Sure. I read the news about Heronswood closing down [link since removed]. Heronswood in Washington, that is. Heronswood in Australia is doing just fine, and...thanks for asking.

While I can understand the outpouring of grief that has been shared via many blogs, here and here, I can only empathise from a distance.

Here in Oz, we have our own Heronswood. A living, breathing heritage of horticulture found near Dromana in Victoria's south along the Mornington Peninsula.

Heronswood was first built in 1871 and has become famous for it's seed mail-order business Digger's. Clive Blazey started the company with their first catalogue released in 1978 and today is a flourishing business. They specialise in heirloom vegetables saving seed for their own use as well as passing them on via sales.

While I've never been to Heronswood (yet!) I've seen many reports on how this Australian gardening instituion operates and it is impressive. Clive and Penny Blazey, the 8th and current owners of Heronswood, have a great philosophy of gardening growing fruits and vegetables not only as a food source but also for their ornamental value. Their garden beds comprise much of this notion as limited space is granted to the most useful and productive plants.