Gardening with Shear Frost Diamonds

TOOL TIME

Do you use a whipper snipper for just about every edging job in your garden?

Hedge Shears

Are you happy with the results?
Whipper snippers aren’t so good for areas where you’ve got lots of low growing plants that have crept over your lawn.
If these plants get whippered-snippered back, not only does it look ugly, but sometimes these plants do recover that well.
The same with electric trimmers. They tend to tear.
So what’s the alternative?
Hedge shears, Grass shears, Topiary shears.
Straight blades or wavy blades.
Which is best to use for you?
Let’s find out hedge and grass shears. I'm talking with Tony Mattson, General Manager of Cut Above Tools. www.cutabovetools.com.au



Edging Shears

Grass Shears

There's no difference in weight between straight and wavy blades.
However, if you try and cut branches that are too big or hard for the shears, then you risk bending the blades or putting them out of alignment.

Try and work out what your purpose is and what you're trying to cut. You might need those long handled loppers for the tougher parts of the job.

Blades' length vary from 20 - 25 cm (8 - 10 inches,) any longer than that is not efficient.
By investing in quality tools, you’re likely to have less fatigue, fewer breakdowns and longer tool life.

When choosing the type of hedge shears you want, think about how much you'll use them, where you'll use them, who will be using them, and, of course, how much you can spend on them.
There’s no need to use your hedge shears to cut your lawn edges; for that your need grass shears or edging shears because these are perfect for lawn edges.


If you have any questions about hedge or grass shears, or have some information to share, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

VEGETABLE HEROES

Do you like to try to grow new plants you’ve never heard of before in your garden?
Well here’s one for you, Cardamom (Elletaria Cardamomum) is a member of the Zingiberaceae or ginger family.

Cardamom has been long used for medicinal purposes and even today Cardamom is the world’s third most-valuable spice by weight (after saffron and vanilla).
Did you know that Cleopatra is said to have found the scent so enticing that she had the palace scented with cardamom smoke when Marc Anthony came to visit?
Ancient Greeks and Romans used cardamom in foods as well as for Medicines and perfumes.
In the New Testament which was largely written in Greek "amooman" appears in reference to the aromatic plant cardamom.
The word means blameless without reproach.
Around 200 years ago, most of the world's supply was sourced from wild plants found in rainforests of the Western Ghats in Southern India.
These wild plants covered the whole region  which was named the Cardamom Hills, a name that remains to this day.
Cardamom seed is a staple seasoning in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines, in which it is used to flavour meat, vegetables, baked goods, coffee and other Cardamom is a perennial (means it won’t grow a trunk or turn into a tree) with tall simple canes or stems that grow out of rhizomes.
It’s native to the shady forests of India, Ceylon and Malaysia.
Today it is grown mainly on plantations in Guatemala and India
The tall plants, grown on these plantations in flower for eight or nine months of the year.
Each pod, or capsule, ripens slowly, but must be picked when it is three-quarters ripe.
After harvest, the pods are washed and dried and the colour of the pod depends on how it’d dried.
White pods have been dried for many days in the sun leaving them bleached.
Green pods have been dried for one day and night in a heated room.
The flower spikes produce white or pale green flowers that produce green pod capsules that contain 10 to 20 seeds.
These seeds are small black and sticky.
The best quality cardamom seeds are ripe, hard and dark brown in colour.
 The seeds have to be hand picked which is why it’s one of the most expensive spices.
The pod itself is not the spice but the three seeds inside each pod, that are considered the spice.
If you go online to look how to grow Cardamom, you’ll find information that tells you that it’s difficult to grow.
I dare say this information is written by people in the America or England.
I beg to differ, it’s easy to grow in especially in temperate climates, although I haven’t seen any seed pods on mine or on the plant in the Sydney Botanic gardens. Maybe they’re both too young because it takes 4 years for plants growing in plantations to produces flowers and pods.
What does it look like?


