Cabbages Cure Hangovers and What Makes an Australian Garden?

GARDEN HISTORY

The Australian Garden Idea

Australians love to travel, more so now than ever before.
Often in our travels we love to see other gardens, whether in passing or on purpose.
We might fall in love with a particular plant of group of plants or we might want to copy a particular style.
In the early days of Australia, a lot of gardens were influenced by gardens overseas, particularly England and Europe, but more recently the influence has shifted to Asian gardens like Bali or Polynesia.

Australian Garden entry Chelsea Flower
Show photo M Cannon

So then you have to ask the question, what makes an Australian garden?
Let’s find out.. I'm talking with Stuart Read, Landscape Historian and on the National Management Committee of the Australian Garden History Society.

Australia’s amount of sunlight, type of soil and drier climate has meant that we’ve had to adapt garden design so that it can survive.

Stuart says Australians want to produce the look, but what that is, we're not quite sure of.

Does a garden have to have Australian plants to be an Australian garden? Possibly.

Australian Garden entry Chelsea Flower
Show photo M Cannon

However many European plants blend in quite well, and these days, Plant Breeders in Europe are growing new or different forms of Australian plants and shipping them back to Australia.

Minimalism has been in vogue for the last twenty years in Australia, however, Stuart points out that it was actually started in the mid 17th Century by Georgian gardens.

Of course gardens in Tasmania and Victoria can emulate the English garden reasonably easily, to the envy of northern gardeners.

If you have any questions what makes an Australian garden or have some information to share, drop us a line to or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675 and I’ll send you a packet of seeds.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Cabbages and Mini Cabbages 

Brassica oleracea capitata

Cabbages are in the Brassica family along with Brussel sprouts. Caulis and Broccoli.

Did you know that the cabbage has been grown as a vegetable for more than 4,000 years?
Cabbage is native to the Mediterranean and when it was first grown, it looked more like a leafy kale and didn’t have much head at all..

Hangover Cure
The ancient Romans loved it, and used it for several purposes.
A clever roman named Cato (no not the Peter Sellers' man servant in the Pink Panther movies) , but the Roman Cato, said that eating cabbage soaked in vinegar hangover before going out for an evening of heavy drinking, prevented you from getting; but if you did get a hangover then the remedy was simply more cabbage.

It’s no surprise that the explorers of the 17th and 18th centuries carried cabbage in their ship's stores for their crews to eat, and the high Vitamin C content helped stave off the scurvy that was so common among sailors.

It was also useful for binding wounds to prevent gangrene and that was because of the sulphur content in the cabbage.

Why Cabbage ?
We’re talking about cabbage now because it grows well in cool climates, produces a large harvest, and stores well during winter.
But I don’t want to talk about any old cabbage, but mini cabbages.

What are dwarf of mini vegetables?
Did you know that the trend to grow dwarf or mini veggies started in the 1980’s?
You might think that mini veggies are just like the normal variety but you pick them earlier.
But no.
There are genuine dwarf varieties of a lot of vegetables.

Ever heard of Baby avocado, baby artichokes and even baby beets? There’s heaps more.
Today of course it’s the mini cabbage.

We’re growing this mini cabbage because it’s the fastest growing cabbage to eat and takes up much less room.

Did you know? That if Mini Cabbage is stored in ideal conditions (-1 to 2 °C with a humidity of 90–100 percent); Mini Cabbage will remain edible for up to Six months.

How to grow cabbage 
To sow cabbage, in temperate, sub-tropical and arid districts, March until June is the best time;

Temperate and sub tropical districts can have another go from August until November,

March until May is best then August in cool temperate areas.

Cabbages do best in a reasonably firm soil, so leave it for several months between digging and planting.

Why firm soil?
So they don’t fall over when they grow those heavy heads.

Like all brassica varieties dig in plenty of well- rotted manure or compost in the autumn - don't dig in the manure close to planting time.

So if you haven’t done it this autumn, don’t worry, throw on some general purpose garden fertiliser and leave for a week.
Pick a reasonably sunny spot for the site where you are growing cabbages.

TIP: If you can, use a site where peas and beans (Legumes) where grown the recently, and if you dug in manure or compost for them then no worries, don’t do anything else.

By the way, don't dig up those pea and bean roots as they contain lots of useful nitrogen that plants require.
You can either sow seed or put in some seedlings but either way, only put them 7.5cm  apart so they won’t grow thin and spindly.

Cabbage seed needs temperatures between 15-24 deg C to germinate, so now’s a good time.

Seeds take about 6 days to germinate and only 35 – 45 days or around 7 weeks before they’re ready for picking.

