A Garden Odyssey or A Gardener's Log?

Hello and welcome to my garden! 

My name is Tyler and I'm an avid gardener. Since early 2020 I have been living in the Sutherland Shire in southern Sydney where I have developed my own garden, a proving grounds of sorts. I have been working in the horticulture field for 7 years or thereabouts, and I've only had my family's garden to tinker around in with my own ideas, which I began to develop 10 years ago.

When I moved down here and saw the garden, I felt like it needed more. In an unconventional way, the first thing I thought about was the garden. I didn't really worry too much about where everything else like furniture etc. would fit, I just felt determined to redevelop the front landscape and put together something that would encourage wildlife and aesthetics.

The garden in 2019, Google Maps. Originally a lawn, some conifers for screening and an overgrown set of weedy shrubs (Ochna serrulata and a Breynia oblongifolia), I just couldn't help but want to turn the whole space into a thriving garden. 

Getting permissions were an easy gain, its my partner's family home and I already had started the work on the garden before moving in, so when I moved in (February 2020) the work really gained momentum.

The reason for moving in was that I was expecting to be travelling to the UK and France on a bursary scholarship in horticulture between May and August of 2020, to learn from and engage in the horticultural industry abroad. With the development of the COVID-19 pandemic I have since made myself at home, until travel bans etc. are lifted. If all goes to plan, I'll be abroad by May of this year to undertake said 'Tour of Duty'. 

In that time, I've been able to cultivate a thriving space and experiment with different cultivars and species of a diversity of plants.

Front garden-to-be, early January 2020.

In January 2020 I began with the larger lawn. It was an interesting prospect as I didn't go in with any real plan for it. I knew I wanted a mixed garden of native Australian plants along with other mixes of exotic 'cottage style' plants. The main idea was to increase habitat value and bring floral colours, different textures and an overall sensory experience into the space.

The first steps in the main garden... Planting surplus stock from previous jobs and a few collected roses.

I started the works by digging all the turf/weeds by hand, a rather patient job. I planted out some leftover plants from previous landscaping jobs and other potted plants I'd collected over the past year. 

A few notes regarding planting out as I went:

I understood there would be an explosion of weeds as I exposed the soil, but weeds have never really affected me too much, one learns to live with them else you'll go mad, and it isn't going to be a show garden so there wasn't really much worry in preventing the couch, onion weed etc. from returning. Weed control can come later. 

The soil was pretty average, so I incorporated a blend of cow manure, fowl manure, mushroom compost and blood and bone in each little area I was going to plant in, there wasn't much organic matter. It's predominantly sandy loam, accent on the sand. pH was sitting at 7, so not too bad. Drainage was okay, but could be better. A fair bit of sandstone rocks, they'd make good edging and roughage for the plants to hold onto.

Along with the organic inputs, there are two other treatments I gave the soil prior to and during planting. 

The first is Seasol (or other seaweed solutions if you want to apply them), at a slightly stronger rate than recommended, around 50ml of seaweed solution per 9L water. The second is one that isn't all that well known, but does the trick in kickstarting the soil biota in preparation for planting, and that's molasses. The minerals and sugars in molasses will get the soil thriving, trust me. 

It'll encourage a wider diversity of fungi and other microbes and will ensure vitality throughout the breakdown of the organic matter like manures and mulches. I only apply molasses at a rate of a few tablespoons per watering can a couple of times during the establishment period (a season or two) and then once or twice in the spring/summer months, especially in the beginning of spring. You don't want to apply too much for it to have a negative effect on your plants, so just a few doses a year is enough.

A stinkhorn fungus poking through the mulch in August 2021. 

Cultivating to a depth of 200mm would help in the drainage I thought, being quite compacted, and the bonus of it being a sloping garden I wasn't too worried about wet roots and excessive water retention, especially for some of the drier-climate natives.

Main garden, early April 2020.

There was an existing garden bed under the conifers with mostly Agapanthus planted throughout, accompanied by plenty of panic veldt grass (Ehrharta erecta) and wandering trad (Tradescantia fluminensis). I didn't get a photo at the time, but the photo above shows the progress of the de-lawnification with the addition of manure, mulch and of course the tubestock natives/exotics. some of the plants are Festuca glauca, Salvia leucantha, Acacia ulicifolia, Banksia spinulosa, Themeda australis, Grevillea sericea, Anigozanthos flavidus. 

In the conifer bed, or rockery, I set about removing the weeds, lifting the crowns of the conifers and setting the stage for a shaded cottage garden whilst establishing the mix of cottage plants and local native species, mulching liberally as I went with wood chip. I have identified the conifers as being two Juniperus sabina on the outside, and one Juniperus chinensis between them. I welcome any opinions on this matter of species!

