If Tom Jones Could Garden

REAL WORLD GARDENER Wed. 5pm 2RRR 88.5fm Sydney, streaming live at www.2rrr.org.au and Across Australia on the Community Radio Network. www.realworldgardener.com
Real World Gardener is funded by CBF, Community Broadcasting Foundation.

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

Wildlife in Focus

with Sue Stevens.

Are you in the habit of feeding wild or native ducks white bread? Did you know their diet is plant matter, insects, snails and crustaceans in the water. While white bread does its job of filling up the tummies of the ducks, geese, swans, and other birds seen around lakes, it doesn't do a good job of giving them any nutritional assistance. Birds quickly get full from the bread, so they can't eat anything else that may contain the nutritional value they need to breed and raise their young. But let’s find out about the duck with the unusual quack…

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The Grey Teal is on the available list of game shooting.Despite thirteen years of drought that reduced water bird numbers dramatically, hunters have increase the numbers of birds killed and taken home from 270,000 in 2010 to over 600,000 in 2011.

Birds are often just wounded and left for dead, with shooting groups admitting that this amounts to one in four birds.

You can find out more information on the adverse affects of game shooting wild ducks at http://www.animalsaustralia.org/factsheets/duck_shooting.php#top

Design Elements

with Landscape Design Louise McDaid.

Over the last few weeks, Design Elements has been dealing with garden design problems that are the most common. A couple of weeks ago we started with how to make a small garden seem bigger. A good tip was to slightly narrow a path at the far end of the garden, making the garden seem longer.

The following week we dealt with "how to make a long and thin rectangle of a garden seem wider." Using horizontal lines works wonders. Remember if you're trying on a dress or shirt with horizontal stripes, it's going to make you seem wider in the mirror?
Today, the garden or yard is just too big, in fact it’s a bit overwhelming and you just don’t know where to start.Let’s find out how to tackle this problem.
 

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 Garden rooms are a great way to divide up the space into more manageable bits, and you don’t have to complete each garden room at once.

Why not try it some of these tips out if you have that type of garden?

We’d love to see photos of any change you’ve done the garden, or perhaps just write in the details and send it in to. realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

Vegetable Heroes:

• There’s nothing like a good long history that some vegetables seem to have and the Leek is no exception. Probably originating somewhere in Asia, Leeks have been grown there and in Europe for thousands of years.
• Leeks were prized by the ancient Greeks and Romans because of their supposed beneficial effect upon the throat.  In fact the Greeks and Romans seem to prize most vegetables, I'm thinking of the humble radish which was worth it's weight in silver at the time!
• The Greek philosopher Aristotle, thought that the clear voice of the partridge was due to a diet of leeks, who would've thought that a partridge ate leeks?
• Then there was the Roman emperor Nero who supposedly ate leeks everyday to make his voice stronger. did he eat Leeks while fiddling as Rome burned?
• The leek has been a national Welsh emblem since 1536.
• It’s because of leeks that the Welsh are such great singers perhaps because they eat a lot of them, think Tom Jones.
•  Leeks, known scientifically as Allium ampeloprasum var. Porrum, are related to garlic, onions, shallots, and scallions.
• Onions, celery, and carrots are very good companion plants for the leek.
• Leeks, are a cool season crop.
• I have grown Leeks over the summer and found that although they don't grow to the same thickness as winter leeks, they're just as tasty and tender as ever. 
• Leeks are usually grown from seed and I always start them off in punnets first then transplant them when they're about 20cm tall and pencil thick.
•  Thney're easy to grow, and using out of date packets of Leek seeds is no problem at all.
• When to sow around Australia:
• Sow the seeds of Leeks from Spring until the end of Autumn in cool temperate climates, and late summer and autumn in warm and tropical zones.
• In arid districts, seeds must be sown in February/early March and then you can transplant them in April and May.
• Leeks can be planted in the autumn, and will overwinter in temperate  areas because of relatively mild winters but don't like periods of extreme cold.
• Most people should be familiar with what Leeks look like, long creamy cyclinders with a very small bulb . The cycliners are made up of layers  of white then green, tightly wrapped, flat leaves.
• Good soil is the key to growing leeks, but realy they're not too fussy and do well in almost any garden soil as long as it is well aerated and deep, about a spade’s depth is good.
• Aim for a  pH between 6.0 and 7.0.
• When you're transplanting, use some kind of dibble tool or the end of a rake handle to make a hole that's just deep enough to leave only the top inch of the seedling exposed. Set the leek seedling into the hole and fill it loosely with soil.
• Space the leeks 10cm  or a large hand span" apart, in rows about 20cm  or from your wrist to your elbow apart. Find something practical like that to do you estimates.
• When you’re growing Leeks the aim is to blanch the stems while the plants are maturing. 
• When they’re 4 weeks old in the veggie bed, use a thick mulch of sugar cane or  you can use shredded newspaper or something similar. In another 4 weeks or when they've grown a bit moredo the same again.
• Never having done this next step, I'm not sure if it's good practise, but you could give it a try.
• Cut off the top portion of the leaves, about halfway up the plant, as the leeks are maturing.
• This is meant to encourage stalk growth, giving you a larger leek for the dinner table.
• To be honest you can do all this, but if you don’t the leeks are just as tasty.
• Make sure the plants get a good soaking at least oncea week; otherwise the stems will toughen. Mulch to conserve moisture, and side-dress with manure tea once a month.
• Leeks are ready as soon as they're big enough to use.
• They usually take 16-18 weeks--4 ½ months. Quite a long time so explains why they are so expensive at the greengrocer, market or wherever you buy them. At markets they’re usually $2 each.
• To prepare Leeks cut them very thinly and sautee’ just as you would other members of the onion family.
• Health experts suggest that like their allium cousins, onions and garlic, let leeks sit for at least 5 minutes after cutting and before cooking to enhance their health-promoting qualities.
• Why are they good for you?
• Leeks are a good source of dietary fibre also a top source of vitamin C.
• Leeks have a high concentration of folate and also give you small amounts of other minerals and vitamins.
• Leeks are believed to be good for the throat and best of all,Leeks are low in calories and fat-free. 100g of leek has just 125kJ.