Cardamom plant

A low-growing, leafy tropical plant to about 2 metres, which grows on the jungle floor in the wild: Cardamoms have smooth dark green sword shaped leaves on long stalks, which are spicily scented when bruised.
Growing Cardamom-
Cardamom is a tough plant and drought tolerant as well if you grow
it in the right spot.
So-get a rhizome because the cardamom you buy from the spice section of your supermarket has been dried, and won’t ever germinate.
True to its original habitat, cardamom prefers humous rich  soil, filtered light and room to grow.  
You can grow it in a pot if you really  must, but over summer it will get pot-bound, and refuse to flower, so you must keep dividing the plant and passing it out to friends (a great gift, by the way).
Even if your plant doesn’t flower you will have a huge supply of fragrant leaves, which is just as good to have as the spice.
From winter to middle of summer feed your plant with fish emulsion.
Cardamom doesn’t like chilly weather, so move your plant indoors in Autumn as soon as the temperature drops below 5 ⁰ C.
It grows into quite a big plant so too big for a sunny windowsill, but a sunny spot indoors or on the verandah in cooler climates will work especially if you mist it
periodically, or shower it in the bathtub from time to time.
In the wild, cardamom gets a lot of rain;  so a potted cardamom also needs plenty of moisture, but it won’t tolerate poor drainage, which can cause the rhizomes to rot.
Usually trouble free but if plants are too cold their leaves turn brown.
In that case move it to a warmer place, then cut off the brown leaves cut because they often regrow although this can take a long time.
Keep the plant fairly dry while it’s recovering.
If the leaves develop brown tips at any time (even if the plant is kept warm) it is a sign of overwatering.
By the way, Cardamom makes quite a dense clump, a bit like Strelitzia or Bird of Paradise plants.
You might find if it gets quite big, that  it’s quite difficult to dig out if you no longer what the plant in that situation.
What do you do with it?

Cardmomo pods-green.

The leaves don't smell the same as the seeds, but can be used to wrap around fish, rice or vegetables to add flavour during cooking.
The long stalks are useful to tie the leaves together to make a neat parcel of food. The cardamom pods sold for cooking are picked when unripe so the seeds will not grow if you try to sow them
Cardamom seeds lose their flavor quickly when ground so buy them whole whenever possible.
Green pods are superior to white pods for flavour.
Green cardamom has a subtle to sweet fragrance.
Why is it good for you?
Cardamom helps digestion and helps if you’ve got stomach cramps.
It’s a good stimulant and beneficial for those suffering from flatulence and gas.
Cardamom also helps in cleansing the body as it has detoxifying properties.
It improves blood circulation , enhances appetite and provides relief from acidity in the stomach. It’s used in the cure of halitosis or bad breath.
If you are lucky enough to have access to a cardomom plant, the leaves also have a cinnamon fragrance and are ideal for wrapping small parcels of meat and rice for steaming.
These are best wrapped and steamed the day before you want to use them, then  stored in the refrigerator over night and re-warmed up in a steamer just prior to serving. The mild cinnamon-pine flavour will permeate the contents adding a subtle aroma - perfect for coconut rice.
AND THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY?

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Hard Surfaces for Outdoor Dining

Formal outdoor settings photo M Cannon

This garden series with Garden Designer Peter Nixon, is all about garden challenges thrown at us mostly by nature but also due to a situation in your garden that you might need to fix.
Today’s garden challenge is for those areas in your garden where you want to put outdoor dining table and chairs.
For your dining setting you'll probably have chairs and a table, but you don't want them to sink into the soil.
If you don't want formality because it will be at odds with your planting, then you need to consider the alternatives that will be outlined in the podcast.
Let’s find out. I'm talking with Peter Nixon, garden designer www.peternixon.com.au


Peter suggested using salt textured concrete that’s really just concrete that’s finished with a different finish and doesn’t appear as a hard surface.

Informal setting for outdoor dining. photo M Cannon

While the concrete surface is not set, you can also use coloured oxides and then either some pebbles, or press any large leaf onto the concrete as a stencil.
Push the pebbles into the hard surface with a rubber mallet so they don’t become a trip hazard.
Then use edging material to create a channel around the edges and into that plant mini mondo grass.
If you have any questions about what hard surface to have in your garden, or have some information to share, write in realworldgardener@gmail.com

PLANT OF THE WEEK

New Euphorbias:Euphorbia Diamond Frost
Euphorbia Stardust Pink Glitter and Euphorbia Stardust White Sparkle.
Some of you may know Euphorbias in the perennial border.
Did you know that the variation within this genus is amazing, some people might even say awesome.
From low-growing garden weeds called petty spurge to giant, cactus-like succulents.

Euphorbia Diamond Frost

Segue to an annual called Gypsophila or baby’s breath. What do they have in common with several newish cultivars of Euphorbia for your garden
Let’s find out …I'm talking with the Plant Panel; Karen Smith editor of Hort Journal magazine, and Jeremy Critchley wholesale nursery owner www.thegreengallery.com.au

The petals are actually small and dainty like baby’s breath, but there are so many of them that the leaves are scarcely visible.
These new delicate looking but tough, high impact Euphorbia plants flower every day of the year in warmer climates.

Euphorbia Diamond Frost

Stardust is more compact than Diamond Frost and is ideal for patio pots and garden borders in full sun positions.

Heat and drought tolerant, a truly low maintenance plant.

