Sage Cottage Farm provides a garden where people flourish

In this garden, the people flourish alongside the blooms. Welcome to Sage Cottage Farm.

Sage Cottage Farm at Baxter on Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula.

Sages Cottage Farm is a heritage-listed property at Baxter, near Frankston on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. It dates back to the 1850s, but under the management of Wallara Australia it has a new life offering training and support to people of different abilities, with the goal of being Australia’s most inclusive farm and a showcase for inclusive tourism.

The cottage gardens include a glorious rose garden, heritage fruit trees and beds filled with colourful and fragrant blooms. Michelle Endersby, who looks after the rose garden, is called the “Rose Lady”. After an acquired brain injury, she awoke from a coma with an overwhelming image of herself in a light-filled rose garden. Since then, her life has been all about roses.

“In this world we all need a place we can retreat to,” Endersby says. “Here I’m in a safe, nurturing and inspiring environment. They say to take time to stop and smell the roses and I think that’s a really important message.”

The Harvest Café, serving produce from the farm and locally, provides hospitality training opportunities while the shop sells art and crafts made on site. The farm is also a Land For Wildlife site that offers a bushland walk. It’s open daily, 8.30am to 3.30pm. sagescottage.com.au

Bigger is Better

‘Big Red’ has been my favourite geranium since its release more than 10 years ago. Botanically it’s a cross between zonal and ivy Pelargonium species.

‘Big Red’.

‘Big White’.

It has big, stand-out blooms, and flowers most of the year. More vibrant colours have been added to the series – Big Burgundy, Rose, Pink, Splash and the new ‘Big White’.

‘Big Pink’.

‘Big Splash’.

Q&A

We planted four Imperial bromeliads (Alcantarea imperialis) five years ago. One flowered last year and died back but hasn’t produced any pups. Now two more have flower spikes. I don’t want to lose them – what can I do?

Scott Harrison, Sydney

These magnificent plants, like most bromeliads, flower once and then slowly die over a year or two while developing pups at the base to replace the mother. However, this species can be unreliable or slow to create pups; they are tiny and grass-like to start so it can be hard to recognise them. Once the spectacular flower spike appears, there’s nothing you can do to halt the process. An expert told me that to help prevent flowering, don’t ever fertilise them.

I’ve discovered my resident possum sleeps during the day in a secluded hanging basket. How can I persuade it to go elsewhere?

Judith Crooke, by email

Ringtail possums usually nest in trees in a drey – a spherical nest made of grass and shredded bark. Dreys are communal for a family so this might be an extra sleeping spot. You could remove or move the hanging basket or cover it with shadecloth to make it inaccessible, or put something strong smelling in it, such as pet poo or mothballs. They are a protected species.

My potted cyclamen has what looks like seed pods. Can I use them to grow more plants?

Trish Cowley, Perth

Seed pods can develop at the end of the old flower stalks. Many potted cyclamens are hybrids and so might not develop seeds or they might not germinate well. But have a go. As the pods ripen they curve downwards, soften, then split open to release the seeds. Sow them, lightly covered, in a tray of propagating mix. Keep warm and moist; they need darkness until they germinate, which usually takes a couple of months. Move young seedlings into direct light and feed with liquid fertiliser.

Send your questions to [e-mail]. The best question for November win a hamper of premium fertilisers and biological soil improvers from Neutrog worth $150.

A Neutrog hamper.