REALWORLD GARDENER Wed 5pm, Sat 12 noon 2RRR 88.5fm
Wildlife in Focus: Kurtis Lindsay talks to RWG about the Pacific Baza. We jest when suggesting that this bird is named Barry, but listen in for the interview.
Vegetable Heroes: They look weird, but taste great, the Chinese Artichokes are making a comeback of sorts. Chinese Aritchokes, or Crosnes. Stachys affinis) You can grow them in a flowerbed, around a landscape shrub and maybe in a spare patch of ground, but probably not a veggie bed as they tend to spread a bit. You can only get them as tubers to grow some, and August September, are the only months that you should plant them.They will grow anywhere in Australia.
Plant the tubers, 30 centimeters apart and 8–10 centimeters deep. Chinese artichokes grow in the same way as mints, to which they are related. They prefer rich soils, full sun to part shade and a moist position. You know what happens to mint when the soil becomes too dry. The soil must always be kept moist. Allowing the plant to dry out will make it go dormant. Plants take 5-7 months to form the tubers.
What do Chinese Artichokes look like? It’s a low-growing, herbaceous (means it does dies down in winter) perennial bush, 30-50cm high, (that’s between 1-2 ruler heights)
Chinese Artichoke is a bit sprawling to about 30-50cm across, with bright-green leaves that look a lot like lemon balm, to which its related, but the leaves have scent. Chinese artichokes form small, spiral-shaped tubers 4-6cm long, that have an attractive pearly-like sheen. An attractive gourmet vegetable with a crisp, crunchy texture and a sweet, nutty flavour,
Design Elements: So you've had enough of the lawn, the weeds, the mowing. Why not put in a bird attracting garden instead? Lesley Simpson, garden designer and Marianne (host) talk about ways to remove the lawn before planting something instead.
Listen here for the podcast.
Plant of the Week. Snowing in Summer, or even Spring is probably not unheard of, but on just one tree. That's different. The multistamenous flowers of Melaleuca linarifolia is jst the thing for a spectular native tree for a bird attracting garden.
Snow in Summer or Narrow Leafed Paperbark. Melaleuca linarifolia.
Where does it occur naturally? East coast of New South Wales and southern Queensland usually along watercourses and swamps. Grows in heath and dry sclerophyll forest in moist or swampy ground; on the coast and adjacent ranges, north from Bawley Point. Melaleuca linariifolia is usually a hardy tree to about 8 metres in height. It is widely available in general horticulture and is used for both home gardens and in landscaping. A number of shrubby forms are known and some are in general cultivation. These include "Snowstorm", a shrub to 1.5 metres and "Sea Foam", a larger plant to 2.5 metres.
The white flowers look like fluffy clusters which cover the plant in late spring and summer to almost exclude the foliage from view. It is this flowering habit that has given rise to one of the plant's common names, "Snow-in-Summer". The leaves are linear in shape and about 25 mm long.
For more information on M. linarifolia visit http://www.anpsa.org.au/
Real World Gardener is produced in the studios of 2RRR 88.5fm Sydney, N.S.W. and heard across Australia on the Community Radio Network. A gardening show with up to date, informative topics about sustainable gardening, plants, wildlife and the environment. RWG's team of experts with Marianne Cannon, host, and educator JOIN US ON FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/RealWorldGardener
Sunday, 28 August 2011
Sunday, 21 August 2011
Twisting by the Pool
REAL WORLD GARDENER since Sept 2009,
2RRR 88.5 fm wed. 5pm. Sat, 12 noon
Design Elements: Lesley and Marianne will have you twisting by the pool with these great ideas about how to beautify your pool fence. Listen here to avoid planting problem plants that could interfere with your pool's plumbing.
Vegetable Heroes: Barley Grass. Barley is a cereal grain derived from the annual grass Hordeum vulgare. To grow Barley grass,
Feature Interview: RWG talks to Ann Martin about the Talk and Walk series at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. "By Gum" is all about the some of the special Eucalypts, Corymbias and Angophoras that are growing in the Botanic Garden. If you missed the show, stay tuned for the walk next time round.
