Visit Mornington - Ailsa - December 2020

 Visit to Ailsa, Mornington, December 2020

These garden visits keep surprising and delighting us. On Sunday 6 December 2020, we gathered (in 2 groups of 20 as per Covid regulations) at Ailsa's place in Mornington. We got a few brief sprinkles of rain, but nobody was deterred by them from having a great time, and the sun shone most of the time.

Ailsa's block is nearly 40 meters long from the street to the back, and rises 10 meters. With such steep terrain, Ailsa has had to be very industrious indeed to make use of her site. She has succeeded in an amazing fashion. Her block contained a lot of rocks and Ailsa has used them all to fill gabion walls to hold the soil in place. 

She has made steps and terraces everywhere and filled all available space thus created with plants. In pots and planters, in the beds, on the walls, in ceramic pipes and in the gabion walls too. Not a spot is unused, and there is something fun to see everywhere.

Ailsa quotes Edna Walling, famous 1920s - 1930s Victorian landscape gardener, who may have inspired her.

Edna said "A garden should, I always feel, be a just little too big to keep the whole cultivated. It then has a chance to go a little wild in spots, and make some pictures for you."

We couldn't agree more, and there are pictures in this garden everywhere. 

Here is Max, introducing Ailsa (centre below, with gloves) and her garden to the first group of visitors.

With so much to see and so many paths to wander, Ailsa very thoughtfully provided us with a plan of her garden. We all eagerly set off, exploring!

At the top end of her block, Ailsa has recently created a cage to protect her vegetable garden.

The block faces North-East, and there was a lot thriving in the various beds:

Snow peas still going strong. 

Broad beans in flower

Thornless blackberry 

Climbing beans starting to flower

Passionfruit up against the back fence

Eggplant looking very promising and there is even room for a few chooks.

The josta berry is doing great.

As is the pomegranate.

The avocado seems to really enjoy its sheltered spot, and its gabion retaining wall. Ailsa has to keep her saw handy, to prevent it from growing too tall, and the fruit out of reach.

She also has some large citrus trees, and keeps them in check by radically sawing off one third of the tree each time. That way, there is always some old wood to carry fruit as well as new growth to keep the shrub in shape.

Another item that attracted plenty of attention was the geology map of the greater Hobart area, which Ailsa had put out for us to see in her studio. Many people enjoyed having a look, and learning some more about the different soil types they have in their area.

The produce table was again keenly visited by all, not in the least because Ailsa had put out a box filled with cuttings from her many interesting succulents! We all had a great morning and enjoyed exploring such a productive garden. Thanks Ailsa for hosting and inspiring us to have a go, no matter how steep our blocks may be.