Celebrity Gardener

Hazel's Garden Hazel has been involved with her garden in the City of Darebin in Melbourne's northern suburbs for forty seven years. When her family moved into the house there was little more than a small lawn in the front and a patch of dirt in the backyard. Today the garden is filled with a variety of plants from roses, azaleas, ferns, tree ferns, lavender bushes, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, tree dahlias, a large magnolia, a stunning Norfolk Pine and a myriad of colorful pot plants and hanging baskets. Hazel's favourite plant is the azalea. These are spread all over the garden making a tapestry of colour throughout the year. On average Hazel, aged seventy seven, spends three days a week in the garden. She likes the social aspect of gardening which forms a great part of discussion with family friends and neighbours. "I like learning about what other people are doing in their gardens. There are always new things to learn about and always an opportunity to share cuttings. "My favourite time of the year is spring when the azaleas, magnolia and rhododendrons are in bloom. "The worst job in the garden is weeding, but I have worked on that with a mulch strategy."