Creating A Sense of Enclosure And The Food of Kings

DESIGN ELEMENTS

How to Create a Sense of Enclosure.

In the middle of winter, the only sun you can see may be outside.

So it would be nice to venture outdoors into the winter sun but what if you're overlooked?

 May not feel so welcoming.

So what can you do? 

Magnolia grandiflora 'Teddy Bear.' 4-5m height (pictured)

I talk with garden designer Peter Nixon of Paradisus Garden Design.

What you want is some sort of screening hedge or planting that not only hides that fence, but hides it well enough so you don't see any fence.

That would mean you need the 'bole length' or the gap between ground level and the first branch, to be at a minimum.

So what can you choose?

Here are Peter's best tips:

• Choose things that stay dense and non transparent from the ground.
• Choose useful heights, especially if it's the northern boundary because you don't want to cut the winter sun.

Recommended plants

.

Magnolia grandiflora 'Teddy Bear'-height is 4-5 m

Magnolia hybrid "Fairy." height 3m

Heliconia 'Hot Rio Nights.' for northern sub-tropical zones.(norther rivers and up). height 3m, features a lush paddle leaf.

Hibiscus boryanus- plant in areas where temperatures are above 5 Deg C

Drepanostachyus falcatum -Blue Bamboo is a clumping bamboo height to 4m

You can underplant with smaller shrubs but you need to do this at the same time as you plant the larger shrubs otherwise the soil underneath will be compacted with the roots.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Asparagus or Asparagus officinalis from the Liliaceae or lily Family.

Asparagus is a perennial plant that is native to the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor areas.

Vegetable names are an interesting lot and the name “asparagus” comes from the Greek language meaning “sprout” or “shoot.

• Did you know that Asparagus has been around for at least 2,000 years?

Fast forward to the 16th Century, where asparagus was eaten a lot in France and England. 

During that time Asparagus was known as the “Food of Kings” because King Louis XIV of France loved to eat them.

In Fact King Louis loved them so much that he ordered special greenhouses built so he could enjoy asparagus all year-round?

There have been asparagus recipes found in Arabian love manuals as far back as the 16th century, and experts say you need to it over three consecutive days to get the full effect. Heh Heh.

Asparagus was so highly regarded in England that the thought of setting up a colony in Australia without asparagus was unthinkable, so seed was included in the list of vegetables carried by Sirius, one of the ships of the First Fleet.

If you look in old seed catalogues that date back as far as the 19th century you’ll find that Asparagus was popular with Australians even back then.

What is Asparagus exactly?

The plant has a crown that is actually an underground stem from which asparagus spears shoots

The roots are called rhizomes (pronounced rye-zomes).

On top of these rhizomes grow spears, which are tender and succulent to eat, are slightly glossy, (about 18-25cm long and 1.5-2cm wide,) with many small, bumpy, triangular scales (called bracts) concentrated in the top quarter of the stem.

• Some gardener might be thinking where can I buy Asparagus to grow?

In fact, do I buy seed, or tubers or what?

• You can in fact buy Asparagus seed, including Purple Asparagus seed from online companies such as Green Harvest or diggers.
• But now’s the time to buy something called Asparagus Crowns, and you can buy these from just about anywhere even some supermarkets.You can buy the Crowns online or from mail order catalogues as well

WHEN TO PLANT

Winter is the best time to plant asparagus crowns because that’s when they’re dormant.

Specifically though, in sub-tropical and temperate districts it’s August until November, for cold districts, from September to November.

But for arid areas, its June and July and again in January.

So what do you do with Asparagus crown really?

Be sure to buy fresh crowns, as they often dry out while on display.

• So find a sunny spot in the garden where you don’t mind some veggies growing there year after year.
• Preferably with soil that’s been given some Dolomite and heaps and heaps of compost and complete plant food.
• To plant, follow the instructions on the packet to the letter, don’t leave out anything.
• It may say something like “dig out a shallow trench 30cm wide and 20cm deep.Mix in well-rotted manure to the base of the trench and cover the base with a 5cm layer of excavated soil. “
• Place the crowns onto a small mound in the centre of the furrow, so that the roots point down at about 45°, spread the roots out carefully.

• Backfill with compost to a depth of 7.5 cm. Space the plants 45cm apart, with 1.2 m between rows. Fill in the trench gradually as growth progresses.  Doesn’t sound too hard does it?

