Gardens to Grow and to Visit

A new series in design elements, dig plant and grow for all types of gardeners; Something that grows in the dark in Vegetable Heroes what’s a national historical garden society conference all about, and native winter flowers in Plant of the Week

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Dig, Plant, Grow

A lot of people from all ages, would like to start gardening but don't know where to begin

This new series called ‘dig, plant, grow’ is all about starting a garden either from scratch or perhaps you’ve inherited a garden and want to know what to do.

In either case you’ll be doing some digging.

My own garden in the rain: photo M Cannon

Let’s find out how to start.
I'm talking with Glenice Buck of Glenice Buck Designs
www.glenicebuckdesigns.com.au

• Glenice suggests digging a BIG hole!
• Yep, 50cm deep if you can go that far without hitting bedrock. Not  for the faint hearted. 
• this gives you an idea of what soil layers and textures you have.
  
• Add a bucket of water to the hole to see how fast it drains away. This is testing the drainage of your soil.
• You can't change climate, aspect, soil texture and drainage of your soil, but it pays to know what you're dealing with.

Glenice runs her workshops in Young, however there are similar workshops in all capitals and regional centres. Check out your local newspaper for more information.
For example, Sydney Community College runs a workshop which covers those topics called Small Space Gardening, which I run. It’s on a Monday evening.
For all the latest news - Follow Glenice on Facebook or Instagram
Facebook : www.facebook/glenicebuckdesigns
Instagram: Glenice_Buck_Designs
Or check out the website: www.glenicebuckdesigns.com.au
Or Subscribe to the monthly Garden Greetings Newsletter: www.tinyletter.com/glenicebuckdesigns

VEGETABLE HEROES

What are microgreens?

Microgreens are very young edible greens from vegetables, herbs or other plants.

It has to be said, growing microgreens is the speediest way to growing leafy greens because you’ll be cutting them in 1-2 weeks.

Plus, they add packets of flavour to salads of larger leaves and the best part, it couldn’t be any easier.

You can grow them indoors all year round, you don’t even need a sunny windowsill.

Micro greens grow to about 2 ½  to 4 cm long, including the stem and leaves.

• So what is a  microgreen?

It’s a plant that has a single central stem which has been cut just above the soil line during harvesting.

The first leaves that come out from any plant are called cotyledon leaves and usually one pair of very small, partially developed true leaves.

So, leaf and stem are never bigger than 4cm in height and 2 ½ cm across.

• Microgreens even though they’re really small have intense flavours but not as strong it would’ve been if the plant was left to grow to full size.

Usually I start talking about the history of the vegetable or fruit at this point.

There’s not much history at all about micro greens.

Maybe they started off as a fad in the 1990’s who knows?

They seem to be catching on more and more, because you can get seeds marketed as micro greens from major chain stores that have a gardening section.

How about greens, like all types of lettuce, Basil, Beets, Coriander and Kale that are harvested with scissors when they’re really, really, small?

• So what’s the difference between microgreens and sprouts?

Microgreens are not at all like sprouts, but grown in a similar way and picked or more correctly, cut at a later stage of growth.

Sprouts are only the germinated seed, root stem and underdeveloped leaves.

Microgreens are the mini-versions of the much larger green vegetable.

Sprouts are also grown entirely in water and not actually planted.

Microgreens are mostly planted in soil or a soil alternative like sphagnum moss, or coco peat.

Although you can grow your microgreens on a special tray with water underneath.

Plus you grow microgreens in light conditions with plenty of air circulation and not in a jar.

You might be wondering why you’d want that?

What’s wrong with growing salad vegetables in the garden?

This might be more for the busy gardener who’s run out of space or time available to grow a full garden of vegetables.

So how do you grow Micro greens?

There are a couple of ways to grow Microgreens.

The first method is to grow your greens in soil like organic, potting mix, cocopeat, vermiculite, sieved compost or worm castings.

Use seedling trays or boxes and fill the tray with your selected soil mix 2 - 3 cm deep and moisten the mix.

Soak the seed overnight then sprinkle the seeds evenly on top of the mix and gently pat them down; then cover with 0.5 cm of mix.

