All Things End - Day 4

It's true, all things do end.  'They' say, "all good things must come to an end".  I think, all things must come to a good end.  Today, our last day exploring, for now.  So far we have toured our way through Days 1, 2, and 3 of these impressive and inspirational gardens.  As these plants, trees, flowers, and bushes continue to grow year after year, they begin looking after themselves and doing what nature intended.  Something that keeps the gardener moving and grooving is tending to the unconventional pots and planters used around here to protect more roots  The plants are truly here, there, and everywhere.

Another entrance to the interior of the Z House lends its space to a Stag Horn Fern and repurposed clay sewer pipes.  Cordylines have found their home in two rather large pipes.

With the sun shining in we can nearly picture the wooden lattice casting it's shadow onto the fern.

From up above (on the roof, and as the sun sets) we can look north towards the Brisbane River.  The native wisteria is really starting to take hold and will soon create quite a barrier for the roof.  I'll let the wisteria do the talking from here...

So, my friends, I hope you have enjoyed my first interpretation of the gardens here at the Z House.  With all of the growth and new life that manifests around this block, you know I'll be back for more.  I admit I went a bit trigger happy with my camera during this first weekend of shooting.  Fortunately, that just means I will be able to highlight other aspects of this space in the future.  For now, we've made our way through (almost every inch, sorry I forgot the Chinese Lantern Mr. Z) what's growing in the soil here.

The Front Yard, or the Back Yard, or Which Yard is it? - Day 3

Once you're in, you're in, and there's no turning back.  You lose yourself in the Z House, but it's a good thing.  You start to lose interest in which way is up and how far is south.  Here's some shots of a garden facing north, if we have to stay grounded.

There is no front and back around here, this is simply a skinnier garden with more towering trees looking to break the houses height record.  Peaking their heads above the north facing verandah are natives Celerywood and Tristaniopsis laurina.

From down below, we can see some smaller plants coming into their own.  The gardener has included multiple varieties of native Davidson's Plum.  Pictured here is a Queensland Davidson's Plum, native to northern Queensland.  It just so happens that one variety is named after the lovely town of Mullumbimby I call home (note this variety is endemic to our Rainbow Region).

While this garden is just as important in creating a harmony between earth and building, I know this area will be a focus of mine in the future while it comes into it's own.  For now, we work to continue manifesting this beautiful space into equilibrium.

Check out the Projects page to find what else has been going on around these woods.  Tomorrow, our last Day in the Z House; I hope you have enjoyed the journey so far.

Lose Yourself

Another feature (below) in the central courtyard of the Z House is a small pond with goldfish enjoying a bit of paradise as well.  Daily, they receive their dose of oxygen with the help of two fountains that create a peaceful white noise to help you relax for a while in this inspiring garden.

Below is another view of the Wollemi Pine, nature's living dinosaur.

Don't think we ended after Day 2, stay tuned as we still have two more days of touring through these wonderful gardens.

From the Outside to the Inside Back Outside Again - Day 2

This entire block of land is utilized inch by inch to allow nature to shape it's way.  As a gardener, interested in sharing the importance of each of us getting our hands in the soil, my focus is around the plants, before the house.  However, in order for you to get a proper understanding of just how things work around here, I've done my best to walk you through as if we're on a tour together.

Welcome inside...

Just off the road is the welcome mat.  It's here that the adventure really begins.  The lower fifth of the Java black bamboo stands triumphantly with flowering plants (Zanzibar Gem) and Queensland natives (Dicksonia antarctica) nestled comfortably below.

In the above image, we can see the front garden from the perspective of the central courtyard; welcome to my favorite part.  The palm frond is hiding (sort of) what you can see below.  Hanging baskets house Epidendrum crucifix (orchids) with Amazon Lily and Silver Lady building up under the floor (window length seat) above.

Stepping back a bit we see the central courtyard from a child's perspective, which is sometimes the best view.

Head down the stairs and suddenly the house above starts to disappear.  Along the stairs and wall are Monstera deliciosa, native rainforest ferns, and climbing fig.



Down below we find Kahili Ginger, Bat Flower (unfortunately not blooming), and Hoya australis slowly making its way up the wall.

They're here and they're there, the plants really are everywhere.  The design of these gardens allows for the widest array of places to plant in.  With the help of Steven Clegg Design this gardener has been able to follow the architects request for the landscape to surround the building.

From my understanding, this central courtyard also surrounds the natural habitat of some friendly lizards (which happen to have blue tongues).  It's not rare to see these guys roaming around, building small cairns for their own natural playground.

above: with the canopy of the Beehive Ginger is Mysore trumpetvine.

The piney looking tree just reaching it's head above the trumpetvine is a dinosaur, literally.  In 1994 near the Blue Mountains northwest of Sydney, an adventurous field officer was exploring a steep gorge near Lithgow when he noticed a coniferous tree unlike any he had seen before.  After closer examination, the discovering of the 200 million year old Wollemi Pine was declared and luckily this critically endangered species has found a safe haven in this urban sanctuary.

As you can see, this garden is not only the central courtyard of the house but the spiritual core of the entire property.  With plants old and new, small and big (this Wollemi Pine will tower over the house one day, competing with the Java black bamboo), nature finds itself at peace in this soil.

below: Silver Lady basking in the heat of the day

After this set of images, I hope you understand the meaning behind the title.  Although we made it within the walls of the house in this post, we still find ourselves juxtaposed between plants and building, inside and outside.  I'll leave you with a view from the roof.  From up above we start to gain an understanding of just how well stitched this garden is to the core of the Z House.

Outside the House - Day 1

There are those who preach the importance of incorporating the earth and nature among your living environment, and those who live it.  This house invigorates the dweller to immerse themself in the power of plants, to enjoy the beauty that is the physical world.

Over the past 18 months I've enjoyed watching this garden shape itself into a real concrete (brick, I should state) jungle, take note Marley fans.  Each visit to this garden presents something new for all of the senses; I hope you enjoy this journey with me.

Driving along the road, or even searching for the place on Google Maps, the house is beginning to blend in harmoniously with the other organic elements around it.  Vines taking hold here and grass finding it's way there, the brick frame may one day only be visible from inside the house.

Above and below (is a better view) are images of native wisteria the gardener expects to amaze us all soon with its beautiful flowers.  I've also read that this vine grows rapidly, needs ample support to bear its weight, and requires great drainage.  Check, check, and check; this side of the Z House has it all.

This giant species of Java Black Bamboo is already living up to expectations and towering over the house after just a few years.  Any other variety simply wouldn't have created the emphatic statement these culms do; massive black poles soaring into the sky.

So far you've seen the southern and eastern sides to this house's 'exterior' gardens.  This one's going to have to be continued over multiple days, or you'll end up looking through quite a long photo album all at once.  Stay tuned for a better understanding of what I mean putting 'exterior' in quotes, tomorrow we go 'inside'...

If your appetite wants more, start enjoying the flowers around town.

Z House: Flowers

Amongst all of the beauty at this house are some flowers that I've enjoyed capturing through a lens.

Some of these flowers have been added by the gardener over time, as he collects new seeds and clippings along his journeys.

Everything else is the work of garden designer Steven Clegg.

UPDATE

Monday 30 September, 2013

This past weekend I was able to spend some more time at the Z House admiring the beauty abound. When we first arrived, the Hippeastrums were still waiting to show their true colors.  Luckily they really opened up before we left.

Another beautiful variety in this garden is Clivia, also a flowering plant from southern Africa...

(FIRST POST)