Love Apples and Flowers That Go Boom

Compost Capers

So you’ve had problems with your worm farm or you’ve heard that they smell?
Did you know that the stuff you get out of worm farms helps your plants to grow and resist disease?
These worm castings also helps your soil hold onto water longer-that’s called water holding capacity. Yeah that goes up.
Australia’s been heating up so it’s going to a good idea to get more of that water holding capacity into your soil.
But hold, on, you’ve tried worm farming but the worms disappeared or just grew thin.
Well, don’t give up because Cameron’s got plenty of tips to fix things up.

Listen to this. I'm talking with Sustainability guru, Cameron Little


Australia is second only to the America making waste.
Each year every Australian produces around 800kg of solid waste.
In New South Wales, an average of 65% of our household rubbish is food scraps, garden waste and other organic matter.
The best way to reduce our food and garden waste is to convert it to compost.
Organic material that is deposited in a landfill breaks down in anaerobic (without air) conditions, releasing methane and carbon dioxide.
Both of these gases are major contributors to the enhanced greenhouse effect.
Good reason to keep on composting I reckon.
If you have any questions about a worm farming, need some help, why not drop us a line.
Or send in a photo to realworldgardener@gmail.com or by post to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675, and I’ll send you a copy of the Garden Guardians in return.

Vegetable Hero

This weeks Vegetable Hero is eggplants, aubergines to some and Solanum melongena to botanists.
Eggplants are a fruit?
Yes, the eggplant is botanically a berry to be precise, but we always think of it as a vegetable.
The eggplant is, or Solanum melongena, a member of the nightshade family along with the tomato and potato.
Yes, we often want to tie the words "deadly" and "nightshade" together, and the reason for this is that the leaves and flowers of plants in the nightshade family are often poisonous.

TIP:You can only use the "fruit" from the plant, which is the eggplant.

The first eggplants to reach Europe during the Middle Ages were white, oval fruits that closely resemble a hen's egg.
No surprise that they began calling it eggplant even when other colours became popular.
The eggplant was once known as the "love apple" in England because it was thought to possess aphrodisiac properties.
Early eggplants were far more bitter than today's varieties, so Botanists in northern Europe called the eggplant mala insana, or "mad apple," because they thought that eating the fruit could result in insanity.
Others even thought that eating eggplants would cause a bitter disposition, cancer, and even leprosy!
Eggplants originated in India, and have been cultivated in China from about the 5^th Century BC.

Basic Guide for Growing Eggplants

Eggplant is a short lived perennial plant that is usually grown as an annual. Eggplants grow best when the temperatures are at least 25⁰C or above.
Eggplants resent frost and so far my plants from previous years never survive the cold and I have to start all over again.

Planting times:

Eggplant seeds/seedlings can be planted in spring to autumn in tropical areas, spring to early summer in temperate zones and during late spring in cool climates.
Any spot that gets about six to eight hours of full is what you want.
That means no shrubs, trees, sheds or houses to block the sun for any part of the day.
Eggplant bushes grow to a reasonable size so don’t crowd them.
You can plant some varieties in a pot, or  plant each eggplant seedling about 30- 40cms apart from one another.
You'll probably have only room for a couple to see how you go..
Mix some pelleted chicken manure, or blood/n/bone and compost in with the soil before planting your eggplants.
The seedlings don't need to be planted too far into the ground.
Just enough so that the soil covers the roots is fine.
After the seedlings have been transplanted, give them a little water and leave them to grow.
Make sure to add a little mulch to the top of the soil to help keep moisture in the soil.
Don't overwater your eggplants as they are susceptible to root rot.
Research the different types of eggplant before choosing the species you want to plant, as some of the larger varieties will require a stake to help lend support as they fruit.
Good idea for areas that get quite warm or are prone to drought.
Your eggplants will be ready for picking in about 3-4 months when growing from seed.
As eggplants are the tastiest when they are young, most people prefer to pick them when they are about one third of their potential size.
When you pick your eggplant fruit is really up to you, as soon as the "skin" of the fruit is glossy, then it’s ready to be picked.
If the skin has turned brown then you've waited too long to pick the fruit.
They come in many colours besides the purple variety, there are white and yellow varieties, and a dwarf species whose fruits grow only three or four inches long.

