What's In Bloom? December 2025

 After the longest winter since moving to Tasmania, it's starting to feel like Summer (not sure where spring was, just been cold, windy and sad). 

The soil is finally warm to the touch and with that comes the Mediterranean climate of dry, dry, dry. I can't complain too much as we have still has some showers, but the wind had been drying it almost immediately. The verdant green is starting to turn outback tan. But the garden is full of blooms and of course, the one part of my yard that I water, the hardy tropical garden is coming into it's own

It's the first thing that you are greeted with as you walk into the gate from the driveway. We spend 90% of our time on the patio on in the undercover carport area (in inclement weather) and being surrounded by tropical green feels calm. It reminds be of holidaying in Bali and gives me nostalgia of growing up in sub-tropical Brisbane.

Canna lillies, aquilegia, heuchera, hardy ferns, fatsia, native violet, dichondra and aspidistra are the bulk of the planting in this area and should only get better as summer slowly meanders in.

Floral highlights in the tropical garden include the Abutilon, which is my cold-hardy substitute for a hibiscus.

The first of the dahlias, this one is a single, grown from seed.

The colour of both of these looks so lovely against the foliage of the heuchera marmalade.

And I had to recently move the penstemon from the main yard, It's taken me five years to realise "full sun" on a label does not mean Tasmanian full sun, which apparently just scorches anything that isn't from the Mediterranean, Africa or a native of Australia. The penstemon are much happier under the shade cloth of the tropical garden.

There is a decidedly pink theme at the moment. I love pink. 

Bromeliad Queen's Tears.

The stunning Hydrangea.

And the amazing colouring of this Geranium.

It's been really fun incorporating plants that have no correlation with tropical gardens into this area. Using bright flowers or large or unusual foliage adds to the patchwork.

Moving away from the hydrated and protected part of the yard, the blooms continue.

The seaside daisy, Erigeron is the toughest yet sweetest and happily self seeds everywhere.

These Calamagrostis Karl Forster grasses which I divided and planted directly into the gravel never cease to amaze me with their resilience. They soften the path and the house and look so graceful in a breeze.

This gorgeous little darling is the Australian Native Pimelea. The whole bush is covered in these teeny tiny pink flowers and look spectacular.

And a plant that does really well in our climate is the butterfly bush, or Gaura. Their flowers on long stems look like butterflies bobbing about. 

And I have come to the age... the age where I appreciate roses. And who wouldn't. This is my carpet rose and look at those painted petals. So gorgeous.