Spring preparations and new arrivals at "The Shambles"

Our fifth gardening book "A Garden Forever", which is a colourful and complete essay on writing a domestic garden history is at the printers. Not sure when we will launch this book but it should have wide appeal.
It has been a long dry winter in fact. Winter in Queensland is never truly cold , but the weather has been such that many of our temperate plants have had a chance to rest and become truly deciduous.
The bare branches are quite pretty, but signs of spring are everywhere now.
Recent rain added to the prospect of a decent floral display from our relatively young Magnolias while mature Azaleas ad Pieris japonica are already in flower.
Our collection of Salvias has survived winter and the dry without any casualties.

New acquisitions which are awaited are a collection of Bouvardias, and a selection of Lilium lancifolium "Tiger Lilies"

Could resist planting a young Black Pine on western boundary  and a Lagunaria "Cow itch Plant" in the north eastern border garden . These are doing well.
Also planted out when thinning out our propagation material were many different Salvias including Salvia amarissisima and Leonotis leonuris in the North Rose gardens.

Our new border collie "Bear" is quite enjoying the garden and has no destructive tendencies except to pinch salty sea shells from the coral fountain while we are not watching.

Michael Simpson