Hornbeams, and Desert Raisins

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
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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. 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

SPICE IT UP

with Ian Hemphill from Herbies Spices

Bush tomato-photo Ian Hemphill

Have you ever heard of a bush tomato?
If you haven’t, you wouldn’t be considered silly if you thought it was a version of those tomatoes that seem to spring up in your compost heap or throughout the garden wherever you deposited your compost.
But in fact, you couldn’t be further from the truth..well almost, because the bush tomato is still in the Solanaceae family like the regular tomato.

So what’s so different about it?

Let’s find out…..


Should you consider growing your own bush tomato, Solanum centrale is the botanical cultivar of the only type of bush tomato that you should use-the others are toxic.
The bush tomato looks like a very small slightly stunted grey-green chilli plant with a purple flower, very much like the flower of an eggplant.

photo Ian Hemphill

Bush tomatoes grow to about 30cm high and fruit for 4-5 years.
The tomatoes dry in the bush in their natural environment but I'm not sure that could be said of those plants grown in other areas.
Bush raisin, Akudjera, all those different names, and from the sounds of it, it’s a very versatile addition to sweet and savoury dishes-anzac biscuits, chicken dishes, and risottos to name just a few.
Like all Australian spices, the flavours are strong and should only be used in small amounts.

Akudura risotto-recipe curtesy Herbies Spices

2 tbsp. ground bush tomato 1tbsp boil water 1tbsp tomato paste 1 tsp wattleseed 1tbsp olive oil 1 small onion chopped 2 cloves garlic crushed 1 3/4 cups Arborio rice 1/2 cup white wine (dry) 5-6 cups vegetable stock 2-4 tbsp. cream salt n pepper to taste, shredded basil leaves, grated parmesan cheese

Soak akudjera in boiling water for 10-15 mins. Drain, combine with wattle seed and tomato paste. Set aside. Fry-onions until soft, add garlic for a further 2 mins. Add rice - stir to coat grains. Add wine, stir until evaporated. Reduce heat and start adding stock 1 cup at a time, stirring until absorbed. When ½ stock has been added added Akudjura mix. Continue adding stock until rice is cooked. Add cream and remove from heat. Garnish with Basil and Parmesan. Serves 4

 VEGETABLE HEROES Snow peas

Today’s vegetable hero is in the family of veggies that is technically classed a fruit that is the Pea family.
Snow peas are of course in the pea or Fabaceae family.
Although traces of primitive pea varieties dating back to 5000BC have been found, the snow pea is a relatively new, and because they’re used a lot in Chinese cooking, we’ve assumed that they were developed in China.
Did you know that in fact, snow peas originated in the Mediterranean, and were grown widely in England and Europe in the nineteenth century?

So why are they called snow peas?
At first they were called English sugar peas or mange tout in France. (which means eat all) 
But sometime later they began being called Snow peas-no-one really knows why except that they’re picked in late winter, sometimes before last frost, and are in fact very resistant to frost, snow, and cold weather.
The Chinese adopted these peas into their own cuisine from the English, and they have been known as Chinese snow peas ever since. 
Their Mandarin name is ‘he lan do' or Holland pea.

Using Snow Peas in your cooking
Fresh snow peas may be eaten raw as a snack or used as a salad ingredient. They also lend themselves nicely to quick blanching, so that they stay crisp and green.

There’s nothing worse than soggy snow peas.
Snow peas may be added to Asian stir-fry dishes, soups, and pasta.
Because they need very little cooking time, add them towards the end of cooking so they remain crunchy and crisp.  
Apart from Garden Peas which are Pisum Sativum , there are two other strains of peas - the snow pea and the sugar snap pea.
These are known as edible podded peas because they don’t have the same cross fibre in the wall of the pod as the common garden pea and can be eaten whole.
The snow pea is Pisum sativum var. saccharatum. or (Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon) is a distinct botanical cultivar or subspecies of garden peas.

The pod is pretty much flat and is eaten before the string develops and the peas start to swell.
There are dwarf and vine varieties of Snow peas.

Snow peas grow on leafy vines that produce tendrils, so they are especially well-adapted for climbing wires or trellises.
Snow peas have light green pods that follow purple or white, sweetly scented flowers.

When to Plant?

You plant Snow Peas from April until September in warm Temperate climates,.
April to July in sub-tropical areas,
April to October in cool temperate districts
May to July in Arid zones

Edible podded peas do best under cool, moist growing conditions.
The crop is sensitive to heat, and temperatures above 30^oC will cause them to grow poorly.
Snow peas like day temperatures from 15^o to 18^oC average, with a maximum of 24^oC and a minimum of 7^oC, are ideal.

 But do you have trouble growing peas?

