Mid Winter Wonders … for your garden

Cymbidium tracyanum ‘Spice’ X Cym. ‘Deathwish ‘Saratoga’

The calm time, when cool short days bring slow opening of many winter sparkles. Cymbidiums are in full flight by late July and it’s good to be aware of hybrids with C. tracyanum from Myanmar in them … These make inflorescences held at near horizontal, so flowers growing from an over garage elevated planter box, present to the lower view lines from approaching cars.

Candelabra or Tree Aloes are also all out just now also and especially want to bring this A. thraskii to your attention….. for it’s salt & sand tolerance in frost free Cool Subtropics. Unparticular as to soil type providing it’s fast draining, A. thraskii withstands exposure and every July you’ll be presented with these gold torches covered in wattle birds and bees. Being a tree form it’s also a great statement maker for sense of arrival at the front door

Haemanthus coccineus – Blood Lily pink form

Every now and then I pop along to 2RRR’s Gladesville recording studio at 88.5FM part of the Community Broadcasting Network with Presenter of ‘Real World Gardener’ Marianne Cannon. So here’s a few minutes respite from Lockdown, for a to listen to warm bulbs and how to grow them for this summer.

Less mow more interest .. !

Soil down …now how to stop the grass surround invading your precious garden space ?

Some of you might remember from the last send, the eastern end here at ‘Sea-Changer’ and a little exercise in exchanging high maintenance turf for low care garden space.

FormBoss RedCore steel edging, at install

Alternatives used formerly like aluminium strip wouldn’t retain new medium hights and cemented bricks edging while good looking, are also labour intensive and therefore rather costly. Enter the FormBoss edging range and especially their RedCore product that was quick and relatively easy to install expertly by George Close at Living Matter Landscapes

FormBoss RedCore after a few weeks for the corten steel ‘rust’ finish to develop

… and because there is also a short screen requirement for planting to shield against a passive road view, there’s a two part combination of ..

…Ficus microcarpa Green Island, a native from northern Australia among many other warm sub-tropical places. Of much reduced vigour and with a friendly root system, this little fig will eventually reach a very civilised 2m sans exposed trunk, making it ideal as a short screen to ground level so the road expanse is concealed.

By contrast, although also dwarf, Olea ‘Golden Harvest’ will bring a sage green contrast to the gloss fig to around the same 2 m height. Then for weed suppression with year round foliage colour contrasts forward of the taller screen plantings ..

Watch this space and I’ll show you how this this little Road Screen Garden came more together by Christmas !

And remember it’s always worth having a big knot of Cattleya’s in an easy care pot, to bring forward onto your outside table ….or even inside while the flowers last, for a few weeks during this brief and fresher time of year !

Call to action ? Well you know that close family member, 20 years long work colleague or bestie you went to high school with …. keeps asking you for my details, now they’ve sold up, moved to the ‘beach-shack’ full time and want to give it a new life ? …so need the garden fixed up too ? Just flick them this post where they can sign up for Garden Lovers or HERE for one less thing to remember .. with thanks!

Bulb Surprise

Amarygia Bozandycol by Keith Tollis, Andy Harvey & Colin Hunt

Happy Belated New Year & it’s that time of year already Garden Lovers, when you’re likely to be crossing the March garden one morning and a sudden surprise reminds you, of those warm climate bulbs from last year’s Fair you casually poked into a vacant corner hoping for the best… are now blazing away!

Eucharis amazonica – Eucharis Lily a shade loving sparkle

And every Plant Fair there seems to be more and more on offer, expanding the exciting range you can grow in your Sydney Cool Subtropical Garden.

Scadoxus membranaceous the smaller Paint Brush Lily for bright shelter

So at this years Collectors Plant Fair Clarendon ’21, 10th & 11th April don’t forget to call by the Charles Harland, Andy’s Rare Plants or Gary Reid Obscure Bulbs stalls to ask for some of these tough beauties for your own garden.

I’ll be talking about many of these as part of the Sydney Cool Subtropics Gardens Talk keynote, 1pm Saturday 10th April (just after Easter..). So arrive early before 9am to get your exciting plant goodies, then make your way from around 12.30pm to the Talk seating, for a much needed rest after all your hard work 😮

My Talk at Collectors Plant Fair on your cool subtropics Sydney Garden

Ruttyruspolia ‘Phyllis Van Heerden’ an intergeneric X between Ruttya & Ruspolia to enrich the mixed shrub border

For a long time I used to wonder what to say Garden Lovers ..

… when people asked “What’s the kind of garden you’re making in Sydney ?”

Warm temperate … Pacific rim ? Coastal frost free …well it was all these but I just had no collective name for it that would capture them all.

Until one day colleague Catherine Stewart and I were chatting about this and I realised her suggestion of Cool Subtropics was by far, the best way to describe the Sydney growing condition. Especially within coastal suburbs like Northern Beaches, Harbourside, Eastern Suburbs and where all pix came from here at ‘Sea-Changer’ my home studio garden at Forresters Beach on the Central Coast.

Mangave ‘Mission to Mars’ another intergeneric X between Manfreda & Agave backed with Sinningia sellovii

So Garden Lovers, at 1pm on Saturday, 10th April just after Easter, at the Collectors Plant Fair ’21 Clarendon, I’m giving a talk not about some far flung ‘idealised’ climate. I’m giving a talk on how to make a better garden of exciting plants at your place … in beautiful Cool Subtropics Sydney (or anywhere that equates up & down East Coast Australia).

Solenostemon (coleus), Zinnia compact hybrid & Plectranthus sp. w/ Ruellia brevifolia – Wild Petunia

You’ll find out just what to ask the stall-holder Growers, to make sure that gorgeous plant you’ve been eying off, is right for your growing conditions AND will do the job it’s being bought for ie conceal the fence, weed suppression, make useful shade. Tired of being ‘garden shamed’ ? Dry Shade, thin top soil over bed rock, harsh unirrigated west, root ridden soil from next doors monstrous tree ..gloom ? These are all normal growing spaces and we need MORE INTERESTING plants that will do well in them to make our gardens THRILLING !!!

Brugmansia aurea, Ruellia rosae & alcantarea extensa

So let’s celebrate the return of Collectors Plant Fair (map how to get there .. ) AND our mostly frost free gardens, where the warm humid breath of Queensland visits us every summer. Mark your planners now, buy your tix to avoid the cue and I’ll show you what happens with gardens full of these plants and how you can borrow from them to make the best garden you’ve ever had with plants that are best fit to the conditions you already have … at YOUR Garden 🙂

The last frontier, ‘Sea-Changer’ my home studio garden eastern end … watch this space Peeps !

Garden Lovers slight glitch on sending you a Zoom link that would work ..

…quick reminder that the Tropical Garden Soc of Sydney Zoom meeting TONIGHT commences at 7:30pm, and the quick way to join the meeting is to click on the link that time – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86278754698?pwd=UExrQlFoWDEzMktVUVE5eXFMRlpXUT09

or open your Zoom application and enter

Meeting ID: 862 7875 4698
Passcode: 802678

I’m guesting as speaker tonight talking about “Cool Subtropics Sydney Gardens”.

Hope you’ll be able to join us !!!

Best wishes, Peter Nixon

Cool Sub-trops Sydney Gardens Talk tomorrow (Tues) night on Zoom..!

Aloe ‘Fairy Pink’ a frothy April player for any sunny cool subtrop’s garden

Join me tomorrow night, Tuesday 27th October from 7.30pm when I’ll be narrating the Cool Subtropics story, for garden making in frost free Sydney for Tropical Garden Society of Sydney .

Click here https://www.facebook.com/events/3356306861103388/ from 7.30pm, then click on blue field saying ‘Join Meeting’ from my FB page … soooo easy !

Looking forward to ‘seeing’ you then and don’t forget, we can use the Chat option to answer your burning questions. Put it in your planner now Peeps!!!

‘Sea-Changer’ Shade Hut refuge from a hot day ..

Give Netflix a rest tomorrow night and learn something new to make your garden even better 🙂

Greenwalls from detailed to heroic !!!

