Create an Oasis in Your Garden with Autumn Flowers

WILDLIFE IN FOCUS

Did you know that Australia provides habitat for millions of migratory birds each year?
Some of these birds fly amazing distances when they migrate.

Grey Plover photo www.birdlife.org

Today’s bird in Wildlife in focus is the Grey Plover which is a special and unusual migratory shorebird that we know very little about.
It’s the largest plover we have in Australia of its type and we know that they migrate an amazing  12,000km to breed in northern Siberia and Alaska during the northern summer and return to spend our summer in Australia.
Let’s find out more about this bird. I'm talking with Dr Holly Parsons, Manager of Birds in Backyards. www.birdsinbackyards.net

So the grey Plover can be described as having a strongly barred tail.
We can see them all around the coastline of Australia at inlets, estuaries lagoons, and tidal salt marshes.
Oddly enough, the majority of Grey Plovers that migrate to Australia are female. No-one knows why.

Grey Plover, photo Birds in Backyards

They spend their summer here and from March to April, head north, stopping to re-fuel in Korea, and China's Yellow Sea.
Grey Plovers mostly eat crustaceans, polychete works and other invertebrates.
Because shore birds like the Grey Plover are along the coastline if you notice that there’s a flock of shore birds, not just you’re common seagull, but birds like the grey plover, then you can help by not disturbing them and keeping your dog on a lead.
Threats to migratory birds have grown with habitat destruction especially of stopover and wintering sites, as well as structures such as power lines and wind farms.
The conservation of important sites both within Australia and along their migration routes is really important to their survival.
If you have any questions about Grey Plovers or any birds or have some information to share, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

VEGETABLE HEROES

 Spinach  or Spinacia oleracea.
Spinacia comes from the Latin word for spine and refers to the prickly seed coat.
  The species name, oleracea, simply means that the plant is edible.
Did you try growing Spinach in Summer?
It was alright for a while then when the humidity got turned up the stalks went a funny grey colour, then the leaves turned a sort of greeny-brown.

English Spinach

Not that attractive or edible.
I had to pull them out, not a great experiment.
Spinach originates from the Middle East, most likely Persia or modern-day Iran.
It was brought to Spain via the Moors somewhere between 800 AD and 1200 AD.
Did you also know that Medieval artists extracted green pigment from spinach to use as an ink or paint?
Spinach seed was sent out from England in 1787 with the First Fleet but in the new colony they found it difficult to grow.
They found growing silverbeet much easier, which is why Silverbeet is sometimes called spinach in Australia, but true spinach has smaller leaves and a much sweeter, milder flavour.
When to Sow
In Cool temperate zones, you can plant spinach from April until September.
In temperate zones you have from February until the end of May, and in sub-tropical zones, from April until the end of July.
In Arid zones, you’ve hit the jackpot because you can plant Spinach all year round.

Spinach seeds have a prickly seed coat

These times are only a guide, and personally, I plant some vegetables and see how they go even though it might be a month or two out of their supposed best planting time. So, I have some Spinach seedlings coming up in my garden right now, even though I’m in a temperate district.

Growing from seed is the cheapest way of growing any vegetable and even herb in your garden.
Saved seed is even better but if it’s not that easy to remember where you last put the seeds or if you’re not that good at recording how old the seed is, there’s plenty of packet seeds around in market stalls as well as supermarkets.
Germination of spinach seeds can take anything between a week and 2 weeks.
Plant your seedlings / seeds around 7cm apart in rows about 30 cm apart.
For once a vegetable that grows well in partial to full sun.
Spinach likes a moist but not waterlogged soil.
Using a mulch of straw or grass clippings can help to keep moisture and warmth in the soil.
Plenty of compost and the usual organic matter to so that your spinach will grow well.
Having a worm farm or compost bin really does help your veggie bed no end!
Spinach doesn't like acidic soils, a good PH is around 6.3 -6.8.
Add lime to the soil if you need to a few weeks before you put the seeds in.
Spinach like all leafy vegetables is what’s called a heavy feeder –ie, needs lots of Nitrogen to grow well.
If you haven’t already applied Blood and Bone or cow manures to the soil a month or two ago, your soil will run out of nutrients.
During the cooler months of winter, organic matter doesn’t break down that much and to get the needed Nitrogen, applying liquid fertilisers such as compost tea or fish emulsion often will be the best way to go
Another thing to remember is that Spinach grows on shallow roots, so don't dig vigorously around it.
If you get weeds because you didn’t mulch, carefully hand remove them.
Water frequently to keep up with the fast growth of the plants.
In about 6-7 weeks, your Spinach plant has put on enough big leaves so you can pick them one by one like you might lettuce.

