Perth Garden Festival 2017

Well, that wraps up another year at the Perth Garden Festival. Wow, how much fun we had this year. There was reported to be over 30,000 people through the gates over the 4 days and the whole festival was humming. Great stalls, good food, interesting plants on offer. Who doesn't love that?! We really loved talking to everyone who came through our site. It was lovely to chat about what projects and plants everyone was interested in, and helping to choose what succulents suited their needs.

OUR DISPLAY...

This year, our display had the theme of miniature gardens. We created several mini gardens throughout the display, tucked in to various props and furniture.

 We created a miniature farm in an old, rusted wheelbarrow. We used String of Pearls to make mini pea obelisk, and tiny sempervivum rosettes for cabbages in the veggie patch.

Our beach display, complete with jetti and handmade fishing rod (made by yours truly...) was planted out in an old blue chest you may recognise from our under the sea display form last year. We decked out the ocean with Senecio Chalk Sticks and the back corner with an Orbea and Euphorbia milii.

Our succulent fountain took some time to assemble and plant out, I can tell you! The top tier we planted up quite a few months back so it had time to establish. We included a grey miniature mansion to complement the concrete grey fountain. Stanley, the turtle decked out in sempervivums made his third grand appearance at the festival. Each year, the sempervivums get more lush and compact.

Perennials rule! Succulents keep out! A little house on the hill, surrounded by perennial species. Here we have used Sagina for that luscious hill of lawn.

A succulent pot spill using Echeveria glauca. Bruce, the terracotta pot man with Crassula muscosa var. muscosa for hair, and a terracotta hobbit house.

PERTH GARDEN FESTIVAL 2018...

We have been busy bees planning our display for next year. What will be the theme? You will just have to wait and see! Hopefully it will provide ideas and inspiration on how to incorporate succulents, perennials and miniature gardens into your home and backyard.

To find out more about the Perth Garden Festival 2018, head on over to their website: perthgardenfestival.com

Perth Garden Festival 2017

We are very excited to be attending the Perth Garden Festival again this year. Located at Mcallum Park in Victoria Park, PGF2017 will run over 4 days from Thursday 27th April to Sunday 30th April.

What's on offer?

This year, expect to see new varieties in all our ranges that are yet to be seen on our website, with bulk buy offers available. We will have cacti, lithops and larger succulents on offer, as well as a new range of miniature houses and furniture that we will be launching at the festival!

A sneak peak of the Classics that will be available at the festival.

Sun loving collectables

as well as collectables that prefer shadier positions.

Larger Succulents and Cacti will be available.

and Large Stapeliae too... This one is just about to flower!

A wide range of cacti...

and lithops too!

We will also be introducing a new range of miniature houses and cottages at the festival.

Displays!

We have been busy bees planning our display for this year, which will have a strong focus on miniature gardens. Hopefully it will provide ideas and inspiration on how to incorporate succulents, perennials and miniature gardens into your home and backyard! See photos of our under the sea display from last year!

To find out more about the Perth Garden Festival 2017, head on over to their website: perthgardenfestival.com

Germany's Grand Botanical Gardens

Germany was amazing. We were lucky enough to head over there at the end of summer, and so experienced blissful temperatures of low twenties the entire time. Bumble bees were buzzing about, gorgeous flowers were in bloom and people of all ages flocked to see the stunning castles and botanical gardens that seemed to exist around just about every corner. A girl could get used to this.

One such attraction was the Botanische Gärten der Universität located near Bonn, a beautiful city on the banks of the Rhine River. The garden is one of the oldest and most traditional gardens north of the Alps, and accompanies an area of over fifteen acres.

In the garden were several greenhouses, and one was dedicated entirely to succulents and cacti. Seeing the grand size of some of these species really told the story of how long this cactus house has been established. The tree like aloe in the background, if I remember correctly, is Aloe dichotoma. It looked to be very well established, and was a real crowd pleaser.

It was truly unfortunate that we did not get to see the Titan Arums in flower, one of the main attractions of the garden. Known as one of the most spectacular phenomena in the plant kingdom, the Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanium) can grow up to six metres tall and just about as wide. Its inflorescence (or flower) has only been witnessed in a handful of places around the world, and is known for its smell which imitates a rotting animal carcass.

The next stop for us was Spogagafa, and this international trade show lived up to its reputation of being one of the largest trade shows in the world. We spoke to some great succulent growers form Germany and Holland and saw some very interesting cacti and succulent displays. What caught our eye the most was the incorporation of 'bling' to almost every plant we saw. Fake flowers glued on, accessories like hats and mustaches attached, and some succulents were even painted in glittery and glow-in-the-dark paint.

What do you think - Trendy or trashy? We would love to know your opinion - head on over to our facebook page and make your verdict.

