Splendid Native Trees: Blueberry Ash: Willow Myrtle: Albany Woolly Bush: Ivory Curl Tree

 PLANT OF THE WEEK : 

Blueberry Ash

Common Name:Blueberry Ash
Scientific name: Eleaocarpus reticulatus
Family:Elaeocarpacea
Etymology:Elaeocarpus - From the Greek elaia meaning 'olive' and karpos meaning 'fruit';
reticulatus - Latin word meaning 'net-like' referring to the leaf venation.
Tree Height: 6-15m (various cultivars Prima Donna 8-10m)
Flowering:April - October
Origin: Australian rainforests along the east coast.

This is a beautiful tree with sculptural leathery leaves that show off a 'bloom' much like you see on some eucalypt leaves. 

Leaves are medium sized (12cm) with a drip tip apex and serrated edges. 

Starting off as mid to dark green the leaves age to a bright red which contrasts well, being opposite on the colour wheel.

The flowers are also quite a feature resembling clutches of lily of the valley flowers in either pink or cream all over the tree.

The fruits are small blue berries, hence the common name. The fruits are liked by many birds including currawongs, parrots, cockatoos and native pigeons.

Fruits can persist on the tree until the next flowering.

Although the height can grow to 15m you can keep it to as small a height as you would like even 2-3m if preferred.

• Adrian says they shed foliage 12 months of the years so don't plant them near your gutters.
• Not frost tolerant so if you really love the look of this tree, plant it near a north facing wall to give it protection from frost.

I'm talking with Adrian O'Malley, native plant expert.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Scientific Name:Agonis Flexuosa

Common Name: Willow Myrtle/ Peppermint Willow (pictured)

Family: Myrtaceae

Etymology: derived from the Greek word agonos, translated as "without angles," in reference to the drooping branches of some species

flexuous means "bending" or "curvy," referring to the way the branches arch gracefully.

Another fairly spectacular tree when in flower which although small, there are heaps of them.

Origins: Native to Western Australia

Height: to 10 metres

Flowering: Late spring-branches are covered in fragrant tiny white flowers.

There are various cultivars available such as Agonis 'After Dark" (pictured) and Agonis 'Jervis Bay, Agonis 'variegata' and Agonis 'Burgundy.'

Also there is a dwarf form Agonis "Nana.'

The burgundy or dark foliage is a superb contrast to all that green you may have in the garden.

Soil preference is sandy to medium soil, but not clay soils.     

This one's not frost tolerant.

Adrian says you would grow it for the attractive foliage and attracting furrowed bark.

I'm talking with native plant expert Adrian O'Malley

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Scientific Name:Adenanthos sericeus 

Common Name: Albany Woolly Bush

Family: Proteaceae

Etymology: latin sericeus ("silky"), in reference to the very soft foliage. Common name-after a town where it grows indigenously 4.5hrs drive south of Busselton

Height: species grows to 5 metres tall but numerous cultivars are much smaller.

Flowers: insignificant but do appear late winter to early spring.

Many people either grow it themselves or buy an Albany Woolly Bush around Christmas time because it really suits this idea because the. grey-green leaves give it a colour that almost ‘hints’ at being snow covered.

Cultivars:

Adenanthos 'Silver Lining' a groundcover 40cm in height with 1.5m spread

Adenanthos 'Platinum' 1.5m height

Adenanthos 'Silver Streak' grows to 2m

One of the best Christmas trees yet because of the soft furry foliage that you just can't help touching it. 

• The woolly bush is susceptible to phytophthera which can result in the plant dropping dead, seemingly overnight. Particularly if your district has summer humidity.
• The leaves are needle like but not stiff like you would see on a pine tree.
• Makes a perfect living Christmas tree and suitable to be kept in a container in between. This is my one that is nearly two years old. One thing to watch, when hanging tree ornaments on it, because the branches are quite supple, the tree has this kind of spreading look when you finished decorating it.

I'm talking with native plant expert, Adrian O'Malley

 

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Scientific Name: Bickinghamia celsissima

Common Name: Ivory Curl Tree

Family: Proteaceae

Etymology:Buckinghamia....after Richard Grenville, Duke of Buckingham.

celsissima....from Latin celsus, high or lofty, a reference to the habit of the plant in the wild.

Origins: Rainforests of Queensland.

Height: grows to 30 m in natural environment, but 7-8 metres in the home garden. Often used as a street tree.

Flowering: Summer to late Autumn, depending on the location, when the entire crown can be almost entirely covered with spectacular and large (30cm )  racemes of pendant white to cream sweetly perfumed flowers. Often covered in bees happily taking in the nectar and pollen.

pendant white to cream sweetly perfumed flowers. Often covered in bees happily taking in the nectar and pollen.