The two J. sabina and the J. chinensis are quite mature, lord only knows when they were planted. The only maintenance they have seen was the removal of lower branches some years prior.

Main garden, mid April 2020.

By April I had the top half of the garden planted sparsely and liberally mulched (75mm-100mm thick), with a stone edge made of dug up sandstone pieces placed where I wanted the native cottage to end. I was also able to score a few choice lengths of old railway sleepers for free, which became the risers for the steps into the garden path, after they were cut to size in odd lengths. The path will come later...

Above I had planted some perennial dwarf sunflowers (Helianthus spp.), a David Austin rose called 'Winchester Cathedral' to the left under the light pole, and an old world rose named Penelope, to the right. Scattered potted plants await their future home, some would go to the backyard.

Other plants below the light pole are a yellow columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha) and a Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum).

Originally I had planted 3 pencil pines in front of the wall of the stairs leading to the front door, though later in 2021 two would succumb to their demise, curl grubs I believe.

Main garden in mid May 2020 (note the state of the narrow garden on the opposite side of the driveway).

In May it was just a matter of keeping the plants thriving. 

Plenty of Dynamic Lifter and blood and bone saw them flourish, and the addition of the old concrete bird bath which I collected from a landscape job at an old heritage property ensured a few feathered visitors during the establishment period. Don't forget, branches means birds. Rustic chic, natural finish. I started to collect more plants for later additions, as well as planning out an irrigation system for some areas areas. 

By this point I had made additions such as the woolly bush (Adenanthos sericeus 'Silver Streak'), Grevillea 'Superb', tussock grass (Poa labillardieri 'Suggan Buggan') and Lomandra 'Lime Tuff'. 

It was a good time for garden inspiration. In May 2020 I began working at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney under contract as a horticulturist, and I was able to accumulate many interesting and uncommon plants from their Growing Friends Nursery, where the plants within the RBG Sydney gardens are propagated and sold to the public by teams of brilliant volunteers. 

Front garden, early July 2020.

By the time Autumn had come to a close, the garden had really begun to take form. Along with the sandstone and the sleepers, a fellow landscaper friend was needing to get rid of a load of river pebbles, 10mm-20mm. Did I need them? I didn't know I did! They made for a fantastic gravel pathway, and helped me answer the question as to how I would delineate between the native cottage garden and the shaded cottage garden. Unfortunately it wasn't quite enough to finish the path, though I could complete that later.

I lucked out at a local nursery with bargain bin kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos cvs.), and of course I can't remember the variety, though they look like smaller versions of the attractive Anigozanthos manglesii. They would tie in with the Anigozanthos flavidus which I had originally planted at mums garden some 6 years prior, which were in turn originally from my mentors show garden 'Wirrumbirra' in Elanora Heights. To the left is also a potted seedling of the Xanthorrhoea glauca from her garden which was planted some 25 years ago. I met Cheree Hall as my best friend's mum, though after many visits to her garden I became obsessed with plants, particularly local species. Her garden is worth a visit when open, and she has wonderful advice, energy and motivation for all things habitat and natives.

Another couple of native shrubs went in nearby the birdbath, Westringia fruticosa 'Smokey', I'll keep these trimmed back as small topiary balls, if possible.

Next steps included fertilising, keeping the garden watered and clearing out the next section, the shaded cottage bed.

Main garden, early July 2020.

Above is a morning shot of the garden. Branches add habitat value and a natural aesthetic which is essential for wild native gardens. Having branches or logs in the garden allows for the soil organisms to thrive and gives lizards and birds somewhere to scurry about and hide or perch. It was also haircut time for the junipers, their long reaching shoots tend to swat me as I walk through. Maybe they can become some sort of XXL topiary....

Late winter/early spring is also a good time for adding manure and organic fertiliser to the garden. I usually spread manure in the end of August, as the soil begins to warm, giving the soil a bit of a kick-start to spring by the time the soil microbes and fungi begin to break it down which takes a few weeks. 

When September starts, that's when I'll apply other fertilisers and conditioners such as Osmocote and of course, Seasol and molasses.

Front "meadow", September 2020.

In August I set about turning the nature strip (poor quality lawn) into a flower bed, as this spot got a good amount of sunlight and I felt it was being wasted. We had just finished work on the Spring Meadow at the RBG Sydney and again, fresh inspiration hit. I started out with seedlings of pansies, poppies, dianthus and marigolds, but this garden would eventuate into a miniature perennial border.

Shady cottage garden, September 2020.