Kalgoorlie Paradise

I recently received an email from a landscaper in Kalgoorlie.
Lee Mullen, horticulturist, landscaper and owner of Gan Eden Landscapes, lives and runs his landscape business in Kalgoorlie and also has a great passion for cactus and succulents.

He moved to Kalgoorlie 4 years ago from Perth and has many cacti and succulents in the garden where he lives. He started his collection back in the 90’s when he grew them outdoors in the UK.
He then continued his passion when he arrived here in Australia only for it to take over his life.

His main love is with Pachypodiums, Aeoniums, Aloes and Agaves however his garden has an amazing collection of numerous other species.

I asked him about the climate in Kalgoorlie. He said that the temperatures can reach up to 42C in summer and can drop to around 0 C with the odd -1C or -2C in winter.
He mentioned that  Kalgoorlie only gets 220mm of rain a year and the  vast majority of the species are grown on straight red dirt which is a clay based loam and around 7.5-8.5 in pH.

He also mentioned that the drainage seems fine and it also holds nutrients well which although Perth has the drainage ( a little too much I might add) it does lack the nutrients that these specimens would really thrive on.

Another interesting tip was to plant closely together, which I thought was a great tip. In my own experience I have also found this very beneficial for the plants help to create a micro climate around each other which reduces evaporation from the soil and also reduces transpiration from the plants. The plants also shelter each other from the severe rays of the sun. They almost tend to look after each other.

Thanks for contacting us Lee, and thank you for your great input and photos of your beautiful garden.

Germany & Europe - Schöne Blumen!

Guten Tag!
Well, I have just gotten back from my two week holiday in Germany and wow, what a beautiful place! It is currently autumn over there, and the weather was perfect. Cool mornings and beautiful sunny days. Walking along the streets there and looking at the gardens and homes has really inspired me to get stuck into my own home garden and make that homely feel that is very apparent here.
I couldn’t resist but to go and look in the nurseries while I was there.
Wow - colour, colour and more colour!
They have the perfect climate there for the commercial growers to produce the most magnificent plants, and it was all about living gifts! People everywhere had a plant in their hand, all done up to go take to someone as a gift, or to maybe take home themselves.

Every window, house or garden has a plant in it. Every verandah or entrance area has plants in pots. Europeans use plants in their every day lives to add colour and vibrancy. Succulents and cacti are included; particularly on window sills.
It is the perfect location for them. When the seasons change and it gets too cold outside the plants are warm inside and can successfully photosynthesis through the window.
Succulents are also used in containers on front and back porches, as well as in cottage gardens – Sedums in particular - they were all out in flower, as were several varieties of Kalanchoe. It was just beautiful. An explosion of colour, and all in funky, unique containers! Below is a picture of a Sedum spectabile 'Autumn Joy':

I would love to see more of this in our Australian homes…
Europeans definitely have this idea down to a fine art!

A Garden to Truly Admire

Last Sunday, The Cactus and Succulent Society of WA spent the day at a really remarkable garden on the outskirts of Perth.
The owners have been working hard on the property for over 20 years and have based the gardens around their enthusiastic love of succulents and cacti. There was an amazing range of Aloes and Agaves and hundreds of other succulents that have been collected over the years. Several trips to Africa have no doubt influenced some of the collection. There was also an amazing variety of palms and cycads. Rock retaining walls ramble throughout, and the sandy ground only help the succulents thrive in their desert like environment.

The recent harsh frosts that have hit the Perth area recently have affected almost everyone in the metropolitan area, and this garden was no exception. It was reported that the areas ground temperature reached a minimum of -8 C, and some species had unfortunately suffered. One Crassula ovata (pictured) was very savagely burnt from the frost. An advanced specimen of Furcraea foetida 'Mediopicta’ (pictured) also took a rather severe beating. The good news though is that there is no reason why these plants shouldn’t make a full recovery, in time. The terminal shoot of the Furcraea was still in tact, and the frost damage on the Crassula, although severe, won’t stop it from reshooting when the weather improves. It just goes to show the amazing resilience of these species and their ability to adapt to their environmental conditions.

Frost damage on a Crassula ovata and a Furcraea foetida 'Mediopicta’.

There were newly established areas in their garden, signifying that the owner’s enthusiasm is still thriving and bound to continue for many years to come. In these new areas, combinations of Golden Barrel Cacti, Pachypodium and other species, as well as large limestone boulders offered an amazing architectural display, even if relatively new. Once this area has had time to establish, it will truly become a wonderful masterpiece to be admired and respected.

This property supplied charm and interest, and is a real collector’s paradise.
The owner’s should be very proud and no doubt, in the future will keep with the theme and enhance it with further gardens to make it a real botanical splendour.
If you would like to become a part of The Cactus and Succulent Society of WA and visit glorious gardens such as this one, you can contact the society on (08) 9277 3924.