G's Lane Esk

A Busy Show Season at G's Lane It has been a busy time of year here at G's Lane. Show season always brings a wild change to our usual routine. As the Visual Arts Steward for the Esk Show, I spend the week before the show taking entries for my section, along with months of preparation leading up to the event. This year was extra special because 2026 was the first year I entered the Horticulture section myself. I am very pleased to announce that we took home first prize for the flower arrangement in any container category! I spotted the teapot we used at our local op shop and immediately knew it would make the perfect container. For a while, I wasn't sure we would have enough flowers to create an arrangement. I had two open Australia Ruby proteas and one that was still tightly closed, although it looked so close to blooming. I decided to harvest it anyway, and by the following morning it had opened just enough for me to happily include it in the arrangement. We are certainly ...

We’re now 8 weeks on from our last update on these flower buds, and we’re excited to say they’re almost there 🌸 The buds are beautifully slender, with a striking touch of dark, feathery detail emerging from the centre. This bush is full of promise, with multiple buds at different stages, so there’s plenty more to come. Our Austral’s Ruby Protea is really starting to shine, and we’re hoping to gather a fresh bunch just in time for Mother's Day. We’ll be pairing them with some lovely Little Princess flowers, which are blooming right alongside them. It’s shaping up to be a pretty special bouquet 💐

Each year, our local council runs what they call “Free Tree Day.” I always get a quiet chuckle out of the name—because, of course, the trees aren’t really free. Our rates help fund the program. Still, we happily show up each year, collect our quota, and head back to plant them out at G’s Lane. In the early days, we treated every planting like a high-stakes project. We carefully planted, watered, guarded, and then returned again to water them a second time. It was hands-on and deliberate. But as the years have gone on—and as being at G’s Lane has evolved—we’ve taken a slightly different approach. Now, we plant them, give them a good start with water, and then leave them to fend for themselves. It’s less intervention, more trust in the conditions and the plants. Alongside this, we’ve been fortunate to be part of the Land for Wildlife program. One of the perks is access to leftover plants after the main giveaway day. That opportunity has added up in a big way—we’ve planted hundreds of tre...

We are so proud of G’s Lane. What began as overworked cattle land—then, for a time, completely neglected—has slowly transformed into something we are incredibly proud of. Nearly four years on, we’re finally starting to feel the rewards of all the hard work, patience, and love poured into our little farm. Our flowers are blooming, and their abundance continues to grow. Our fruit trees are thriving, and while we’re still waiting for our nut trees to produce, we’re more than happy to be patient. Good things take time. It hasn’t been quick, and it certainly hasn’t been easy—but it has been worth every moment. There’s something truly special about sitting down with a cup of tea among the results of your hard work. It’s a simple joy, but one that brings a deep sense of fulfillment and connection to the land. The images below are of our macadamia nut trees. They’ve come such a long way. They were among the very first things we planted, and for years they struggled along. But now, we’d say the...

Who would have thought these little gems could bring so much joy? They really have—and they’re still a long way from being fully grown. This is the most success we’ve had so far with our Navel oranges, and it’s exciting to finally see some progress. We have three orange trees that have been in the ground for about two years now. During that time, they’ve flowered and even set tiny fruit, but nothing ever really developed beyond that early stage. So you can imagine my surprise when I checked on them the other day and found small—but noticeably larger than ever before—baby oranges hanging on. One of the other trees is showing similar signs too, which gives us even more hope. Now we wait and see if they continue to grow into the big, juicy fruit we’ve been dreaming of. These trees share their patch with our lemons, limes, and mandarins. They’re all unirrigated, relying mostly on what nature provides. That said, during the past summer (late 2025 into early 2026), we gave each plant a bucke...

Our vineyard is what we like to call slow progress —and we’re perfectly okay with that. It all began with a handful of grape cuttings gifted to us by a long-time friend. We can’t quite remember the exact number we started with, but from those humble beginnings we ended up with eight vines , which we planted out in August 2025 . The variety we have is  Isabella , a hardy and reliable grape that seemed like the perfect place to start our little vineyard journey. Of course, Luke would love to see the vineyard grow quickly, but vines (like most good things) take time. So we’re embracing the steady pace and enjoying each small step along the way. In the last week or so, we’ve expanded a little. What started as eight Isabella vines has now grown to fourteen vines in total — twelve Isabella vines and two new Pink Iona vines joining the family. From what we understand, both varieties are known for their hardiness, and the grapes themselves are wonderfully versatile. Over the summer perio...

Sometimes it’s hard to see the progress. But patience is the key. A few weeks back, we had a friend come to visit. As we walked through the paddock garden, they pointed out a little back buds on two of our Proteas. To be honest, it was a slightly scary sight. Even I looked at the plant and thought, this lot isn’t looking good. The buds were dark and tight, and nothing about them suggested beauty or promise. But I left them there. When our friend commented, I replied confidently, “The flowers on these are pink and black.” I said it as a statement of fact — because I knew what they should become. Yet, if I’m honest, a small thought lingered in my stomach: What if they’ve died? What if they never bloom? Gardening has a way of testing your faith. Proteas don’t rush. They don’t respond to impatience. In fact, these particular flowers can take four to six months to reach full bloom. For most of that time, they don’t look impressive at all. They look tight. Dark. Almost lifeless. But a few ...