Keep Calm and Gingerly Continue Gardening

SPICE IT UP

Zingiber officinale or Ginger is in the Zingiberaceae family along with Turmeric, Cardamom and Kenchur.
All of these plants are grown from rhizomes that are harvested.

Ginger was used in Roman times as a food preservative and to help treat tummy upsets.
The Greeks would eat ginger wrapped in bread if they were feeling nauseas.
Eventually  Ginger was added to the bread dough creating that wonderful treat many around the globe love today -gingerbread.
Let’s find out more about ginger.
Talking with herb expert Ian Hemphill from www.herbies.com.au

Fresh ginger can be found in the produce section of most supermarkets and fruit and veg stores.
Look for smooth skin with a fresh, spicy fragrance.
Tubers should be firm and feel heavy.
The biggest rhizomes usually mean they’re getting on a bit and mature rhizomes will be hotter and more fibrous that's because they've been left too long in the ground.
Avoid those with wrinkled flesh, as this is an indication of aged ginger past its prime.
Fresh ginger is sweeter and less fibrous.

Use your fresh ginger by peeling and scraping it first to get rid of the outer skin.
Ginger has a tangy flavour profile and is very versatile in cooking.
You can always have fresh ginger on hand by grating some and putting it in an ice cube tray with some water.
You can also preserve ginger by putting cutting pieces in a jar with some Chinese rice wine.
This will keep for a few months.
You can of course grow your own ginger from one of the rhizomes that have sprouted.

If you have any questions about growing ginger or have some information you’d like to share, why not email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

VEGETABLE HEROES

Melissa officinalis, known as lemon balm, balm, common balm, or balm mint, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the mint family; Lamiaceae, and is native to south-central Europe, and the Mediterranean region.
You may not be into scientific names but there are two subspecies of Lemon Balm; Melissa officinalis subsp.officinalis, is the common cultivated lemon balm; and Melissa officinalis subsp. altissima, naturalized in New Zealand and known as bush balm.
Apparently the scent of Melissa officinalis. subsp. altissima is sometimes described as fruity, herbal or powdery, but often doesn’t have any scent at all.
Lemon Balm has been used for over 2,000 years, but did you know that because these white flowers attract bees, that’s why the genus name is Melissa which is Greek for 'honey bee'.
In fact the ancient Greeks believed that if you put a few sprigs of lemon balm in an empty hive, it would attract a swarm of bees, or if you planted some lemon balm near a beehive, the bees would never go away.
Officinalis of course means used in medicine and in the 11th century a Persian physician and philosopher named Avicenna recommended the use of lemon balm in treating depression and melancholy.

Fun Facts:Would you believe that according to the London Dispensary (1696) lemon balm in wine could even prevent baldness?
What does it look like?
It’s a fairly low to medium growing herb not growing more than 70 cm tall and being in the mint family, it has square stems.
The leaves have a sweet lemon scent, and because it’s related to mint the leaves look a bit like the leaves of common mint.
During summer, this herb has small white flowers that are full of nectar.


 Interestingly although over 100 chemicals have been identified in Melissa officinalis, the main flavour comes from just two essential oils: oil of citral (neral and geranial), and citronellal.

Why grow lemon Balm?

One reason to grow it is that sachets made with Lemon Balm and put under your pillow or near the bed are supposed to give you a refreshing, relaxing sleep.
Lemon balm seeds are fairly easy to germinate and need light and at least 20°C
Seeds will germinate in 10 – 14 days and are best started off in a punnet.
TIP: The seeds don’t like being overly wet so after the first watering, let them alone but not completely dry out.
Lemon balm is probably one of the easiest herbs to grow and is ideal for beginners.
Lemon balm grows well in both sun and shade, soils of a wide pH, and either dry or damp conditions.
Lemon balm grows in clumps and doesn’t spread vegetatively like mint does, that is putting down roots where the stems touch the ground or through underground rhizomes, but only spreads by seed.
If you don’t want it to spread in your garden, then cut back the clump after flowering so that it doesn’t self-seed.
In mild temperate zones, the stems of the plant die off at the start of the winter, but shoot up again in spring.
Lemon balm doesn’t like temperatures much below 50 C so in cool temperate climates you may lose your plant unless you put some into a pot for replanting next Spring.
You could also just put some protective mulch over the spot when it dies down as long as you remember what you have growing there.
Lemon balm can also be propagated by dividing the rootstock in Spring or Autumn and planting straight into the ground after doing this.

