The majestic mountainous terrain and foothills of the Queensland’s Scenic Rim has one of the most divine landscapes in Australia. After summer rain showers, mist covered peaks evoke a sense of mystery to this romantic rendezvous, located far away from urban pressures and the minutiae of daily life. It is this isolation, clean air and visual feast that have inspired property owners to develop their farm, at the foothills of Mount Barney, into an environmental haven for humans and wildlife.

To enhance sustainability, a small orchard and herb garden provides seasonal flavours for the home and guests - pecan nut, macadamia, custard apple, lime, wild bushlime, lemon, lemonade, orange, fig, guava, banana and vegetables – all chemical free.

As the garden plants matured over time and activity changed, the property added a few more buildings and a pool.

Aloes are no longer shunted to the rear of the garden – they have come out in a fury of fashion and are in high demand by landscape designers with gardens featuring them alone or in conjunction with other plants.

In their native lands aloes had long been overlooked as landscape plants just as many Australians had overlooked gums and wattles. Appreciation for local indigenous plants and the need to conserve these species have enlightened designers and home gardeners in Africa and the Middle East so that these plants are now as cherished there as they are abroad.

Aloes are a drought resistant, water tolerant genus that require next to no maintenance, suffer very few if any diseases, thrive in subtropical conditions and reward home owners with a range of flowers that keep the local lorikeets and honey eaters enraptured.

Warm up the chill of winter in your garden by incorporating yellows, in the form of flowers, foliage or outdoor furnishings. Yellow can be perceived as brash and bold, and the vibrant intensity appears to ‘come’ towards the observer – it is a colour that stands out. It is however one of the colours that blends well with purples and blues to create complementary coloured landscapes.

Yellow celebrates itself in the tropics and its colour-relative gold is synonymous with Australia (green and gold).

Magazine Features:

Hoyas belong to the Asclepiadeace family. They have a broad distribution, from the Himalayas, across to China and India and down through Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia and on to the Islands of the Pacific Islands. They occur in a wide range of habits including tropical rainforests, the cooler slopes of the Himalayas and semi-arid areas.

Their flowers come in the purest white, varying shades of pink from almost white to a bubble-gum pink, yellowish-pink, yellow, green, purple, brownish-red and brown. These exquisite flowers can even be edged in a contrasting colour.

There is little doubt that the effects from drought conditions and the severity of water restrictions in many parts of the country have greatly influenced the way in which we view or tend to our gardens and whilst this past summer we have all been witness to some encouraging signs, it must be said that we are not out of the woods just yet.

Although initially seen as a negative, the drought has made us all come to the realisation that there are some plants simply not suited to our homes and gardens unless given continual deep drenching on a weekly basis. On the other hand, surviving species increase our awareness that in the past we may have over-watered our gardens resulting in some plant deaths.

Do you want to enjoy watching your fish swim lazily in the pond? Then you will need colourful, domesticated fish species which are relaxed around humans. However the local predators may also enjoy your fish. Ensure they have plenty of hiding places and the pond has enough depth. If the problem persists, replace with smaller faster fish – do not build caged or netting structures!

Bunya Pine (Araucaria bidwillii)
Family: Araucariaceae
Common name: Bunya Bunya
Aboriginal names:
Bonyi-bonyi (Turrbal), Bunyi (Kabi Kabi) Ba’nji (Dungidau)

The Bunya Pine is a very large forest gymnosperm, a conifer, which may reach a height of 50-60 metres over a life of up to 500 years. Reproduction begins after 15-20 years, when male and female stroboli (small structures bearing the protected but not enclosed sporophylls) are formed on the same tree in September-October, the females in the crown where the subsequent cones will be seen.

It takes about 15-17 months for the cones to mature (December-March), but the cropping is not regular or equal in yield on each occasion

One of the most well known of our native bushfood fruits, this tree is popular in parks, streets and gardens in Queensland and New South Wales. Found in the wild from Cooktown in north Queensland to Kempsey in New South Wales it can reach over 20m in its rainforest habitat, but is more commonly seen at no more than 10m.