Cover the tray with a lid or another inverted tray to help keep the seeds moist until they sprout.

Then water often using a sprayer.

Adding diluted organic nutrients e.g. kelp or compost tea to the sprayer will improve the nutrient levels in the microgreens.

Microgreens are usually harvested when there are four or more leaves. Cut the shoots just above ground level with scissors.

TIP:Many types of vegetable seeds as micro greens and will regrow and can be cut several times.

Afterwards the tray contents can be added to the compost heap.

• The second way of growing your microgreens is using something called a Growing Tray. 
• This tray holds a reservoir of water and has holes in it so the plants can grow their roots down into the water.

Microgreens growing in a tray: photo M Cannon

You don’t even need soil, just a spray bottle of water and the seeds.

• But you do need to remember to spray the seed, 2-3 times a day until the roots develop, then keep water reservoir topped up with fresh water until harvest a couple weeks later!

You can buy them in stores or via mail order and online.

Microgreens seed packet range includes 5 mixed packets, each containing 3 varieties typical to a regional cuisine:

Flavours of the Mediterranean - Basil Italian Mix, Rocket and Sunflower

Flavours of France - Sorrel, Chervil and Sunflower

Flavours of Western Europe - Cress, Amaranth Red Garnet and Pea Morgan

Favours of Eastern Europe - Kale Pink, Cabbage Red and Pea Morgan

Flavours of the Orient - Mustard Ruby Streaks, Garland Chrysanthemum and Coriander

TIP: One thing to keep in mind, the seeds used to grow microgreens are the same seeds that are used for full sized herbs, vegetables and greens.

So, If you want to use up that packet of Cabbage, Celery, Chard, Chervil, Coriander, Cress, Fennel, Kale, Mustard, Parsley, Radish and Sorrel, rather than throwing it out. Grow the seeds as microgreens.

TIP:Never use parsnips for micro greens as seedlings they’re apparently poisonous!

Coriander seed takes longer to germinate than other micro greens – up to three weeks.

Coriander takes longer because partly due to the tough outer coating of the seeds, preventing water from penetrating.

You need to break the seed coat to give it a hurry up by crush the seeds lightly then soak overnight to speed up germination and improve success.

Why are they good for You?

Just because they’re mini greens doesn’t mean they have a high concentration of nutrients or even a miracle food. No such luck.

So they have proportionally smaller amounts of the same nutrients that the full sized vegetable that they would’ve been has.

They are eaten as thin, delicate plants - as miniature variations on salad greens and herbs. They provide texture and colour when used as garnish, or exciting flavours when used as part of salad mixes

If you have any questions about growing microgreens or where to buy the seeds for sowing, just drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com, parsley, tarragon and winter savoury.

THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY

GARDEN HISTORY

National Conference

If you’ve never been to NZ, then perhaps you could tag along to the Australia Garden History Society’s 40th National Conference which is being held in Wellington.
But what happens at a National Conference and why should you go?
I'm talking with Stuart Read, committee member of the Australian Garden History Society.
Let’s find out..

Going to the conference?

Greenhaugh Garden New Zealand

Register at www.gardenhistorysociety.org.au to book for the conference.
There’s also a post conference tour alternative of the South Island.
The tour begins in Christchurch and ends in Queenstown.
If you have any questions for me or for Stuart write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Banksia spinulosa

This next plant is a native but is often overlooked because people go for the more colourful and show Grevilleas.
They may come in limited colourways, but their flowers are much more substantial and spectacular, particular if you have several cultivars planted or grouped together.
Plus they provide nectar for wildlife during the colder months of the year.
Let’s find out about them
I'm talking with Jeremy Critchley owner of www.thegreengallery.com.au and Karen Smith editor of www.hortjournal.com.au

Banksia spinulosa

As cut flowers, Banksias can last for months.

Dive into Garden History, Little Pea Shoots, and Medicinal Calendula

What’s On The Show Today?

What some directors of Botanic gardens got up to in the Garden History segment, grow something that’s super quick and super easy in Vegetable Heroes, and a plant that covers the ground in part shade, plus a flower for the medicinal garden in Talking Flowers.