How to use lemon balm?
The best time to pick leaves for drying is before it flowers.
However, you can pick leaves for use lots of ways from flavouring vinegars, teas, especially Early grey or green tea, marinades, dressings, jams and jellies, stuffings and sauces to using it chopped with fish and mushroom dishes or mixed fresh with soft cheeses.
Lemon balm complements many fruits, including honeydew, rockmelon, pineapple, apples and pears.
What about lemon balm with ginger in scones?
That’s the leaves, but the flowers can also be used as a garnish in fruit salads, drinks or with rice .
Did you know that in the commercial food industry, lemon balm oil and extract are used to flavor alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinkgs, confectionary, baked goods, gelatin, and puddings.
Lemon balm is also an ingredient in liqueurs like Benedictine and Chartreuse.
Why is it good for you?
Lemon balm tea is good for relieving mild headaches and possibly the memory as well.
The crushed leaves when rubbed on the skin can be used as an insect repellant.
Lemon balm also has anti-oxidant and calming or mild sedative properties.
There is also some link to memory or attention but further research is needed on that one.
If you have any questions about Lemon Balm, JUST EMAIL ME
AND THAT WAS OUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT FOR TODAY! 

DESIGN ELEMENTS

ROOFTOP GARDENING

Continuing with the series on best fit gardening.
Have you ever thought of using that unused space on a flat roof, if you have a flat roof that is?
You don't have to live in Spain to have a rooftop garden, nor just limit yourself to a line of potted plants.
Why not if you have decent access to your roof and it’s approved for pedestrian traffic (ie, the waterproof membrane is intact, sealed and fully protected).
The only obstacle to using it often comes down to simple lack of shade. Exposed to sun and wind, the area is not going to be inviting unless you can find a way to block out the elements.
Equally, you may have dead space over the top of your garages that could be revamped.
Let’s find out what you can plant up there. I'm talking with Garden Designer Peter Nixon from Paradisus. www.peternixon.com.au

PLAY: Best Fit Gardening_rooftop garden_4th November_2015
This is for a fairly exposed situation so that’s why Peter focused on xerophytic plants.
The planting suggestions were Aechmea recurvata Benrathii or falsa Tillandsia-this is a small growing Bromeliad.
Dykia brevifolia or pineapple dykia.
Alcantarea odorata or giant bromeliad and finally, Tillandsia secunda.
There’s also Crucifix orchids or Epidendrum species and other bromeliads such as Bilbergia pyramidalis and Aechmea recurvata.
If you have any questions about rooftop gardening or have a suggestion why not write in or email me at www.realworldgardener.com

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Delphinium "Guardian"
 These mid-sized plants are the stars of the early summer border.
The plants form a low mound of deeply-cut green leaves, and have these amazing tall spikes of satiny flowers.

The original version have enormous  spikes of up to 2 1/2 metres and needed 'vernalisation."

But not D. Gaurdian which grows to around 1 metre tall with deep-blue petals and strong multi-branching stems that are great for cutting.

Let’s find out about them by listening to the podcast.

I'm talking with Karen Smith from www.hortjournal.com.au and Jeremy Critchley owner of www.thegreengallerycom.au

Special Tips for Delphinium Plants
In the past, the 'old school' Delphiums required their roots to be kept cool, but not these new varieties because their foliage is quite large and as they're usually in the back of the flower border, or where the roots are shaded by other plants.

