Devil's Ivy Beware But Not Climbers With Perfume

LIVING PLANET

So Africa is on your bucket list of places to visit, but which part?
You might want to consider Namibia because not only has it all the animals you want to see, but it also has got everything from semi-desert vegetation to subtropical plants.

Conservancy Members with Animal Traps for Monitoring photo Katie Oxenham

 Not only that, according to the Lonely Plant guide,  Namibia possesses some of the most stunning landscapes in Africa, and a trip through the country is one of the great road adventures.

Let’s find out what else in this final part of Namibia with Katie Oxenham, ecologist who worked in Namibia for 2 years as Conservancy and Natural Resource Management Support.

Conservancy Member with Gerbil for Monitoring photo Katie oxenham

Katie was living in a remote area which was surrounded by lush tropical plants along a river in the north of the country.
Some of the animals that were counted were the Jennet, a cat like Mongoose or perhaps like a Meercat.
In the north of the country the ere more vegetation than the arid areas of the south which are mainly covered with veldt grasses.
Northern Namibia has a wet season and a dry season, with open woodland rather than forest.
There are some great sights to see in Namibia, which Katie mentioned in part 1 of this interview, like Etosha Nationa Park, and the Petrified forest.
You can catch that up by listening to the podcast by searching this blog.

If you have any questions about Namibia 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 and I’ll send you a packet of seeds.

VEGETABLE HEROES

What is Coriander or Coriandrum sativum?  
Is Coriander really Cilantro or is that just what Americans call it?
Well :it’s just a bit of a technical difference to confuse us poor gardeners.
Cilantro refers to the leaves of the plant and coriander refers to the seeds.
In Australia we call the leaves and the seeds coriander and some people even call it Chinese parsley.
So coriander leaf is nothing else but cilantro.
People either hate it or love Coriander because it does have a pungent citrus flavour to the leaves. 
Coriander flowers belong in the Apiaceae or carrot family, where Parsley, dill and carrots belong.

 Would you believe that the name coriander is derived from the Greek word koris, meaning bedbug, since the unripe seeds and leaves when crushed supposedly have a smell suggestive of a crushed bedbug?
I wouldn’t know about that.
On the other hand, Coriander has been grown for over 3,000 years.
Did you know that about half a litre of coriander seeds were found in the  tomb of Tutankhamen?
Because this plant doesn’t grow wild in Egypt, this suggests that coriander was grown in the gardens of ancient Egyptians.
The Chinese once believed it gave you immortality and in the Middle ages it was used as part of a love potions.
Coriander is a very familiar herb that we are used to seeing at the greengrocers and in the supermarket.
It’s called an annual herb because it flowers, sets seed then dies in under a year..
So why should we grow Coriander.
Heaps of Coriander seeds are used in curries, tagines and many other Asian dishes.
In fact the whole herb, including the roots can be ground up to make Green Curry paste.
I just mash it up in a food processor when I make that paste. I’ll post the recipe on www.realworldgardener.com
Now here’s a big tip:
Always grow coriander from seed, sown in the exact spot you want it to grow as it absolutely HATES being transplanted.
Transplanting coriander stresses it so that it goes straight to seed and then it dies. And you never get any leaves at all!
Coriander gets a has a big taproot as it grows so growing it in a pot won’t work either, it’ll go straight to seed as well.,
TO GROW IT FROM SEED..
For sub-tropical and arid zones, you have August to September;
And  in temperate districts, sow the seeds from September until the end of November,
In cool temperate zones, October to November,
Sow your seeds about 1 cm deep, cover them and keep them moist.
Whether or not you sow them in rows, scatter them amongst your other veggies, or use them to grow as a shade plant for your lettuce, it really doesn’t matter.
Coriander takes a couple of weeks to germinate, so go do it after my program.
Coriander grow fairly big, about 50 cm or 2 feet tall.
Big Tip: Grasshoppers don’t like coriander, so plant it around the spinach to stop the grasshoppers eating holes in the leaves.
You want about 5 cm between the plants if you grow it for the leaves..
Leave a few plants to go to seed, yes, on purpose so you have a continuous supply.
When your plants is big enough, take the leaves off from the base of the plant.
Just make sure the plant is big enough to cope and leave some leaves on it so it can continue to grow.
As soon as that flower stalk appears, your coriander plant stops making more
leaves.
Just remember when coriander plants get stressed, or in hot weather, or once they reach a certain age, they stop making leaves and instead start growing a tall flower stalk.
So it’s a good idea to-sow some coriander seeds every few weeks during the growing season.
Not only that, it’s a good idea to leave in a few plants that have gone to flower because the Coriander flowers are an important food source for beneficial insects, especially little parasitic wasps and predatory flies.
To attract many beneficial insects you want lots and lots of coriander flowers why not sprinkle some coriander and parsley seeds through your other vegetables under your fruit trees and in any other place you can fit them.
Keep watering and feeding your coriander plants well, and wait for the flower to develop and set seeds.
In hot weather this may take as little as 4 - 6 weeks from when you first put the seed in the ground.
Fresh cilantro (coriander) should be stored in the refrigerator in a zip pouch or wrapped in a slightly damp paper towel.  Use as early as possible since it loses flavour and nutrients quickly if kept for longer periods.
Harvesting coriander seed is an easy affair. Just wait till the flower heads are dry. And now you should have enough coriander seed to cook with and still plenty left to throw around your garden next year!
What are the health benefits?
Coriander contains no cholesterol; but is rich in anti-oxidants and dietary fibre which help reduce LDL or "bad cholesterol" while increasing HDL or "good cholesterol" levels.
The herb is a good source of minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, and magnesium.
It’s also rich in many vital vitamins like folic-acid, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin- A, beta carotene, vitamin-C that are essential for optimum health. Coriander leaves provides 30% of daily recommended levels of vitamin-C.
Coriander is one of the richest herbal sources for vitamin K
THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY.

