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Hi GPODers!
While most of us in the Northern Hemisphere are counting down the days until spring finally arrives next month, our neighbors to the south are starting to say goodbye to summer. As many of us look out to snow and ice, we head Down Under to visit Gabrielle Sheppard in Dondingalong, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the eastern coast (about half way between Sydney and Brisbane) Gabrielle’s lush landscape is a beautiful taste of what gardening in the Southern Hemisphere looks like right now.
My garden is situated on the mid north coast west of Kempsey, in Dondingalong on 3 acres. I’ve lived here my whole life and started gardening from a young age with my mother as a little girl. I have various plants in my garden and have recently planted over 20 different varieties of trees, shrubs and succulents.
I also planted a Japenese maple tree earlier this year as our first daughter’s middle name is Maple and the name of the tree holds a special place in my heart. I thought how beautiful the leaves will look on it when the seasons change. I just think they are so beautiful, so of course it had to come home with me. I have also planted magnolias, flame trees (Brachychiton acerifolius, Zones 9–11), blue cypress pine (Callitris columellaris, Zones 9–12) and lavender to attract plenty of bees not to mention plenty of others. I have a lot of different coloured pigfaces (Carpobrotus glaucescens, Zones 8–11) that always put a smile on my face when I go out into the garden and they have opened up and show their beautiful vibrant colour inside them. A big statement piece to the garden is the cycad that has been planted for 30 + years. It is massive and simply tells it own story.
A few months ago I had an image of making my own arch, so I decided to make the image become a reality and made my own arch in the garden and painted it. I’ve now planted two climbing pandorea plants (Pandorea jasminoides, Zones 9–11) that I hope that one day they climb over the arch. Personally, I get satisfaction from sitting back, looking at the garden and what I have accomplished, and saying “I did that” at the end of the day. Gardening means so much to me—it’s calming, relaxing, and truly enjoyable. When I’m in the garden, I forget my worries and focus on my plants. I hope you get inspiration to go our into your garden more after seeing mine.
Regards, Gabrielle
It’s easy to see that Gabrielle has been hard at work! While the garden is already lush and green with thick plantings in border beds, many of the new trees that were planted are mulched, staked and ready for years of growth.
This open expanse will eventually become way more shady and private (although it doesn’t look like Gabrielle needs to worry about peeping neighbors).
Throughout Gabrielle’s landscape are various statues that add elegance, art, and personality to the garden. Some also provide the opportunity for more planting, like this bird bath and its colorful collection of succulents.
Around the base of the bird bath a small collection of gaura adds some more color.
Another statue becomes a focal point, and even gets a vine for a scarf.
I’m assuming this is the cycad that Gabrielle mentioned in her intro is over 30 years old! Often mistaken for palms, cycads are actually more closely related to conifers and have a fascinating history that predates homosapiens. Cycads were once found in abundance across the globe, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. They are now extremely rare in the wild, but in the garden they make a huge statement while reminding us of the evolution of our planet.
The reality Gabrielle created from her arch vision! On both sides you can see the young pandorea plants in position to cover the arch. Also known as ‘Bower vine’, pandorea is a woody, evergreen climber with stunning trumpet-shaped flowers.
A swinging bench to sit and enjoy the garden will become even lovelier when the new plantings grow in around it!
One last statue on an ornate pillar and surrounded by lush greenery.
Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful photos of your garden with us, Gabrielle! It always eye-opening to see what grows on the opposite end of the world, from the familiar to the never-been-seen-before.
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