Removing faded spikes at the base will encourage repeat flowering spikes throughout Summer and into Autumn.

This new branching variety of Delphiums should flavour in your garden beds for at least several months.

When all flowering is finished, remove the last of the dead spikes and water them well after fertilising.

They main thing you have to watch out for in hot, humid
summer regions, is that plants are often attacked by mildew in mid-summer; to fix that just cut back the foliage quite hard to encourage fresh new growth.
In these regions plants don’t usually last more than 2 to 3 years.
Once established, they have low water and maintenance requirements although they will shutdown on days when temperatures are over 30 degrees C in attempt to cool themselves.
 If you have any questions about growing Delphiniums of any variety why not write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com

Friendship Makes The Garden Go Round

PLANT DOCTOR

In every garden lurks aphids, mealybugs, two spotted mites and other pests that prey on your vegetables and flowers.
What’s an organic gardener going to do ?
Is there someone to call? Certainly not ghostbusters!

Forget nasty expensive chemicals that do harm to our bees and the good bugs in our garden.
Because that’s the answer, enlist the help of the good bugs but you may need to call them up with some help.
Let’s find out.Q and A with Steve Falcioni from www.ecoorganicgarden.com.au

Beneficial insects need food, water and shelter to come into your garden.
Different stages of their life cycle require different foods.
For example, the adult Hoverfly and Lacewing feed on pollen and nectar but the larvea feeds on pest insects.
If pest numbers are low, larvae will also feed on pollen and nectar to get them through the lean times.




Foods you should plant include plants from these families; Asteraceae or Daisy family, Apiaceae or Carrot family, Lamiaceae or Mint family.
The plant list includes all herbal plants and Mint, Lavender, Caraway Cosmos, Chrysanthemum, Alyssum, Queen Anne's Lace.
What these plants have in common is flower over a long period of time, the flower structure and a dense source food.
When you enlist the help of beneficial insects to your garden this is actually called biological control.
These insects are the natural enemies of garden pests and they can be an effective, non-toxic method for solving your garden pest problems.
Farmers used it in a system called integrated pest management or IPM.
Another reason to go natural and use beneficials, is that a greater number of insects are now showing resistance to chemical pesticides.
Funnily enough, no insects have shown immunity to being eaten
Plus, these insecticides have been shown to be harmful to bees as well as ourselves.
If you have any questions about identifying pests or beneficial insects, or have some information you’d like to share, why not email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Ginger! Zingiber officianale
In the Zingiberaceae family along with Turmeric and cardamom.
Have you ever wondered about growing edible ginger?
For years I’ve wondered about growing the real deal ginger.
Of all the times I’ve bought the nobbly brown root, it’s never sprouted until now.
Probably because now I’ve bought organic ginger that’s not sprayed with stuff to prevent it from sprouting-some sort of growth retardant usually.
Now I’ve got two bits sprouting!
When to Plant
Before those of you in cooler climates get put off, I daresay, my own climate zone is a bit out of its range, but I’m growing it in a pot and so can you.

Indoors if we have to.
For those of you who don’t have a piece of sprouting ginger, mail order garden catalogues supply pieces of ginger that are sprouting between July and September usually.
Available from www.greenharvest.com.au
If you’ve ever seen ginger in supermarkets, and all supermarkets have them, you’d know that it comes from the root of a plant that has lots of underground tubers with roots.
Are you thinking that bit of edible ginger is the root, technically it’s not, but most of us think of it as ginger root.
This usually means that the underground part grows quite a bit and is usually a rhizome. A creeping underground tuber.
Ginger has been around for at least 2000 years but mostly used in medicine rather than cooking.
Did you know that together with black pepper, ginger was one of the most commonly traded spices during the 13th and 14th centuries?
Ginger is native to south China, but it was Arabs who spread it around by carrying rhizomes on their voyages to East Africa to plant at coastal settlements and on Zanzibar.
Around the same time in England, ginger was much sought after, and one pound in weight of ginger was equivalent to the cost of a sheep.
So what is Ginger?

