Michael McCoy is one of Australia’s foremost landscape designers and horticulturists. A passionate learner and teacher, Michael is a published author, regular Gardening Australia columnist, and host of the ABC TV’s Dream Gardens. Having built a significant career and reputation within the industry, Michael is now leveraging his reach and influence to develop a suite of educational and motivational programs targeted at ‘budding’ industry professionals and ‘thinking' home gardeners.
That was a great explanation. Thankyou so much. I don’t get any frost as I’m on the coast and have already cut back but I enjoy learning your methods and seeing the garden in its not so beautiful state. Really enjoyed it.
Stonehill is one of my favourite gardens and, coming from another cold climate in Australia, I love to see how other gardens look in winter. I'd love to see more Australian winter gardens in your videos 💚. Thanks as always.
Thanks Michael. Great explanations / demonstrations. I used to use a normal hedge trimmer, but have also made the switch to a pole hedge trimmer - so much easier on the back! Rather than doing the 'first' (and final) cut for each grass or shrub at the bottom, I tend to start at the top and cut a few inches off at a time. It means I do more trimming and it's harder on the back... but I hate the clean up at the end - by doing it this way, I find it makes a kind of finer mulch and I can just leave the clippings in situ. i.e. a bit harder work at the start to get out of cleaning up! I thought I'd share it in case anyone else finds the tactic useful.
With the trees, euphorbia, and stipa gigantea, it feels like a normal mediterranean garden, not a steppe. Isn't the definition of a steppe that there's no trees and mostly grasses ?
the borders are great but the orchard and veggie patch are just awful, they look like a desert. Why all this naked soil ? It has nothing but drawbacks : you need more water, you need to weed it all the time, it promotes erosion, poor soil and disease, it's just nuts. I know it's how people think it should be done but it's not... Either mulch, cover crops, or perennial covers (like white clover) and it works so much better, it's also so much more pleasing to the eye. You then don't have this hideous bare earth everywhere...
So as a career counsellor of male boys for 35 years the boys with these brains were always so exciting and interesting to work with. Love these creative brains
From one designer to another - this was SO refreshing to see someone of your experience share self-doubt and frustration about design. Really like these videos Michael.
Such a refreshing honest appraisal of this part of your garden. In the strive for 'perfection' we as gardeners get so much pleasure tweeking and refining borders each year. It's never static. Thanks 👍