Under the conifers we can see the very elaborate, weed friendly garden, showcasing fine examples of onion weed, oxalis and many other delights. I take it slow with weed control, week by week removing as needed, allowing the other plants like the Lysimachia 'Midnight Sun' (bit hard to see, lower centre of the photo and dark in foliage) to fulfil their role in choking them out. Evidently, the Lysimachia was pretty hopeless at this task and ended up having several 'give up' moments on me, I rule it down to inadequate watering.

The messy branch structure of the juniper (in the front right) can be seen in the above photo, I gradually pruned the tree to lift the crown and removed a lot of the dead twiggy growth, as this particular variety (Juniperus sabina) can get quite tangled up in its maturity, branching at very odd angles and limiting solar access to the bottom of the canopy and under-plantings. Along with allowing for better sight lines, the pruning job provided a slightly more elevated ceiling height for the understory plantings as they grew.

Around August-September I installed irrigation with spinning heads to keep the flower seedlings in good stead. Being on the western side of the property, the harshness of the sun even in the cooler parts of spring saw the garden get battered by the heat of the harsh western afternoon sun. I added an extension to the upper part of the shade garden but went no further, not wishing to extend it through the native cottage in fear of overwatering plants such as the woolly bush (Adenanthus sericeus 'Silver Streak') and Grevillea varieties (G. sericea, G. 'Superb').

Front garden, October 2020.

October came and spring was in it's swing. The three Echium planted in January were very happy, and gave their first display. The nature strip 'meadow' was growing well, and the trees were in a far more tidier state, fresh cuts can be seen on the far left juniper, and in the photo below, the amputations themselves. 

Slowly the garden was filling out, which to me is always a good and satisfying sight. It's not that I like to over plant, I just like the look of organised chaos. Especially when it comes to native plants and habitat gardens, getting that wild look just brings it into another level. 

As Bing sings "Give me land, lots of land...", I sing "Give me mess, planted mess...".

Side garden, October 2020.

In winter I also started the work on the side garden, a 'lawn' once comprising of 50% buffalo, 50% panic veldt grass. It had never looked shabbier and I thought that it had to be addressed. By October, what I had planted had settled in comfortably.

I had started earlier in the year by planting some perennial statice (Limonium perezii) around the letterbox, along with a Salvia 'Hot Lips' and some other shrubs and trees. Notably, a seed grown Illawarra flame tree (Brachychiton acerifolius) and a tubestock Sydney golden wattle (Acacia longifolia). A friend of mine had started the flame tree some years earlier, and when planted stood barely taller than 500mm. I planted a lilly pilly (Syzygium australe) that I'd found discarded on the side of the road with only two leaves, and after a month in the ground it had begun to bush out quite nicely.

Side garden, October 2020.

I laid hessian coffee sacks as a weed barrier, they do a decent job at this and a benefit is that they will allow for good water penetration as well as permitting oxygen to reach the soil effectively. As time goes by they'll reduce down to compost and become part of the topsoil. They are a great organic solution to the alternative weed matting that's commercially available.

We can see the once sickly lilly pilly enjoying itself, and the wattle is looking fine. In front of the wattle there is a small swamp lily (Crinum pedunculatum) which came out of a private garden I worked on some months prior. I thought it didn't deserve to go to green waste, so following a successful period of time in quarantine it went in the ground. I realised a plan now that this garden was destined to be a tropical/rainforest style garden, given the good amount of dappled shade from the high canopy of the brush box (Lophostemon confertus) and its ease of watering from the water tank. 

Side garden, October 2020.

After a diligent hand weeding attempt, I dressed this side garden with a liberal amount of Dynamic Lifter and a thick layer of sugar cane mulch. I didn't have any special plan, rhyme or reason for using sugar cane on this garden, but maybe it was to do with the faster rate of decomposition in bringing organic matter to the soil? Who knows, but it looked nice and I had two bags unused in the garage. The sleepers broke up the steep slope and will allow for a better percolation of water into the soil profile with less runoff, in theory.

Main garden, October 2020. A bit of growth, a bit of order. Some leftover sugar cane mulch for the area left of the Echium planting where I'd planted some Anemone, Achillea, perennial basil, lambs ears, Penstemon and a low growing Geranium. 

Shade cottage, October 2020. This is a good one, the only photo of the Pulmonaria rubra 'Redstart' in flower. Around the pot of rosemary salvaged from another garden you can see some gorgeous onion weed, as well as some cream Clivias and another Clivia species, Clivia nobilis (they all look the same without flowers, but have faith...), as well as the Daphne odorata 'Perfume Princess', Lamium galeobdolon variegatum, and beside it the Kohleria eriantha. Stoked to see this one grow, I do have a fancy for Gesneriaceae plants.