It’s a herbaceous perennial which grows annual stems about a 1.5 metres tall with narrow green leaves and insignificant greeny-yellow flowers.
The leaves are much narrower than Canna leaves, and look more like the leaves of bamboo.
Zingibar officianale or ginger is a tropical plant as you’d expect so it doesn’t like frost, waterlogged soil direct sun and high winds.
But if you’ve got a sheltered area, maybe on your back veranda, and rich moist soil, or some good stuff potting mix, you can get by growing ginger.
If you’ve also got warmer weather and high humidity you definitely can grow ginger.
From reading garden forums on the web, ginger does well in the ground in temperate climates as well.
For most of us, growing ginger will mean growing it in pots.

If you plonk it in cheap potting mix, don’t expect much.
If you’ve got water storage crystals in the mix, that’s good, but if you’ve added some coir, that’s even better, because what ginger needs, apart from free draining potting mix, is a mix that has some water holding capacity 
In other words, potting mix that doesn’t dry out too quickly.
If you’ve only got one sprouting rhizome, put it into a 20cm pot, if you have 3 put them in together into a large 35cm pot.
You can also add one part of good compost to two parts potting mix, and that’s going to add some nutrients as well.
For those gardens with tropical or sub-tropical climates you can put that piece of sprouting ginger straight into the garden after you dug in a spadeful of compost. That should be good enough.
Put in your piece of ginger about 5cm below the soil surface.
Remember, filtered sunlight not direct sun for the position.
For cooler climates, your ginger plant can take full sun because it won’t be as intense for the most part as in the tropics.
Near a north facing wall is ideal so the plant can get reflected heat.
If it gets too hot in summer, move the pot into semi-shade if you can.
Also, for cooler districts, move it inside at the first signs of cold weather and don’t water it too much.
The best planting time is late winter/early spring, but if you’ve got a piece sprouting now, don’t waste an opportunity to garden, put it in anyway.
Ginger grows quite slowly and doesn’t mind being a little bit root bound if it’s in a pot.
A good thing about Ginger is that it won’t overtake your garden, because, it’s slow growing and after all, you’re going to be digging it up every year to harvest the rhizomes for your cooking.
Looking after Ginger in hot weather.

Ginger grows to about one to 1 ½ metres and requires regular watering. Drying out will most likely set the plant back quite a bit, and even cark it.
To supply humidity for arid climates, you’ll have to get out there with the spray bottle and spray it when you think of it, hopefully every day.
For those growing ginger in the ground, and plenty of mulch to keep the ground moist.
Ginger growing in pots will need fortnight feeds of liquid fertiliser if you haven’t added any controlled release or organic slow release fertilisers to the mix before planting.
Now the most important question, when can you dig it up?
All books will say the best time to dig up your ginger plant is when all the long green leaves have died down, 8 – 10 months after you’ve planted it.
This is easy if you’ve been growing it in a pot, because you can tip the whole thing over and just pull it out.
For areas where ginger growing is out of it’s range, you might be best to leave it for a couple of years for the rhizome to build up in size before tipping it out.
Break up the rhizomes into smaller useable pieces and either store it in the freezer, or my tip is, put the pieces into some Chinese cooking wine or sherry in a resealable jar and place it in the fridge.
Doing it this way keeps it fresh for quite a few months.
Don’t forget to replant some rhizomes for your next years’ crop of ginger if you’ve been successful that is.
Why is Ginger Good for You?
Ginger is said to stimulate gastric juices, and provide warming and soothing effects for colds and coughs.
Ginger is an excellent natural remedy for nausea, motion sickness, morning sickness and general stomach upset due to its carminative effect that helps break up and expel intestinal gas.
Ginger tea has been recommended to alleviate nausea in chemotherapy patients mainly because its natural properties don’t interact in a negative way with other medications.
Ginger is a very good source of nutrients and essential vitamins.
It is also a good source of minerals, such as potassium, magnesium and copper.
Ginger also has Calcium Carbohydrate  Dietary Fiber  Iron  Magnesium and Manganese, but wait there’s more.
Potassium Protein Selenium Sodium Vitamin C, E and B6
Many thanks to tropical permaculture group for providing some of the growing information.