For info on Talk and Walk series http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/ or ring 9231 88304
2RRR 88.5 fm wed. 5pm. Sat, 12 noon
Design Elements: Lesley and Marianne will have you twisting by the pool with these great ideas about how to beautify your pool fence. Listen here to avoid planting problem plants that could interfere with your pool's plumbing.
Vegetable Heroes: Barley Grass. Barley is a cereal grain derived from the annual grass Hordeum vulgare. To grow Barley grass,
- Soak Barley Grass seeds for 12 hours, so overnight is good.
- Spread the seeds over seed-raising mix in a tray, much like the ones you see in nurseries containing potted colour or seedlings. The soil depth should be about 2 inches or 5 cm.
- Cover the seeds with a light coat of coco peat or vermiculite, or if nothing else, just some more seed raising mix.
- Water the seeds gently using a mister or spray bottle. Germination time is anywhere from 1 to 3 days. Keep the soil moist and watch the Barley grow.
- Place the tray in indirect sunlight either in a plastic bag or mini greenhouse.
- Cut the grass when it reaches about 7 inches or 18-20cms-that should be in about 3 weeks!
- Wheat grass or barley grass can be grown indoors behind a window or on a balcony or verandah in seed boxes.
Feature Interview: RWG talks to Ann Martin about the Talk and Walk series at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. "By Gum" is all about the some of the special Eucalypts, Corymbias and Angophoras that are growing in the Botanic Garden. If you missed the show, stay tuned for the walk next time round.
For info on Talk and Walk series http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/ or ring 9231 88304
Sunday, 14 August 2011
Browsing on Thyme
REAL WORLD GARDENER 2RRR 88.5FM WED 5PM, SAT 12 MIDDAY
Community Radio like no other.
Wildlife in Focus: Kurtis Lindsay talks about the Brown Falcon, an Australian raptor. Hear about what it looks and sounds like. Real World Gardener thanks Tony Bayliss, from the Australian Wildlife Sound Recording Group http://www.awsrg.org/ for providing the sound file of the Brown Falcon.
Vegetable Heroes" Going for Thyme. Not a vegetable but still a hero. You can grow the common Thyme from seed which is very small. The best time of year in any climate to sow Thyme seeds is in Spring except for in Arid regions of Australia. Autumn is the best time for that zone. The soil temperature should be between 150 C and 250.C. That doesn’t mean air temperature which is usually a few degrees higher.
Either scatter the seed in a garden bed or start of in a punnet, then cover the seed lightly with something like Vermicullite, pop into a plastic bag and tie off, if you don’t have a mini-greenhouse.
Thyme will start to look quite straggly after a couple of years, so cut it back quite hard after flowering. This is usually around late summer or autumn. Take some cuttings if you can be bothered with fiddling around with the very thin stems, otherwise dividing up the plants with a trowel will get you a few smaller plants. By the way, dividing plants that are 3-4 years old is best to get enough roots on each bit that you dig up.
Why not try Caraway Thyme or Thymus herba-barona This Thyme comes from Corsica, is narrow leafed with a distinctive scent of caraway seed. Has lots of lavender pink flowers.
How about Pizza Thyme, sometimes known as Oregano Thyme. T. Pulegoides cv. This makes a soft mounded sub-shrub of about 15cm. This has wider leaves than most thymes.
Then there’s my favourite Lemon Thyme. T x citriodorus. It smells like lemon and thyme all together and has been in gardens since the 17th century.
Thyme likes full sun, and prefers sandy or any other well drained soil. Fertiliser is not required.
Design Elements: Pruning Hedges Safely. Listen here to the whys and wherefores of pruning a hedge. Lesley and Marianne (me) also talk about the saftey aspects of using ladders when pruning.
Plant of the Week : Allard's Lavender or Lavandula allardii is the focus of today's plant plus a few fruity Italian Lavenders.
L. allardii
“Riverina James.” Grows 1m x 80cm and prefers full sun, withstands dry conditions and coastal environments. Most noticeable feature of this lavender variety is the strong scent released from the slightest touch of its attractive, evergreen foliage. In addition, long lavender flower stems are also produced for a lengthy display over the warmer months. Dry and frost tolerant for difficult sites and coastal regions. Flowers will last a long time in a vase without water of course.
