Plant Profiles

The diversity of plants that can be grown in South East Queensland is extensive, but the key to success is finding the right niche and micro-climate for each species.  Understanding the diverse plant profiles of each plant informs my decisions about what to grow where. 

When we lived in the Lockyer Valley at Madingley Homestead, we experienced hot summers with days above 40^oC and mild winters with overnight temperatures sometimes below zero with significant frosts. Now we’re in Toowoomba at Bella Vita, the climate is a little milder.

Most rain falls in summer with an average annual rainfall of 736 mm, but we live in one of the driest area of SE Qld, rainfall is highly variable and droughts are common.

So, it’s very much the land that Dorothea Mackellar describes in her cherished, timeless poem that speaks to my Australian heart.

I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains.

But we’re also blessed in this bio-region to have fertile soils and the scope to grow plants from many regions of the world. 

I’ll share some of my favourite productive plants on this page along with some tips to grow, harvest, eat and preserve your home-grown edibles. 

Happy gardening!