened up.
In a lovely clearing surrounded by Red cedar (Toona ciliata) , Barklya syringifolia, Melaleuca, Banksia integrifolia (Coastal banksia) and palms (Archontophoenix cunninghamii) we have planted red cordyllines , various Crotons, Deiffenbachia and Begonias to boost the populations of same and add to the Blue ginger lilies (Dichorisandra) and other interesting plants throughout this area.
Also to take advantage of this wet year we are planting lots of bedding annuals; Snap dragons, Patiolas, Petunias, Primulas, 'Johnnu Jump Ups', 'Sweet Williams' and Helichrysum.
Friends from the car club, the Blackall Range horseless Carriage Club and friends from Brisbane, Tracey and Chris Colley are coming to help with the last of our big scale cleanups.
All we need are the regular wet days throughout our lead up and fine weather in september.
Pray for us
Michael Simpson

Wintering Over

2011-06-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

Kyleigh and Susan johnston worked hard for Montvilles 'Royal wedding"

Some cooler weather 10-16' C, has finally arrived in June with a cold, dark and wet Queen's Birthday weekend to keep us inside. Fortunately we were not signed up for the "Gardens on the edge" local open garden weekend at ths time.
A merry occasion with the Montville Community "Royal wedding" of a local "Prince William and Kate" was a lot of work for Kyleigh and I played in the band. It went off with a bang.
In the garden the removal of trees and intensive cutting back of hedges has been going on at the same time as some house renovation of damaged eastern wall (age and weather) and restoration of new cedar sash windows both sides of the house. Out with sliding aluminium!
Camellia japonica 'Great Eastern' has been added to 'Tabbs', 'Helenor' and 'Fimbriata'.
Camellia vernalis 'Yuletide' was given to Kyleigh for all of her work at the above event.
Tiny dormant mail order specimens of Kolwitzia, Forsythia and Deuzia gracilis have been potted in larger pots in the paved area at the front of the house where tea rose cuttings have so successfully been raised and maintained. 2 x Salvia 'Meigans Magic' has been planted out near the front gate and two varieties of mail order lace cap Hydrangea macrophylla arrived and for their own safety were planted out in the Hydrangea walk shaded by our big Camellia japonica 'Aspasia Macarthur'.
Projects now considered are some sort of rescue and renovation for the "Plough Inn", an old packing shed on our northern boundary and for the construction of a coral and clamshell fountain or font.
We'll have quite a bit that's new in September for our own open garden
Michael Simpson
Lovely

Large scale changes and Preparations

2011-05-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

Picture: Grandbaby Leo helping in the garden

Plant Inventory Addendum april/may 2011. The warm wet weather has only just given way to cold windy days and so the following additions were made when we were still enjoying good planting weather.

Transplants Roses 'Anna de Diesbach' and 'Reine des Violettes' specimens were quite miserable and were placed in front garden for one more go. Rose 'Winchester Cahedral' has gone into a pot to attempt to save it. Rosa Banksia alba x2 into pots pending final placement east of house.

Chaenomeles (red flowering ornamental Quince) from a spot bullied by much more vigourous Kerria japonica and Philadelpus mexicanus into a better place where it can be seen with Chaenomeles 'Apple Blossom'.

Large clumps of Oncidium and soft cane Dendrobiums orphaned by tree removal attached to large trees in an 'orchid walk' west of the house.

New Plantings.

Alsobia 'Cygnet', a hybrid of A. dianthiflora and A. punctata low growing , trailing plant.

Blechnum gibbum (Silver lady Fern) into fern collection North garden

Dendrobium moschatum yellow flowering orchid, South Asia, potted for now on table

Heliconia stricta var 'Jamaican Dwarf', on trial although I fear that we are too cold for it.

Pedilanthus tithymaloides syn Euphorbia tithymalacoides (zig zag plant, devils backbone)

Euchomis comosa var. "Chocolate pineapple lily' South Africa Garden hybrid

Hibiscus mutabilis var. "Tony" single crimson. Horrible colour. To contrast with the double form.

Hydrangea macrophylla 'maiko'. An addition to walkway west of house, just commenced.

Hydrangea macrophylla variegatum. As above . More lace cap Hydrangeas are on order.

Otocanthus caeruleus (Little Blue Boy, Brazilian Snapdragon) . Another attempt to keep this.

Pandorea jasminoides variegatum Planted on trellis near back stairs where we gave up on roses.

Pandorea pandorana var. 'Golden Chimes' Transplanted to the trellis with P. jasminoides.

Kays Apricot china rose may be Mme Jules Thibaud

Camellia japonica 'Helenor' planted west of C. japonica 'Aspasia Macarthur'

Camellia japonica 'Tabb' Planted south of 'Aspasia MacArthur'

Camellia japonica 'Fimbriata' Planted in criss-cross garden.

Trees removed or heavily reduced .Anona (Custard Apple) , overshaded in an area dominated by Red cedars and other trees. Delonix regia (Poinciana) , very tall, brittle and has not flowered in 15 years. In an area already fully occupied by Brachychiton acerfolius, Bolly gum, Red cedar. Tibouchina 'Noelene' An area to be redeveloped to illustrate Michelia and very old fashion Camelias with variegated or mottled flower patterns.

The front hedge of Duranta repens and Ligustrum has been heavily reduced in height and width and a large pile ? 2 meters chippings produced for mulching. When used as mulch 'blood and bone' and 'dynamic lifter are added.

Michael Simpson

Book launch and afterward

2011-04-25T01:44:00.000-07:00

APRIL 17 Australian Garden History Society Launch of "Australian Gardens Making History"

Picture: Tea Rose "Monsieur Tillier" , South rose garden at "The Shambles"

Kyleigh & Dr Michael Simpson's new book AUSTRALIAN GARDENS MAKING HISTORY – The Vital Role of making and Keeping Garden Inventories, ISBN 9780-080430455 was launched at an Australian Garden History Association gathering at Noosa Botanical Gardens on 17th April 2011.

This book is of 86 pages with 6 pages of illustrations. The soft cover has been designed to resemble an old fashioned mail order nursery catalogue. It includes a 2 page liftout suggesting techniques to start a garden plant catalogue. The book was written in an attempt to record evidence for the "heritage credentials" of a large number of hardy commonly grown garden plants, using 19th century Queensland and other Australian references.

The early references are used a bit like archeological stratigraphy to demonstrate the earliest availability which the authors could find for Australian gardeners.

Also this book records the inventory of plants in a modern garden as one model of how other gardeners interested in garden history may catalogue their own garden, or record a garden of historic interest. Kyleigh and Michael Simpson contend that recording historic gardens plant inventories is a vital task for members of the Australian Garden History Society according to the aims of the association. This sort of evidence gathering is required by various articles of the "Burra" charter when researching and maintaining heritage places, including gardens..

Michael, whose enthusiasm and humour always shines through, gave an interesting and thought provoking presentation on the importance of documenting Queensland gardens. Methods of obtaining information and user friendly means of keeping records were discussed and it is something which we could all consider for our own interest and the interest of others in the future. How often have we taken over gardens with wonderful, hardy plants that we can't identify? Also plants may no longer be available in the ever diminishing nurseries of today which seem to churn out only what is 'the flavour of the month'. If new owners see that a garden has been worth documenting they may be less inclined to destroy it and they may even discover that it actually is 'easy maintenance' as it has stood the test of time usually without the help of irrigation.

Other contentions were that gardeners who have written garden plant inventories need to do three more things. These vital documents for future horticultural, social and historical researchers need to be detailed, interesting and readable. Secondly, garden inventories need to be published and distributed in print, online and via website links to all who may or may not be interested. Lastly, garden inventories should to be maintained, edited, criticized and discussed especially by members of the Australian Garden History Society.

Lake Macdonald [Noosa] Botanic Gardens was the site for our Book Launch and lunch attended by 17 members and friends. We enjoyed a wander through the sub tropical gardens containing a wide variety of plants, on the shores of Lake Macdonald. The gardens are extensive with lots of paved pathways, picnic shelters and lawns which were being enjoyed by many groups. Unfortunately, the Fernery which looked interesting with a large collection of plants, could only be viewed from the outside on week-ends. Another attraction was the amphitheatre overlooking the lake which provides a spectacular venue for a variety of events. This garden is a great public asset provided and maintained by the local Council on Water-board land.

Local Heritage Rose Society and Cooran Garden Club members, Hazel and Ron Treloar, then led us on a tour of 3 gardens on a relatively new estate at Pomona. The area had originally been dairy farms with some orchards of mangoes, custard apples and lychees on the red soil sections.

A few eucalypts were all that remained on the acidic grey/black soils over clay which were bounded by remnant wet lands near the gardens we visited. Needless to say, all gardeners were having drainage problems which they were dealing with through the use of raised beds, lots of compost and appropriate planting which has been trial and error after the drought. All gardens [1.5-2 acres] rely on rainwater or bores and were owned by passionate, hands on gardeners and each provided refreshingly different approaches.

We began our tour at the home of Val, Noel and Mark Sweeney. The garden is 8 years old with lots of colour and a wide variety of plants including many of the well known cottage favourites. Visitors were envious of the growth of the plants with the Camellias and the Tibouchinas being quite large and spectacular in flower. Another plant to attract interest was the large shrub Carphalia kirondron covered in rusty red, ixora type flowers. Fruit trees and veges were also flourishing.