Plant of the Week:

Correas are the native version of fuchsias, although not great for hanging baskets, they certainly fit into any style of garden with their hanging bell like flowers.
Lately there’s been so many additions with hybrids that we’re spoilt for choice.
Now there’s one to celeberate Canberra city.
Correas grow in all types of soil, and are flowering not until late spring.
Like exotic Fuchsias, well drained soil is the key.
The flowers, for 99% of the species and hybrids, are tubular/funnel form then splitting into 4 petals.spreading at the top as the flowers open.
Correas are tougher than Fuchsias, tolerating frost and flowering through the winter months. Best of all, Correas are bird attracting.
Correas do best in well drained soil with a slightly acid pH. If you're in Gippsland Victoria with heavy clay soils, then either large pots or raised beds are you only option.
Correas are prone to root rot in continually wet soils.
So many hybrids and cultivars to choose from, C. Ice Maiden’, C. Dusky Bells,C.white Tips,  Pink Lips, Pink Panther, Pink Pixie, Lemon Twist, Ivory Bells, Sky Belles, Katie Bells and now Canberra Bells.
These are mainly hybrid forms that have been crossed with species plants.
Hybrid Correas have a tendency to be more compact and heavy flowering than the wild species, which makes them a desirable gardening plant.
For example, Correa ‘Dusky Bells’ is drought and frost tolerant. It is great for a shaded environment. It prefers  shady situations rather than full sun. It also attracts birds to the gardens.  Flowers from March until September.

Correas are a great little shrub that can fill many a gap in the garden bed.

Now they come in more colours then ever before, and this new release should please everyone, especially Canberra listeners.
New release Correas are hybrid Correas that have a tendency to be more compact and heavy flowering than the wild species, which makes them a desirable gardening plant.
Many of the Correa species are pollinated by birds such as honey eaters as they normally has a lot of nectar.
Many of the correas flower over the winter months and their flowers can provide an important source of nectar to birds at this time.
The new release: • Stunning two-tone red and cream bell-like flowers is a hardy - dry and frost tolerant Australian native.
Canberra Bells Parentage: one of its parent plants is appropriately called Federation Belle, while the other is Correa Mannii. C. "Canberra Bells grows to 1 m x 1 m.

Canberra Bells will provide colour for autumn, tolerates part-shade but flowers best in full sun.

For all you Canberra listeners,Canberra Bells is the official plant commemorating the Centenary of Canberra and now, this hardy but attractive native shrub is available for purchase

Give them a try. Ask for the new varieties by name at your garden centre.

Improve Your Plant Life Balance

REAL WORLD GARDENER Wed. 5pm 2RRR 88.5fm Sydney, streaming live at www.2rrr.org.au and Across Australia on the Community Radio Network. www.realworldgardener.com
Real World Gardener is funded by CBF, Community Broadcasting Foundation.
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.

Design Elements

with Landscape Designer, Louise McDaid

Long thin gardens benefit from horizontal lines to make them look wider.

Over the coming weeks, landscape Designer, Louise McDaid will be giving you expert solutions to some of the most common problems that home-owners are faced with. Last week we started with how to make a small garden seem bigger. There were many ideas on how to achieve the illusion of how to make your garden seem bigger. Colour and the way you arrange receding and non-receding colours in your garden was one way that gave you the illusion of a bigger garden, so was plant texture. But todays problem has to be tackled differently.
Let’s find out how we deal with a garden that’s long and thin..

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Horizontal lines were the main design tip to give your garden the illusion that your garden seems a bit wider than it is.
Hedging horizontally will give you that look. Then there was that fabulous tip about concave steps.
Why not try it some of these tips out if you have that type of garden?
There’s a lot of information in that design element so listen again for all the tips.
We’d love to see photos of any change you’ve done the garden, or perhaps just write in the details and send it in to. realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

Vegetable Heroes

Collard Greens. Botanically Collards are Brassica oleracea var. acephala, or from the Acephala Group. Acephala means"without a head" in Greek.

