Inside SALIFE Gardens & Outdoor Living Spring issue
Welcome to SALIFE Gardens & Outdoor Living Spring 2026, where we showcase the gardens at Government House and share tips and tricks for the season.
I have been fortunate enough to traipse around some of the state’s most beautiful gardens and while they’re all wonderful in their own ways, I have to say, there’s something really special about our feature garden in this issue.
I first visited this garden many years ago when its then-custodian, Hieu Van Le showed me the bee hives he kept at Government House.
Since then, I’ve walked the path from North Terrace to the ballroom, but never explored any further.
But in this issue, Her Excellency The Honourable Frances Adamson invited us in to wander around and discover all the details.
At the beginning of Her Excellency’s term, she was struck by how few South Australian natives were planted in the garden – today, there are more than 50 native species throughout the grounds, including in the rewilding garden.
Speaking of natives, Matt Coulter and Leonie Scriven from the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium South Australia encourage us to create our own wildflower meadow using Australian native plants. Find out which flowers are best to grow a magical, colourful carpet.
School holidays edge closer, and Nadine Crampton from Semaphore Pets and Garden gives us some tips to create a magical kids’ garden. What a delightful way to spend those days off.
We’re heading into show season, with the Royal Adelaide Show just around the corner. Carl Heyne from Heyne’s Wholesale Nursery shares some of the best things that happen in the Horticultural Pavilion. Each year, some of the best landscapers transform the area into beautiful spaces that inspire all who wander past. It’s truly amazing that these living works of art come together each September.
Welcome your guests stylishly, with some advice from Evie de Laine from Garden Grove Nursery. Evie has compiled a list of plants that are great for the patio, and the best pots for your selection.
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James Taylor from The Conservatory keeps on a colour theme and recommends some great pink garden picks – while Philip Davey from Stratco Gepps Cross is showing us some great silver plants.
As always, we have Kim Syrus to help keep us organised this season. He’s got all our jobs for spring covered, as well as a list of things to plant.
He also educates about the humble pea and puts safety first to make sure your time in the garden doesn’t come with any hazards.
We’ve got lots of new release plants, a list of open gardens to come and many other events for keen gardeners.
Enjoy the warmer weather, and we’ll see you again for the Summer 2026 issue as things heat up even more.
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