"The Shambles" Open Garden and garden changes

 Open Garden visitors to "The Shambles" Easter 2012

Fast Facts:  We have had beautiful autumnal weather since Easter
                   1056 paying visitors to our Open garden, including prepaid and children about 1200 in all
                   2 Plant stalls and Kate Stocks Heritage Roses Stall pretty much sold out
                   All the scones , tea and coffee sold out as well!
                   Lots of lovely visitors to talk to.
                   Special Thanks to Marnie Trask and volunteers from the Maleny garden Club
 All of our friends who created plant stalls and volunteered from the Hunchy Community Association.(raised $6000 approx)
Thankyou for Help from friends Tracy and Chris Collie, Ian Noble and our family Christina, Tyson, Eleanor and John.
Developments: 
The "Plough Inn" our old machinery shed has been falling down for 20 years. The leaky roof and repairs last year finally provoked action.  At time of writing it has a brand new gable roof and skillion over verandah. The floor has been ripped up and relaid and the old windows re-hung. With new guttering a 500 gallon tank has been set up. A few more windows and internal lining and the old joint will be set for another century.
The ploughs and machinery have been painted and repositioned.

Two large Cupressus glabra which shaded out the centre of the garden and made the area around the "Plough Inn" cold, wet and gloomy in Winter have been completely removed. Let there be light!
The fire pit has been moved to the space where these trees were and the whole area has been re-seeded with buffolo/kikuyu grass seed. The grass seed has successfully shot.

New plant species in the garden over the last month are
Variegated mondo, Stachytarphetea mutabilis, 
                              Stachytarpheta  (Porter weed)
                              Eutrochium purpureum (Joe Pye Weed), fenced rose garden
                              Aster novi-belgii white and mauve
                              Artemesia lactiflora, front path garden
                              Justicia guttata
                              Salvia microphylla "Pennys Smile", "Angel Wings", "Easter Bonnet"
                              Salvia amarissima, south rose garden
                              Salvia carnea,        south rose garden
                              Salvia curviflora    fenced rose garden
                              Salvia urica            south rose garden
                              New cultivars of Liriope, cordylline and specimens of Adiantum hispidulum 
The garden s full of flowers at the moment with the Gordonia axillaris, many Salvias, Strobilanthes and the Yellow flax in full display.
Two bus trips arriving on the Mothers day weekend to look at the garden so busy days carry on.

Michael Simpson