The leaves will keep regrowing for quite a while.
Otherwise pick the whole plant for Spinach pie etc.
Make sure you wash spinach leaves well - soil is not tasty!
Big Tip: When you want to store Spinach in the fridge a tip to remember is that
Spinach is highly ethylene sensitive.
To stop leaf yellowing don’t refrigerate with apples, or tomatoes.
Why should you grow your own Spinach?
 Because Spinach is best eaten fresh and because it loses nutritional properties every day.
Putting it in the fridge slows the deterioration, but half of the major nutrients are lost by the eighth day after harvest.
Why is Spinach good for you.?
The amount of iron in spinach comes way down the list after vitamins A and C, thiamin, potassium and folic acid (one of the B complex vitamins).
Dark green leafy vegetables, like spinach, contain carotenoids. Studies show carotenoids help your eyes stay healthy as you age by preventing macular degeneration and the formation of cataracts.
Also good for the immune system
 If you have any questions about growing spinach or any other vegetable write in or email me.
Plant lots and pick them young:
AND THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY?

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Tropical gardens for everyone series part 1
What do you think of when the word Tropical garden is said?
Swaying palms, coloured cocktail drinks with umbrellas in them, lying in a hammock swaying gently in the breeze? Dipping you toes into a pool?

Perhaps you did all these things on your last holiday to a tropical isle, but wait, you can have it at home as well.
But aren’t tropical gardens definitely for the tropics right? Wrong.
Maybe not all of it, but at least some of the features.
Over the next five weeks, Design Elements will be talking about Tropical Gardens to suit any climate in Australia. Today, you’re going tropical around the pool in part 1 of this series.
I'm talking with Landscape Designer Louise McDaid

The whole garden doesn’t have to be tropical.
If you live in a cooler or arid area, you might have a tropical theme within your garden style. Somewhere there is a microclimate that suits those plants that were mentioned. You get the idea.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

What’s your Autumn garden looking like right now?



Are there plenty of flowers, perhaps roses, are there autumn colours of trees that are starting to lose their leaves.

Heuceheras photo M Cannon

If there’s a few spots that you can add a little something, autumn is the best time to plant, so the plant panel got our heads together and picked out 3 plants that are true winners.
Let’s find out which ones are so good. I'm talking with Karen Smith www.hortjournal.com.au and Jeremy Critchley, plant nursery owner, www.thegreengallery.com.au


I'm talking with the plant panel were Karen Smith, editor of Hort Journal and Jeremy Critchley, The Green Gallery wholesale nursery owner.

One of the stars of the Autumn garden is definitely the Japanese windflower, and they’re so easy to grow and fit well planted amongst Camellias.


Primula

Heucheras on the other hand have many different types of leaf colour making a bold statement in any garden, even in vertical gardens.

Primulas (Primula obconica) fit well into any garden and if you look for the "Libra" range of Primul,s these are NEW and have been bred without PRIMIN.



Japanese wind flowers






 

Gardening with Shear Frost Diamonds

TOOL TIME

Do you use a whipper snipper for just about every edging job in your garden?

Hedge Shears

Are you happy with the results?
Whipper snippers aren’t so good for areas where you’ve got lots of low growing plants that have crept over your lawn.
If these plants get whippered-snippered back, not only does it look ugly, but sometimes these plants do recover that well.
The same with electric trimmers. They tend to tear.
So what’s the alternative?
Hedge shears, Grass shears, Topiary shears.
Straight blades or wavy blades.
Which is best to use for you?
Let’s find out hedge and grass shears. I'm talking with Tony Mattson, General Manager of Cut Above Tools. www.cutabovetools.com.au



Edging Shears

Grass Shears

There's no difference in weight between straight and wavy blades.
However, if you try and cut branches that are too big or hard for the shears, then you risk bending the blades or putting them out of alignment.

Try and work out what your purpose is and what you're trying to cut. You might need those long handled loppers for the tougher parts of the job.

Blades' length vary from 20 - 25 cm (8 - 10 inches,) any longer than that is not efficient.
By investing in quality tools, you’re likely to have less fatigue, fewer breakdowns and longer tool life.

When choosing the type of hedge shears you want, think about how much you'll use them, where you'll use them, who will be using them, and, of course, how much you can spend on them.
There’s no need to use your hedge shears to cut your lawn edges; for that your need grass shears or edging shears because these are perfect for lawn edges.


If you have any questions about hedge or grass shears, or have some information to share, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

VEGETABLE HEROES

Do you like to try to grow new plants you’ve never heard of before in your garden?
Well here’s one for you, Cardamom (Elletaria Cardamomum) is a member of the Zingiberaceae or ginger family.

