Life can be hard sometimes—not just for us, but for plants as well. While we often think of plants as quietly growing away in the background, they face an incredible number of challenges every single day. Unlike us, they can't move to a better location when conditions become difficult. They can't seek shelter when the weather turns bad or walk away from hungry animals. They simply have to survive with whatever nature throws at them.
At G's Lane Esk, we are constantly reminded that gardening and growing native plants isn't always straightforward. Every season brings something different, and every plant has its own story. Some flourish despite the odds, while others struggle with conditions that are completely beyond our control. It can be heartbreaking to watch, but it can also be incredibly rewarding when nature surprises you.
Plants Face More Challenges Than We Often Realise
Every plant has to contend with environmental factors throughout its lifetime. Rainfall can be plentiful one year and almost non-existent the next. Long periods of drought can place enormous stress on plants, forcing them to conserve energy and moisture just to stay alive.
Then there's the opposite problem—too much water. Heavy rainfall and flooding can drown root systems, wash away young seedlings, and leave soils waterlogged for weeks. Some plants cope remarkably well with these changing conditions, while others simply cannot recover.
Fire is another factor that shapes Australia's landscape. While bushfires are devastating and something no property owner ever wishes to experience, fire has been a natural part of many Australian ecosystems for thousands of years. Many of our native plants have evolved alongside fire and have developed remarkable ways to survive it.
Some species protect their growing points beneath the soil, allowing them to reshoot after being burnt. Others produce seeds that remain dormant until they are exposed to the heat or chemicals found in smoke. It is one of nature's most fascinating survival strategies.
Here at G's Lane Esk, we grow several plants that actually require smoke or fire-related triggers before their seeds will germinate. It's incredible to think that something so destructive can also play such an important role in renewing life.
Of course, while we appreciate the role that fire plays in nature, we sincerely hope we never have to experience a bushfire moving through our property. Like many rural landowners, protecting our buildings, gardens and surrounding bushland is something we take very seriously.
Instead, we're quietly hoping that the occasional campfire might provide just enough smoke to encourage some of those seeds to wake up naturally. Whether that works remains to be seen, but we're always learning. In the meantime, we're more than happy to purchase plants from specialist native nurseries and continue adding to our collection that way.
Nature Doesn't Always Follow Our Plans
One thing we've learnt over the years is that no matter how much planning you do, nature has its own ideas.
You can carefully prepare the soil, choose the perfect planting position, water consistently, mulch thoroughly, and still lose plants. Equally, you can have plants growing in what appears to be an impossible location, receiving very little attention, yet they thrive.
Gardening has a funny way of keeping you humble.
Every success is celebrated, and every setback becomes another learning opportunity.
Then Come the Hungry Visitors
As if drought, floods and fire weren't enough, plants also have to survive local wildlife.
Having a flower farm where we do means we share our property with an incredible variety of native animals. We absolutely love seeing kangaroos, wallabies, birds, insects and other wildlife visiting. They're part of what makes being here so special.
The downside, however, is that many of them also find our carefully selected plants rather delicious.
Young plants are especially vulnerable. Fresh new shoots are often irresistible to grazing animals, and sometimes a plant can disappear almost overnight.
That's exactly what happened to one of our Kangaroo Paws.
Our Kangaroo Paw Story
When we first planted our Kangaroo Paws, we knew there was always a chance they would attract attention from hungry visitors. We accepted that risk because we really wanted to see how they would perform in our conditions.
For quite a while everything looked promising.
Then one morning upon arrival to the G's Lane we discover that something had eaten one of them completely.
Not just nibbled.
Not just trimmed.
Completely eaten.
There wasn't a visible piece of green left above the ground.
It had literally been grazed down to the dirt.
It was one of those moments every gardener experiences eventually—that sinking feeling when you realise months of waiting seem to have disappeared overnight.
We honestly thought we'd lost it.
There didn't seem to be any chance of recovery.
A Wonderful Surprise
Weeks passed.
Life continued, and we more or less accepted that the plant was gone.
Then one day this week, while walking past, something caught our eye.
Tiny green shoots.
Right where the plant had once been.
Our Kangaroo Paw wasn't finished after all.
It had quietly been working away beneath the surface, slowly gathering enough strength to begin growing again.
