Last weekend, feeling the need for some more tropical inspiration I drove up to Sunnybank in Queensland to visit Dennis Hundscheidt’sopen garden. Heavy rain and flash flooding had been forecast for the weekend, so I decided to get there early and I was one of the first to enter the garden.
Dennis has transformed the gardens of three adjoining suburban blocks into a lush tropical garden paradise of winding paths, moss covered statues and pots, water features and displays of heliconias, gingers, frangipani, bromeliads, clumping bamboos and much more … every turn in the path reveals another “garden room” with it’s own water feature and collection of exotic plants. Even though the garden is only 1000 m2 (about a quarter of the size of mine) it feels like it goes on forever.
Still enthused by my visit, I have booked myself on one of Dennis’ morning workshops in two weeks time. A ten hour return drive for a three hour workshop – that will give you an idea of how impressed I was with his garden !!
It started raining early last week, which was nice because we’d had a few hot days and the garden needed a light watering. Then it rained on and off for five days, which was also nice because it meant we had a bit of reserve for the next hot spell. Then it started to rain seriously on Sunday and it has hardly stopped since …. so today the bridge went under for the first time this year. If it keeps raining up on the Dorrigo Plateau as predicted, we may yet be completely cut off, but for now we can still get out.
The garden is like a rice paddy but otherwise everything is OK so far.
You can follow this link to see the report in our local newspaper … Bellingen river floods
One evening early last year, I was standing on my balcony with a glass of wine in hand contemplating my garden when I had a sudden rush of inspiration. Whether it was due to my recent visit to Coco’s Cottage or the effect of the wine … who knows … but I decided it would be a great idea to convert my front lawn into sub-tropical garden beds. After much pacing backwards and forwards and the laying out of garden hose, I came up with a plan. Friends Brian & David helped by delivering multiple loads of rich garden soil. Jason the Kwik-Kerb man laid the edges, and I built up the beds with cardboard, soil and sugar cane mulch. Other friends added to my plant stock with donations from their own gardens.
Now growing happily in the new beds are … various gingers, pandanus, ornamental bamboos, a black sapote tree, a ylang ylang tree, tiger grass, pink bananas, galangal, turmeric, costus, and a beautiful apricot datura.
At the end of summer I’ll post a complete time-lapse article
with photos taken from my balcony ♥ ♥ ♥
If you are not interested in shopping for out-of-season high-end European designer clothes and think therefore that Singapore has nothing to offer – here is a short list of this trip’s non-shopping highlights in no particular order …
View from the Altitude Bar
The Altitude Bar
Fabulous 360 degree views of Singapore – go just before dusk to miss the crowds and see the city gradually light up. Entrance is the price of a drink but definitely worth it. Closed during thunderstorms – so don’t bother to go if one is forecast.
Just one of many ponds
Singapore Botanic Gardens 74 hectares of tropical inspiration … This is probably one of the best botanic gardens in the world, and if you are a tropical gardener it is a source of both inspiration and frustration. You could easily spend several days exploring and taking photos, but this would be too exhausting. My suggestion would be to split it into two or three visits and get there as early as possible in the morning (it opens at 5am !!) to avoid the midday heat and afternoon thunderstorms. For me, the ginger and heliconia gardens were the highlight.
Satay vendor at Lau Pa Sat
Lau Pa Sat
Satay heaven … Dating back to 1898 this octagonal food market was constructed from pre-fabricated panels shipped out from Glasgow. Satay Street is an outdoor section where you can order the most delicious chicken, mutton and prawn satays. Be very careful when pointing at the menu though – it is possible to order 50 satays by mistake !!
Durian Puffs
Goodwood Park Hotel
More understated and less touristy than the Raffles. At L’Espresso I ordered coffee with durian puffs because I hadn’t tried durian before. A very strange experience – the flesh is a lovely creamy texture, but you need to be prepared for the vaguely rotten taste! It’s not something I think I will order again.
Emerald Hill Road house
Emerald Hill Road
Preserved Chinese Baroque housing – This is a lovely little oasis of calm just off Orchard Road. The entrance is a little hard to find – it’s opposite Orchard Central Shopping Centre and down the side of the Peranakan Palace Restaurant. This former nutmeg plantation was subdivided for houses in 1901 and is now a conservation site with attractively painted terrace houses. I was the only tourist there – but be prepared to move wheely bins around to get a good photo.
Grand Hyatt Martini Bar
Martini Bar at the Grand Hyatt
Martini-lover’s heaven – I counted 53 martini variations on the menu. My favourite so far is the Ginger Martini – Vox vodka, french ginger liquer, lemon juice, and fresh ginger. Another hidden away place – ask at the concierge desk for directions. Great nuts and snacks and large comfortable chairs to recover from your day’s walking – but be warned, happy hour lasts from six to nine pm and it can get really hectic and noisy so go early and pay full price if you want some peace and quiet.
Jones the Grocer
Jones the Grocer
Finally, a good cup of coffee!!
The only good cup of coffee I could find. Located at Dempsey Hill – 18 former army barracks converted into a complex of restaurants and shops – this branch of the Australian providore serves really good coffee and breakfasts.
A Bellingen Diary 