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 | Dear Gardeners,
A little while ago it was suggested that I should write a monthly letter to the gardening readers of the Home Beautiful, and the Editor has kindly fallen in with the suggestion, and so here we are!
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"Australian Home Beautiful" is a popular homemaker's magazine that provides practical information on gardening, cooking and home decorating. Originally called the "Real Property Annual", the magazine changed its name to "The Australian Home Builder" before settling on its current name in 1925.
Edna Walling began writing occasional articles for the magazine from 1921 and contributed a regular column from 1925 until 1950. Walling wrote about garden design, made plant recommendations and inspired thousands of readers to have a little 'Edna for the garden'.
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| Dear Gardeners,
Ground covers are tremendously important aren't they? I expect you dislike the bare ground beneath trees and shrubs as much as I do. It is quite a problem, too, to get low-growing plants to grow once the trees and shrubs have become established.
...Have you ever noticed how a garden that needs very little attention is so often much more charming and restful than one in which much labour is expended in its upkeep?
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December 1, 1937
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From 1937 to 1948, Edna Walling wrote a regular column called "Letters to Garden Lovers". Written in an intimate and conspiratorial style, their charm and character illustrate the essence of her popularity. These complete letters have been published in a book entitled "Letters to Garden Lovers".
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Dear Gardeners,
It seems ages since I last wrote to you, but there has been no urgent, "where the so-and-so is your letter?" from the Editor... "Oh, Mr Editor, please wait for little me; I know I'm unimportant but THEY are important to me and they might, they just might be disappointed if I don't write."
January, 1944
Dear Gardeners,
Really, the Editor is very trying! I was just about to tell you such a lot of things I'd thought of since last writing when the telephone rang...! "I want you to tell them something about some stone work this month", came the request in dulcet tones. Me, very meekly, (I always console myself with that promise that we shall inherit the earth): "Very well, Mr Editor."
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Walling provided her readers with practical gardening and design information along with anecdotes about her numerous travels about the countryside and encounters with fellow gardeners.
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Dear Gardeners,
...With seedlings the simplest way is to mulch your borders first, and then make a little hole in the mulch, and plant the seedling in the soil beneath. This saves a tremendous amount of time, since mulching around seedlings in one of the most tedious of jobs in the garden; the moisture content of the soil is kept even and the plants receive a mild dose of liquid manure during every rain.
Goodbye and good mulching.
Yours Deciduously,
Edna Walling
During a recent visit to New South Wales I met Thistle Y. Harris, the author of the recently published book, "Wild Flowers of Australia". It was a delight to go through the bush with her...
September 1, 1939
"What a charming little fellow is Anthemis aeizoon", he said, right out of the blue. Goodness, I thought, if he likes that I'm sure he must be nice, and off we went hopping from this little ground-hugging chamomile to some towering tree.
December, 1944
Funny things, gardens, I think they like to be discovered, not shown off. I shall never forget being shown a collection of gardens by the proud designer. His pride one could forgive him, but the halting at given spots just produced an irrepressible desire to giggle. I found myself outwardly expressing hollow words of praise, but inwardly irreverently wondering where he procured those wonderful English corduroy slacks...
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December, 1944
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In 1948 Edna Walling ceased writing her regular column for "Australian Home Beautiful". The magazine articles had provided Walling with a regular income, which proved necessary, as her landscape design work did not. Her public profile had also been increased by her magazine articles and attracted clients and fans alike. She continued to write articles for various magazines and newspapers. Increasingly her writing voiced her concerns over the destruction of the Australian bush and poor land management.
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