Seeing those first two little shoots pop through the soil genuinely made our day.
Sometimes the smallest signs of life bring the biggest smiles.
Nature has an incredible ability to recover when given the opportunity.
Another Survivor
Our second Kangaroo Paw also suffered a rather dramatic haircut.
Thankfully, this one still had a small growing point left intact.
Although it looked far from healthy for a while, it too has begun showing encouraging signs of recovery.
New growth has started appearing, and we're hopeful that, with a little patience, it will bounce back just as well.
It's amazing how resilient these plants can be.
To Protect or Not to Protect?
Now comes the big question.
Should we protect them?
At the moment, we're still undecided.
We do have tree guards available, and they certainly have their advantages. They can discourage grazing animals and give young plants an opportunity to establish before becoming more resilient.
But they also come with their own frustrations.
Tree guards can become surprisingly warm during Queensland summers.
Sometimes they don't provide enough airflow.
They often require several sturdy stakes to stop them blowing over.
After strong winds they seem to need straightening.
As the plants grow, they need adjusting or replacing.
Eventually they need removing altogether.
It's quite a bit of ongoing maintenance.
When you're caring for multiple plants across a property, those little jobs quickly add up.
So we're weighing up the pros and cons.
Do we leave the plants to fend for themselves and let nature take its course?
Or do we step in and give them a helping hand during their early years?
There's probably no perfect answer.
Every Plant Teaches Us Something
One of the things we enjoy most about growing Australian natives is that every species teaches us something different.
Some need more water than expected.
Some need less.
Some thrive in full sun.
Others surprise us by preferring a little afternoon shade.
Some attract bees almost immediately.
Others become favourites for birds.
Every planting season gives us another opportunity to observe, learn and improve.
Even failures become valuable lessons.
Why We Chose Kangaroo Paws
These particular Kangaroo Paws were really our trial plants.
Before investing in larger numbers, we wanted to see whether they would suit our local conditions.
Would they handle our climate?
Would they tolerate our soil?
Would local wildlife leave them alone?
Well...we've certainly answered that last question!
Despite their rough start, we're encouraged by how resilient they've proven to be.
If these plants continue recovering and eventually flower, we'll feel much more confident about planting many more throughout the property.
Their unique flowers are not only stunning but also fantastic for attracting nectar-feeding birds.
We'd love to see them dotted throughout our gardens in the years ahead.
Gardening Is an Exercise in Patience
Perhaps the biggest lesson gardening teaches us is patience.
Nothing happens overnight.
Seeds take time.
Roots take time.
Flowers take time.
Recovery takes time.
It's easy to become discouraged when things don't go according to plan, but often the best thing we can do is simply wait.
Nature works to its own timetable.
Sometimes growth is happening where we can't even see it.
Celebrating the Small Wins
It's funny how gardening changes your perspective.
Things that might seem insignificant to someone else become major victories.
A single flower.
A new leaf.
Fresh shoots emerging after weeks of waiting.
These little moments remind us why we love what we do.
They're signs that life continues, even after setbacks.
Looking Ahead
We'll continue watching these Kangaroo Paws closely over the coming months.
Perhaps they'll need some protection.
Perhaps they'll surprise us yet again and grow happily without any intervention.
Either way, we'll keep learning.
That's one of the joys of living surrounded by nature.
No two seasons are ever exactly the same, and no two plants behave exactly alike.
Every day brings something new to discover.
Nature Always Finds a Way
If there's one lesson these little Kangaroo Paws have reminded us of, it's that resilience often appears when we least expect it.
What looked like a lost cause turned into fresh green shoots.
What seemed completely gone was simply gathering strength beneath the surface.
It's a gentle reminder that setbacks don't always mean the end of the story.
Whether it's drought, flood, fire, hungry wildlife or unpredictable weather, Australian native plants have evolved to cope with extraordinary challenges. While not every plant survives every hardship, many demonstrate remarkable resilience when given the chance.
We'll continue cheering on these determined little Kangaroo Paws and hope that one day they're rewarded with beautiful flowers dancing in the breeze.
Until then, we'll keep observing, learning, and appreciating every tiny sign of new growth.
Because sometimes the smallest green shoot carries the biggest reminder of all—nature always finds a way.