DESIGN ELEMENTS
Scented Climbing Plants part 2

Hoya pubicalyx "Shooting Star."

Last week in this new series of scented plants we started with those climbing plants with scent. But there was so much to say, that we had to make another part.
Let’s find out more. I'm talking with Landscape Designer Peter Nixon.

Hoya multiflora

Some of the plants Peter mentioned are Hoya carnose, the Hoya that most people know.
There is also Hoya pubicalyx "Red Buttons,' Hoya bella, Hoya multiflora "Shooting Star:, which as a gum leaf shaped leaf.

Akebia quinata

For cooler climates Peter mentioned Akebia quinata or Five Leaved Chocolate Vine.
All are good for container planting in a warm temperate climate down to 3 degress Centrigrade.

Of course other segments in the series on scented plants will be about scented shrubs, scented trees , scented bulbs, roses, scented leaves, and even a cool temperate segment. 
All of these plants so that you can turn your garden in to a perfumed paradise all year round.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

POTHOS Epipremnum aureum

Are you looking for an easy-care indoor plant that will cascade and trail, and soften those hard edges? 
Are you looking for a plant with health benefits? 

Because this one (devil’s ivy)is known to efficiently cleanse the air of pollutants.
 
Researchers from NASA discovered that( Devil’s Ivy ) it was one of the top 10 most air purifying plants. The pores in the leaves remove harmful elements from the air and absorb them.








Let’s find out.  
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

Pothos growing in the rainforest

An evergreen vine growing to 20 m  tall, with stems up to 4 cm  in diameter, climbing with the aid of aerial roots which adhere to surfaces. 

The leaves are alternate, heart-shaped or ovate (in aureum), entire on juvenile plants, but irregularly pinnatifid on mature plants, up to 100 cm long and 45 cm broad.

Leaf colour vary from white, yellow, or light green variegation.

Aureum has glossy bright green ovate leaves spotted and streaked with cream or yellow
This plant produces trailing stems when it climbs up trees and these take root when they reach the ground and grow along it. The leaves on these trailing stems grow up to 10 cm long and are the ones that attach.

Avoid if you have house pets that are likely to chew plant leaves, as the plant is highly toxic if any part of it is consumed. 
Of course you don’t have to grow it indoors because this lush vine does well in most environment's, offering growers a chance to enjoy the plant almost anywhere in the Australia.

Nature in Action and Beautiful Foliage

LIVING PLANET

What happens when an ecologist from Australia, packs up and leaves to work in Namibia for a couple of years?