• The answer to the question as to which veggie can cure headaches is Collards, of course?Old wives tales reckon that if you hang a fresh collard leaf over the door you’ll keep bad spirits away, and a fresh leaf on the forehead is said to promise a cure for a headache.
• What are Collard Greens? Are they Kale? No, they’re not.
• More like an open sort of cabbage or a leafy, green vegetable that forms small, cabbage-like heads.is heat tolerant so a good substitute for kale and cabbage in tropical areas.
• Collards also tolerate light frosts so not bad for cooler areas either.
• Ancient Greeks grew kale along with collards, and the Romans grew several kinds of collards before the Christian era.
• Had you heard of Collards before or grown it? Let us now how you went.
• Apparently Collards in food are found in almost every meal in Kashmir, Brazil and Portugal.
• Where do you get it?
• There’s quite a few online suppliers of Collards, or collard Greens.
• Online suppliers (EDEN SEEDS www.edenseeds.com.au. www.greenharvest.com.au  and
• www.thelostseed.com.au  www.cornucopiaseeds.com.au Ph 0458546750) have anywhere between one, two  or three varieties.
• The first one is Champion, that they describe as having tender smooth-leaved large greens, high in vitamins A and C. Cold hardy. This champion variety tolerates poorer soils than other brassicas and is ready in  60-75 days.
• The other is Georgia Southern, an old standard, pre 1880, which has open blue-green slightly crumpled juicy leaves to 1m. this plant can take heat and poor soil, also tolerates light frost which improves its mild cabbage-like flavour. The large, succulent, ruffled, deep blue-green leaves form a loose rosette like an open cabbage; no head is formed. Days to harvest: 60 - 75.
• A third variety is Morris Heading- Heirloom first introduced in 1919 by Morris Plant Farm.  This variety has a wide, slightly crumpled, waxy, blue-green leaf with light green veins. The grower describes it as an extremely tender variety, that grows as a compact bush and is slow to bolt;  Morris Heading also tolerates heat & cold. And is ready in about 52-85 days...that’s about 8 weeks.
• A fourth variety is called Vates that has dark green, thick leaves high in nutrients. This variety dates back to the 1950’s. Did your parents grow this perhaps?
• Remember that rule about the darker green the leaf is on any vegetable that’s got edible leaves, the more nutrients it has.
• Grow it during the cool season to use as a nutritious, steamed, tender green with a delicious, mild cabbage flavour.
• Collards like well drained soil with near neutral pH and sunny spot.keep well watered. Mature plants tolerate frost. Sow late summer and autumn.
• For best flavour and texture, leaves should be picked before they reach their maximum size
• WHEN TO SOW:
• In tropical areas you can grow them from April until September, March until September in sub-tropical zones, March until August for arid areas and for temperate districts, February until May. Finally, in Cool temperate areas, you have from January until the end of April, so not long to go for you guys.
• You might be wondering how to pick this rather loose leafy green that’s a cabbage substitute.
• Not having grown this plant myself I’ve read that whole young collard plants can be cut or the tender leaves at the top stripped off.
• A cluster of leaves may be picked a few at a time when you need them and before they mature so as not to be tough.
• As the plants are gradually stripped of their lower leaves, they may need the assistance of a stake to support the top cluster.
• Seems like if you’ve only got a small family, or only one or two people in the household only likes the flavour of cabbage, Collards would be the most convenient and least wasteful way of growing cabbage like plants.
• Why Are Collard Greens Good For You?
• Collards are similar in nutrients to kale.
• The leaves are high in vitamins A and C and also high in soluble fibre.
• There’s also a small amount of protein potassium and calcium.

Plant of the Week

NEW Leptospermum varieites.
At a wholesale nursery located 30kms north east of Canberra, near the old gold mining settlement of Bywong, Bywong Nursery have a programme of breeding and selecting new varieties of Australian plants.
They then supply tubestock plants to other wholesale nurseries that grow these plants on to a bigger size before it get’s to the retail garden centres. Let’s find out how to grow some of these new varieties of tea trees in your garden.
There are many new varieties of tea trees with flowers about 2cm across and coming in brighter colours than you’d expect.Tea tress have smallish leaves and if you want to make you garden seem bigger, put smaller leaves plants in the background, and if you want your garden to seem like it’s closer to you, plant the smaller leaved plants in the foreground.
Give it a try. Ask for the new varieties by name at your garden centre.
 A sample of one of the releases from Bywong Nursery.
Leptospermum “Merinda” www.bwongnursery.com.au
A small evergreen shrub that is covered in vibrant magenta flowers in spring. Early growth can be spreading or cascading but it will develop into a rounded shrub approximately 1m high. This variety is sterile and will not set seedpods.
Leptospermum 'Merinda" was developed in a breeding programme from a cross between Leptospermum 'Pink Cascade' and Leptospermum 'Aphrodite'.
Ideal for small gardens or courtyards. Attractive tub specimen. Gives a bright splash of colour in spring.
Tea trees attracts a wide variety of native insects when in flower. These insects attract native birds and other wildlife.
Trim and fertilize after flowering as required.
Another variety is Leptospermum morrisonii a wild selection for foliage colour (Burgundy).
Leptospermum morrisonii 'Burgundy'Description: An attractive tall shrub with striking burgundy coloured new growth. It has an abundance of large white flowers during summer. Grows to approximately 3m high by 1.5m across. Origin: Selected from a wild population for its foliage colour.
Leptospermums make good for a fast growing screens or hedges.
Useful for cut foliage in floral arrangements.
These shrubs also attract a wide range of nectar feeding insects.
Leptospermums or tea trees grow best in full sun and tolerate wet soils and frosty conditions.
Plant partners-silver foliaged plants, eg, Lamb’s ears, Artemisia (wormwood), lavender.

