Paul & Paula's Patch

Australia Broadcast Center

08-06-2025

Jerry visits a bush block in Brisbane's south-west has been transformed into a grand cottage garden.
Owners: Paula and Paul Herbert Location: Mount Crosby, Qld, on Yuggera Country Climate Zone: Subtropical Garden Established: More than 15 years ago Style: Grand cottage garden
Key Features
Jerry first notices the lovely balance of light and shade in the garden. All the elements of design are used here: repetition, colour, texture, unity and space.
There are many nectar-producing plants, which bring in lots of birds. Grass trees were planted as tiny seedlings about 15 years ago and are now about 1.5m tall. Other strappy plants include a variegated lomandra, miscanthus, carex and gymea lilies.
Paula has loved gardening since she was a little child and now has Paul hooked, too – this is the third garden they've created together. Paula has the ideas and Paul puts them into action!
The garden is a showpiece for Paula's creativity too; she is a painter and clay artist.
Paula has a particular passion for Casuarina 'Green Wave' and surprises Paul by admitting there are 90 of them in the garden.
While she has no horticultural training, she got on so well with the staff at the local garden centre that she was offered a job.
The open spaces and borders are defined by hedges, but few are in straight lines.
Being at a slight elevation and away from the coastal humidity, they are able to grow Manchurian pears and other deciduous trees. A downside of their location is the strong south-easterly summer wind, however the hedging helps reduce its impact.
Some of the hedges are planted with mock orange, which is a serious weed in the area, as birds carry the seed into the bush, but the Herberts are diligent in trimming off any seed heads that form.
An old kids' cubby house has been transformed into a chook shed, complete with a bird 'chandelier'.
GRASS TREE Xanthorrhoea sp. VARIEGATED MAT-RUSH Lomandra cv. CHINESE SILVER GRASS Miscanthus sinensis 'Flamingo' * JAPANESE SEDGE Carex 'Feather Falls' GYMEA LILY Doryanthes excelsa SWAMP SHE-OAK Casuarina glauca 'Green Wave' * MOCK ORANGE Murraya paniculata * ROSEMARY Salvia rosmarinus cv.
* Check before planting: this may be an environmental weed in your area