Neil Fisher
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Across Central Queensland we have some fantastic garden walks.
I had to make a quick trip to Mackay this week for a meeting. After completing the meeting I decided to visit the Mackay Botanic Gardens and walk the gardens walking circuit.
What caught my eye on the walk was the number of Bottlebrushes in full bloom.
I am often asked whether Bottlebrushes or Callistemons came in colours other than red. Walking the Mackay Botanic Gardens walking circuit easily answers that question.
The answer is - yes, Callistemons do come in different colours.
Did you know that the name Callistemon means ‘beautiful thread’ referring to the flowers and that there 34 species of Callistemon currently recognised and all but four are native to Australia.
Neil Fisher
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This weekend I thought I would highlight some very interesting plant varieties that will make coastal gardeners envious.
Have you ever taken the time to walk around the streets of you own town or suburb?
Some of the most interesting trees and shrubs can be seen growing within walking distance on our homes.
It does not matter if you live in Biloela, Rockhampton or Winton all our towns have some spectacular street plantings.
I spent Friday night in the town of Roma in the Maranoa Region.
So Saturday morning I decided to go for for a very long walk through the town.
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Over the last 50 years plants like Grevillea Robyn Gordon and Grevillea Honey Gem have become some of the most popular sold in nurseries. But most gardeners would not have selected a Grevillea Honey Gem because it was a cultivar, they selected this plant because it flowers well, it attracts birds, it is very hardy and requires very little maintenance.
Grevillea Honey Gem is one of my favourite with its masses of orange honey laden brush like flowers. It is vigorous evergreen large shrub with attractive fern like foliage that produces large orange flowers most of the year. This Grevillea also has a long life. I still have the very first Grevillea Honey Gem planted in Central Queensland growing at my place.
Gardening Neil Fisher
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During Summer afternoon walks are always such a pleasure. Ever the heat of the Summer days there are hundreds of flowering plant species in full bloom. This week I decided to walk the tracks of Kershaw Gardens. And I was amazed at the number different plants in full bloom. Many of the plants were even flowering out of season.
In many ways Rockhampton’s Kershaw Garden is a hidden gem for spending a quiet hour or two. Opened as Rockhampton’s second botanic garden Kershaw Gardens became one of the first Australian Native Plant gardens in the country.
Neil Fisher
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As 2020 comes to an end most people would struggle to have a positive to say about this year.
Here in the Rockhampton region we have had to deal with COVID, drought and then the water shortage in Mount Morgan and I could go on.
But there is a bright light in 2020 and that has been in our garden.
Throughout 2020 our plants seem to have looked lusher, flowers better, encountered less insects and grown faster.
Or am I looking at this year through rose coloured glasses?
So here are my top 10 performers of 2020 that were featured in the