GARDEN HISTORY

William Guilfoyle
How’s your garden history knowledge?
You may have heard of Gertrude Jekyll, an Australian Garden Designer of some note, but have you heard of William Guillfoyle?

Melbourne Botanic Gardens' Volcano planting photo : Stuart Read

Possibly not, but this next segment is about to change all that.
Why are we talking about William Guillfoyle?
Because first and foremost, he had a lot to do with making Melbourne Botanic gardens the beautiful space it is today.
Let’s find out some history
I'm talking withStuart Read committee member of the Australian Garden History Society.


William Guillfoyle was not a botanist, but a horticulturalist, so had a different view of how a botanic garden should be presented to the public.

He came from a family of nurserymen/women and first worked in his parents' famous " Exotic" nursery in Double Bay.

Melbourne Botanic gardens volcano planting photo : Stuart Read

The Exotic nursery was one of the major nurseries in Sydney from the 1840's and imported thousands of Fuchsias, conifers, and ferns

. Plus it also had collections of Australian plants grown from seed collected on expeditions.
Guillfoyle was Director of Melbourne Botanic Gardens from 1873 - 1910
Plus, William was responsible for making available all those Jacaranda seedlings which now make Sydney and many regional centres so popular with Jacaranda tours in November.

If you have any questions either for me or Sotuart, you can email us Realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2rrr, PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Growing Small Stuff: Microgreens

Growing peas as microgreens, or shoots.

Peas are of course Pisum sativum scientifically speaking.

You might think that growing sprouts or shoots which have be re—branded as Microgreens is a relatively modern invention.
If you did, then you’d be wrong because medicinally and nutritionally, sprouts have a long history.

Did you know that Ancient Chinese physicians recognized and prescribed sprouts for curing many disorders over 5,000 years ago?

But though accounts of sprouting appear in the Bible in the Book of Daniel, it took centuries for the West to fully realize its nutrition merits.

In the 1700's, sailors were riddled by scurvy which is of course caused by a lack of Vitamin C.
Because of scurvy sailors suffered heavy casualties during their two to three year voyages.
From 1772-1775, Captain James Cook had his sailors eat limes, lemons and varieties of sprouts; which has heaps of Vitamin C.
These plus other fresh fruits and vegetables and a continuous program of growing and eating sprouts were credited with the breakthrough, thus solving the mariners' greatest casualty problem.

We obviously don’t have problems with scurvy now so why should we grow Pea Sprouts or Pea shoots as some people call them?

• Pea sprouts/shoots or microgreens are great for small spaces – they grow fast, taste delicious and are rich in Vitamin C, A and protein. 
• They’re easy to grow, they’re also perfect to try if you’re starting out. 
• Seeing (and eating!) the fruits of your labour in just in two or three weeks is rewarding and motivating. 
• Plus, pea shoots are a good choice for a shady spaces or to grow inside over winter – just sow a stray or two and keep near a bright window. 

So How Do You grow pea sprouts? 

The Water Method

• Start with a tray that has a water reservoir and a sort of mesh or grate above it.
• Fill the reservoir with water.
• Place some moistened paper towel over the mesh or grate section.
• Place your soaked pea seeds very close together; no more than a pea's distance apart.
• Place near a sunny windowsill.
• Keep the reservoir topped up.
• Mist daily.
• Sow your microgreen seeds.
• In a few weeks you'll have microgreens sprouting everywhere.