DESIGN ELEMENTS

 with Landscape Designer Glenice Buck
Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been taken on a journey to just outside a little hamlet called Germantown, about 2 hours drive from New York City.

photo Glenice Buck

photo Glenice Buck

 We’resurrounded by mountains in the distance, and so far, the Northern Hemisphere trees have been identified with the help of a local arborist, and some shrewd detective work on Glenice’s part.
Listen to the podcast to find out what happens in the final of this series.
  By now the veggie patch had been installed, a retaining wall and a new garden bed had been built.
Then it was buying the perennial plants; Rudibeckia, Hemerocallis, (Day Lilies), Mondardia ( Bee Balm), Agastache, Wormwood, Veronica, Salvias and Ornamental grasses.

photo Glenice Buck

photo Glenice Buck

The arborists will continue withy the selective clearing and maintenance.

Lastly, a native land steward will be employed to replant the native woodland in the south point of the garden.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Talking with the Plant Panel; Karen Smith editor of www.hortjournal.com.au and Jeremy Critchley owner www.thegreengallery.com.au

Just imagine if you were looking at plants at a plant fair and you saw something that you were pretty sure had never been seen anywhere else before?
You certainly would have to know your plants, but that’s just what happened at a plant show in 2005 in Argentina.
It seems that (Friendship Sage) we must say thanks to Rolando Uria of the University of Buenos Aries for this very fine plant. Yes, at a plant fair, Rolando really know his Salvias and picked out that this plant was a truly unique hybrid sage.
Needless to say that it’s generated a great deal of excitement in the Salvia world.
The flowers are pretty showy so let’s find out what it is.


A medium size semi-shrubby perennial with fast growth in the warm seasons to reach 1.2m by at least as wide with glossy green deltoid shaped leaves that are textured in a way similar to Salvia guaranitica.

In Spring through to Autumn and the flowers or whorls of large rich royal purple flowers emerging from near black dark bracts.

Best grown in full to part sun along the coast or at least with protection from afternoon sun in warmer inland locations in a fast-draining soil with moderate to regular watering.

Ideal for pots or summer borders, this is a strong growing variety with stunningly beautiful flowers. Dark purple buds open to deep purple flowers with an almost black calyx. If you give it a light trim you’ll be rewarded with repeat flowering.
Salvia Amistad can take cold winters to -6 ⁰ C, but because it’s always flowering, it’s worthwhile even if it only lasts the year.

The Frog, the Ginger and the Garden

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
Real World Gardener is funded by CBF, Community Broadcasting Foundation.

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The complete CRN edition of RWG is available on http://www.cpod.org.au/ , just click on 2RRR to find this week’s edition.

Living Planet NEW SEGMENT

with ecologist, Katie Oxenham
Frogs are under threat throughout the world and loss of habitat is one of the factors contributing to their demise. A frog pond is easy to construct, adds interest to your home garden and will provide a haven for the frog species in your area. You don’t have to worry about buying any frogs, because they’ll come calling….
Let’s find out more

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A pond with flowering water plants can be a very attractive focal point in a garden. These plants never seem to have any problems don’t need much attention. Observing the lifecycle of frogs throughout the seasons provides added interest to your gardening. Frogs also help to control insect pests.
Locate your pond in a part sunny, part shady, but not directly under trees. Some trees or shrubs have poisonous leaves (Oleander, Bleeding Heart and pines for example).
If you place your pond so that it's visible from the house then you can enjoy the pond anytime of day or night.
Putting the pond in the back garden, a bit away from your own house and your neighbour's houses, if the croaking of frogs is too noisy for you.
A low garden lamp that is reflected in the water will not only add to your garden's appearance in the evenings but also attract insects for the frogs.
for more information about frogs, www.frogsaustralia.net.au and www.fats.org.au
We’d love to see photos of any frogs or frog ponds that you have in your garden, just send it in to. realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675, and I’ll post a CD in return.

