The following article with a substantial
photo display appeared in the SUNSHINE COAST SUNDAY MAGAZINE in about 2000.
CABOOLTURE couple Greg and Julie Lindsay share a passion for
hibiscus that has seen them build their very own Garden of Eden
with over 1000 different varieties of the plant. The former
banana farmers became specialist hibiscus growers completely by
accident after they fell in love with the plant when they visited
a hibiscus display at the annual Caboolture Show.
"We were looking for ideas as we wanted to start a garden
at our new house and we were just struck by the beauty and the
outstanding growing qualities of the plant," Greg said.
In fact the Lindsays were so impressed that they
created Hibiscus Paradise, a lush rainforest area
and a specialist nursery on their
Caboolture home block. The property also has a variety of native
Australian trees, but it is the hibiscus of every shape and
colour that really catch your eye.
"Hibiscus are our main passion and we call the rest our
weed garden," Greg said.
The couple have successfully developed their hybridizing hobby
into a full-time venture and have created between 50 and 70 of
their own varieties. Greg said hybridizing was an elaborate and sometimes difficult
procedure which involved transporting the pollen from one species
to the stigma of another to create a new variety of plant. "You don't just do it willy-nilly. And we really sit down
and weigh up the best characteristics of each hibiscus to make
sure it will produce the best possible flowering variety."
Greg said that although they had suffered hundreds of
disappointments, their successes had been well worth the effort. "We've got hibiscus of every shape and every colour of
the rainbow except for blue and green, but we're working on
it," Greg said. "It's like having kids, when you
produce ones that are really good, you just want to make more
varieties."
One of the Lindsays' favourite creations is Buderim Gold, a
single bright yellow hibiscus specially developed to mark this
year's 50th anniversary of the Buderim Garden Club in 1996. The flower can
grow up to 10-12 inches in
diameter.
"It's special in terms of its size and is the biggest
yellow hibiscus ever bred," Greg said.
Other varieties the Lindsays have developed include: Australia Remembers,
a large yellow fluffy double with a white eye; Karamello, a
caramel-brown flower with yellow edges; and Persephone, a
lavender flower with a dark red eye and tiny petaloids on top of
the stem.
"All hibiscus are individual shapes and sizes and no two
are exactly alike - part of the charm of the garden is that we
planted all different types and sizes together to help people
envisage how they'll look in their garden."
Greg said hibiscus were extremely popular despite their lack
of perfume. "They more than make up for it with their
magnificent colours and ability to flower all year long,"
Greg said. "It's certainly rare for any plant to do
that." Greg said hibiscus were not hard to look after and
just needed to be kept well fed and well-watered to flourish.
But be warned. The best way to grow hibiscus is to plant them
in groups as they are not so successful if mixed with other
shrubs. "It's a magnificent plant which you never get sick
of," Greg said. "We've grown so many successful
varieties that we can't stop."