In spring Asparagus will grow long and slender with soft fernlike

 foliage. 

• Don’t cut any spears in the first Spring, because this is when the crowns are developing.
• Spring is also the time you need to add 100g per sq m of fertiliser like fish meal or blood and bone.
• Then top with a thick hay mulch.

Asparagus produces both male and female plants shoots as male plants. 

Modern cultivars are all male, as male plants produce more and better spears.

If you have any Female plants, which have berries, pull these out   because the red berries are poisonous and don’t produce as many edible spears.

During Autumn and Winter the tops will go yellow and brown off, cut off the old tops about 7.5 cm from the soil surface.

Frost damage causes distorted or dead spears, often some time afterwards if the tips are just below soil level.

Cloches or fleece can hold off light frosts.

PICKING THAT ASPARAGUS

Don’t cut any spears for the first two years after planting. In the third year, gather spears for the first month of the growing season, but in following years, if the plants are strong, cut for eight weeks.

Slice off spears with a sharp knife just below the soil before they get more than 18cm tall.

In warm weather, this may mean cutting every few days.

Don’t cut any more after late December so that plants have enough time to build up their growth reserves for winter. 

In the following years, mulch the beds thickly with compost and manure in late winter. 

Remember patience in the early stages will help to get a life span of 15 years or even longer for your asparagus.

Spears are harvested in two ways which gives them a different colour.

White asparagus is grown below the ground and not exposed to light.

When harvested it’s cut below the surface before being lifted out of the soil.

If spears are allowed grow in sunlight they turn a green colour. 

For green, only hill about 10cm (4”) and allow the spear to grow 15cm (6”) above the soil, making sure to cut the spear just below ground level. 

Asparagus is most delicious when the time between cutting and serving is kept to a minimum.

When you’re cutting the spears, do it carefully to avoid injuring the crown. 

Farmers harvest by a rule-of-thumb, if the spears are thicker than a pencil cut them before the spears branch, usually at approx. 20 cm high, if they are skinnier, leave them to develop and feed the crown.

• By the way, here’s a tip: Asparagus does not grow better or faster if you plant expensive two-year-old crowns, or even one-year-old crowns. Reason: they have been dug up, the roots chopped, dried and neglected, if not by the supplier, then by the gardener.
• Two-year crowns will give you a small crop in two years time. One-year crowns will give you a small crop in two years time.
• Sowing from seed will give you a small crop in two years time and they’ll be stronger. The choice is yours.

Why Is It Good For You?

Asparagus has a great flavour and is very affordable.

Asparagus is low in kilojoules, without fat or cholesterol, while providing fibre. That makes it a must for any diet, including a weight loss diet.

Asparagus contains B group vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6 and biotin-is a great source of folate, with a serve giving us over 20% of our daily needs.

A serve of asparagus has ¼ of your RDI of vitamin C and lastly Asparagus has potassium to help keep our blood pressure healthy. • • 

THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TOD

Sweet Violets. Thyme and Food of Kings

How thyme is used as a naturopathic herb in Plant of the Week. Get those asparagus crowns in in Vegetable Heroes. Part 2 of a A new series in design elements, dig plant and grow for all types of gardeners. Plus, the talking flowers segment goes violets.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Thyme: Thymus vulgaris

Thyme is a herb with a multitude of uses and not just for cooking.

Thyme uses are also as an anti-microbial and is good in a tea for sore throats, and sore stomach problems.

Thymus vulgaris

Thyme is a part of bouquet garni, but you can use thyme on its own in cooking. Thyme is surprisingly, it’s good with chocolate, and try cinnamon and thyme is part of crumb on chicken!

Let’s find out how more.
I'm talking with Simone Jeffries, naturopath and herbalist. www.simonejeffriesnaturopath.com.au

The first thing to consider when growing thyme is that it's a mediterranean herb, so likes the same conditions here. Dry, hot summers and cool winters.

If you don't have a similar growing environment you can of course, grow it in a pot.

To get the most out of your thyme plant, give it a good haircut in autumn.

Lift and divide the plant so that you'll always have plenty of thyme in the garden.

The best culinary thyme is common thyme (Thymus vulgaris).