Today, I’m featuring a new release seed called Eggplant white Star. This is a compact plant that will suit pots, and small gardens. Available from Yates seeds. www.yates.com.au








Why not try ROSA BIANCA?
this' ones' an Italian heirloom with heaps of fruit that are  rosy lavender and white heavy teardrop shaped fruit with a mild flavour.


How about TURKISH ORANGE?
Beautiful red-orange fruit, round to 7.5cm, lots of fruit in 65-85 days.





For cooler districts, why not try the funny soundying UDUMALAPET
Yellow-green teardrop shaped fruit with vibrant lavender stripes, best eaten small at 8cm.
A peculiar variety called the snake eggplant produces narrow, elongated fruits up to a foot in length with their ends curled up like a serpent's tongue.
Why is it good for you?
Eggplant is a very good source of dietary fibre, potassium, manganese, copper and thiamin (vitamin B1).
Eggplants are a top source of vitamin B6 and just 75g provides a whole day’s supply.
Also have folate, magnesium and niacin.
Eggplants are great for the waistline because they’re low in calories and fat and are 95% water.
Eggplant is a nutrient dense food, which will help you feel full, and there are only 20 calories in one cup in eggplants.
Go the eggplant.

Design Elements

with Louise McDaid
 Last week, Design Elements explored the structures in the Seeability garden at this year’s Chelsea Flower show. This week, because the garden was so cool, Louise, discussed the planting.
Seems like it was an age away already!

The SeeAbility Garden at this year’s Chelsea Flower show was designed to raise awareness of eye health and the effects of sight loss. Four different sight conditions were represented conceptually through distinctive planting and hard landscaping.

 

 

 

What an inspirational garden. Listen to this….

The central tree in the design was Sorbus (showy flowers and berries, cool climate) – it had slate paving radiating out around it. This idea could be easily replicated in a home garden, a tree in paving breaks up the expanse of hard ground covering and also offers shade, keeps it cooler, softens. Choose tree for your area.

Central area planting:

·         Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’, named Chelsea’s Plant of the Year - quite narrow leaves that are blue/green and feather giving it a delicate effect. It isn’t prickly like other mahonias. Others are available in Australia – does best in cooler areas,  architectural style plant with bold foliage shape and bright yellow winter colour from late autumn through winter.

·         Structural form from clipped buxus balls

·         Another tree used Gingko biloba (Maidenhair tree) – butter yellow leaves in autumn – lovely (female have smelly fruit)

·         Dark foliage from Anthriscus sylvestris 'Ravenswing and Heuchera Obsidian

·         Carex elata 'Aurea' with golden foliage contrasting against red leaf Heuchera

·         Thalictrum 'Black Stockings' – black stems pink flowers

·         Convallaria majalis (lily of the valley) small sweet white flowers

The other trees in the design were Hornbeam trees (cooler areas), they were planted in the garden beds. In your garden, trees in a garden bed provide canopy for some shelter from hot sun, height to the overall design, screening, habitat

Hornbeam border:

·         Tiarella ‘Crow Feather’ and Alchemilla mollis – white and yellow

·         Asplenium and dryopterus ferns – bright green

·         Digitalis ‘Pams Choice’ – white with dark throat

·         Pittosporum Tom Thumb – evergreen shrub clipped in a ball

·         Heuchera ‘Electric Lime’ and Black Mondo grass – really contrasting ground covers

Cylindrical border:

·         Yellow colours from - Achillea Moonshine, Anthemis 'Sauce Hollandaise'

·         White flowers  - Allium 'Mont Blanc', Iris ‘Immortality’, Geranium ‘Melinda’

·         Three different euphorbias for lime green colouring, different foliage texture (Euphorbia charachias wulfenii, Euphorbia polychroma, Euphorbia pasteuri)

