The Currawong and the Silver Lady

 

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
Do you know the difference between a Magpie, Crow, Raven and Currawong?
Good or bad, this bird will probably visit your garden.

If you like the smaller birds in your garden, it may be timely for you to get to recognise the difference because one of them is considered a nest predator, and is partly responsible for the decline of smaller species in some areas where it lives.

Let’s find out more about this bird.




photo by Degilbo, flickr

Currawongs  now remain in cities all year round, mainly because there’s plenty of food around-cat food, dog food, bird feeders, you name it.
They’re a pretty smart bird so don’t let them train you into thinking that you need to feed them.
As Sue mentions quite regularly, what we feed birds is largely lacking in nutrients that they really need and in this case, the Currawong includes smaller birds in their diet.
Plus you don’t want a nest of Currawongs in your backyard, because during breeding season, pairs defend the nest-site and surrounding territory where they find food for their young.
But if you don’t have small birds in your garden you might just think the birds were great to have around as they eat carrion, rodents, and insects - keeping the local area clean and tidy.
If you have any questions about your Pied Currawongs or a photo, send it in to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Today’s vegetable or fruit hero is not really a fruit  and it's Strawberries or Fragaria x ananasa.
Did you know that Fragaria means fragrance in Latin?
Strawberries aren’t actually berries because true berries have seeds inside them.

And as every schoolkid will tell you, strawberries have seeds on the outside, and usually about 200 of them!
So what are strawberries exactly?
Did you know that Strawberries are sometimes called an accessory fruit or false fruit because of the seeds being on the outside?

Here’s a botanical bite.
Fruit usually grows from the ovary of the flower, but in the strawberries case, some or all of the fruit grows on outside of the ovary.
That part of the flower that holds the ovary is called the receptacle.
You might find it hard to imagine, but each little "seed" (achene) on the outside of the strawberry fruit is actually one of the ovaries of the flower, with a seed inside it. Strange isn’t it?
Fragaria vesca  or the Alpine strawberry is native throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
Botanists think this was probably the ancestor of the garden strawberry of today.
Would you believe that there’s archaeological evidence suggesting that people ate strawberries as far back as during the Stone Age?
The first people to grow strawberries as a crop were the Persians in ancient Persia.
The Persian-called their strawberry plants - Toot Farangi.
By the 18^th century Fragaria x ananassa had replaced the alpine strawberry because of the larger berry or fruit.

When to grow?
It’s probably not the right time of year to grow plant out strawberries in many districts, but if you see them for sale as potted strawberries, because you surely will, you can plant them out in January.
For all sub-tropical, temperate and arid zones you can plant strawberries now, but you’ll get advice that May and June are the best planting times.
For cool mountain districts, October and November are your best planting times.
They’re frost sensitive but a 10cm layer of mulch will be enough to protect the plants.

So what are the strawberry plants’ requirements?
Strawberries are short-lived herbaceous perennials, meaning plants can produce for 2-3 years. 
Did you know that commercially strawberries are grown for only one season and replanted each year to keep up the yield levels?
The pattern for most strawberries is flowering in spring, set fruit in late spring/early summer, send runners out in summer and become dormant in winter.
At this time of year you will be able to get the ever bearing varieties which give you a second crop in autumn.
If you planted your strawberry plants, in last autumn and winter, they should’ve flowered already and you’ll be telling me that you’ve been enjoying strawberries with cream already.
But why not plant some more plants for Autumn strawberries?
What do Strawberry plants really love?
Not sure what they like? Well…Strawberries love at least 6 hours of sun a day and will grow in most soils but strawberries prefer a sandy loam that is deep and contains a lot of organic matter.

Strawberries in planter pot. photo M Cannon

IMPORTANT: When planting a strawberry plant, make sure that about a third of the crown is above the soil. If you plant too deep or shallow the plant might die.
Strawberries have 70% of their roots located in the top 8cm of soil.
By mulching the soil, it helps to keep the roots from drying out and will prevent the plant from drowning in boggy soil.
This means that if growing your strawberries in the garden, you need to grow them on mounds to  improve drainage and you will also need to put down a thick layer of mulch such as hay, pea straw or sugar cane to prevent the berries from touching the soil and rotting.
Mulch as you should now, also prevents the soil from drying out too much.
The idea behind strawberry pots is good in principle but in practise I find it needs careful attention because the plants dry out too much.
Potting soils usually have the right mix if you’re planning on planting strawberries in a container.
but I would also recommend adding some coco peat into the potting mix to increase water holding capacity.

