Our annual bus trip in October visited 3 gardens in the Tweed region.

They were 3 quite different gardens each with its own challenges and attractions.
Ella Bella near Uki is an old orchard with stunning views of Mt Warning. It suffers from a lack of permanent water and the garden has been designed with this in mind. The vegetable garden uses a clever form of wicking to distribute the water evenly through the beds.

Araluen near Burringbar was formally known as Lily Ponds and the lily ponds are an outstanding feature of this garden with an extensive display of yellow and blue water lilies. The garden has many other features including natives, particularly kangaroo paws, orchard and vegetable gardens and many other mature plantings.

The Garden of the Gods at Cabarita Beach is at the top of a steep driveway (don't ask the bus driver about how difficult it is to turn the bus) with stunning viewing platforms overlooking the coast and hinterland. The garden has been cleverly landscaped with huge basalt columns and pathways that wind their way through a wide variety of sub-tropical plants.

It was a great trip to see 3 great gardens of contrasting styles and a source of inspiration for us all.