Fruit: Wooden follicles that contain several seeds. Fresh seed germinates fairly easily, producing plants that can flower within three years. 

Foliage: Glossy large limey green leaves are an attractive feature in themselves. New growth is bronze tipped.

• You will find that it can be grown throughout most of Australia, including as far south as Melbourne. However Buckinghamia celsissima doesn't do well in Canberra, because it hates frosts, and it won't flower in the humidity and heavy rains of the northern tropics.
• If left to it's own devices it will go straight up like a telegraph pole and you will miss the spectacle of the flowers.
• Tip pruning judiciously will give you a shrub as in the picture where the flowers can be observed at close quarters.
• It can be pruned reasonably hard, but be warned, it will recover slowly.

I'm talking with native plant expert Adrian O'Malley

Diving into Spires of White

WILDLIFE IN FOCUS

The Greater Crested Tern is the second largest of 18 different terns found in Australia.

Like most terns, the Greater Crested Tern catches its prey by plunge-diving.



Crested Tern photo Sabrina Ferguson St Leonards Victoria

They first locate their prey by hovering above the surface of the water, before swooping down and either picking food from the surface or diving below to catch its prey. They even try to steal food from others in the same family.
Let’s find out what this bird is all about…I'm talking with  ecologist Sue Stevens

The Greater Crested Tern is found around sandy beaches with fish and safe breeding sites that includes sand dunes with spinifex.

A Tern on the beach photo S. Ferguson St LeonardsVictoria

The Crested tern is an adaptable species that has learned to follow fishing boats for jettisoned bycatch, and to use unusual nest sites such as the roofs of buildings and artificial islands in salt pans and sewage works.

St Leonards Vic. photo S. Ferguson

The greater crested tern is vulnerable because they nest on the ground so dogs let loose on the beach can scare them off leaving in the eggs to chicks exposed.
Also the tern's eggs and young are taken by gulls and ibises, and human activities such as fishing, shooting and egg harvesting have caused local population declines.
You can help protect the Greater Crested Tern by:
organising a day to pick-up litter on your local beach
 not getting too close to tern nests as disturbance can distract them from caring for their young.
If you have any questions about Crested Terns or a photo send it in to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Florence Fennel Foeniculum vulgare dulce and var. azoricum
Did I really mean Florence Fennel?
You might think that I’m trying to get you to grow that roadside weed that is found all over Australia.
No, I’m talking about the culinary fennel. That other fennel was probably the Fennel  mentioned in the seed  inventory list brought out to Australia by the First Fleet in 1788.
Fennel is a member of the Apiaceae family, the members of which include parsley, caraway, dill, cumin and anise.
Did you know that in Ancient Greece fennel juice was used as an effective cure for poor eyesight, night blindness and cataract?

The real fennel (Florence fennel Foeniculum vulgare Azoricum Group;) is a cultivar group with a sort of bulb at the base that you can use in cooking, salads and stir fries.

The bulb part is sort of a squat flattened oblong with  four or five smooth stalks coming out the top. These stalks are hollow with a white pith inside.
On top of the stalks are feathery, finely divided linear leaves, and if you let if flower, they’ll be yellow followed by greyish brown seeds.
They’re also edible.
Also the real fennel or Florence Fennel has a much milder anise-like flavour, than wild Fennel and is more aromatic and sweeter.
Fennel really only grows to about 60cm and we tend to grow it as an annual although it is a perennial.
This plant is best in hot, dry climates but will grow in practically all climates of Australia, yes Melbourne and Canberra is fine.

When to Sow.
Sowing at the right time of year is important because if you sow too early, cold can cause bolting; if you sow too late, plants won't fatten up before the winter
Now is ideal, when the temperature is stable, day length is consistent and there's at least 16 weeks for bulbs to develop.
In sub-tropical areas, you can plant or sow seeds from March until May, in temperate zones, from February until May, in cool temperate zones, you have from February until about mid- March, and for cold or mountain districts, it was February then not again until November/December unless you have a greenhouse.
For arid areas you have March and April and again in July.

