Blackheath Garden Club

07/09/2026

🌿 A Beautiful Bushwalk Through Our Blue Mountains Backyard 🌿
This week I had the pleasure of going on a beautiful bushwalk with a few Blackheath Garden Club members. We walked from Katoomba Falls to the Three Sisters, and it reminded me once again just how lucky we are to live surrounded by such incredible natural beauty.

Along the way, I couldn't help but stop and admire the wonderful variety of Australian native plants growing throughout the bush. 🌸🌿 From delicate little wildflowers tucked beside the track to magnificent native shrubs, ferns and towering eucalypts, there seemed to be something beautiful around every corner.

Spring is such a wonderful time to explore the Blue Mountains, with so many of our native plants beginning to flower and adding splashes of colour throughout the bushland.

As a gardener, I find it fascinating to see these plants growing naturally in their own environment. No carefully prepared garden beds or constant attention, just nature doing what it does best. It is also a lovely reminder of how important it is to protect our native bushland and the incredible diversity of plants it supports.

And, of course, finishing the walk near the magnificent Three Sisters made the day even more special. 💚

Sometimes the best garden inspiration isn't found in a garden at all, it's right here in the beautiful Australian bush.

🌿🌼 Have you been out bushwalking lately? What native plants are flowering where you are?

04/09/2026

🌸 A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS!🌸

Behind every successful Blackheath Garden Club meeting is a wonderful group of volunteers who generously give their time, energy and support to make everything run so smoothly.

We would like to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who helped at our meeting on Thursday. From setting up and organising the room, to helping with our flower show, cleaning up afterwards and, of course, providing the most amazing morning tea your hard work is truly appreciated. ☕🍰🌷

The delicious homemade treats, cups of tea and coffee, and friendly conversations around the table are such an important part of our meetings. They give us a chance to catch up, make new friends and enjoy being part of our wonderful gardening community.

Our club simply wouldn't be the same without the people who quietly work behind the scenes each month.

💚 To all our volunteers — thank you for everything you do. You are helping our Garden Club bloom! 🌿🌺

04/09/2026

28/08/2026

🌿 A Little Green Treasure in the Katoomba Falls Bush.
Today, a few of us from the garden club went of a before walk from Katoomba Falls to the Three Sisters.

One of the things I love most about walking through our beautiful Blue Mountains bushland is that you never quite know what you are going to discover.

While walking in the Katoomba National Park area, we came across this delicate little native orchid growing quietly amongst the rocks, fallen timber and leaf litter. It would have been incredibly easy to walk straight past it, but its unusual green flower caught my eye.

After taking a few photos of our lovely little plant we decided to asking google to identify our little plant and we discovered that it belongs to the fascinating group of native orchids known as Greenhood Orchids (Pterostylis).

Ai explained that Greenhoods get their name from the distinctive hood like shape of their flowers. They are terrestrial orchids, meaning they grow in the ground rather than on trees.

The flower we found had beautiful soft green colouring with a contrasting deep reddish brown centre. Against the muted colours of the surrounding bush, it was such an interesting little sight.

Based on its appearance, location and the fact that we found it flowering in late August, it may possibly be the Blue Mountains Leafy Greenhood (Pterostylis lineata).

This species is known from the Blue Mountains and flowers during late winter and spring. However, identifying greenhood orchids to an exact species can be difficult from a photograph alone, so I prefer to simply appreciate this one as a beautiful Pterostylis unless its identification can be confirmed.

Sometimes the smallest plants are the most interesting
What we particularly loved about finding this orchid was how modest it was.

It wasn't growing in a manicured garden or putting on a huge colourful display. It was simply standing there amongst sandstone, moss, old leaves and fallen branches, perfectly at home in its natural environment.

It is a wonderful reminder to slow down and really look around when you're walking through the bush. Some of our most beautiful native plants aren't the ones you can see from a distance. Sometimes they're tiny treasures growing right beside the track.

And, of course, when we find native orchids growing in our national parks, the best way to enjoy them is to take a photograph, admire them and leave them exactly where they are for everyone else and for the local ecosystem to enjoy.

🌿 Plant: Greenhood Orchid (Pterostylis sp.)
🌸 Possible species: Blue Mountains Leafy Greenhood (Pterostylis lineata)
📍 Spotted: Katoomba, Blue Mountains
📅 Spotted: August
🌱 Type: Native terrestrial orchid

This is exactly why we love exploring the Blue Mountains. There is always something new growing, flowering or hiding amongst the bushland waiting to be noticed.

