Finalist Three in Ipswich's Best Garden Competition

Barry Beetham

My garden satisfies my eyes, my nose, my tongue, my stomach and my muscles. It even contributes to my sleep.

I have pot plants, flowers, trees and grass so my garden satisfies my eyes. Have you ever seen up to 30 zygo cactus in purple flower, or the pleasantness of lovely green CSIRO experimental grass that grows where other grass won’t grow or a variety of foliage and prickly pot plants or healthy vigorous vegetables or tall lady finger bananas ripening in bunches in in one place? This truly satisfies my eyes. Have you ever walked down the garden path and enjoyed the odours and perfumes from flowers and fruit and native bee honey? My garden truly satisfies my nose.

My tongue and stomach? Sensational dragon fruit, heavy bunches of bananas, tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, caulies, gooseberries, cassava, mangoes, strawberries, figs, Ceylon Hill Cherries, sweet potatoes, peas, beans and so much more really do satisfy my tongue and stomach.

Walk into the garden and there is always something to do – exercise the doctor says is essential for good health; yes my garden satisfies my muscles. And sleep? Yes getting tired for garden work contributes to my satisfying sleep.

Challenges and variety add to the spice of life.  Sometimes too much rain and at other times insufficient rain; so the challenge of water confronts me. Hence water tanks and a system to harvest precious rain water for gardens, trees, pot plants and some lawn. The various grubs challenge!

Variety inspires. 

Hence now red, orange and white zygo cacti have been added to the collection of purple zygo cactus. There are leaves large and small in a variety of greens. Not just one orange tree or mandarin but several with blood orange, Valencia and Washington navel. Tight skinned and loose skinned mandarins as well. There is a variety of tubers to eat such as cassaa, sweet potato and English potato.

Yes my garden is an enormous part of my life and is well a passion and I love it.