Namibia wildlife

Some of the wildlife found in Namibia are big cats, Cheetahs, Elephants, Zebras, and Giraffes.
Let’s find out.. I'm talking with Katie Oxenham, a Consulting ecologist who now lives in Sydney.
Katie's role in Namibia was conservancy and natural management support. She was employed by the Namibia Nature Foundation and worked with communities in the north of the country to manage natural resources such as the harvest of Devil's Claw. Devil's Claw is different to the Australian weed by the same name found in the Top End.

Help with how to sustainably harvest the Devil's Claw was important because it prevented the plant from becoming regionally extinct.
Katie also helped the indigenous population with entering into contracts with private companies of eco-tourist lodges whereby they would acquire jobs thus giving them a reason to conserve wildlife.
Namibia has unique landscapes and is home to a vast diversity of wildlife found nowhere else on Earth.
There are approximately 4,000 plant species, over 650 bird species and 80 large mammal species.Namibia is a pretty special place and a must see destination for tourists wanting to see African wildlife.
If you have any questions about Namibia 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 HERO 

ROMANESCO BROCCOLI
Which vegetable has more vitamin C than an orange?
Broccoli, Brassica oleracea var Italica or botrytis cymosa?
Earlier this year I mentioned that Broccoli heads are actually groups of flower buds that are almost ready to flower?

Each group of buds is called a floret.
That’s still true, nothing’s changed.
Broccoli is of course in the Brassicaceae family of vegetables along with cauliflower, cabbages, Brussels sprouts, turnips and many of the Asian greens.
Just to remind you why should you grow any type of Broccoli if it’s available all year round in your supermarket?
Firstly, supermarket Broccoli has probably been sprayed for all manner of pests whether or not the pests visited the Broccoli plant.
Secondly, supermarket Broccoli stems are pretty tough to eat, when they’re supposed to be tender.
Why, because that type of Broccoli transports better?
Homegrown Broccoli, especially the heirloom varieties, also re-shoot after your cut of the central Broccoli stem.
Plus, Broccoli is pretty easy to grow.
Finally, to taste great, broccoli has to be properly cared for and must also be picked at the right time.
If you just buy broccoli at the green grocer’s, the broccoli may look great but the taste may not be up to scratch.
How so? They may have been picked before becoming fully-mature.
Or they may have been picked at the right time but then stored too long
With home-grown broccoli, you can also be sure how it has been grown:
You know exactly where it has come from, what you used to grow and protect it, unlike those sold in supermarkets and even in farmer’s markets.
Today’s Broccoli is the Romanesco broccoli or some call it roman cauliflower

You might think this lime green cauliflower come broccoli is a new invention but it’s been around since the 16^th century.
The reason why broccoli is making an appearance in this segment is that even though it’s called Romanesco broccoli it’s much more crunchy than either broccoli or cauliflower.
The flavour is different as well, some say nutty even, while others say it tastes like a cross between broccoli and cauliflower.
That seems too hard to imagine.
To add to the confusion, apparently the French call it Romanesco cabbage and the English called it Italian asparagus.
So it’s a mixed up vegetable if you like but the most fascinating part of Romanesco is its appearance.
Much has been said about the mathematics of this spiral pattern, a lot of which is fairly complex.
Its spiralled buds form a natural approximation of a fractal, meaning each bud in the spiral is composed of a series of smaller buds.
You might’ve heard of the Fibonacci sequence?
The spirals follow the same logarithmic pattern.
Plus it’s a very attractive vegetable to be growing in the garden.
 
Where did it come from?
Romanesco is a unique Italian variety of broccoli with a yellowish-green dense head that forms an unusual spiral pattern.
How to grow Romanesco Broccoli?
Sow the seeds of Romanesco broccoli in from February July in arid zones, March through to August in sub-tropical areas, Spring and Autumn in temperate zones,
 And cor cooler regions, you’ll have to wait until October before sowing.
The plants need the same care as either Broccoli, or cauliflower and that is they’re not too choosy about the site they’re growing in but prefers to be in full sun, but also will tolerate partial shade with no problems.
Growing in too much shade will reduce the size of the Broccoli head.
The ideal soil is a reasonably heavy (not pure clay) which is rich in nutrients and has been well-dug.
Like all brassicas, Broccoli needs a minimum soil pH of 6; but really prefers a pH of 7.