Shade cottage, October 2020. Close up of the new additions from the RBG Sydney's Growing Friends Nursery, Kohleria eriantha, lower left. 

Pathway continuation, October 2020. I did end up buying river pebbles for the extension of the path.

Main garden path looking in opposite direction. More stones for a small retaining wall below the path. Next to my grandfathers trusty fork is a remarkable plant, the toad lily, or Tricyrtis formosana. Looking forward to those flowers. Below the toad lily are a pair of very small Ruellia makoyana, they'll get there...

The main lawn garden had grown nicely by October, and had seen some changes in regards to plant relocations, additions and pruning. Some of the Agapanthus was still there, though the plan is to eventually have it all removed.

As an Australian horticulturist, I share a widespread aversion to Agapanthus of most makes and models. Probably because it is seen as tacky due to its overuse throughout many landscapes and the fact it hasn't really got much to offer bar a pom-pom of blue or white during the summer. It also holds a weedy potential if left to go to seed, particularly if the plants are not a sterile hybrid, the seeds of a species Agapanthus can be rather invasive. I do however hold a reservation for some of the very dark purple cultivars which are entering the market, though I'm not holding my breath. Rant over. 

Either way, I intend to have it completely replaced at some point, opting for a mix of Hydrangea and other shade lovers.

Nature strip 'meadow', October 2020.

By the time the Echium had finished a rather minimal, nonetheless impressive display, the meadow had filled out a little bit more. The poppies and pansies were growing well and the brilliant blue Lobelia 'Crystal Palace' border was in good form. The weeds were going just as well. In October I gave this bed another dressing of Dynamic Lifter and threw on some Osmocote.

Side garden, late October 2020.

The side garden was blessed with another haul of free sandstone! I responded in record time to a local Facebook ad for free sandstone from a local renovation. It suits all right, and makes for a far better delineation from turf to garden. Nothing says natural like rough sandstone edging and borders. As always, a few larger rocks get distributed through the garden.

Things are doing well in the side garden, including another Salvia from the RBG Sydney Growing Friends Nursery, Salvia leucantha 'Velour Pink', and a Viburnum tinus further up the slope. I think it'll make a nice topiary ball as it matures, but will it suit? That is the question. Further up along the sleepers I planted some Iris x germanica. Along the fence I planted some Acanthus mollis, propagated from mum's garden which I had propagated from a local garden about 4 years prior.

Main garden, late October 2020.

Some of the same sandstone in place along the path of the main garden, more additions such as the Magnolia grandiflora 'Little Gem' and the further growth of plants such as the lambs ear (Stachys byzantina), Penstemon 'Garnet', and a close up of the sleeper risers.

Turns out I still needed more river pebbles. I've got to keep my eye out for someone conveniently getting rid of some... I'm more in favour of recycling naturally sourced products, though there are times when they must be bought. As usual, there's a potted plant or two scattered about.

Main garden, late October 2020.

I am also realising that by this point I may not want the roses to be here in the long term. Let's just see how the emotions change in the coming months...

In the end of October, I spent a weekend fertilising and spraying white oil over the flowering plants as a bit of a booster. I had noticed caterpillars and of course, aphids, making themselves comfortable amongst the smorgasbord I'd presented them. 

Fertilising in my gardens is pretty simple, and I've always followed a simple mix of blood and bone, Dynamic Lifter with a follow up watering in of Seasol. I always did that with my grandfather, and i think we have Peter Cundall to thank for that. Dynamic Lifter and blood and bone make a fantastic fertiliser combination for the garden through autumn into spring, and then, particularly for flowering plants, any blossom boosting fertiliser such as Osmocote for Roses, Osmocote for Fruit and Citrus will ensure a good display.

A spiel on soil health:

I didn't get any photos of the process, but I'll explain the reason to the madness.

When you are removing plant matter, the plants will slowly deplete the amount of available nutrients in the soil and over time they will not be as vigorous or in the same level of health and quality due to this fact. Ideally, over a period of time you need to replace the nutrients which have been removed. For a lawn comprising of couch, weeds, buffalo and kikuyu, this isn't the worst thing as they are quite content with growing in poor conditions. For growing a garden of shrubs and other flowering plants this is a different story.

Since I'm working with a very sandy soil, I took the time now that the soil has warmed up to apply a dose of trace elements throughout the garden. The reason for this is that sandy soils have the tendency to leech nutrients, particularly the micronutrients. This garden has been lawn for years, and has not been fertilised in the last 10 years. Plants of course rely on three main macronutrients such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK) which are always displayed on plant fertilisers, but they also need a host of micronutrients such as Boron, Manganese and Magnesium to grow and flower with results.