The next garden was more of a 'green' garden with splashes of colour being provided mainly by foliage. Owners, Chris and Lance Crowe came to this garden from Adelaide 4 years ago. At that stage the garden was six years old and the previous owners had put their stamp on it with palms and neatly clipped plants. It is hard to believe that the new owners were non gardeners who are educating themselves and now addicted. This is a garden in transition as Chris is enjoying the Queensland tropical look and gradually removing those plants that are more at home in the southern states. The relaxed tropical planting which forms a backdrop to the pool behind the house is where they have begun to experiment and it is a credit to them. It is lovely to wander along the shady paths bordered by interesting and colourful understorey plants. It is good to see people taking time to get to know a garden and making changes to suit themselves gradually. After all isn't this what the evolution of gardens is all about? Recording this evolution by recording changes in the garden plant inventory and mapping and photography is one of the emphases of Michael Simpson's book and talk.

The last garden owned by Jeanette and Kevin Rae for 9 years, borders the wet forest areas and so they have faced quite a challenge with drainage. Large, curved raised gardens sweep through the lawns with a lovely, natural transitional edge between the two which not only looks good but enables easier maintenance. The backyard has the added bonus of a 'borrowed landscape' providing a backdrop and some shade for this lovely area. Paths meander through the tropical style of planting and you are enticed in all directions. A wonderful stand of the clumping Bambusa ventricosa, 'Buddha's Belly' bamboo is a great feature. The use of the very large inground concrete tank as an outdoor sitting area with a roof being constructed over it at present, is a wonderful design idea that is not used enough.

It is good to see that gardening is still alive and well as we go through this period of great change that began with the combination of the dry weather and the busier lifestyles of today. Hopefully the importance of trees and gardens will be recognized and not lost so that they continue to provide the welcome retreats of past eras. These modern gardens, with plants maintained to a high standard, are certainly examples which require cataloguing and description of their plant inventories to assist researchers of early 21st century Queensland gardens.

For more details of "Australian Gardens Making History, the Vital Role of Making and Keeping Garden inventories" see Kyleigh and Michael Simpson's website www.montvillegarden.com or contact then at shambles@bigpond.net.au

Wendy Lees AGHS

Garden Inventories how and when.

2011-04-16T01:04:00.000-07:00

Suggestions for making a Garden Inventory.

Any and All gardens may be the subject of a recorded plant inventory or catalogue. Such a list is a snap shot of the garden at one time but may also be used as a progress log to inform the garden owner and interested friends. A garden inventory of plants can be a vital record which informs future generations of family, social and garden historians especially if accompanied by plans, photos and notes. If it's not written down it may never have happened.

Step 1. Make a start. Start today

If available gather together commercial plant labels, invoices of plant purchases and record plant names. Bed by bed, area by area stand in the garden and try to write down a name for each plant you see. Any useful common or local name will do for a start.

Step 2. Plant Names. Choose a system of naming for plants in your garden

Most useful are lists made alphabetically on the basis of a correct botanical name, followed by a common name e.g. Toona ciliata (Red Cedar). Written in italics is the ‘binomial name’ of this tree based on genus (with a capital) and species (in lower case).Botanists may use a more correct but unwieldy naming system of Order, Family, Genus then species e.g. Order Sapindales; Family Meliaceae; Genus Toona; Species ciliata ; synonyms Toona australis, Cedrela toona, Cedrela australis, Cedrela velutina. Names may also be followed by the name of the botanist who recorded it e.g. Toona australis (F.Muell) named by garden director Baron Ferdinand Von Mueller. Domestic gardeners may find that a list based on the binomial then common name is more than enough to start with.

Least useful is a garden inventory based on common names alone as these may be wildly off the mark and misleading, though they may record social family history. E.g. “Aunty Joan’s red Hibiscus” could be a specimen of anything within the large genus Hibiscus or the family Malvaceae.

Step 3. Choose a system of grouping and organizing all the plant names so you can find them more easily

Most useful may be to divide plants into different sections for trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, bulbs & tubers and vines. Sub-sections for Orchids, grasses, tropical fruit trees, roses (as examples) may be useful if a garden contains specialised collections.

When accompanied by plans, a grouping of plants geographically, e.g front garden, east border, south orchard may be useful for both the gardener and future researchers.

Probably least practical for the domestic gardener is an attempt to alphabetically group plants of all shapes and sizes lumped together in one long list without any qualifying comments or description.

Step 4. Start to record , both on paper and with a computer word processor if you have one.

Buy a hard cover feint ruled year planner or diary. Divide up sections as per Step 3 above and make plenty space for each list e.g. perennials (or plants in East border). These lists will grow in an unruly way at first, with many corrections and additions.

If using a computer then open a document and start to type in lists of names as in Step 2 and Step 3 above. Double space as there will be much to add and amend as time goes on. When plant lists reach any sort of length, print them out and paste them in the hard cover ledger. This allows this record to be used as a notebook, for margin notes and handwritten researched information and name corrections. These book ledger changes can then be used to go back and amend the computer record.

Step 5. Don’t leave the inventory as a list of plant names. Add some detail and personal notes to the garden inventory .

This is the stuff which makes garden history. Suggestions may be a brief description, location in your garden, where the specimen was obtained, comments on flowering & vigour, country of origin and for some plants a record of it’s demise and possible cause. The note that a plant was a gift or planted to commemorate a person or event is social historical gold, at least to the family and possibly to future researchers. Recognise that your list will never be really finished.

An example of the foregoing could be: “ Zepharanthes rosea syn. Habranthus robustus. Evergreen, as with the white rain lily beautiful pink trumpets appear over these low growing strappy leaf plants after rain. Near roses at front door and laundry path from 2008 to present. Propagates easily from seed and self seeds. Argentina”

Step 6. Share your inventory of garden plants . At the very least maintain your personal record for yourself and family. A printed list or a computer document can be shared with friends, garden club members and even published ‘on line’ in garden club web-sites. I would recommend making a booklet, including sketch plans and photographs and organizing a limited private published edition. With a simply obtained library cataloguing ISBN number your printed Garden Inventory may then be lodged as a legal deposit in National and State libraries and as a resource in local libraries.

Step 7. Continue to refine your inventory with private research.

Developing your own type of garden inventory, together with developing skills of photography, drawing and computing (as well as gardening) can make this cataloguing activity quite a joyful experience. Please get started. There are many resources including:

Botanica: the illustrated A-Z of over 10,000 garden plants, Graham Ross, Geoff Burnie, 1999

Flora: The gardener’s Bible. Gardening Australia 2 Vols Flora: the 2006., 1584pp

Dr Michael Simpson

salvias in autumn

2011-04-09T03:52:00.000-07:00

Savia madrense

Salvias at Montville, South East Queensland

Versatility with vigour

Ornamental perennial salvias are favourites in our garden but are not as widely used as they could be. Our collection has grown through the cuttings trade with fellow gardeners, church fete acquisitions and from “Ja’s Herb farm” at Mapleton which, sadly, has closed down.

Over the last 6 months it has rained or showered almost every day and it has been quite dark and spooky under the cloud cover in our mountain top location. In spite of the weather challenge our collection of ornamental salvias injects cheerful colour throughout the garden.

One of the first salvias we acquired, which happily self seeds throughout is Salvia coccinea bicolour. In contrast to this quite low growing pink and white plant Salvia coccinea has taller bright red and a pure white variety which are useful donor plants. We don’t do well at all with Salvia greggii but other smaller flowered salvias such as Salvia “Sweet Laura”, the pineapple sage Salvia elegans have thrived in sun or shade in our conditions. The crushed foliage of the latter makes it an ideal edge of garden plant with herbs like Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis and Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare.

Tall growing plants such as Salvia iodantha, S.involucrata, S.madrense and varieties such as Salvia involucrata “pink icicles”, Salvia x hybrid “Waverley” have been reliable bedding plants and provide spectacular colour and form even in low light. They stand out like the Justicia carnea and Pachystachys lutea from a long way off.

Some plants in our garden, while not actually salvias, stand next to established salvias very successfully so that they enhance each other. Plectranthus ecklonii in blue, white or as “Hawthorne pink” variety and Plectranthus saccatus have salvia like flowers in late summer, are tall and go beautifully with drifts of Salvia guaranitica or Salvia uliginosa. The mauve flowers of Hypoestes aristata, the Plectranthus “Mona Lavender” hybrids and the cloud of white flowers on Iboza syn.Tetradenia riparia complement Salvia Mexicana. Orthosiphon stamineus (Cat’s whiskers) in white compliments Salvia confertifolia with it’s strong orange/red flower spikes.

Throughout our garden Salvia splendens in white, variegated white and red, or, white and mauve are extremely reliable and quite tall in our climate. Salvia “Van Houteii” and Salvia “Purple Majesty” are also very reliable and in keeping with almost all of our plants strike easily from cutting to be shared around.

One of our favourite salvias Salvia miniata has bright red flowers contrasting dramatically with the perfect blue flowers of sticky Salvia macrophylla. Another better known plant is Salvia leucantha and the variety S.leucantha “White velour”. Of course not everything in the garden is perfect and unfortunately we lost Salvia discolor , Salvia “Huntington red” and Salvia sclarea in the unceasing rain.

However, there are other interesting “salvia like” plants which can be rewarding in our climate by having the free flowering and forgiving nature of salvias and being easy to strike from cutting. These include Pycnostachys urticifolia, Lepachina salviae , Brillantasia subulugurica and the lovely lemon scented verbena, Aloysia triphylla.