Happy Winter Garden Lovers and I thought would show you just a brief to the Greenwall evolution, since they tick so many boxes for many clients in terms of space saving and maximum impact.. !

Grow Bands give precise feature to otherwise blank walls by bringing the luxuriance of rich textural contrasts for year round interest, to meet all converging sight lines from inside & outside.

Facing north, this combination is resilient to harsh high summer scorch and reduces visual glare and ‘push-back’ from the built environment, with welcome relief that only living plants can bring. It’s courtyard setting now leverages egress to it’s adjacent kitchen by doubling entertainment space, bringing the outside in and the inside out.

Measuring 9 x 3.5m this double sided greenwall in the great divide between private step out space on the house side and an impressive sense of arrival to the drive side.

Give us privacy and feature without taking up useful space, that was the brief for this split level design with a higher point of access off the rear lane. So a super sized double sided Greenwall was borne from necessity, to bring an intimate scale shielded on the house side from tall office buildings AND an impressive welcome to this drive side in approach.

So many apartment step out spaces requiring a ‘soft down’ to bring foliage relief to a hard-fest of built environment surfaces.

‘I would go out there more often but there’s really nothing to entice.’

A very common part of the apartment living experience, especially when all views are equally experienced from inside … no ? Enter a swish end wall greenwall, a slimmer counterpoint from the B/room slides and a free standing part rail Grow Band and all is lush and inviting. All are self irrigated and combine with cac & succ combinations for the built in planters suited to the N/W aspect. Bring on the cocktails !!!!

Greenwall Company by Mark Paul for Paradisus www.peternixon.com.au

Winter Sparkles …

Aloe ‘Venus’ a winter happy mound
to around 80cm tall

Garden Lovers, winter may be cool but never dull, when you know some hard working star performers to bring easy charm to your garden.

Cymbidium ‘Ice Cascade’ hybrid plant also excellent for baskets

Who would have thought we’d be imagining a cool, wet winter back in the bush fires of March Garden Lovers ? Anyway, here we are savouring the delights of planting that favours wintertime in the cool sub-tropics. Lower temps are the trigger for many of these to come into flower, or simply have such late flowering periods they can extend into the winter.

Aechmea wilkleri like little orange Christmas Trees tilted over ..

Many make excellent planting for containers like the bromeliads & cymbidium orchids that you may like to bring inside to enjoy their flowers as part of the house interior ..

Others burst into seasonal interest like Hibiscus mutabilis and Tibouchina ‘David Bowen’ for the mixed shrub border. Cut to shape after flowers to ensure a good spring flush to support flowers that can extend into the June garden …

Tibouchina ‘David Bowen’ a late white flowering hybrid into early winter

And don’t forget cool weather warm bulbs like the species hippeastrums H. aulicum & H. psittacinum for stained glass colour sparkles in the semi-shade garden.

Hippeastrum psitticinum a sparkling Brazilian jewel that grows as an epiphyte on ‘Sea-Changer’s’ mirror deck greenwalls

Hippeastrum aulicum clumping forward of the mixed shrub border – and thanks to Susan Trathen for these seedlings she raised me from her own
Balgowlah Heights garden

The element of surprise is often forgotten in cool subtrops gardens, easily remedied with summer humidity hardy South African bulbs from the Fynbos.

Sparaxis grandiflora ssp. acutiloba an easy fynbos bulb for our winter gardens

Cool Subtrops Talk for Sydney Gardens

Don’t forget I’ll be giving a talk at the re-scheduled springtime dates for Collectors Plant Fair ’20 – 1pm Saturday, 26th September, Hawkesbury Race Course expressly on my Sydney cool subtropics gardens, to help you make a better garden with planting that’s a fit to the growing conditions you have in your own home garden. Mark your planners & buy your tix online now to avoid the cue !!

Collectors Plant Fair Clarendon, my Cool Subtrops Talk postponed..

Well by now, I’m sure most of you realise ALL events planned to attract more than 500 people are cancelled.. Booo… so I shan’t be able to present the super interesting talk for you on Sydney gardens of my design this Sunday 29th March.

Aloe ‘Fairy Pink’ has popped at my ‘Sea-Changer’ garden

So instead of the usual plant fair on the ground, Convenor Linda Ross has been busy transferring the CPF ’20 offering to an on line market. See here for details for details where you might be able to find some exciting fairside treasures !

In the meantime, some of you may remember a few images showing new plantings from before Xmas in the last post by Mark Paul and his visionary work at the Greenwall Company; now gracing a special harbourside garden I’ve been keeping an eye on for many years.

Flanking both sides of the terrace step out, two more grow barrels bring lush sophistication to this terrace high above it’s harbourside view

Self irrigated, so with the advantage of easy care, each ‘barrel’ can also use all sides as a planting surface. Once planting closes over all exposed fabric & mesh, the effect is one of lush abundance that never competes with the view.

Rich textural & foliage colour contrasts make for year round interest in these conjoined rectangular Grow Bales

Most planting was repurposed from many small pots formerly on the same terrace, now unified into ‘Grow Barrels’

Hope you enjoyed and love your garden !!!

In case you missed it ..

Amarygia ‘Bozandycol’ by Keith Tollis (Boz), Andy Harvie & Colin Hunt

Hoping you’re enjoying some more lovely rain this week…. the March/April garden will be lush. Last Friday week ABC’s Gardening Australia very kindly featured my home studio garden ‘Sea-Changer’ here at Forresters Beach on the Central Coast.

Puya species from David Fripp @ Living Edge Nursery Peats Ridge

For those of you who asked and might have missed it Just click here and kick back for a few pleasant minutes of mid morning relaxation on your busy Friday.

Aloe ‘Early Gold’ against Strobilanthus gossypinus – Pewter Plant

Further to the feature, I’m also giving the Key Note at Collectors Plant Fair Clarendon on the Sunday 29th March (scroll down to the Mirror Deck pic showing details) part of their Speakers Program @ midday. It’ll be about Sydney’s cool subtropical climate and how to understand it’s growing conditions a little more, to make better selections from exceptional points of sale like Plant Fairs.

LOVING YOUR GARDEN !!!

Its tonight .. !

‘Sea-Changer’ shade hut, for cool seclusion

Aunty ABC 7.30pm tonight 21st February, after the news… Gardening Australia will bring you a feature spot of my ‘Sea-Changer’ here at Forrester Beach of the NSW Central Coast.

Nearly 2 years in the can at the onset of wintertime, I’ll be ‘to camera’ about YOUR cool subtropics garden, some of what grows well in them and a little about fit to growing conditions for year round planting that will make your garden even better !!

LOVE your garden … & hope you can tune in tonight 😮

Green Bales & Barrels ?

There are many reasons to apply creative thinking to something so adaptable as a Green-strip panel … right ?

…. but it takes a creative genius like Mark Paul to come up with winning ways that are only as limited as his imagination. Much of the planting in this Green Barrel was repurposed from smaller pots on site, with a few additions to extend foliage colour & textural contrasts. This pic was taken on the day of install, I’ll show you a progress later this year, so you can see for yourself how they’ve expanded into self irrigated ‘barrels of wonder’ alternative to conventional pots.

Green Barrels (foreground) & Green Bales (background), a low maintenance alternative to high maintenance pots

With conventional pots, its just the sky faced planting surface that plants can grow in … With Green Barrels & Green Bales, the planting surface is not only the sky face but also the sides that can be populated with epiphytes (grow on trees) & lithophytes (grow on rock) & others that are adaptable to this growing condition.

Green Bale around 1m wide x 500mm x 500mm terrace, doesn’t compete but frames the harbourside view by bringing mass beneath rail height

Planting all sides AND the sky face, gives each unit an impressively ‘full’ abundant look, without the drudgery of watering cans. No need to be constantly checking moisture levels regardless of exposure, as an irrigation manifold runs through the inorganic medium, for the most efficient use of our precious water. As it’s an inorganic recycled medium, this can’t disintegrate, so what your plants grow in is permanent without having to be ‘potted-up’ to the next size container to avoid root block…sooooo EASY !

