I sure hope they did, although the Botanic Gardens aren't close to downtown. Millennium Park has some very nice plantings too. Boy these boards are slow lately!

You should go to Hampton Park.Also walk around downtown and look into yards and talk to whoever is working in them. Sometimes they invite you in.You can e-mail me directly and I will give you my phone # and you can come and see our garden. Not to much now a little early in the season. If staying a little might be able to talk to some people about seeing some more

All of the so-called Mediterranean herbs will do very well indeed. Don't worry about the humidity - they love it, despite what you've probably read! And they can also handle our summer downpours. That means lavender, any of the salvias, Winter Tarragon, basils, fennel, yarrow, dill, thymes, rosemary, savory, hyssop, patchouli and a whole bunch more. The best of living near Brisbane, is that you can also grow tropical herbs like ginger, lemongrass, galangal, cardamom, chillies (which add excellent colour when in fruit) etc. Just make sure you provide good drainage for all of them. The only herbs which don't do so well here are the cool-climate ones. I've have no luck keeping meadowsweet or sweet woodruff, for instance, and chamomile has to be kept well-shaded to survive. The mints do well in partial shade. But anise and coriander and rocket tend to bolt to seed in the blink of an eye - definitely only winter crops. Parsley prefers partial shade, chives will go anywhere. Bay does well, also things like curry plant and Curry Leaf Tree. I see plenty of roses around, but I have only a tiny tea-rose in my all herb/vege courtyard garden. Nasturtiums do brilliantly well, and can get out of control. Lemon verbena will lose its leaves in winter, but bounce back early in spring. Just remember that Brisbane is a BIG city, and the western suburbs are prone to frosts in winter. I'm lucky to be living close to the coast, so I get no frosts. But I lived for a short while not far from Ipswich, and my herbs all survived no problem.

On the same weekend (4th & 5th March 2006), the beautiful Palm Cove tropical garden (Sunshine Coast) is open. The address is 11 Seymour Close Rosemount Nambour.It is some time since we have been able to visit this garden and it was very beautiful then. Friends tell me it is even better now and should not be missed so we hope to get there this year.The garden will be open from 10am - 4.30pm on both days. admission $5 children under 18 free.