Next time you're out walking around Katoomba, keep your eyes on the forest floor, you might just discover your own little greenhood orchid. 🌿💚

24/08/2026

🌸Plant of the Week 🌸
The Beautiful Flowering Plum
Have you ever been walking or driving along a street and suddenly spotted a beautiful tree or flower that made you stop and wonder,

“What is that?”
That is exactly what happened to me this yesterday.
I was travelling along Bundarra Street in Blackheath when I came across a wonderful row of trees absolutely covered in the most beautiful soft pink blossoms. They looked so spectacular that I just had to stop and take a closer look.
And that is how I found this week's Blackheath Garden Club Plant of the Week, the Ornamental Flowering Plum (Prunus sp.).

🌸The trees were putting on an incredible display, with masses of delicate pale pink flowers appearing along their bare branches. Some of the blossoms were only just beginning to open, while others were already showing off their beautiful layers of soft pink petals.

One of the things I love about living in Blackheath is watching our gardens and streets change with the seasons. After the cold of winter, seeing trees suddenly burst into blossom is one of those little signs that spring is just around the corner.

🌿 A Little About the Flowering Plum
Ornamental flowering plums belong to the Prunus group, which also includes cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. They are grown primarily for their beautiful flowers and make wonderful feature trees in cool climate gardens.

Depending on the variety, their flowers can range from white through to deep pink, with both single and double forms available.

They generally enjoy a sunny position and well-drained soil, and our cool Blackheath winters provide excellent conditions for many ornamental Prunus varieties.

🌸 Why I Chose It as Plant of the Week
Sometimes our Plant of the Week doesn't have to be something unusual or exotic. It can simply be a plant that makes you stop, look and appreciate the beauty growing around us.

That's exactly what these trees on Bundarra Street did for me.
They were simply too beautiful to walk past without taking a photograph and sharing them with everyone.

So, next time you're out walking around Blackheath, keep an eye on the gardens and streets around you. You never know what beautiful plant you might discover.

And if you see a plant that makes you stop and wonder what it is, take a photo and share it with us, it might just become our next

🌿🌸

21/08/2026

PLANT OF THE WEEK 🌿💙 Grape Hyacinth – Muscari 💙

Have you ever walked past someone’s garden or seen a beautiful flower and wondered what it was? I know I certainly have!
This week I spotted these gorgeous little blue flowers and had to find out more about them. They are Grape Hyacinths (Muscari), and I think they are absolutely beautiful.

Despite their name, Grape Hyacinths aren’t actually true hyacinths. They get their name from their clusters of tiny, rounded, bell-shaped flowers that look a little like bunches of grapes. Their striking shades of deep blue and violet make them really stand out in the garden.

🌱 A little about Grape Hyacinths:
• They grow from bulbs and return year after year.
• They love our cool Blue Mountains climate.
• They flower from late winter through spring.
• They look wonderful planted in groups, along pathways, under trees or at the front of garden beds.
• Once established, they can multiply and create a beautiful carpet of blue.
• They prefer well-drained soil and a sunny to partly shaded position.

One of the things I love about gardening is that there is always something new to discover. Sometimes a little flower you walk past can lead you to learn about a plant you may never have noticed before.

So next time you see something flowering in a garden that catches your eye, stop and take a closer look—you might just discover a new favourite! 💙🌿

Have you got Grape Hyacinths growing in your garden?

15/08/2026

🌧️ BLACKHEATH GARDEN CLUB – TRIP CANCELLED 🌧️
Hi everyone,
Unfortunately, due to the rain forecast, we have made the difficult decision to cancel our Daffodil Day Trip planned for Friday, 21 August.
We’re very disappointed, as we were looking forward to a wonderful day visiting the gardens and enjoying the daffodils together. 🌼🌼🌼 However, with the wet weather predicted, we feel cancelling is the safest and most sensible option.
Thank you so much for your understanding. 💚
We’ll keep everyone updated about our next Garden Club outing and look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Blackheath Garden Club 🌿🌼

06/08/2026

Bill's Fascinating Talk on the Hamamelis Mollis.
One of the highlights of this month's Blackheath Garden Club meeting was an informative presentation by our own member, Bill, who introduced us to the remarkable Chinese Witch Hazel (Hamamelis mollis).
As Bill explained, this beautiful deciduous shrub is one of winter's true treasures. Just when many gardens seem dormant, the Hamamelis mollis bursts into bloom with masses of bright yellow, ribbon like flowers that cling to the bare branches. Their unique spider like petals create a spectacular display, bringing colour and life to the winter landscape.

The specimen Bill brought along was in magnificent flower, allowing everyone to appreciate its intricate blooms up close. Many members were amazed by the unusual shape of the flowers, with their long, crinkled petals surrounding deep red centres, a striking combination that makes this plant instantly recognisable.