Our salvia collection has been grouped to show off the salvias together but is not separate. The salvias work beautifully to create a colourful foil to our collections of Abutilons, old fashioned roses, our buddlejas, gardenias and large collections of shade loving subtropical plants including the Begonias. They also provide reliable colour in semi-shaded positions under our collections of trees.

Our salvias along with the rest of our plant collection can be read on our website www.montvillegarden.com and is discussed on our blog http://montvillegarden.blogspot.com .

The 1875 Brisbane Botanic Gardens Catalogue mentions Salvia azurea, S. coccinea, S. officinalis, S. patens, S. plebia, S. pratensis, S. afracanus and S. splendens. Brisbane’s 1885 Botanic and Acclimatization garden’s catalogue included Salvia azurea, S.coccinea, S.fulgens, S.hoveyi, S.officinalis, S.patens and S.splendens. Many of the other perennial Salvias in our garden, despite their old fashioned appearence were not mentioned in 19^th century catalogues and according to Clebsch (2003) some may not have been widely available to gardeners until the 1980s. Accordingly the 1962 Brisbane Botanical gardens Catalogue only records Salvia argentea, S. azurea, S. farinacea, S involucrata, S. leucantha, S. patens and Salvia splendens as well as S. splendens variegated.

We have a collectors garden around a century old cottage and in spite of their lack of ‘heritage’ credentials the many ornamental salvias display perfectly as traditional colourful garden plants in that setting.

They remain uncommon and sometimes expensive in Queensland retail nurseries which seems unfortunate. Salvias of many kinds are a wonderful easy care addition to modern gardens but have a particular charm in a busy crowded traditional garden especially where there is shade.

Dr Michael Simpson

book launch in april

2011-03-26T18:25:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons why trying to launch and promote a book ,which has been such a personal project, is such a drag. Although a lot of thought and effort went into "Australian Gardens Making History, the Vital Role of Making and Keeping Garden Inventories" I realise that very few people seem to care about this issue.

Most people don't mind visiting a well prepared private or public garden. Some folk will actually have a garden which they spend some time improving. A few souls collect plants and spend time understanding more about their collection. Very few have an important garden, a garden with a documented history or plan to restore and record a garden.

Most garden visitors will look at a garden as an entity, from a distance, only noting particular plants as they contribute to the overall picture. Some visitors will take the time to seek out and appreciate particular plants which are familiar favourites or which are coveted curiosities. Very few will understand or appreciate that cataloguing the garden from each bulb and groundcover to the largest tree is vital to the record of the gardens existance and value.

With all that in mind we have been working on the garden at "The Shambles" for 20 years and at least for the last 10 I have been keeping an inventory which has grown in size and scope as I have tried to make it inclusive.
My original motivation was to record the successes and failures among plant species, to map the garden to assist with maintenance and also satisfy my own curiosity using the inventory as an entry to research in garden books, magazines and nursery catalogues.
The catalogue of our own garden has been published 5 times. Once each in different formats in "The Shambles, the Story of a Montville Garden", "Over the Fence and Overlooked, Traditional Plants in Queensland's Gardening Heritage" and finally in "Australian Gardens Making History, the Vital Role of Making and Keeping Garden Inventories". Most unusually our DVD, "A Garden in the Rain, 'The Shambles' at Montville" contains many labelled images and documents the garden in another way. Lastly our garden inventory is published and updated in our website www.montvillegarden.com

As members of 'Heritage Roses in Australia' and the 'Australian Garden History Society' we felt that the latest book "Australian Gardens Making History" contributes another unique element to the study and appreciation of Australian Gardens. There are precious few references for Queensland gardeners but for 'Subtropical Gardening' magazine which is one of the best available. As for gardening books and Queensland's gardening Heritage it's as though there was no Australia north of the Tweed. In this book we have attempted also to verify the bona fides of the "heritage" credentials of many common garden plants by comparing the modern catalogue to 19th century Queensland and other sources. Accordingly for example we note that many 'old fashioned' colourful ornamentals in our garden are found in the 1875 and 1885 Brisbane Botanical Garden Catalogue as well as in earlier nursery catalogues such as Guilfoyles 1851 Sydney Catalogue and others.
From this research it would appear that from the earliest days Queensland gardens could contain the widest variety of colourful and exotic plants collected in a far more adventurous spirit than today. The genetic material from surviving gardens is also a precious resource.

So what you may say! Well as members of the Garden History Society and having regard for the ICOMOS (International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites) Charter adopted by Australia on 19th August 1979 at Burra Burra (Burra Charter) articles 23, 24 and 25 refer to the necessary study, documentation and publication of an historic site so that conservation/ restoration can take place. We contend that the inventory of a garden is just such research material together with supporting plans, photographs and documents. We go further to say that it is the lack of any well publicized record which has made it so easy to sweep aside Queensland historic gardens and landscapes.
In order to give future researchers valuable material we would propose that existing public and private gardens should have inventories, plans and photographs collated and published in as many formats as possible.
Hopefully those who attend our book launch we see it the same way.
And so, at the "Australian Garden History Society" event 11a.m., 17th April 2011, at the Noosa Botanic Gardens, Lake McDonald Drive, Cooroy we will put the case and hope that some of the attendees will buy and enjoy the book ($15) and bonus DVD. Maybe it will start a discussion about the importance of recording and publishing the inventories of Queensland's Historic gardens.
Dr Michael Simpson

Gardening in autumn, but still a humid and wet

2011-03-12T16:34:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader,
There has been so much else going on with work and family that we have only yesterday but in a big day trying to win back our garden from the rampant summer growth.
The big hedge of Duranta repens at the front with it's vicious thorns has been semi civilized with the help of our friends Tracey and Chris. Two truck loads of material went to the 'green waste' tip but this hedge is still 4-5 meters high. The side hedge of small leaf privet Ligustrum spp has been pushed back. Thank heaven for tall friends and mechanical hedge trimmers and chain saws.
Some big shrubs have been heavily reduced including Buckinghamia celcissima, Euphorbia (poincettia) and Dombeya tileaceous as they were assuming tree like proportions.
The hedge trimmer came in handy to attack and reduce Grewia occidentalis, Loropetalum chinense, Holmskiodia sanguinia (purple mandarin) and a 2 meter mixed hedge of Syzygium australe. Reducing this latter hedge allows the very tall Michelia doltsopa 'silver cloud' to show off.
Reducing some branches of a large Gordonia axillaris has restored some sight-lines from the house verandah.
The unceasing rainy or showery weather has made a mess of our attempts to sow seed but luckily our soil drains well. Mysteriously a large Rhododendron vireya is dying while a beaut Viburnum macrocephalum is happily flowering next to it.
Weed growth is prolific and our pile of green trimmings are reaching Everest proportions. These 'mulch' pile to break down to produce sweet compost which we encourage with blood and bone and lime over the heaps .
Coming into flower or bud are Camellias both sesanqua and japonica, Tea and China roses, all manner of salvia and the beautiful Lepachina salviae. Plectranthus ecklonii (blue, white and pink), Plectranthus saccatus and the various Plectranthus hybrids such as 'Mona lavender' are flowering freely as is the fairly invasive red flowering Ruellia graezecans. The beautiful pendulous pink bells of Strobilanthes cusia create a cloud of delicate colour while the hanging lanterns of Abutilon pictum, Abutilon megapotamincum and Abutilon hybridum (such as double pink) flower irrepressibly.
Problems: some slightly greasy paths due to mould and moss, delicate flowers such as some roses blown to bits and rampant growth which threatens to overwhelm some areas of the garden. Also there is the continuous battle in weed infestation with tropical chickweed, Tradescantia alba and prolific seedlings of Tabebuia chrysotrica and Inga edulis which have deep tap roots.
To balance all of this are the continuous surpises in this garden e.g. the beautiful unidentified pencil orchid (?Dendrobium) flowering ridiculously on one of our front fence palings; the wind bourne new staghorn and birds nest ferns popping up on surfaces and even scultures around the place.
New plantings Eucomis (very dark leaved var Pineapple lily), Hibiscus mutablis (single crimson var), Hydrangia macrophylla variegata and a variegated Pandorea jasminoides.
After 5 months of wet weather we are hoping for some opportunitys to sit outside and perhaps light a campfire.
Kyleigh and Michael Simpson

A stormy summer ahead

2011-01-29T18:30:00.000-08:00

Two views "Spring Bluff" Railway station & garden (looking North).
One before on left and one after the dramatic recent flood events of 12/1/2011

Last week there were two full days of fine weather and everything here in our little world seemed rosy. In many communities in suburban Brisbane, the Lockyer Valley, the Mary Valley, the Darling Downs and as far away as St.George, Condamine, Emerald and Rockhampton the cost of recent floods is only just being counted. Now two more cyclones are going to affect Queensland in the next week. All manner of infrastructure from road, bridges, rail & schools will need to be rebuilt. Mines are flooded. Agriculture, livestock and manufacturing has been wiped out in some areas.
With more to come it all seems pretty bleak.
But people need to carry on and a day of sunlight and the display of some bright coloured flowers hanging over a garden fence may help lift the mood. The indestructible, resilient nature of many sub-tropical plant species as they recover from floods and storms is like a signal to people they that can recover too.
We hope that this year has no more extreme weather challenges in store.
Here at Montville extreme wet weather is only a bit more than we have grown to expect. There is a lot of growth but flowers are easily knocked around and spoiled. Having said that the weather has allowed us to establish many new plants in a set and forget manner.
New varieties of Buddleja davidii (pink and purple), Thai basil, Hibiscus acetosella, Cordia bossieri (Texas Olive) have been planted. Seeds of Viola tricolor, Dianthus etc have been planted along with Rocket and Zucchini. From our propagation area many Coleus, Begonia coccinea, Dracaena recurvata, Cordylline terminalis and Plectranthus saccatus along with heaven knows what else has ben planted.
Michael Simpson