Add lime if you need to raise the soil pH.
Broccoli is what’s called a heavy feeder, so do add plenty of blood and bone, and decomposed manures by the bucket load before you start.
Sow your Broccoli seed about 2 mm deep, and space the seedlings about 40cm apart so they don’t crowd each other.
Once a fortnight feed your broccoli with a liquid fertilizer; seaweed, manure tea, nettle tea etc.
TIP:
Don’t plant or sow Romanesco Broccoli in your veggie bed if you’ve grown it before in the past 3 years.
You may get a disease called Club Root that causes you Broccoli plant to wilt regardless of how much water you give it.
Remember the acronym. LRLC-Legumes, root veg, leafy then Cucurbits, Brassicas.
Harvest broccoli heads when they have reached maximum size, are still compact, and before the buds loosen, open into flowers, or turn yellow.
It will be about 70-100 days or 2 ½ -4 months, when your Broccoli will be ready if you plant it now.
When do you pick your Romanesco Broccoli?
You’ve got to time it just right, and that’s when the cluster of tight buds in the central head is well formed and before the individual flowers start to open.
Make a sloping cut (this allows water to run off), picking a piece that's about 10 cm long.
That way you’ve left a reasonable amount of the plant intact to produce smaller sideshoots or "florets," which you can pick as well.
Great for stir fries.
At this stage, don’t stop feeding and watering the remaining broccoli stem otherwise your plants will go to seed and you won’t get any side shoots.
TIP: If your Broccoli plants starts to flower it’ll going into seed production and you won’t get any more side shoots.
Why is any type of Broccoli good for you?
Broccoli contains twice the vitamin C of an orange.
Did you know that just 100g of Broccoli has two day’s supply of vitamin C (don’t overcook  or you’ll lose some).
Broccoli also a good source of dietary fibre, potassium, vitamin E, folate and beta carotene
100g broccoli has 120kJ.
Broccoli also contains magnesium and as much calcium as whole milk.
One cup of broccoli boosts the immune system with a large dose of beta-carotene. 
Great for preventing colds. Don’t underestimate the power of broccoli!
THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY
 

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Update Your Garden with Different Foliage.
Do flowers play the starring role in your garden, while the greenery gets relegated to backstage?


Foliage makes a garden. photo M Cannon

 The greenery, or foliage if you like, are the mainstay of gardens and garden design because they’re there all year when the flowers fade.
Think of the delicate fronds of ferns or the fountain like effects of many types of ornamental grasses. The leaves of these plants don’t just serve as a lovely background for flowers, because they have their own attraction. There are some really beautiful foliaged plants that could be used as a dominant feature alongside your flowers. Remember, foliage will carry your garden through all seasons, long after the flowers have faded away.
I'm talking with garden designer Louise McDaid.

Coloured leaves photo M Cannon

If doesn’t hurt the pocked to update your garden in this series, because we’re not doing the crazy make-over.
There should be plenty of ideas to get you thinking about updating the foliage in your garden.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Sandpaper Fig Ficus coronata
Bush tucker plants are one of the hot trends in horticulture and this one is no exception.

Ficus coronate Sandpaper Fig

What about a tree that has leaves the not only feel like sandpaper, but can be used for sandpapering surfaces.
Let’s find out more about this plant by listening to the podcast.
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

Ficus coronata is a food plant for the caterpillars of the Queensland butterfly the common- or purple moonbeam. One of many host plants for the larvae of the Common Crow (Euploea core).

Good jam fruit but fussy to prepare because of hairs on skin.
Suited to a shady position in gardens, or medium to brightly lit indoor spaces. Like all figs in garden situations, they attract birds such as species of silvereye and rainforest pigeon.
Of the 1,000 fig species, most are tropical and 70 per cent of the animal life in the rainforest depends on them.
They are a “keystone” species: no figs, no jungle. Birds, bats, monkeys, gibbons, insects – all run on figs.
They are sweet – which means they are high in energy – and the trees can fruit/flower several times a year.
Aboriginal Women: Would use the leaves to "sand" there feet and nails.
Men: Would use the leaves to do the fine sanding of important artefacts and weapons.