This is what sets soil conditioners, such as Seasol or other seaweed solutions, and balanced fertilisers apart. Although Dynamic Lifter is not as high in NPK as compound or complete fertilisers such as Osmocote, it is high in organic matter and organically available nutrients, so it feeds and builds the soil which in turn feeds the plants. Always remember, a garden is as good as its soil, and the higher the soil biodiversity the better results you'll have with your plants.

Blood and bone contains a higher amount of NPK and again is an organic based fertiliser and soil conditioner, serving the same role as Dynamic Lifter in regards to improving soil quality and therefore plant health.

I mentioned "...now that the soil has warmed up...", that is my choice in timing to apply such products as trace elements as the roots will be in active growth as well as microorganisms in the soil which will break down the nutrients and make them available to plants, particularly the mycorrhizal fungi which have a symbiotic relationship with plants through the roots - they process the nutrients, then pass on the nutrients to the plant roots.

Main garden in December 2020. A flower on the 'Penelope' rose (lower right), some ad-hoc Lobelia below it, and the first flowers on the Clary sage (upper right).

Side garden in December 2020. Nice flowers on the canna lily, growth on the Acanthus mollis, and a dressing of aged wood chip mulch.

In the summertime it's important to remember that water is precious, we are in Sydney after all and Water restrictions may be in place. This year we were in a harsh drought whilst watching the country burn to a cinder around the outskirts of Sydney, and one must apply common sense and due diligence. I have a tap timer which splits into two hose lines; one for the irrigation and one for the hose with a trigger nozzle. I also have the access to a 1000L rainwater tank.

I can time myself with the hose to give an adequate dose for each of the front garden areas whilst being strict about it. I restrict watering times to twice a week (and try to limit haphazard watering by just hitting the root zone of the plants), at sunrise of a weekend day and at dark of a weekday. Mulch is also very important. Here in Sydney, and having a predominantly sandy soil, I know that the water retention in the soil isn't the best, so keeping a thick layer of mulch, but not too thick, is always a must.

I use aged wood chip mulch applied at an average depth of 75mm throughout the garden, just make sure to give a bit of a gap between plant stems to avoid collar rot, as the mulch and the moisture it holds can promote pests and pathogenic fungi that may deteriorate the stems of plants, leading to rot.

It's important to age the mulch, or let it compost for a while before using it, as well as spreading a light dressing of manure at the time of mulching. 

Why add manure? 

Well, its a method to prevent a process called nitrogen drawdown. This is where microbes and fungi, which will be consuming the mulch, also consume nitrogen in the soil. Think of the carbon:nitrogen ratio when composting, it's the same principle. When we mulch we want to make sure there's a balance of around a few hundred parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen (when I say carbon or nitrogen I mean dry organic matter and green or wet organic matter, for example: woodchip mulch = carbon, manure = nitrogen, and for your regular composting that could mean newsprint/dry leaves = carbon and fresh leaves/food scraps = nitrogen, though the ratio would be closer to 30:1). The higher the nitrogen content the faster the mulch decomposition, and the happier the plants (provided it isn't too much!). 

To counteract the negative effects of nitrogen drawdown, sprinkling some aged manure or pelletised manure will not only ensure an extra feed of nitrogen for the plants but also sustain those important microbes and fungi as they work their magic composting the mulch into the soil, so the plants aren't robbed of their supply. 

I usually throw a few handfuls of Dynamic Lifter over the area when I mulch, or blood and bone. A watering of Seasol will also promote the soil biota to get into that mulch.

Another note with mulch, ensuring there is adequate, but not too much water contact with the mulch will assist its decomposition, so don't bury your drip irrigation too deep! It's also why I like to water by hand and saturate the mulch layer, or opt for overhead irrigation. Too thick a mulch layer may also give an increase in soil moisture levels, so make sure you don't lay it down too heavily.

Close-up of the first flowers on the Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum) underneath the little gem Magnolia.

Close up of the first flowers of a yellow columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha), planted next to the Shasta daisy above.

Shade cottage in January 2021. The ruellias have come into their own, and I planted a cute little Acalypha reptans (red cattail flowers) below it to cover up a bare patch.

Other end of the shade cottage in January 2021. There is a cheeky dwarf rhododendron behind the Persicaria rubra, the variety is 'Winsome'.

Side garden in January 2021. A Pelargonium in the foreground to the right from mums garden, I believe it's the Pelargonium 'Citronella' and some salvias scattered in the foreground to the right from a local gardener whom I share cuttings with. There's also some Muehlenbeckia complexa in the middle of the bed, and an interesting Cissus variety, Cissus antarctica 'Ellen Danica', which will be maintained as groundcovers. Don't take your eyes off them!

Shade cottage in January 2021, I got more than I bargained for out of the 4" pot of Lamium...