I know gardeners that do, they only seem to get one or two pods and the plant grows very weakly.
Try these hints:
Before sowing your seed, it is best to incorporate into the soil garden lime/dolomite to sweeten the soil and potash to encourage flowering.
 Did you know that Peas and other legumes (even wattles) have symbiotic bacteria in their roots called  rhizobia, that 'fix' nitrogen in the soil meaning that peas are capable of manufacturing their own nitrogen..
Peas then don’t need as much fertiliser as other vegies and are good to dig into the soil to concentrate available nitrogen for future crops.
Avoid applying a fertiliser that is high in nitrogen as this will encourage leafy growth at the expense of the flowers and subsequent fruit.

The stems and foliage of Snow Peas mostly aren’t affected by frost, but will get some damage if a cold snap follows a period of warm weather.
Having said that, flowers are made sterile by frost and so are the pods -affected pods have a white, mottled skin.
Snow Peas thrive on a wide range of soil types, as long as the soil is well drained with good depth.
Because peas' feeder roots run shallow, mulch is essential to keep the soil around the roots moist and cool.
When the seedlings are 5cm tall, apply a mulch of clean straw, chopped leaves, or compost.
As the pea plants mature, you can add more mulch to keep them happy
The ideal pH range is 5.8 to 6.8 (in water).
The main cultivars that you see in the supermarket or fruit and veggie shop will be Pisum satvium “Oregan Giant” and “Oregan Sugar Pod.”
These have strong powdery mildew resistance and give lots of pod setting.

Why are peas of any kind good for you?
1 cup or 10 raw snow peas is a serve, and is an excellent source of vitamin C, and a good source of niacin (B3), folate (another of the B vitamins) and beta carotene (which the body converts to vitamin A).
The lutein present in green peas helps reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
Did you know that all peas with or without our pods, are among the best vegetable sources of dietary fibre.
For all you vegetarians out there, you probably know that most vegetables are quite low in protein, but peas have good supplies.
Green peas also provide zinc and all peas are a good source of potassium, especially edible-podded types.
AND THAT WAS OUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT

DESIGN ELEMENTS
with landscape designer Louise McDaid

Raised Garden Beds-part 3 in Garden with Shallow and Rocky Soil series.

In this episode of design elements it really doesn’t matter if you don’t have shallow or rocky soils, because raised garden beds can apply to those gardens with other problem conditions.
Not all raised garden beds are alike and Louise has some great ideas.
Let’s find out what this is all about.


using soil that’s more ideally suited to the plants you really love.
And since you the gardener doesn’t walk on the raised beds, the soil doesn’t get  compacted and the roots have an easier time growing.
Plus one more advantage of raised beds is that close plant spacing and the use of compost can result in higher yields with raised beds in comparison to conventional row gardening.
The best thing about raised beds is being able to grow vegetables without having to bend over to tend.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Hornbeams Carpinus betulus

Would you believe that there’s a company in England that sells hedges on stilts? Yes there is and Instahedge they call themselves.
This is what they say “We have a range of Pleached Hornbeam, Beech, Lime and London Plane, to name but a few. These are beautiful trees that are trained on a tiered frame, with different girth sizes to give you young trees which are all ready to grow on the new frame or ones that are already full, the choice is your.” Sounds good doesn’t it, except they don’t ship to Australia of course.
So if you want a Hornbeam tree to start your own instahedge, what should you first know before you buy?

Hornbeam Hedge at Hidcote, England

Pleaching is a method of training trees to produce a narrow screen or hedge by tying in and interlacing flexible young shoots along a supporting framework. Use this technique to make walks, arbours, tunnels and arches. You train the whippy branches in summer and prune them in winter.
Difficult? Yes you better believe it.




Framework needed for pleaching

Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata'

Other varieties-Pendula-weeping branches.

Purpurea-New growth reddish green, becoming green. Introduced before 1873

Family:Betulaceae.

An excellent landscape tree, Carpinus betulus fastigiata - Upright Hornbeam Tree European Hornbeam is suitable for screening, hedging, pleaching due to its excellent response to pruning. For this reason, the  Carpinus betulus fastigiata - Upright Hornbeam Tree is perfect for hedging, with its narrow shape and stunning yellow autumn foliage.

 Height: 8 metres Width: 6 metres

 Growth rate: Slow to moderate.

Form: Pyramidal when young, gradually forming a rounded crown at maturity.

 Foliage: Carpinus betulus - Hornbeam Tree European Hornbeam has mid-green leaves.

 Flower:  Light yellow orange, long, thick feathery flowers

 Tolerances:  Carpinus betulus fastigiata - Upright Hornbeam Tree has a wide range of tolerances, including alkaline and acidic soils. Does best in well drained soils in full sun or part shade. Generally free of pest and disease problems. Grows in full sun to part shade

 

 

 

Rusty Gardening with Soul

PLANT DOCTOR

Did you know that rusts are amongst the most common fungal diseases of garden plants?