Euphorbias all produce a mostly white latex which they oozes out of the stems when cut, and this sap is often toxic.

If you have any questions about growing Euphorbia white Stardust or Pink Stardust why not write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com

  

 

Put a Sparkle in Your Garden

FEATURE INTERVIEW

Sydney living museums curator Scott Hill
As part of our heritage, historic buildings and gardens offer us an insight into the styles and features of certain periods, reflecting the Australian architecture of the day.
The grounds of some old estates are important not just for their design value but they may also have surviving locally native species such as eucalyptus and turpentine trees.

Ancient Champion trees.

Many historic gardens feature mature trees planted as avenues, border plantings or specimens.
The character of the gardens may even be defined by such trees so it's important to keep them in good health. In heritage English gardens, old trees in excess of 300 years are called 'champion trees."
Historic houses and their gardens also have an aesthetic value and, can be a green oasis in a town or community, providing a space to relax, and hold events.
Let’s find out about one such historic house

Gardens and grounds may be important both in themselves and as settings for heritage buildings.
Because landscape elements alter with the seasons and with the passing years, historians need to allow time to properly assess these landscapes.

Vegetable gardens are also important elements in an historic garden photo M Cannon

This continual change also means that looking after such a garden must be done with caution.
Records of the house and garden are important references to help with this maintenance process..
The Historic Houses Association of Australia Inc. is a registered charity and volunteer organisation that promotes public interest in historic houses and properties. Members are able to visit historic houses and other places - both publicly and privately owned - to meet historians, heritage architects and private owners and to learn about the history of each property and its early occupants and collections.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Not something we’re going to eat but Green Manure Crops. Yum or not?
Do you want to improve your soil structure and at the same time add nitrogen to the soil?
If you do, consider a green manure crop especially in an overworked vegetable patch.
What are the benefits of green manure crops and why is it called green manure?
Green manure crops are called that because you’re not going to eat the crop or plants.
Instead, when they’re nearly mature, and before they set seed, the oats, or wheat or whatever are slashed and then turned into the soil. 
This adds nutrients to the soil especially if you use legume type crops.

Why?

As the slashed crops break down they increase organic matter, earthworms and beneficial micro-organisms.
green manure crops increase the soil's available nitrogen and moisture retention as well.

They also stabilise the soil to prevent erosion, particularly handy if you have a sloping block.

Green manure crops also bring deep minerals to the surface and break up hard clods in the soil structure.

But that’s not all:-

These crops provide habitat, nectar and pollen for beneficial insects and reduce populations of pests

Improve water, root and air penetration in the soil and smother weeds.

The crops used for green manure tend to be a combination of

Legumes – These add nitrogen (critical for food crops) to the soil, such as cow pea, mung bean, woolly pod vetch, lablab, broad bean, fenugreek and soybean;

Grains and grasses - These add organic substance to the soil, such as millet, buckwheat and oats.

At this time of year try faba bean, field pea, oats and wheat.

They’ll improve your soil incredibly, and for a bit of forward planning, you’ll find it well worth the effort.

Suppliers include:

www.greenharvest.com.au

At this time of year, it’s called a cool season green manure crop.

What do you need to do or how do you do this I hear you ask?

Well here are the steps.

Rake the garden smooth to prepare the seed bed.

Plant seeds that sprout and grow quickly for your green manure crop.

Use what's popular in your area or choose from alfalfa, white clover or wheat or oats.

Or, recycle any kind of seeds for green manure - leftover flowers, outdated or extra veggies.

You can add any out-of-date vegetable seeds you have left over from last season as well.

Just scatter the seed around your garden bed, about two handfuls per square metre

Then lightly rake it over to get the seeds into the dirt, and water it in well. You may need to cover the bed with a net if the birds discover the free feast you’ve laid out for them.

Fertilize once with organic nitrogen if it seems slow to get growing.

Leave the green manure on the garden until it matures to control erosion and existing weeds in the bed - call it a cover crop. 

Don't let it seed – With legume crops, when the plant begins to seed after flowering, the nitrogen fixing potential of the crop becomes less because  the nitrogen is partly used up in seed the forming process.

With grain/grass crops, they will seed without flowering so if you let them seed, you will have lots of seeds falling into the bed and this will make it hard for you to stop the seeds sprouting of the green manure crop instead o the one you want.

Cutting it down – When it has reached a good height (half a metre) and is not seeding, cut it down to the ground. If it is a small bed, use shears. If it is a large space, use a mower. Place all the green matter back on the bed and it will cover the bed and the roots of all the plants will remain in the soil.

Leave the bed for about a month and don't dig up the crop, let it rot in the bed. It should not grow back because you haven’t let it seed.

