"Videoing the garden"

I've filmed my front garden!
Sunday, 05 April 2020     

Gardens in Sydney this autumn are surely the best they've been for a many years, thanks to all the rain we got in February and March. It's so sad that we can't visit one another's gardens now to admire them. A friend who lives just up the road from me made me a video of her gorgeous garden last weekend, and I felt as if I was really there, walking around with her, as she spoke to the camera and talked about the different plants in her garden! I in turn made a couple of short clips to send to her, of myself wandering around some areas of my garden pointing out various plants that might be useful in her garden, which I could propagate to give her 'one day'. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, so I decided to make a video of my garden especially for iGarden readers this week!

This hasn't been really possible for me to do before given the limitations of my previous very basic phone, but since I recently upgraded the phone (going up seven steps of the Apple ladder in one morning!), I now have the capacity to do so. The results are pretty amateurish, but I had fun doing the filming. The first clip is of the garden outside my front door. Further videos can follow if readers are interested.

I can recommend that everyone films their gardens and shares the results with their friends. It's one way we gardeners can connect with one another in these deeply troubled times. Meanwhile, I hope you are enjoying your gardens and getting lots done in them! The weather this Sunday was simply superb!


 Reader Comments

1/29  Helen - 2535 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

A truly inspirational idea and it was wonderful to view your amazing garden via video. Your garden is truly beautiful and I did so enjoy and appreciate all your hard work and listening to the commentary with birds etc too. Thank you for sharing and I look forward to the next. Thanks, Helen. I did not realise how many birds were around that day! Deirdre


2/29  Carmel - 2219 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

Thank you so much for allowing me into your garden. It is truly inspirational. Thanks so much for your feedback. Deirdre


3/29  Bren - 2540 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

What a profusion of plants! And what a wonderful idea to video the garden. I am going to do the same! Please do some more videos of other sections of your garden. I hope you have been able to make some videos of your garden to send to friends! I have made a few more which I will share soon. Deirdre


4/29  Lindy - 2158 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

Yes please do show us more. I have followed your blog for years and always wondered what your garden looks like. I havent been disappointed. Would so love to see more. Can other people show bits of their gardens on your blog? It was such a treat to enjoy a walk through your garden this morning, particularly while we are self isolating. Thank you again Thanks so much, Lindy. More videos to come. If readers wish to share their gardens on this website, we do have the Garden Ramble section - see the homepage for how to get involved and/or to read about some of the gardens people have posted. Deirdre


5/29  Linda - 2119 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

What a visual treat! I have actually just spent the last three days ripping out vast quantities of wild growth, so inspirational indeed! Thanks, Linda! Hope all is well. Deirdre


6/29  Kristine - 2120 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

Yes I enjoyed seeing your garden on video well done,Love the bird song in the back ground. I find the grey minors or silver eyes break my salvia flowers down. Not Happy but I guess they eat the bugs.you have such a variety of salvias I love them. Yes those birds do break the stems of many of my salvias, which is annoying but like you have said, let us hope they are eating bugs! I also look at it as a bit of pruning. Deirdre


7/29  Kerrie - 2104 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

I really enjoyed that! Thanks! I know you love cottage gardens & talk about abandoning that style in Sydney & I"ve thought it"s a shame as you can create the look with non finicky plants as I have done so it was a shock to see this very cottagey garden very similar to my own. Not what I was expecting & of course I just LOVE it! Thanks, Kerrie. Yes though I abandoned most of the traditional cottage garden plants, I still love the flowery profusion look so I now use plants that grow easily in Sydney. I used to want the challenge of succeeding with rare, difficult plants but now I want things that flourish without too much fuss. Deirdre


8/29  Sue - 2074 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

Thanks for the lovely tour - it was great to see your plants and they look fabulous. It"s amazing the way things have come back since the rain. A nice way to start the day looking at something that makes you happy. That is so kind, Sue. We are so lucky to have our gardens. Deirdre


