That’s right, so mark your planners now !!

Recent rain since January & February’s heat has brought all three Central Coast gardens open Sat fortnight 29th April, 10am – 4pm for ‘Planty Fierce’ $5 entry at each garden, (cash only) including my own ‘Sea-Changer’ into their best condition for this season. There’s a suggested visiting order toes these inspiring industry gardens, all created by horticulturalists shown on the above link but you could just as easily reverse the order, starting at Peats Ridge for ‘Living Edge’ coming down into Glenning Valley for Ray Henderson’s ‘Paradox’ and onto Forresters Beach for my ‘Sea-Changer’. Whichever way you do it, for the “plantiest” day out of Sydney, best to get yourself onto the Pacific Motorway by 8.30am to get plenty of visiting time, lunch at several nearby cafe’s (as listed on link) AND of course, to get the best opportunity at snapping up some of the most exciting designer planting for your own garden with plant sales at all three gardens… !!

Really hope to see you all and I’ll be giving an informal 2pm “walk & talk” here at ‘Sea-Changer’ to reveal some of the best planting here for your own garden.  

Peter Nixon ‘Sea-Changer’ – 21 Lavinia Street, Forresters Beach www.peternixon.com.au  

David Fripp & Blake Jolley ‘Living Edge’ -1483 Peats Ridge Rd, Peats Ridge

Ray Henderson ‘Paradox’ – 25 Curringa Close, Glenning Valley     

Charlie Albone’s beautiful design for Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show, won bronze with Andy & Loretta Maitland’s swish new led fittings. Might be right for your own garden to leverage spaces for outside living at night.

Loretta Maitland 0410 662 418 Andrew Maitland, M.E. Lighting 0400 868 083 Kingsford Showroom 02 9700 9688 & Mittagong Showroom 024872 2257     

Brom fair Apr17colour

Sat & Sun April 29th & 30th brings preferred Designer Growers Network suppliers Peter Tristram ptristr@bigpond.net.au & Gary Flemming’s 0265 539868 Concord Bromeliad Show. So if you can’t make ‘Planty Fierce’ on the Sat, think about getting along to Concord or even on the Sunday till midday !   

Garden Lovers early summer .. and the rush up to Christmas time, always adds a special excitement to the garden. Aside from the usual suspects, lovely as they are; gardenias, agapanthus, Ceratopetalum – NSW Xmas Bush, Hydrangea and Shasta Daisies … there are some new plants to try for this time. Like the lush Mexican Reed Lily (Sobralia xantholeuca) that I can’t recommend highly enough to you for the bright shade garden. Beneath tall Gum Trees, on the south or eastern side. Mine grows as a Christmas companion to ‘Sea-Changer’s’ garden gate, beneath a Weeping Bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis). Softer in appearance than cymbidium orchids, Sobralia makes a meter or so patch, with stiff bamboo-like stems and leaves with glossy parallel venation.

Looking forward to seeing many of you again here at ‘Sea-Changer’ for ‘Planty Fierce’ come Sat. 6th May ’17 when the garden will open together with ‘Living Edge’ at Peats Ridge and Ray Henderson’s ‘Paradox’ at nearby Glenning Valley. But for now, enjoy your Christmas and wishing you a fab New Year, especially in the the garden !!!

Best Wishes, Peter  

Cocktails in a Lush Garden

No. 12, in Greenwich for Peter Doherty & Jan Swinhoe, twenty years in the making .. 

Last Saturday fortnight on the 5th November, against a rush of high spring, a small gathering of my lovely past clients shared some tasty canapé and a drink or two while savouring the delights of No. 12  

Guest Speakers Loretta Maitland from M.E. Lighting told us about here snazzy led’s, Mark Paul from the Greenwall Co. told us about the 9 meter long, double sided greenwall featured in the rear garden. Owners Peter Doherty and Jan Swinhoe helped me Host and Jan was good enough to say a few words, on what its been like to live with all the garden changes over the past twenty years.  It doesn’t seem like twenty but time goes fast when you’re having fun in the garden .. !

Thank to all for your interest and friendly company. 

Can’t find those special plants to make your garden ? Then PLF ’16 Kariong is for you !! Avoid the cues and get your tixs on line. More than 40 specialist growers of exciting non-general line planting & FREE Speakers Program over both days ..

You can even hear my dulcet tones on Garden “fix -ups” from grow cables to “soft” hard-surfaces, to help with your own garden ideas on the Saturday at 1.30pm, with fellow Designer Barbara Landsberg “in conversation” with Garden Drum editor Catherine Stewart.

Mark your planners now and check currency on the Fair’s planting offer by subscribing to to the new PLF Blog  

Good garden plants from PLF grower Charles Harland, like species hippeastrums have done so well at dear client Susan Trathen garden at Balgowlah and would do just as well at your garden !