Gardeners in the Deep South

GARDENING IN AUSTRALIA

The gardener's boys had worked from dawn
Pulling the plantains on the lawn.
Each root seemed longer than the last,
And one was saying, as I passed:
"Orstralia! Tha's the country, Joe,
Where all these plantains start to grow."

by Reginald Arkell's "Green Fingers and other poems.

What kind of garden do you like to grow? Cottage? Romantic Informal? Formal? Native? Woodland Mediterranean? or perhaps a 'no work garden'? Australia, being such a huge island has climates and growing conditions that span from tropical to cool temperate to cold. So, if you are interested in the tropical exotics and rain forests, come and settle in the state of Queensland.

Maybe creating an English formal garden sends your green thumb itching. New South Wales should be the state of your choice but be prepared to fork out more than one million Australian dollars for a small back yard with a medium sized house thrown in. You may have come to want a politically correct garden with only natural flora growing so your new garden should be settled in Western Australia and if you would like the thought of growing a few Mediterranean plants [maybe South African exotics] get onto a plane that lands in South Australia.

But, if you are a greedy and adventurous gardener, like the writer of this essay, and want to have all the above types of gardens, there are two states that you may consider. Tasmania and Victoria both enjoy cool temperate climates [Victoria slightly warmer than Tasmania, where I garden] and you will be able to grow plants whose native habitat conditions stretch from the semi-tropical plants to cold loving mountain dwellers. You will be living in an Avaricious Gardener's Paradise.

One word of warning: Australia suffers very severe water degradation. Water saline levels are becoming very serious and droughts are suffered yearly in some areas of Australia. Many of our natural flora need very little rain. All states have yearly water restrictions except Tasmania and in all states you will be charged for water except Tasmania.

So take my advice, turn that aeroplane towards my beautiful home state, Tasmania, where the houses and blocks of land are cheaper and begin to create your very own Eden. The only trouble is that the climate is so temperate, you will find yourself pulling the weeds and 'thugs' out for twelve months of the year!