Beautiful Hippeastrum psittacinum a Sth American bulb that also grows as an epiphyte on Green Barrels & Bales

So if you have a family member, a long time bestie or twenty years long work colleague who is planning or has pulled the back off the house to do a major reno…. NOW is the time to make contact with the whole year ahead to make the garden changes they want well before Christmas ’20

Peter Nixon 0418 161513 Paradisus & Mark Paul 9969 2682‬ Greenwall Company

Checker Matrix

Happy New Year ’20 Garden Lovers !!

Thought I would kick off the year with a rather special finishing touch installed just before Xmas, added to a design of mine for very special clients at Greenwich. To my horror I see from the file I’ve been ‘making’ this garden for 20 years. So this Checker Matrix by Master Greenwall supplier Mark Paul, really is the glace cherry that’s been a long time coming 😮

Coloured negative spaces give foil to each planted square, using plants borrowed from indoors that are adaptable in sheltered spaces like columnea, peperomia, nematanthus & callisia

There are many types of greenwalls to be had these days and if you had a masonry recess, a framed Checker Matrix might be just the right feature to bring surprising interest to your garden.

Viewed from across the block looking from an open sided pavilion, this surprise Checker Matrix is conspicuous only as a step out view from the house floor plan

To the left side and to bring lush mass to a void fence space, Grow Baskets of fibre mesh weave with flat backs have been mounted onto an aluminium frame with its own drip tray. In time, I’ll show you how the Elk Horn Ferns, mixed bromeliads and native hoya australis, will expand across their mesh support.

Having its own irrigation ensures efficient water use and the inorganic medium can’t disintegrate, leading to undesirable root block and nothing for them to grow in, as with potting mix. Just trim each each square to shape with hedge shears. It’s a touch of Brazil in Sydney’s cool subtropics growing conditions and a nod to Roberto Burle Marx to come home to every day.

Mark Paul – Greenwall Company

Mosman 9969 2682 for Paradisus Peter Nixon

So if a 20 years long work colleague, your family member or your besty since kindergarten needs a garden, NOW is the time refer them early in the year so we have the best chance of completing for them before Xmas ’20 !!

Native Intense

Mid October each year finds me scrutinising the Kurrajong’s (Brachchiton bidwillii ‘Little Ripper’) near bare branches, looking for tiny signs of secrete flowers to come ..

See more at Paradisus

This one has the slightly more pink coral flowers of the B. bidwillii type, in a hybrid called ‘Little Ripper’ by Brent Vieritze at Colours of Eden. He’s actually ingeniously grafted the hybrid flowering B. bidwillii ‘Little Ripper’ onto a B. rupestrus – QLD Bottle Tree trunk. A little ripper it is !!

B. rupestrus to B. bibwillii ‘Little Ripper’ graft line

My tree is now around 4 years old here at ‘Sea-Changer’ and I’m guessing will reach around 4m tall, so it fits the small space garden well for a norther aspect. Brent doesn’t know if the trunk beneath the graft, will swell out to become the characteristically ‘bottle’ shape. Time will tell and if it does I’m imagining a hero tree with a rather interesting silhouette, like a barrel with a small domed canopy on top.

Last year’s seed pods add another ornamental feature

Flower encrusted stems attach nectar feeders also ..

I noticed northern beaches artist Julie Hickson’s very beautiful Pod &Pod display of all native, woodblock inspired freshness at The Other Art Fair by Saatchi at Barangaroo last weekend. Among so many beauties, there was also a new work featuring Brachychiton bidwillii a perfect Xmas gift for garden loving friends & fam.

Peter Nixon’s ‘Sea-Changer’ opens on Sunday of PLF Kariong

‘Sea-Changer’ mirror deck greenwalls, opens for Gosford Open Gardens SUNDAY ONLY 29th September 10am – 3pm $5 gate

Garden Lovers, did you know its only 3 weeks till Plant Lovers Fair Kariong !

Springtime is here with a warm rush and a gazillion stall holders with tempting treasures will be on offer, come Saturday & Sunday 28th & 29th September at PLF ’19 so get your tix now to avoid the entry cue !!!

Gosford Open Gardens is on all weekend of the Fair with more than 10 gardens on offer. My home studio garden ‘Sea-Changer’ ONLY opens on Sunday 29th September,

10am – 3pm $5 gate.

Sunday of the Fair is always a more relaxed day, so treat yourself to some of the best cool subtrops planting available in Australia in the one place !! Then its only a 20 minute drive from the fairground at Kariong Mountains Highschool

to ‘Sea-Changer’ at 21 Lavinia Street, Forresters Beach

Come to ‘Sea-Changer’ and many of the other 9 gardens, for new ideas on how you can make an even better home garden 🙂

‘Sea-Changer’s’ 8 pages in Better Homes & Gardens Mag, August issue out now !

Garden Lovers, if you haven’t been able to make it up for one of ‘Sea-Changer’s’ opens here at Forresters Beach on the Central Coast, grab yourself a copy of Better Homes and Gardens mag August issue OUT NOW. This was a mid May shoot and shows how you can extend interest well into late Autumn for your cool subtropics garden at home.

Love Your Garden … 🙂

‘Sea-Changer’ THIS Fri 12th July, 7pm Channel 7

Graham Ross at ‘Sea-Changer’ on BH&G’s shoot day in mid May this year

Getting a chance to spread cool subtropics love here at ‘Sea-Changer’ .. that’s what you’ll see 7pm on THIS Friday’s 12th July episode of Channel 7’s BH&G program.
Graham and I get to show you a species hippeastrum for late Autumn, so useful for a blast of scarlet fire in the semi shade garden. Tune in to see pretty sub-shrubs like barlaria and ruellias that can bring your garden welcome long flowering interest. He’ll also show how climbing bromeliads like Neoregelia x macwilliamsii and N. compacta are covering slat panels here, to bring lush low maintenance green cover to walls and fencing for your garden and much, much more ..

THIS Friday’s episode of Channel 7’s Better Homes & Gardens you can see my ‘Sea-Changer’ garden, for ideas to make an even better garden at home….
See you ‘Sea-Changer’ – side !!!

Shoot day at ‘Sea-Changer’ from the Mirror Deck

CLICK ON ABOVE VIDEO for a ‘Sea-Changer’ taster on what you’ll see on BH&G tomorrow (Friday 12th July) night.. !!

‘Clifton’ Courageous

Planty Peeps at ‘Clifton’ Masterclass by designer Peter Nixon

Cool Subtropics Masterclass at ‘Clifton’ last Wednesday ..was two hours of ‘planty’ goodness, showing many Sydney seaside and harbour gardens of my design over the years. So reassuring to see nearly 100 of you, all wanting to learn new plants to make a better garden.

Keen interest across residential home owners, master maintainers & growers ..

As the Speaker, have to say two hours just seemed to go by in a minute .. !

Hoping your cool subtrops baby tube give aways are safely in the garden by now, for an even better garden this high spring come November.

Cool subtrops give away tubes to try at home went well ..

Many more people signed on to receive free the Garden Lovers Blog

High interest drove many more sign ups to receive the Garden Lovers Blog as an easy way to stay in the loop of new and interesting plants to make gardens from .. If you forgot to sign up or couldn’t make it on the day, sign up here at GARDEN LOVERS BLOG that will take you to my e-mail address.

On my left, master cac & succ grower Wendy Twaddell, formerly of Hannah St Beecroft & more recently of Garden Gate Dural

With Felicity McCaffrey our Host & owner of rather loverly ‘Clifton’ Hunters Hill

Thanks to all who attended. Your great interest in making a better garden has raised around $2,250 for L’Arche Sydney …while learning more at the same time from the huge cool subtropics planting bandwidth, to make more Sydney gardens from plants .. !

So if it’s your sister, your 20 years long work colleague or the friend you went to school with … if they’re in the garden making loop and in need of pain relief – your referral would be MUCH appreciated and in return, you KNOW your precious referral is in safe hands 🙂

www.peternixon.com.au 0418 161513 Paradisus Facebook

Paradisus Instagram info@peternixon.com.au

‘Clifton’ Masterclass Hunters Hill by Peter Nixon

Garden Lovers its nearly time this Wednesday 1st May for our special time together at historic ‘Clifton’ for a
Masterclass I’ll give on cool subtropics gardens I’ve designed for Sydney !!!

