Dill and Fennel: What's The Difference

Dill fronds

 SPICE IT UP

Dill versus Fennel

How well do you know your herbs?
Have you ever used fresh dill in any recipes?
Perhaps a dill sauce, with smoked salmon or in a potato salad, but what about fennel.?

Those feathery fronds of dill, (Anethum graveolens) have a similar smell to fennel, so can they be used interchangeably? Dill is pictured here but it looks similar to the feather fronds of fennel doesn't it?

So how can you tell the difference between dill and fennel fronds?

Florence fennel bulb and fronds

Dill fronds are slightly finer and a darker green than fennel fronds.

Dill has a higher anise or licorice note when you crush the leaf.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) or Florence fennel, has the same level of anethole (active enzyme) but tends to be sweeter.

• Seeds or both dill and fennel are used in cooking and are referred to as a spice.
  

• Seed flavour profiles differ from the fresh plant. 
• Dill fronds are sometimes referred to as 'dill weed' in recipes.
  
  Dill seeds are used a lot in pickles, but don’t have magical properties.
  
  Ian’s great tip was when using fennel seeds, dry roast them which by the way gives satay sauce that special flavour. 

• My favourite use of fennel seeds is in home-made sausage rolls.  

I mix 150 grams of beef mince with 300gms of pork mince, 1 grated carrot, 1 grated potato (raw), w teaspoons of chopped sage leaves, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds,  salt and pepper to season. Divide mixture onto puff pastry sheets and roll up with join side down onto baking trays. Bake for 15 minutes at 220 C until golden.

Don't confuse fennel with the roadside fennel weed. Completely different plant growing to 2.5 m in height. This weedy fennel produces yellow flowers most of the year. A very tough plant, tolerant of frost, drought, water logging and dry conditions. Mature plants have a large deep taproot with many lateral roots but unlike Florence fennel, there is no bulb. Florence fennel is a much smaller well behaved vegetable.

Dill or Fennel flowers?

Let’s find out by listening to the podcast.

I'm talking with Ian Hemphill from www.herbies.com.au 

 
If you have any feedback email 

realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

Banksias, Fennel and Birds Nest Ferns Plus a Little Frangipani

Find out growing tips when I talk to the President of the Frangipani Society of Australia in part 2. Growing a veggie that’s has a little aniseed flavour in vegetable heroes, great for shade in Plant of the Week and an Australian favourite native in the Talking Flower segment.

Frangipani Culture part 2

Last week I had part 1 of the interview with the President of the Frangipani Society of Australia.
Anthony had so much to say it was necessary to split it over two weeks.
In this part, you’ll discover quite a few extra tips and growing frangi’s as they’re known by members, and how to get them to flower well.

Let’s find out. I'm talking with Anthony Grassi from the Frangipani Society of Australia.

General Tips:

Frangi's can be transplanted in winter when they're dormant.

Reduce the canopy by 50% because you will have to reduce the root system prior to moving the tree.

Frangipani seeds last 5-6 years but some can last upwards of 10 years before planting.

Sow the Frangi seed in seed-raising mix and stand the seed up. The fat end goes in first.

In warm temperate districts, the frangipani will flower 2-3 years after sowing the seed. In the sub-tropics it may be as little as one year.

Frangipani rubra flowers photo M. Cannon

Colder climates will take around 5 years or more.
They now are a FB society so you can join their FB page, but if you join the society, you get to also join the financial members FB page as well as receive a lovely calendar, CD and tips on how to grow the best Frangipanis ever.

If you have any questions either for me or for Margaret, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO 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, which include parsley, caraway, dill, cumin, anise and carrot.

Did you know that in Ancient Greece fennel juice was used as an effective cure for poor eyesight, night blindness and cataract?

In medieval Europe, fennel and St John's wort were used together to ward off evil.

• 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.
• Also the real fennel or Florence Fennel has a much milder anise-like flavour, than wild Fennel and is more aromatic and sweeter.

Where  and When to grow it?