For more info: http://www.pga.com.au/ the site for Plant Growers Australia.
From the Ruffles collection of Lavenders, Lavandula Blueberry Ruffles and L. Boysenberry ruffles, and L. Mulberry Ruffles. These all grow to only 60cm x 80cm. Full sun and dry conditions for this Italian lavender.
Prune all Italian lavenders in summer after their main flowering period and to keep them bush. Boost with some slow release fertiliser during spring. Avoid using Dynamic Lifter or other Chook Poo pellets-they don’t like it.
Community Radio like no other.
Wildlife in Focus: Kurtis Lindsay talks about the Brown Falcon, an Australian raptor. Hear about what it looks and sounds like. Real World Gardener thanks Tony Bayliss, from the Australian Wildlife Sound Recording Group http://www.awsrg.org/ for providing the sound file of the Brown Falcon.
Vegetable Heroes" Going for Thyme. Not a vegetable but still a hero. You can grow the common Thyme from seed which is very small. The best time of year in any climate to sow Thyme seeds is in Spring except for in Arid regions of Australia. Autumn is the best time for that zone. The soil temperature should be between 150 C and 250.C. That doesn’t mean air temperature which is usually a few degrees higher.
Either scatter the seed in a garden bed or start of in a punnet, then cover the seed lightly with something like Vermicullite, pop into a plastic bag and tie off, if you don’t have a mini-greenhouse.
Thyme will start to look quite straggly after a couple of years, so cut it back quite hard after flowering. This is usually around late summer or autumn. Take some cuttings if you can be bothered with fiddling around with the very thin stems, otherwise dividing up the plants with a trowel will get you a few smaller plants. By the way, dividing plants that are 3-4 years old is best to get enough roots on each bit that you dig up.
Why not try Caraway Thyme or Thymus herba-barona This Thyme comes from Corsica, is narrow leafed with a distinctive scent of caraway seed. Has lots of lavender pink flowers.
How about Pizza Thyme, sometimes known as Oregano Thyme. T. Pulegoides cv. This makes a soft mounded sub-shrub of about 15cm. This has wider leaves than most thymes.
Then there’s my favourite Lemon Thyme. T x citriodorus. It smells like lemon and thyme all together and has been in gardens since the 17th century.
Thyme likes full sun, and prefers sandy or any other well drained soil. Fertiliser is not required.
Design Elements: Pruning Hedges Safely. Listen here to the whys and wherefores of pruning a hedge. Lesley and Marianne (me) also talk about the saftey aspects of using ladders when pruning.
Plant of the Week : Allard's Lavender or Lavandula allardii is the focus of today's plant plus a few fruity Italian Lavenders.
L. allardii
“Riverina James.” Grows 1m x 80cm and prefers full sun, withstands dry conditions and coastal environments. Most noticeable feature of this lavender variety is the strong scent released from the slightest touch of its attractive, evergreen foliage. In addition, long lavender flower stems are also produced for a lengthy display over the warmer months. Dry and frost tolerant for difficult sites and coastal regions. Flowers will last a long time in a vase without water of course.
For more info: http://www.pga.com.au/ the site for Plant Growers Australia.
From the Ruffles collection of Lavenders, Lavandula Blueberry Ruffles and L. Boysenberry ruffles, and L. Mulberry Ruffles. These all grow to only 60cm x 80cm. Full sun and dry conditions for this Italian lavender.
Prune all Italian lavenders in summer after their main flowering period and to keep them bush. Boost with some slow release fertiliser during spring. Avoid using Dynamic Lifter or other Chook Poo pellets-they don’t like it.
Sunday, 7 August 2011
Thrifty By The Sea and Celery
REAL WORLD GARDENER 2RRR 88.5fm Wed 5pm SOON to be on the Community Radio Network! (CRN)
Feature Interview: Interview with Jim Lykos, Camellia Research Society NSW past president and locator of missing Camellias extraordinaire. http://www.camelliansw.org/
Vegetable Heroes: Apium graveolens Celery.