Creeping thyme or woolly thyme is not recommened other than as a rockery plant, lawn edges or lawn alternatives.
If you have any questions either for me or for Simone, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

VEGETABLE HEROES

Asparagus or Asparagus officinalis 

Asparagus is from the Liliaceae or lily family and is a perennial plant that is native to the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor areas.

 “Asparagus” comes from the Greek language meaning “sprout” or “shoot.

• Did you know that Asparagus has been around for at least 2,000 years?

Fast forward to the 16th Century, where asparagus was eaten a lot in France and England. 

During that time Asparagus was known as the “Food of Kings” because King Louis XIV of France loved to eat them.

In Fact King Louis loved them so much that he ordered special greenhouses built so he could enjoy asparagus all year-round?

• Asparagus was so highly regarded in England that the thought of setting up a colony in Australia without asparagus was unthinkable, so seed was included in the list of vegetables carried by Sirius, one of the ships of the First Fleet.If you look in old seed catalogues that date back as far as the 19th century you’ll find that Asparagus was popular with Australians even back then.

What is Asparagus exactly?

The plant has a crown that is actually an underground stem from which asparagus spears shoots

The roots are called rhizomes (pronounced rye-zomes).

On top of these rhizomes grow spears, which are tender and succulent to eat, are slightly glossy, about 18-25cm long and 1.5-2cm wide, with many small, bumpy, triangular scales (called bracts) concentrated in the top quarter of the stem.

Some gardener might be thinking where can I buy Asparagus to grow?

• In fact, do I buy seed, or tubers or what? I’m here to tell you all that.

Planting asparagus crowns

You can in fact buy Asparagus seed, including Purple Asparagus seed from online companies such as Green Harvest or diggers.

But now’s the time to buy something called Asparagus Crowns, and you can buy these from just about anywhere even some supermarkets.

I saw some this week in a supermarket, they were the Mary Washington variety.

You can buy the Crowns online or from mail order catalogues as well

WHEN TO PLANT

In sub-tropical districts, plant Asparagus crowns from May until July.

In temperate, arid and cool temperate zones, you have June and July to plant Asparagus crowns.

• So what do you do with Asparagus really?

Asparagus is a perennial so if you haven’t a perennial veggie patch find somewhere else in the garden, maybe near those rhubarb crowns, because the crowns last for many years, and need to be left in the one spot.

Normally, your veggie patch gets a makeover every 6 months or so, -not that good for the crowns of these plants.

• So find a sunny spot in the garden where you don’t mind some veggies growing there year after year.Preferably with soil that’s been given some Dolomite and heaps and heaps of compost and complete plant food.
• To plant, dig out a shallow trench 30cm wide and 20cm deep. Incorporate well-rotted manure to the base of the trench and cover the base with a 5cm layer of excavated soil.
• Be sure to buy fresh crowns, as they often dry out while on display.
• Place the crowns onto a small mound in the centre of the furrow, so that the roots point down at about 45°, spread the roots out carefully. Backfill with compost to a depth of 7.5 cm.
• Space the plants 45cm apart, with 1.2 m between rows.
• Fill in the trench gradually as growth progresses.  Doesn’t sound too hard does it?

In spring Asparagus will grow long and slender with soft fernlike foliage.  

Don’t cut any spears in the first Spring, because this is when the crowns are developing.

Ferny foliage of spring growth of asparagus

Spring is also the time you need to add 100g per sq m of fertiliser like fish meal or blood and bone.

Then top with a thick hay mulch.

Asparagus produces both male and female plants.

Modern cultivars are all male, as male plants produce more and better spears. If you have any Female plants, which have berries, pull these out   because the red berries are poisonous and don’t produce as many edible spears.

During Autumn and Winter the tops will go yellow and brown off, cut off the old tops about 7.5 cm from the soil surface.

Frost damage causes distorted or dead spears, often some time afterwards if the tips are just below soil level.

Shadecloth covers or fleece can hold off light frosts.

• PICKING THAT ASPARAGUS

Don’t cut any spears for the first two years after planting. In the third year, gather spears for the first month of the growing season, but in following years, if the plants are strong, cut for eight weeks.

Slice off spears with a sharp knife just below the soil before they get more than 18cm tall.

In warm weather, this may mean cutting every few days.

Don’t cut any more after late December so that plants have enough time to build up their growth reserves for winter. 