Floods and recovery

2011-01-16T18:46:00.000-08:00

Last week we were effectively housebound and an extraordinary rain event spread the floods of South East Queensland into the cities of Ipswich and Brisbane causing loss of life and critical damage. Then the sun came out.
This week the clean up and repair of thousands of homes and businesses is beginning. It has been a profound lesson in the power and changeability of nature.
In our garden, far from the dramatic effects of flood, flowers bloom, birds sing and there is no sign left behind of the severe weather of the week before. Is it luck? Probably! Is it a sign of some fundamental global warming phenomenum? That's a debate for others.
We are just grateful that our family have been high, dry and safe and amazed at the great spirit shown by those who rebuild through this event and those who help them.
Michael Simpson

water, water, everywhere

2011-01-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

Water, water everywhere. We could not get to the Surgery in Brisbane today, turned back early this morning due to blinding rain and dangerous roads. Flooding continues and towns affected badly this morning are Dalby, Maryborough, Rockhampton and Gympie. Extensive clean-ups are starting in Emerald, Theodore, Chinchilla, Warwick, Allora and all parts between.
Many gardens along with many homes will have been permanently damaged and will either be abandoned or will need extensive renovation.
When homes and livelihoods are getting back on track people will get comfort when they see natures recovery in gardens. Weeds may our-strip the pace of recovery in Agriculture where many crops have been ruined. However, some tough old fashioned remnant plants will survive around homesteads and houses in town. Hopefully their first flowers will give flood affected people renewed hope.
In our garden water can quickly get away into the deep red soil. Trees and shrubs have withstood the wind and irrepressible Canna generalis, Dahlia x hybridum, Salvia confertiflora and many tea roses, Abutilons, Ruelia, Buddleja and Agapanthus are in full flower. Their flowers and stems are pushed over into the thick wet buffolo grass by the weight of the water in their petals.
Here's hoping for sunnier days . The fertlizer bags are piled up, the tools are stacked in the shed, the sprays are waiting on the bench where they have been for sokme time and will probably remain for weeks more.

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T21:45:00.000-08:00

The first of January 2011 and here at Montville the heavy rain continues as it has since october. We have had a couple of fine days to be fair. Tragically many significant towns and smaller communities have been devastated by record flooding which has been a feature of the Christmas New Year period, after years of drought.

Justicia carnea in a wet garden.

So far our own home and our own family elsewhere has been spared any damage but all of us are concerned for residents at Chinchilla, Condamine, Dalby, Emerald, Theodore, Bundaberg and Rockhampton and all surrounding centres as they wait to be able to clean up and recover.
As for ourselves in the continuing deluge, mouldy shoes and a touch of "cabin fever" , a wet dog and a damp, dark little house will be our pattern as we look at our garden through the window.....probably until March.
Let us hope for better times for the residents of the Darling Downs and central Queensland in days to come.
Michael Simpson

Indoors again,arts, crafts and plans

2010-12-12T00:11:00.000-08:00

Well it has been raining consistently for the last 48 hours and Montville has decended into thick fog and looks beautiful. I love the soft colours and it is the upside of walking the stir crazy dog on a wet Sunday afternoon.
As usual we have projects on the go indoors but sometimes it is hard to keep motivated when the rain doesn't let up (for months) and inside seems dank too.
I am making a Christmas present for Michael . It is a seed shelf and is based on the old fashioned Yates seed displays that were once in shops.It is looking good and will be very colourful once the seed packets are in place.I have also finished another childrens book and have only a couple of pages left to do on the last one.
Michael has been preparing for his next book and also has painted up a nativity scene for the front gate, after the style of Giotto, but in cheap Chinese acrylics.
As for the garden,we were fortunate to have a sunny morning on Friday and the sound of mowers and chain saws rang around the district. Michael managed to spray some Triforine and Glyphosate. I find that every time I walk outside I see things I want to do. Pathways are blocked by drippy branches and some paths are getting very mossy but it is nothing that can't be tackled when the weather fines up.
Lots of things in flower, Brugmansia candida (lutea, versicolor and alba) look beautiful as does Iochroma cyaneum. All the old fashioned roses are flowering but being bashed up by the rain. The mysteriously disappearing Impatiens and Cleome hassleriana have reappeared here and there and I hop that they self seed backinto prominence. As usual Salvias (S.confertifolia, S.iodanthe, S.macrophylla, S.madrense, S.coccinea (white, red and discolor), S.uliginosa, S.splendens (all sorts) and S.involucrata) all prosperous and flowering as is Philadelphus coronarius.
Kyleigh

Grass trials

2010-12-10T15:53:00.000-08:00

For anyone who has visited our garden over the years they will know that we have stuggled with grassy path ways.Either it has been drought and too dry to get grass started or it has been wet and muddy. The fact of the matter is that we like trees and like a shady garden and most of the original grass prefers sun. We are also very thrifty and have not wanted to spend money on turf.
But in our usual style we have stumbled upon a solution. Our brother in law Ian who has experience with golf courses suggested we purchase a small amount of turf (Sir Walter)and cut it into squares and plant these so they will eventually send runners out and this worked well. We also were given a few pots of( Sweet smother) by Ron Treloar and this has been successful too.
The main issue has been that when large numbers of visitors walk around the garden areas of grass do get thin.Our solution has been to barrow small sized gravel as paths on the most used patches. Now there is grass growing through and over the gravel and we are back to lawn in most areas that can be mowed.The gravel seems to have enhanced the growth of the grass and it feels firmer under foot. I think that it would be a good idea in any garden to start with a gravel base on the pathways as I think it gives the grass some protection in the early stages and perhaps the texture of the gravel helps to scouer the soil and make it more friable for the young roots. Kyleigh

soft edges

2010-12-03T01:32:00.000-08:00

As always I am thinking about gardening and forever evaluating gardens that I see and that includes the public spaces. As we left Brisbane nearly 20 years ago it continues to be a bit of a shock to see how it has changed and how the hard landscaping of parks and walk ways has reduced all the delightful soft edges.The low maintenance landscaping approach to parks where large areas of concrete are strategically laid out, repetitive plantings are in designated areas and teamed with the ubiquitious street art has been taken to the extreme. In fact there now seems to be very few untouched park spaces that haven't had this treatment. Every park seems to have a monumental playground of colourful tubular steel and plastic and these more often than not require a man made shade where a tree has been removed. Do the adults who design these playgrounds assume that children are incapeable of entertaining themselves in a more natural setting?
I recently was lamenting this fact with Maurice Wilson at the Garden History dinner and we identified Moora Park in Shorncliffe as a case in point. It now has a very elaborate and large playground down at the beach and while it is interesting and well used it has significantly blocked access and changed the site.
As a child I played in the sand and swam in the shark proofed enclosure. Hours were spent climbing the cotton trees, playing on the cliffs and walking along the groins and the pier. By always offering up a ready made play environment to children we may just be reducing the opportunities for them to use their imaginations and to be closer to nature.
Up until this "park scaping"you would go to Moora Park ,to be at the beach and it really didn't need anything else.Who thought that it was a good idea to improve on nature?
As for soft edges and soft landings there is nothing like grass to walk,run and play on and I really hope that more grassy areas are saved. The City Hall landscaping proves that you can take a functioning place where people used to sit and turn it into a hostile no mans land where people are effectively discouraged from being there.
In my opinion the city council should go a step further and rip up the Queens Street Mall and put back the road. This would reduce the places for people to linger and free up the flow of traffic too.
The Queens Street Mall and others in capital cities around Australia tend to follow the same formula of paving, small garden features,a few trees and the occassional kiosk. They are not welcoming places,rapidly become run down and degenerate and do not work well.
On the positive side I do like the Roma Street Parklands and the old Botanical Gardens and elements of sub tropical plantings could easily be echoed in the city square. We have an ideal climate in Queensland to introduce a lot of colourful ,hardy plants to the street scapes and with less emphasis on paved walkways could have a softer Brisbane.
Kyleigh