Pachystachys lutea in the side garden, January 2021. Again, a specialty of the RBG Growing Friends, gorgeous specimen from the family Acanthaceae.

A Panoramic point of view of the main garden, February 2021. Weeds? I don't know what your talking about... I left most of the lawn in the foreground, and eventually the couch just grew through to the natives, though I didn't mind it. I had noticed some birds actually enjoyed getting into the overgrown couch and use it for foraging nesting material.

A panoramic point of view, main garden from the side, February 2021.

First flowers of a Persicaria amplexicaulis in the shaded cottage garden. Pulmonaria rubra 'Redstart' in the foreground is yet to give its floral display.

The unique flower of the toad lily, Tricyrtis formosana, one of many plants purchased from the Growing Friends Nursery at RBG Sydney.

The leaf and flower of Ruellia makoyana. It has a wonderful, soft velvet texture on the leaves and the magenta trumpet-like flowers are iridescent at twilight. It makes for a terrific tall groundcover in semi-shade, standing about 300mm-400mm tall.

The cotton soft, cat tail flowers of Acalypha reptans, a groundcover relative of the Fijian fire plant.

The charming flowers of a cream Clivia miniata in the shade cottage.

Something that I love in gardens is maximising plant diversity, and in no particular order except the avoiding of symmetry. The RBG Sydney Growing Friends Nursery, as mentioned, has a vast selection of plants propagated on site and offers a unique selection of just about anything you could be looking for. I just picked out what I liked the look of and what I thought could do well.

Remember what I said about weeds? You can probably tell I really don't mind them. It's not a show garden, it's a garden of joy for growing plants, the weeds are just that relative who comes for Christmas who has that tedious presence, not one that warrants total anxiety but rather reminds you of a mild stress in the back of your head which you learn to appreciate and love. You have to have weeds along the way, and as someone who prefers to avoid the use of herbicides I've done just that.

My attitude changes when it comes to noxious weeds, or weeds I can't easily manage. For onion weed, I can remove their flowers and the above-ground leaves, and with other weeds such as sow thistle or panic veldt, they are easy to pull and I just make sure I get them before they turn into something of monstrous proportions. The ochna is another easy weed to maintain, I don't let it get to the stage of seed production, or if it's a small seedling it's easy to remove the entire plant. Wandering Trad (Tradescantia fluminensis) is another story, that one is a once a month blitz and tends to come out easy. A year later and I've turned an infestation into a manageable hour-a-month weedathon. 

The main garden, May 2021.

Side garden, May 2021. The garden is thickening out, and a few new additions! A rescued Kentia palm (Howea forsteriana) and a mix of other shrubs and even some bromeliads. The Kentia palm came from a local garden facing a makeover, and I was able to dig it out and transplant it. Time will tell if it takes or not.

 

Extra interest for the shade cottage. Gardens take to the trees! These are Platyceriums that I got out of garden jobs over the past two years which finally found their place in a garden, the larger, measuring at 1.2m from top to bottom, is a staghorn (Platycerium superbum) and the smaller entities are elkhorns (Platycerium bifurcatum). I had tied them to the branches of the Juniper months prior, but here visible is the growth of new shield fronds, slowly covering the venetian blind cord used to attach the ferns.

Cardinal rule of gardening: never say no to free sandstone! (In retrospect, I developed a hernia soon after this part of the project, so follow your body and work smarter, not harder...).

Finishing up the stacked sandstone edging in the main garden, June 2021.

Finishing up the small sandstone retaining wall in the main garden. The stone came from a knockdown-rebuild of a federation-era house, the squared off blocks were original and I was excited to incorporate them into the garden. June 2021. (Remember, listen to your body, hernias aren't fun).

Planting one of my grandmothers' Dendrobium speciosum in a pile of sandstone gravel below the old birdbath, June 2021. Extra points for diversity and sentimentality.

Some serious height gains from the flame tree (Brachychiton acerifolius) and the Sydney golden wattle (Acacia longifolia). Remember the sickly lilly pilly? Well I attempted a rudimentary cloud prune on it. July 2021. Note the trifoliate leaves of the Melicope elleryana in front of the now much larger Crinum pedunculatum. M. elleryana is the favoured food source for the Ulysses Butterfly, I hope in the future they pay visits to the garden! There is a second M. elleryana, out of view, beneath the wattle.

Flowers of Grevillea sericea (my favourite grevillea) in the main garden. Themeda australis in the background. July 2021.

The quaint pom-pom like flowers of my favourite wattle, Acacia myrtifolia, main garden July 2021.

