No Whisky In This Nightjar

Real World Gardener for 29th June 2011 on 2RRR 88.5fm

Wildlife In Focus: Kurtis Lindsay talks about the Tawny Frogmouth or Nightjar. Some might have mistaken this for an owl with its owl like features. Find out the difference between Nightjars and Owls by listening to the podcast.

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Photo of Nightjar taken by David Little.
Vegetable Heroes go fruity with Washington Navels. The most popular fruit tree in the world. Citrus sinensis "Washington Navel."  Navels have a small immature fruit at the apex of the fruit giving it that tell tale Navel. The skin is very bright and easy to peel, the fruit is sweet and juicy, but doesn't keep.
Navels mature in winter, so if your tree has fruit in summer then it's a Valencia.
Orange trees need excellent drainage so dig a hole, twice the size of the pot, and fill with water. If the water doesn't drain away in 30 minutes, then select another another site or grow another type of tree.
Orange trees hate root competition of any kind. No lawn, undercover plants of anykind, just mulch, otherwise the tree will sulk and not flourish.
Fertilise with organic pellets and blood and bone.
Design Elements: Lesley Simspon, garden designer discusses with Marianne, (presenter)  the problem of " I wanted a natural garden but it went all pear shaped/" Listen here for the solution.

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Plant of the Week: Sabina and Marianne talk about Artemesia sp. or wormwood. Artemsias are members of the Asteraceae family. That means the flowers are daisy like, even though fairly small.    Artemisa absinthum Lambrook Silver ’for all year round colour.‘ and Artemisia vulgaris or common wormwood makes a great grey foliaged hedge. 
 I grew up with a hedge of Artemisia vulgaris at the front of the house so I’m very familiar with the particular scent that common Wormwood gives off. When I got to high school I used to manually prune the hedge, and I don’t recall getting stiff and sore arms like I do now when I prune plants.   It is a tall herbaceous perennial plant growing 1–2 m (rarely 2.5 m) tall, with a woody root. The leaves are 5–20 cm long, dark green, pinnate, with dense white tomentose hairs on the underside.  It flowers from February to April. You can prune Wormwood quite hard, even back to the old wood and it reshoots.
Artemisa absinthum "Lambrook Silver " Grown for its silvery, fernlike, deeply cut and aromatic foliage. Cut off the insignificant flowerheads to encourage new leaves.  You can buy it online- http://www.lambley.com.au/