Asparagus bud

In the following years, mulch the beds thickly with compost and manure in late winter. 

Remember patience in the early stages will help to get a life span of 15 years or even longer for your asparagus.

• Spears are harvested in two ways which gives them a different colour.
• White asparagus is grown below the ground and not exposed to light.
• When harvested it’s cut below the surface before being lifted out of the soil.
• If spears are allowed grow in sunlight they turn a green colour. 
• For green, only hill about 10cm (4”) and allow the spear to grow 15cm (6”) above the soil, making sure to cut the spear just below ground level. Asparagus is most delicious when the time between cutting and serving is kept to a minimum.
• When you’re cutting the spears, do it carefully to avoid injuring the crown. 

Farmers harvest by a rule-of-thumb, if the spears are thicker than a pencil cut them before the spears branch, usually at approx. 20 cm high, if they are skinnier, leave them to develop and feed the crown.

Why Is It Good For You?

Asparagus has a great flavour and is very affordable.

Asparagus is low in kilojoules, without fat or cholesterol, while providing fibre. That makes it a must for any diet, including a weight loss diet.

Asparagus contains B group vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6 and biotin-is a great source of folate, with a serve giving us over 20% of our daily needs.

THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Plant It

The series called ‘dig, plant, grow’ continues and it’s all about what you need to do to the soil before planting anything.
Of course you assessed the soil you have in the garden after listening to last week’s segment didn’t you?
So what next, are you happy to choose just plants that you love or do you need to be a bit more discerning?
Let’s find out ? I'm talking with Glenice Buck of Glenice Buck Designs.
www.glenicebuckdesigns.com.au
PLAY:Plant It_17th July 2019
Digging some more in the garden is also involved when it comes to planting, but don’t just plonk the plant into a hole you’ve dug, fill it, and water in, then hope for the best.
Preparation is the key to success.

Preparation before planting

It may take a bit longer but you’ll have years of rewarded effort you did on the day.
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TALKING FLOWERS

Sweet Violet: Viola odorata and Viola banksia (syn Viola hederacea)

Family: Violaceae

Also known as wood violet sweet violet, English violet, common violet, florist's violet, or garden violet.

Leaves are edible, good for salads.

• ·         In temperate climates, sweet violets (Viola odorata, ht 8cm) begin flowering in winter and continue into early spring.
• ·         They are rhizomatous perennials which originated in Western and Southern Europe. 

They spread  via seed and runners to form a green groundcover of heart-shaped leaves, often coming up in unexpected places in the garden. 

Violets flower best in part-sun, but will grow in full sun or full shade and prefer moist soil.

Bunches of violets great winter posies.

Cut them in the morning or evening; dipping the bunch of flowers head down into a large bowl of water to soak for a while will extend their vase life, as will spraying a fine mist of water over the flowers when they are in their vase.

• Sugared Violets

·         The flowers can also be turned into sugared violets for cake decorations, by painting the petals with egg white and dipping them into caster sugar!

Native violets, Viola banksia, have no scent, but flower in a similar fashion.

Flowers are edible.

Grows and spreads by rhizomes. Full sun or part shade.

I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini, floral therapist www.floralgossip.com.au

Camellias and Persimmons R Us

PLANT DOCTOR

Camellias have a reputation for being hardy and thriving in neglected gardens.
For the most part this reputation is unsullied, but sometimes climatic factors or an insect event can lead to a pest or disease problem with your camellia plants.

What then?

Let’s find out what can go wrong in this 2 part series on pests and diseases of Camellias.

I'm talking with Steve Falcioni, General Manager of www.ecoorganicgarden.com.au


Scale insects that most commonly attack Camellia plants are brown scale, cotton cushiony scale and white wax scale.
Control is with eco Oil or Neem and depends on the temperature and the species.

Camellia japonica photo M. Cannon

In warmer climates the home gardener could have several generations of scale pests so control could be at any time.
However, for those in warm temperate and colder climates, control of scale is best done in the warmer months, from Spring onwards.
Other common pests are Camellia T-mite which is best known for the symptoms that look like a grey dusting or bronzing of the leaf. In other words loss of greenness.
Control is with the organic oil, eco Oil or Neem oil.