Idea for Strawberry planting at Venlo. photo M Cannon

And you know strawberry pots have several holes in them to cater for about5-6 plants.
TIP: Attaching your pots to a dripper system and putting a saucer under the strawberry pot will save your strawberry crop this year.
Also make sure you water the plants, especially when the young plants are establishing, and during dry spells.
Strawberries prefer a moist environment.
Avoiding overhead watering will reduce fungal disease; drip irrigation or a 'leaky pipe' is best.

TIP:Make sure your berries are fully red before picking them because they don't get any riper off the vine.
Cut the stem above the berry with scissors.
Over summer, strawberry plants send out runners. These modified shoots can be used to propagate new plants but if you don't need new plants, cut these runners off.
After fruiting has finished, tidy up the bushes by giving them a hard prune down to 10cm.
Stick 'em in the fridge soon after  picking the strawberries and don't wash the strawberries until just before you want to eat them.
Strawberries don't last, and the extra water on them causes their cells to break down more quickly.
TIP: Wash the berries and pat them dry before removing the stems. That way you avoid excess water entering the berries from the stem end.
Use the berries within three or four days.
To really feed a family you need about 20-30 plants to provide plenty of fruit, but even a couple of plants can be fun to grow.


Which Strawberries to plant now?
For Ever- bearing varieties, the autumn crop is the biggest and you can choose from Tempation which doesn't send out runners so it's great for hanging baskets and Sweetheart is very sweet to taste – an everlasting variety also have their fruit set in autumn  .
Why are they good for you?
Growing your own strawberries is much healthier because strawberries are ranked third out of 50 popular fruits and vegetables that retain pesticide residues.
Strawberries are low fat, low calorie; high in vitamin C, fibre, folic acid, and potassium
From only half a punnet of strawberries you'll get more than 100% of your daily needs of Vitamin C,  and  5.5g fibre in if you eat the whole punnet of strawberries that's about  20% of your daily fibre needs.
Did you know that eating strawberries, which are rich in nitrate, can increase the flow of blood & oxygen to the muscles by 7%?
This prevents muscle fatigue, making exercise easier.
Strawberries are also low in kilojoules, meaning you can eat 2 cups as one of your daily fruit serves!

DESIGN ELEMENTS

with landscape designer Christopher Owen
Ever wondered what a concept garden is?
What it isn’t, is a garden theme or style because they’re clearly defined. 

Chinese Garden-pavilion, lake and willow, Sydney. photo Louise Brooks

A garden theme is best explained by using examples like, a blue and white garden, a conifer garden fern, or Chinese garden.
Garden style is formal, informal, contemporary, modernist, gardenesque and so on.
Let’s find out about concept gardens.

Next time to see garden makeovers or show gardens you’ll know not to copy them judiciously because it does involve a bit of smoke and mirrors to make it look spectacular.


Chelsea Flower Show display garden 2013, photo M Cannon

The number one aspect is that plants are planted closely to make them look lush, but don’t do that in your garden, because they’ll crowd each other out and the whole design will start looking a mess.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

with Karen Smith hort journal editor www.hortjournal.com.au 
After mosses and algae, the first land plants on earth were ferns.

Did you know that fern fossils of a group of now extinct ferns called Glossopteris can be found in various parts of Australia still today and these will be in the order of 200 million years old.

What’s that got to do with plant of the week?

Nothing really other than it’s a fern and the foliage looks like a cross between a tree fern and a cycad.

Let’s find out about this plant.

Blechnum ferns grow in conditions that if you already grow ferns you would go ah yes- humid, cool but not cold, and filtered light as you would find under evergreen trees.

Given the right conditions indoors or out, blechnum ferns can be lovely ferns that will round out your fern collection.

Blechnum ferns...”Silver lady”

Blechnum Silver Lady, photo M Cannon

Silver Lady is a form of Blechnum gibbum, and is a dwarf tree fern. Silver Lady’s is a fast grower and great for those shady parts of the garden.

Silver Lady has a spread of around a metre, you need a size of pot diameter of around 40cm, planting up from a 15cm-20cm pot size. 

Silver Lady looks good when multi-planted for that tropical feel to the garden.

In general, Blechnum ferns do best in moist, free-draining, compost-enriched and slightly acidic soil in a shady location.

Blechnums will grow in a wide range of climates from temperate to sub-tropical locations however Silver Lady needs reasonable ventilation and won’t tolerate frost. Mulching is recommended.

Keep the soil moist throughout the year. In winter, this may mean a weekly watering; in the warmer months, increase the frequency.

Containerised plants should generally be watered more frequently than in-ground plants. Water when the top layer of potting mix appears dry.