Rust on all parts of the bean plants

Trees, shrubs, herbaceous and bedding plants, grasses, bulbs, fruit and vegetables can all be affected. Notice the rust pustules on the bean pod itself as well as the leaves.
Rust diseases are unsightly and often (but not always) reduce plant vigour.

In extreme cases, rust infection can even kill the plant.
Listen to these solutions to rust on your plants. I'm talking with General Manager, Steve Falcioni from www.ecoorganicgarden.com.au
Rust can effect many different garden plants, and for the most part, each plant has a specific type of rust that won't transfer to a different type or genus of plant.




rust on Pelargonium leaves

The main symptoms to look out for are pustules, or raised bumps on leaves and occasionally on other aerial parts.
Pustules may be orange, yellow, brown, black or white in colour.
Rust is caused by fungus, and rust can happen at any time if you’ve the right conditions and climate but is seen mainly in mid- to late summer and autumn.
If you have any questions about rust on your plants or have a photo to send it, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Garlic-Allium sativum comes from the Onion family. Alliaceae
Back in medieval times hanging Garlic outside your door warded off vampires.
Not exactly in the same league as vampires but did you know that eating garlic helps keeps mosquitos away?

Where does Garlic come from?
Well it’s been around for so long that there’s only records of cultivated Allium longicupis  sometimes known as Wild Garlic, which grows naturally in central Asia.
Cultivated garlic was used in Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt from at least 2000 BC.
You probably would be surprised to learn that it’s been found in Egyptian tombs as an ingredient used in embalming and as an offering to the gods.
The Greeks and Romans saw garlic as a food that would give strength and workmen and soldiers would use it.

HANGOVER CURE OR NOT?
What about this for a sure fire hangover cure from Roman times- boil 16 bulbs (not cloves) of garlic in a bucket of wine, mmm lovely.

Louis Pasteur demonstrated, in 1858, that garlic could kill infectious germs. Garlic was used throughout World War I to treat battle wounds and to cure dysentery. During World War II, garlic was known as "Russian penicillin" because it was so effective in treating wound infections when adequate antibiotics were not available.
Sow direct in garden where they are to grow.
Garlic grows best when the temperature is between 13º to 24ºC.

That’s why Garlic is traditionally planted in cold weather and harvested in summer ("plant on the shortest day, harvest on the longest").

When to Plant
You can plant Garlic blubs now in all districts of Australia, including cool temperate.
For cool districts, you’re right on the edge of when you can plant, so don’t delay, plant today.

Garlic grows best on fertile, well-drained, loamy soils.
Any soil suitable for onions is good enough for Garlic.
As long as you give garlic a sunny position garlic is easy to grow.  Soil pH should be in the range 5.5 to 7.0.
Plant the cloves after separating them from the bulb, point upwards, deep enough to just cover with soil.
When you plant the cloves, don't plant too deeply otherwise they will rot off.

TIP: Plant them so the tops of the bulbs are just below the surface and about 8 cm apart with the point end facing up.
Garlic usually takes about 17-25 weeks. 4-6 months to mature. People always ask how do you know when my Garlic is ready?

You can tell because the leaves or stalks have flopped over and turned brown.
Give them plenty of water, (especially in spring).

Also fertilise them, 2 or 3 times throughout the growing season.
Some young shoots can be cut off for a garnish or you can even pick thye  young garlic and eat the 'green' garlic leaves and all.

Reduce water at end of Spring (4 weeks prior to harvesting) that’s if you plant them right away.
Storing Garlic
When they are ready to be dug up, ease bulbs out with a fork, careful not to damage bulbs because these won't store well or go a bit mouldy.
If you’ve got some good weather let them dry in the sun for a few days.
Otherwise hang to dry for 4 weeks in a warm place with good ventilation. Store in a cool airy place. This will prevent the bulbs from rotting.
Garlic is a fairly tough and easy-growing plant.

I n better soil with regular watering you will get a better crop.
On poorer soil, and forgetting to water them, you will still get some garlic, only not quite so much.
TIP: Leave a garlic PLANT  to go to seed, and you will probably get plenty of self-sown plants the following year.
Cloves that haven’t been treated can be saved and planted in the garden.
Remember most garlic in supermarkets comes from China and has been sprayed with Methyl Bromide in quarantine.
You can buy Garlic from online suppliers or from organic suppliers. Remember that garlic plants will grow to be 2/3m and more tall.

Types of Garlic

Like onions, there are early, mid season and late varieties available.
There are softneck and hardneck varieties. Softnecks are the most common garlics grown, and are the ones found in supermarkets.

