Berz and the Bees. A Blog About Gardening.

Sometimes, I have researched a plant that I simply need. It's perfect for what I need it for. It's ideal for my location and climate. Then I cannot find it anywhere (this happens with unsurprising frequency in a place like Tasmania). One such plant is the Verbena bonariensis: Incredibly popular in the UK for its drought-hardiness, it's tall flower stalks, an airy nature and ability to self seed. inspiration pic Often referred to as "weedy",  Verbena bonariensis's key role is to fill a space while still being 'see through', add height, and never really be the star of the show but a best supporting actor. And this is precisely what I wanted it for. verbena and grasses are a perfect match, inspiration pic Last year I worked on an area in the centre of our yard which I call the 'Fire Pit Garden', it gets sun all day, and spectacular views to the mountains and of the sunset. It's a tough area to garden though, it's very hot and dry in summer...

  My first ever garden project which I started shortly after moving in in 2020 was the Mediterranean Garden. The idea of a very tough, zero water (xeriscape) garden that could take the sun and wind and look as pretty as possible. It's been a pretty hard assignment. It's a big area! (approx 20m x 10m) I think it looks pretty nice for around 5 months of the year... August September November December Despite a cold and wet spring, summer has arrived. We're about to order in a truck of water as we've had a mere 13mm of rain since the start of December (9 weeks). To put that in perspective, In the month of January, Sydney had 184mm.  Brisbane has had 34 mm in the last 4 days. On the 29th of January, Cairns had 194mm in one day! She's dry here. I think all things considered, the Med Garden is looking okay. Fun fact: Hobart is the second driest capital city in Australia with an annual average of 600mm (about what we get), after number one dry capital: Adelaide with an aver...