Gardening

As community excitement begins to grow as fast as the purple petals on the famous jacaranda trees which line the streets of Grafton start to blossom, thousands of visitors from across the country and overseas will journey to the Clarence Valley over the next two weeks to share in the history of the annual festivity while immersing themselves amongst local attractions and jollities throughout an exuberant 10 day program.

Jenny Pollard. An amble down the garden path brings joy to most gardeners – especially when it means viewing someone else’s patch ... So last Sunday, despite the cool and overcast conditions, gardeners from near and far trekked to the North Central Garden Club’s (NCGC) annual Open Gardens Day in Charlton.

Madison Eastmond. The region was in full bloom last weekend as the Riverland Rose and Garden Festival celebrations began for 2025. The 2025 program kicked off the weekend with a number of popular returning components, including the Renmark Institute floral display, Gala Dinner, and the Festival Fair.

As October arrives, so too does the first flush of mauve from Australia’s beloved jacaranda trees. I trace the jacaranda’s journey from the dry slopes of the Andes to its spectacular springtime display in towns like Grafton, where more than 1,700 trees transform the streets into rivers of purple. With the bloom set to reach its dazzling peak in just a fortnight, it’s the perfect moment to celebrate this fleeting spring spectacle.

The Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers Floral Parade weekend saw hundreds of visitors pass through Wyreema and Westbrook to see some beautiful Garden Competition entries and Succulent Fest. Reigning Carnival of Flowers Garden Competition Regional Grand Champion winner Narelle Hurse of 4 Cashmore Street, Wyreema defended her title.

Spring is here and it’s time to start planting your vegetable garden. It’s also the perfect time to take inspiration from other gardeners who are passionate about what they grow and how they grow it. Many of us can only dream of being self-sufficient in regards to fruit and vegetables but for avid gardener, Artha Holmes, this dream is a daily reality.

A major milestone was reached for Roger McGrath and Gwenda Wall, when the first tree was planted in their intended beer garden recently. Pictured is Roger on the excavator, with Jason Wall and visiting tree expert Mr Lin guiding the tree into its new home.

It’s here again! After another year of dedicated planning and hard work, the Flower and Garden Committee has once again delivered an engaging and educational event. With generous support from sponsors, key speakers, and community partners, the committee continues to grow the event’s impact and appeal each year.

Transforming a dairy paddock into a new Garden Nursery at Cohuna, Ruth and Russ Robins have embarked on an exciting new venture. Set on the 120-hectare dairy, the Robins Nest Nursery Garden will follow Ruth’s passion for plants and commitment to creating a welcoming space for locals to fill a gap left by the closure of other nurseries, such as Elm Tree, run by Christine Morris.

Now in its 41st year, the Queensland Garden Show is a four-day celebration of all things gardening. This year the Queensland Garden Show will feature Chef Ambassadors in the Cooks Garden Stage – helping to promote the Curated Plate Festival to be held this month on the Sunshine Coast. 

Lindy King is helping to maintain a wonderful community garden on the piece of land next to her home. Her sister Tammy suggested that a garden would turn that land into a nice peaceful place ... 'The peaceful spirits of our Ancestors and all our people who've passed away wander along the river and around the garden, and their spirits are making it a peaceful place.'

A new sustainable food rescue program in Kyogle aims to bring together businesses, producers, and home gardeners to support people experiencing food insecurity. Foodbank’s 2024 Hunger Report reported that two million Australian households are experiencing severe food insecurity and do not have enough to feed their families.

In 2010, a group of Karen refugees embarked on a life-changing journey, transitioning from their refugee camp in Werribee to the small rural town of Nhill ... Integral to this integration effort was community leader Kaw Doh, who became a central figure in guiding the Karen people through this period of change.

Rosarian, Kylie Dunn from the Orange Botanical Gardens Heritage Rose Garden visited Bishop's Lodge Heritage Garden last week as part of a wider garden tour. Travelling from Orange to Adelaide, Ms Dunn stopped in to visit with Anne Longworth and Coleen Houston...

Chris Davey. Through this semi-regular column, I hope to share insights into the beauty and rarity of our local orchids — some of which are found nowhere else. Four species exist only on YP and are classified as endangered, with fewer than 100 plants remaining.

Paddie and Cliodhna held a community working bee at the Warrali St garden. Adults and children planted out seedlings, weeded, built up the compost piles and celebrated the healthy soil that’s been created from the old compost piles ... we learnt how to create an Indigenous Microorganism soil trap ...

Memories of my youth way back in time in the Riverina. Riding my pony bareback round the roads, one of my favourite things to do was to reach out from his back and raid a neighbour’s loquat tree. Loquats are a small fruit, golden in colour, and have a sweet tangy taste, a large seed and are delicious.

From blank canvas in unforgiving dirt to a garden haven for all the family. A blank canvas for your new garden, boasting two lone mature trees (a Cedar in the vegetable garden and further away, a Peppercorn) and a few gums along the perimeter, red soil and the prospect of less than 300mm rainfall for the whole year.

February depresses me. So many things have gone wrong in Februarys past - apart from many other minor things it is always fire month and it was this coming week 11 years ago that we lost our home, many precious animals, my garden and after 20 years in a place I loved so much, we had to move.

The Giant Russian Sunflowers at Donald’s Red Gate Community Garden are in the final days of their spectacular bloom. Measuring some four metres in height (that’s around 14ft in Red Gate parlance) with seedhead/flowers weighing in at around 2 kgs (4lbs?), they have been photographed many times by visitors passing through town and locals alike.

As you approach the home of potter/photographer Ellen Hansa- Stanyer you cannot avoid the feeling of being watched ... Firstly, you’re greeted at the gate by a white rabbit with table and teapot, ceramic figures from ‘Alice in Wonderland’; it’s a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party on the fence!

It isn’t just the trees, blossoming shrubs, and well tendered to veggie patches which are growing in the Yamba Community Garden. After applying for and subsequently receiving a grant of close to $14000 through the Northern Rivers Community Foundation (NRCF) last month, the popular recreational area in Wattle Park is set to expand by 200m2, creating additional space for more Clarence Valley residents to enjoy outdoor activities while fostering an inclusive environment and promoting sustainability within the Lower Clarence.