Softneck garlic - usually doesn’t have a flowerhead and have a longer shelf life (up to 9 months).There’s one called “Italian White” that’s available from    www.diggers.com.au


 Monaro purple, and Rocambole- are Hardnecks variety and these do have flowerheads like onions, and usually bigger cloves. They don’t have as good a shelf life as the softnecks and prefer cooler winters. Rocamboles have excellent flavour, glamorous red-purple skins and easily peeled, with a single circle of 6-12 plump cloves.

 An artichoke type has cloves that overlap each other like an artichoke. There can be 3 or 4 layers. Buy this one from Diggers also
There is also the extra large garlic called Elephant or Giant Russian garlic and has a milder flavour but is great for roasting. This is actually a type of leek that you can get these from some markets that are around or from an www.lakenurseries.com.au
Why is it good for you?
Garlic is thought to help in lowering blood pressure and evidence is building in its use in lowering blood cholesterol levels.
 If you eat only small amounts of garlic – like 1-2 cloves in the family dinner, you won’t get that many nutrients, but if you eat lots of garlic, like they do in Italy, Korea and China, where people there eat as much as eight to 12 cloves per day; then you’ll get  lots of dietary fibre, potassium, iron, zinc and vitamin C.
While that sounds like a lot of garlic, increasing the amount; you eat five or more cloves a day isn’t hard if you use it every time you cook.
Include it in soups, casseroles, even mashed potatoes.
You could also make a habit of snacking on garlicky dishes like hummus with vegetables.
TIP:Many home chefs mistakenly cook garlic immediately after crushing or chopping it, but to maximize the health benefits, you should crush the garlic at room temperature and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes. That triggers an enzyme reaction that boosts the healthy compounds in garlic.

DESIGN ELEMENTS

with Louise McDaid Landscape Designer

Gardening with Shallow and Rocky Soil part2,- What Plants?
Have you got shallow rocky soil somewhere in your garden?
Maybe it’s in all of the garden.
You’ve tried this or that plant and it’s either just sat and sulked, or grown but it’s quite stunted.
Maybe a rethink of what plants work in these conditions is what’s needed.
Look at some of the local plants that do well in your area, generally smaller plants will have smaller root systems – alpine plants are good for rockeries, coming from regions with shallow soil, this applies to Mediterranean areas as well that have shabby soil – use lists from these regions to research plants that might suit your place. Here's just a few suggestions..



Some herbs like purple sages, tricolour sages, Creeping Thyme - Thymus serpyllum - nectar rich and thrives in thin soil forming a dense cover, stachys, small hebes, small buxus..etc !
There are loads of plants you can grow in soil that’s shallow.

Just take a look at the depth of the pots in the garden centres and you can gauge what might grow in shallow soil-excluding the 3m plus shrubs of course.

Plant a mix to get something interesting happening all year round for you to enjoy as well as the animals, birds and insects that visit and live in your garden.

 

FEATURE INTERVIEW WITH FILM DIRECTOR JESS FEAST

 

"The journey of the film ‘Gardening with Soul’ began several years ago when I heard an interview with Sister Loyola Galvin on National Radio following her 2008 ‘Gardener of the Year’ win.  She was immediately engaging as a person and seemed to me to embody that wonderful old wisdom held by my grandparents generation, wisdom that would soon be lost if not preserved properly. 

So I arranged to meet Sister Loyola and after a series of conversations was inspired to explore the idea of writing a book about her. But before I got too far along this track, I was sidetracked by a “small” film project that turned into a much larger one (as they tend to do). 

Following a seasonal structure, I set out to film with Sister Loyola over a year.  While mapping out her story with this metaphor in mind I also kept my options open, allowing room for things to grow and evolve, and just capturing what happened in her daily life.  There is a rhythm to the garden, through the seasons and also through days.  There is a patience too, a sense of time and change.

 

The shoot also required patience, on both our parts, and this long-term approach to filming paid off in the genuine revelation of aging and also in the evolving intimacy between Sister Loyola and I."

To find out more about this film visit

www.gardeningwithsoul.squarespace.com/ and www.facebook.com/GardeningWithSoul
 

Short synopsis - 90-year-old nun Sister Loyola Galvin shares insights on faith, aging, compassion and compost during a year in her garden.

 Gardening with Soul is a feature length documentary following a year in the garden with 90-year-old Sister Loyola Galvin. Sister Loyola's optimism is infectious and it's fed every day by her love of gardening. Themes of faith, aging and compassion sit alongside the practicalities of community life, issues within the Catholic Church and the importance of good compost in this intimate, funny and moving portrait of a woman approaching the end of her life. 

