Garden News February 2013

Since the late January rain it really has not stopped.
Showers, drizzle and the occasional very heavy downpour.

The result is a very waterlogged garden and all seven rainwater tanks overflowing, not that I am complaining as all the moisture has finally gone into the sub soil and that augers well for the coming winter.

I gave a ‘Passion for Plants’ presentation for the ‘Rose Lovers Society’ and on short notice we hosted a meeting for The International Cordyline Society’.

Now for the really big news.

After 11 consecutive open gardens through ‘Australia’s Open Gardens’ we thought 2013 would be a good time to take a break.

We went through a horrendous six months, with virtually no rain from mid July 2012 to late January 2013, then in January 2013 a massive storm did a moderate amount of damage to the garden.

Gardening had become very difficult and we needed a break.

Mid February we received a plea from the ‘Moreton Bay Lions Club’ asking us if we would open our garden in order to raise funds for an 8 year old boy who suffered from Cerebral Palsy and was in dire need of a ‘Flux Walker’.

The walker would give him independence and lessen the burden on his family.

Having gone through a similar situation ourselves (our son is a paraplegic as a result of a motorbike accident) how could we say no.

So, we have decided to open our garden on the 16^th and 17^th of March between the hours of 9am to 4 pm.

The entry fee will be $5 and there will be refreshments all day. The Lions ladies will be cooking homemade delicacies and there will be Devonshire teas and a sausage sizzle.

A local hardware store has donated some great raffle prizes.

All proceeds will go to the Lions Club to be distributed to the boy.

We felt it was the least we could do.

We usually open our garden in November, so this will be our first opening at this time of year.

After all the rain the garden is looking great and in particular the ‘Beehive Gingers’ will be putting on a show.

We have lost a large ‘Pommelo’ tree which is a real shame as a tree that size is irreplaceable. I have started to replant the area where it was.

 Pink Brugmansia.

Beehive Ginger 'Singapore Gold'.

 Torch Ginger 'Sweet Pink'

 Curcuma 'Anita'.

 Dragon Fruit.

 Carambola.

Water Lily.

As our plant shelter was blown away during the storm I have now built a more permanent one and I have also made a nice pebbled garden walk where grass would never grow.

All in all February has been a very busy gardening month and now with an ‘Open Garden’ coming up March looks like being just as crazy, I am just so busy in my retirement and wonder how did I manage when I worked five days a week.