Looking forward to showing you beautiful Sydney gardens made from EXCITING cool sub-tropics planting. Inspiration for your home garden or the dream garden you may be planning that I could help you with … 🙂

AT THE TIME OF SENDING THERE ARE JUST A FEW SEATS LEFT !!! If you haven’t responded by clicking on ‘comments’ at the end of this post yet, to say you’ll join us in ‘Leave a Reply’ YOU ONLY HAVE TILL MIDDAY THIS MONDAY 29th APRIL to get onto the door list.

A free Cool Sub-tropics tube plant for you to try at home or give to a garden friend.

Masterclass 9.30am for 10am kick off THIS WEDNESDAY,
1st MAY at the rather lovely home of our host Felicity McCaffrey, ‘Clifton’
7 Woolwich Road, Hunters Hill $25 at the door
for L’Arche 4 Sydney

Come to Wednesday’s Masterclass and don’t forget to leverage your new knowledge, by experiencing for yourself cool subtropics plants at my ‘Sea-Changer’ garden. Opening free on Saturday of the same week
4th May 10am – 2pm !! … Enjoy a nice day out of the city with a garden friend on the Central Coast, only an hour north on Pacific Motorway from Wahroonga on ramp. Lunch at Bamboo Buddha at Holgate, 21 Wattle Tree Road 43 65 5810 to book.

‘Sea-Changer’ 21 Lavinia Street, Forresters Beach Peter Nixon 0418 161513

Cape Town dreaming ….Franschhoek Valley

Travelling companion & bestie Judy Taylor on Table Mountain

Top of the Rock …. last October Nurse Taylor and I travelled to exciting Cape Town and ascended Table Mountain. So many good garden plants come from South Africa and getting to see them and the gardens they are made from, was a lifetime in the making .. and did NOT disappoint.

Beautiful species proteas hug the wind swept climax vegetation on Table Mountain

Henk Schultz masterpiece home garden in Franschhoek Village

And of course, we couldn’t have travelled so far without visiting a few rather accomplished Garden Designers and their handiwork. One of the most prominent and in the beautiful wine lands at Franschhoek Valley was the super charmed home garden and labour of love by Henk Scholtz .

Fish Tank Garden, like looking at ‘fish’ behind glass as a walk by

The attention to detail and true whimsy that Henk makes his garden from is truely unique to him and the South African sensibility. Artistic quirk only begins to cover it, like this store mannequin covered in ceramic mosaic, complete with tin lid skirt and shell belt accompanied by wire pigs.

Rear planting space topiary ‘lawn’

Will show you more of the Capetown Great Adventure in another post

Double sided greenwall by Mark Paul at Greenwall Co. for Paradisus ….and don’t forget my exciting Masterclass on Sydney Cool Subtropics Gardens at historic ‘Clifton’ in Hunters Hill on Wed 1st May at 10am $25 at the door all proceeds to L’Ache Sydney. Bottom of post click on ‘comments’ say you’ll attend in the Comments field & hit send to save your seat(s)**. Soooooo easy !!**

Your ‘Clifton’ Masterclass ‘Leave a reply’ response

Mirror Deck ‘Sea-Changer’ greenwalls, opens free Saturday, 4th May 10am – 2pm

RE: Designer Peter Nixon ‘Clifton’ Masterclass
on Sydney Cool Sub-tropics Gardens
7 Woolwich Road, Hunters Hill, 10am – 11.30am
Wednesday 1st May, 2019
for L’Arche 4 Sydney

Dear Garden Lovers,

Thanks hugely for the kind responses and assurances for those of you who have responded already since last week’s post to attend my Masterclass $25 @ the door for L’Arche 4 Australia. Some readers have reported difficulty in making their attendance response in the Comments field.. so I’ve fixed it ! To show you would like to attend (or even with a gardening friend as well..) use the following –

1.Simply scroll to the end of this follow up post, where the number of comments are shown.
2.Click on that comments number for the view and the view will jump to a view showing all comments so far.
3.Scroll to the end and Leave a Reply appears with a comment field & hit Post Comment

Sooooooooo easy …. and look forward to seeing all of you interested in leveraging the knowledge about your own gardens from Wednesday’s Masterclass, by also joining me here at
‘Sea-Changer’ Instagram the following Saturday, 4th May 10am – 2pm Designers ‘walk & talk’ at midday.

Seats are limited for this exciting ‘Clifton’ Masterclass on Sydney Cool Sub-tropics Gardens, so to give myself and ‘Clifton’ owner / Hunters Hill Open Gardens Convenor Felicity McCaffrey an idea on numbers …
PLEASE respond today 😮

Love Your Garden .. !

Peter Nixon – Paradisus & Garden Lovers Blog

Cool Sub-tropics gardening – see Sydney gardens at their best !!!

‘Clifton’ Hunters Hill … an 1890 mansion & garden

Garden Lovers, hoping you will join me at beautiful ‘Clifton’ in Hunters Hill for a Masterclass on cool subtropics planting to suit our coastal Sydney gardens.

Felicity McCaffery, owner of ‘Clifton’ and Hunters Hill Open Gardens Convenor, has agreed to host my talk to shed further light across the dazzling array of planting bandwidth that fits between our cool subtropical goal posts.

‘Clifton’ balustrade serpentine of hydrangea

See a 40 minute keynote presentation with 20 minutes for questions, of a selection of my Sydney designs and the current home work garden ’Sea-Changer’ at Forresters Beach, Central Coast, on how to make a better garden in warm temperate, coastal, frost free growing conditions.

Cycads flank the facing entry to ‘Clifton’

Find out more about what cool sub-tropics gardening is and the exciting plants you could be growing that are a fit to our brief winters and long sultry, thunder storm filled summers to make your garden great again. Part Wendy Whiteley’s garden at Lavender Bay, expanded into seasonal colour blasts, year round textural contrasts, low maintenance and next to nil predation.

The Masterclass includes a cool subtropics mini tube plant to try at home, plus free admission to my ‘Sea-Changer’ garden on Saturday 4th May 10am – 2pm, 21 Lavinia Street, Forresters Beach.

Limited numbers for this exciting talk and something to look forward to after Easter Holidays!! To hold the event Felicity and I need to get an idea on numbers. To show your interest in attending, please click on the ‘leave a comment’ field at the bottom left of this post.

WHERE: ‘Clifton’ 7 Woolwich Road, Hunters Hill

WHO: Garden Designer Peter Nixon – Paradisus

WHEN: 10am – 11.30am, Wednesday 1st May ’19

RSVP: to show you’d like to attend Friday 1st March

COST: $25 pp at the door

BENEFICIARY: L’Arche 4 Sydney

You can never have too much useful summer shade …

Useful summer shade in Australian gardens is a must have … if we are going to enjoy them … right ? So if your Shade Hut faces north, you will also know low winter sun will shine under its roofing and to the back of the structure to make toasty winter seating for June/July when you need it. You might like to choose a hefty permanent climber, to ensure a nice cool high summer refuge, that’s spared burning sun for the greatest part of the year … no?

African Whytei’s Ginger Vine – Mondia whytei photo: Nicola Dawson

Enter African Whytei’s Ginger (Mondia whytei) from sub-tropical Malawi and its luxurious glossy canopy, perfect for shade. Beneath the leaves open to easy view, hang dark cherry bunches of rather ornamental December flowers. Tends semi deciduous for the first couple of winters and fairly evergreen after that, with surging ropey leaders that would easily cover a 10 m wide structure.

For a smaller Shade Hut less than 5 meters across but still facing north, consider gorgeously sci-fi Gold Fingers (Juanaloa aurantiaca) from tropical Mexico. Usefully winter deciduous to allow June/July sun through, the stiffly arching habit is more climber/shrub than an entirely support dependent climber. Woody stems bare terminal bunches of curiously 5 sided hoods, concealing jaffa orange flower tubes that burst through each end. The slightest tap on the hoods release puffs of pollen and I notice there must be a symbiosis with a few ants that probably defend flowers from predators in return for nectar.