·         Sambucus Black Lace and Geranium Black Beauty for dark foliage contrast

Blade border:

·         Red foliage – Acer Bloodgood and Atriplex hortensis 'Rubra'

·         Allium Atropurpureum – dark claret coloured flower and Angelica 'Atropurpurea', Aquilegia 'Black Barlow'

·         Foliage form by hostas - Hosta Halcyon (blue green) and Hosta June (lime centre with green edge), Hosta Green Mouse Ears (rounded shape)

·         Also Golden Oregano for colour – and Verbascum bombyceferum for bold foliage and yellow flower

·         Yellow flowers - Aquilegia crysantha 'Yellow Queen' , Phlomis Russeliana

·         White flowers - Clematis 'Beautiful Bride’, Verbascum 'Flush of White

·         Crimson/pink flowers - Astrantia 'Hadspen Blood, Sedum autumn joy
·         Blue flowers - Salia 'Viola Klose and Nepeta

If you want  to see more of the garden other than the photos that I’ll put up on my website, go to
www.seeability.org
Move your mouse over the garden image on the website to see how it might look if you had an eye condition, and find an explanation on the eye condition below it.
The seeability garden represents various eye conditions that seriously affect sight.

 

Plant of the Week:

Bedding Begonias, Bada Bing and Bada Boom.

Should plant growers and breeders be forgiven for coming up with corny plant names like Bada Bing and Bada Boom?

I mean really? Who are they kidding? We don’t all live in New York.

Besides, don’t let these names put you off a whole genus of plants whose uses in the garden has been for the most part, undervalued, and overlooked.



There are many types of Begonias.
1.Cane Begonias have cane like stems and vary in height from ½ metre to around 1 ½ metres tall.
Cane-like begonias grow from a central clump, shooting stems from a central clump much like a bamboo.
Larger plants grown in the garden will need staking and shelter from drying winds.  
2.Shrub like Begonias have multiple stems that have plenty of flowers.
Usually these Begonias have thin brittle stems and grow no more than ½ metre tall.
These are regarded as fibrous rooted soft wooded perennials.
3.Rhizomatous begonias are those that grow quite low to the ground. In fact they spread slowly along the ground, almost like a ground cover.
These you definitely should only water once a week in warm dry weather.

Begonias are desert plants, that is they are succulents.
This means begonias are able to store moisture and need less frequent watering.
The best way to kill a Begonia is by overwatering.
Begonias grow naturally in the shaded protection of tropical and subtropical forests, and don't like frost, and most dislike direct sunlight except for some morning sun.

If you live in frost-prone areas and would like to try Begonias, then they should be grown under the shelter of shrubs or trees, under verandahs and pergolas or in containers which can be moved to protected spots, while bedding begonias should be treated as annuals.

The key to their light requirements is usually determined by the colour of their leaves, dark leaves indicates that the plant needs shade to grow well, while light leaves indicates that the plant likes a sunnier location.
There are always exceptions, like Begonia acutifolia with its dark foliage, which will grow in full sun and give a wonderful show of flowers, making a delightful garden subject.
Peter Sharpe, who was the force behind establishing Begonia beds at Royal Botanic Gardens, sydeny and led the Begonia group for over ten years.
Now Gordon Chivers heads the team as Peter has retired to Tasmania.
Peter always said that Begonias vary a bit in tolerating sun and shade.
Often when the Friday Growing Friend's group would meet with Peter to ask what Begonais to propagate that morning and he would always point to some that he originally thought of as shade lovers, that were are in fact sun lovers.
These Begonias would grow so much better when exposed to it in various amounts," he said.

 

Begonia x semperflorens Bada Bing  and Begonia x semperflorens Bada Boom
Both are bedding Begonias,  in the small shrub category.
Begonia Bada Bing has glossy waxy green leaves and pink, white or rose coloured flowers.
The leaves or alternate, oval shaped with an uneven leaf base and a serrated margin.
The leaves are dark green or a brownish bronze green, depending on the cultivar.
Bada Bing is bred to have a strong branching habit and lots of flowers.
These make a small rounded shrub, growing to only 25cm tall.
 
