Sweet Leaves, Nectar and Flowers

What’s on the show today?

A tiny honeyeater in Wildlife in Focus, sweetness you can grow in Vegetable Heroes. A new series starts in Design Elements, that’s gardening in tight spaces and less value for money cut flowers in the Talking Flowers segment with Mercedes.

WILDLIFE IN FOCUS

Eastern Spinebill

Did you think all honeyeaters were on the large side in Australia?
Well if you did, you’ll be surprised to learn that there’s a tiny honey eater weighing only 11 grams.
Not only that, the Eastern Spinebill is the only Australian honeyeater that will feed will flying.
So how can you spot them because they’re bound to be terribly shy?
Firstly get up at the crack of dawn, when most birds are out and about then listen to what Holly has to say about them.
Let’s find out more.

 I'm talking with Dr Holly Parsons from www.birdsinbackyards.net

America has the humming bird but Australia has the Eastern Spinebill which can hover will extracting nectar from flowers.
Not as spectacular as the hummingbirds, but pretty amazing all the same.

You can spot the eastern spinebill male has a grey black crown, white chest and throat with a rusty patch right in the middle, plus a beautifully curved beak to get the nectar from flowers, particularly tubular flowers.
Listen out for their call which as a few variations. Often though it includes a staccato like twittering.

If your garden is near bushland and you want to attract the eastern spinebill, then think about planting more of those tubular flowers like epacrids ( pictured below) and correas.

Epacris impressa var, grandiflora

Also smaller flowering grevilleas like Grevillea sericea and Grevillea speciosa.
If you have any questions about beds either for me or for Holly why not email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Stevia rebaudiana

Native to Paraguay and other tropical areas of the Americas, the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana) has leaves packed with super-sweet compounds that keeps its sweetness even after the leaves have been dried.

Stevia is a member of the chrysanthemum family but did you know that Stevia leaves have been used to sweeten teas and other drinks throughout South America for centuries?

So why are Stevia leaves’ so sweet?

Because the leaves contain something called steviol glycosides.

Steviol glycosoides are high intensity natural sweeteners, 200-300 times sweeter than sugar.

In fact the leaves of the stevia plant contain not just one, but many different steviol glycosides and each one varies in sweetness and aftertaste.

So what does Stevia plant look like?

Stevia is a small perennial shrub with small pointed lime green leaves that do best in a rich, loamy soil — the same kind that most of your plants in the garden like.

It has little white flowers at the end of long stems.

Stevia is native to semi-humid, sub-tropical climates where temperatures typically range from -6°C to 43°C.

• Although Stevia tolerates mild frost, heavy frosts will kill the roots of the plant.
• Since the feeder roots tend to be quite near the surface add compost for extra nutrients if the soil in your area is sandy.
• From all that, you could guess that Stevia is evergreen in temperate, sub-tropical and tropical climates, but in cold and arid districts, it’ll lose its leaves in Autumn.
• By the way, I’ve grown my stevia plant in a pot for several years now without any problems and it’s survived several bouts of dry hot summers and lack of watering during spells with a house sitter.
• But, it really isn’t drought tolerant like a succulent or a cactus and won’t tolerate long term neglect.

  

  Stevia flowers

• During warm weather don’t forget to water it and if you’re going away for a few weeks put in a dripper system, otherwise you’ll lose your Stevia plant.

TIP:But don’t plant your Stevia in waterlogged soil and don’t overwater it.

 Adding a layer of compost or your favourite mulch around your stevia plant so that the shallow feeder roots won’t dry out.

 Stevia plants do best with fertilizers with a lower nitrogen content than the phosphorus or potassium content.

Which means the artificial fertiliser aren’t your best bet, but most organic fertilizers are because they release nitrogen slowly.

HINT: Stevia leaves have the most sweetness in autumn when temperatures are cooler and the days shorter.

Definitely the best time to pick those stevia leaves.

If your district is prone to frosts in Autumn, make sure you cover the Stevia plant for another few weeks’ growth and more sweetness.

How do you store Stevia leaves?

If you Stevia plant is big enough, the easiest technique is to cut the branches off with secateurs before stripping the leaves.

TIP:As an extra bonus, you might also want to clip off the stem tips and add them to your harvest, because they have as much stevio-side as do the leaves.

 If you live in a mostly frost-free climate, your plants will probably cope with winter outside, as long as you don’t cut the branches too short (leaving about 10cms of stem at the base during pruning).