And at the small evergreen twiner end is Mexican Fire Vine (Senicio confusus ) a bright, dainty light creeper that I find useful for covering one end of the laser cut panel that holds the Shade Hut’s N/W side up. Very butterfly attracting, I notice this would probably self seed a few little plants to give away to friends for its charming ultra orange summer daisies.

So if you’re finding more use would be made of the garden, if only there were somewhere comfortable to relax out of the fierce sun; I’m sure together, we could work out the perfect Shade Hut to make your dream garden even better 🙂

Peter Nixon – Paradisus … or call 0418 161513

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‘Sea-Changer’ treasures for your garden ..

Love your garden ….plant for your growing conditions ! Burst of metallic purple Strobilanthus dyerianus – Persian Shield across ‘Sea-Changer’s’ Entry Garden

Select plants to suit your garden’s growing conditions and let them do most of the heavy lifting for you. That’s always been my message to you Garden Lovers and really nothing’s changed. What changes all the time is the kaleidoscopic expansion of interesting planting to make gardens from across the Designer Growers Network. These are my go to Growers to kick planting winners between the cool sub-tropics goal posts we garden in.

Micro-climate gardening of minimum winter overnight temp’s not falling beneath 5 or 6 degrees, modified by close proximity to the harbour/ocean. Cool subtropics could have a brief dry winter but these days, rain could come at any time, so plant selection that will tolerate cool and wet conditions during the June/July period is a consideration. Elevated humidity levels above 70% between Xmas and April with persistent high summer temps above 35 degrees, with a dry spring is also very likely between September and December.

Alcantarea patriae flowering scape bracts, from one of Mark Paul’s Brazilian Adventures picking up nicely against intergeneric hybrid, Ruttyruspolia ‘Phyllis Van Heerden’

And its not always flowers that bring interest. Don’t forget other parts of plants that can catch the eye just as well. One of the most conspicuous of the Giant Landscape Bromeliads, Alcantarea patriae has flower scape bracts of bright raspberry shades.

Euphorbia poysean Thai Hybrid has persistently colourful bracts that long out last the tiny centralised flowers

Some ‘flowers’ are really persistent bracts that surround the tiny central inflorescences. Very deserving of that unirrigated hot spot facing west, in-fact I don’t think mine have fallen out of flower since planting 4 years ago !

Cool sub-tropics support beautiful textural contrasts to bring interest also. The perfect radial of this Alcantarea extensa rosette, pops well against mini clouds of Ruellia rosae & Bellaperone guttata dwarf form

Clerodendron incisum, the Musical Note just catch the eye because they can !

Probably at the edge of the cool subtropical range, Musical Note- Clerodendron incisum, has an inflorescence so eye catching its hardly possible to miss it. Useful as a front of the border sub-shrub to less than 1m, its lacy charms are a high summer delight.

There’s just a suggestion ‘Sea-Changer’ MAY open again this year for ‘Planty Fierce’. Stay tuned for more information on this and in the meantime, consider making contact if you, your bestie since primary school, your 20 years long work colleague or brother is making changes at home. Whether a new house build, major reno or simply an upgrade to the front of rear garden space, NOW is the time to make it known, so works can complete way before the Xmas deadline.

Peter Nixon – Paradisus www.peternixon.com.au 0418 161513

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Mirror updated

Lush summer growth for the mirror surround

Coming into its first proper season, lush high summer growth is beginning to merge with this garden mirror. In time, viburnum foliage flanking both sides will obscure the vertical glass edges and the top edge will be wreathed in Madagascan Jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda).

Richly scented Madagascan Jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda) will conceal rear fence & wreath across the top horizontal mirror edge

To avoid reflecting the roof tiles, the mirror is declined from the top and inclined from the left side, to reflect the illusion of another light filled garden space from the house step out view

Lime green textures cool the house view to garden space

Even a small space can be leveraged with the right planting & retractible awning, into a shaded & restful space to come home to every day

Make 2019 be the year your garden transforms into the living refuge you’ve always wanted !!

Special thanks to Tansi McInerney for generously allowing Paradisus design images of her Mosman garden to be published on Garden Lovers Blog 🙂 Tansi McInerney for Prime Minister.

Peter Nixon for Paradisus www.peternixon.com.au & 0418 161513 info@peternixon.com.au

Somewhere to be …

Have you got somewhere you have to be ? … is probably one of the most often asked questions from others or we ask of ourselves. Usually requires a quick response, wedged between appointments, paying bills and the weekly shop. When applied to our mental heath, slower consideration can bring us to a less clear idea of whether a place exists for us … just ‘to be’.

Gardens are much more than pretty infill of the step out void surrounding dwellings. I believe parts of them can be dedicated to quiet places, that let in the light of an uncluttered peace. This time of year can bring us closer to more frequent mental health breaks in the garden, when its easier to detach in the warm haze of a summer’s evening to the pulsing drone of cicadas, before the ferocity of an impending year carries us off at much faster pace.

If you’re thinking of making changes in the garden, are grappling with a renovation or even a new build, don’t forget consideration of a meditation space. For you to sit and let go, without the need for planning it. A sort of drop in spot, for a minute or ten or longer … And if this is something you would like to bring into the existing garden now, (well, why not ?), I’d love to help you ! … Enjoy your summer 🙂

Peter Nixon – Paradisus www.peternixon.com.au 0418 161513

Special thanks to Tania & Paul Wilson for generously allowing content of her Paradisus design

Inner City lush ..

Lush textures & foliage colours meet ground floor house sight lines

Shady relief from high summer heat.. to enter a place that’s visually cool is what this inner city court garden is all about. Uses Madagascan Felt Plant (Kalanchoe beharensis) with bromeliads (Aechmea comata foreground & Vriesea fillipo-cobergi ‘L’il Phil’ background) with Iresine herbstii left side.

Hot reflective surfaces and harsh visual ‘bounce back’ from the built environment of the inner city, can make such places hard to find. That’s why we must make our own.

Heroic giant landscape bromeliads (alcantarea) pushing into flower, with companion pentas & ruellia, Kurrajong (Brachychiton rupestrus with bidwillii X acerifolia ‘Tangerine Bells’ grafted hybrid) right side for future summer shade

Open to the northern from the street end, it’s good to get shady relief from a tree canopy for twin step out spaces from respective Living & Kitchen.

Kurrajong (Brachychiton rupestris trunk with B. bidwillii ‘Little Ripper’ from master hybridiser Brent Verietz at Colours of Eden Nursery)

Beware though, to match vigour to available space or the welcome dappled shade you had in mind might turn into a monstrous maintenance burden that will swamp your small space ! Brachychiton or Kurrajongs are a beautiful tribe of natives adapted to the wet or dry sub-tropics. Vibrant early summer flowers cover almost leafless branches, followed by a lush canopy just in time for summer shade. Even though a relatively small grower compared to other species, B. bidwillii is made even more compact by grafting its ‘Little Ripper’ or ‘Tangerine Bells’ hybrid onto a QLD Bottle Tree (B. rupestrus) trunk.. 😮 Being winter deciduous, bare stems then also allow weaker, low angled sun to warm your back on days when that’s that’s really appreciated with your Saturday morning cuppa.

Conceal block wall with Grow Cable supported Costa Rican Bow Tie Vine (Dalechampia aristolochiifolia)

Provide a ‘green-back’ for all to read against with a cascading cover of Grow cable supported Costa Rican Bow Tie Vine, that will soon be speckled with rosy mauve metallic flower bracts and your inner city heat refuge is complete.

Costa Rican Bow Tie Vine (Dalechampia aristolochiifolia) flower bract detail

Perhaps your sister, friend you went to primary school with or twenty years long work colleague is facing the exciting but sometimes daunting prospect of home renovation, a new build or just wants to transform a section of the garden that’s been on their ‘to do list’ for longer than they can remember .. ?

Ask them to make contact at info@peternixon.com.au or 0418 161513 or head over to www.peternixon.com.au …. just to have a chat about how all their pain could be taken away and transformed into a daily Paradisus 🙂

Special thanks to Lindy Ryan for allowing pix of her Paradisus design to be published on Garden Lovers

Xmas Beachy is soon ..