Dream Time in the Garden

Wildlife in Focus

Bush Stone Curlew

Don’t flog out logs, the conversation slogan to save the habitat of the Bush Stone curlew.
Bush Stone-curlews are birds whose colouring makes them hard to see in bushland, especially in the dusky shadows and evenings, when they are most active.
Then there’s that call…really eerie…
Let’s find out more..with ecologist Sue Stevens.

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Bush Stone-curlews are birds standing 50–60 centimetres high, with long gangly legs, large yellow eyes, and grey-streaked upper parts. The Bush Stone curlew’s range has declined drastically in southeastern Australia. It’s now extinct in many former spots south of the Great Dividing Range. While its Victorian and New South Wales stronghold is along the border region.
It’s only sparsely distributed and continues to decline. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/pubs/tsd05bush-stone-curlew.pdf
If you spot one in your district send us a photo, we’d love to see it. Either via email or post, but more importantly, leave those fallen branches or logs lying around so this bird can nest near.

We’d love to see photos of any small birds you have visiting your garden just send it in to. realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

Vegetable Heroes:

Have you ever heard of a mushroom plant?I bet you’ve never heard of a it?
Rungia klossii  or Mushroom plant is from the Acanthaceae family, that has quite a lot of ornamental plants with names like, Acanthus mollis or Oyster plant, Justicia sp, you might’ve heard of the shrimp plant, or even grow it yourself.
Why are these plants in the same family? For one thing, these plants have sympetalous corollas-that means the petals are fused into a tube and  they also have four stamens (sometimes reduced further to two).
Members of this family that grow in Australia or New Guinea (Australia was part of New Guinea in Gondwana time.) are usually small herbs or shrubs.They usually have quite dark green leaves.
Where do you get it?
Well local markets are a good thing, and it’s at one of these market plant stalls that I found such a plant. At first I didn’t really believe the stall holder so she made me try a leaf. It wasn’t until I was chewing on the second leaf that the real mushroom flavour came through.
You can also buy it now from online shops, or ring them and they’ll send you a catalogue, or your local garden centre might even carry it.
The mushroom plant is a perennial-that means it flowers and sets seed over a number of years, growing to about 60cm high.
It originates from the highlands of Papua New Guinea, so it’s a tropical plant or sub-tropical plant, but seems to grow alright in cooler areas that only get a light frost.
Don’t despair, if you want to try this plant, I’ve been growing mine for years in a pot, and even though there’s not that much frost where I live, it seems to survive quite well.
In cooler areas, the plant will die down in winter but comes back up in spring.
 Mushroom plants have dark green, glossy succulent leaves and stems with a yellow central mid-vein.
The leaf is crinkly, about 2 cm long with a sharp point.
The leaves are arranged on a stem in opposite pairs at right angles to those above and below, this is what’s known as decussate.
In fact you if you bite on the leaf, it’s quite crunchy, and very tasty.
Mine has never flowered but it’s supposed to have blue flowers in spring.
It probably flowers in more tropical areas.
The flowering doesn’t matter really because you’re growing it for the leaves to put into your cooking, sandwiches and salads.
There isn’t much information about growing this plant in books or on the web, but I’ve found that it grows well in ordinary potting mix, and I’ve also put a plant in the edge of my veggie bed.
I have heard that it doesn’t like being waterlogged so for those people who have clay soils, you need to grow it in a raised bed or pot of any size.
You could say it copes in most soils, but it must be well-drained and kept fairly moist.
Mushroom plants can be grown in a position that gets morning sun or semi-shade.
If your district experiences temperatures in the mid-30’s for stretches at a time, I would say that you should only try this plant in a semi-shaded spot.
In cool temperate climates you could grow the mushroom plant in a full sun position.
This year I hedged my bets, I put one in the veggie bed in full sun, although it’s next to a taller Angelica plant and I kept another one in a pot in semi-shade.
The full sun plant is more bushy but shorter  than the potted plant.
This plant certainly won’t cope with any frost in winter. So if you want to grow it in, grow it in a pot and move it to a sunny spot when it gets really cold or under the verandah or patio.
Picking the leaves often means the plant gets more bushy-a bit like pruning most plants, the new growth that comes after is better.
In colder climates it becomes dormant in winter, may even die right down, but in tropical and sub-tropical areas it doesn't always lose its leaves.
The plant will grow from cuttings or from root division.
Spring is the best time, and it can be slow to strike.
Although once you get it going it can grow quite quickly.
If you plant it in the ground it’ll spread by suckering and will form a large clump over time.
It reminds me a little and in a good way, of Tradescantia, a weed that used to be called Wandering Jew, but that's not PC anymore.
You can eat the leaves in salads, they have a nice crunch to them, or chop them up and put them into scrambled eggs. They won’t go that grey colour.
Add them to soups, stews and stir-fries towards the end of cooking time. Heat enhances that mushroom flavour.
Why is it good for you?
The leaves are extremely rich in chlorophyll, making them, valuable for blood cleansing and building. Mushroom plant leaves have 3% protein (higher in protein than mushrooms).
What I don’t get is that have a few calories, in fact they have 33 calories per 100 grams of leaves.
But the good part is calcium content is the highest in any plant!
Other plant foods with high sources of calcium are: kale,  almonds, parsley, spinach 
The plant is also a rich source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, iron and other vitamins and minerals.
It’s a very tasty herb and there should be more of it around.
The mushroom taste gets stronger with cooking.
Go to your local markets, larger nursery or garden centre and buy one today.