Depending on what district you’re in will dictate whether you can grow  it in full sun or partial shade for almost 6 months of colour.
Although bedding begonias are now grown as annuals, they’re actually perennials but the vigour has been bred out of them to get the flowers.
Bedding Begonias should last for 2-3 years.
You'll get best flowering and growth in dappled shade or morning sun positions with afternoon shade.
If you have more dense shade, Begonias will grow there , but you’ll get less flowers.

Check the light requirements of your plants by looking at the undersides of the leaves.
If they're dark, the plant likes shade; if light, it needs a bit more sun.

Big Flowers, flowers, and more flowers. We just love our flowers. When plants are in flower at the nursery they just walk out the door as they say.
Hard to resist flowering plants, and don’t resist them, just add them to your garden border, in pots and on a patio.
Why not treat yourself to a big flowered one? Go on.

White Plumes, and Southern Stars

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 ecologist Sue Stevens

Last week, sue gave us some great tips for bird watching. Getting a bit more out of it than the occasional glimpse, then wondering what it was that you saw.
Did you ever see a bird when you were small that doesn't appear in your garden these days?
Perhaps it visited your Camellia bushes, Fuchsias and other exotic plants because it was mainly a nectar feeder. Today’s bird is found over much of mainland Australia, and was once known as a "Greenie."

Click here to Listen to this episode

If you see an olive bird with yellow cheeks and a white neck plume and a curved black bill, then it’s probably the White Plumed Honeyeater.
If you’re able to take a photo you might see that it’s throat, breast and underparts are all grey.
The juvenile white plumed honeyeater has orange base of bill and is paler-looking with no plume. 
Not all of these honey-eaters are alike when it comes to their spread across Australia.
 The one found in Western Australia has a fawn back with bright yellow face and underparts,
another one in western Queensland, the Northern Territory and South Australia is paler overall

What all these slightly different birds like is an open forest or woodland, especially near the plants along a stream and along inland watercourses.
This probably explains why you don't see it so much in dense urban centres.
The white Plumed Honeyeater’s favourite tree is the River Red gum. Not just for the nectar but for the insects as well.
If you have any questions about a bird you want identified, why not drop us a line. Or send in a photo to realworldgardener@gmail.com or by post to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675, and I’ll send you a copy of the Garden Guardians in return..

Vegetable Heroes

Broccoli

The answer to the question which vegetable has more vitamin C than an orange? Broccoli, Brassica oleracea var Italica  which is the same name as for Cauliflower!

Would you have guessed that Broccoli heads are actually groups of flower buds that are almost ready to flower?

That's probably the most amazing fact of all, and when I was teaching a group of year 2 students the facts of flowers come before vegetables, they couldn't believe it!

 

Broccoli is of course in the Brassicaceae family of vegetables along with cauliflower, cabbages, Brussels sprouts, turnips and many of the Asian greens.

·     Did you know that most members of the Brassica Family, are related to a wild cabbage grown centuries ago?

Apparently Romans grew and loved to eat Broccoli way back in 23 to 79 BCE.

·         During the 8th century BCE, the Etruscans migrated from what is now Turkey to Italy, settling in Tuscany of course, and bringing with them their Broccoli seeds.

Why should you grow 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 the Broccoli transports better plus, they may have been picked before becoming fully-mature or they 've been picked at the right time but then stored too long.
• Homegrown Broccoli, especially the heirloom varieties, also re-shoot after your cut of the central Broccoli stem.
• Plus, Broccoli is pretty easy to grow.
•  Just keep an eye out for bugs during warmer months, but there’s plenty of organic ways of controlling them.
• Finally, because you'll care for it and pick it at the right time it'll taste a whole lot better than your supermarket Broccoli. 
• With home-grown broccoli, you can also be sure how it has been grown:

