6th February 2006:

Well, my sister and I have been all about Tasmania, and ... oh, the wilderness! I have never seen anything like it! I have never been a great fan of tree ferns, nor have I been a great fan of tropical gardens ... but now I am a true disciple of cool rainforests! I have been wondering what kind of woodland to have in the area behind the walnut tree - now I know ... an English woodland/Tasmanian cool rainforest. Some birch trees, a few of those wonderful giant rhubarbs, a score or more manferns, and underplanted with foxgloves and cyclamen. I was absolutely inspired by a boat trip up the Gordon River.

Tenders are back from the landscapers. They are astronomical! One was twice as much as anything else (the breakdown of his costs included $5,000 to hang a gate!). So in the end I went with the cheapest ones - they seem fine, and they don't charge $5,000 to hang a gate ...

17th February:

Contracts are signed for the garden! I may not have a start date but I do have a completion date (7th June). So, hopefully, within a few months I will wave goodbye to my sloping block and wave hello to my beautifully sandstone-terraced garden!