Blackheath colour

Blackheath is a village about a 15-minute drive west of where we live. It's a little higher in elevation and its small, picturesque cottages are popular as weekenders with an affluent Sydney crowd who patronize its art galleries and high-end restaurants.

At this time of year, the clear blue skies and fall colours draw many visitors from the coast where the weather is warmer but often stormy and wet.







In spite of the cool climate, it is still temperate enough for an occasional palm tree to thrive alongside the northern hemisphere trees.






The worldwide trend towards growing native plants has reached Blackheath, as one little garden showed, with tea-tree (Leptospermum) and banksia among the shrubs I recognize here. It presents a much more subtle palette as these Australian species are not deciduous, their grey-green foliage offering contrasts in texture rather than colour.