I thought I would elaborate more on what Judy and I do for garden clubs.

With garden presentations I have a laptop, projector and large screen which we take with us.

I now have three visual Power Point presentations at the moment; all go for approx 45 minutes to one hour depending on questions.

The visual presentations from first to last are ‘Smart Sub Tropical gardening’, ‘A Passion for Plants’ and saving the best for last ‘Bizarre and Beautiful Botanicals’. I am now compiling a new presentation entitled ‘A Garden Journey’.

We do bring up to seven trays of plants to sell at very reasonable prices and usually donate a nice plant for the clubs raffle.

We have travelled as far as Tweed Heads, Kilcoy, Maleny and Boonah Garden Clubs.

The feedback from the presentations has always been very good.

I have a very popular garden blog found at: http://ianjudy.blogspot.com.au/ it will also direct you to my Garden Product Review and Photo Album sites.

In regard to bus trips we are more than happy to accommodate visitors on bus tours.

We have had to raise the entry fee to our garden due to the high cost of public liability insurance.

Visitors are charged a nominal fee of $4.00 which goes towards covering the cost of the insurance.

We have two urn’s boiling when visitors arrive and have a large patio area where visitors can sit and have morning tea.

Most bus trips bring their own food; we are happy to supply milk, sugar, coffee and tea.

We let visitors use our laundry toilet.

We have large range of beautiful plants for sale at very reasonable prices.

We recommend at the very minimum a 1.5 hour stay, most clubs stay for the morning then depart for lunch.

Our contact email address is iwintle@bigpond.net.au

There is plenty to see at our one acre garden and it does not really matter if clubs visit more than once as there are different things to see each season and I am always doing projects to make the garden better.

Judy and I do our utmost to make visitors feel welcome, that’s why we call our garden a ‘Giving Garden’.

After they finish with us I recommend they go to ‘Lagoon View Gardens’ nursery situated at Lagoon View Road, Redland Bay.

Peter and Genya Robinson are the owners and have created a stunning display garden situated between two beautiful lagoons.

I can honestly say this venue is well worth going to. Their phone numbers are 0408181970 or 0732068169.

May 2013 Garden News

Well here it is, the first day of winter and I can tell you I am frightened.

Why you may ask?

Well since July last year we had no rain in August, September and October, has 70 mills in November and none in December and January. February we had 15 mills, so all summer we only had a tiny splatter of rain. In March we had 100 mills, none in April and 10 mills in May.

Winter is our dry season, the ground is dry and our tanks are virtually empty, that is why I am frightened, so many plants to try and keep alive.

Stafford Garden Club visited this month and we hosted a meeting of the ‘International Cordyline Society’where I gave a presentation 'A Passion for Plants'.

Only one other presentation this month and that was to the ‘Ascot/Clayfield Garden Club’.

I have not been able to do a lot in the garden this month as my disabled son and his family has moved into a new home which needs retaining walls, fencing, landscaping and all the other jobs that he cannot do. Of course Dad has volunteered to do it all. That’s what you have to do for your family.

It’s such a busy life at the moment.

Another garden problem is the pesky possum it having a great feed of our Custard Apple crop and is intent on not letting us get any. I have bought a trap but Mr Possum is avoiding it, preferring Custard Apple to any other fruit.

My youngest son and his family have just left and are touring Australia for the next two years, it's probably the best time for them before the children start school, we will miss them terribly, but will keep in touch through their 'This is our Australia' web site and Facebook page. Their two dogs will be living with us.
Link to their website. http://www.thisisouraustralia.com/