Design Elements

with landscape designer Louise McDaid
Over the coming weeks, landscape Designer, Louise McDaid will be giving you expert solutions to some of the most common problems that home-owners are faced with. Are you thinking my garden doesn’t need anything done to it ? Or I just maintain my garden and it doesn’t really need anything else. So I’ll ask you what if you heard something that might make your garden that more special? What if you heard something that might make you use your garden more than just toiling away to keep it neat and tidy?
Louise has some really great design tips that might hold the key to changing how you see your garden and inspire to create your special garden of eden.
 Let’s start with today’s garden design problem…

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Perhaps next time you buy some plants, choose them to see how colours that recede and don’t recede work.
Plant out a bed of annuals in a pale colour then add some strong coloured taller plants in the background. Stand back and see what happens.Doesn’t that sound exciting? Why not try it out? There’s a lot of information in that design element so you may need to listen to it again a few times!!

Plant of the Week:

Echinacea purpurea and cultivars.
Did you know that Purple coneflowers are the main ingredient used in herbal teas that help the immune system?
Today there are more than 200 medicines derived from Echinacea purpurea extract.
Echinacea is derived from Greek echino meaning hedgehog.
Echinacea purpurea, also known as the “purple coneflower” is a hardy, drought resistant plant originally from eastern and central North America, where it is found growing in moist to dry prairies and open wooded areas..
Echinacea’s are easy to grow, with a mid-sized leaf and about 70cm tall.


Purple Coneflowers have large daisy-like, purple flowers and prominent browny-orange cones in the centre that are hard to the touch.
The flowers in the Asteraceae of daisy family is realyy an inflorescence or flower head; a densely packed cluster of many small, individual flowers, usually called florets.
The outer petals are called'ray florets' surrounding central 'disc florets.'  These florets make up the whole flower.
The flowers are long lasting are also attractive to butterflies.
Coneflowers will tolerate some shade but really do best in full sun.
Cone flowers need a well-drained soil is an absolute must.
Echinacea plants will fail almost immediately if planted in wet clay soil so if that's your soil type, grow them in pots or raised beds only.
Apart from heavy wet clay, they're not too fussy with soil type.
Growing from seed is pretty easy too as long as the seed is fresh.-ie not past its use by date.
Don't overwater your cone-flowers or they'll get root rot.
Coneflowers are very drought tolerant but they will need some help with water after being transplanted.
Water newly planted coneflowers just enough to keep the soil moist for at least two weeks after you plant them.
Keep an eye on through out the first year and water during extended dry spells.
After the first year they should have developed a strong enough root system to make it on their own.
The purple flowered varieties are a receding colour whereas the white makes the flower appear closer. Try growing both varieties in different parts of the garden for effect.
New coneflowers for free?
Devision is the easiest and by far the best way to get new plants of coneflowers.
 If you live in the cool temperate districts where your growing season is short and winters are cold you should divide coneflower plants in late summer or spring. If you live in a warmer climate division should be done in autumn.
New and old colours and varieties
Purpurea - rosy purple flowers.
 Purpure alba-white flowers
Bright Star - rosy to lavender pink flower.
Magnus - dark carmine flower.
Ruby Star - deep magenta-red flowers.
All cone flowers are frost hardy and prefer full sun
Tip:Remove spent flowers -you'll get more flowers that way.
Prune foliage hard each winter. When new growth appears in spring fertilise.

Beet a Path with Flowers

REAL WORLD GARDENER Wed. 5pm 2RRR 88.5fm Sydney, streaming live at www.2rrr.org.au and Across Australia on the Community Radio Network. www.realworldgardener.com
Real World Gardener is funded by CBF, Community Broadcasting Foundation.
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.