Vegetable Heroes:

Ginger! Zingibar officianale

Have you ever wondered about growing edible ginger?

For years I’ve wondered about growing the real deal ginger.

Of all the times I’ve bought the nobbly brown root, it’s never sprouted until now.

Probably because now I’ve bought organic ginger that’s not sprayed with stuff to prevent it from sprouting-some sort of growth retardant usually.

Now I’ve got two bits sprouting!

Before those of you in cooler climates get put off, I daresay, my own climate zone is a bit out of its range, but I’m growing it in a pot and so can you.

Indoors if we have to.

For those of you who don’t have a piece of sprouting ginger, mail order garden catalogues supply pieces of ginger that are sprouting between July and September usually. I’ll put links on my website and facebook. www.greenharvest.com.au

If you’ve ever seen ginger in supermarkets, and all supermarkets have them, you’d know that it comes from the root of a plant that has lots of underground tubers with roots.

Are you thinking that bit of edible ginger is the root, technically it’s not, but most of us think of it as ginger root.

This usually means that the underground part grows quite a bit and is usually a rhizome. A creeping underground tuber.

Ginger has been around for at least 2000 years but mostly used in medicine rather than cooking.

Together with black pepper, ginger was one of the most commonly traded spices during the 13th and

During this time in England, ginger was sought after, and one pound in weight of ginger was equivalent to the cost of a sheep.

Zingibar officianale or ginger is a tropical plant as you’d expect so it doesn’t like frost, waterlogged soil direct sun and high winds.

But you’ve got a sheltered area, maybe on your back veranda, and rich moist soil, or some good stuff potting mix, you can get by growing ginger.

If you’ve also got warmer weather and high humidity you definitely can grow ginger.

From garden forums on the web, ginger does well in ground in temperate climates also.

For most of us, growing ginger will mean growing it in pots. If you plonk it in cheap potting mix, don’t expect much.

If you’ve got water storage crystals in the mix, that’s good, but if you’ve added some coir, that’s even better, because what ginger needs, apart from free draining potting mix, is mix that has some water holding capacity In other words, potting mix that doesn’t dry out too quickly.

If you’ve only got one sprouting rhizome, put it into a 20cm pot, if you have 3 put them in together into a large 35cm pot.

• You can also add one part of good compost to two parts potting mix, and that’s going to add some nutrients as well.
• For those gardens with tropical or sub-tropical climates you can put that piece of sprouting ginger straight into the garden after you dug in a spadeful of compost. That should be good enough.
• Put in your piece of ginger about 5cm below the soil surface.
• Remember, filtered sunlight not direct sun for the position.
• For cooler climates, your ginger plant can take full sun because it won’t be as intense for the most part as in the tropics. Near a north facing wall is ideal so the plant can get reflected heat.
• If it gets too hot in summer, move the pot into semi-shade if you can.
• Also, for cooler districts, move it inside at the first signs of cold weather and don’t water it too much.
• The best planting time is late winter/early spring, but if you’ve got a piece sprouting now, don’t waste an opportunity to garden, put it in anyway.
• Ginger grows quite slowly and doesn’t mind being a little bit root bound if it’s in a pot.
• Ginger won’t overtake your garden, because, it’s slow growing and after all, you’re going to be digging it up every year to harvest the rhizomes for your cooking.
• Ginger grows to about one to 1 ½ metres and requires regular watering. Drying out will most likely set the plant back quite a bit, and even cark it.
• To supply humidity for arid climates, you’ll have to get out there with the spray bottle and spray it when you think of it, hopefully every day.
• For those growing ginger in the ground, and plenty of mulch to keep the ground moist.
• Ginger growing in pots will need fortnight feeds of liquid fertiliser if you haven’t added any controlled release or organic slow release fertilisers to the mix before planting.
• Now the most important question, when can you dig it up?
• All books will say the best time to dig up your ginger plant is when all the long green leaves have died down, 8 – 10 months after you’ve planted it.
• This is easy if you’ve been growing it in a pot, because you can tip the whole thing over and just pull it out.
• For areas where ginger growing is out of it’s range, you might be best to leave it for a couple of years for the rhizome to build up in size before tipping it out.
• Break up the rhizomes into smaller useable pieces and either store it in the freezer, or my tip is, put the pieces into some Chinese cooking wine or sherry in a resealable jar and place it in the fridge.
• Doing it this way keeps it fresh for quite a few months.
• Don’t forget to replant some rhizomes for your next years’ crop of ginger if you’ve been successful that is.
• Why is Ginger Good for You?
• Ginger is a very good source of nutrients and essential vitamins.
• It is also a good source of minerals, such as potassium, magnesium and copper.
• Many thanks to tropical permaculture group for providing some of the growing information.

