Annette says there are large stands of spotted gums and some regenerated bushland areas. The actual garden is about 1ha of the property around the house.
Annette’s gardening journey began as a child; her grandparents were her greatest gardening influence. Her grandmother had a beautiful fern house with begonias, ferns, hoyas and more. And her grandfather was passionate about growing fruit and vegetables and keeping chooks.
Grant, whose mother is an outstanding gardener, also has gardening in his genes. His grandfather used to sell Yates seeds in Dunedin back in the 1920s and they still have a wonderful Yates seed poster with the McFarlane name on it.
A MATCH MADE IN THE PATCH
Annette says she’s a gardener before anything else. Long before the university studies, master’s degree and teaching qualifications — not to mention the bestselling books — there was her horticultural training.
These days, Annette, though a retired horticulture teacher, still holds free gardening workshops for local and regional libraries and gardening communities. She writes for various websites and the Sunday Mail and can be heard talking all things gardening on ABC radio in Brisbane as well as at a huge array of gardening and sustainability events.
This story is from the July - August 2020 edition of Good Organic Gardening.
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This story is from the July - August 2020 edition of Good Organic Gardening.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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