Try not to over-water Silver Lady as this may cause root rot.

It’s also best to use drippers, rather than overhead watering, so the foliage avoids staying wet for long periods.

 

 

 

Going Down to the Woods Today

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 the Community Broadcasting Foundation
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 consultant ecologist Kurtis Lindsay
Have you ever wondered what the process is when a developer comes along to build their mega shopping centre, or some-one wants to start up a mine somewhere?
What happens to all the birds and animals, shrubs and trees?

Believe it or not, there are people hired who get up to all sorts of methods to account for wildlife that might be on a threatened patch.
Let’s find out what exactly

Both the Conservation Act and The Threatened Species Act are used by ecologists when assessing land that might be developed to find targeted species.
Consulting ecologists may mark out a 50 x 50 metre plot and map every bit of vegetation and fauna in that area. They also set up night time cameras, Song-meters and Ana Bat to pick up micro-bats, songbirds, frogs and other animals.

Plenty of details from Kurtis as usual in that segment about his actual job. Kurtis is based in Mudgee, and as I mentioned, used to do the wildlife in focus segment as he’s an expert ornithologist as well.
Glad to see that Kurtis is taking care of some of our living things out their in the bush.

Vegetable Heroes

 BEETROOT is Beta vulgaris

Did you know that the soup that the Russians cooked for the Americans in the soyuz19 in 1975....was borscht, or beetroot soup? Of course!
Beta vulgaris or Beetroot, started life growing as wild seabeet, along coastlines from India to Britain and is the ancestor of all cultivated forms of beet. At first, only the leaves were eaten.
Did you also know that Beetroot was offered to Apollo in his temple at Delphi, where it was reckoned to be worth its own weight in silver?
Beetroot is in the top 10 most popular vegetables for growing in our gardens.
Who would’ve thought?
Beta vulgaris, commonly known as beet or beetroot, is a flowering plant species in the family Chenopodiaceae.
Growing Beetroot is fairly easy and Beetroot can be eaten fresh, stored and pickled so that can be enjoyed all year round.
When to Plant:
In cool temperate zones you can plant beets from September through to the end of April, in Arid areas, from February until December, or possibly the end of January and why not?
In temperate districts plant your seeds from July until April.
Tropical areas have to wait until March then you’ve got until June, and sub-tropical areas win the jackpot because they can sow beets all year round!
The seeds of beetroot are best planted at soil temperatures between 7°C and 25°C.
Did you know that that lumpy thing you get in your seed packet is not just one seed?
Beetroot  seeds are always made up of a seedball of several seeds.
For the best germination rate, soak that cluster of seeds, in water in a shallow saucer for around 24 hours before planting..
When the seedlings come up, if you don't thin them, you will get a number of rather pathetic little plants which don't grow to an edible size.
So how much space then?
If you can put a tennis ball between plants, then you’re set.
Don’t worry if your veggie garden is a bit shade because this is one of those veggies that isn’t too fussy about sun or shade.
 Beetroots can cope with anything from full sun to part shade and even do fairly well in dappled light under a deep rooted tree.
TIP:
Don’t over manure or fertilise your soil, because too much nitrogen enhances leaf growth and not root growth – and whaddya want?
You want  root growth.
Another thing, beets don’t care much for thick/clay like soil. And don’t expect much if you just plonk them in any old soil that’s not seen fertiliser for a number of years.
Add lots of liquid fertilisers such as Fish emulsion but remember Seaweed stuff is not a fertiliser.
Grow them in an raised bed, tub, ezi-planter or yes you can grow beetroot in pots, but they need to be BIG pots, like at least 30cm diameter or those poly styrene jobbies from the green grocer.
Keep your beets well-watered because if they dry out, they’ll become woody and inedible inside.

Q. Karen writes in “Why are my beetroots splitting?”

ANSWER: Karen, you're letting your beetroot get too thirsty watering twice a day will help also don’t use too much fertilizer, forcing them to grow is not a good idea.
For  really tasty and tender beetroot, start pulling them out at golfball-size. That’s when they are around 3cm in diameter.
It makes sense to pick or dig up every alternate beet so that more space is left between the ones that are left in the ground. This will help them grow.
 HINT:
If you’ve tried growing beetroot and not had success - I think it could be too much nitrogen and not enough potassium. Try fertilizing with a fruit/flower type fertilizer or Potash, to get more potassium. Or maybe more patience - my beetroot take a long time for the root to grow.
When the size of beet reaches about 7.5 cm in diameter they should be definitely dug up after that they won’t be great to eat. Gently dig under the root with a trowel and lift the bulb out of the soil taking care not to damage the outer skin. The less the bulb is damaged the longer the beetroot can be stored for.