Mite damage on Camellias

Before your reach for a toxic chemical to fix the problem, be sure that you know what the problem really is.
Most non-organic insecticides cause a blanket kill effect (non selective) on all the insects, spiders and mites wiping out both good and target bugs.
After which there’s a bit of a hiatus when there’s no bugs and then the bad bugs come back first.
Using organic sprays is the best way to control large infestations and live with minor ones, because it’ll save you money in the long run.
If you have any questions about growing fruit trees 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

Asparagus or Asparagus officinalis from the Liliaceae or lily Family.
Asparagus is a perennial plant that is native to the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor areas.
Vegetable names are an interesting lot and the name “asparagus” comes from the Greek language meaning “sprout” or “shoot.
Did you know that Aspargus has been around for at least 2,000 years.
Fast forward to the 16th Century, where asparagus was eaten a lot in France and England. 
During that time Asparagus was known as the “Food of Kings” because King Louis XIV of France loved to eat them.
In Fact King Louis loved them so much that he ordered special greenhouses built so he could enjoy asparagus all year-round?
According to some, Asparagus is considered an Aphrodisiac, possibly because of its shape more than any other reason.
There have been asparagus recipes found in Arabian love manuals as far back as the 6th century, and experts say you need to it over three consecutive days to get the full effect. Heh Heh.
If you look in old seed catalogues that date back as far as the 19th century you’ll find that Asparagus was popular with Australians even back then.
What is Asparagus exactly?
The plant has a crown that is actually an underground stem from which asparagus spears shoots


Asparagus Bracts

The roots are called rhizomes (pronounced rye-zomes).
 On top of these rhizomes grow spears, which are tender and succulent to eat, are slightly glossy, about 18-25cm long and 1.5-2cm wide, with many small, bumpy, triangular scales (called bracts) concentrated in the top quarter of the stem.
Some gardener might be thinking where can I buy Asparagus to grow?
In fact, do I buy seed, or tubers or what?
I’m here to tell you all that.
You can in fact buy Asparagus seed, including Purple Asparagus seed from online companies such as Green Harvest or diggers.
But now’s the time to buy something called Asparagus Crowns, and you can buy these from just about anywhere even some supermarkets.
I saw some this week in a supermarket, they were the Mary Washington variety.
You can buy the Crowns online or from mail order catalogs as well
WHEN TO PLANT
In sub-tropical districts, plant Asparagus crowns from May until July.
In temperate, arid and cool temperate zones, you have June and July to plant Asparagus crowns.
So what do you do with Asparagus really?
Asparagus is a perennial so if you haven’t a perennial veggie patch find somewhere else in the garden, maybe near those rhubarb crowns, because the crowns last for many years, and need to be left in the one spot.
Normally, your veggie patch gets a makeover every 6 months or so, -not that good for the crowns of these plants.
So find a sunny spot in the garden where you don’t mind some veggies growing there year after year.

Asparagus Crowns being planted

Preferably with soil that’s been given some Dolomite and heaps and heaps of compost and complete plant food.
To plant, dig out a shallow trench 30cm wide and 20cm deep. Incorporate well-rotted manure to the base of the trench and cover the base with a 5cm layer of excavated soil. Be sure to buy fresh crowns, as they often dry out while on display.
Place the crowns onto a small mound in the centre of the furrow, so that the roots point down at about 45°, spread the roots out carefully. Backfill with compost to a depth of 7.5 cm.
Space the plants 45cm apart, with 1.2 m between rows.
Fill in the trench gradually as growth progresses.  Doesn’t sound too hard does it?
In spring Asparagus will grow long and slender with soft fernlike foliage.  Don’t cut any spears in the first Spring, because this is when the crowns are developing.
Spring is also the time you need to add 100g per sq m of fertiliser like fish meal or blood and bone.
Then top with a thick hay mulch.
Asparagus produces both male and female plants shoots as male plants. 

Asparagus leaves are ferny.

Modern cultivars are all male, as male plants produce more and better spears. If you have any Female plants, which have berries, pull these out   because the red berries are poisonous and don’t produce as many edible spears.
During Autumn and Winter the tops will go yellow and brown off, cut off the old tops about 7.5 cm from the soil surface.
Frost damage causes distorted or dead spears, often some time afterwards if the tips are just below soil level.
Cloches or fleece can hold off light frosts.
PICKING THAT ASPARAGUS
Don’t cut any spears for the first two years after planting. In the third year, gather spears for the first month of the growing season, but in following years, if the plants are strong, cut for eight weeks.
Slice off spears with a sharp knife just below the soil before they exceed 18cm tall. In warm weather, this may mean cutting every few days.
Don’t cut any more after late December so that plants have enough time to build up their growth reserves for winter. 