When to Sow

• Summer Broccoli can be sown all over Australia except for the hottest of regions.
• Temperatures that suit Broccoli best range from 15⁰C to 25⁰C
• In temperate districts, you have from September to November, and cool temperate climates from October until December,
• Autumn is really the best time for arid, tropical and sub-tropical districts, but there’s no reason why you can’t grow it there
• Let me know if you successfully grow Broccoli during the warmer months in those districts.
• Broccoli comes in many shapes and varieties but is grouped into five major strains: sprouting, broccolini, purple, Romanseco, and Chinese varieties.
• Today, I’m concentrating on the common or garden variety which is actually the sprouting variety.
• Now you probably thought that was what those little shoots of Broccoli are called but you would be wrong. Those little guys are called Broccolini. Apparently in the UK, they called those large heads of Broccoli, Calabrese!
• Broccoli seeds are easy enough to get at supermarkets, garden centres and online seed suppliers of course.
• Try these varieties
• Di Cicco is a classic Italian style broccoli which is deep green in colour and has a sweet flavour that might help to get kids into eating it.
• Green Sprouting has bluish green coloured heads and a deep earthy taste.
• Waltham 29 is a great all-rounder plus there’s purple sprouting Broccoli, which is well, purple and sprouting- attractive and tasty.
• All of these varieties will provide months of continual harvest and can even be considered as a perennial plant if you can manage to deal with the influx of cabbage moths that come around as the weather warms up.

How to grow Broccoli?

• Broccoli is not too choosy about the site it grows in but prefers to be in full sun, but 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 1 ½ cm 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.
• When your Broccoli is growing always make sure that the beds are free from competitive weeds by hand weeding regularly.
• TIP:
• Don’t plant or sow 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 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 side-shoots or "florets," which you can pick as well.
• 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 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!
•     HAPPY BROCCOLI GROWING EVERYONE!

Design Elements

with Landscape Designer Louise McDaid

According to the Telegraph in the UK, Piet Oudulf is the most influential garden designer of the past 25 years.
Not just one of them, but THE one!
The article goes on to say that Piet has redefined what’s meant by the term ‘Naturalism” in planting.
Naturalism’s the exact opposite of clipped hedges and neat structured rows of planting.
Prior to Piet’s designs, Naturalism also tended to mean looking a bit wild, in the way of a wild meadow that you might come across somewhere in the UK.
Not terribly wild by Australian standards.
Then there was a bit of envy by the writer, because, somehow, Piet Oudolf’s garden remained intact and according to his design years later.
No wonder the owner of Scampston Manor employed him to restore their garden which had been in the family for 900 years.
What an inspirational garden.

Click here to…
Listen to this episode  

Naturalistic planting can be appealing, and look quite tidy, if not hard to photograph.

Just  follow the type of plants that Piet Oudulf recommends, and also the ones that Louise suggested to substitute, because we can’t get them all here in Australia.
The key is using long-lived clump-forming perennials which didn’t spread around by aggressive rooting or seeding and so retain their form as distinct groups.

Plants like Achilleas, Alliums, grasses, Helenium, Molinia, Sanguisorba and Astilbe.
Because there are no trees to speak of except right at the edges of the garden, the conditions of sun and shade won't change over time and  the scheme might last almost in perpetuity with a bit of maintenance.
If you have any questions about this week’s Design Elements, send it to realworldgardener@gmail.com or just post it to 2RRR, PO Box 644, Gladesville, NSW, 1675

Plant of the Week

Rhodanthe anthemoides "Southern Stars"
Plants that are commonly called straw flowers or everlasting, are native to Australia.
There are a few around so if you want a particular type of strawflower, you really need to know it’s botanical or scientific name, or even part of it.
Strawflowers were Helichrysum bracteatum, then Bracteantha bracteata and now are called Xerochrysum bracteatum
Did you know that for some reason, this Australian native was propagated and developed in Germany in the 1850’s.
Then again, it’s got nothing to do with this paper daisy that’s plant of the week.

Take a leaf out of Phillip Johnsons’ book-winner of the gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show 2013! See Australian Perennial Growers.

Rhodanthe anthemoides, commonly known as Paper Daisy, is a perennial species of the daisy family Asteraceae.