TIP: it can’t be said often enough but if you’re planting out seedlings you need to make sure that you firm the soil with your hands or trowel around the seedling because firm planting helps grow firm tight cabbage heads.

If you plant them now they’ll mature when it’s still cool and you’ll have the firmest best tasting cabbages.

Stagger the planting so you don’t have 12 mature cabbages at once.

When your first seedlings are about as tall as your hand, plant the next lot.

I’ve been told that transplanting cabbage seedlings helps them to grow strong roots , so if you are starting from seed, sow them in a punnet.

Pest Patrol

Now the next problem is pest patrol-possums, aphids and white cabbage butterfly.
Try some veggie netting-a very fine mesh that you can throw over your cabbages, or put cut off plastic drink bottles over the seedlings.
Another idea is to cut out white plastic butterflies from the bottoms of ice-cream containers.
hang those around your cabbage plants.
White cabbage butterflies are supposed to be territorial and hopefully will fly away thinking that you cabbage patch is already taken.

Ragged holes in cabbage leaves, means caterpillars

To treat those caterpillars, there’s the organic Dipel and another product that contains an organic ingredient Spinosad.  Yates Success. Also ecoNeem.
Both very safe.

Don’t forget to feed your Cabbages with liquid fertiliser when they’re small

Pick your cabbages when they’re still firm and they’ll stay that way for months in cool weather.

Why are they good for you?

Why grow them? Cabbages contain 90% water and are really low in kilojoules.

Also high in vitamin C, you need only eat 100g to get your daily requirement.
They also have dietary fibre, folate, potassium and help balance fluids when you’ve eaten too much sodium-salty foods.

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Pool Fence Aesethics

It may seem odd to talk about pools right now as we head into winter, but it’s probably a good time to think about the aesthetics of the pool.
If you don’t have a pool you may be wondering what this is all about?

Surely the pool is just that, a pool that sticks out like a sore thumb in the garden.
If that’s the case though, then you’re missing something, and there are ways to make the backyard pool look aesthetically pleasing.
How do you achieve this?

Let’s find out? i'm talking with Matt Leacy Principal Director from Landart Landscapes.

Making the pool fence disappear seems to be the thing to do so that you focus more on the garden and the pool.

Rather than a piecemeal approach, consider hiring a designer to make your pool look like part of the landscape.
If you have any questions about pool aesthetics, contact Matt or email us here at realworldgardener@gmail.com

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Lewisia "Elise"

Did you know that the plants we call succulents include sempervivums, sedums, aloes, kalanchoes, echeverias and other fleshy-leaved species?
You mightn’t know what all these genera look like, but generally, you would thing that succulents are those plants with thick, juicy leaves, like Aloe Vera, or Hen and Chicken plant or maybe even Donkeys Tails and Jellybeans.

Jeremy holding a Lewisia "Elise"

This next succulent though you may not have heard of.
Not only is it tough but it has lots of pretty flowers.

I'm talking with the plant panel : Karen Smith, editor of Hort Journal www.hortjournal.com.au and Jeremy Critchley, The Green Gallery wholesale nursery owner. www.thegreengallery.com.au

Succulents are plants that have evolved in some of the toughest growing conditions on earth, and a lot are actually at their best when grown in hot sun and poor soil. 

Lewsia is a succulent plant that is low growing with cupped leaves.

The pretty starry flowers occur on multi-branched stems and are about the size of a 10 cent piece (Australian). The flower colours are various shades of oranges, yellows and pink and some with a striped effect.

Lewsia resents too much water, and watering from overhead will lead to fungal rots and eventual death.

Watering from the bottom, if plants are in pots is the best method for this succulent and possibly a lot of other succulents.
The original Lewisa species required some cold weather before flowering, but this variety is bred to flower in warmer conditions.

TIP:

Succulents are plants that have evolved in some of the toughest growing conditions on earth, and a lot are actually at their best when grown in hot sun and poor soil.Not all though, so don’t be fooled into thinking that they need to grow in desert like conditions.
They’re not cacti so don’t walk away and never water them.
If you have any questions about the Lewisia Elise, why not write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com

Sunflowers and Teardrops

REAL WORLD GARDENER Wed. 5pm 2RRR 88.5fm Sydney, streaming live at www.2rrr.org.au and Across Australia on the Community Radio Network. www.realworldgardener.com
Real World Gardener is funded by the Community Broadcasting Foundation
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The complete CRN edition of RWG is available on http://www.cpod.org.au/ , just click on 2RRR to find this week’s edition. The new theme is sung by Harry Hughes from his album Songs of the Garden. You can hear samples of the album from the website www.songsofthegarden.com

Spice it Up

with Ian Hemphill from www.herbies.com.au

Sometimes, RWG’s herb expert searches the globe for one of those spices, shall we say, that come from only one place in the world.
Going to a remote Greek Island may seem like an ideal way of spending your days, but if it’s not on the tourist trail, it might lack some of the basics.
Leaving no stone unturned in his quest, listen to this yet another amazing tale from the spice trade.