Green Asparagus

In the following years, mulch the beds thickly with compost and manure in late winter. 
Remember patience in the early stages will help to get a life span of 15 years or even longer for your asparagus.
Spears are harvested in two ways which gives them a different colour.
White asparagus is grown below the ground and not exposed to light.
When harvested it’s cut below the surface before being lifted out of the soil.
If spears are allowed grow in sunlight they turn a green colour. 
For green, only hill about 10cm (4”) and allow the spear to grow 15cm (6”) above the soil, making sure to cut the spear just below ground level. 
Asparagus is most delicious when the time between cutting and serving is kept to a minimum.
When you’re cutting the spears, do it carefully to avoid injuring the crown. 
Farmers harvest by a rule-of-thumb, if the spears are thicker than a pencil cut them before the spears branch, usually at approx. 20 cm high, if they are skinnier, leave them to develop and feed the crown.
Why Is It Good For You?
Asparagus has a great flavour and is very affordable.
Asparagus is low in kilojoules, without fat or cholesterol, while providing fibre. That makes it a must for any diet, including a weight loss diet.
Asparagus contains B group vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6 and biotin-is a great source of folate, with a serve giving us over 20% of our daily needs.
A serve of asparagus has ¼ of your RDI of vitamin C and lastly Asparagus has potassium to help keep our blood pressure healthy.
THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY?

 DESIGN ELEMENTS

Climbing Plants An Introduction-Why Use Climbers?

Pandorea jasminoides photo M Cannon

Pandorea pandorana

With so many gardens decreasing in size don’t forget to make the most out of your vertical planes.  The walls of the house, ugly boundary fences, posts on your pergolas, decking balustrades or even the letterbox can act as a support for climbers or surfaces for the climbers to grab on to. 
Allowing some greenery to cover these surfaces will give your garden another dimension.


Do you realise that you can stuff heaps of these types of plants into the smallest of gardens and have something in flower for most of the year. We’re talking climbing plants in this new series.
So how do plants climb?
Let’s find out. I'm talking with Glenice Buck, Consulting Arborist and Landscape Designer.


Ever thought about why plants climb and where they came from?
Climbing plants originate in rainforests and started life on the forest floor.
As rainforests developed a thicker canopy there was less and less light that reached the forest floor so that plants gradually evolved ways to climb up towards the sunlight. Here’s an amazing fact, 90% of the world’s vines (climbihng plants) grow in tropical rainforests.

Pandorea jasminoides needs a strong supporting structure.

What You Need To Consider When Using Climbing Plants
What type of climber will be able to climb on the structure you want to use? Do I need a twiner, a scrambler, one with aerial roots or one with far reaching tendrils?  The answers to these questions will be determined by the materials the structure is made out of

PLANT OF THE WEEK

PERSIMMONS
They’re orange and can be put into your kid’s lunchbox unpeeled, and can be eaten sliced or whole like a pear.
You can dice and freeze them, adding them to a smoothie as a thickener.
They can also be dried, changing them from a crisp consistency to a soft, date-like, chewy texture. Eaten this way, they are deliciously sweet and taste more like candy than dried fruit.
What is this tree? Let’s find out..I'm talking with horticulturalist Sabina Fielding-Smith

.

Persimmon Trees

Did you know that unripe Japanese persimmons are full of tannin, which is used to brew sake and preserve wood in Japan?
The small, non-edible fruit from wild persimmon trees in Japan are crushed and mixed with water. This solution is painted on paper to repel insects.
This solution is also thought to give cloth moisture-repellent properties.

A Whole Lot of Galahs

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

WILDLIFE IN FOCUS

with ecologist Sue Stevens
You might recall that in days gone by, anybody who was driving badly, or being silly, was often called a'galah'.

Then, most human galahs are young. If their galah habits persist, they may graduate, and become dills, or nongs.These parrots are easy to spot and you would think they like to hang in large groups, but this fascinating parrot is often misunderstood and under-estimated. The Australian galah is not only intelligent but also a loving social animal that mates for life.