Stop worrying about blanching your celery - it's all too hard, and most of us have ended with bitter, tough celery stalks. Now, just take the trouble of buying SELF-BLANCHING celery! Celery prefers moisture, well-drained soil in a sunny spot. Apart from Beetroot last week that can grow in partial shade-this is like a mantra to growing all vegetables. A short row can be squeezed into a garden, raised bed or you could even try dotting the odd plant into a border. If you have a tiny garden it's possible to grow celery in very deep, long pots.
Soil preparation•Dig the soil (in the spring before planting), removing big stones, weeds and incorporating plenty of garden compost or well-rotted manure. •A week or so before planting, rake a general purpose organic fertiliser (90g per square metre) into the surface layer of the bed.
How to sow seeds•The seeds take 1-2 weeks to germinate.•Celery seed is tiny, so best started off in punnets. Sow across the surface of the soil. Watering from the top is likely to disturb the seed, so fill a bowl with water and put in the punnet. It can be removed once the water has been drawn to the surface.
•Finish by covering with a thin layer of vermiculite and putting in a heated propagator on a windowsill, in a plastic bag or in a greenhouse. Water daily to so they don't dry out.
Plants will be ready to go outside about five weeks later, when they're 8cm tall with at least 4 true leaves.TIP: The secret to fresh crisp stalks is plenty of manure and water, don't let the soil dry out as it has shallow roots. Celery will be ready in about 5 months-so January for you. Lift Celery with a garden fork ot pick individual stems.
Buy Self Blanching Celery online from www.diggerseeds.com.au www.greenharvest.com.au http://www.newgipps.com.au/
Design Elements: Lesley Simpson, Garden Designer and Marianne (me-Host of RWG) talk about looking after Indoor Plants. Listen here to the podcast.
Plant of the Week: Armeria maritime or Bee’s Lilac or SeaThrift. 15cm x 30cm.Armerias are very hardy growing in full sun and frost hardy to -10C Find new releases of Armeria in you nursery or Garden Centre. a) Armeria Pink Petite has a slightly larger spread of 40cm and will take full sun/part shade and coastal conditions.b) Like a lot of drought tolerant plants, an occasional deep water keeps it looking its best, particularly if you want a nice border.c) Low maintenance plant.d) Propagate from seed or cuttings, or by the careful division of well-established clumps. TIP:Soak Armeria seeds in warm water for 6-8 hours before sowing! Sea Pink seeds can be sown in the garden during late spring and summer months, up until two months before the first frost.
Hunter's Hill and Lane Cove Councils will be launching the Food Waste Challenge at the Moocooboola Festival on Saturday 7 August and at various locations in Lane Cove. They are looking for 100 Champions in Hunters Hill and Lane Cove to attend three two hour workshops in which you will learn about ways to reduce your food waste. You can become a Food Waste Challenge Champion by registering at the Moocooboola Festival, or online at www.nccnsw.org.au/huntershill-lanecove-challenge.
Feature Interview: Interview with Jim Lykos, Camellia Research Society NSW past president and locator of missing Camellias extraordinaire. http://www.camelliansw.org/
Vegetable Heroes: Apium graveolens Celery.
Stop worrying about blanching your celery - it's all too hard, and most of us have ended with bitter, tough celery stalks. Now, just take the trouble of buying SELF-BLANCHING celery! Celery prefers moisture, well-drained soil in a sunny spot. Apart from Beetroot last week that can grow in partial shade-this is like a mantra to growing all vegetables. A short row can be squeezed into a garden, raised bed or you could even try dotting the odd plant into a border. If you have a tiny garden it's possible to grow celery in very deep, long pots.
Soil preparation•Dig the soil (in the spring before planting), removing big stones, weeds and incorporating plenty of garden compost or well-rotted manure. •A week or so before planting, rake a general purpose organic fertiliser (90g per square metre) into the surface layer of the bed.
How to sow seeds•The seeds take 1-2 weeks to germinate.•Celery seed is tiny, so best started off in punnets. Sow across the surface of the soil. Watering from the top is likely to disturb the seed, so fill a bowl with water and put in the punnet. It can be removed once the water has been drawn to the surface.