Design Elements

with Landscape Designer, Louise McDaid

Shady gardens can sometimes be problematic, especially if it’s dry shade.Under trees is another area that can give a lot of shade, and the roots take up all the soil, nutrients and water.If you’re tired of looking at that bare patch and wondering what to do about it, listen to this…

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Dry shade can be improved with Cliveas, Renga Renga Lilly or Arthropodium cirrhatum, and wet shade can grow a variety of ferns, even grass trees.
Lots of choices for your shady area, including painting the fence a bright or white shade to lift the feel under that tree..

Plant of the Week:

Are you wary of planting gum trees into your garden? What if they turn into monsters, or are branch droppers?
Not all are bad and a few years ago a range of flowering grafted Eucalypts hit the stores making us all want to buy one for the garden.

Eucalyptus...from Greek, eu, well and calyptos, covered referring to the cap which covers the developing flowers. camaldulensis... after Camalduli, a district in Italy. Myrtaceae family

Eucalyptus camaldulensis or river red gum, is a common and widespread tree along watercourses over much of mainland Australia.

 It is frequently a dominant component of riparian communities, and is an important species of the Murray-Darling catchment.

• E. camaldulensis grows in areas where inundation is frequent, flowering late winter to mid-summer.
• Red River Gum grows in full sun and tolerates moderate frost, drought, lime soil, boggy, damp soil, clay loam or sand.
• E. camaldulensis has bark that’s smooth and white or greyish in colour except near the base of the trunk where it is often rough.
• Leaves are "typical" of eucalypts being lance-shaped up to 250mm long and blue-grey.
• The white flowers are seen mainly in late spring and summer and these are followed by small seed capsules about 60 mm diameter with protruding valves.
• The timber is termite resistant and is used in many applications where contact with the ground is needed.
• E.camaldulensis is a hardy tree but is probably too large for urban gardens, growing to 15-20 metres.
• BUT you might like to try this one a new variety released by plant breeders Peter and Jennifer Ollerenshaw of Bywong Nursery.
• Bywong Nursery is located 30kms north east of Canberra, near the old gold mining settlement of Bywong.
•  
• Here’s a novel new grafted specimen.Eucalyptus " Blue Veil," is a sport selected from a mature Eucalytpus camaldulensis.
• 'Blue Veil' is an unusual grafted variety of Eucalyptus that only grows in a weeping fashion unless trained otherwise. 
• Blue Veil has long flexible branches and attractive blue/green foliage. 
• The supple nature of the young growth allows it to be trained to grow in many attractive forms.
•  Plants can be grown at the top of high walls and allowed to hang down or branches may be espaliered against a fence or screen.
• These are grafted plants and care should be taken to prevent any growth below the graft union.

There’s now a Eucalyptus camuldulensis “Blue Veil” is available from the nursery and some local garden centres. If you’re interested in buying, contact the nursery direct, ww.bywongnursery.com.au