Why not try Burpees Golden-it’s supposed to be really sweet and doesn’t bleed like the red types because it’s gold inside.www.diggers.com.au
How about Beetroot Cylindra –not round but long, great for pickling because you can squish more into a jar, and hey, you can plant them closer together because they expand downwards and not outwards.
www.diggers.com.au
www.organicsaustraliaonline.com.au
Finally, when you pick them, twist off the leaves.
Did you know that the leaves of Beetroots are edible? Steam them like spinach, or you could throw into compost.
Don’t leave the leaves on when storing.
Store them in the fridge or on a cool, dark shelf. They’ll normally keep for a few weeks when  young and fresh.
What’s good about Beetroot?
A cup of beetroot has about 31 calories; 8.5g of carbohydrate, 1.5g of dietary fibre.
Cooked beetroot is a great source of folate that can protect you against high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s and dementia. Why are they putting folate in bread? Eat a proper diet I say.
Are you looking for a hangover cure?
Beta cyanin, the pigment that gives beetroot its colour, is an antioxidant and could key to beating your hangover!
How so?  Beta cyanin speeds up detoxification in your liver, so your body can  turn the alcohol into a less harmful substance that your body can get rid of faster.

Beetroot is has a very low Glycemic Index which means it’s converted into sugars very slowly which helps to keep blood sugar levels stable.
Culinary hints - cooking and eating Beetroot
Apart from boiling whole for salads, beetroot roast well, cut in wedges.
They also make a tasty salad grated raw with carrot and a little fresh orange juice.
If you have any questions about growing beets or beetroot or any other vegetable, JUST EMAIL ME

AND THAT WAS OUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT FOR TODAY! 

Design Elements

with landscape designer Louise McDaid

Part 4 cool garden design-a woodland garden.
What do you picture when you think of a woodland garden?
Do you think of an English woodland with bluebells, English oaks, maples and other northern hemisphere trees? Or do you think of Australian woodland with Eucalypts, grass trees, or casuarinas, underplanted with hardenbergias and boronias and all manner of ferns like birds nest ferns?
Let’s find out what makes a cooling woodland garden in the last of the series on creating cool gardens….

Not only trees, shrubs and low ground covers, but seats ponds and even outdoor dining tables can be placed in your  very own woodland garden.
Even create a teddy bear’s picnic or fairy garden at the bottom for any littlies that might visit your garden. It’ s only limited by your imagination.

 Plant of the Week

Ferns
Did you realise that ferns belong to a group of plants called featherplants or pteridophytes, along with club mosses and horsetails.
Featherplants are among the world’s most ancient plants, found as fossils in rocks 400 million years old.
Would you believe that there are now 10,000 species of fern living in damp, shady places around the world.
Ranging from tiny ferns with mossy leaves just 1 cm long to rare tropical tree ferns growing up to 25m tall.

Here’s a bit of trivia, Coal is made largely of fossilized featherplants of the Carboniferous Period 360 – 286 million years ago.
Coal is made from dead plants such as ferns. Over 200 million years ago, the ferns would have become buried underground and very gradually turned to cool under the immense pressure of the Earth.
Ferns produce an underground rhizome that produces fern fronds.
Fern leaves are called fronds. When new they are curled up like a shepherd’s crook, but they gradually uncurl over time.
Some ferns are edible.

Ferns look fragile but are tougher than you think.

For a low maintenance garden, choose ferns because all you have to do is cut off any dead fronds.

There’s many fern types for every climate in Australia.

Ferns are an ancient type of plant that evolved long before conifers and flowering plants. They even reproduce by means of spore rather than seed.

Their underground parts are rhizomes not roots and they have fronds not leaves.

 

Australia has 400 of the possible 10,000 fern species available worldwide.

In some areas, local ferns will colonise a part of your garden.

 

Bracken Fern and Maiden Hair fern (yes that’s a native) easily colonise a lot of gardens on the east coast of Australia.

 

If you live in a cool climate, there are a number of Australian native fern species which are relatively easy to grow outdoors in cool climate areas.

WHAT DO FERNS LIKE?

Ferns require good drainage and some form of protection, such as overhanging trees, shrubs, a garden wall, the wall of a house or shade cloth, is provided.

Where there are extremes of dry heat and cold, you need to create a shelter like a shade house that keeps the humidity that ferns need.

For those people living in Arid areas, also build a shade house for your ferns, where you can go into and relax away from the heat of the day.