Time to Re-design for 2011

2010-11-26T21:54:00.000-08:00

Toward the end of spring and with ongoing cool wet weather and a gentle start to summer some garden changes are in the pipe-line. Already Camellias, Azaleas and our hedges are being trimmed. Loropetalum chinense 'China Pink' which had completely blocked the light from our bedroom window, together with Goldfussia syn Strobilanthes , Azalea 'Exquisite' and Justicia carnea have been cut back severely. When Rhodomyrtus tomentosa, Grewia occidentalis and Tibouchina 'Noelene' stop flowering they will also be severly brought back in size.
These jobs relate to one small area of the garden but the same discipline has to be applied throughout. Mountains of trimmings result, but these 'turkey nests' break down to mulch over a period of time.
Drastic action is required in the north of the garden where one, possible two very large Cupressus are to be brought down to bring more light into the centre of the garden. Most will be mulched but some fire logs are sure to result. At the same time a very tall yellow Grevillea will be reduced by four or five meters and a Buckinghamia celcissima cut in half to reduce shade and reveal a beautiful Magnolia grandiflora which will eventually dominate the space.
We want to be able to have an unimpeded view of this Magnolia so a good few meters length of branches from a large Gordonia axillaris behind the house will be removed. Eventually the view to this Magnolia grandiflora from our back verandah will be framed by the white flowering Gordonia axillaris on one side , and the white flowering Camellia sasanqua 'Setsugekka' on the other.
It's not all subtraction at this time . New rose gardens, with pitching rock edges have been added either side of the front path to take cuttings grown old fashioned roses, 'Alexander Hill Gray', 'Mme Joseph Swartz', 'Etoile de Lyon', 'Perle des Jardins' and 3 specimens of a mysterious rose which resembles 'Homere'. We have also added Cleome including the new cultivar Cleome 'Senorita Rosalita' , Phaseolus giganteus on an arch at the opposite end of a path to an arch of Phaseolus caracalla.
Many other cuttings grown roses wait to be planted.
Flowering now is Galtonia, Zepharanthes rosea, Hellerborus x hybrids, Canna x generalia and Canna indica, Alstroemeria pulcellum and many other herbaceous plant and shrubs such as the Salvias and Budlejas.
We look forward to 2011 and will decide this week whether that means geing part of the 2011-2012 season of the Australian Open garden Scheme
Michael Simpson

meetings and developments

2010-11-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

One of the opportunities which we have seized upon in 2010 is to make an effort to meet fellow gardeners through several open garden days, invited garden club visits, book launches, website/blog and welcoming private visitors.
Another side benefit of all this activity is that which flows to local groups, some less interested in Gardening, who have come together to join us at Open garden events. In June members of the Montville Rural Fire Brigade in full kit greeted visitors at the gate. In October members of the Hunchy Community Association not only created the fantastic Heritage Rose nursery (Kate Stock) Camellia 'Takanini' The Shambles
but created a wonderful plant stall, helped an the gate and for the Heritage Roses in Australia tour visit, helped prepare the catering. Thankfully each of these community groups benefitted significantly from funds raised in the garden. Our son John and daughter Eleanor, Margaret and Laurie Jeays, Kay Simpson friends and family also came together to work at these events.
At the invitation from Noel Burdette we were fortunate enough to speak to a large and enthusiastic garden group at the Springfields Nursery run by Ruth and Noel. Our book 'Over the Fence and Overlooked, Traditional Plants in Queensland's Gardening Heritage' and our DVD 'AGarden in the Rain' had opened the door to this opportunity and we hope that there are many more.
There are many ways to share a garden and the enthusiasm of gardening. Writing books, making films, publishing a website/blog, making postcards and opening the garden and sharing it have been enjoyable for us in 2010. Next year something else? The calendar is filling already.
Michael Simpson

Autumn to Summer

2010-10-28T23:03:00.000-07:00

With open gardens etc. behind us and with a very good rainfall so far this year the time has come for some subtraction and alteration at 'The Shambles'.
At least 6 different Coleus, some Stenocarpus or nodding Violets, Salvias, Pelargoniums and Buddlejas from cutting have been going in.
Garden beds have been extended either side of a winding asphalt front path by layering cardboard, newspaper, straw and mushroom compost. These beds are waiting for a little more maturity from our cuttings grown roses acquired from Kate Stock. Into this space will be planted Perle des Jardin, Perleno. 2 (?Etoile de Lyon), Mme Joseph Swartz and Alister Stella Gray. We have several pots almost ready with Comptesse de Labarthe, Professeur Ganiviat and Homere.
Also waiting for a climbing space are Alice Garnier, Altissimo and Buff Beauty.
Potted roses who will be kept in large ceramic pots (with an inner plastic pot) for the summer include Harry Wheatcroft, Julias Rose, Camille Pisarro, Graham Thomas and Mr. Lincoln.
That's all process, but to outcome Wendy Lonie has taken away 5 buckets of roses for her daughters wedding tomorrow, all old fashioned roses of many colours.
As summer heat has not affected us at all until so late the gentle flowers of so many perennials and delicate things have had a chance to display without wilting away unlike last year.
Salvias, Salvia macrophyum, S.coccinea, S.guaranitica, S.iodanthe, S.mexicana, S.miniata, S. uliginosa along with shrubs such as Brillantasia, Pentas, and all the species and varieties of Abutilon are flowering in a blaze of colours. Violas, Verbena, Linaria, Dianthus and Golden Rod are in full display as are Plectranthus.
Sadly we have arranged the removal of a large healthy Cupressus leylandii which now (amongst our othe conifers) projects too much shade into the middle of the garden. In the space (still protected) created we already have Hydrangea , Pieris and other such ready to go in.
Also sad, it would appear that our dreams of Clematis are coming to nought, although transplanted Acanthus mollis and Plectranthus ecklonii 'Hawthorne Pink' are powering on.
May it stay cool and even wet this year. Just can't stand the heat.

The Party is Over. Free at Last

2010-10-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

During the last week we have had the National Tour of Heritage Roses in Australia visit us on Tuesday, and an Open Garden through the Australian Open Garden Scheme on Saturday and Sunday. Firstly let me say thankyou to Margaret and Laurie Jeays, James Simpson, Martin Leonard, Isobel and Gary Tynan, our son John Simpson and everyone else who helped us with the physical work of preparation for these events.
Picture: Brunfelsia latifolia & wishing well.

Kyleigh and I have worked hard for at least a year introducing new plants, supporting our large inventory of plants with fertilizing , pruning and pest control and building new structures.
The roses were pruned late July and brought forth beautifully for the Tuesday event.
A wonderful range of old fashioned roses, grown from cutting, was available prepared and beautifully labelled by Kate Stock. Apart from helping to prepare the lunch for the Rose conference delegates, members of the Hunchy Community Association prepared a fantastic selection of plants for sale, and of course many were sold
Just as we leave these unseasonally cool,wet spring conditions behind I noted today that flower buds are ready to burst on Tibouchina 'Noelene', Rhodomyrtus tomentosa and on the Amaryllis and Lilium longifolium.
Ornamental Salvias such as S.guaranitica, S.uliginosa, S. megalophyllum and Brillantasia are coming into flower to augment the colourful Salvia miniata, Salvia splendens (many types) and ever present Salvia coccinea.
It's time for us to have a rest and enjoy it
Michael Simpson

A week of Open Garden and Visitors ahead

2010-10-01T23:23:00.000-07:00

Image Abutilon hybrid (double pink)
Why does anyone open their garden to friends and strangers? The answer is not that straight forward. In our case it has been; because we were asked to, or because an organization we belonged to was fundraising, or to support other gardeners in a garden festival. This coming week we are open on Tuesday to the National Tour of Heritage Roses in Australia because we were happy to open our garden and especially the rose gardens for people of a similar interest.
They won't be at our garden for very long, and after providing them with lunch, we hope that they remember a favourite rose or at least a well made sandwich.
When we build gardens, we create not a snapshot 'picture' but a whole story written in the form, colour, scale and even scent of an artificial landscape. Most people love to visit other peoples homes and gardens to see how things are and perhaps make comparisons. However, without realising it , while walking around, hands behind the back and a critical eye garden visitors will be reading the story of a garden.
Some of us visit gardens to discover new and interesting species, but we all will leave with a sense of the place and it's story. Larger, established and complicated and even run down gardens will always give the visitor a more interesting story than a newly built , perhaps contrived and overmanaged garden.
Hopefully the story our garden tells to visitors is one of a cherished family space, full of variety and robust colour as a nod to the Victorian era and style. More art than science and more luck than good management.
Michael Simpson

show time is nearly upon us

2010-09-19T04:17:00.000-07:00

Open Garden looms on saturday 9th and Sunday 10th October. This follows on from the visit on 5Th October of the National tour of Heritage Roses in Australia.
With only two and a bit weeks to go until our big week of open gardens the conditions couldn't be more favourable. As the working week approaches rain is forecast and all Kyleigh's hard work, mulching, pruning, fertilizing and infill planting has produced a spectacular show. Our usually dry, drab and dusty September conditions do not apply in 2010.
New plantings Roses: Mrs BR Cant x2, Carabella x1 well grown from cutting
Pink flowering Pieris japonica
Erysum bicolor x2 different colour hybrids
Vibernum megacephalum x2
From Talgai homestead thanks to Patrick, white Viola odorata, Lilium, Dahlia,
California poppies and Bulbine from
Pink hippeastrum
Cream Clivea miniata
We have a great many cuttings plants in pots including old fashioned roses and many interesting perennials and shrubs.
Flowering at the moment is most things but interestingly
Clemetis "Andromeda"
Tabebueia (yellow)
Gardenia florida
Centradenia, Bauhinea corymbosa, Euryops (or Gamalepis daisy),
Some Camellias still
Buddleja "Wattlebird"
Many Grevilleas
Echium candicans
Pelargoniums etc. etc.
We have members of the Hunchy Community Organization who have prepred plants for sale including a fabulous range of hard to get plants and old fashioned roses.
With any weather this open garden promises to be special
Michael Simpson