What you’ll get is soil which is full of organic substance, life and minerals, ready to use and produce an excellent crop of food.

I find this method easier then digging it in which is what gardeners used to do. That practise has been found to destroy soil structure too much and it’s a lot of hard work anyway. Save your back by doing it this way or you can use a digging fork to turn the plants and their roots completely into the soil.

Cover the newly dug bed with a blanket of organic mulch until planting time. Give the soil and its worms time to reap the benefits of green manure: nitrogen fertilizer and organic matter to nourish your soil.

Use green manure crops in every unplanted vegetable, herb and flower bed. Plant also in compacted areas - such as under trees - and newly graded lots. Allow little roots to break up the soil, which will aerate and renew its structure, before you plant a new lawn.

For a cheap alternative to buying the manure crops online, I’ve found this tip to be quite useful. This is the absolute simplest, cheapest and best thing is do. Just buy a bag of organic bird seed. Read the back of the packet and find one with the mix you want.

The last lot I planted contained millet, sorghum, wheat, oats, barley, rye, corn and sunflowers.

Bird seed will be chemical-free and fresh (since they don’t want to kill your pets!), and very cheap. It’s available at any supermarket.

 Go on, give it a try, the whole thing should only take up about 6-8 weeks and it’s the best way to improve your garden soil.

AND THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT FOR TODAY!

DESIGN ELEMENTS

with Glenice Buck
http://glenicebuckdesigns.com.au/
The design process series with Glenice Buck, landscape designer, was thought of to lead you, the gardener through the steps that a professional landscape designer would take you.

We started off with how’s and whys of a landscape designer; explained the reasons for having a professional design: outlined the analysis and concept stage and now we’ve hit the final stage.

Established gardens also need a plant for the future

Let’s find out about the final stage of the design process.

Advantage of having a Landscape plan –

You will save time, money and wastage in the future.  A landscape Plan is an investment into the future of your outdoor space.

The designer will look at a landscape plan as being a master plan for your garden.
Develop in Stages - It means that the garden can develop in stages especially if your budget is limited. It gives you a connection between all spaces, the areas will still flow and not be disjointed as you have a total plan for the entire site.  It will be your guide as you rejuvenate, replant and restore the garden. 

Beautiful gardens are planned

Save Time and Cost- By having this document you will also eliminate wasting time in areas which won’t be needed until a later stage in the garden’s development.  For example you may pull up paving in one area but you eventually may like those pavers laid in another area.  Re using and recycling of as many materials and plants onsite as possible will reduce the overall cost to you. 
NO backtracking -  This plan should reduce the amount of back tracking you do in creating the garden and reduce the amount of waste you have to remove. 
THINKs about Future - A master plan will also consider how you want the garden to look in the years to come.  The use of the garden over time will change especially if you have children.  Gardens can always be modified accordingly.
By having a plan of your garden your garden will develop to a plan far into the future rather than being planted out haphazardly.

As Glenice mentioned in the early part of the series, you don’t have to do it all at once, but it can be a plan that you work through gradually.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

with Jeremy Critchley www.thegreengallery.com.au

and Karen Smith www.hortjournal.com.au

 

Some of you may know Euphorbias in the perennial border.

Did you know that the variation within this genus is amazing, some people might even say awesome?

From low-growing garden weeds called petty spurge to giant, cactus-like succulents.

Segue to an annual called Gypsophila or baby’s breath. What do they have in common with several newish cultivars of Euphorbia for your garden

Euphorbia Diamond Frost

Let’s find out …

The petals are actually small and dainty like baby’s breath, but there are so many of them that the leaves are scarcely visible.

These new delicate looking but tough, high impact Euphorbia plants flower every day of the year in warmer climates.

Pink sparkle

Star Dust White Sparkle’ and Stardust ‘Pink Sparkle are more compact than Diamond Frost and are ideal for patio pots and garden borders in full sun positions.

They grow to a maximum of 60cm x 60cm and can be pruned back quite hard should they get leggy.

Heat and drought tolerant, a truly low maintenance plant.

 

Note:Euphorbias all produce a mostly white latex which they oozes out of the stems when cut, and this sap is often toxic.

 

CULTIVATION TIPS-Euphorbias are easy plants to grow.

Most are summer growers and require a little watering and feeding during the warmer months.

Euphorbia Diamond Frost and the other new cultivars are not frost hardy, unless kept under cover in the colder months.

All of these Euphorbias are extremely tolerant of hot dry weather and perform in hot sun all day.

Keep them almost completely dry in winter.

To maintain their characteristics shapes they need sun or partial sun. Well drained soil and good ventilation are important.