The Soil Method

• Firstly, soak the peas in water for 24 hours (dried peas sold for cooking will normally grow fine and are much cheaper than buying seed packets). 
• Soaking the peas in water for 24 hours isn’t essential – but it helps to speed up the process of germination and they should double in size. 
• Secondly, Select a container 6-9 cm deep. 
• An old tray or Styrofoam box from a market stall will do fine – just make sure it has holes in the bottom to allow water to drain out. 
• The trays sold in gardening stores for seed growing are about the right size, too. 
• Next Fill your container with compost or potting mix, about1 cm deep to 1 ½ cm below the top. 
• It’s always a good idea to use the best quality potting mix you can find – but having said that, pea shoots are pretty unfussy – and almost any mix seems to be OK. 
• After that, water the mix then sow the seeds on top of it. 
• If you want to use worm castings, never put more than 20% or 1/5 casting with the mix because you don’t want to burn your new shoots. 
• You can sow them very closer together – I try to leave a gap the size of a pea between each seed. 
• If you wanted to grow full sized pea plants, you’d sow the seeds further apart. 
• But as we’re only growing shoots, we can get away with close spacing 
• Cover with seed raising mix or potting mix– about the thickness of a pea. 
• Then finally water the surface lightly again. 
• TIP: if you’re using cheap potting mix, add some vermiculite to increase the water holding capacity and water your sprouts with a seaweed solution every time you water. 
• That’s it! All you need to do now is keep soil is moist – check it everyday for the next 7 – 10 days using the thumb test. 
• Use your thumb to press against the top of the soil. 
• If your thumb comes off clean and dry, water the peas. 
• If your thumb comes off even slightly moist or with a little soil, you’re good until tomorrow. 
• Another test is to lift the tray. 
• As you gain experience with growing sprouts and shoots in the container, you’ll get to know how heavy or light the tray is. 
• Light trays means it probably needs water. 
• If you are growing on a windowsill, or where there you have light coming in from just one side, you will want to rotate the trays so that the shoots will get sunlight more evenly. 
• In two to three weeks (a bit longer in cold weather) your crop will have grown 7 – 10 cm tall. 

THAT WAS QUICK BECAUSE YOUR CROP IS NOW READY TO EAT!
All you need to do now is pinch off each shoot just above the bottom leaves. Some of the pea shoots will regrow again giving you a second harvest.
You don’t have to eat them all at once but instead store harvested pea shoots or sprouts in resealable bags in the fridge until you are ready to eat.
TIP: don’t wash the pea shoots until ready to cook with them.
The extra water from washing will deteriorate the pea shoots faster.
Keep the shoots dry and the pea shoots should stay fresh for over 2 weeks!
If you find that there is moisture in the bag, take a single paper towel, and place it in the bag.

What next?
When the crop has finished, put the roots in your worm farm or compost heap if you have one. Worms seem to like them very much!

Why are they good for You?
Pea Shoots are a nutritious leaf with high levels of vitamin C and vitamin A.
A 50g bag of these tasty greens offers more than half of the RDA for vitamin C, a quarter of the RDA for vitamin A and significant amounts of folic acid plus Calcium, Iron and Phosphorus.
But wait there’s more, they also contain amino acids and they’re quick to prepare providing a tasty and convenient way to help people achieve their ‘5 serves of veg a day’ – especially as they are ideal partners for other vegetables whether served hot or as part of a mixed salad.
THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Ajuga reptans " Ruby Glow"

Carpet Bugle

Do you want a ground cover that suits shade, still flowers and provides plenty of colour?
William Turner, a 16th century physician and naturalist described it as ‘It is a blacke herbe and it groweth in shaddowy places and moyst groundes.’-

This can only be Ajuga reptans.

I'm talking with Jeremy Critchley owner of www.thegreengallery.com.au and Karen Smith editor of www.hortjournal.com.au
Let’s find more about it

Not only does Carpet Bugle cope with shade but it copes with sun as long as it gets sufficient watering.

It's great as a weed suppressing ground cover because it tightly hugs the ground and creeps along very lightly to form a dense cover.

If you want extra plants, simply divide the plants in Autumn and either pot up straight away or place in another garden location.
Nobody knows why it’s really called Bugle flower , it’s one of botany’s mysterys.
If you have a question either for me or the plant panel why not drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

TALKING FLOWERS

Calendula officinalis: Pot Marigold

Calendula derives from the Latin calendas, 
The reason is possibly because the plant flowers every month even in winter where temperatures aren’t too low.

The petals are edible and can be used fresh in salads or dried and used to colour cheese or as a replacement for saffron.

A yellow dye has been extracted from the flowers

You can toss them into a salad or soup; the taste is tangy and the bright colour enhances food.

