Garden Shopping @ Eden Gardens Nursery

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Posted 2012-09-19 by Julian Groneberg ⇒ follow

I officially felt like an 'old' person last weekend. Instead of spending my disposable income at the mall, the bar, or on other forms of entertainment, I picked up my keys and headed out for some green-thumb action, which is all part of my growing obsession with beautifying my home inside and out. Despite having a small outdoor space to work with, I've always known the area has great potential to spruce up with some potted plants and provide some outdoor harmony and feng shui in the process. Since my first visit to Eden Gardens in Carseldine, on Brisbane's northside, my thumbs are getting greener, and I can be one of a number of people to attest first hand that this gardening 'pass-time' is rewarding and highly addictive.

For the gardening and plant novice, Eden Gardens is the ideal stop to spring into Spring and grow into gardening, since it has everything for the garden no matter what the scale or budget, with helpful staff easily on hand to advise on growing conditions, nutrients and the bevy of other plant-related questions that sprang to mind during my visit.

Let's just say you could go absolutely crazy here, and had my bank account allowed it I would have needed a bigger vehicle to transport all the trees and plants I coveted, This could have been easily arranged since home delivery is one of the many services Eden Gardens provide. From bonsai to cacti, to an in-house cafe named the 'dragonfly,' there was plenty for me to be tempted by at Eden Gardens. Since I was looking for a somewhat unique flowering plant, stumbling across the Chinese Lantern Plant ($14) with its drooping aptly named latern-like flowers, I had my first find of the day with the charming and different plant.

While I was tempted by the bonsai and the fantastic range on offer, they are pricey plants at around $50 for one of the decent sized mini trees, and more than $100 for a larger ones. Despite being ideal for promoting harmony and feng shui in the home, I know from personal experience bonsai' need a lot of care and maintenance, so I skipped them this time for simpler, more 'beginner' plants.

Next up it was some flowering seedlings which are in abundance, and for bargain prices. Marigolds, petunias and all grow well in pots and are considered to be low maintenance - in other words they ticked the right boxes, so into the 'take me home' basket they went.

As I continued to follow the curved path through the huge garden centre I made diversions at several times at the cacti and desert plants sections, as well as the succulents section including the Money tree (Jade Trees) which is said to bring good fortune to a household. Lucky I already had some growing in pots back home.

I continued pottering along the path until I literally pottered right into what I was seeking - pots, and lots of them in all shapes, colours and sizes. Being not particularly impressed with the brown dated ceramic pots left by previous tenants at our place, I sought out a new tall square brightly-coloured yellow pot for $20 to plant one of my new purchases in. I was beginning to get excited and eager to get these purchases home to plant and decorate so I skimmed quickly through the greenhouse section and the rest of Eden Gardens, well aware that you could quite easily spend a few hours there, and a few hundred dollars if your budget allowed it.

Inside Eden Gardens' main building there is a full-service cafe, a children's play area, as well as interior decorations to make your home an aesthetic sanctuary. Be tempted when browsing in this area - be very tempted indeed. Eden Gardens also frequently hosts gardening education classes and workshops for beginner gardeners and courses for lifestyle, art and design so if you're needing some tips and inspiration in tackling your house and garden projects, this could be the answer.

It must be warned though: the more you start buying plants, the more plants you'll want, as outdoor decorating can quickly become an insatiable activity. In continuing with my low maintenance theme my next project is a herb garden, and I'm thinking some hanging plants in baskets. One thing is certain, after my maiden visit to Eden Gardens, I know where to look for inspiration and all my gardening needs. If you're a green thumb and haven't made the trip already I highly recommend going there, and drag along the family, as a trip to Eden Gardens is a relaxing and interesting place to visit all in a beautiful setting.