Should you have a soil thermometer, Fennel is best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 25°C  and as a general rule of thumb, soil temperatures are around a few degrees cooler than the current air temperature.
It resents disturbance and responds to any shock by bolting: so you’ll only get feathery fronds and flowers, but no swollen stems.
Because the bulb grows only partially below ground, and mostly above ground it suits those districts with heavy soils.
 Otherwise, you can grow it in a pot-by itself.
Florence Fennel isn’t too fussy with soils as long as the veggie bed, or garden bed is well drained as has compost or decayed animal manure dug in.
In cool temperate districts cut back the plant to about 10cm above the ground as winter draws nearer.
Fennel likes a well-drained fertile soil like most vegetables really.
 When planting your Florence Fennel seeds –sow them about 5mm deep, and unless you’ve got a lot of space, you don’t need more than 2 or 3 because they need spacing of about 30cm.
Never let the soil dry out because water is needed for germination, steady growth and swelling.
If roots become visible or plants seem unsteady, earth them up to stabilise them.
This will also help make bulbs white and tender and, later, exclude frost.
After about 6 weeks you can hill out the soil around the emerging bulb so that, like Celery, the base stays white and is more tender than if you let the sunlight turn it green.
Hilling up is just mounding soil or mulch around the base of the plant.

You can make sleeves out of newspapers or use bottomless milk cartons to keep the hilled soil from getting into the leaves of the Fennel plant.
Plants take several months to mature that’s 3-4 months after sowing.
When they look big enough to eat use a garden fork to loosen the roots and cut the bulb off about 2.5cm above the ground.
This way you’ll get more feathery shoots that can be used as celery/dill-flavoured seasoning in the kitchen.
An advantage of growing Florence fennel are that it attracts parasitic wasps and very small Praying Mantises.
It’s free of pests and it looks great and the Fennel bulb is delicious baked, too.
Why not try it grated raw in a salad or baked in lasagne.?
Cooking with Florence fennel
The bulb is best sweet, ripe and fresh (try it raw in salads) but it will also keep for several weeks in a cool, dry place

The small bulbs are delicious finely sliced raw in salads with orange and radish. The larger, woodier bulbs are better cut into slices and baked.
Where do you get it?
You can get root cuttings from plants that have been lifted during spring, so any if you attend a garden club, ask if any members have this plant.
There are plenty of seed suppliers in Australia that have Florence Fennel Seeds.
Try these companies/
www.heritageseeds.com.au      www.greenharvest.com.au
www.newgipps.com.au  www.fourseasonsherbs.com.au and www.diggers.com.au
Why is it good for you?
The fennel bulb is also an excellent source of Vitamin C
Fennel also has folate (Vitamin B), fibre and potassium.
One cup of fennel has 10.8 per cent of the daily fibre intake, 5.9 per cent of the daily folate and 10.3 per cent of the daily potassium.
Definitely worth a try.
AND THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT FOR TODAY!

DESIGN ELEMENTS

with Jason Cornish landscape designer.

You might’ve seen green walls on gardening programs on television, in magazines or in situ inside a building or even on the outside.
You might’ve even though of building one to hide an ugly view but were put off by the cost and well, do the plants last in green walls?
Today’s landscape designer doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to describing the pitfalls that greenwalls or vertical gardens have.

Jason also describes a simple method he thinks is a simple but fool-proof design for a DIY vertical garden.

Let’s find out  about them




There are lots of things to consider if planning a green wall, and I think you have to be really handy to build one yourself.
Otherwise buy one of those vertical garden modules that are easy to install and don’t require attaching to a fence.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Ivory Curl Tree. Buckinghamia celsissima
Do you need a fast growing tree?
If you do, then you can’t go past this one then because it’s a robust native tree, you can keep it low by pruning, it’s evergreen and has creamy fragrant spires of flowers in summer and autumn.
A native of northern Queensland coastal rainforests, where it grows on deep well-drained volcanic soils.



Let’s find out about this plant.

Rainforest plants can be grown in most gardens provided they are given protection from the extremes of heat, cold and the drying winds.
Buckinghamia celsissima is a hardy reliable flowering tree which is often used as a street tree in many areas because of its adaptability.
It can either be grown as a tree, or be kept pruned as a shrub.
Ideally, ivory curl tree prefers full sun and deep well-drained soil, where it will develop a dense, compact, rounded crown of deep green leaves.

New growth is flushed bronze/red. Moderately fast growth can be expected if well-watered and fertilized in summer.
Although watering is necessary initially, once established, rainforest plants require no more water than other garden plants.
Ivory curl tree flowers, sort of look like those of Grevilleas, and native birds just love them as do bees because they’re a good food source.
Bushy foliage is made up of slender, shiny green leaves that have a velvety underside. New growth often has a pinkish red tinge.   Worth a try.

