Easter in the Garden Preparations, Fern Study Group Visit

Double Abutilon . Many Abutilon flowering in "The Shambles" at the moment

Any garden is a place of constant renewal, replacement and rebuilding. To prepare our relatively small 3/4 acre garden for Easter the last opportunity for large scale works is past.
Sean from "Abel tree Works" has just finished a fairly big and difficult job which is our annual wrestle with the large southern hedges. The old hedge of mixed Duranta repens, Ligustrum ovale and Ligustrum japonicum (small and large leaf Privet) also contains Cinnamomum camphor (Camphor Laurel) and god knows what else and can reach the telephone wires in height. A days heavy work has brought it down to a neat 2 to 3 meters in height. Dead branched from high in a particular Brachychiton acerfolium (Flame tree) and removal of a young but large Araucaria heterophylla (Norfolk Pine) completed that little job.
In general the garden has maintained itself extremely well, largely unscathed by a very dry, hot summer and the silly unpredictable weather of the last couple of years.
New plants added
variegated Agapanthus into edge of Clivea garden ( South Rose garden)
A replacement variegated Ablia grandiflora "Shorty" in Central Shrub Garden
Two replacement Rosa " The Fairy" along edge of front path gardens where their short stature will be easier to manage.
A beautiful , possibly seedling Abutilon magapotamicum x pictum discovered in a crowded Front path garden yesterday. Both calyx and petals are quite pale soft yellows. Hippiatrum papilio bulbs generously given by Rowene Cavanagh are shooting new leaves. There are flowers to discover  everywhere.

Easter in the Garden preparations for 19th and 20th April are steaming ahead. The refreshments catering will now be handled by members of Blackall Range Horseless carriage Club.
Literally thousands of plants have been prepared for the giant plant stall by Kate Stock and Hunchy Community Association.
Kyleigh and I will now be able to devote ourselves to meeting garden visitors until Smokin' Melaleucas kick off the musical entertainment on the Sunday afternoon.
Roll on Easter in the Garden
Michael Simpson

Sunflowers and King Parrots, Toowoomba feb 2014