As Ian said, the clear crystalline tears make up the Mastic spice.
You need to crush the Mastic tears into a powder before using it in cooking, unless you want to just chew on them of course.
If you’ve got an ice-cream maker, add some powdered Mastic to your next batch of ice-cream. Very Yummy!
I found a recipe that I can post on the web, but you only need to use half a teaspoon of powdered Mastic.
For those who don’t use computers, write in and I’ll send you a fact sheet.
If you have any questions about using Mastick in cooking, why not drop us a line by sending in your question to realworldgardener@gmail.com or by post to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

Vegetable Heroes

Sunflowers or Helianthus anuus from the Daisy or Asteraceae family.
Picture fields of sunflowers as you drive down the road? We could see more of them if a new plan to boost the amount of sunflowers grown in Australia is successful.
Did you know that Australia has a Sunflower Association?
Yes indeed, the Australian Sunflower Association is not in fact a group of plant lovers that love all types of sunflowers but a group of industry people and growers who decided an industry body should be established.
Because Sunflower growing was expanding at a fast rate back in the 1970’s, the Australian Sunflower Association was formed in June 1976.
Australia only produces about half the amount of sunflowers products consumed in this country.
Australian Sunflower Association chair Kevin Charlesworth says the oilseed crop has enormous potential.
"Central Queensland used to be a major growing area, then a disease came in that was unidentified for three years, which was later found to be Tobacco Strain Virus (TSV).

Know I ask you, “Who doesn’t love to grow sunflowers?”
I bet there’s listeners to the program, perhaps driving in their car, or their tractor in the field, or in their kitchen, who’ve grown sunflowers from when they were little.
Sunflower is a summer growing plant native to North America, and is produced in large quantities throughout the USA, Eastern Europe, China and South America.

Have you wondered why sunflowers follow the sun?
All plants reach out to the sun as they produce food with the help of the sun.
The sunflower seems to follow the sun when the stem of the flower is still supple, but as it gets older, the flower gets fixed in one direction.

Growing Sunflowers
Sunflowers are extremely drought tolerant and can be grown in areas with little or no rainfall over summer.
They have a similar soil temperature requirement to that of corn so that they can normally be sown from mid and late August onwards.
In temperate districts sow sunflower seeds from August through to January.

When to Grow
In Cool temperate areas, from October until December. Sunflower plants are susceptible to frost damage after the sixth leaf stage so that sowing earlier than 5-6 weeks prior to the last frost of the season isn’t a good idea.
In Arid areas, from September to March, subtropical zones, August to April but Tropical areas only from April to August.

So what makes a sunflower?
You may’ve heard me talking about the flower members of the daisy family before but here it is again.
All daisy flowers are not just one flower, but made up of lots and lots of flowers.
You probably didn’t realise that the outer petals are ray florets-these are sterile. These outer yellow florets we might as well call petals.
The inner parts are the disc florets and depending on the cultivar and size the main head of the sunflower might contain from 1,000 to 4,000 individual florets.
Did you know that pollination by bees is so important to sunflower growers that that Departments of Agriculture recommend 3-5 hives per hectare.
Tip:Bees are important for pollination of sunflowers, because if the sunflowers self pollinate, seed set is usually low, the seed undersized and sprout more slowly if re-sown.

Down in the Dirt
There isn’t that much to them really.
Something to get kids or beginner gardeners interested in gardening and certainly a sure fire way of succeeding in sowing seeds.
Sunflowers are annuals that can be sown where they are to grow and flower.
 The better the soil, the bigger and taller your sunflower will be.
So a fertile, well-drained, sunny position in the garden will make you grow prize winning sunflowers.
 Smooth over the top of the soil lightly to create a good surface for sowing the seeds.
Sow the seeds down into the soil to about triple the diameter of the seed.
Then just cover with more soil and water in.

Can you use sunflower seed from the pet or grain store?
Of course you can.
 You might get a real mix of flowers, because the seed may have come from a hybrid plant but then again you may strike it lucky and get a really great crop too.

Or try some of these varieties:
Sunflower Evening Sun- orange, russet-bronze, mahogany-red and gold with dark centres. The multiple heads provide an extended bloom period. A great variety for cutting; the plants grow 1.8 - 2.4m tall.
SUNFLOWER - Giant Russian (Helianthus annus) OGA
Tall grower to 2m with large yellow flower head. Seeds are edible when hulled or great bird food. Sow Spring-Summer.