The main garden in August 2021. A good shot of the Iris x germanica at the start of the pathway. there are some nice bulbs coming through, tulips and daffodils which are yet to show themselves off. Below the light pole there's a Clary sage. Stay tuned for this beast.

At last, the tulips began to grace us with their presence. Main garden, August 2021.

The side garden in August 2021. The flame tree is growing fast, yet the wattle has overtaken it for now. I am also getting mild anxiety with the rate of growth of the orange trumpet vine (Pyrostegia venusta) through the brush box.

View from the nature strip, August 2021. The front 'meadow' is well into its transition into a perennial border, the perennial statice is making paces and the echium has grown well out of proportion, or perhaps well INTO proportion?

The gorgeous flowers of perennial basil, a fantastic bee-friendly plant. Leaves are tougher than the more common culinary basils, though they can still be used in the kitchen. I enjoy using the flowers in salads or sandwiches.

The mediocre 2021 echium display. This is what I deserve for knowingly pruning at the wrong time. I justify my decision as I wanted to achieve a different shape for the next flowering season....

Main garden, October 2021. Steroids or what? Lessons learned: Clary sage (Salvia sclarea) is much larger than I expected (the beastly thing to the right of the little gem magnolia). The violas are doing well, yet the flowering stock and marigolds have been devoured by the Clary beast.

At this point, it's time for another fertilising session. The usual mix of blood and bone, Dynamic Lifter, trace elements, Seasol and Osmocote for the flowers is applied at their respective rates of a liberal handful per metre each.

Another view of the main garden, October 2021. Waiting patiently for the foxgloves to flower.

Close-up of some of the plants in the predominantly native garden, flannel flowers (Actinotus helianthi) collected as seedlings from a parent plant at mums garden on the Northern Beaches that I planted 5 years prior), Salvia apiana in the foreground. I don't remember the cultivar of the golden everlastings (between the salvia and the flannels), I know it's a variety of Xerochrysum bracteantha. The kangaroo paws put on a good show, the flower stems reaching 1.8m.

Side garden continuing to fill out, October 2021. The Salvia leucantha 'Velour Pink' has done well, and some groundcover roses adorn the spaces between some of the rocks in the lower part of the garden. The Acanthus mollis has filled out marvellously.

The nature strip meadow filling out, poppies have naturalised well and the Kniphofia uvaria have started their show. Californian poppies (Escholzia californica) have spread out through the centre and left hand side of the bed, and the Heliotropium arborescens 'Lord Roberts' have taken well and fill the area with a sweet vanilla perfume. October 2021.

Now we take a bit of a leap into 2022, as I didn't take any photos in December 2021 or January 2022, but now we're in February we can see there's been a little bit more change.

The main garden, January 2022. More growth, some new plants and lots of filling out! I added some logs from a hedge removal to act as garden edging on the shady cottage side, they came from a large lilly pilly (Syzygium australe) hedge and will add a nice organic, natural touch.

Another perspective of the main garden, the Clary beast has been reduced in height to allow for other plants to thrive. The grasses and woolly bush have grown well, the foxgloves have settled in nicely and should give a great display this spring. Other cheerful dots of colour are Rudbeckia fulgida to the left near the magnolia, and a propagated shasta daisy next to it.

The lower part of the main garden, shady cottage. The penstemon and echium has absolutely exploded. January 2022.

Close up of some of the natives in the main garden, January 2022. The grasses are going gangbusters and the woolly bush has thickened up well. The Westringia 'Smokey' has grown a fair bit bigger, but has mainly thickened up as I've trimmed it into shape.

A shot of the shady cottage, Jauary 2022. Things are really filling out now, and I'm happy that the Strobilanthes gossypinus (silver leaf shrub) has stood the test! other additions include some Camellia varieties and a Helleborus.

The wild native section of the Main Garden, January 2022. Two words: habitat frenzy.

Current growth on the staghorn (Platycerium superbum), the shield fronds have well and truly encapsulated the venetian blind cord and has begun to attach itself to the trunk of the juniper. I tucked in a small Neoregelia bromeliad into one of the elkhorns as a bit of an experiment.

The Ruellia makoyana and Acalypha reptans have grown well into each other, and below them I planted sections of a divided Clivia and a bromeliad clump (Billbergia amoena).

Street view of the shady cottage, January 2022. Lots of the agapanthus has been removed, and a cutting of a Monstera adansonii grows at the base of the juniper on the far right of the photo. the taller perennials in the foreground were a spur of the moment trial of Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosa). I'll be moving them in autumn to the backyard where they'll have more room to grow and better sun exposure. It's hard to see, but there's also a Gunnera manicata tucked in there (to the left of the Agapanthus clump in the foreground), suffering from a caterpillar attack. Before you say or think it, yes I think I am mad. I don't intend on it being a permanent fixture, I'll donate it to a friends garden once it outgrows its welcome... For reference, the leaves will get 2m long by a couple of metres tall, far too big.

