Another Great Brisbane Garden

[Daryl]

Today we visited the garden of David Tanswell. David is a director of both PACSOA and the IPS, and has been growing palms since the '70s. We have been trying to get a group visit to David's for a while, but due to his busy schedule etc it took us a few years! Anyway, we finally got it organised, and David had been doing some garden sprucing recently, with new pathways and other garden structures to make things just that extra bit special.

The garden is in the inner Brisbane suburbs, a stone's throw from the Mt Coot-tha Botanical gardens, and has a mild climate, although not without occasional weather extremes. The recent drought in 2012 had been tough on some plants, but nothing compared to the drought we endured several years ago. David lost about 50 species at the time as he was busy travelling with work, and could not keep the water up to the garden due to severe restrictions and the like.

This garden was first established in 1985, and sits on almost 1000 square metres, or a quarter of an acre of hillside, with a north-westerly aspect. David thinks he still has 240 or so species in the ground, but had lost a lot of special water loving palms, such as those from New Caledonia, and wet tropical areas, due to the drought.

Anyway, it is still a very special garden with lots of very desirable plants, and a great tropical ambiance, especially with the Bali hut and tropical plantings. Everyone at today's Christmas gathering had a great time and all thoroughly enjoyed the tour.

Everyone gathers out the front

Some of the taller specimens in the front garden included this Caryota urens and Ravenea rivularis

A lovely Queenslander

Copernicia alba

Copernicia macroglossa

[Daryl]

Walking up the side of the property, we are greeted with lots of gems. I'll post a few photos here, but I'm sure Wal will chime in and post all of his too...

Cryosophila albida

Licuala ramsayi

Calamus caryotoides

Chamaedorea metallica

Dypsis pinnatifrons, with Ptychococcus lepidotus and Areca whitfordii

Spiny Astrocaryum mexicanum

[NApalm]

Woah! Big licuala

[Daryl]

Arenga westerhoutii was flowering

Kerriodoxa elegans and Licuala ramsayii complement each other...

Getting comfortable...

The Bali Hut, which is constructed from coconut timber

Looking up towards the hut

Over to you Wal...

[Walter John]

Thank you Daryl, as I was arriving to David's, in an area I am not accustomed to, basically I was lost if the truth be told, I thought I would use the old tried and true method for locating a palm nuts house............................look for the palms. It worked, look for something really tall like a Caryota or something. There be Dave's house.

Before we took a garden tour proper we rested a while from our long drives, here's a cool Pinanga coronata behind Daryl, along with a jungle of plants.

Dave explains that the construction of the hut was built from Cocos nucifera materials, except for the roofing tiles and some railings.

More pre tour pep talks from our BPACS christmas party host.

From the hut to the back of the house. A real touch of jungle paradise.

[Walter John]

Andy and I couldn't wait so we took off for some close up and personals. This was my kind of garden. Beautifully landscaped, well pathed, and loaded, I say loaded, with palm trees and other tropicals.

[Walter John]

Wonderful palms, wonderful day, wonderful jungle, wonderful people, wonderful palms, did I say that already ?

[Walter John]

Taking the official guided tour now, it was fun listening to the history of the garden, Dave spoke well and made it even more interesting if that was possible.

Reinhardtia is lit by a full ray of sunshine. This side of the house would be shaded from any harsh summer afternoon sun.

To the front section where american and carribean palms dominate, Thrinax and Cocothrinax etc.

How about this magnificent Copernicia macroglossa. Mark has outdressed me this day, a challenge I aim to remedy.

Looking up was a common action by the group.

[Walter John]

Cycads complimented this Latania.

At the footpath, yes, we call it a footpath.

Hmm, what do we have here ? Anyone care to guess ?

Back up the path we go.

Archontophoenix alex, this may have been described as A. alexandrae var. beatricea in the past with a base like this. Making short work of shifting the retaining to non-retaining.

[Walter John]

Cryosophilla root spreading..and trunk detail.

David is big on Licuala

[Walter John]

Here's my last pics, somehow I managed to delete my good pics of us at the lunch table, hope Daryl has one or two more. Thanks Dave and Rosemary and the girls. I had a great time, even won myself a Normanbya at the raffle, life is good.

Very jungly feel, because that's what it is.

[Cindy Adair]

Stunning garden! Looks like I missed a great tour.Hi to everyone from Virginia, USA!

[KrisKupsch]

I think the Alex is a reflection of an impediment/halt in its growth whilst it was young and not a naturally occuring form from mt elliot.

[paulgila]

beautiful garden! thanks for posting these awesome pix. love the balinese influence around the pool,especially!

i thought i had met all the aussies but i see quite a few here that i haven't

[Daryl]

Our host...David

The crowd gathers near the pool

Wal and Brod (FM Brodklop) share BBQ duties on BBQ no2.

[realarch]

Thanks for the pics you guys, wonderful garden. Nice to see David's garden, quite a place.

[Daryl]

Latania out on the path

And one next to the house

How's the view out the window!

I've seen this T-Shirt before!

Pritchardia martii

Chamaedorea tenella

David loves his Licualas and has a pretty good collection of them

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Fantastic garden - thanks for posting

[wimmie]

Wal, as a European, I would say Chamaerops humilis.

Wim.

Cycads complimented this Latania.

At the footpath, yes, we call it a footpath.

Hmm, what do we have here ? Anyone care to guess ?

Back up the path we go.

Archontophoenix alex, this may have been described as A. alexandrae var. beatricea in the past with a base like this. Making short work of shifting the retaining to non-retaining.

[realarch]

I just noticed the rope lighting on some of the palms, it must look pretty fantastic at night.

Wal could you go up and get some night shots for us?

[hopper]

Love it all.

I need to move to Brisbane!

I dont think the Adelaide climate will support a garden like that down here!! Or my wallet wount be able to support the water bills.