Why are they good for you?
Sunflowers are high in energy, protein, vitamin E and B complex vitamins including folic acid
Not only that, sunflower seeds contain many essential minerals like Calcium Iron and Magnesium.
100g of sunflower seeds gives you 21% of RDI of protein and 52% of Niacin.
You can use the seeds fresh or toasted. So not just for the birds.
So happy sunflower growing gardeners!
AND THAT WAS OUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT FOR TODAY!

Design Elements

Colour in Garden Design with Landscape Designer Louise Mc Daid

A couple of weeks ago, a new series was started on colour in garden design.

• Today we’re focusing on an Australian garden that’s follows a journey of water from the arid inland landscapes of central Australia, along dry river beds and down mighty rivers to the coastal fringes of the continent.

That’s how the Botanic Gardens in Melbourne describe that particular garden.




Plus, a section of  the Hunter Valley Gardens in NSW, to illustrate uses of colour schemes in Australian Gardens.

 

Complementary – red/green – combination of foliage and flower and building– mostly green with well placed blocks of red

Red trim on the Japanese pavilion and arching bridge defines the curves, red bougainvillea  situated to stand beneath and look out – looks spectacular from other side of pond looking back at it, dark red foliage of canna lily leading down to the pond, and flower of coral plant (Russelia equisetiformis) and roses

Louise visited this garden recently and gives
you some insight to the design of this garden





Let’s find out what they are….


Why not visit the outstanding garden at Cranbourne or you could visit the Hunter Valley gardens about 2 hours north of Sydney

Did you know that the second and final stage of the Australian Garden was publically opened only in October 2012. 

 Key plants used in the garden are Weeping Myall, Acacia pendula, Eremophila spp, and Atriplex nummularia. or Old-man Saltbush.

View looking back at the bougainvillea is actually split complementary – red with yellow-green and blue-green (lavender kept clipped to shape

Harmonious using foliage – green backdrop (tall/hedge), yellow lower and yellow green ground cover (zoysia) – accent colour in this case is dark but shows up well next to the yellow

Plant of the Week

Ornamental Grasses
Living mulch is very useful in gardens that want to be considered low maintenance. Although I don’t subscribe to the term low maintenance, because unless you’re concreting your yard, there’s always plenty of maintenance to be doing if you’re looking after your own garden properly.

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Klein Fontaine’ (little fountain) is a compact cultivar growing to 1.2m. The leaves of this cultivar are about 1cm wide with a prominent white mid vein. Kleine Fontaine has very upright growth and flowerheads which are produced in mid to late Summer. H: 1.2m   W: 60cm Frost tolerance: Hardy Water use: 1 Herbacious Perennial Position: Sun/ Part Shade Primary flower colour: Beige

Panicum virgatum ‘Rubrum’-Red Prairie Switch Grass

Fountain like clumps of fine arching leaves are topped by a cloud of maroon midge-like flowers during autumn. Late in the season the foliage turns bronze red and finally to straw gold during winter. In the past I’ve grown it where it gets regular summer irrigation but these last couple of years a plant has grown happily, with barely a drop of irrigation, in our dry climate garden. 100cm x 80cm.

Stipa gigantea-Giant Golden Oats Grass

When flowering in late spring and early summer this is the most dramatically beautiful of all grasses. 210cm tall wands carry huge heads of golden oat-like flowers over low tussocks of evergreen leaves. The mature heads are handsome throughout the summer. We cut this evergreen grass back to a 15cm tall mound in March. New leaves soon grow and the plant develops into a dark green tussock some 60cm x 90cm.

Native grasses

Baloskian Green Wedge™ Baloskian tetraphyllus dwarf selection

 You won’t ‘ruffle’ the bright green feathery habit of Green Wedge as it’s such a hardy yet soft, adaptable, compact plant; it grows to perfection in moist soils beside water features or in an ornamental container on the cooler areas of decks or patios. Panicles of bronze tassel spikelets during summer provide small seed, much to the delight of finches. The stems, which are 30-50 cm long can be harvested for use indoors in floral arrangements. Thrives in moist soils in light shade and likes a regular tipple if grown in a container. Cool temperate to sub tropical climates are to its liking.

Sabina's choice is Pennisetum alopecuroides "Nafray." Grows 60 x 60 cm
Lomandra, or mat rush is also useful if you’re into basket weaving, something that the traditional owners used to do. You first have to wet the grass stem of Lomandra, the split it and weave two strands onto themselves.
Pretty simple really.