Bill shared that Hamamelis mollis thrives in cool climate gardens, making it an excellent choice for the Blue Mountains. It prefers a position in full sun to partial shade and grows best in rich, well drained soil with plenty of organic matter.

One of the plant's greatest attractions is its delightful fragrance. On a crisp winter's day, the sweet perfume can drift through the garden, making it a wonderful shrub to plant near pathways, entrances, or outdoor entertaining areas where its scent can be fully appreciated.

Members also learned that the Hamamelis mollis offers year-round interest. After its spectacular winter flowering, the shrub produces lush green foliage through spring and summer before putting on another dazzling display in autumn, when the leaves turn brilliant shades of gold, orange, and red.

Bill also provided several practical growing tips:
Plant in a sheltered position away from hot afternoon sun.
Keep the soil moist but well drained, particularly while the plant is becoming established.

Apply compost or mulch each year to maintain healthy soil.
Very little pruning is required, allowing the shrub to develop its naturally graceful shape.

Be patient when establishing young plants, as they reward gardeners with decades of beauty.

The presentation sparked plenty of discussion, with members sharing their own experiences and asking questions about growing Witch Hazels in local gardens. Bill's enthusiasm and knowledge were evident throughout, making the talk both educational and enjoyable.

The Blackheath Garden Club extends its sincere thanks to Bill for taking the time to prepare such an interesting presentation and for introducing many of us to a plant that deserves a place in more Blue Mountains gardens.

If you're looking for a shrub that provides outstanding winter flowers, beautiful fragrance, brilliant autumn colour, and is well suited to our cool climate, Chinese Witch Hazel (Hamamelis mollis) is certainly one to consider.

🌼 Thank you, Bill, for another inspiring and informative presentation!

06/08/2026

A Fascinating Morning with Sarah Child – Growing Beautiful Peonies in the Blue Mountains

The Blackheath Garden Club was delighted to welcome Sarah Child our guest speaker at this month's general meeting. Sarah gave us a captivating insight into the wonderful world of peonies, sharing both her extensive knowledge and her personal experiences growing these spectacular plants on her property at Old Forty Bends Road, South Bowenfels.

Peonies are often regarded as one of the most beautiful flowering perennials in the world, producing magnificent blooms in shades of white, cream, blush pink, vibrant pink, coral, deep red, and even rich burgundy. Their large, fragrant flowers make them a favourite among gardeners and florists alike, but they can sometimes be considered challenging to grow successfully in Australia.

Sarah demonstrated that with the right conditions, careful planning, and plenty of patience, peonies can thrive in our region. She explained that her property provides the cool winters these plants require, allowing them to experience the dormancy needed to produce an abundance of flowers each spring.

During her presentation, Sarah shared many practical tips gathered from years of experience, including:

* Choosing healthy, quality tubers for planting.
* Preparing well-drained, fertile soil rich in organic matter.
* Planting peonies at the correct depth, as planting too deeply can prevent flowering.
* Selecting a sunny position where the plants receive plenty of light.
* Watering wisely, particularly during establishment, while avoiding waterlogged soil.
* Feeding plants appropriately to encourage healthy foliage and prolific blooms.
* Exercising patience, as peonies often take several years to become well established and reward gardeners with their spectacular displays.

One of the highlights of Sarah's talk was learning about the different varieties she grows and how each offers its own unique colours, flower forms, and flowering times. She also shared stories about life on her property and the dedication required to cultivate these stunning plants for both the garden and the cut flower market.

Members thoroughly enjoyed hearing about the seasonal care of peonies, including dividing mature plants, supporting heavy blooms, and preparing them for their winter dormancy. Sarah's enthusiasm and passion for these remarkable flowers was infectious, inspiring many of us to consider adding peonies to our own gardens.

Following the presentation, members had the opportunity to ask questions, exchanging ideas and experiences while gaining valuable advice directly from someone who has successfully grown peonies for many years.

The morning concluded with our popular mini flower show and a delicious morning tea, providing members and visitors with the opportunity to admire beautiful floral displays and enjoy the friendly atmosphere that makes the Blackheath Garden Club such a welcoming community.

We extend our sincere thanks to Sarah Child for generously sharing her knowledge and passion. Her presentation was both informative and inspiring, reminding us that great gardening is built on patience, observation, and a genuine love of plants.

If you have an interest in gardening, whether you're an experienced horticulturist or just beginning your gardening journey, we invite you to join us at one of our monthly meetings. The Blackheath Garden Club welcomes new members and visitors, offering a wonderful opportunity to learn from expert speakers, share gardening experiences, and enjoy the company of fellow garden enthusiasts.

If you have photos from Sarah's presentation or her peony garden, this blog would be even more engaging with a gallery of images showing her stunning blooms and the beautiful property where she grows them.