Last month got me a little bit of a dream gig to go and cover Garden Week for OUTinPerth. Up until the point I was dragged out for drooling on too many exhibits I thought it was one of the best garden shows Perth has held for years. OK, so it’s not quite Chelsea flower show (though when I returned on the Sunday morning it was working on a similarly crushing crowd) but it was an enjoyable way to get in touch with developments in WA gardening.
The importance of using water wisely was a message that was hard to miss at this year’s show. It is fantastic to see the Water Corporation sponsoring the event and working with Nursery and landscape industry associations to support home gardeners to create environmentally responsible urban landscapes.
The Water Corporations’ show gardens might not have been the most spectacular, however they were a great reminder of the variety that is still available with water wise plantings. The Coastal, Native, Mediterranean, Cottage and Tropical water-wise gardens they displayed at garden week were supported by some great resources.
I was delighted to pick up all sorts of whacky bulbs – at the moment I have a crush on miniature daffodils, which I am scattering through my Lippea/Dichondra lawn, as well as some fluffy Muscari, Antique Lace Tritonia and a riotous assortment of Ranunculi. Specialist retailers are one of the great aspects of a garden show – it’s a good place to see some of the online and mail order specialists in particular.
The stand-out displays to my mind were the somewhat magical forest of established trees from Ellenby Tree Farm (Can I please have a whole instant garden?) and the incredible diversity of unusual plants from Whistlepipe nursery. Alas given my often ‘brown thumbs’ I will content myself with simply admiring such exotic beauties from afar and knuckling down to ready another lot of hardy warriors to take on the hostile climate I’m blessed with.
www.watercorporation.com.au – Water wise gardening and DIY watering strategies
www.wabulbs.com – Tulips with a difference, a great selection of online bulbs
www.lavenderfields.com.au – Specialist lavender growers, my favourite was a pink lavender ‘Miss Katherine’
www.ellenbytreefarm.com.au – Trees in all sizes.
www.whistlepipe.com.au – Rare, unusual and particularly beautiful plants.
Zoey Carter