•Finish by covering with a thin layer of vermiculite and putting in a heated propagator on a windowsill, in a plastic bag or in a greenhouse. Water daily to so they don't dry out.
Plants will be ready to go outside about five weeks later, when they're 8cm tall with at least 4 true leaves.TIP: The secret to fresh crisp stalks is plenty of manure and water, don't let the soil dry out as it has shallow roots. Celery will be ready in about 5 months-so January for you. Lift Celery with a garden fork ot pick individual stems.
Buy Self Blanching Celery online from www.diggerseeds.com.au www.greenharvest.com.au http://www.newgipps.com.au/
Design Elements: Lesley Simpson, Garden Designer and Marianne (me-Host of RWG) talk about looking after Indoor Plants. Listen here to the podcast.
Plant of the Week: Armeria maritime or Bee’s Lilac or SeaThrift. 15cm x 30cm.Armerias are very hardy growing in full sun and frost hardy to -10C Find new releases of Armeria in you nursery or Garden Centre. a) Armeria Pink Petite has a slightly larger spread of 40cm and will take full sun/part shade and coastal conditions.b) Like a lot of drought tolerant plants, an occasional deep water keeps it looking its best, particularly if you want a nice border.c) Low maintenance plant.d) Propagate from seed or cuttings, or by the careful division of well-established clumps. TIP:Soak Armeria seeds in warm water for 6-8 hours before sowing! Sea Pink seeds can be sown in the garden during late spring and summer months, up until two months before the first frost.
Hunter's Hill and Lane Cove Councils will be launching the Food Waste Challenge at the Moocooboola Festival on Saturday 7 August and at various locations in Lane Cove. They are looking for 100 Champions in Hunters Hill and Lane Cove to attend three two hour workshops in which you will learn about ways to reduce your food waste. You can become a Food Waste Challenge Champion by registering at the Moocooboola Festival, or online at www.nccnsw.org.au/huntershill-lanecove-challenge.
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Marching To The Beet
REALWORLD GARDENER 27th July 2011, 5pm 2RRR 88.5fm Sydney
Wildlife in Focus" Dusky Moorhen with Kurtis Lindsay. Some say it can't fly, othere say it looks like a chicken, but listen here to find out what this bird can really do.
Vegetable Heroes: Beta vulgaris or Beetroot.This is the time to plant our seeds or seedlings for warm and temperate areas of Australia, but colder areas need to wait until September,Best planted at soil temperatures between 7°C and 25°C. 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.Position-wise, beetroots aren’t overly fussy. They’ll tolerate full sun to part shade and even do fairly well in dappled light under a deep rooted tree. Soak seeds in water in a shallow saucer for 24 hours before planting so that you can separate the seeds. Keep well-watered and adding liquid fertilisers such as Fish emulsion. Remember Seaweed stuff is not a fertiliser. Dry beetroot develop a woody and inedible core. For really tasty and tender beetroot, start pulling them out at golfball-size. When they get to 7.5cm they get a but woody tasting.
Citrus Care: Now's the time to spray your citrus with Lime Sulfur to combat Citrus Louse Scale and knock off Bronze Orange Bug eggs while you'r at it. For product info http://www.yates.com.au/Prune your citrus to allow more air circulation into the centre of the tree if you have the scale problem. Remove and dead and twiggy growth.
Plant of the Week: Daphne odora and Daphne odora "Eternal Fragrance."
Before you couldn’t grow it in tropical gardens, only cool to cold climates.
There was this problem that daphnes’ leaves suddenly hanging down limply, and felt leathery and dry. Most often, this is also caused by over watering. About 20 years ago, there was a daphne virus, but you rarely get the virus in daphne. But the idea still hangs on that your Daphne will suddenly drop dead.
'Eternal Fragrance' offers an extended flowering period - with the main flush in spring and continuous spot flowering throughout the year, particularly in the warmer months.
Buy online from http://www.lambley.com.au/
Wildlife in Focus" Dusky Moorhen with Kurtis Lindsay. Some say it can't fly, othere say it looks like a chicken, but listen here to find out what this bird can really do.
