As the season changed from summer to autumn I continued to live in two horticultural worlds; one of words creating an imaginary garden in answer to a client brief to fulfil the major plant culture assignment for my Hortculture course at Tafe, and the other of deeds working on our garden.
Today I finished the report. This is the overview, where I “sell it”…
The gardening year naturally divides into four seasons characterised by their own events, cycles and weather. Taking into account the practical, aesthetic and sensory this plant assemblage has been selected to accomplish an outcome which is both handsome and serviceable.
It offers an opportunity for simple pleasures: waking to birdsong, beholding butterflies, soothing bee hum, wafting perfume, feel of fragrant foliage, aroma and flavour of fresh culinary edibles, as well as seasonal appreciation of ever-changing leaves and flowers.
Central to this garden design is its heart, literally evidenced by a signature Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ (Eastern Redbud) whose burgundy heart shaped leaves and rose coloured flowers are on display front and central, offset by a mass of Gaura lindheimeri’s (Beeblossom) whirling butterflies blooms adjacent to a stand of stylish Prunus glandulosa ‘Alba Plena’ (Dwarf Flowering Almond).
Acanthus mollis’ (Oyster Plant) resplendent ruffled shiny green foliage studded with striking purple and white flower spikes in summer heralds the front walkway, preceding an invitation to linger along scented Lavendula dentata (French Lavender) fringing the entry, divert to a troika of tasty Fragaria (Strawberry) species or the perfume of an espaliered Osmanthus heterophyllus (Fragrant Holly) just beyond.
Flanking the western border are glossy dark green foliage and pink budded, fragrant springtime flowers of Viburnum x burkwoodii (Burkwood Viburnum) countering a multi-hued floral display ensemble of Impatiens species skirting the deck.
On the eastern side Backhousia citriodora’s (Lemon Scented Myrtle) bronzed green leaves and clusters of flowers provide a lemon scented boundary and backdrop to the patio.
Neighbouring the existing grove of citrus, a triad of culinary tub specimens garnish patio boundaries: Punica granatum ‘Nana’ (Dwarf Pomegranate), Eugenia reinwardtiana (Cedar Bay Cherry), Laurus nobilis (Bay Laurel) are close by Rosemarinus officinalis ‘Tuscan Blue’ (Rosemary) demarcating the kitchen garden proximate to the pergola’s swathe of Passiflora edulis (Purple Passionfruit).
A guard of tall evergreen Melaleuca armillaris (Bracelet Honey Myrtle) with creamy-white puffy flowers and characterful bark grace the rear northwest corner balanced by a trio of fragrant flowering Abelia species in the northeast.
Taking advantage of the generous proportions of rear space a trinity of Ceratopetalum gummiferum (NSW Christmas Bush) provide shade and festive display in harmony with the adjacent jewel of the backyard, a Lagerstroemia indica x fauriel ‘Natchez White’ (Crepe Myrtle).
Complementary and constructive plant selections have been made to accomplish eighteen contiguous but distinct areas and uses proposed by the landscape concept plan, and are detailed in Appendix 2 Plant Selection Sheet and Appendix 3 Plant Profile Sheets.
Then went for a walk around our garden with my camera…
“A man of words and not of deeds
Is like a garden full of weeds” ~ John Fletcher
Kate of the talltalesfromciconia blog and her husband Mr C came for a visit yesterday, and has some lovely words to say and photographs to show on her blog about our corner of the world.
daleleelife101.blog 
love the garden design and the pics. Bet you had more fun walking around the garden with your phone. :p
Btw you have mentioned Soosie Cat in a while. Is she still around or has Diesel chased her away?
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Thank you. I love getting distracted in the garden… weeds and watering are a good excuse. Soossie-Cat still lives next door. Deez isn’t a fan. I get to see her and pats but I miss her 😦
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I’m so relieved! I was worried that something had happened to her. Mogi loves the cats but that’s because she’s so much smaller than they are, and because she literally grew up with them. Diezel seems like a very sweet do though. 🙂
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Deez is ok with LHS’ other cat when we go over their, fine with the ducklings too, he couldn’t care less less but has a thing about Soossie, the G. O. thinks it’s because he can smell her all over HIS house and yard…
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Aaaah, yes, that makes sense, so she’s competition for your affections! lol They’re just like kids aren’t they?
