Sydney's residential and public gardens

This "blog" is intended to fulfill the requirements of the University of Guelph's Ontario Diploma in Horticulture program final major project. It will be completed over the next five months (to May 2006) and contain my observations and research related to the following topic:

The British gardening tradition in the post-colonial South Pacific.

At present I am in Sydney, Australia (until Saturday, Dec 17) and will be in Melbourne, Australia until Dec 24th, when I fly to New Zealand for the remainder of my time here. I will include here some observations about Australian gardens, with pictures to be added in January once my husband arrives with the laptop so I can download my camera images.

Entry #1

The gardens of suburban Sydney resemble the gardens of suburban/village England a great deal. Tiny front yards are fenced or low-walled, and include an immaculate patch of lawn (although it may be buffalo grass as opposed to bluegrass or fescue) surrounded by narrow borders stuffed with plants. The usual suspects of roses, hydrangeas, box, chamaecyparis and other dwarf conifers are in evidence, but then there are the South Pacific twists--in among the temperate plants are huge cordylines, agaves, succulents, cactus, hibiscus, and even mammoth poinsettias that are all obviously permanent residents. The air is sweet with the perfume of various tropical bloomers, and many front yards are currently coloured by the almost weedy agapanthus, now in full bloom. The vivid blue of the local hydrangeas suggests that the soil is acidic, but the health of the massive rosemary bushes suggests that it can't be too far to the acid side either. All in all, it seems a very inviting garden climate, and the Sydneysiders are obviously proud of their residential gardens.

The downtown gardens surrounding Darling Harbour show evidence of a more contemporary side to design, with engaging waterworks and graphic plantings of succulents gracing the very beautiful public spaces. Native eucalypts and palms are showcased for shade, but the bedding is still petunias, violas, and snapdragons--Victorian British traditions still in use.

Later this week I'll be visiting Sydney's Botanic Gardens, and will include another entry on that experience.