Growing Calendula

Sow direct or in pots after the last frost has passed.

Companion Planting

Calendula repels a number of bad nematodes in the soil, but may attract slugs. 
Plant with tomatoes and asparagus.

Where will it grow?

Calendula grows best when sown directly into the garden. It tolerates any type of soil and will grow in partial shade to full sun.

Calendulas will do well in almost any soil, and semi-shade as well.

Calendula takes well to pot culture, and is easily grown in a variety of pots and window boxes on a balcony or deck.
I'm talking with florist, Mercedes Sarmini of www.flowersbymercedes.com.au

Video record live during broadcast of Real World Gardener show on 2rrr 88.5 fm in Sydney, Wednesdays 5pm.

Gardens, Lavender and Carnations to Fill Our Senses

hat’s On The Show Today?

Join Garden Historian Stuart Read talk about some gardens of note in the garden history segment, find out which veggie is a hiding place for little demons in Vegetable Heroes; spice up your home with these fragrant flowers you can grow in Plant of the Week.;Lastly, a flower that’s strongly linked with perfume in Talking Flowers.

GARDEN HISTORY

Ginaghulla 

There are a lot of heritage items in Australia that get commemorated by a plaque but how many gardens get the same recognition?

Probably only a handful and these are not even well known.

So the Garden History Society started to take note of some historic gardens and with a local council in Sydney, are recognizing that it’s not just built spaces that make up the fabric of history.

Let’s find out about some of these.

I'm talking with Stuart Read, Garden Historian and committee member of the Australian Garden History Society

. 

These 'garden plaques' celebrate famous gardeners and notable gardens.
Does your local council have a garden plaques program?

If so let us know so we can give them a shout out. 

The Australian Garden History Society has branches in all states and the A.C.T. which arrange local activities and act as advocates for issues which are of interest to the society. 

For further information contact www.gardenhistorysociety.org.au/

If you have any questions either for me or for Stuart, you can email us Realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2rrr, PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Brussel Sprouts

Brussel Sprouts are a member of the Brassicaceae family which also includes, cabbage, broccoli, kale and kohlrabi.

Is there one veggie that you have trouble growing?
For some reason, that veggie doesn’t work out to how it looks on the seed packet.
Maybe it’s your environment, think weather or your soil or your regime of fertilising.
It could also be that whenever you try to grow this veggie, hordes of pests descend onto your veggie plot and turn those plants into a horrible version of what they should be?
That’s my lot with Brussel sprouts.
Before we go any further, you may not be surprised to know that Brussel sprouts are one of the most hated veggies in the UK and US.

So why call a veggie Brussel sprouts?

Maybe because it was sold in Brussels' markets in the 1200's, or, maybe Brussels sprouts were named after the capital of Belgium where some say that’s where they were first grown.
Brussel sprouts are also one of the few vegetables to have started off in the northern Europe.
You probably know what a Brussels sprouts looks like - miniature heads of cabbage-about 2.5 to 4 cm. to be precise.
They taste a bit like cabbage, but slightly milder in flavour and denser in texture.
If you’ve ever grown Brussel sprouts, you’ll know that the sprouts grow like buds in a spiral along the side of long thick stalks of around 60 to 120 cm tall.
They all don’t mature at once but take several weeks, starting from the lower to the upper part of the stalk.

If you want to grow them well, there’s a few tips that you need to know about.

• Firstly, when learning how to grow brussel sprouts they need a firm, fertile soil because the main cause of failure (blown buttons) is the opposite, that is, loose, infertile soil. 
• Those gardeners with a fairly heavy soil have an advantage over those of us with loose sandy soil. 
• If your soil is loose, then your sprouts will be tasteless, loose and open, and only you’re to blame and not the seed company. 
• If you’ve got the room to follow crop rotation, then you’ll be planting them where you last planted peas and beans. 
• If not, dig in a whole lot of compost and cow manure and leave it for a couple of weeks to mature. 
• AND, because compost, especially home- made compost can be on the acidic side, add some lime to your soil while you’re in the veggie bed. 
• That old saying “feed the soil not the plant” applies especially to Brussel Sprouts. 
• Tamp the soil down with the back of your garden rake to make it firm when the soil is dry. 