Seaside fresh .. Copper Spoons (kalanchoe orgyalis), Coastal Poa (Poa ‘Eskdale’) with Madagascan Felt Plant (Kalanchoe beharensis)

Late December & a beachside Xmas are things that go together for a lot of Australians. A salty marine breeze with the drowsy drone of cicadas, bring on the great exhale. A chance for most of us to turn an undivided attention to beach umbrellas and a glassy clear wave to wash away the years that’s been.

High contrast Opuntia ‘Burbanks Spineless’ in the garden bring year round interest as ‘living sculpture’

Of course, some are lucky enough to live year round, close to the seductive charms of coastal living. This doesn’t mean a sea side garden has to be located close to the ocean to make a marine theme convincing. If a coastal combination pings hard on the must have qualities for a garden you’re thinking about, its just a matter of the right planting to suggest a coastal location to come home to every day.

Carissa macrocarpa ‘Desert Star’ ‘mounds’ separate the 2 step out spaces into the rear garden

Salt textured concrete steppers with sandy coloured oxide

Heat sink winter growing conditions facing north, store warmth and can incline minimum overnight temps higher to above 10 degrees, to encourage a micro climate that can allow for planting from the warmest sub-tropics to excel.

Bauhinia tomentosa a lacy tumble of sulphur yellow summer flowers

Hamelia patens – Fire Bush is a great nectar feeder attractant

Texture patch of crassula, sedums, stapelia and euphorbia makes an intriguing alfresco dining feature against the appealing roughness of an off form concrete retainer

Make this summer the time you chose to make lasting changes in your garden, to your new build or reno. It could be a ‘sea-side’ garden with plants that will be a pleasure to come home to every day.

Special thanks to my dear client Tania Wilson, who kindly allowed these pix of her MacMasters Beach Paradisus design to be published in Garden Lovers Blog.

Tania Wilson loves her Paradisus designed garden

Peter Nixon for Paradisus 0418 161513 info@peternixon.com.au

www.peternixon.com.au Consultancy Sequence

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Pool-side Summertime … !

Pool, deck, ocean .. the more simple the better

Summer days are upon us and as increasing warmth draws us poolside, you might be thinking of the best combination for your setting. Least obstruction to this enticing Balmoral outlook uses frameless glass, with the beauty of plantation hardwood decking and large limestone pave units for the least joins and greatest cohesion across a handsome combination of finishes.

Lush greenwall planting brings abundance to spare finishes ..

And if every deck meter is precious entertaining space for you, why not consider a greenwall in a ‘Green-band’ horizontal orientation. Can be independently supported behind and above a glass balustrade, bringing soft-cover balance to the built environment without space consuming pots or the high maintenance that comes with them.

‘Greenband’ greenwalls, for year round screen AND a space saving way of bringing deck interest.

Leverage a foliage colour blast green-band, with deck up-lights for nocturnal glamour while your greenwall does double duty, providing visual buffer to give the deck experience more enclosure without reducing a desirable open sky aspect.

Get pool companion planting enclosure with Viburnum ‘Quick Fence’

Simple textural contrasts in poolside planting can give the greatest impact year round without having to rely on fleeting flowers. Maybe the perfect radial of a Giant Landscape Bromeliad (Alcantarea imperialis ‘Sugar Plum’), against the ultra fine of Ice Sticks (Senecio cylindricus) and backed with a ‘living of fence’ of glossy leaved Viburnum ‘Quick Fence’ (that stays non-transparent unlike the basic V. odouritissimum it come from ..).

Laser cut panels add focus as a foil for lush garden plants to read against

One end of your pools in need of focus ? Enter unframed laser cut panels, that merge and contrast with feature planting, without a harsh frame that would emphasise the panel rather that the planting.

Outdoor showers make a handy and swish convenience

Don’t forget to include an outside shower at the poolside, allows you to make the most of garden life so you can stay longer in your little piece of paradise.

Peter Nixon – Paradisus

Garden Design – Project Management – Maintenance

Exciting gardens made from plants

0418 161513 info@peternixon.com.au

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Mark Paul – Greenwall Company

Rourke Hartwig – Equilibrium Pools

Mark Hartwig – Amanzi Landscapes

Geoff Chew – Waves Constructions

Andrew Maitland – M.E. Lighting

… and don’t forget Northern Beaches Botanical Artist Julie Hickson’s new exhibition Nutshell and beautiful hand made art for Xmas gifts (or just a little something for yourself ! )

Wishing everyone and very merry Christmas and Happy New Year !!!

Between a wall and lush place ..

Combination Green Wall & Eco Pillow runs transforms built hard surface to lush abundance

Apartment living is here to stay and as many choose the lower maintenance option this lifestyle brings, interesting challenges are being met with innovative and sustainable outcomes for the ‘garden in the sky’.

So you’ve decided to leave the expense of a high maintenance family home for apartment living. Ok, well while there are going to be some adjustments to be made now you’re ‘living in the sky’, you’ve probably noticed a big change from a garden growing on terra-firma as a ground dweller. While its lovely not having to worry about gutters and rising damp, unrelieved hard surface surrounding your every moment might be a little jarring to get get used to ….

What to do to trade off some of that unyielding hard surface for lush green cover .. to bring back balance in a living surround.. ?

Transform hard surface visual ‘bounce back’ for lush visually absorbent green cover

Combination Greenwalls with Eco Pillow runs are the new frontier in transformation of the built environment. Super water efficient with their own irrigation system and drip trays, 2m x 1m panels cover majority vertical spaces in ‘portrait’ orientation and are extended across horizontal expanses using 800 x 400mm Eco Pillows end to end in ‘landscape’ orientation.

Once reliable water is connected, the impact of high exposure aspects from the 4th floor and much higher, can be made sustainable with a fertiliser injector for easy nutrition to a vast band width of plant selection adaptable from epiphytic and lithophytic habitats. A myriad of various bromeliads from aechaea, neoregelia, vriesea, canistropsis, canistrum and even the Giant Landscape species alcantarea. These can form a majority planting space at uppermost reaches for the most sun tolerance, with native hoya australis on grow supports to extend cover to higher horizontal hard surface. Progressively self shaded, the lower reaches are best for a mix of foliage contrasts as understory in peperomia, plectranthus, begonias, streptocarpus, epiphyllum and ferns to take up lower position micro climates.

Eco Pillow run made into a ‘green-band’ in high exposure doing so well in its first season

Growing media comprises a majority of inorganic component parts that won’t disintegrate, leaving plants in ‘root block’ depletion and susceptible to predation with nothing to grow in after the first year. Instead available pore space is kept above an acceptable minimum, so your Greenwall has a beautifully long life expectancy. Maintenance is built into your installation contract and can be arranged after the initial grow in period.

Why live in a hard surface environment closer to the polar bear exhibit at the zoo, when you could frame the view, back the bathroom or grow a wreath of rich contrasts just where you need it most !

Mark Paul – Greenwall Company 0418 631 351 & 9969 2682‬ inquiries@greenwall.com.au

.. and if your Greenwall requirements are just part of your scope of work to be Project Managed together, call Garden Designer Peter Nixon or call 0418 161513

How to bring interest …

Mirror at mid point across rear fence will provide ‘look-thru’ interest

Textural contrasts make year round interest without having to rely entirely on seasonal flowers … and if your only view out looks limited, its probably because the entirety is available to the eye all at once. So how to leverage textural interest you ask ..? Garden Mirrors can make interest, especially to ‘view in one’ garden space. Its just a matter of getting the mirror angle right.

I’m really taking about intrigue here and how that can transform limited looking garden space, by creating an illusion to satisfy the viewer’s eye.

Before ‘open book’ dull … how to make interest ?

A lot of intrigue relates directly to an effective impeller, to get Peeps to leave the floorpan of their own volition and go outside into the garden, beyond bi-fold or slides doors. A mirror carefully declined from the top and inclined from the left side, appears at first glance to belong to the rear screen planting. Viewed from the left side on approach, the corresponding planting from the right side is reflected back to the viewer.