• This plant is best in hot, dry climates but will grow in practically all climates of Australia. Knowing when to sow the seeds is the key.
• Timing is crucial: if sown too early, cold can cause bolting; if sown 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.

Likes and Dislikes of Florence Fennel

A perennial that’s rather stocky and really only grows to about 60cm

• 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 soil, fertile from having been manured the previous year.
• 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 help make bulbs white and tender and, later, exclude frost.
  

Looking After Florence

• 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 allow the sunlight to 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.

 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.

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.

Why is it good for you?

The fennel bulb is also an excellent source of Vitamin C

Did you know that if you don’t get enough Vitamin C that’s linked to the increase in the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis?

 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.

 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.

AND THAT WAS OUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT FOR TODAY!

PLANT OF THE WEEK

 NEW  Birds Nest Ferns

• Asplenium nidus is an epiphytic species of fern in the family Aspleniaceae, native to tropical southeastern Asia, eastern Australia, Hawaii, Polynesia, Christmas Island, India, and eastern Africa.

Ferns are great for shady places in the garden where not many flowering plants will go.
But do you think of ferns as a tad boring?
They’re just green right?
Wrong. Ferns come in all shapes and sizes, with so many different frond shapes and a little variation in colour as well.
But here’s a fern that’s traditionally too big to consider for indoors unless you have a conservatory, now available in a dwarf form too.
Let’s find out why we should grow it.
I'm talking with Jeremy Critchley owner of the www.thegreengallery.com.au

Asplenium nidus 'Crispy Wave'

Jeremy grows a lot of birds nest ferns in different frond shapes and sizes.

Some of these are dwarfish and can be used as indoor plants.

Why not look out for these in your local nursery or garden centre.

Asplenium 'Crispy Wave' or Asplenium' Chrissie' and Asplenium 'Victoria.'


If you have any questions either for me Jeremy why not write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com

TALKING FLOWERS

Banksia species

Australia isn't overwhelmed with different types of Banksias.

Banksia is a genus of only around 173 species in the plant family Proteaceae.

All but one occur naturally only in Australia.

Breeders have hybridised many more, think Banksia 'Birthday Candles.'

The flower heads are made up of hundreds (sometimes thousands) of tiny individual flowers grouped together in pairs. 

The colour of the flower heads appear very similar across many species. 

Think a honey coloured brown with some red.

Banksias are great for nectar feeding birds because they flower over autumn and winter when food is scarce for them.

The fruits of banksias (called follicles) are hard and woody and are often grouped together to resemble cones. they're not cones of course because Bankias aren't conifers.

In many species the fruits won't open until they have been burnt or completely dried out.

• An easy way to release seed is to place the 'cone' in an oven at 120°­140° C for about an hour. 
• The follicles then open and the seeds can be removed with tweezers. Two black winged seeds are usually found in each follicle.

I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini www.flowersbymercedes.com.au about Banksias as a cut flower.

Yummy Figs and Pretty Little Brown Birds

WILDLIFE IN FOCUS

Brown Thornbill Acanthiza pusillaOften referred to by birders as LBB, this little bird can look similar to a lot of other little birds.
the characteristic shape of Thornbills are short tail, short sharp body , sort of like a ping pong ball.

Brown Thornbill photo Birds of  Australia

Often these birds are hard to identify because they’re not a conspicuous bird and are rarely seen on the ground.
But being a rather inquisitive bird it will usually come out if you make squeaking noises.
Let’s find out about how to best identify this LBB.

I'm talking with Dr Holly Parsons, Manager of Birds in Backyards.