When to Sow;
For temperate districts, February until May, for arid areas until the end of June, for cool temperate zones, until the end of April and for sub-tropical areas, April seems to the month for you.
To grow sprouts, sow the seeds into seed trays or direct into the garden, or you can buy seedlings from a garden centre, organic markets and so on.
It’s cheaper of course to start from seed.
The seedlings are ready to transplant when they’re 10cm high.
Did you know that you can get early and late cropping varieties?

You can plant out your brussels sprouts either in full sun or partial shade, in fact partial shade is a bit better in warmer districts.

• Water plants the day before you aim to transplant them into that well-firmed bed that you prepared. 
• After you have transplanted your seedlings, firm the soil around each plant with your hands or the dibber. 
• Remember - firm planting helps to grow firm, tight brussels sprouts. 

Tip#3: a better reason to start your seeds off in punnets is that when you transplant your seedlings from pots or seed beds, this encourages a stronger root system to be established in their permanent bed.

Water the young plants in dry weather but unless you have a prolonged dry spell the mature plants shouldn’t need watering.
As the plants get taller make sure you support them so that the strong winds in winter don`t blow them over - tie them to stakes.

Should hordes of pests come a calling, you name it, Mealybugs, aphids, caterpillars and other grubs, use Derris Dust or a liquid concentrate containing Spinosad or Neem oil.

Try eco Neem from www.ecoorganicgarden.com.au  and Success from Yates

When to harvest
When the brussels start looking like they’re ready you don’t have to pick them all at once because, the plant holds the mature buttons for many weeks without opening. 

Ways to eat Brussel Sprouts
To eat Brussel Sprouts, you don`t want those ` sprouts that have had all their colour and crispness boiled out of them.
Try dicing or grating your brussel sprouts raw and serve them up in a salad - go on, be brave!
Most importantly: Don’t overcook your Brussel sprouts; Overcooking Brussels sprouts produces a sulphur-like smell, which is usually what turns people off
Why are they good for you?
Brussels sprouts pack in 4 grams of protein per cup which is high for a veggie,
That same cup will give you 4 grams of fibre but only 56 calories— “
Brussels sprouts can also provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits if you use a steaming method when cooking them.
Brussels are also a good source of vitamins A and C, iron, and potassium .
One 80-gram serving of these healthy veggies delivers four times more vitamin C than an orange.
And finally, Brussel Sprouts should be kept cool at all times and eaten before the leaves discolour or they develop a strong smell.

One last anecdote:
If you ever ate Brussels sprouts at home, there's a good chance you cut little crosses cut into the bottom of each one.
Most people assume it is done to speed up cooking, but they would be wrong. The real reason we cut crosses into our sprouts is because of a medieval superstition.
It was once believed that leafy vegetables such as sprouts and cabbages were the hiding places of tiny demons, and eating them would expose you to their evil influence unless you exorcised them with the sign of the cross before cooking—and that's actually not a surprising conclusion if you consider the evil odours Brussels sprouts sometimes inspire. From www.grunge.com

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Carnations New and Old
Scinetific Name: Dianthus caryophyllus
Did your dad or grandad, grow certain flowers in your garden which you think are too hard to grow?
Well the plant world and it’s bevy of hybridisers have been working garden to make this old fashioned flower new again.

They probably grew the "old school"carnations which grew long and lanky and needed some type of staking to prevent them flopping over.
Let’s find out how to grow the newer varieties.
I'm talking with Karen Smith, editor of www.hortjournal.com.au and Jeremy Critchley owner of www.thegreengallery.com.au

Dianthus caryophyllus Oscar series.

Carnations love alkaline soil , therefore adding lime to the garden bed will help with any acidic soil problems.

Tip: Not to be grown where Azaleas and Camellias like to grow.

Keeping your Carnations tip pruned will encourage more flowering.

Carnation Oscar is a dwarf growing to 10cm in only 5 colours but designed for the balcony gardener.
Super Trooper and Sunfloor-also a dwarf around 20-25cm in height, with a high amount of fragrance.
In fact it’s hard to choose between what makes carnations special;the fragrance or the flower.
If you have some information to share, why not drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

TALKING FLOWERS

Lavender, Lavender, Lavender.