In time the grow cable supported climber will conceal the fence

Suddenly, it’s clear the mirror’s reflection doesn’t fit with its surround planting. Rather, it now appears as another light filled, walk thru garden space featuring plants different from the rear screen. The conceit is only made convincing once all mirror edges are obscured with planting. Serving this function in the case of this wee Mosman garden, are the screen shrub (Viburnum odouritissimum ‘Quick Fence’) flanking either side of the mirror and the Grow Cable supported climbers (Stephanotis floribunda) backing it.

Watch out for another post on this cheeky little duckling garden and how it will further transform into a graceful swan of beguiling charm.

Spring is just around the corner and now is the perfect time to change the course of your garden for many years to come !! (while protecting your investment at the same time).

Call Garden designer Peter Nixon 0418 161513 to discuss further.

www.peternixon.com.au

Trace Sunlounge by Tait designed by Adam Goodrum 9310 1333 Tait, 4/9 Danks Street, Waterloo

Felt & Tails Winter Textures

Madagascan Felt Plant, Giant Landscape Bromeliads with Foxtail Asparagus for wintery textures

Foliage colours and Textural contrasts …bring year round interest, especially when cold winter air falls on plants at this time of year making their winter colours show. Alcantarea odorata brings a chalky bloom over its strap leafed rosette, connecting with the sage green living sculpture of Madagascan Felt Plant (Kalanchoe beharensis). Inter-spaces of Foxtail Asparagus (Asparagus meyerii) are filled with bristly lime green tails for sense of arrival at ‘Sea-Changer’s’ garden gate. Flowers may come and go but for high focus spots as walk-bys in your garden, its best to rely on plants like these that give generously all year sans flowers.. !

Needing a winter fixer-upperer in your garden before spring rush ? Make a call and we’ll have a chat on how to make your garden even better for the coming summer.

LOVE your garden 😮

Peter Nixon – Paradisus 0418 161513

Climber/Shrub with winter charm ..

Dombeya ianthotricha soft orange July bells

Garden Lovers,

Dombeya ianthotricha the climbing Dombeya, is a relative of hibiscus and now included into the extended Malvaceae, makes a useful if sprawling, small climber/shrub that lends itself as a kind of loose espalier here at ‘Sea-Changer’ or as a short run climber to less than 5 m wide. Delightful in combination with or alternative to camellias, in Sydney’s cool sub-tropics gardens. Makes an open twig work of arching stems bearing light as air, large fury round leaves like rice paper circles that move with the slightest July breeze. Bunches of persimmon coloured, pollen dusted bells dangle on thin strings, making this Madagascan super charming in the mixed shrub border as well.

A good find for your garden from specialist growers like Wes & Lorraine Vidler at Weslor Nursery from Plant Fairs like Plant Lovers Fair Kariong, 22nd to 23rd September ’18. If you’re looking forward to a lush high spring come October, now’s the time to get your garden in order with new planting, structural landscaping and other inclusions like led lighting and irrigation. If you’d like to chat about that, please make contact 0418 161513 and together we can make your garden even better !

3 Winter Sparkles

Schaueria flavicoma – Golden Plume for the lowest level of your shade garden

Hi Garden Lovers,

Thought I would send 3 of the best this month, to help brighten your winter garden. Not that the cooler time of the year should be dull by a long shot and flowering interest for the June – July period abounds, if you know the plants that will bring a little sparkle. Especially of interest from the super floriferous Acanthaceae is a small sub-shrub

Schaueria flavicoma

I first tried this plant thinking if could be rather cool sensitive. Contrary to my suspicions it excels in the cool sub-tropical winter of East Coast Australia and loses condition only in the worst summer heat. It seeds slightly but not enough to be thuggish and has proven itself a tried performer to less than a meter, beneath taller shrubs like iochroma, brugmansia and phymosia in lower light were few others would continue flowering.

Not unlike its close relatives of the justicia tribe, just mix in with other semi-shade lovers like the species Hippeastrum aulicum for lush appeal. If you’re facing challenges in the shade garden at home … even if its impacted upon by emerged bedrock this little sub-shrub is a star performer. Preparation now for the summer garden is perfect timing and if you’re planning to combine with other non-planted inclusions in paving, decks or shade devises please make contact so we can have a chat on how to make your changes sympathetic to your new garden.

See you in the next 2 posts of super interesting plants !!

Good performers in the May garden .. for you !!

Holmskioldia sanguinea lutea – Chartreuse Chinese Hat

Garden Lovers, did you know there’s another interesting near evergreen shrub to brighten the late garden that’s flowering now.. ? For an intriguing fresh chartreuse splash in the May garden, Holmskioldia sanguinea lutea or Gold Chinese Hat from the lower Himalaya & Myanmar is for you ! I’ve used it here in the ‘Sea-Changer’ garden in the Sun Trap plot that receives northern sun all year but it would also tolerate half day sun as a an upright to lax, 2m shrub with a cut after flowers to bring new canes for the following season.

Gold Chinese Hat combines well with yellow variegated flashed bromeliad (alcantarea)

Just nearby and for combined ‘pop’ at the same time of year, you could use Barlaria cristata ‘Lavander Lace’ as a really useful sub-shrub to around 1.5m with a cloud of pretty, striped, mini trumpets.

Soooooo pretty, just as the worst of the heat has passed and we look into the garden for some fresh seasonal change.

‘Planty Fierce ’18’ …. was a fun day

‘Sea-Changer’ mirror deck with Bruce Buddha

‘Planty Fierce ’18’ at the end of last month was a sparkling Autumn day, refreshed by an early shower and internet was high from all visitors, especially this young one having a closer look at the mirror Buddha on the long deck looking down to ‘Sea-Changer’s’ Shade Hut.

Talking to Ross & Chris Bolwell from ‘Bloom’n Greenery’ nursery

Nothing extinguishes interest and plenty of people arrived into brilliant sunshine in the Sun Trap plot where I spoke to many on questions around how to make their home gardens even better !

The unirrigated “L” shaped, west facing, wrap around garden surrounding ‘Sea-Changer’

The 2pm ‘Walk & Talk’ brought forward many interesting questions, like how to make a ‘green-fence’ alternative to fence palings using Solandra longiflora over black pvc coated mesh. Thanks to all PF ’18 Helpers and Peter & Ruth Donnelly’s fabulous Coachwood sales tables loaded with new and interesting ‘must haves..’.

‘Planty Fierce’ Saturday week, 28th April 2018 10am – 4pm

Rich textures & foliage colours at Ray Henderson’s ‘Paradox’

Cool sub-tropics gardens ‘Paradox’ and ‘Sea-Changer’ open for ‘Planty Fierce’ on the Central Coast (maps on links) … less than two weeks away !! Inspiration for your home garden or your client’s design and many plants from both gardens available for sale on the day. At ‘Paradox’ learn from Ray Henderson, the huge range of sun adaptable bromeliads that can be grown north facing when you plant them at the right time of year … Find out more about the kind of medium he uses, when to fertilise and how far apart your plants should be for best results.

Bruce Buddha on Peter Nixon’s Mirror Deck in greenwall surround at ‘Sea-Changer’

So many beautiful sub-tropical offerings for your garden from Peter & Ruth Donnally’s Coachwood sales tables at ‘Sea-Changer’.

At ‘Sea-Changer’ Peter will give a 2pm designer’s ‘walk & talk’ on how easily new plants could grow for your exciting new home garden or for your designs. So get your gardening buddy, colleague horticulturist, landscaper or garden designer friend together by sharing the ‘Planty Fierce’ link. Be on the Motorway on ramp at Wahroonga by 9am for the hour or so jaunt up to the Central Coast for a fun day of garden visits either side of lunch in Holgate at Bamboo Buddha !!

Peter’s 2pm ‘walk & talk’ at ‘Sea-Changer’

‘Planty Fierce’ Saturday, 28th April 10am – 4pm, $10 gate each garden, children under 12 free, no dogs, easy parking.