Front meadow, January 2022. The grasses in the front right of the photo are suffering from salination/chlorine exposure due to the pool's waste pipe which vents further up the hill. Other plants in the meadow include an interesting lavender cultivar (name has been lost...), some Penstemon and a sterile Gaura variety. The taller bush in the middle of the bed is a Salvia 'Limelight', another plant from the RBG Sydney's Growing Friends Nursery. It has a great flowering display of green/purple salverform flowers and boy the bees love it!

Front garden, January 2022. A few of the newer Salvia greggii cultivars, red and purple in the front. The Echium?! Whacko, I have been patiently waiting for this, it shaped up well and I'm praying for a good display this spring. The Heliotropium arborescens 'Lord Roberts' is going well too, and unfortunately one has succumbed with the grasses in the pool water event last month. A splash of yellow in the meadow is a charming bedding Dahlia, the seeds I sowed earlier in spring of 2021 didn't really do that well, particularly due to the fact that I repeatedly forgot to water them....

Side garden, January 2022. Yikes. I don't think the Salvia 'Hot Lips' is going to stay much longer, it's simply too rambunctious. The other plants have filled out exceptionally well.

The irises, canna lilies and Viburnum are all doing well in the side garden (January 2022) and should give a good display this spring. I have already dead-headed the cannas in December. A depressed looking Bartlettina sordida is struggling to take its hold after a week without water, but will come good. There's a deep-dish saucer above the timber sleeper which I've been keeping full for the birds and other creatures, it's always important to have shallow open water for our pollinators and other wildlife! Just make sure they can get out if they get stuck. 

A close up of the groundcover in the side garden, January 2022. Muehlenbeckia complexa, bromeliads and the Cissus 'Ellen Danica'. There's a Salvia 'Waverly' further up the slope as well as a few Hydrangea quercifolias dotted about.

Do you remember the flame tree? It's approaching 3.5m tall, and the golden wattle is the same height but has a spread of 4m. Sheesh, I wanted a rainforest garden all right. the Melicope elleryana is also taking to the sky, albeit slower than its other friends, and there are some rescued Mandevilla sanderi plants in the top of the bed. The Crinum pedunculatum is going gangbusters and gave a great display in November.

A different perspective of the side garden, January 2022.

Turning around we're back at the main garden. January 2022. The Rudbeckia and Leucanthemum are thriving, though the parent plant of the Leucanthemum on the right, which is under the magnolia, has had a tougher time with pests and I had cut it back hard in December. an unknown Alternanthera rubra cultivar is cheerful amongst the cottage flowers, and a magenta coloured Gaura is deciding to have a lie down behind the Magnolia.

A view of the natives in the main garden from above, January 2022. The Banksia spinulosa is approaching 1.5m tall, the Acacia and Grevillea are at the same point even after a recent prune. They were all 50mm tubestock plants back in the beginning...

A view of the side garden from above, January 2022. 

A view of the main garden from above, January 2022. Here can be seen the vigorous spread of the Lamium in the shady cottage garden, and the Strobilanthes gossypinus has grown a little since planting last year. A climbing rose planted below the handrail and next to the Magnolia has grown exponentially. It's an old fashioned cultivar which I propagated from a family friends garden a few years ago, I'm not exactly sure of the name but my thoughts are that it could be 'Duchesse de Brabant'.

So, there we have it! Three years in review from lawn to garden. I am sure I will return to this post to make amendments and other juicy tidbits, but I wanted to share a prominent part of my gardening journey, my experimentation in my own space. Yes it's chaotic, but that's what I like, the unruly charm of the stereotypical cottage, with a native/tropical twist.

Over the time since planting this garden and continuing its development, I have noticed the presence of a plethora of pollinators, a population of predatory wasps, belligerent birds and polite parrots entertaining themselves in the birdbaths, a variety of lizards making themselves at home, as well as the return of a veteran blue tongue skink. Had it not been for the increase in plant coverage as well as ample hiding spots such as hollowed tree fern stumps and other branches and sticks, I doubt he would have made a reappearance, due to the increase in insect numbers and the protection from the neighbourhood cats.

It is a real treat to be able to watch wildlife enter the garden after pouring in the time and labour, and I only wish I had got the chance to take photos of them in action. 

The other rewarding component has been the complements from neighbours, visitors, peers and the neighbours kids who pick flowers for their mums. Cheeky, yes, but allowed.

I look forward to publishing more posts, and hope you have enjoyed my garden.

Tyler Howard, 2022.