 

    

Gumballs, Savories and Red Brows on Finches

 

WILDLIFE IN FOCUS

RED BROWED FINCH

Red Browed Finch

The Red-browed Finch Neochmia temporalis - a little bird that’s  found along the entire east coast of Australia from Buchans Point, north of Cairns continuing south as far as Adelaide and Kangaroo Island.
They’re also the most commonly seen finch around Canberra.
During the winter months, you’re more likely to see them feeding on lawns where the grass is seeding, probably because they’ve moved in to forested areas for breeding during summer.
Listen to this…..with ecologist Sue Stevens
Such a shame that some people keep this little finch in captivity but only by dedicated finch breeders who tend to put the effort into breeding them.
Unfortunately, these birds are easily acquired by illegal trapping so they remain a relatively cheap species.
I don’t advocate feeding wildlife but did you know that the Red-browed Finch is one of only a very few small Australian birds that can be attracted to bird feeders?

If you have any questions about the red browed finch or have a photo, send it, or drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

THIS WEEK-I’m growing winter SAVORY
Savory, The Herb of Love!
How many times have you heard the phrase "a savory stew?"

Or, it’s got a savoury flavour or taste?
Now you know that savory is actuallyherb, in fact an annual or perennial herb, Satureja hortenis, for Summer Savory, or Saturejo montana being for Winter Savory
Did you know that Savory is used in herb combinations, such as Herbes de Provence, a French combination of herbs used for seasoning.
If you’ve heard of Savory before, you might already know that it’s best known for its use in dishes made with beans.

So where does savory come from?
All Savory’s belong to the mint or Lamiaceae family.
They have dark-green, very narrow little leaves for winter savory and light green narrow leaves for summer savory.
The savories can be used fresh or  dried and crushed.
I can’t say that it’s a well know herb but the history of savory goes back about 2000 years and it’s one of the oldest culinary herbs.

Interestingly, the botanical name Satureja was named by the Roman scholar Pliny and is derived from the word satyr, the half-man, half-goat creature in mythology who owned the savories.

Would you’ve guessed it was used in a love potion? Of course.
Weren’t they all back then? Sure seems like it.
Apparently it’s been associated with love potions for centuries.
Romans also used savory as a medicinal (for example for treating bee stings) and culinary herb long before they discovered pepper.
When the Romans brought savory to England, it was used there as an herb for chicken stuffing instead of a medicinal.
There are two distinct varieties of savory - summer and winter. Summer savory is most often used for healing.
There is a myth or old wives tale that Summer savory increases your sex drive, while winter savory decreases it.
Make sure you get your savories right.




 Savory has active ingredients called  carvacrol, p-cymene and tannins.
Because it’s an astringent and mild antiseptic if you made a tea from summer savory,  it was said to control diarrhea, stomach-ache and mild sore throat.
Rubbing a sprig of savory on an insect bite will bring instant relief.
How To Grow Savory
What does winter Savory like?
It’s an evergreen perennial plant, with dark green narrow leaves that are aromatic.
The tiny 5mm flowers are white and pink and appear in the middle of summer on terminal spikes. The plant itself only grows 30cm high with a small spread of 20cm.
If you do manage to get savory seeds, they’re very tiny, so it’s probably best to start them in punnets –and they need light to germinate.
usually but it’s a bit like Coriander, these tiny plants resent being transplanted.
The better method of getting new plants is either by cuttings in spring or by root division, also in spring time.
If you know of someone with this plant, put a note in your dairy to ask them for cuttings later on in the year-the cuttings should be soft-stem cuttings of about 2-3 cm long.
Put them in some seed raising or propagating mix.
You probably don’t even need to cover it, because, just like the herb Thyme, it strikes very easily.

  As for growing you winter savory, well, it’s no different than growing Thyme, it likes full sun with well-drained soil.
Savory prefers to be planted in soil that's slightly alkaline.
Give it a side-dressing of compost or worm castings whenever possible.
All savories are a bit bushy and low-growing so it makes an excellent edging plant for a kitchen garden, herb bed, or vegetable garden.
Trim your savory plant from time to time, to promote new growth and keep it looking good.
Savory doesn’t like wet feet or clay soils, or cold wet winters.
If some of those conditions sound like something you have, you need to put your savour in a pot in a sheltered position.
 I have some growing in a strawberry pot so that it cascades out of one of the holes. It seems to like that spot better than the strawberries.
As far as the soil in my container goes, well it’s just potting mix with soil wetter crystals added to it. So you see it's well-suited to container gardening, as well.