These plants do last a few years in temperate and warmer climates.

In cool temperate districts, it might be a good idea to take cuttings that you’ll use for next year’s crop.

Cuttings need to be rooted before planting, using either commercial rooting hormones or a natural base like honey.

Stevia seed is apparently very tricky to germinate, and the cutting method is your best option.

 SO HOW DO YOU USE YOUR STEVIA LEAVES?

I should mention that the stevioside content is only 12% in the leaves you grow compared with the 80-90% that commercially extracted stevia has.

It’s still had a decent amount of sweetness all the same.

So you’ve picked the leaves now you need to dry them.

• As with drying all herbs you can hang your bunch of leaves upside down in a warm dry place.
• Otherwise, on a moderately warm day, your stevia crop can be quick dried in the full sun in about 12 hours. (Drying times longer than that will lower the stevioside content of the final product.)
• If you have a home dehydrator use that instead.
• Finally crush the leaves either by hand,  in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle that you use for spices and herbs.
• The dried leaves last indefinitely!
• If you add two or three leaves added whole or powdered, that’s enough to sweeten a cup of tea or coffee.

HOT TIP: Another way is to make your own liquid stevia extract by adding a cup of warm water to 1/4 cup of fresh, finely-crushed stevia leaves. This mixture should set for 24 hours and then be refrigerated.

Why are they good for you?

 Stevia is a natural sweetener that has zero calories and isn't metabolised by the body.

Stevia isn’t suitable for everything in cooking but you can use it to sweeten drinks, fruits, salad dressings, stewed fruit, yogurt and most creamy desserts.

The processed Stevia that you buy in the shops has been stripped of all the natural goodness that Stevia contains, so it’s better to grow your own Stevia.

THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Gardening in Tight Spaces Part 1

Tillandsia capitata

Gardening in tight spaces seems to be a modern day occurrence with people living in smaller and smaller accommodation.

Today we’re tackling a tiny balcony situation high up on the 7th floor.

That may not be where you live, but there’ll be something that you can take from this.

Let’s find out.

I'm talking with Peter Nixon, garden designer and director of Paradisus garden design 

If you have a westerly aspect that’s under cover, go for anything in the Tillandsia family.

Peter suggests Tillandsia fasciculata hybrids and Tillandsia capitata hybrids.
And the suggestions were if you’re stuck with a tiny balcony, or even courtyard, then do use those vertical surfaces.
Those modular units can be a bit pricey, but there are alternatives if you’re prepared to do your own hand watering. If you have any questions about gardening in tight spaces or have a suggestion either for me or for Peter why not write in or email me at www.realworldgardener.com

TALKING FLOWERS

Shorter Lasting Flowers for the Vase:

True love may last forever, but flowers do not. Some flowers only last a day. But what a day!

Some flowers do alright in the garden, but not so good in the vase.

So which ones are they?

 Short vase life, anything less than 7 days.

Daylilies make the top of my list. Not true lilies because they belong in the Hemerocallis family.

Each flower only lasts 1 day like its name says but they come in all colours of the rainbow. In fact there used to be a daylily farm called Rainbow Ridge.

 Hibiscus flowers only last 1 day, but in temperate climates they flower for at least 6 months of the year. Longer in warmer climates.

The hardy hibiscus bush can produce up to a hundred flowers in a season.

Evening Primrose-flowers that open in the evening and close again the next morning. If it’s cloudy though, the flowers will stay open. They just don’t like opening for the sun.

Queen of the night.-member of the cactus family, you’ll have to stay up late to watch this one flower. Also known as night flowering cereus.

Desert plants and cacti can have gorgeous, sometimes also fragrant, flowers which last less than a day.

Bearded Iris-only flower for a few weeks then are gone until next season can also be cut for the vase. Will last 4-5 days..

Iceland Poppies have a short vase life of 4-5 days.

Cosmos also 4-5 days. Pick them when they’re not 100% open.

Cosmos

Things you need to do to keep the flowers longer in the vase.

Change the water every two or three days, making fresh stem cuts and adding more floral preserver. Never use tap water, only filtered water.

With roses, avoid fully opened blooms, but also pass on stems with tight buds. Roses harvested too early will not last as long as those that have been cut later.

And remember, true love may last forever, but flowers do not. “It’s OK for flowers to die,” Miller said.

I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini from www.flowersbymercedes.com.au

Recorded live during studio broadcast of Real World Gardener show on 2RRR 88.5 fm Sydney.