Wow! Looks my last post telling you I was back to blogging was a bit premature. Here's what happened.
After I came back to Australia and wrote my last post in October, I headed back to Papua New Guinea to complete my contract. I returned to Australia early November, but had lots of problems with my computers and downloading photos (dropping my laptop on the tiled floor didn't help). I'm finally back on track with that.
However after 7 months away, my own garden is in a sad state so I headed out and about in search of inspiration.
Two weekends ago, on the last Sunday in February, I visited an open garden - Taman Air in the southside Brisbane suburb of Sunnybank - where there was no shortage of great ideas for the tropical garden.
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| The main street entrance to Taman Air - the Sunnybank garden of Rene and Carolyn Hundscheidt - flanked by bronze coloured (Aechmea blanchetiana) and burgundy Alcantarea bromeliads |
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| This beautiful potted bromeliad is Aechmea 'Del Mar'; I snapped up one at the plant sales adjoining the garden. |
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| A spirit house with Rhapis palm to the right - a plant I am planning to add to my front garden - Croton to the left, Rhoeo in the foreground, and Brazilian Red Cloak behind.. |
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| A pretty miniature bromeliad in spectacular Balinese stone planter. |
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| Beehive ginger |
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The entry to the residence - great concept but this would be asking for trouble for anyone as clumsy as I am.
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| A selection of bromeliads, mainly neoregelias. |
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| Lovely blue-flowered water plant |
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| Love the stone and pebble pathway and the red and white caladium (I added to my own collection with a visit to the on-site plant shop). |
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| Selection of Guzmania bromeliads - think I have had all of these at some stage - hopefully they are still there. |
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| Exit/entrance to side street. |
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| I love this heliconia. |
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| The property boundary from the street |
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| Delicate pink frangipani (Plumeria) |
Rene can supply all the finishing touches to add Balinese style to any garden. You can check out his website at
www.islandimports.com.au And if it you want more tropical inspiration, have a look at my earlier post where I explored the garden of Rene's brother, Dennis
here