Harvesting and Storage
You can begin to take the leaves from your savory plant as soon as it reaches 13cm or about 6 inches in height. Keeping the plant pruned means you’ll always have some. When they insist on flowering, cut the whole plant and put on a some paper in a warm shady place. When dry, strip the leaves and store in airtight jars or tins. When the seed begins to turn brown, harvest them for next years planting. My plant dies down a bit in winter, but always regrows, so that’s a good reason to get some summer savory for your herb garden.
Tips For The Chef
Winter savory, Satureja montana, is a nice herb to use when you are cutting back on salt-it's flavour is mild, a little bit similar to thyme, but with it's own unique flavour.
Both summer and winter savory are used in cooking. Summer savory has a peppery taste much like thyme, while winter savory has a more piney taste. To me, it has a slightly peppery flavour, but a piney fragrance when you crush it in your hand.
Savory blends well with other herbs such as basil, bay leaf, marjoram, thyme and rosemary. It is said that the taste of savory brings all these herbs together in a unique taste.
Savory is popular in teas, herbed butters, and flavoured vinegars. It complements beef soup and stews, chicken soup, eggs, green beans, peas, rutabagas, asparagus, onions, cabbage, and lentils. Use savory when cooking liver, fish and game. Winter savory, which has a stronger presence, works well with game that has a strong flavor.
You can chop up winter savory finely and combine it with bread crumbs for coating fish or add some leaves to vegetables such as squash before sautéing or steaming.
Of course there’s that famous bean, garlic and savory dish.
Why is it good for you?
The Savory herb has many minerals and vitamins which make it an excellent herb to use for medicinal purposes.
The shoots and leaves of this herb are a rich source of zinc, magnesium, calcium, iron, potassium, manganese, and selenium. The vitamins that this herb contains include Vitamin A, Vitamin B-complex group vitamins, Vitamin C, pyridoxine, niacin and thiamine. You would need to eat about 100g of savory leaves which is a bit too much, but making a tea of the leaves would have health benefits as well.

 DESIGN ELEMENTS

Rocky outcrop in garden

with Landscape Designer Louise McDaid

Do you have a rocky outcrop in your garden?
Or do you have a patch where the soil’s quite shallow or you don’t have any soil at all.
Maybe you’ve got lots of rocks that need to be sifted out before you plant anything.
So what do you do? Over the next four weeks, this new series on design elements, is dealing with gardening on rocky, shallow, or now soil.
We’ll be covering plants that can cope with very little soil, and there’ll be advice on raised garden beds and even no dig gardening.
Let’s find out what this is all about.

Remember the top tips: work out your soil depth in different areas of the garden.

Hestercombe UK.

Remove as many rocks as you can and stockpile them for use later on.
Add compost and manure to what soil you do have. Use any exposed rock as a feature with plantings in pockets of soil and around in and build up your soil level.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

How well do you know your trees?
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve mentioned some trees for great autumn colour, perhaps not so much for temperate areas, but more for inland and southern states where overcast skies and cool nights contribute to the best autumn colour.
This next tree has great autumn colour bit is more known for its huge size and the woody balls that hold onto the branches into winter.

LIQUIDAMBER

Liquidamber styraciflua is a deciduous tree to 20m tall, broadly conical in outline, with rather glossy, maple-like, 5 to 7-lobed leaves which turn to shades of orange, crimson and purple in autumn

Other common names-American red gum, American sweet gum,bilsted, copalm balsam, red gum, satin walnut.
Where it grows:Full sun or part shade. Green foliage in spring and summer. Orange purple and red foliage in Autumn. Grows to more than 12 metres and spreads to 8 metres.

All liquidambers are slow growing, long lived to more than 50 years.

Liquidamber is hardy and tolerant of frost when mature. Young plants need to be protected from frost.

Liquidambers are adaptable to loam, clay or sandy soil. Although they need soil to be lime free, moist but well drained soil.
But there’s other varieties that are more backyard friendly.

Liquidamber sytraciflua "Gumball." This smaller version only grows to 5 metres and doesn't have the fruits of the larger version.
see www.flemings.com.au for details.

WHY DO LEAVES CHANGE COLOUR?

Leaves change colour because of certain pigments in them and as the tree approaches dormancy in cooler weather, the masking effect of the green part-or the chlorophyll starts to fade and the real colours come through.
Carotenoid pigments give leaves a more yellow or orange colour, glucose gives it more red as you might see in a Maple leaf, and anthocyanins give leaves a more purple-red colour.
That smaller version was L. styraciflua ‘Gumball,’ –grows only 5 metres high has no fruits and the leaves colour mainly to yellow-gold with some shades of burgundy red in late autumn.

PRESERVES, MINTS AND SOILS AINT SOILS

THE GOOD EARTH

with Permaculture North's Margaret Mossakowska
Do you or someone in your family preserve fruit using the bottling method?
Somewhere in the garage or shed there’s a row of preserved plums, peaches and nectarines?
Preserving is creating an environment to prevent bacteria growing, so usually preserving is with vinegar, or sugar and water.