‘Paradox’ 25 Curringa Close, Glenning Valley – Ray Henderson Horticulture 0490 263 416‬

‘Sea-Changer’ 21 Lavinia Street, Forresters Beach – Peter Nixon, Paradisus Garden Design

0418 161513

‘Planty Fierce’ Saturday, 28th April 2018 10am – 4pm $10 gate at each garden

Manettia cordifolia – Brazilian Firecracker Vine at ‘Sea-Changer’ shade hut, a thick, high summer rug of tiny scarlet bells

Garden Lovers, see Facebook Event page for Planty Fierce details this year, bringing you two Central Coast gardens. Visit Ray Henderson’s iconic ‘Paradox’ at Glenning Valley in the morning and my ‘Sea-Changer’ after lunch at nearby Forresters Beach. Its a lovely day out of the city, to see a pair of exciting designer gardens as inspiration for your own, just an hour’s drive north on the Pacific Motorway from the on ramp at Wahroonga.

‘Paradox’ vibrant textures and exciting plants sales

Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible, I’ll be giving a ‘ Q & A walk & talk’ at 2pm

Peter Nixon’s ‘Sea-Changer’ – 21 Lavinia Street, Forresters Beach plant sales by Coachwood’s Ruth & Peter Donnally

Ray Henderson’s ‘Paradox’ – 25 Curringa Close, Glenning Valley plants sales featuring sun tolerant bromeliads with designer companion plantings

NOTE: many of the plants you see at each garden will be for sale on the day !!

‘Planty Fierce’ 2017 is almost here …

This Saturday, 29th April ‘Planty Fierce’ opens 10am – 4pm $5 entry each garden, across three wildly exciting and horticulturally driven spaces made from plants.

‘Living Edge Garden’ – Frogs Foot Coleus (Solonostemon), Lomandra ‘Little Con’, Justicea betonica backed in Panicum ‘Heavy Metal’ by David Fripp & Blake Jolley at 1483 Peats Ridge Rd, Peats Ridge

Living Edge Garden by David Fripp & Blake Jolley at 1483 Peats Ridge Rd, Peats Ridge

Ray Henderson’s ‘Paradox’ Billbergia fasciata ‘Sangria’, Aechmea sp. backed with Ensetes ventricosum – Abyssinian Banana &
Furcraea foetida mediopicta variegata

‘Paradox’ by Ray Henderson at 25 Curringa Close, Glenning Valley

‘Sea-Changer’s … Sea Monkey garden of rich contrasts

‘Sea-Changer’ by Peter Nixon at 21 Lavinia Street, Forresters Beach

See all event details, map & lunch suggestions at Facebook’s event page ‘Planty Fierce’ Expert horticultural and design ideas for your gardens, with exciting designer plants sales at each garden – bring plenty of boxes, you’ll need them!

Kalanchoe humilis – Pen Wiper Plant for the sunny plot

Begonia textures perfect for shady groundcovers

Tradescantia sp. for sun or shade as pretty wed suppresser

Keen interest from last year’s ‘Planty Fierce’ ..

Peter Nixon’s 2pm designer “walk & talk” at ‘Sea-Changer’ and weather forecast is Good !!!

Robin Powell’s feature on ‘Sea-Changer’ for ‘Planty Fierce’ in last Saturday’s SMH Spectrum .. see you there !!!

‘Planty Fierce’ Saturday week, 29th April 2017 don’t miss it !

Peter Nixon’s ‘Sea-Changer’ for Paradisus at Forresters Beach – Dichorisandra’s Blue Ginger heads popping with Alocasia mafafa ‘Lime Zinger’ against pink puffs of Calliandra haematocephala

So much ‘Planty Fierce’ for you on Saturday week 29th April …

Start at any of these three fabulous Central Coast gardens only 20 mins apart, bursting with designer inspiration made by industry horticulturists. These are their own home gardens, where they have really been able to let it rip in mining the rich vein of warm temperate coastal plant selection. As SMH gardening contributor Robin Powell covered on Easter Saturday .. for Spectrum

David Fripp & Blake Jolley’s ‘Living Edge’ at Peats Ridge, with sculptural Agave sp. with A. gypsophila & Achmea bracteata

Belle guarding the ‘Paradox’ welcome garden by sun bromeliad specialist Ray Henderson with Portmea ‘Joe’ flushing into spike

Address details & lunch suggestions from the ‘Planty Fierce’ FB Event page Its a great garden day out of Sydney with exciting plant sales for your own garden at every destination,so bring plenty of boxes as you’ll be sorely tempted ! Peter Nixon with give a “walk & talk” at ‘Sea-Changer’ at 2pm and $5 entry at each garden, (no doggies please). Event map shown at.. Sea Changer Map – 2017

Su’s Neem Oil fixerupper .. !

Scale & mealy bug affected Citrus at Su’s

Get NEEM on your team …

Welcome to high summer and all its attendant pests and disease that can really spoil your gardening fun. I don’t often make product suggestions but Su Trathen has found Neem oil in her Balgowlah garden, to be an effective drench or foliar spray against sap sucking insects and maybe even those pesky Stink Bugs, that can commandeer your best citrus in a few hot weeks. Also effective against similar scaly attacks on orchids and especially patio pots like lush philodendron & spathiphyllum, susceptible to attack on dry foliage within overhanging eves or shade sails.

Clean citrus foliage within 9 days of application !

Its often the price we pay for a short summer holiday away, returning home to horrid plants looking a sticky mess. Try Neem as a quick and easy way to restore them to good health !!

‘Planty Fierce’ 2017 is on again !!!

‘Planty Fierce’ Sat 29th April, 2017

3 Central Coast gardens within 2o mins of each other, 1 day 10am till 4pm, $5 tiny dollars entry each garden, (children free, no dogs) PLUS fabulous plant sales at every garden. How can you resist !!!

We’ve shifted the date from early March to the cooler prospect of latest April, well after Easter, to make the ‘plantiest’ day possible for you .. all 3 gardens will be at their late summer peak.

‘Sea-Changer’ – 21 Lavinia Street, Forresters Beach – for Paradisus by Designer Peter Nixon

‘Paradox’ – 25 Curringa Close, Glenning Valley by specialist sun bromeliad grower Ray Henderson

‘Living Edge’ Garden & Nursery – 1483 Peats Ridge Rd, Peats Ridge supplied by Plantsman David Fripp designer by Blake Jolley

I (Peter Nixon) will be giving a half hour garden ‘walk & talk’ 2pm at ‘Sea-Changer’. Lunch at nearby cafe’s, see the Facebook Event ‘Planty Fierce’ for details. A pleasant hour’s drive from the Wahroonga on ramp, leave home by 8.30am for the most ‘Planty’ fun on the Central Coast you’ll have outside a Plant Fair.. !!

Canley Vale … high summer plant mecca

Excitement…. she’s made it to Kim Tran’s

I recently made it out to Kim & An’s delightful Canley Vale Nursery with Judy Taylor my partner in retail crime and essential plant sleuthing…

Around hour’s drive from Sydney CBD and far from disappointment, Kim’s in an old fashioned high street garden centre past an exception array of excellent Vietnamese & Korean cafe’s & restaurants, where you’ll find a cornucopia of “planty” treasures for your warm temperate garden.

Intriguing gesneriad from the African Violet genus, maybe a nematanthus monanthos, perfect for a hanging basket

No matter when I go, there’s always something I’ve been lusting after for years by virtue of Tran’s horticultural eye for the exceptional, interesting and or quirky. Not to mention every type of pot, hanger, stake, fertiliser your heart could desire.

Lush variegated Spiral Ginger (Costus speciosus variegata)

This time I also saw old fashioned tall dahlias, the staking kind that I know will have huge crowns of ruby, gold and flaming orange later this month. Also heliconia the Crabs Claw Gingers both tall like H. ‘Hot Rio Night’ and the dwarf H. stricta from Jamaica. Gorgeous Poysean Hybrid Euphorbia, species hippeastrums, Fireball Lily (Scadoxus multiflorus var. katarinae), medinilla and a new lutea form Golden Umbrella Tree (Schefflera actinophylla ‘Soleil’) I even snaffled a double flowering Rangoon Creeper (Quisqualis indica flora plan) scarce as rocking horse poo peeps !

Booty headed for ‘Sea-Changer’, all now safely in ground

Canley Vale Nursery – 62/68 Canley Vale Rd, Canley Vale 7 days 9723 2688

(between Cabramatta and Fairfield on the way to Campbeltown and its NOT further than you go for holidays )