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I love that you’re showcasing a Forest Pansy, one of my most favourite trees!
I can confirm that your lovely garden is even better in real life than it appears in your photos, gorgeous as they are, and Diesel Dog is a treasure, even if he’s not best friends with Soosie-cat. And I think you should reconsider your oath never to bake with GF flour again – that chocolate/coconut/cherry slice wasn’t at all bad, and the mandarin syrup made it even better 🙂 We had a wonderful day, and are looking forward to catching up again when we’re down in October.
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I’m a sucker for heart shaped anything so was thrilled to read about the Forest Pansy’s leaves. It’s so nice having a garden, if a bit more work than I thought. However convenient homegrown produce makes it worthwhile even though. I may need some time to reconsider GF flour. In the meantime there are others. It was good to see you and we enjoyed your visit.
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Perhaps I can convince you about GF baking when I see you in October….
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Happy to taste test 😆
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Aha! A willing guinea-pig! And I’m sure the boys will make the supreme sacrifice and polish off the leftovers…
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The report sounds like a delightful mosaic of sight, textures, and smells. (Well done with the descriptive vocabulary)
Lovely quote – and enjoyed the tour of the real garden (and its’ staff)
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Thank you. You’re very kind… the descriptive vocabulary was a bit OTT for my day-to-day tastes but necessary to paint the picture. Oh yes, we are our own staff, and either need sacking/firing or a payrise 🙂
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Great to hear from you again. Your garden looks wonderful. Lovely to have some progress photographs.
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Thank you. When we get enough rain subtropical coastal hinterland zone gardens are quite rewarding in their greenness. I hale from a much drier inland region, and never cease to marvel.
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Ooh you make me feel soooo lazy! And tired, just looking at all that effort! But I am now going to take some garden pictures while the sun shines on our weedy garden, add them to some nature pictures and do a non-wordy blog. Politics has got its claws into me today and I need some of nature’s balm. Good luck with the assignment – great write up.
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Thank you. Weedy gardens are my preference… they are usually more so havens for birds, bees and butterflies than the neat & tidy and weed free. Although we have less weeds as I have been feeding them to the chooks.
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I just love that old bathtub garden. The closest I have to that is an old cement triple tub. I got hubby to move it to the back garden a few years ago and now I want it out the front again – the only problem is that it needs a tractor to move it 😀
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That bathtub also is weighty – it’s cast iron. It once was in the house, then dug into the back garden, now it’s really useful. I’d love an old concrete was tub… I remember the one in my grandmother’s laundry. You’ll have to find another and have one front and back 🙂
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I think your prose is beautiful. As for gf flour, not all are created equally. I’ve found a recipe to make my own blend that ‘behaves’ much better than the store bought variety. I’ve also learned, tho not mastered, there is an art to creating and converting gf recipes. Now that we are home again and the weather is cooler I will be doing more baking tests 😬 xx
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Thank you. It’s funny, I’d been missing writing, blogging but once I got into the assignment it gave me the opportunity to do the research I often do for a blog post, and write what is in essence a short story.
DIY GF flour is a good tip… I have various which I have baked with individually, and found a new stallholder who goes to local markets who also has good quality & range of nuts, flours etc.
You had quite the roadtrip, and covered so much wonderful country but being home is nice too ♡
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I like the bath tub garden. We have an old galvanized watering trough garden. Growing tatsoi in it now. 🙂
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I love repurposed items as garden beds and would have more if I could get them and had more space eg old concrete laundry tubs and gal tanks. The old bath came from in the house, so it’s nice to have a reason to keep it.
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A great post Dale, capturing your praxis and pragma of your daily life so well. Your home space is looking really organised, fertile and productive. Must get up your way, maybe next year some time. we are heading off on a long trip soon and back by Christmas.
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Thank you. We love our daily life ♡ We’re working up to another big trip in a few years. In some ways we’re still settling in, finding out who we are and what we do now… so much to choose from… I’d like to translate some of what I’m Instagramming into the blogword, and what I’m learning-doing into some sort of occupation… early days yet.
We’d love to see you up here, but in the meantime your long trip sounds wonderful ♡
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