Design Elements

Would you some easy make-overs for  your garden? Who wouldn’t?
You’ll find out several great tips with Landscape Designer, Louise McDaid
Have you decided to update your garden yet? What about drawing a rough plan over breakfast or lunch while you’re listening to the radio?
Or, plan a visit to your garden centre and cast your eye over what you can add to your garden? Garden centre visits are relaxing? Just looking at the plants soothes the soul I think.
There are some really easy make-overs if you haven’t decided quite what to do. Let’s hear them….

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From painting the fence in that receding colour to making a potted garden, some good places to start. Not too expensive either.just takes a bit of your time but will give your garden an instant mini-make-over.
We’d love to see photos of any change you’ve done the garden, or perhaps just write in the details and send it in to. realworldgardener@gmail.com OR write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

Vegetable Heroes:

Q: Which soup did the Russians cook for the Americans in the Soyuz19 in 1975?
Well the answer to that soup in space question-which soup did the Russians cook for the Americans in the soyuz19 in 1975....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.
Growing Beetroot is fairly easy -
In cool temperate zones you can plant beets from September through to the end of April, in Arid areas, from February until December, in temperate districts from July until April,  Tropical areas from March until June, and again-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.
The beetroot seeds are always made up of a seedball of several seeds.That cluster of seeds, you should really soak  in water in a shallow saucer for 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.
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.
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.
What I have found is this: lightly manured / composted soil (too much nitrogen enhances leaf growth and not root growth - you want root growth). Loose / light soil because the root will struggle in thick/clay like soil.
Spacing between plants is good if you can put a tennis ball between plants.
Don’t expect much if you just plonk them in any old soil.
Keep well-watered and adding liquid fertilisers such as Fish emulsion.Remember Seaweed stuff is not a fertiliser.
Q:Why is my beetroot dry woody and inedible in the centre and Karen writes in “Why are my beetroots splitting?”
A: you are letting your beetroot get too thirsty.
Watering every 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. 
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.
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.
What’s good about Beetroot?A cup of beetroot has about 31 calories; 8.5g of carbohydrate, 1.5g of dietary fibre, by the way this is soluble fibre that can help to reduce high blood cholesterol levels, 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.
 Beta cyanin, the pigment that gives beetroot its colour, speeds up detoxification in your liver, so your body  can  turn the alcohol into a less harmful substance. To really kick the hangover why not do it with our Beetroot, sandwich or Beetroot Pancakes with Eggs?
Beets have an extremely low Glycemic Index which means it’s converted into sugars very slowly which helps to keep blood sugar levels stable.
Culinary hints - 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.

Plant of the Week

Gaura cultivars: So many plants are called Butterfly Bush or Butterfly plants that it’s confusing to horticulturalists at your local garden centre, when trying to decipher what plant you really mean.

• Instead ask for Gaura, because as summer is drawing to a close, and everything starts to look a bit dejected, the Gaura species of plant is just the kind of plant you need.
• It’s fresh, pretty and airy, and it’s generally planted to add a touch of lightness to a border.
• The straight species of Gaur is Gaura lindheimeri and is listed as an environmental weed in most states.
• Cultivars are quite different and are recommended for gardens. Just look for Gaura followed by a name like "Pink Fantasy" or "May Farm", "So White" and "Siskyou Pink."these.
• Most of these cultivars flower in spring, summer and autumn. Some grow to just over a metre high like "So White" others are about half that.
• Gauras like full sun and tolerate dryness, heat and frost as well as coastal conditons.Gauras suit a butterfly garden because the flowers dance above long thin stems and actually attract those ephemeral beauties, the butterfly, into your garden.
• Updating your garden with Gauras:Gauras look beautiful in perennial gardens and can be planted next to  'Salvia African Sky' and 'Agastache Sweet Lili' as they all flower at the same time, have similar growth habit and like similar growing conditions.
• For foliage contrast plant with Pennisetum-Purple Fountain Grass Salivas,geraniums, Plectranthus (Mona lavender), statice (Limonium)
• Pruning tip:Wait until you have to cut back something that’s finished flowering, then fill the gap with Gaura. It does need space. The perennial has various pink to white flowers clustering on its thin stems. They go on appearing for months and, best of all, they don’t need dead-heading.

The Good Earth

with Penny Pyett, Permaculture sydney Institute Director For balcony gardeners, sun and shade are major constraints that you just can’t change. Then there’s watering the plants, and what if it leaks to the neighbour down below?  Not to mention leaking all over the balcony.Potting mix is heavy too. How much can your balcony hold?Let’s find out how to go about a balcony garden… 

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If permaculture interests you why not visit www.permaculturenorth.org.auor www.permaculturesydneyinstitute.org You may find a workshop or two to catch your interest or just sign up for the free newsletter.

Birdscaping and Updating

Wildlife in Focus

Birdscaping 101

How many small birds are in your district? Are there less than there used to be? Today ecologist Sue Stevens talks about creating a part of your garden that is suitable for small birds. The types of shrubs isn’t the only factor, it’s also the way you plant them and you’ll find out how in this segment.
I'm talking with ecologist Sue Stevens.