Need to relax? Or get a good night's sleep? 

You need cleansing, calming lavender in your life. 

Lavandula angustifolia: English Lavender for cooking

Lavenders are a fabulous, long-lasting cut flower and you can dry them to use in sachets and pot pourri. And by the way, lavender is a great insect repellent.
Lavender is a favourite, whose flowers range from white to deep blue purple and include pink.
You can cook with Lavender flowers but you must use Lavandula angustifolia or English lavender flowers.
The other varieties have too much camphor and will make food taste a little bitter.
Use your Lavender spice flowers in cakes, biscuits, pasta and salads.
I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini of Flowers By Mercedes 

 Recorded live during radio broadcast of Real World Gardener on 2rrr 88.5fm in Sydney

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

A Bit of Garden History and What To Do in The Autumn Garden

WHAT IS GARDEN HISTORY ALL ABOUT?

Introduction to the Garden History Society

Many people might consider that Australia is too young a country to have historic gardens.
I daresay that's true when compared with England where there are beautiful gardens as featured in this photo, which I took when visiting a few years ago.

photo M Cannon

However,, there is a Historic House Trust in Australia, and with them there are historic gardens.
Some of them have fallen to neglect and some have been restored or are in the process of being restored by members of the "Garden History Society."
So it would seem that there are indeed many historic houses in Australia, and there are plenty of early 20^th century houses which would look so much nicer with a complimentary garden.
There are also hidden gems in our country which aren’t normally open to the public, so how can we see them.
Let’s find out what the "Garden History Society" is and how we can see hidden gems.
I'm talking with Stuart Read, Landscape Historian and member of the national management committee of the www.gardenhistorysociety.org.au

There are branches around Australia of the Australian Garden History Society, but you don’t have to be a member to go along to one of their talks, activities or events.
If you have any questions about the History of Australian gardens, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Wasabi and Wasabi Rocket

Have you ever tried that dob of green paste that comes with Sushi and Sashimi?
Did you know that the green paste sold as Wasabi in the supermarket is actually horseradish that’s been dyed green.
Yes it’s still got that bite but’s it’s not Wasabi.
Wasabi is Wasabi japonica, and is a semi aquatic Brassica related to horse radish Armoracia rusticana.

You probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Wasabi grows wild in Japan.

In Japan, Wasabi evolved at the edges of mountain streams and has adapted to cope with low levels of light, low temperatures and high humidity.
FUN FACT
Did you know that the Japanese consider wasabi a gourmet treat, and is used in everything from cheese and salad dressing to wine and even ice cream and toothpaste?

Wasabi is a herbaceous perennial plant with a thick knobbly rhizome only about 10-30cm long and about 2-5 cm thick.
The part you use is that thick rhizome that needs to be grated.
Wasabi’s bite is pretty powerful and you only need a ¼ of a teaspoon of the stuff to get steam coming out of your ears, water running out of your eyes, and the feeling that your nose is going to lift off into space.
Trying to buy the real thing is about as difficult as trying to buy hen’s teeth. Mainly because the real thing is frighteningly expensive and doesn’t keep for very long.

The ideal is to grow your own.
You can buy the rhizome to grow some of your own, from mail order catalogues or online.
Although Wasabi prefers a cool and shaded position, in moist soils, the variety Daruma will tolerate warmer conditions than most.
Daruma is supposed to have superior green colour, size and crisp taste, and produces a better quality stem (used extensively in salads) and generally has a more attractive appearance.
Traditionally, wasabi is best produced in clear, cool (12⁰-15⁰C) running water, with plenty of shade in the hot months.

Yes, I believe that it does well in Tasmania.

Wasabi is best planted from Autumn through to early summer.
The tip is to plant it in a cold damp area.
Think of a fernery in dense shade, 80% or more to protect from heat, then you’ve got the right growing conditions.
Generally, wasabi plants need about 18 months to 2 years before the rhizome matures to full size.
During this time, however, you can use the leaf and stem in salads and stir fries adding a delicious mild wasabi 'zing'

How to Grate Your Wasabi!

