Wendy Whiteley's (not so) Secret Garden

Tucked away in the curve of Lavender Bay, is a little green oasis, created by Wendy Whiteley the wife of artist Brett Whiteley. They moved to the area in 1970, when I suspect the area, was far more working class and undesirable to live in, but cheap and quiet and perfect for creative pursuits.

The area below their house was an unkempt, weed-filled railway yard dump.
After Brett's death in 1992, Wendy's grief sent her outside looking for hard, physical work, something she could actually control and a mess that she could clean up.

Wendy hurled herself into the forlorn site, hacking away at lantana, blackberry vines and privet, clearing up dumped bottles, rusty refrigerators, rotting mattresses, labouring till she was too exhausted to think or feel, then collapsing into sleep each night. Then doing the same, the next day and the next. Wendy never asked any authorities for permission, and no one told her to stop, so she kept going.

From this hard work, has sprung a lovely garden full of meandering paths, with oodles of nooks and crannies for solo meditations, quiet catch-ups with friends and larger areas for casual picnics. Oh, and a view of the harbour that might look familiar to those who know Brett's work.

For the full story about Wendy and her garden, please visit the dedicated website here.

Wendy's Garden is also included in the Circular Quay to Lavender Bay walk in Sydney's Best Harbour and Coastal Walks by Katrina O'Brien.

This post is part of Saturday Snapshot.

Wildwood Gardens

Last weekend we had a day trip to view autumn in the Blue Mountains. 

We stopped at Wildwood Gardens at Bilpin. 

It was glorious! 

This post is part of Saturday Snapshot. 

Chinese Garden of Friendship

Chinese Garden of Friendship, Darling Harbour

"The garden was China's gift to Sydney during Australia's 1988 bicentenary celebrations. Interpretation boards provide insights into Chinese garden design and philosophy and the Tea House makes for a peaceful retreat from the harbour."

I recently spent a morning in the Chinese Gardens with family.
It is a lovely, peaceful haven right in the middle of the city.
The tea house is a great spot for morning tea or lunch.
On the day we were there, we saw the pavilion being prepared for a wedding later on in the day.

Saturday Snapshot is a now being hosted by Melinda from West Metro Mommy

The rules are simple:

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken and leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online. 

Fertilizer Friday 4th January

The perfect meme for me!

A gardening photographic meme with Tootsie Time called Fertilizer Friday.

 

 

I spent 8 years designing and creating a large country NSW garden featuring many wonderful and water-efficient native plants.

When I moved to Sydney to a much smaller garden it wasn't the natives that I missed the most though. It was my rose garden.

 

I love growing them. I love caring for them. I love pruning them.

I love feeding and watering them.

But most of all I love looking at them, smelling them & picking them.

 

Now that I'm in Sydney my roses grow in pots on the front porch.

I love them still, just on a smaller scale.

 

Simply Marvelous
 

 
Patio Hits (a cultivar designed for pots!)

Saturday Snapshot December 1st

This week I've gone for contrasting shots.

 

The whole thing...followed by up close and personal.

 

First up is the Lily.

 

The Buddleja or Butterfly Bush.

 

 

 

 

The Agapanthus. 

 

 

 

 

Finally the Hydrangea.
 

I love how their flowers change colour from white to blue through to pink

depending on the pH levels of the soil. My nan and pop had a row of hydangea's in their yard - they made a great hiding place when we were kids. Although they're a native of South East Asia, to me they say 'Australian summer'.

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday Snapshot is a meme hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books.

The rules are simple:

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online. 

 

 

 



Saturday Snapshot 24th November

Saturday Snapshot is a meme hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books.

The rules are simple:

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

 

The days are lengthening. The nights are warming.

Summer is just around the corner. 

 

 

 The garden is still revelling in the spring rains.

Everything looks green, fresh and very alive.

 

I've forgotten the name of the above plant, but I love how its flowers delicately hang underneath the leaves in an umbrella fashion.

 

The hebes (above and below) make me smile every morning with their pastel prettiness.

 

 

The herbs and vegies are a sign of future family meals. 

 

 

Parsley flowers (above)

Cherry tomatoes (below)



 

And the signs of summer - the first lavender spike (above)

and the first agapanthus flower head about to pop open (below).







 

 

 

Saturday Snapshot 20th October 2012

 

 

Last weekend we had a family trip to Bathurst.

It's about a three hour trip from our inner city suburb. On the way, we go through the Blue Mountains, so called for the blue haze created by the eucalyptus oil in the gum leaves. The Blue Mountains are just a small part of the Great Dividing Range the runs up and down the east coast of Australia.

 

Most years, the Blue Mountains will have one, maybe two snow events where a cold front drops a light layer of snow on the ground overnight, melting by lunch time.

 

Last Friday we all woke to a freezing cold day and learnt that there had been a "snow event" on the "high peaks".

On Saturday, when we drove through we were very surprised to still see signs of the snow.

 

 

 

Blackheath Snow - pics taken through the front window of our car.

 

 

 

 

Snow with blossoms and rhododendrons

 

On the return trip on Sunday we stopped at a friend's family home in Katoomba for a visit.
It was Open Garden weekend in the mountains and their garden was participating in the scheme.

The snow was now all gone but their garden (and the view) was amazing.

 

 

 

View of the Jamison Valley near Katoomba from the back verandah.

 

The Rhododendrons and azaleas were glorious.

We spotted a lyre bird digging up the mulch (much to out friends' disgust - they'd spent the weekend raking the mulch back into the garden beds to keep ithe paths looking tidy for the Open Garden!)

My 12 year stepson wanted to take some pics too. I showed him how to take close-ups of flowers. The next few pics are his.

As a result I'm not sure what either of these flowers are!
But he was delighted with the results and said he now understood why I took so many photos of flowers everywhere we went!!

I didn't know this candid shot had been taken of me looking at the view
until we got home and I downloaded the photos.
 

 

A bower bird nest - I love how they collect blue things to line their nest.