It’s endemic to Australia.

TRIVIA TIP:
Did you know that the daisy flower isn’t just one flower?

The flower of the daisy consists of a collection of small one seeded, stalk-less flowers (disc florets).

Surrounding the disc florets is a ring of what looks like petals,  (ray florets); their main purpose is to attract insect pollinators.

This bushy mounding groundcover, 30cm x 80cm, has narrow, grey-green, mildly chamomile scented leaves.

Some call it Chamomile Sunray. Can’t say I’ve ever heard it called that.
Rhodanthe surely must signal what is to come after the cool months of winter, because in late winter to late spring it produces heaps of, crimson buds which open into, star-shaped, white papery flowers.
Plants have multiple stems rising from the base which reach up to 40 cm high and spread to 60 cm wide.
The leaves are about 10 mm long and 0.5 to 2 mm in width.
A central cluster of pale yellow flowers is surrounded by petal-like white, papery bracts. These appear between September and February in the species native range.
These are followed by small dry achenes that have silky hairs.

 The species occurs in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and rarely in Tasmania. Where paper daisies like to grow naturally is in mountainous regions growing in sandy soil.

For your home garden, try and imitate these natural conditions-well drained soil, perhaps on an embankment, or in a rockeriy.

They grow equally well in pots and baskets in Australian native mix.

If you need to fertilise, use a suitable controlled-release native fertiliser during the warmer months and prune back lightly in late summer to promote new growth and retain a neat, compact shape.

All R. anthemoides do best in a rich well-drained soil with light shade during the hottest part of the day. Trim off old growth when new shoots show in autumn.

An excellent small plant for planting in containers or rockery gardens.

Recent release:Rhodanthe Southern Stars

 
For a hardy winter plant you can’t go past Rhodanthe Southern Stars,  because of its masses of white paper daisy like flowers with bright yellow centres from late winter to spring.

It is frost, drought and heat tolerant not to mention easy to grow!

Grows to 20-30cm high x 40-60cm wide
You could use it as a ground cover in perennial borders, mass planting or container gardens.
For the cooler areas of Australia, take note, this plant is frost, drought and heat tolerant.
Like all paper daisies, plants this one in full sun into awell drained soil

For Floral Arrangements

Pick the flowers just before the buds burst open,  and depending upon the stem thickness they can be either-bunched and hung upside down in a cool, dry, airy room away from direct sunlight.

The stem can be cut 1cm. below the flower head and thin florist wire inserted up the stem into the base of the flower. Leave to dry upright in a cool dry airy room away from direct sunlight.

Paper daisies cut and dry well and are excellent for small posies and informal dried flower arrangements.

When dried, they retain their colour and shape indefinitely.

Straw flowers of all kinds have less moisture than other flowers and are easy to dry.
Just ask for Paper daisy, Southern Stars might get you the plant that you

Granny Smith Festival Day

Today's program  featured the CEO for Smart Approved Water Mark. Go to http://www.smartwatermark.com/ to use the water use calculator.Michael from Eden gardens gave some beaut descriptions of the 1st and 2nd place getters for the Ryde Spring garden competition. It seems judges are looking for a unified theme. Stuff your garden with as many plants as possible. Don't mix and match plants from tropical and cottage garden themes. Don't have any weeds, and manicure your plants to blazes.

The vegetable hero, was in fact the Granny Smith Apple. Needs winter chilling of 400 hours (below 7 deg. C) to grow successfully. This also applies to Pink Lady and Pinkerbelle apple trees. You also need two trees for pollination to occur.

My tip: leave the apple growing to Bilpin growers and buy your fruit from the organic markets.

Plant of the week:Grevilleas-any. (Pictured)

Put in the new hybrids Grevillea Lady O and the ground cover one G. Lemon Gem. Or stick to traditional good doers like G. Moonlight, G. Superb and G. Ned Kelly. Prune these larger grevilleas to keep them looking good in your garden.

Listen to 2RRR 88.5 FM on Saturdays 12noon-1pm. email your gardening question: sydneygardentalk@gmail.com