Let's find out more about them...

Did you know that Americans pay $1000 for a Galah on the illegal market and many Australians keep galahs as pets because they just love their antics?
















But for Australian farmers they can’t get rid of this grain-destroying bird fast enough.
Another fact you mightn’t have heard of is that Galahs weren’t all that common before British settlement.
But now, because of all the grain growing, their numbers of increased dramatically.
Sadly, Galahs aren’t protected in most states of Australia because of their love of eating grains.
If you have any questions about Galahs why don’t you drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Well it’s TIME FOR VEGETABLE HEROES
Asparagus or Asparagus officinalis from the Liliaceae or lily Family.
Asparagus is a perennial plant that is native to the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor areas. The name “asparagus” comes from the Greek language meaning “sprout” or “shoot. It’s been around for at least 2,000 years.
Did you know that Asparagus is often called the “Food of Kings”
Because King Louis XIV of France loved them so much that he ordered special greenhouses built so he could enjoy asparagus all year-round?
According to some, Asparagus is considered an Aphrodisiac, possibly because of its shape more than any other reason.
There have been asparagus recipes found in Arabian love manuals as far back as the 16^th century, and experts say you need to it over three consecutive days to get the full effect. Heh Heh.
Asparagus was so highly regarded in England that the thought of setting up a colony in Australia without asparagus was unthinkable, so seed was included in the list of vegetables carried by Sirius, one of the ships of the First Fleet.
If you look in old seed catalogues that date back as far as the 19th century you’ll find that Asparagus was popular with Australians even back then.

What is Asparagus exactly?

The plant has a crown that is actually an underground stem from which asparagus spears shoots
The roots are called rhizomes (pronounced rye-zomes).
On top of these rhizomes grow spears, which are tender and succulent to eat, are slightly glossy, about 18-25cm long and 1.5-2cm wide, with many small, bumpy, triangular scales (called bracts) concentrated in the top quarter of the stem.
Some gardener might be thinking where can I buy Asparagus to grow?
In fact, do I buy seed, or tubers or what?
I’m here to tell you all that.
You can in fact buy Asparagus seed, including Purple Asparagus seed from online companies such as Green Harvest or diggers seeds. www.diggers.com.au
But now’s the time to buy something called Asparagus Crowns, and you can buy these from just about anywhere even some supermarkets.
I saw some this week in a supermarket, they were the Mary Washington variety.
You can buy the Crowns online or from mail order catalogs as well

WHEN TO PLANT

In temperate and sub-tropical districts, plant Asparagus crowns from August right through to November. In cool temperate zones, you have from September until November, and unfortunately for arid zones, you had June, July, and will now have to wait until January.
Asparagus is a perennial so if you haven’t a perennial veggie patch find somewhere else in the garden, maybe near those rhubarb crowns, because the crowns last for many years, and need to be left in the one spot. Normally, your veggie patch gets a makeover every 6 months or so, -not that good for the crowns of these plants.
So find a sunny spot in the garden where you don’t mind some veggies growing there year after year.
Preferably with soil that’s been given some Dolomite and heaps and heaps of compost and complete plant food.
To plant, dig out a shallow trench 30cm wide and 20cm deep. Incorporate well-rotted manure to the base of the trench and cover the base with a 5cm layer of excavated soil. Be sure to buy fresh crowns, as they often dry out while on display.
Place the crowns onto a small mound in the centre of the furrow, so that the roots point down at about 45°, spread the roots out carefully. Backfill with compost to a depth of 7.5 cm.
Space the plants 45cm apart, with 1.2 m between rows.
Fill in the trench gradually as growth progresses.  Doesn’t sound too hard does it?
In spring Asparagus will grow long and slender with soft fernlike foliage.  Don’t cut any spears in the first Spring, because this is when the crowns are developing.
Spring is also the time you need to add 100g per sq m of fertiliser like fish meal or blood and bone.
Then top with a thick hay mulch.
Asparagus produces both male and female plants shoots as male plants. 
Modern cultivars are all male, as male plants produce more and better spears. If you have any Female plants, which have berries, pull these out   because the red berries are poisonous and don’t produce as many edible spears.
During Autumn and Winter the tops will go yellow and brown off, cut off the old tops about 7.5 cm from the soil surface.
Frost damage causes distorted or dead spears, often some time afterwards if the tips are just below soil level.
Straw mulch or fleece can hold off light frosts.