But bottling isn’t the only method of preserving fruit.
So what else is there? For a start there's sauces, jams and relishes.
Ever heard of Plum Povidil?
Listen to this…..
Something for you to think about-
Preserving doesn’t improve the taste of fruit. So it’s best to preserve only sun ripened fruit with flavour.
Preserving green tasteless fruit is a waste of your time.
To preserve things whole you can use salt, eg salting lemons.
Did you know that you can use the flesh from preserved lemons to scrub your sinks?
Sure it's sticky, but then you wipe it off with a damp cloth. But the lemon juice cuts through grease and the salt acts like an abrasive.
Fruits that are higher in acid are better for preserving as they are far less likely to harbour clostridium botulinum, which is the bacteria that produces the botulinum toxin.Low acid fruit and most vegetables are at risk of contamination by this bacteria and therefore require different preserving systems than for high acid fruit.
Plums have lots of pectin which sets the jam.
A litmus test should be able to confirm the acidity if you’re at all concerned;
If you have any questions about the scale, or  even have a photo a problem on your plant, why not drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE  AND OTHER HEROES:

 

The mints belong to the genus Mentha in the family Lamiaceae which includes other plants with oil in their leaves such as basil, sage, rosemary, marjoram, lavender, pennyroyal and thyme.
Sometimes the history of the herb or vegetable of that I'm talking about is simply fascinating.
Mint is no exception.
Here’s a fabulous legend or myth from Roman times.
There was a nymph called, Minthe who was
Pluto's lover. When his wife Persephone found out, in a fit of rage she turned Minthe into a lowly plant, to be trod upon.
Pluto couldn’t undo the spell, but softened the spell by giving her a sweet scent which would perfume the air when her leaves were stepped upon.

In the 1700s mint was considered to be an important medicinal herb, appearing in remedies for everything from digestive disorders to headaches. Mint also began to make more appearances in foods and drinks.
Did you know that peppermint is usually the mint that’s used commercially in liqueurs, toothpastes, soaps and mouthwashes?
All mints are fairly low-growing plants, readily sending out runners, or stolons, which develop new roots and shoots at the nodes. Under good growing conditions, stems can reach up to a1 m in height.
The mints will grow in a wide range of climates and are pretty popular in home gardens all over Australia. \
Growing Mint from Seed
If you’re growing mint from seed, the best times vary all around Australia.
In temperate and sub-tropical zones-August to November, in Tropical Zones, it’s April to July,  in arid areas-June and July is best, and cool temperate, September  to December.
But who grows mint from seed these days?
It’s really quicker and easier if you just get a piece of the stolon and plonk into the ground.
If you leave in a frosty area, put your mint cutting into a pot under cover until all frost has finished for this year.
Growing Mints-What do they like?
In general mint likes a cool moist root run, yet plenty of filtered light, and they also likes a fairly constant environment.
We’re looking for a humus rich moist deep soil, but well drained, filtered light but not deep shade. A light soil, not a clay type.
Growing in a pot is fine as long as it’s a largish one, because mints like to have a little room, it’s a bit of a roaming plant so give it space.
Keep up the moisture-mint doesn’t like to dry out, so use a specialist terracotta and tub mix with some added water retention crystals.
Growing mint in warmer climates can cause problems,
Mint does require constant moisture, so in Queensland try growing mint in morning sun and shade from midday on.

Eau de Cologne Mint

A high water requirement means that soils must be deep and well drained while holding plenty of water.

Remember that in cooler areas mint will die back in winter, but will bounce back in spring. Generally not to many pests to worry about.

Planting
Mint can be propagated either cuttings or by seed.
You can grown new plants by digging up plants in late winter-early spring and dividing them into runners with roots, then replanting. This will prevent the plants from becoming root-bound and prone to disease, giving you strong, healthy plants for the new season.
Most of the time we are busy trying to just keep it tidy. It can take over your garden if your not care so, be like me, and grow it in a pot that you can sink in the garden bed.
Companion Planting
Planting mint near peas, cabbage or tomatoes will improve their health and flavour. Mint will attract hoverflies and predatory wasps to your garden.
Mint is also a favourite of earthworms.