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The Habitat network website is www.habitatnetwork.org
Is a great resource for finding out more about birdscaping your garden. If you don’t have access to a computer just drop us a line and we’ll arrange to send you out a factsheet from the network.
We’d love to see photos of any small birds you have visiting your garden just send it in to. realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

Vegetable Heroes

• Chives are botanically Allium schoenoprasum in the Lilliaceae family, that includes, Garlic, Leeks and Shallots.
• The Botanical name means rush leeks, and chives are sometimes called them, but I  never heard them called anything other than Chives.
• Chinese are the first to have used chives from around 3000 years B.C.
• Romanian Gypsies have used chives in fortune telling. I wonder how?
• Folklore would have you believe that you should hang bunches of dried chives around your house to ward off disease and evil.
• Also the Romans thought that chives could relieve the pain from sunburn or a sore throat. The Romans also wrongly believed that eating chives would increase blood pressure and acted as a diuretic. Totally untrue.
• The Chive plant is a hardy perennial. Chives have round, grass-like leaves with a hollow stem, and pretty mauve pompom flowers in summer and autumn.
• The bulbs grow very close together in dense clusters, rather like mini-leeks bunched together.,
• There are two chive look-alikes that are also grown:
• Garlic chives, sometimes known as Chinese chives (Allium tuberosum), and society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea).
• The leaves of these look alkies are flat rather than tubular, but they’re grown in the same way as chives and can be substituted for them in any recipe that calls for chives.
• Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) has a mild garlic flavour, but white flowers instead of mauve,  and they look like common chives,
• All chives can be grown from seeds just as easily and are great for growing in pots.
• It's a good idea to remove the flowers before they go to seed because the leaves will have a better flavour if the flowers are picked before they’re fully developed. but and I’ll tell you about using the flowers a little later on,
• In tropical areas sow chives between April and July, in temperate zones, you have September through to May, in arid zones, July through to March, cold districts have September through to April and sub-tropical areas win the jackpot by being able to grow Chives all year round.
• In cold climates, chives will die right back in winter but, but because the plants are perennial they will live for a number of years.
• New leaves will shoot up in spring.
• Graham, cool climate gardener has written in to say that his chives are hardly affected by frost and after drying to straw in winter, come back fresh and green.
• Germinating Chive seeds have been problematic to some, and when I worked at Yates, they weren’t on the most troublesome list.
• But if you do have trouble germinating chive seeds, try soaking them in a weak solution of seaweed overnight.
• Then after you lightly sown the seeds onto a punnet, put the seedling punnet into a clear  plastic bag, ( a recycled one would be good), blow it up like a balloon and tie off with a rubber band. That’s my cheap method of a mini-green house.
• Usually works for most seeds that I’m having trouble with.
• Garden books will tell you that Chive seeds germinate best when the soil temperature is in the low 20’s.
• Chives will grow in any well drained ordinary garden soil or in a pot filled with a good quality premium potting mix.
• The plants need at least half a day's sun light. Feed the plants with a liquid fertiliser, every couple of weeks to keep them growing strongly.
• Once or twice a year spread some slow release or organic fertiliser around the base of the plants.
• You might think that Chives, are drought tolerant and are have a bit hardy in the garden but that’s not the case.
• Water your chives regularly because they have a shallow root system and some generous mulching won’t go astray either.
• The recent hot spell in my district saw the chives I had growing in full sun getting somewhat brown and crispy.
• Make sure you protect the young leaves from snails and slugs and watch. for pests such as aphids.
• Although I’ve never known my chives plants to be bothered by anything at all.
• Keep in mind, never spray your edible herbs with chemicals.
• If you do get aphid attack or something similar just wipe the leaves with soapy water.
• The best and really only way to pick chives is to just cut leaves from outside of the clump with a pair of sharp scissors.
• Like most plants the flavour of chives will always taste better if they are picked just before you are going to use them.
• Snip the leaves into smaller sections then sprinkle onto soups, eggdishes or salads.
• Even though you can easily grow chives from seed, they’re usually propagated by dividing the clumps in spring or autumn for most districts.
• In places like Adelaide for example, you can divide the clumps in late winter.
• In all areas, replant them straight away into the garden or pots.
• When you divide the clumps, leave about six little bulbs together in a tiny clump, which will spread to a fine clump by the end of the year.
• Set the clumps about 20 – 30 cm  apart..
• Dividing your chives is the fastest way to propagate your Chives.
• The unopened flower buds of both types of chives can be used in stir fries, or break up the flower heads and use them in salads or as a garnish for potato, pasta or rice salad.
• The Chive contains a pungent volatile oil, rich in sulphur, which is in all of the Onion tribe giving them that distinctive smell and taste.
•  Why is it good for you?
• Chives are an excellent salt substitute and a perfect aid for those on a low fat, salt restricted diet. Chives contains vitamins A, B6, C and K. Several minerals are also found including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium and zinc.
• Chives are also a good source of folic acid and dietary fibre.

Design Elements

with Landscape Designer Louise McDaid

There are so many things to consider with garden design that you may not have thought even possible.Have you updated the flower colour in your garden yet?  Or are you considering putting in some grasses, or strappy leaved plants with coloured foliage?