PICKING THAT ASPARAGUS

Don’t cut any spears for the first two years after planting. In the third year, gather spears for the first month of the growing season, but in following years, if the plants are strong, cut for eight weeks.
Slice off spears with a sharp knife just below the soil before they exceed 18cm tall. In warm weather, this may mean cutting every few days.
Don’t cut any more after late December so that plants have enough time to build up their growth reserves for winter. 
In the following years, mulch the beds
thickly with compost and manure in late winter.  Remember patience in the early stages will help to get a life span of 15 years or even longer for your asparagus.
Spears are harvested in two ways which gives them a different colour. White asparagus is grown below the ground and not exposed to light. When harvested it is cut below the surface before being lifted out of the soil. If spears are allowed grow in sunlight they turn a green colour. 
For green, only hill about 10cm (4”) and allow the spear to grow 15cm (6”) above the soil, making sure to cut the spear just below ground level.  Green asparagus is recommended.
Asparagus is most delicious when the time between cutting and serving is kept to a minimum.
When you’re cutting the spears, do it carefully to avoid injuring the crown. 
Farmers harvest by a rule-of-thumb, if the spears are thicker than a pencil cut them before the spears branch, usually at approx. 20 cm high, if they are skinnier, leave them to develop and feed the crown.
Why Is It Good For You?
Asparagus has a great flavour and is Asparagus is low in kilojoules, without fat or cholesterol, while providing fibre. That makes it a must for any diet, including a weight loss diet.
Asparagus contains B group vitamins and a serve of asparagus has ¼ of your RDI of vitamin C .AND THAT WAS OUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT for today

DESIGN ELEMENTS

with Landscape Designer Jason Cornish

Last week, we started part 1 of pool conversions and what was involved.
We discussed why Swimming pools get a bad rap in enviro-circles-they cost a great deal to build, waste huge amounts of water and energy for maintenance, use chemicals to keep them clear and ‘safe’, and they take up a lot of space. Many people also just find them a lot of work to look after, which is especially annoying when they use them only for a couple of months of the year at best.
But, what if you’re already lumbered with a pool and are trying to make the best of the situation? Maybe it came with your property, or hindsight has kicked in after you’ve shelled out thousands to install something you almost never use…. What then?
Today we’re looking at what will actually happen to the pool itself, and allay your worries about insect pests that might come about from doing this type of pool conversion.
Let’s find out what this is all about.

Something to think about if you don’t want that pool anymore.

Simply draining the pool isn’t the answer either, because the pool interior will still require periodic sweeping and cleaning if you want to avoid raised eyebrows from your mother-in-law and other guests.
Pool conversions are more practical than just filling in the hole and you have something aesthetic too.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

STONE PINE Pinus pinea
Nuts are quite expensive to buy so a nut tree of some kind should probably be in most people’s backyard along with the ubiquitous lemon tree.
Seems like it’s not the case though and I’m not sure why.
Nut trees are as easy or as hard to grow as lemon trees-depending on your take on growing productive trees.
If anything, lemon trees have more than their fair share of problems.
Today, this particular nut tree has been around for thousands of years

Do you love cooking with pine nuts? Or would you use pine nuts more if they weren’t so expensive?
Well now you can grow your own and in fact they come from a pine tree.

If you haven’t tried pine nuts, these ones only come from the one tree, not just any pine.
Stone pine is an attractive large pine tree that bears cones of edible nuts considered a delicacy.
A stately, rugged pine with distinctively domed canopy or some say a distinctive umbrella shape and clear trunk. Provides dense but well delineated shade.

This is the tough, elegant umbrella-shaped pine, producing delicious pine nuts perfect for pesto and muesli. We offer the variety 'Walker', selected after rigorous trialing by Western Australian agricultural research stations.

Trees can be expected to start producing cones from about year 6. Each cone holds about 50 nuts and 100 kg of cones holds about 20 kg of nuts.

Pinus pinea or Stone pine certainly will make a statement in any garden, plus you have the added benefit of those nuts in every pine cone,
People of the Mediterranean region have been eating the nuts of Pinus pinea (also called pignolia) for thousands of years — there is evidence that pignolia were eaten and used to make wine in ancient Rome.