Vegetable Heroes: Beta vulgaris or Beetroot.This is the time to plant our seeds or seedlings for warm and temperate areas of Australia, but colder areas need to wait until September,Best planted at soil temperatures between 7°C and 25°C. 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.Position-wise, beetroots aren’t overly fussy. They’ll tolerate full sun to part shade and even do fairly well in dappled light under a deep rooted tree. Soak seeds in water in a shallow saucer for 24 hours before planting so that you can separate the seeds. Keep well-watered and adding liquid fertilisers such as Fish emulsion. Remember Seaweed stuff is not a fertiliser. Dry beetroot develop a woody and inedible core. For really tasty and tender beetroot, start pulling them out at golfball-size. When they get to 7.5cm they get a but woody tasting.
Citrus Care: Now's the time to spray your citrus with Lime Sulfur to combat Citrus Louse Scale and knock off Bronze Orange Bug eggs while you'r at it. For product info http://www.yates.com.au/Prune your citrus to allow more air circulation into the centre of the tree if you have the scale problem. Remove and dead and twiggy growth.
Plant of the Week: Daphne odora and Daphne odora "Eternal Fragrance."
Before you couldn’t grow it in tropical gardens, only cool to cold climates.
There was this problem that daphnes’ leaves suddenly hanging down limply, and felt leathery and dry. Most often, this is also caused by over watering. About 20 years ago, there was a daphne virus, but you rarely get the virus in daphne. But the idea still hangs on that your Daphne will suddenly drop dead.
People think that daphne love to be moist all the time, but you should just water the daphne and let it dry out. Use mulch to keep the roots cool.
If daphnes are over or under watered, it causes them great stress and that's when insects like scale attack. Then there is the location - Daphnes liked morning sun or an easterly-facing spot - anywhere that's got shade from the hot afternoon sun. Don't forget really good drainage is also important. So it all seemed a bit tricky.
NEW VARIETY OF DAPHNE called ETERNAL FRAGRANCE from http://www.pma.com.au/'Eternal Fragrance' offers an extended flowering period - with the main flush in spring and continuous spot flowering throughout the year, particularly in the warmer months.
Buy online from http://www.lambley.com.au/
Saturday, 23 July 2011
It's Camellia Tea Time
Real World Gardener Wed 20th July 2011 5pm 2RRR 88.5fm
Feature Interview: RWG talks to Mike Barrett, executive member and president of the Weeds Society of NSW, about an upcoming seminar on "Environmental Weed, Current Policies and Practices. Wed, 27th July at Epping Club, 45-47 Rawson street Epping. Registration is preffered at http://www.nswweedsoc.org.au/ or ring or email Mike on 9875 3087 ; mikebarrhort@iprimus.com.au
Vegetable Hero: Camellia sinensis or Tea Camellia. Yes, that's right, grow you own tea in your backyard or on the balcony!
The China tea bush, or Camellia chinensis, produces small tea leaves and grows to about 1.6m. It is a very hardy, multi-stemmed but slow growing shrub.Get the history of tea here www.kew.org
You will have to keep it clipped to about a metre so you have plenty of new flushes of growth to pick from.
Camellias like acid soil, so for pots, add some coco peat into the potting mix.
To make green tea •Pick the very youngest leaves and leaf buds.
•Blot the leaves dry, and let dry in the shade for a few hours.
•Steam the leaves (like you would vegetables) on your stove for about a minute.
•For a different flavour, try roasting them in a skillet for 2 minutes instead of steaming.
•Spread the leaves on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at 120 C for 20 minutes.•Store the dried tea leaves in an air-tight container.
To make black tea•Pick the very youngest leaves and leaf buds like before.
•Roll the leaves between your hands, and crush them until the leaves start to darken and turn red.
•Spread them out on a tray, and leave them in a cool location for 2-3 days.
•Dry them in the oven at 120 C (250F) for about 20 minutes.•Store in an air-tight container.
Buy the Tea Camellia at Camellia specialist nurseries and at the Friends nursery at Royal Botani Gardens, Sydney. http://www.rgbsyd.nsw.gov.au/
Design Elements: Lesley Simspon, garden designer and Marianne (host) talk about Chelsea Flower Show 2011, and what else is there besides the major design awards. Listen to the podcast.