other gardens and responsibilities

2010-08-19T16:48:00.000-07:00

Dendrobium speciousum, 'The Shambles'.
As well as our own garden and the ongoing preparations we are making for our October 9th open garden, we have a responsibility for 3 other gardens. If you start something off you may as well expect to carry on unassisted, so these other places seem largely to have become our sole responsibility.
Firstly, here at home in Montville, a large amount of tropical chick weed, Tradescantia and clutter has been removed yet again by Kyleigh. Our Galtonia, Spanish Bluebells, Clematis and others are emerging but with the Buddleja salvifolia and Buddleja 'Wattlebird' in full flower I fear that spring will be too early for our open garden display. All the roses are coming back strongly with new growth after their late july pruning.
In Brisbane the garden at our daughter and son in laws house is establishing well. As the house is white with blue trim (with a lovely sharp black powder coated wire fence in contrast) we established a garden with lots of blue and grey accents. Plumbago 'Royal Cape', Brunfelsia latifolia, Lavandula stoechas, Agapanthus praecox, Helichrysum italicum, Lantana montevidensis, Clerodendrum ugandens have been augmented with Osteospermum and Argyranthemum daisies on our last visit. Shrubs also include Loropetalum 'China pink' and the showy twining plants Hardenbergia violacea, Bauhinia corymbosa and Solanum jasminoides.
On our last visit the very healthy weeping melaleuca, Callistemons , Cassia javanica, Caesalpinea ferrea, Tibouchinas, Tuckeroo, Syzgium and Frangipanis in the back yard were augmented with Grevillea 'moonlight','superb', 'Sandra Gordon' and 'Pink parfait'. We have been encouraged by the colourful corners which have healthy ferns, cordyllines, Dieffenbachia and Bromeliads. Of all things the Bougainvilleas seem to have really struggled.
Yesterday, at the Montville Uniting Church the 4 year old Lavandula stoechas alternating with tea roses are finally looking quite sparse. We have interplanted Rosemary, Salvia, Dianthus, Pelargonium and Verbena. Everything is looking quite healthy so Kyleigh removed a lot of 'fishbone' fern from under and around a lovely collection of shrubs on the northern side which include Michelia 'Bubbles', Spiraea cantonensis, Grevilleas, Buckinghamia, tetradenia, Centradenia underplanted with Dianellas and Plectranthus amboniensis. We also planted a healthy Callistemon (pink flowering hybrid) and gave up trying to spray for an infestation of bindii weed due to equipment failure.
Then on to the Montville Hall where all of our plantings look very healthy. There is a perennial problem with the two small gardens either side of and inside the Memorial Gates which relates to very poor depleted soil, which often appears to be bone dry. We have thrown in lots of organic material over the last five years but well meaning people also use these gardens as a place to stack the prolific fall of material, spent flowers etc from the adjacent Ficus benjamina. This stuff seems to set like concrete and seems quite hydrophobic. Never the less the old fashioned roses, 'Comptesse de Labarthe', 'Beauty of Glenhurst' and 'Princesse de Sagan' look very good with new growth. The various Salvias, Heliotrope, Goldfussia, Buddleja, Shrub Basil, Reinwardtia indica, Camellia sasanqua, Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis, Pentas lanceolata, Spiraea cantonensis and Centradenia were in good nick. We planted Marigolds, verbena, Hibiscus syriacus and Hardenbergia violacea to brighten things up.
This was all done in the last 4 days and ,as forecast, along came the rain over night to water things in. We are always aware that people only value a garden in development or looking it's best. There is always a danger to these places, that if the custodians drop their guard and the place looks shabby, some obsessively neat committee member will propose 'cleaning it up'. In Queensland terms a 'clean up' means annihilating a beautiful complex garden and concreting the edges in straight lines then mass planting the most drab, soul destroying 'low maintenance' things that the hardware wants to discount and get rid of.
Michael Simpson

returning home, the preparation continues

2010-08-11T16:34:00.000-07:00

Grandbaby Leo and Kyleigh with Rosa "Princesse de Sagan" Bougainvilleas Court House Cloncurry

On the first week of August we returned after a fortnight working in Cloncurry, North West Queensland.
The country side around Mt.Isa and Cloncurry is very beautiful with low growing Acacia and Eucalypt woodland interrupted by dramatic ranges and mesas of red rocks and boulder outcrops.
Domestic gardens were lit up by Bougainvillea and Ixora which contrast dramatically to the form and colour of locally endemic plants.
The day we flew out in late July we had a visit from fellow members of Heritage Roses in Australia who came to help up us clean up, prune and prepare all of our old fashioned Tea and China roses for the 5th October. On that day it is the turn of our garden at 'The Shambles' to be visited by the National Tour of Heritage Roses in Australia which has been suitable titled 'Rainforest to Roses'.
We shared some cuttings and struck yet more of our own from the prunings.
In early August the roses are responding already with lots of new growth. Although there is finally some cool (rather than genuinely cold) weather we are pleased that Clematis 'Daniel Deronda' and 'Andromeda' are establishing well. Pieris rhykuensis ? P chinensis is flowering beautifully with chains of pure white bells. Both Gordonia axillaris and Gordonia yunnanensis are in flower as is Camellia japonica 'Blood of China', 'Commander Mullroy' and of course the irrepressible 'Aspasia MacArthur'. Of our investment this year in yet more types of hardy bulbs Spanish Bluebells, Ipheion, Snowflake and various Friesias are up and the silly Friesias are forming buds. I am looking forward to Hippeastrum papilo in summer.
It is my impression that even though we would like to see all the various spring flowering plants hold off our lack of cold weather will see many of our garden favourites will have shot their bolt in September, which has previously been a lean time. Please bring on the cold
Michael

Preparation

2010-07-16T02:51:00.000-07:00

DONT FORGET TO SEE OTHER POSTS UNDER 'MY PROFILE'
Just when it feels safe to relax after a june Open Garden prepartions for October have to be made.
Firstly, we have congratulated ourselves that two major events are together in one week. The National Tour of Heritage Roses in Australia comes here on 5th October, and our commitment to the Australian Open Garden Scheme is the following weekend the 9th and 10th October.
Apart from the garden itself and the health of plants the considerations are now on marketing and promotion, staffing the gate, catering refreshments for visitors, entertainments, plants for sale and finishing some structural elements: perhaps an arch/lattice structure, a wishing well and a coral fountain! Nothing much really.
We have our own little postcards which are popular and have nearly finished a third gardening book.
Rosa: Cornelia
Most importantly in the garden we have been rescuing some roses and nursing them in large pots where they seem better off until after the Open Garden e.g. Roses Graham Thomas, Camille Pisaro, Mr.Lincoln and a beautiful old rose which looks like Homere. Among other potted roses we are potting bare rooted Camp David, Altissimo, Julias Rose and quite a few others. Cuttings of many perennial plants are being struck especially fast and reliable Salvias, Coleus and pelargoniums.
We have large bags of fertilizer, blood and bone and sulphate of potash to go on. This can wait as we are expecting a visit from members of Heritage Roses in Australia (Qld) on 25th July for a pruning day when we hope to make the reductions which will see Roses at their best for 5th October at 11 30 AM precisely.
Lets Hope
Michael Simpson

Winter Garden, no time to rest

2010-07-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

DONT FORGET TO LOOK FOR OUR OTHER JULY POSTS IN 'MY PROFILE'
Picture left: Rosa 'Prosperity'
It's quite cool and rainy today and that is quite a relief in one sense.
During the week we planted bulbs for Hippeastrum papilo, Tigridia, Galtonia candicans and Spekelia formosissimum. There is a bit of a 'bulby' theme to plantings lately and it has been rewarding to see Amaryllis belladonna, Friesia refracta alba, Leucojum aestivum (Snowflake) and Ipheion uniflorum are emerging. Jonquils are in flower.
The rain, thank heavens, has watered them in.
The thing about some bulbous plants here is of course our climate (temperate but not really cold) and the fact that I can't bend over to lift and pamper some bulbs. They have to form drifts and we have to remember where dormant bulbous plants are for them to survive more than a season.
Great little plants such as the wild strawberry, toadflax, catmint and Milfoil are establishing and spreading as are the ever reliable Dianthus of various types.
James helped us move a large box vegetable garden to a prime sunny location and the wheelbarrow vegetable garden full of lettuce and English spinach has been rolled around to join it.
As a nod toward experimentation we have planted two Clematis, Clematis integrifolia x crispa 'Daniel Deronda (purple) and 'Andromeda' (pink).
Now we await a visit from 'Heritage Roses in Australia' when our comrades in old roses are arriving to help with preparation for the National Tour coming here on 5th October.
Michael Simpson

Closing the gate after a busy weekend

2010-06-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

On Sunday afternoon when we shut our gate we finally had our garden back to ourselves.Even after around 1000 visitors had been in the garden there was very little wear to show for it.The paths had held up well and even our thinning grass seemed to be ok. Having worked hard before the event it is nice to wander around and enjoy the garden ourselves without too many pressing jobs to be done.
We had a very enjoyable and busy time over the weekend as part of the Gardens on the Edge event that is organised by the Maleny Garden Club. Congratulations to Peter Dalimore for his work that made the event run so smoothly. Thankyou also to the Rural Fire Brigade members who looked after the gate.Hope you wern't frozen solid!Picture: Mark and Christine from Montville Rural Fire Brigade manning the gate.
We met so many people and had such lovely comments made about our garden.
It is evident that people have connected with the garden and it reinforces the fact that gardens have a real part to play in peoples lives.
We really envisage our garden out living us and many of the plants we are growing have life spans of hundreds of years. I think it is the sense of permanance that we strive for in gardens and this is very different to having a "bunnings garden" that is only a pastiche constructed in a hurry, to be "low maintenance".
We look forward to opening the gate for visitors in October when we are signed on with the Australian Open Gardens Scheme. October will be warmer for a start and the garden will have a lot of spring colour. Depending on the rainfall over the next few months the garden can be either very dry or lush so we will just have to wait and see.
The Open garden in October includes the Cooksley's Garden in Maleny which is another larger garden with lots of interesting features.