The most common mint grown in home gardens is actually Spearmint (M. spicata).
Leaves are smooth, bright green and elongated with a pointed end. Flowers are a pink to lilac colour and grow in clusters on the ends of the stems.


chocolate Mint

The other common mints are eau-de-cologne mint (M. × piperita var. citrata) and apple mint (M. rotundifolia).
Peppermint (M. × piperita). This is a low-growing plant that has small, pointed, dark green leaves with a purplish tinge. Peppermint is the most commonly grown species for oil production.
But there are so many-ther’es chocolate mint, lavender mint, orange mint, basil mint …how about apple mint (M. rotundifolia).?
Very flavoursome with a strong apple taste and perfume. The leaves are light green, soft and downy, with a rounded shape.
Lemon Mint is good in drinks and used as a potpourri -mild mint and citrus aroma..
Eau-de-cologne (M. × piperita var. citrata). This mint has a very strong, sharp perfume. It has smooth green, oval-shaped leaves that are tinged with purple.
Moroccan Mint is used to make traditional mint teas -infuses better.
The main pests are slugs, snails aphids, loopers and leaf rollers. So watch out. Either had pick them off or go organic and pick up used coffee grounds from your local coffee shop, and spread it around your mint plants if you have this problem.

Why are mints good for us?

The menthol in peppermint soothes the lining of the digestive tract and a hot cup of herbal tea is an excellent way to settle your stomach after a big meal.
Did you know that if you want to increase the effectiveness of peppermint tea as a breath freshener, you can add a pinch of anise, caraway or cinnamon.
Mint is also a good remedy for gingivitis.
Peppermint is reputed to have the calming, sedative effect.
Mint contains Vitamin C and Vitamin A.


Mints in Cooking

Apple Mint

 

 

 

 

Chop up some leaves in a salad or use as a garnish on soups and stews.
Spice Up Your Vegetables: Put mint in water used to steam vegetables.
Minty rice: Toss whole mint leaves in cooked rice before serving.
Minty Salad Dressing: Make salad dressing with mint, lemon juice, vinegar and a light oil.

Spice up your tuna: Chop spearmint and mix with olive oil and use as a marinade for fresh tuna. Marinate 30 minutes, grill.

 

 

DESIGN ELEMENTS

with landscape designer Jason Cornish

 Soils are the least glamorous of topics in gardening.
We’ve all heard about soil types a few weeks ago when Louise mentioned them, but why exactly do we have different soil types and can we really change the profile in our lifetime?
Why do we need to bother so much about soils?
Plants obtain most of their oxygen and carbon from the air by photosynthesis; and hydrogen is obtained, directly or indirectly, from the water in the soil.
These three elements together make up over 90 percent of fresh plant tissue.
However, plants cannot survive without the much smaller quantity of essential nutrients that they obtain from the soil, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulphur.
How do different soils come about? why do you have clay soil or sandy soil?
Soil composition is made of the parent material, air and water.
What happens if you have a type of soil that is luxurious loam with the right mix of water air and parent material?

Let’s find out what this is all about.
PLAY: Drainage_9thMay_2014

The characteristics of soil play a big part in the plant's ability to extract water and nutrients.
If plants are to grow to their full potential, the soil must provide a everything needed for plant growth.
The things that your soil is made from—your soil's composition—affect all of these aspects of plant growth. Knowing what soils are composed of will help you understand how soil affects plant growth.

PLANT OF THE WEEK:  Pistacia chinensis  - Chinese pistachio

Did you know that autumn colour is already in the leaf and it’s covered by the green which is chlorophyll during the growing season of the leaf.
Do you live in an area where deciduous trees give you great autumn colour?
Those turning leaves do give those brilliant, reds, yellows and oranges that make for a standout landscape that artists and photographers can’t resist.
Why not have a bit of this in your own backyard.
Q.Do you know why leaves change colour?
Leaves change colour because of certain pigments in them and as the tree approaches dormancy in cooler weather, the masking effect of the green part-or the chlorophyll starts to fade and the real colours come through.
Carotenoid pigments give leaves a more yellow or orange colour, glucose gives it more red as you might see in a Maple leaf, and anthocyanins give leaves a more purple-red colour.
Pistacia chinensis  - Chinese pistachio
Chinese pistachio is a small to medium deciduous tree with a rounded head and upright branching.
In the cashew family-Anacardiaceae, and is native to central and western China and Taiwan.
Chinese Pistacia has attractive fine pinnate foliage, dark green, almost lustrous, produces brilliant autumn colours of yellow, orange and scarlet.

Blue/red fruit following flowers.

The bark dark grey, has shallow furrows which reveal a salmon to orange inner bark.
Adapts to most soil types.
Formative pruning required developing central trunk.
height x width (m) 6-10 x 5-8:growth rate Moderate
flower colour Green, inconspicuous panicles. Dioecious with separate male and female plants. Followed by the fruit which is a small red drupe, turning blue when ripe, containing a single seed.
flowering time Summer
shade tolerance Mainly full sun
drought High drought tolerance grows satisfactorily with no obvious signs of stress in a
dry summer.