All About Begonias

Sydney Garden Talk -Saturdays 12noon-!pm on 2RRR 88.5 FM
Today's program featured an interview with Peter Sharp, who has over thirty years experience in Begonia growing and was fundamental to establishing the Begonia beds at Sydney Botanic gardens fifteen years ago.
The beds contain 60 different species and about 50 different hybrids of Begonias.
Start with bedding begonias in a mass to give the visual effect.
The first can Begonia should be  Begonia "Irene Nuss,"  -will take full sun to part shade, flowers from end of spring to winter. Has huge panicles of pink flowers.Almost an angel wing leaf.
All Begonias have leaves that are asymmetrical.
Recommended groundcover Begonia: B. Convolvulacea-can grow up to cover a fence, otherwise about 30-50cm tall depending on conditions. Takes full sun or shade-will grow under trees.
Begonias are heavy feeders,-use a slow release and also supplement with a liquid fertiliser if growing in pots.
Need frequent pruning to shape and size. Pruning of cane Begonias forces growth from the root system rather than promoting lateral growth.
If pots are too small for these Begonias, growth of side shoots will be inhibited.
Begonias for shade: B. listada-deep green velvety leaves with lime stripe-groundcover.
Next to the Cactus family, Begonias are the most drought tolerant as they are succulents by nature. Store moisture in leaves, stems and root systems.
Vegetable Hero:Kohlrabi-Brassica oleracea "Gongylodes"
Heirloom seed from http://www.greenharvest.com.au/ has purple skin and white flesh. Easy to grow.
It has a bright purple skin and white flesh. The flesh is tender with a mild, cabbage-turnip flavour. This is a very hardy vegetable and easy to grow .
Kohlrabi is usually grown from seedlings started in a mini greenhouse, but you can sow seed directly in the garden. Plant the seeds 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep; -, 0.6 to 1.3 cms,
Thin them to 13 to 15 cms or 5 to 6 inches when they're large enough to handle.
Kohlrabi likes fertile, well-drained soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. The soil should be high in organic matter. Also, when growing kohlrabi, you want to make sure to keep the soil well watered or you will end up with woody stemmed plants that are too tough. How do I know when it’s ready to pick?
When kohlrabi bulbs are two to three inches across they can be picked. Or pick then when small, golf-ball-sized, as they become fibrous with age.
Design Elements:-Sunny courtyard.
Using vertical elements will make the space seem bigger.
Climbing plants soften wals and scent intensifies in small spaces:Climbing Star Jasmine, Pandorea jasminoides "Jazzy Bellz," Rosa "Pierre de Ronsard,"-creamy pink double, repeat flowering. Passionfruit-Nellie Kellie.
Espalier-citrus, Coffee tree-Coffea arabica.
Shrubs-Viburnum tinus'Eve Price'-2.5x2.5m
Escallonia 'Red Knight'deep Cerise flowers, grows 1.5x1.5m
Striking folieage-Agave or Phormium Tricolour.
Seasonal colour-Geraniums-angel-wings.Petunias, Osteospermums-Daisy.
Plant of the Week:Ivory Curl Tree-Buckinghamia celsissima.
Buckinghamia celsissima is a hardy reliable flowering tree which has proved popular as a street tree in many areas because of its adaptability. It can either be grown as a tree, or pruned to maintain a shrubby appearance. Responds well to pruning.Flowers are white to cream and occur in summer in large racemes up to 200 mm long. The flowers are well displayed at the ends of the branches.
Ideal growth is achieved in full sun and deep well-drained soil, where it will develop a dense, compact, rounded crown of deep green leaves. New growth is flushed bronze/red. Moderately fast growth can be expected if well-watered and fertilized in summer.
Watering-Although watering is necessary initially, once established, rainforest plants require no more water than other garden plants.
What's On:
Tuesday 9 Feb: Eastwood Evening Garden Club will meet at 7.30pm at the Dundas Baptist Church Hall. Speaker Ken McGill, who works at a nearby nursery, will talk about what’s new for autumn. There’s a cutting table and library available. For more info phone 9874 2306
Friday 12 Feb Composting and Worm Farm workshop at Lane Cove Community Gardens corner Pacific Highway and Mowbray Rd, behind the church, from 9.30am to 12.30pm. Composting and worm farming prevents food scraps from ending up in landfill, and provides great nutrients for your garden. Online booking only for this one. Go to www.lanecove.nsw.gov.au to book. If you do have enquiries about this or don’t have access to a computer call 9911 3555. It’s free of charge for anyone to come along and Lane Cove residents who attend get a free compost bin or worm farm.
Saturday 13 Feb. Growing Friends plant sale at the Royal Botanic Gardens from 9am – 1pm. Free entry.
Also-, Royal Botanic Gardens. Sogetsu Ikebana demonstration – in other words, the art of Japanese flower arrangement. Joan Perkins from the Sogetsu Teachers Association will show you the basic. 10.30Am – 12.15pm in the Maiden Theatre. Cost $35, book on 9231 8182.