garden tractors

2010-06-08T21:43:00.000-07:00

Not every car is suitable for transporting ambitious gardening purchases home to the desired position. Not every car owner is entirely focussed on the tasks of cramming in large ambitiously purchased plants, fertilizer acquisition and transport with callous regard for the upholstery and fellow passengers.
When bying a large specimen of Cupressus glabra, longer than most cars, or perhaps a couple of luxuriant Cyathea brownii (mature tree ferns), you need the right sized car when you wheel these on their trolley into the car park. The same can be said for a few 40kg. bags of dynamic lifter and several trays of sad looking perennials bought 'on special'.
It is at that point when we are pleased to have bought the old Jaguar which is both ample in length and bredth and of an age (58 years old) when it doesn't care about appearance any more.
A quick broom out of potting mix and dead leaves and we are ready for the next Nursery visit

Open garden Approaches

2010-06-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

Lady luck had brought rain at the right time and held off winter until the last furlong. 'The Shambles' is hardly an exhibition garden but we may just have a colourful show for visitors on the Queen's birthday weekend (next weekend). So fingers and toes are crossed, horseshoes turned up etc.
There has been a lot of planning put in by the organizers, especially our friend and neighbour Peter Dallimore on behalf of the Maleny garden Club. We have had a lot of help from Margaret and Laurie Jeays (mum and Dad), Martin Leonard, Isobel and Gary Tynan.
The gate will be manned by the Montville Rural Fire Brigade and garden club volunteers. The Funds will be dispersed to the Rural Fire Brigade and the Blackall Range Care Group.
A plant stall will be run by "Ja's Herb Farm" selling perennial plants and rare herbs.

And so to the garden itself. Well Megakepasma (Brazilian Red Coat) still refuses to flower which reflects a streak of obstinancy and unpredictable latin temperament. Thankfully the roses (Queen of Flowers) have quite a few buds opening, especially Safrano, Marie Van Houtte, Comptesse de Labarthe, Comptesse du Cayla and Rozette Delizy.
My favourite camellia Edna Butler is still flowering and there will a spectacular show from other Camellias. Perennial Salvias, scutellarias, Pentas lanceolata, and many different Abutilon are still in flowers.
Leaves are finally turning. The Virginia Creeper is golden and our burgundy Euphorbia cotinifolia is losing leaf as are Lagerstroemia indica and Lagerstroemia speciosum.
Our remaining Grevillias are coming into flower to the delight of the lorikeets and honey eaters.
The westerly winds may blow some gardeners away but here our tall hedges protect us , and the vulnerable Dahlia imperialis (both double and single white) and brittle shrubs such as Salvia involucrata bethalii. It can feel degrees warmer in the calm ,and the sun ,in the lee of our hedges while outside on the road your hat can be blown off. Good old privet, and Duranta.

Pray for a fine day next weekend. Does it matter ? Well it does for the Maleny Garden Club and so we hope that every one will have an enjoyable day.
Michael Simpson

Sustainability

2010-05-29T21:10:00.000-07:00

Sustainability is a real buzz word. It is about treading lightly on the earth . Not being a great consumer of stuff . Being able to restore, recycle and reclaim. It is about all parts of life. It is the string saving state of mind where we think twice before we discard anything. It is the ability to be self sufficent and to move in the smaller circles . It is about having a contentment with who you are and where you are. Sustainabilty seems to have become serious but if you have a realistic approach it is the natural thing to do.
There are many reasons to have a sustainable garden. Naturally we like to have gardens that are as organic as possible and this can be achieved by using compost made on site. We can make choices about what we grow and in our garden we like to use tough plants that will tolerate change and that give us year round colour and interest.Sustainable gardening is more than that.It is not just about growing fruit and vegetables. It is about how a garden can sustain you physically ,emotionally and spiritually.
Some people may get sustenance from a small garden however for me I like to have a large diverse garden where I can work all day if I want to. Gardening makes me happy and I never tire of being outdoors . Spiritually my garden sustains me and it brings me back to what is important in life.The fact that human intervention into gardens might happen for a percentage of the time facinates me when I think of the greater percentage being done by God and nature.
Gardens should outlive the people who create them.

Lately we have been to Brisbane and the changes that have happened in the almost twenty years since we moved to Montville are astounding. It makes me realise how we made the right decision to raise our family in more rural surroundings. Fresh air ,open spaces, gardening and the down to earth friendships have been sustaining.
As I drove through the back streets of the bayside suburb of Brighton it is as if time has stood still. By anyones reckoning the suburb should be green with mature aged trees and gardens and yet 40 years later the yards still have the same sparse appearance that I remember as a child walking home from school. I would walk past the chain wire fences of the neat homes with rows of gerbras and roses or the yards that had a lawn up to the fence with perfectly trimmed edges along concrete paths. Then there were the occassional yards that had a couple of shrubs or perhaps a tree. I just remember that as a child walking those streets it was often stinking hot and there was very little respite along those footpaths.For some reason the benifits of gardens have not filtered into the suburbs. I can't imagine living in a suburban house without a garden. Some people are keen and their gardens are like a mirage for the weary walker on a hot ,humid day. As a children we would eagerly run through the sprinklers that were drumming away on the footpath is those un water wise times. When I look back it seems such a waste becasue 40 years later and all that water down the gutter many of the yards are as barren as ever.(40 years of compost and organically restoring the soil we would be walking in the garden of eden by now!)
For a start it is sensible to have trees to provide shade when most of our weather is hot. Mature trees create a microclimate for other plants so you can effectively have a diverse plant selection. There are many benifits to the physical work of gardening and being outdoors. It is quite easy to grow edible plants and fruits that can contribute and it is easy to establish compost piles so less organic material leaves the property. So what happened?
I drive along Brisbane streets and lament that there just hasn't been enough effort put into growing trees and plants on footpaths ,vacant land and in domestic gardens. Is it because of lack of interest, knowlede, imagination or is it the lack of direction from local government?
My view is that climate change is a real response to the way cities are so built up ,populated and polluted. Too much hard,artifical surface and too little green space.The best and easiest way to make a city more livable and sustainable is to grow richly diverse plants on every available space. A colouful, shady , usable space with edible plants is achievable desirable and sustainable.If a percentage of the money that was put into roads and tunnels went to greening a city it could be achieved. Brisbane could be the first subtropical,edible city.
My vision would to be to have fruit trees on footpaths . Imagine streets lined with mullberry,custard apples and paw paw trees . Passionfruit vines growing up old chain wire fences. Imagine having people employed to maintain the edible gardens on the streets,not just council workers who mow and trim. Imagine if people who could pick a mandarine off a tree on the way to work. Imagine if there was food growing that anyone could use. Imagine the school children walking home and able to sit in the shade of loquart or banana trees.
I think that people would come out of their houses to garden and to use the produce. The council could be employed to mainatin the trees or pick the excess produce and it could be left at locations to be sold or used for free. Generally I think that there would be a great sense of ownership and that the council workers would be on a 'don't call us ,we'll call you' basis.
It would be more beautiful to have the houses flanked with greenery and more sustainable because the shady trees would create liveable spaces outdoors and the interiors would stay cooler too. It would be healthier as the people were eating food that has less food miles and is organic. It would be healthier too because people would be outdoors doing the physical work of gardening.It would be spiritually sustainable because it would bring people together and it would redefine the social isolation that comes with living in cities. It may also bring a contentment and commitment to the people who participate.It could be a cross generational and cross cultural gardening initiative.
If even one street in one Brisbane suburb could attempt to do this I think it would be amazing to see everyone experience the physical, emotional and spiritual sustainability of gardens.
Cheers Kyleigh ( having a rave)

Autumn highlight

2010-05-28T01:38:00.000-07:00

Autumn has come very late to our area in 2010 with the first cool weather coming in late May. Showers and light rain continue every few days. While Wisteria sinensis, Diospigros kaki (persimmon) and Weigela are changing colour and losing leaves other plants such as the red Cedar (Toona ciliata) remained fully clothed. Some usually deciduous plants such as Hibiscus mutabilis (double) and Chaenomeles (Japonica) are flowering.
It's all a bit confusing. We've even got Jonquils in flower.
In the mean time with an open garden in 2 weeks we are still feeding, dead-heading and weeding this alleged Autumnal garden as though it was spring.
Many of the Sasanqua Camellias have shot their bolt and Japonicas are just warming up at the starting gate. Hybrid grevilleas are just starting to flower and old tea and china roses never seem to stop flowering. We hope there is fine weather and plenty of flowers for our garden visitors.
A couple of treats could well be the beautiful strings of tiny pendant flowers on Pieris ryukyuensis, the ongoing display from our large Gordonia axillaris and the lovely pink and white striped flowers of our tree sized Camellia japonica 'Aspasia MacArthur'.
The perennial Salvias S.confertifolia, S.iodanthe, S. madrense, S. miniata, S.involucrata and S.coccinea (in bicolor, red and white) we hope will hang on if there is no cold snap.
Another dominating display could well arrive in time from our groups of double white Dahlia imperialis (tree Dahlia).
New plants! Well there is always something. In our newly civilized rain forest corner we have added Licuala grandis (Fan Palm) and Cyathea brownii (Norfolk Island Tree fern) to an understory area of Palms, bromeliads, Orchids, Dieffenbachia, Dracaena, Costus and stromanthe.
Blow! Blow! thou winter wind , thou art not so unkind .......but stay away until after Queen's Birthday holiday 2010 at "The Shambles" in Montville