Plant of the Week: On the topic of Weeds, Purple Pea Bush or Polygala myrtifolia has mauve-purple, pea-shaped flowers produced throughout most of the year. Flowers develop two-celled flattened seed capsules that ripen from green to papery brown.
a) Introduced as an ornamental and known to be naturalised in Victoria in 1886. Mainly naturalised in coastal areas where it is an increasing environmental problem. Biological control agents are being investigated for potential control of this weed.
b) For more info, go to www.weeds.org.au and www.growmeinstead.com.au
a) ALTERNATIVES: Geraldton Wax Chamelaucium uncinatum cultivars
These small to medium sized native shrubs from Western Australia reach 1.5–2 m high with linear, narrow highly aromatic leaves up to 4 cm long. Small flowers occur profusely in spring through to summer and darken as they age. Recommended as a cut flower, they can be picked in bud or at the full flowering stage. Colours available are:-white 'Alba'; purple 'Purple Pride' red to white 'Sweet Sixteen', and the double flowering pink 'Raspberry Ripple'.A highly
Feature Interview: RWG talks to Mike Barrett, executive member and president of the Weeds Society of NSW, about an upcoming seminar on "Environmental Weed, Current Policies and Practices. Wed, 27th July at Epping Club, 45-47 Rawson street Epping. Registration is preffered at http://www.nswweedsoc.org.au/ or ring or email Mike on 9875 3087 ; mikebarrhort@iprimus.com.au
Vegetable Hero: Camellia sinensis or Tea Camellia. Yes, that's right, grow you own tea in your backyard or on the balcony!
The China tea bush, or Camellia chinensis, produces small tea leaves and grows to about 1.6m. It is a very hardy, multi-stemmed but slow growing shrub.Get the history of tea here www.kew.org
You will have to keep it clipped to about a metre so you have plenty of new flushes of growth to pick from.
Camellias like acid soil, so for pots, add some coco peat into the potting mix.
To make green tea •Pick the very youngest leaves and leaf buds.
•Blot the leaves dry, and let dry in the shade for a few hours.
•Steam the leaves (like you would vegetables) on your stove for about a minute.
•For a different flavour, try roasting them in a skillet for 2 minutes instead of steaming.
•Spread the leaves on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at 120 C for 20 minutes.•Store the dried tea leaves in an air-tight container.
To make black tea•Pick the very youngest leaves and leaf buds like before.
•Roll the leaves between your hands, and crush them until the leaves start to darken and turn red.
•Spread them out on a tray, and leave them in a cool location for 2-3 days.
•Dry them in the oven at 120 C (250F) for about 20 minutes.•Store in an air-tight container.
Buy the Tea Camellia at Camellia specialist nurseries and at the Friends nursery at Royal Botani Gardens, Sydney. http://www.rgbsyd.nsw.gov.au/
Design Elements: Lesley Simspon, garden designer and Marianne (host) talk about Chelsea Flower Show 2011, and what else is there besides the major design awards. Listen to the podcast.
Plant of the Week: On the topic of Weeds, Purple Pea Bush or Polygala myrtifolia has mauve-purple, pea-shaped flowers produced throughout most of the year. Flowers develop two-celled flattened seed capsules that ripen from green to papery brown.
a) Introduced as an ornamental and known to be naturalised in Victoria in 1886. Mainly naturalised in coastal areas where it is an increasing environmental problem. Biological control agents are being investigated for potential control of this weed.
b) For more info, go to www.weeds.org.au and www.growmeinstead.com.au
a) ALTERNATIVES: Geraldton Wax Chamelaucium uncinatum cultivars
These small to medium sized native shrubs from Western Australia reach 1.5–2 m high with linear, narrow highly aromatic leaves up to 4 cm long. Small flowers occur profusely in spring through to summer and darken as they age. Recommended as a cut flower, they can be picked in bud or at the full flowering stage. Colours available are:-white 'Alba'; purple 'Purple Pride' red to white 'Sweet Sixteen', and the double flowering pink 'Raspberry Ripple'.A highly
Sunday, 10 July 2011
One Potato, Two Potatoes, Three Potatoes, Four!