But wait, this is sounding a bit complicated plus even if you’re successful in growing a decent sized rhizome, you can’t just grate it any old way, no-o-o.
Grating according to Japanese tradition, has to be just right.

The wasabi cells need to be torn apart to set off a chemical reaction, which after a few moments rest, develops its wow flavour.
You need just that right type of very fine grater.
You can’t use a nutmeg grater because it’s too coarse and slices instead of grinding.
Plus, you have to hold the rhizome at 450 and use a circular motion with your Wasabi on their special grater.
The grater’s have a name-oroshigane. These Oroshigane graters have fine teeth on one side for Wasabi, and coarse on the other for ginger and daikon.

So what else can you grow that tastes like Wasabi?

Wasabi Rocket is a variety of Rocket that will pack a punch with a taste very similar to that of Wasabi.

Wasabi rocket grows much the same way as regular rocket except that it contains
sharp essential oils including mustard oils that create the pungent flavour.
An easy to grow salad crop, Wasabi Rocket should be planted into well worked soil in a sunny position.
The soil should always be kept moist but it’s quite hardy and quick growing.
You’ll be eating your wasabi rocket in as little as 2-3 weeks.
Even thoughWasabi Rocket prefers a full sun position it can be grown in a sunny to semi-shaded location in garden beds, tubs or window boxes.

Or you could just grow it in a pot on the kitchen windowsill.
The good thing for listeners around Australia is that Wasabi Rocket is frost hardy.
Why is it good for you?
Well apart from clearing out your sinuses, wasabi has a few health benefits too!
High in vitamin C, dietary fibre and potassium, with some Calcium and protein.
Wasabi and Wasabi rocket kills food borne bacteria and apparently is supposed to reduce blood pressure.
The leaves are tender and are ideal as a "sharp note" in a fresh salad. This Rocket also stimulates digestion, with rich dishes such as grilled meats.
Even the flowers are edible and can be used with the leaves in salads, sushi, sandwiches or pasta
AND THAT WAS OUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT FOR TODAY!

DESIGN ELEMENTS

NEW SERIES ON AUTUMN GARDENING

Autumn Planting
I’m sure you’ve heard before that Autumn is one of the best times to get planting especially for native plants.
The reason is the roots will be able to put on some real growth before the winter months, and will be ready to get growing once Spring hits.

Autumn gardening photo M Cannon

Let’s find out what preparation you need to do.

I'm talking with Glenice Buck consulting arborist and landscape designer from www.glenicebuckdesigns.com.au

If you’ve already got some plants that are thriving in your garden, and you have spaces to fill, a good idea is to choose plants that are similar, or from the same family but perhaps with a different flower or foliage colour.

Yes the soil temperature is still warm enough to get good results with new plants and also get the plants in the ground and settled before the following summer months.

What are some tips for planting out new beds?

You need to remove all weeds and or grass from the area to be planted out – then you need to dig over the soil and see what the condition of the soil is – do you need to add more organic matter etc.

Glenice says "I always look at what plants I have growing in other areas of the garden – to see what I can lift an divide or if there is a plant not doing so well – if it would do better in the new bed. 

For species selection I also look at what has really thrived in the garden and try and pick either more of the same species – could be in a different colour or even something which is related to that plant."

THE GOOD EARTH

GARDENING AFTER HEAVY RAIN.

If your district was lucky enough to have lots of rain over the last few weeks, that I hope your garden is exploding in colour and lush green growth.
My district has been deluged with rain with accompanying high humidity, so gardening isn't all that pleasant still.

photo M Cannon

Of course after all that rain, along with the longer days of the season, means the weeds will start sprouting with a vengeance
So what are some tips to watch out for if you plan to go gardening after heavy rain.
Let’s find out about this plant.

I'm talking with Margaret Mossakowska of www.mosshouse.com.au

Luckily, rain softens the soil, making weeding much easier on the hands and back. Tackle them now while they're seedlings to prevent them from taking over your garden.
Then spread some mulch.