Garden Surprises

I've mentioned before how when we moved in to our current home 2 years ago we inherited a garden that was lovingly tended by the previous owner for 37 years. The longer we live here the more plants we discover and the more impressed I become at the previous owner's choice of planting. No more so than with the Hydrangeas.

A few days ago I posted photos of our Hydrangeas. I thought they were all we had - until I opened my latest copy of Gardening Australia magazine:

It seems that the funny looking plants that I vigorously cut back 18 months ago are actually varieties of Hydrangea.

The pic in the top right is the Lacecap Hydrangea, the pic in the bottom left is the Oak-leafed Hydrangea and the pic in the bottom right is the general run-of-the-mill version.

I feel so lucky to have a garden that after two years is still got surprises for us.

The Garden is Springing!

Only six days in and the garden has started to Spring.

This Springing has nothing to do with our gardening ability. All credit must go to the previous owner who spent forty years planting a gazillion different flowering thingys. We don't water. We barely pull out a weed. And yet, every Spring this happens. Yay us.

Unfortunately the washing doesn't fold itself so I best go do that. Not yay me.

It's Raining!

We here at the EasternMax residence do not water our garden. Current water restrictions do not allow any automatic reticulation systems and hand-watering is only allowed on Wed and Sun. In any case we can't be bothered watering, so we just don't.


We haven't hand watered for over 12 months (with the exception of Grandma's therapeutic watering session while staying here last summer) and it hasn't made ANY difference. It's not that we have a particularly water-wise garden, in fact we have a very traditional lawn and flower bed arrangement.



Despite the drought elsewhere Sydney coastal suburbs get enough rain to keep any established garden happily growing. Nevertheless, we had not had any rain for several weeks until this morning and the garden was looking a little dry. I was just about to collect grey water to throw on the lawn and then IT RAINED.


Having a no watering policy makes life a little simpler and certainly makes us appreciate the rain when we get it.