November Garden News 2017

It is a big undertaking putting on an ‘Open Garden’ I wonder how many people realize just how much work is involved, I probably think not.

It has taken us three months to get to the stage where we are ready to open.

We were just so fortunate to get over 100 mills of rain in October as we were just so dry prior to that and were even thinking about cancelling our opening.

After 15 years this was last BIG ‘Open Garden’ and what a weekend we had, rained both days sometimes torrential but still the people kept on coming.

We had about 700 visitors to the garden most armed with an umbrella, must admit I have never seen such a wide variety of umbrellas.

People were even taking off their shoes and walking the garden in barefoot.

No complaints from anyone and the comments from visitors was amazing and sad that we are not doing it again.

The Black Sapote crop was big and our grandchildren made $65 each which was nice just before Christmas.

As usual Judy had an amazing variety of plants ready for sale and lots of plants walked out of the door going to new homes, so many people commented on how good previously bought plants were.

The Lions Club was happy with making almost $4000.

All in all it was a great weekend for everyone.

The Aristolochia grandifolia was in flower and visitors were amazed.

So many visitors were followers of my Facebook page (The Giving Garden) and (Open Gardens and Events Queensland) and said how much they liked it, which made me feel real good.

The only sad part other than the weather was someone picked to flower head off the beautiful Medinilla miniata which was a shame as we wanted the seed.

On the Wednesday after our opening we had a bus trip from the ‘Bayside Garden Club’ as we were still in ‘Open Garden’ mode the garden was still in great condition. 

We are going to have two plant sales a year on a much smaller scale than a fully blown 'Open Garden' but people will still be free to walk the garden and hopefully walk away with some wonderful plants. We will not have toilet or refreshments available and there will be a ‘Gold Coin’ entry donation for a charity of our choice.

We will have the first plant sale on 7 April 2018.

Judy and I want to thank all who braved the rain 'THANK YOU’ and it has been a great experience for us.

October Garden News 2017

This month’s blog is hard to do as I am just so busy getting ready for our final ‘Open Garden’.

I really don’t think people realise just how much work has to go into an opening like ours, it’s a big garden and means a big lot of work to get ready.

Both Judy and I are 72 and this will be our 15^th consecutive opening, I don’t think too many people have done that.

Over these years we usually raise about $4000 for the ‘Lion’s Club’, so that makes it close to $60,000 overall and we stipulate that the money goes to aid disabled especially children.

We were recognise on Australia Day 2017 by Redland City as ‘Local Hero’s’, it was quite an achievement.

Boonah Garden Club visited and had a nice morning in our garden and we gave presentations to Logan City Garden Club and Albany Creek Garden Club.

This year we have had 24 either bus trips or given presentations, a busy year to say the least.

All my 5000 Open Garden flyers have been distributed to garden clubs, nursery’s ect.

Letters sent to clubs, radio, television and newspapers all in the hope of getting a ‘bite’.

We had a burst in ‘The Senior News’ which was great and hoping that the ‘Redland City Bulletin’ will do the same.

I now have a new camera, it is a Canon GX3 and so far I am extremely happy with it, only gripe is that it did not come with a CD or cable.

Now for the REALLY BIG NEWS, we have had the best prior ‘Open Garden’ rain ever, a total of 150 mills and all out tanks are full, that is amazing.

The garden is looking truly beautiful and lush and everything good.

The mass planting of Caladiums is going to be spectacular and the Amorphophallus are coming through.

Lots of great and rare plants will be for sale at very reasonable prices.

Open Garden 2017

This year’s ‘Open Garden will be our 15^th consecutive opening and every year including this year has seen improvements to the garden.

They say ‘good things come to an end’ and unfortunately this will be our last ‘Open Garden’.

We will continue to welcome bus tours and also continue presentations to garden clubs ect.

We hope to make this year’s opening the best ever and with the current rain (126 mills)

everything in the garden is smiling.

It is really looking good and if you have been before please come again as there’s plenty of new landscaping and plants to see.

We have a couple of plant sales during the year as so many people love Judy’s plants especially the rare ones that you can’t get anywhere else , that’s to be worked out.

This year’s ‘Open Garden will be our 15^th consecutive opening and every year including this year has seen improvements to the garden.

They say ‘good things come to an end’ and unfortunately this will be our last ‘Open Garden’.