Arts and Gardens Festival June 2010

2010-05-19T06:43:00.000-07:00

On the Queen's birthday long weekend our garden at 'The Shambles' will be one of half a dozen open for the Maleny garden Club 'Arts and Gardens festival', formerly known as 'Gardening on the Edge'. This weekend event falls just at the start of our real winter and has been very wet in the past.
Picture: Pseudocalymma aliaceum
With the help of family and friends our preparations are nearing completion. This is not an exhibition garden at all but a collectors garden with many different paths, interesting corners and hopefully some interesting plants to see.
The last area completely transformed with the help of Margaret and Laurie Jeays and our friends Isobel, Gary and Martin was a 'rain forest area' deeply shaded by large trees and inaccessible due to debris, mulch-piles and trip hazards.
Now with lovely gravel paths and after much clearing we have planted Bromeliads, Dieffenbachia, Cyathea brownii (Norfolk Island tree Fern) and Licuala grandis (Fan Palm) to add interest in between paths. These will increase the impact of young Livistonas, Parlour Palms and Birds Nest Ferns (asplenium australasicum). No doubt the tall trees, Castanospermum australe (Queensland Bean), Toona ciliata (red Cedar) and others including Black Apple and Schotia brachypetala will be better appreciated by getting closer underneath them.
Hopefully moisture will increase the presence of epiphytic ferns, lichens and bracket fungi in this area.
As a contrast to open sunny areas of lawn and flower beds this newly accessible, dark, cool understory area is one of our new areas of interest.
Michael Simpson

All weather garden paths

2010-05-08T21:24:00.000-07:00

With open garden events coming up our private garden will certainly have hundreds of visitors who we feel sure will want to investigate all the winding paths and hidden corners. With recent rain some of those tracks are downright slippery and potentially dangerous.
Close to our house there is a network of paths of level bitumen which makes a wonderful and attractive surface in a country garden. Under the trees, in 'rain forest' areas we have gravelled paths and this surface has transformed accessibility.
Finally we have this year for the first time replanted grassy paths with buffolo grass plugs and runners which are matting together to form a very reliable surface.
Shifting gravel for paths at the distant corners of the garden is heavy work. John and Tyson started the process along tracks in the west of the garden. Our friends Martin and Gary have offered to come quite a distance to help finish the job in the North and West of our garden where there is a dense tree canopy and trip hazard from tree roots.
When this work is done our visitors will now be able to explore more comfortably, even if it rains. These tracks also help us redefine areas of the garden, into the very corners and helps with our day to day maintenance.
Opening a garden to lots of visitors produces one solid benefit. It really gives us a dead line to upgrade structures, such as paths and seating for such event and we will have a more comfortable and interesting garden to enjoy into the future.
Our garden is open for the "Gardening on the Edge, Arts and Gardens Festival" on the Queens Birthday Holiday 2010 and for the Australian Open Garden Scheme 9th and 10th October 2010.
Michael Simpson

planting in the rain

2010-05-03T01:25:00.000-07:00

With the promise of yet more rain we set out many of our cuttings grown plants to put in the ground, and invested in some hardy plants to fill spaces. The "Gardenng on the edge" event which includes our open garden is only a month away. On the Queen's Birthday holiday weekend we expect hundreds of visitors and there are a few places we still needed to improve.
On the edge of our rainforest area we added Stromanthe sanguinea, Costus amazonica variegata and yet more Asplenium australasicum (bird's nest ferns). In garden beds we planted Verbena 'Homestead Purple', Nepeta faasenii, Achillea millfolium and many other cuttings specimens.
In a neglected corner, far from the house we filled up the sides of paths with Abutilon, Pentas lanceolata, Ocimum gratissimum and Barleria cristata from our cuttings area.
In other areas we added cuttings grown Hydrangea macrophylla and Plectranthus saccatus.
Lastly near our water a tank where a tree was recently removed new light has flooded in. Into this area we transplanted and planted Canna x hybridum, Ruellia macrantha and Acanthus mollis. Then the rain came as hoped for and helped get these plants off to a happy start.
For the first time we are experimenting with potted roses including 'Julia's Rose' and 'Harry Wheatcroft' which we can keep in sunny spots.
With an open garden event one month away it is very reassuring to have rain supporting our garden, and for Autumn to be so delayed. Everything is flowering and in full leaf
Michael Simpson

Wheel barrow Snippets

2010-04-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

Autumn at " The Shambles"
It has been rather nice to have two sunny days in a row after such a wet summer. The garden is still very damp under foot which has led me to consider creating some more substantial path ways in certain areas of the garden. Plants in the garden are very resilent. They have bounced back after the dry times of 2009 that was followed by the torrential rain of early 2010. It is now time to top up the gardens with mulch and compost to help replace some of the lost nutrients that have leached away in the wet.
Yesterday I turned my compost turkey nest and there is a lovely lot of composted material that is ready to go. I like the turkey nest arrangement because I can have several composts on the go at varying stages . I can spend a whole day chipping and chopping garden clippings or if I don't have time I will just make a pile of bigger trimmings . Amazingly enough nature breaks everything down in the end.
The garden is looking very colourful at the moment. There are flowers on just about everthing.
It was very interesting to see flowers on Camellia crapnelliana, C. nitidissima chrysora and the beautiful bulb Acidanthera bicolor. Camellias in flower include Red Willow,Beatrice Emily,Hiryu,Plantation Pink, Vanity Fair and Dazzler. There are fat buds on all the different Japonicas.
Double Hibiscus mutabilis, Abutilon megapotamicum,A.x hybridum of all colours are brightening our Autumn garden.
Salvias including Salvia leucantha (3 var) , S.madrense, S.involucrata(3 var) ,S. coccinea
(3 var) and S. iodantha ,S.confertiflora are in full colourful display.
The crowning glory of blooms is the Gordonia axillaris. There are many other colorful shrubs,perennials and vines including Clitoria ternata with it's electric blue flowers.
All the roses have been in flower as well.
In the next few days I will be planting out a large collection of cuttings grown plants that will fill in some spots and I have a new area to plant out as we have recently had a Bauhinia tree removed. This is now a relatively sunny spot in our shady garden so it is very exciting.
Plans are under way for the open garden in June and it will be interesting to see the difference that 6 weeks makes.
Our Autumn doesn't seem to have started because our Red Cedars are still in leaf and the birds are collecting nesting material including shed hair from our sheep dog. When we had Basset hounds we actually found a perfectly made nest of tri colour dog hair so I'm on the look out for a black and white nest.
Kyleigh

2010-04-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

Dear fellow Gardeners,
In these straightened days when all of the press seems to be about water wise gardening and sustainability we would like to humbly suggest that before looking forward we should look back for guidance. In Australia's brief history our forebears collected beautiful colourful, perfumed plants from around the world. All the interesting new ornamental and productive species found their way to this country during that age of plant discovery.
This means that we don't have to be content with monotonous, dry climate gardens to be sustain able. Most of the traditional plants which have come down from 19th century gardeners have proven their hardiness. This idea of looking back to the success of our parents in water wise gardening is the subject of our book "Over the Fence and Overlooked, Traditional Plants in Queensland's Gardening Heritage" and is discussed on our website www.montvillegarden.com.
Old fashioned, reliable, ornamental shrubs include varieties of Abelia, Abutilon, Azalea, Brugmansia,Brunfelsia, Camellia, Chaenomeles, Clerodendrum, Dombeya, Eranthemum, Escallonia, Eupatorium, Hibiscus, Hydrangea, Iochroma, Justicia, Michelia, Osmanthus, Pentas, philadelphus, Plumbago, Plumeria, Punica, Reinwardtia, Ruellia, Spiraea, Tecomaria, Tetradenia, Tibouchina, Viburnum and Weigela to name but a few hardy plants.
We should never of course be without old fashioned roses of many types.
Sustainability is also a subject which has led to discussion of future Australian gardens being in small allotments, without the space for trees and with no place for "water hungry" plants. This sort of discussion in the gardening media, both print and electronic, is very city-centric.
This bleak constrained outlook ignores the fact that many Australians live outside the growing limitations of the cities, and some of us even live in the rarely considered Northern half of Australia. While poor city gardeners may face space and water restrictions the rest of us are free to enjoy a huge selection of trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs and vines without such concerns.
Gardening is a peaceful and fulfilling activity. Like the act of holding a bird and then seeing it fly away, gardeners plant the tubestock and seedlings and watch as nature grows these plants on to maturity.
Gardening should not become the subject of a philosophical war, where almost puritanical views on "sustainability", "Australian natives only" and "natural disease control" issues ruin a happy gardeners view of his or her work.
We need to get real and look back to the vast inventory of hardy old fashioned plants from around the world which will give vibrant colour, wonderful perfume and shade, and satisfy the puritanical desire to display a "low Carbon footprint"
Dr Michael Simpson