Welcome to iGarden

Hello and welcome to iGarden. Anyone who knows me will know that I am 'The Compulsive Gardener' - I love everything about gardening.

Allow me to share some of my enthusiasm and interests in gardening with a focus on the plants I know best and those that do especially well in my own Sydney garden.

This is more than just about plants: it's also about the people involved in gardening; their books and gardens; planting schemes; choosing appropriate plant types; colour selection... There is plenty to think and read about in iGarden.

So, while you are here, enjoy all my blogs, have a browse through my list of Plants and don't forget to check out the Discussion Forums, Marketplace, Garden Ramble and your local Gardening Events.

See my latest blog

"Paradise revisited"

I revisit a stunning Sydney acreage garden.

I recently revisited the extraordinary garden of Pamela Wallace in Dural, which I wrote about five years ago. The garden is now ten years old, and a number of alterations have since been made to the layout of the garden. Some changes had occurred because a devastating storm toppled big trees, flattening parts of the garden, thus requiring rethinking and replanting. In other areas, Pamela has expanded existing beds and created new ones. Many new stunning plants have been added, each chosen with a view to their suitability for t  ... Read On »

March in my garden

What's in bloom

See the full list of what's flowering in my garden this month. Here »


Jobs to do

This is one of my favourite months of the year! Read More »


My Gardening Tip of the month

This is a good time to prune your zonal and ivy Pelargonium plants. The resulting pieces can be potted up. Cuttings of other plants such as Fuchsia, Salvia, Plectranthus, Pentas and Justicia, as well as woody shrubs like Weigela, Abelia, Camellia and Hydrangea, will strike well if taken now: keep the pots of cuttings well watered in a humid environment such as a large clear plastic tub with a lid - except for succulent-type plants like the Pelargoniums, which may rot off. Some people swear by using honey (or even Vegemite!) to dip the cuttings into before inserting them into the propagating mix. I use a good-quality seed-raising mix for this. A very diluted solution of seaweed-based plant tonic will help cuttings to strike; apply when you first take the cuttings and then regularly thereafter.

My Plant Reference

My current garden is located in one of Sydney's northern suburbs so my focus is naturally on what does well here. I have grown over 314 different plant varieties that are all described in this reference.
See all my Plant Descriptions »

Discussion Forums Recent Item

"Miscellaneous" forum topic: "Leonotis leonurus"

Patricia asks:
 Please can you tell me why all three of our orange plants Leonotis Leonurus have turned white - all together, from one flowering season to the next. They are advanced plants spread out over a 3 acre garden. They were orange for thee years and now they are all white... It is a mystery and I would love having an answer to solve the problem...

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