REAL WORLD GARDENER for 6th July 2011 2RRR 88.5fm
Feature Interview: Talking to Noel Plumb, Ryde Bush regeneration convener. Contact more info email noelplumb@iinet.net.au
Vegetable Heroes:Potatoes like to grow in a deep rich soil, plant seedling potatoes in a trench and as they grow pile the earth up around them. You will need to hill the the rows or potato container several times until the potatoes have flowered to stop the greening of tubers and also protect them from potato moth. Doing this will give you more potatoes as they tend to form on roots near the surface, as you pile up the soil, you get new roots, , more potatoes.... Chicken manure or blood and bone should be dug through the bed as potatoes need a lot of phosphorus but not too much nitrogen. Pick your potatoes when the vine has died down to the ground, that’s if you want the most potatoes, but they can be harvested from when the first baby potatoes are formed. The lower leaves should be turning yellow – this happens about 3 to 4 weeks after flowering. For more info on potatoe growing go to www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/TTAR-5AYUGP?open
Design Elements: Lesley Simpson, garden designer and Marianne (host) give an overview of the 2011 Chelsea Flower Show. Listen here.
Plant of the Week: Azalea spp.
a) SITE and SOIL: Plant in an area of semi-shade - the dappled shade beneath open-branched trees is a favourite location. Azaleas will grow in more open situations, but they prefer morning sun, with protection from hot afternoon sun in summer. They like a mildly acidic, organically enriched soil (pH 5-6), so avoid applying lime or fresh manures. Before planting, feed soil with compost and aged manure to improve moisture retention. Don't plant azaleas in cement pots or near new brickwork as the lime from the pot or mortar can leach into the soil, making it alkaline.
(b)Azaleas are surface-rooting plants, so they don't need very deep soil to thrive - about 30-40cm is adequate. Make sure they have good drainage and the roots must be cool and moist.
In the sustainable garden, pick off the mushy brown blooms daily if you encounter the fungal disease -Petal Blight. Doing this will reduce the spread, and next year, you'll have less of a problem.
Trim off leaves affected by Azalea lace bug-that gives the leaves a mottled silvery look.
Feature Interview: Talking to Noel Plumb, Ryde Bush regeneration convener. Contact more info email noelplumb@iinet.net.au
Vegetable Heroes:Potatoes like to grow in a deep rich soil, plant seedling potatoes in a trench and as they grow pile the earth up around them. You will need to hill the the rows or potato container several times until the potatoes have flowered to stop the greening of tubers and also protect them from potato moth. Doing this will give you more potatoes as they tend to form on roots near the surface, as you pile up the soil, you get new roots, , more potatoes.... Chicken manure or blood and bone should be dug through the bed as potatoes need a lot of phosphorus but not too much nitrogen. Pick your potatoes when the vine has died down to the ground, that’s if you want the most potatoes, but they can be harvested from when the first baby potatoes are formed. The lower leaves should be turning yellow – this happens about 3 to 4 weeks after flowering. For more info on potatoe growing go to www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/TTAR-5AYUGP?open
Design Elements: Lesley Simpson, garden designer and Marianne (host) give an overview of the 2011 Chelsea Flower Show. Listen here.
Plant of the Week: Azalea spp.
a) SITE and SOIL: Plant in an area of semi-shade - the dappled shade beneath open-branched trees is a favourite location. Azaleas will grow in more open situations, but they prefer morning sun, with protection from hot afternoon sun in summer. They like a mildly acidic, organically enriched soil (pH 5-6), so avoid applying lime or fresh manures. Before planting, feed soil with compost and aged manure to improve moisture retention. Don't plant azaleas in cement pots or near new brickwork as the lime from the pot or mortar can leach into the soil, making it alkaline.
(b)Azaleas are surface-rooting plants, so they don't need very deep soil to thrive - about 30-40cm is adequate. Make sure they have good drainage and the roots must be cool and moist.
In the sustainable garden, pick off the mushy brown blooms daily if you encounter the fungal disease -Petal Blight. Doing this will reduce the spread, and next year, you'll have less of a problem.
Trim off leaves affected by Azalea lace bug-that gives the leaves a mottled silvery look.
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