9/29  Kay - 2158 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

Thankyou for the garden ramble a truly beautiful garden l also would like to see more.thanks for saying. This grows in a Sydney garden so helpful.oh almost forgot l have grown a tomato plant from a cutting also have green shoots from the base of an onion thanks again Kay Thanks, Kay. Great news re your tomato cuttings and onion sprouting! Deirdre


10/29  Jan - 3193 (Zone:10 - Mediteranean) Monday, 06 April 2020

Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing your garden. Your blog on a Monday morning has always been of interest, but now with our changing patterns, it is more important than ever. My garden is in Melbourne in Sandy soil but there is always something relevant in your interesting blogs. Thankyou - Jan Thanks, Jan. I know our climates are very different but glad there are some things of use. Deirdre


11/29  Jenny - 2154 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

Thank you for a delightful start to the day. Seeing the layout and plantings in your garden is truly inspirational. Thank you, Jenny! Deirdre


12/29  Rosemary - 2073 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

What a lovely idea to invite us (virtually) into your lovely garden! I feel as if I have had a delightful wander and chat, a very welcome break in my stay-at-home day. Thank you! Thank you. I did want to talk as I do when I have a gardening friend at my side! So sad we cannot share our gardens at the moment with visits. Deirdre


13/29  Glennis - 2122 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

Wonderful Deidre what a great idea. You have inspired me to get out into my own garden. That is great, Glennis! Deirdre


14/29  Maureen - 2118 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

What a joy to wander around your garden with you AND the birds!! You have brightened my day and no doubt that of others especially during the difficult times we are living in. I have been concentrating on the garden great way of exercising as my body tells me at the end of the day. You have revived names of Salvias I have forgotten - yes a great ideayou have here. Also I didn"t know the name of the Odontonema tubaeforme I have & this year it flowering madly. Both take care stay safe. Thanks, Maureen. I agree that gardening is great exercise! I love that Odontonema - an old favourite. It was slow to start flowering this year but going well now. All the best. Deirdre


15/29  Maree - 2074 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

Thank you. There is nothing like the beauty of nature to brighten our days. Yes we would all love to see more. Thanks, Maree. I will post another video next week. Deirdre


16/29  Zenda - 2119 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

Absolutely love it. It keeps the gardening thing alive. A lot of the fun of gardening is sharing with your friends. So thanks very much. Lovely to hear from you, Zenda. Hope your garden continues to bring you joy. Deirdre


17/29  Jennifer - 2228 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

Watched on utube and looking forward to watching again on smart TV. Loved your garden and the birds. Looking forward to more. Thank you. Thanks so much, Jennifer. I appreciate your feedback. Deirdre


18/29  Georgie - 6330 (Zone:10 - Mediteranean) Monday, 06 April 2020

What a treat to see your garden have been reading your blog for a few years now. Love your style of gardening.would love to see more. Thanks. That is great, Georgie. Hope you are enjoying your garden this autumn. Deirdre


19/29  Suzanne - 2107 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

What a lovely garden your friend down the road has,my husband and I sat watching from my hospital bed this afternoon after I have had a spinal operation,it cheered us up because we took names of some of her Salvias which are quite different and such a lovely layout of her garden with Dalias ....I have always thought they were large full headed flowers,hers are delightful....please pass on how mush we enjoyed her video.....of course as well as all of your iGarden .....as usual. Suzanne Suzanne, I hope you are making a good recovery. The video was actually of my own garden; my friend who sent me her own video gave me the idea of doing one of my garden for my readers. All the best. Deirdre


20/29  Virginia - 2125 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

Love your video Deirdre. Thanks so much, Virginia. Hope all well. Deirdre


21/29  Priya - 2126 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 06 April 2020

Great idea..loved the profusion of colours. Thanks, Priya. This autumn has been one of the best ever for our gardens in Sydney. Deirdre


