Maryborough Country Gardens - 1

 Followers of the blog might remember the Open Gardens that we visited a year ago. They featured gardens in the town of Maryborough, but this year we decided to do some gardens that lie outside the town in the country. And for those of you who immediately think of Percy Grainger, here he is playing 'Country Gardens'.

The first garden we visited was in Boonooroo which lies beside the Great Sand Strait east of Maryborough. As you might expect, it is an Aboriginal word meaning Brigalow tree and the town has a population of over 300.

Sixty years ago when I lived in Maryborough, there wasn't much there and there were very few houses. You may notice that most of the route is straight.

And here is the straight road that seems to go on and on and on for hundreds of miles. It used to be a dirt road and this is where I had my first lesson driving a car. 

These days, it did not take all that long and we were soon at the first country garden.

The driveway to the house, lined with plants.

Hibiscus.

And these were just some of the plants along the driveway.

The mother of the owner and a friend greeted us. This year, we did not have to wear a mask.

The owner with his ferocious beast.

A good crop of veggies.

Country gardens tend to feature rusty cars and this one used to be used to be a small van owned by Sauers, the meat pie makers in Maryborough. 

The husband had his man cave.

BBQ area.

Squatter's chair. They used to be common and my parents had one in Maryborough. We used it when we lived in Brisbane in the early 80's.

They are very comfortable and the flat armrests are very suitable for holding cold drinks.

The property backs right onto the water and this house is located about 42 Km (28 miles) south of where we live. The tide is in but at low tide, there are numerous rocks and mangroves. Mosquitos can be a problem if the wind is not blowing.

In the distance is Fraser Island which has officially been renamed K'gari, the traditional name given by the local Butchulla people.

Another house overlooking the water.

It was a lovely place to visit and the house includes a BNB. It was a great start to the day.

I will do the other gardens in successive days.