Author: Peter Nixon

Late last month on Sat 28th April, brought a fresh Autumn day for ‘Planty Fierce’  after a much needed morning shower to both my ‘Sea-Changer’ and Ray Henderson’s ‘Paradox’ and plenty of interest from visitors looking for inspiration and a few new treasures from Peter & Ruth Donnelly’s Coachwood sales tables for their own gardens.

Many plants at ‘Sea-Changer’ are grown by Ruth & Peter,       

If sun adaptable bromeliads would get you out of a lot of trouble, for that elevated N/W aspect you’re wrestling with for your client’s design…. look no further than Ray Henderson Horticulture to see his heroic ‘Paradox’ plantings at  Central Coast’s Glenning Valley.

 Ray is your ‘go to guy’ for a myriad of sun adaptable aechmea, billbergia, hohenbergia and even neoregelia that will LOVE your western aspect, even growing as lithophytes over rock with limited or no irrigation. This is the best time of year to plant too,  going into cooler weather to give your plants time to adjust into the increasing heat of next season sans scorch and with dazzling ‘stained glass’ colours.   

Ray Henderson Hotriculture – 25 Curringa Close, Glenning Valley 0490 263 416‬  

Ruth & Peter Donnally – Coachwood Nursery 0432 590 754 and by appointment 

Cool sub-tropics gardens ‘Paradox’ and ‘Sea-Changer’ open for ‘Planty Fierce’ on the Central Coast (maps on links) … less than two weeks away !! Inspiration for your home garden or your client’s design and many plants from both gardens available for sale on the day. At ‘Paradox’ learn from Ray Henderson, the huge range of sun adaptable bromeliads that can be grown north facing when you plant them at the right time of year … Find out more about the kind of medium he uses, when to fertilise and how far apart your plants should be for best results.

So many beautiful sub-tropical offerings for your garden from Peter & Ruth Donnally’s Coachwood sales tables at ‘Sea-Changer’.

At ‘Sea-Changer’ Peter will give a 2pm designer’s ‘walk & talk’ on how easily new plants could grow for your exciting new home garden or for your designs. So get your gardening buddy, colleague horticulturist, landscaper or garden designer friend together by sharing the ‘Planty Fierce’ link. Be on the Motorway on ramp at Wahroonga by 9am for the hour or so jaunt up to the Central Coast for a fun day of garden visits either side of lunch in Holgate at Bamboo Buddha !!   

Peter’s 2pm ‘walk & talk’ at ‘Sea-Changer’ 

‘Planty Fierce’ Saturday, 28th April 10am – 4pm, $10 gate each garden, children under 12 free, no dogs, easy parking.

‘Paradox’ 25 Curringa Close, Glenning Valley – Ray Henderson Horticulture 0490 263 416‬

‘Sea-Changer’ 21 Lavinia Street, Forresters Beach – Peter Nixon, Paradisus Garden Design     

0418 161513         

Garden Lovers, see Facebook Event page for Planty Fierce details this year, bringing you two Central Coast gardens. Visit Ray Henderson’s iconic ‘Paradox’ at Glenning Valley in the morning and my ‘Sea-Changer’  after lunch at nearby Forresters Beach. Its a lovely day out of the city, to see a pair of exciting designer gardens as inspiration for your own, just an hour’s drive north on the Pacific Motorway from the on ramp at Wahroonga. 

Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible, I’ll be giving a ‘ Q & A walk & talk’ at 2pm 

Peter Nixon’s ‘Sea-Changer’ – 21 Lavinia Street, Forresters Beach plant sales by Coachwood’s Ruth & Peter Donnally  

Ray Henderson’s ‘Paradox’ – 25 Curringa Close, Glenning Valley plants sales featuring sun tolerant bromeliads with designer companion plantings

NOTE: many of the plants you see at each garden will be for sale on the day !!  

Best wishes, Peter 

Peter Nixon – Convenor, Designer Growers Network

This Saturday, 29th April ‘Planty Fierce’ opens 10am – 4pm $5 entry each garden, across three wildly exciting and horticulturally driven spaces made from plants. 

Living Edge Garden by David Fripp & Blake Jolley at 1483 Peats Ridge Rd, Peats Ridge

‘Paradox’ by Ray Henderson at 25 Curringa Close, Glenning Valley

‘Sea-Changer’ by Peter Nixon at 21 Lavinia Street, Forresters Beach

See all event details, map & lunch suggestions at Facebook’s event page ‘Planty Fierce’  Expert horticultural and design ideas for your gardens, with exciting designer plants sales at each garden – bring plenty of boxes, you’ll need them!

Peter Nixon’s 2pm designer “walk & talk” at ‘Sea-Changer’ and weather forecast is Good !!!   

Robin Powell’s feature on ‘Sea-Changer’ for ‘Planty Fierce’ in last Saturday’s SMH Spectrum .. see you there !!!