22/29  Gaynor - 5044 (Zone:10 - Mediteranean) Tuesday, 07 April 2020

Such a gorgeous garden and good to know we share a love of salvia. So much bird song too. A fantastic idea in this time of corona virus to post a video so please upload more. Congratulations on your upgraded phone; it is working well. I have a problem with birds at the moment. The honey-eaters are very aggressive as is their inclination and they have driven away all of the small insect-eating birds. My Queensland box is suffering as a consequence and will probably die. Such a shame re the birds. We don"t get many small birds either here. I do not know really what you can do, unfortunately. Deirdre


23/29  Margaret - 2122 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Tuesday, 07 April 2020

Wonderful way to share part of your front garden, Deirdre. I enjoyed wandering along with you - it revived many happy memories. Plants in my garden are over-flourishing, if there is such a word, with salvia, plectranthus, cane and rhizome begonia, cosmos and zinnia, to mention a few, which previously were languishing, are full of flower, and providing so much joy. A pity the garden cannot be shared with friends. I am sad not to be able to see your garden this autumn; I remember how we visited this time last year and it was a complete triumph! Thinking of you often. Deirdre


24/29  Pamela - 2158 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Wednesday, 08 April 2020

What an absolute delight seeing your garden on video. I adore the the form created from the topiary and hedges. Are they box? Loved all your salvias and dahlias and I thought you did a terrific job of videoing with your new phone, doesnt it make a big difference .I particularly loved listening to your commentary on the various plants thank you so much for making the effort to do this.Yes the dahlias have been amazing this year but I need to be more vigilant with the staking! Thanks so much, Pamela. The hedges and topiaries are made of Murraya. I do stake the dahlias with cradle stakes, which I find effective. Hope your garden continues to bring you much happiness. Deirdre


25/29  Leveena - 2099 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Wednesday, 08 April 2020

So pretty and almost meditative. Thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring. I have also been enjoying watching the Virtual Sustainable Garden Tour-I think your video is just as good. Thanks so much, Leveena. I appreciate your feedback. Deirdre


26/29  Valerie - 2121 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Wednesday, 08 April 2020

Thank you so much for the video of your front garden. I would love to see more. I enjoyed your commentary very much too. I"m now feeling a bit more confident about growing dahlias. I really liked the way they looked with your salivas. Good to know that they even withstood the perishing heat and drought this summer past. Thanks Valerie. The dahlias did not flower much at all in the heat of summer. But at least they didn"t die off. They came good almost straight after the heavy rain in February. Regular deadheading helps prolong the blooms and I also fertilise them - at the moment, I am using worm castings! Deirdre


27/29  Pamela - 2158 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Sunday, 12 April 2020

Deirdre. Did you say those Dahlias were called Midnight Pink. I cant seem to find any reference to this name. They look very similar to a Dahlia I bought down in the Southern Highlands from an open garden. I thought the lady said they were part of the Mystic series - the ones Dr Keith Hammett from NZ breeds with the darker leaves that dont need staking. Id love to know what mine are called?. Thanks Deirdre.

Aargh; it is called Mystic Pink not Midnight Pink, I now recall, so I would say it is the same as yours. I got it from a friend. It is a gorgeous one. I haven"t got any others in the Mystic Series. I don"t stake this one as it has a compact form. Deirdre


28/29  Lesley - 2088 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Thursday, 16 April 2020

I loved the stroll through your garden, which is beautiful! And my cat who is sitting on my lap was mesmerised by the bird calls. I believe we are losing the small birds because of loss of dense prickly/ spiny shrubs for them to escape the larger bullying birds. I heard dagger hakea recommended but as always the trouble is finding the space!


29/29  Kristine - 2120 (Zone:10 - Warm Temperate) Monday, 04 May 2020

Love your videos, keep them coming Diedre.We are thinking of down sizing and I shudder to think that I will have to leave my garden behind.My husband is not very well so the time has come. 5 bedrooms down to 3, 1800 sq mts down to patio I don"t know how I am going to cope.City living to country living as well.Tree change to sea change.Am I crazy!!! I have always had a garden. I will have to keep looking at your videos so please keep sharing. Thank You.


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