We've been doing a lot of work in our garden over the last few months, clearing out the silly plants (ie: ones that require lots of water) and replanting with more sensible ones, mostly natives. Its been so interesting, despite having grown up around many of these trees, learning more about them - which ones attract butterflies and birds, which ones you can eat or make tea from, which ones are drought resistant, which ones are native to our specific area etc. 
I find myself looking so much more closely at what is growing around me. So many of the native trees flower in winter and our neighbourhood is just full of these flowering beauties at the moment. 
Winter round these parts really does rock.
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To my neighbors horror I pulled out the rose garden a few years ago. The old pub I have is over 150 years old, so the rose garden was probably quite old too.
Roses are quite drought tolerant, but the lawn was not. Some of the roses that I did not remove totally, actually came back better over the following year.
I planted indigenous (plants occurring within a 10km radius). I was reluctant to plant natives as they can easily cross pollinate with indigenous species.
I'm 2km from the Whipstick forest in central Victoria, so it's been wonderful to attract the birds etc, to my garden. The garden only had the occasional crow or magpie previously. The magpies are still very welcome. They're singing as I write.
Winter is just plain cold and wet at the moment, but the Acacia' are coming out, so it shall rock soon.
Your garden sounds lovely Andrew...and an old pub sounds quite intriguing too! Magpies are always welcome in our garden too. Their warbling is just beautiful. We have quite a lot of kookaburras at the moment. Enjoy the acacia (and the sunshine) when they arrive!
beautiful blossoms... so exotic to a yank
jim, i was only just thinking of one of the most spectacular Autumns (or should I say Fall) that I saw over in your neck of the woods a few years ago in North Carolina. It was incredible. We get nothing like that over here (well, certainly not where I am) so that seemed quite exotic to me!
Yay Mel! I too have just planted a grevillea which I have high hopes for- despite being lashed by ridiculous hail and freezing conditions over the last few days. Melbourne weather...(picture me shaking my head and sighing..)
Good luck with yours!(Both the weather and the plants)
Reb! My garden guru! I was just thinking of you yesterday! Stay warm! xox
Had to smile when I read Andrews' comment. I'm from QLD but lived in Victoria (Melbourne) for 4 years. After seeing how well roses grow down there I can't imagine why anyone grows them in Brisbane (they just look sickly up here) so surprising to hear them being taken out down there too. I remember the ones I used to pass on the way to work with flowers like cabbages! Glad to hear the magpies are liking the change of scenery :)
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