Field Notes

There’s a distinct, almost unique rhythm to gardens in the Southern Highlands. Cool mornings, autumn leaf drop, moss in shaded lawns, deciduous trees glowing briefly before winter settles in and they become ghost-like members of a moody landscape backdrop.

Bowral sits at a curious meeting point between cool-climate tradition and Australian conditions. Exotic European trees and perennial borders thrive here, yet the light, dry spells and seasonal extremes remain distinctly Australian — equally suited to endemic and carefully selected native plants.

Over time, these Field Notes have grown from being part of that rhythm — observing how plants respond to soil, moisture, shade, airflow and season, while adapting to the many microclimates layered across an already fascinating region.

Some Field Notes are practical. Others are simply observations gathered while gardening. Together they form an ongoing record of gardens, patterns and lessons found through real work in both remarkable and quietly unassuming gardens throughout the Southern Highlands.