We will continue to welcome bus tours and also continue presentations to garden clubs ect.

We hope to make this year’s opening the best ever and with the current rain everything in the garden is smiling.

It is really looking good and if you have been before please come again as there’s plenty of new landscaping and plants to see.

We have a couple of plant sales during the year as so many people love Judy’s plants especially the rare ones that you can’t get anywhere else , that’s to be worked out.

This year’s ‘Open Garden will be our 15^th consecutive opening and every year including this year has seen improvements to the garden.

They say ‘good things come to an end’ and unfortunately this will be our last ‘Open Garden’.

We will continue to welcome bus tours and also continue presentations to garden clubs ect.

We hope to make this year’s opening the best ever and with the current rain everything in the garden is smiling.

It is really looking good and if you have been before please come again as there’s plenty of new landscaping and plants to see.

We have a couple of plant sales during the year as so many people love Judy’s plants especially the rare ones that you can’t get anywhere else , that’s to be worked out.

September 2017 Garden News

September, what a terrible month for gardening.

No rain whatsoever and a heat wave, temperatures in the high 30s the result is that the ground is warmer than usual so everything will be early.

The Black Sapotes which we usually pick in November are ripening on the tree and unfortunately the Flying Foxes have found them.

The Possums have found the ‘Nam Doc Mi’ Mango tree and are determined to strip every leaf off it and no matter what I try I cannot stop them, I have set traps, put toilet blocks in the tree, bought electronic repellents and a special wood chip and still they come.

Some garden pictures from Septembers garden.

Our Grandchildren visited and Sophie had the idea that all the animals in the garden need to have a conference, so off they went hunting.
Guess who had to put them all back though.

 Some more garden pictures.

On the 13^th we had a bus trip from Esk ‘Valley of the Lakes’ Garden Club, they are a great club and really enjoyed the garden but being so dry it was difficult to prepare.

On the 26^th we visited ‘The Gap’ Garden Club, again a great club with almost 100 members in attendance. I gave my new presentation ‘Clever Gardening’ which was very well received.

Then on the 30^th another bus load of visitors from the ‘Bundaberg Garden Group’, again the garden was dry but they knew that as they are suffering the same as we are.

I have found a really good product Rocky Point ‘Active 8, finding it great to add to the vegetable garden and flowering plants like Daylilies and Hippeastrums and it’s not expensive.

We are now in ‘Open Garden’ mode and this year will be our 15^th opening and I am sorry to say our last.

It is getting harder and harder each year and all our helpers are getting older and older so we have made the decision that 2017 will be our last, we still plan to have a couple of plant sales a year where people can walk the garden but it will not be the big deal opening with catering, raffles ect.

As I am writing this I can hear the sound of light rain, here’s hoping I have better news in my October blog.

September, what a month it was.

No rain whatsoever and a heat wave, temperatures in the high 30s the result is that the ground is warmer than usual so everything will be early.

The Black Sapotes which we usually pick in November are ripening on the tree and unfortunately the Flying Foxes have found them.

The Possums have found the ‘Nam Doc Mi’ Mango tree and are determined to strip every leaf off it and no matter what I try I cannot stop them, I have set traps, put toilet blocks in the tree, bought electronic repellents and a special wood chip and still they come.

On the 13^th we had a bus trip from Esk ‘Valley of the Lakes’ Garden Club, they are a great club and really enjoyed the garden but being so dry it was difficult to prepare.

On the 26^th we visited ‘The Gap’ Garden Club, again a great club with almost 100 members in attendance. I gave my new presentation ‘Clever Gardening’ which was very well received.

Then on the 30^th another bus load of visitors from the ‘Bundaberg Garden Group’, again the garden was dry but they knew that as they are suffering the same as we are.

I have found a really good product Rocky Point ‘Active 8, finding it great to add to the vegetable garden and flowering plants like Daylilies and Hippeastrums and it’s not expensive.

We are now in ‘Open Garden’ mode and this year will be our 15^th opening and I am sorry to say our last.

It is getting harder and harder each year and all our helpers are getting older and older so we have made the decision that 2017 will be our last, we still plan to have a couple of plant sales a year where people can walk the garden but it will not be the big deal opening with catering, raffles ect.

As I am writing this I can hear the sound of light rain, here’s hoping I have better news in my October blog.