Brown Thornbill photo barwonbluff.com.au
 

 Brown Thornbills will quite happily visit your garden, the park, or your local nature strip, particularly where there are large patches of remnant vegetation or shrubby creek lines.
Did you know that the Brown Thornbill sticks around its home territory for life? Apparently marked birds known to be 11 years old have been re-captured several times, never having moved more than a few hundred metres from where they were first caught.
If you have any questions about Brown Thornbills or any other bird, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO 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, which include parsley, caraway, dill, cumin, anise and carrot.
Did you know that in Ancient Greece fennel juice was used as an effective cure for poor eyesight, night blindness and cataract?
In medieval Europe, fennel and St John's wort were used together to ward off evil.
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.
Also the real fennel or Florence Fennel has a much milder anise-like flavour, than wild Fennel and is more aromatic and sweeter.
Where  and When to grow it?
This plant is best in hot, dry climates but will grow in practically all climates of Australia. Knowing when to sow the seeds is the key.
Timing is crucial: if sown too early, cold can cause bolting; if sown 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.
When to Sow:
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.
Florence Fennel is a perennial that’s rather stocky and really only grows to about 60cm.
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.
What Does Florence Fennel Like?

Florence Fennel

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 soil, fertile from having been manured the previous year.
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 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 allow the sunlight to turn it green.
To Hill or Not to Hill.
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.
 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.

Florence Fennel flowers with seed.

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.
Why is it good for you?
The fennel bulb is also an excellent source of Vitamin C
Did you know that if you don’t get enough Vitamin C that’s linked to the increase in the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis?
 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.
TIP: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.. Definitely worth a try.
AND THAT WAS OUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT FOR TODAY!

DESIGN ELEMENTS

 Scorch Damage on Plants
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 about scorch damage- that’s the browning of plant tissues, including leaf margins and tips, and yellowing or darkening of veins which may lead to eventual wilting the leaf dropping off.


What can you do? Let’s find out. I'm talking with Peter Nixon Garden Designer. www.peternixon.com.au




Aniseed Myrtle, scorch damage. photo M Cannon

Sunburn on plants sounds a bit far- fetched but that’s what happens and if the air is hot enough, flowers will dry and curl up even if they’re in shade.

Affected plants may sometimes recover through watering and fertilization (if the cause is not over-fertilization).

Light pruning may also help to reduce the water-pumping load on the roots and stems.
Make sure that the watering you do actually gets down into the soil.



If you have any questions about scorch damage in your garden, write in and let us know what happened our email address, or just post it realworldgardener@gmail.com

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Ficus carica Edible Figs

Know to Egyptians as the “tree of life,” this fruit tree is small enough to fit most gardens.
Better still these trees ( figs) don’t need  pollination for you to get the fruit.
Let’s find out more. I'm talking with the plant panel;Karen Smith editor of Hort Journal and Jeremy Critchley, the owner of the Green Gallery Nursery, www.thegreengallery.com.au

Figs can be grown in most parts of Australia, as they love a hot, fairly dry climate.

Edible figs grow to around 3m tall and 5m wide but can be larger.
They need a sunny spot because full sun is vital not to mention well-drained soil.

Figs can be planted virtually year-round but, as they are deciduous, so why not wait until in winter, so you can grow your own at that time from a hardwood cutting.
They can also be grown in large containers. Figs are long-lived
Fig trees don't need to be pollinated to develop sweet seedless fruits.
Each species of fig tree has its own specific fig wasps.
Botanical Bite.
Fig fruits are lined with unisexual flowers inside the fruit.
So how do the flowers get pollinated?
We think of figs as fruit but the fig is actually what's scientifically called an infructescence or scion of the tree, known as a false fruit or multiple fruit.


Fig Brown Turyey

At one end of the fig fruit is a small hole or orifice (ostiole) which is easy to see.
In the middle of the fruit is a narrow passage, which allows the specialized fig wasp Blastophaga psenes to enter the fruit and pollinate the flower.
Quite often the wasp loses one or both of its wings on its journey inside the fruit.Figs fruit should be picked when they are slightly soft to the touch and smelling sweet.  Although according to some fig connoisseurs, pollination produces a more delicious fig with a superior nutty flavor due to the seeds.
Figs will NOT continue to ripen once they have been removed from the tree, so pick them when you need them and handle them with care as they can bruise easily
 



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.