When planning the site for a fern garden, easterly and southerly aspects are preferable. The majority of ferns grow best in filtered sunlight and although some will tolerate direct sunlight, they should not be subjected to it for long periods.

 Frost damage may occur to fronds, but it will not be as severe if regular watering is kept up throughout winter. Damage to foliage may also occur during long periods of dry heat and wind. Damaged fronds will not recover and should be removed.

Growing ferns indoors

They mainly need sufficient light, moisture and humidity.

 

Don’t grow in direct sunlight, very close to windows where they can be burnt or can dry out rapidly.

 

On the other hand, pale and spindly growth will result if there is not enough light.

 

A good quality potting mix should be used; one that will drain adequately but still retain sufficient moisture for the plants’ needs.

 

Lack of humidity caused by heaters drying the air in the house can be a problem to ferns.

Humidity may be increased by spraying the fronds daily with water or placing the pots on a tray of pebbles with water in the tray.

As the water evaporates it creates humidity around the plants.

Rough Maidenhair fern Adiantum hispidulum 

Recognizable by their fine black stems and frilly fan-shaped leaflets which are really small rhombicpinnules.

The Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum hispidulum) is very common in the Wet Tropics.

Found growing in moist open sites along river and track banks.

Maidenhair Fern is very popular for gardeners and is an ideal house plant.

The new fronds are a delicate pink colour.

 

Adiantum aethiopicum (common maidenhair) A dainty-looking fern which grows vigorously with a suckering habit. It quickly outgrows pots and is best planted in the ground in a moist, protected area. It tolerates full sun as long as it has plenty of water.

 

Asplenium bulbiferum (hen and chicken fern) These ferns usually produce an abundance of plantlets on the pinnae (leaflets). The plantlets grow slowly, and when large enough can be removed and allowed to root into a moist potting mix.

On Kew with Ferns

REAL WORLD GARDENER across Australia on the Community Radio Network

Design Elements: Paths are essential to creating a sense of flow. “Without flow, a property is made up of a series of unrelated spaces,” Designing your garden path couldn't be easier with Lesley Simpson, garden designer. Listen here to the podcast.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Vegetable Heroes: Rumex scuttatus or French Sorrel. Sorrel is a close relative of dock, and has similar large, arrow-shaped leaves. If you know the weed Curled Dock, you’ll know what I mean.
Sorrel, whether French or the Garden variety, grows best in a rich soil, but will grow in any well-drained soil, and can be planted in sun or partial shade.
Sorrel grows anywhere in Australia, and for Tropical and Sub-tropical climates it’s a good substitute for Spinach, which tends to run to seed in those areas.
Prepare the bed by digging in generous amounts of aged manure or compost. An occasional side dressing of compost is all that is required during the growing season.
The plants should be kept moist, so water well during dry summer months.
French Sorrel is a perennial (means in will continue growing year after year) grows to about 15-45 cm high, and about 60cm wide if you put it into the garden.
Once the plant has matured, it can be treated as a 'cut and come again' crop. 
Leaves grow  upward on a strong stem, so they don't get gritty, like spinach. When picking the leaves, remember the smallest leaves are the most concentrated in flavour.
Plant of the Week: Doodia aspera or Prickly Rasp Fern. 
 Doodia aspera, commonly known as the Prickly Rasp Fern, was the first Australian fern brought to Kew Garden You have a shady spot in the garden, don’t we all? What about a native fern with the unfriendly name of Doodia aspera or prickly rasp fern or even common ground fern. 
Ferns require good drainage and it is important that some form of protection, such as overhanging trees, shrubs, a garden wall, the wall of a house or shade cloth, is provided. Where there are extremes of dry heat and cold, you can make a microclimate by closing off  an area with shade cloth or something similar to keep the humidity high.
 Ferns generally prefer filtered light and moist conditions and slightly acidic soils which is what the rainforest floor would be like.
 You don’t have to live in a rainforest to grow this plant. Grow it as an attractive pot plant for indoors or out, mainly due to the masses of pink/red new fronds which arise when the plant is in active growth. Good in the garden situation as it is tolerant of root competition and is very hardy. Also able to tolerate some direct sun.    This plant is one of the most drought tolerant native ferns and gets a tick of approval from the “grow me instead” group.  
For details on fern propagation, please visit http://www.anbg.gov.au/ferns/fern.spore.prop.html.
Feature Interview: Marianne talks to John Seimon, Project Manager of Plant Bank at  the Australian Botanic garden, Mt Annan. For more information on plant bank go to http://www.rgbsyd.nsw.gov.au/