Are you thinking about moving some plants for a fresh new look?

Here’s something you mightn’t know or realise, and that is: a single species can have different leaf shapes over the life of the plant. In fact, some can have different leaf shapes on the plant at the same time. For example, gum trees have different adult and juvenile foliage. That’s complicated enough, but what about the shape of the plant itself?

Good garden design takes the shapes of plants into account.

Did you know that you can update your plants using just the shape of the plant?

What does that mean? Let’s find out….

 

 

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As Louise said, if one of your garden beds could look a bit better, think about introducing a different shaped plant, one with perhaps a vertical shape, like the ornamental pear, or a lollipop on a stick.
Perhaps a fountain shaped plant will fit the bill, like a weeping grass with stripey foliage- such as variegated Miscanthus.

Lots to ponder when thinking about updating your garden.

 

Plant of the Week:

Ephorbia spp:

 Which Euphorbia is the most well known? Answer at the end of the segment.

• If you want to update your garden with foliage colour or plant shape you can’t go past including A Euphorbia or three into your garden.
• Euphorbias are one of the most dramatic plants for your garden.
• Euphorbias come in different heights, shapes, colours and habit.
• Not to mention that the genus is huge with more than 2,000 species of herbaceous perennials, annuals, biennials, as well as evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees.
• There is a Euphorbia to meet every garden need.
•  Euphorbias come in all shapes: round baseballs, pencil sticks, undulating crested shapes, and cactus-like columnar forms.
• Some have trailing twisted stems, others long skinny stems and still others, bodies with many snake-like arms.
• Some euphorbias masquerade as Cacti, I have one that looks a bit like underwater coral. Euphorbia ephedroides imminuta - Thin branching stems.It is not the easiest task to distinguish a Cacti from a Euphorbia, unless you're an expert, but there are some clues to get you started.
• The plant's origin - Cactus look-alikes are usually from Africa.
•  If the plant juice is a milky white latex, it is most likely a Euphorbia (a few Cacti have milky sap). If the juice is clear, it is usually a cactus.
• Spines that come out of a separate round, sometimes fuzzy, flat skin structure called an areole are found only on Cacti. Euphorbia spines come right out of the plant's stem and there are no areoles.I saw a quite different Euphorbia collection in the Botanic Gardens in Oxford England. These plants had green stems and leaves, and are often recommended for perennial borders, dry gardens  and cottage gardens. These are the shrubby Euphorbias that can even take dry and poor soils.
• Dry gardens and cottage gardens have probably known about some of these already such as E.characias “Tasmanian Tiger, or E. characias Wulfenii.
• Tall semi evergreen perennial for dry gardens. Usually late winter flowering with tall stems of clustered lime green flowers. Good for winter structure amongst herbaceous plants.
• Takes moderate frosts and is drought tolerant. Grows to 90cm. www.woodbridgenursery.com.au
• Euphorbia dulcis 'Chameleon'-Herbaceous variety with deep purple foliage through summer into autumn. 60cm, flowersin spring, good frost tolerance, and also drought tolerant
• Euphorbia “Firesticks  Eye catching bright yellow new spring growth turns bright orange and red in winter.  Colder climates will see a more intense colouring and it is at its best through winter. The stems lack chlorophyll so will not have any green colouration. Good in pots for contrast foliage.
• Grow in cool to temperate districts and obviously arid zones. Takes full sun to semi-shade. Fades in summer and becomes redder in winter. Grows to  60 – 90 cm.
•  Prune lightly to keep it compact and colourful. Plant into well drained soil in a sunny to bright light position. Water to establish then keep just moist. Reduce watering in winter. They are frost tender and dry tolerant.
• Euphorbia pithyusa - 'Grey Hedgehog' excellent evergreen shrub with multi-stems. Colour is a cool, ice blue, leaves are needle like but soft to touvch. Forms a tought mound with greenish yellow flowers in summer. Makes a great contrast to burgundy foliaged plants in particular. As with all Euphorbia family plants, they will bleed white sap if cut or wounded. Handle with caution. from www.australianperennials.com.au
• Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' is a long flowering cultivar developed from Euphorbia hypericifolia 'inneuphe'.
• A well drained potting mix is essential.
• Both of the last three Euphorbias flowers in Summer and Autumn, grows to 40cm by 40cm wide.
• ‘Hedgehog” is a hardy shrub that suits group plantings amongst other low shrubs and perennials in a low border, or makes a great low hedge, and suits growing in a pot. Full sun is needed as is well drained soil. Tolerates dry conditions.
• Lightly trim the bush after flowering to tidy up the plant and this of course stimulates new frowth. Next Spring, give it some fertiliser to encourage growth.
• That was just a select few Euphorbias to entice you.
• Most Euphorbia species prefer well-drained soils in full sun conditions.
• Propagate some Euphorbias by seed or by division, and others by stem-tip cuttings. Most propagate and root easily.

Answer; The most well known Euphorbia is Poinsettia or Euphorbia pulcherrima