Cardamom has been long used for medicinal purposes and even today Cardamom is the world’s third most-valuable spice by weight (after saffron and vanilla).
Did you know that Cleopatra is said to have found the scent so enticing that she had the palace scented with cardamom smoke when Marc Anthony came to visit?
Ancient Greeks and Romans used cardamom in foods as well as for Medicines and perfumes.
In the New Testament which was largely written in Greek "amooman" appears in reference to the aromatic plant cardamom.
The word means blameless without reproach.
Around 200 years ago, most of the world's supply was sourced from wild plants found in rainforests of the Western Ghats in Southern India.
These wild plants covered the whole region  which was named the Cardamom Hills, a name that remains to this day.
Cardamom seed is a staple seasoning in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines, in which it is used to flavour meat, vegetables, baked goods, coffee and other Cardamom is a perennial (means it won’t grow a trunk or turn into a tree) with tall simple canes or stems that grow out of rhizomes.
It’s native to the shady forests of India, Ceylon and Malaysia.
Today it is grown mainly on plantations in Guatemala and India
The tall plants, grown on these plantations in flower for eight or nine months of the year.
Each pod, or capsule, ripens slowly, but must be picked when it is three-quarters ripe.
After harvest, the pods are washed and dried and the colour of the pod depends on how it’d dried.
White pods have been dried for many days in the sun leaving them bleached.
Green pods have been dried for one day and night in a heated room.
The flower spikes produce white or pale green flowers that produce green pod capsules that contain 10 to 20 seeds.
These seeds are small black and sticky.
The best quality cardamom seeds are ripe, hard and dark brown in colour.
 The seeds have to be hand picked which is why it’s one of the most expensive spices.
The pod itself is not the spice but the three seeds inside each pod, that are considered the spice.
If you go online to look how to grow Cardamom, you’ll find information that tells you that it’s difficult to grow.
I dare say this information is written by people in the America or England.
I beg to differ, it’s easy to grow in especially in temperate climates, although I haven’t seen any seed pods on mine or on the plant in the Sydney Botanic gardens. Maybe they’re both too young because it takes 4 years for plants growing in plantations to produces flowers and pods.
What does it look like?


Cardamom plant

A low-growing, leafy tropical plant to about 2 metres, which grows on the jungle floor in the wild: Cardamoms have smooth dark green sword shaped leaves on long stalks, which are spicily scented when bruised.
Growing Cardamom-
Cardamom is a tough plant and drought tolerant as well if you grow
it in the right spot.
So-get a rhizome because the cardamom you buy from the spice section of your supermarket has been dried, and won’t ever germinate.
True to its original habitat, cardamom prefers humous rich  soil, filtered light and room to grow.  
You can grow it in a pot if you really  must, but over summer it will get pot-bound, and refuse to flower, so you must keep dividing the plant and passing it out to friends (a great gift, by the way).
Even if your plant doesn’t flower you will have a huge supply of fragrant leaves, which is just as good to have as the spice.
From winter to middle of summer feed your plant with fish emulsion.
Cardamom doesn’t like chilly weather, so move your plant indoors in Autumn as soon as the temperature drops below 5 ⁰ C.
It grows into quite a big plant so too big for a sunny windowsill, but a sunny spot indoors or on the verandah in cooler climates will work especially if you mist it
periodically, or shower it in the bathtub from time to time.
In the wild, cardamom gets a lot of rain;  so a potted cardamom also needs plenty of moisture, but it won’t tolerate poor drainage, which can cause the rhizomes to rot.
Usually trouble free but if plants are too cold their leaves turn brown.
In that case move it to a warmer place, then cut off the brown leaves cut because they often regrow although this can take a long time.
Keep the plant fairly dry while it’s recovering.
If the leaves develop brown tips at any time (even if the plant is kept warm) it is a sign of overwatering.
By the way, Cardamom makes quite a dense clump, a bit like Strelitzia or Bird of Paradise plants.
You might find if it gets quite big, that  it’s quite difficult to dig out if you no longer what the plant in that situation.
What do you do with it?

Cardmomo pods-green.

The leaves don't smell the same as the seeds, but can be used to wrap around fish, rice or vegetables to add flavour during cooking.
The long stalks are useful to tie the leaves together to make a neat parcel of food. The cardamom pods sold for cooking are picked when unripe so the seeds will not grow if you try to sow them
Cardamom seeds lose their flavor quickly when ground so buy them whole whenever possible.
Green pods are superior to white pods for flavour.
Green cardamom has a subtle to sweet fragrance.
Why is it good for you?
Cardamom helps digestion and helps if you’ve got stomach cramps.
It’s a good stimulant and beneficial for those suffering from flatulence and gas.
Cardamom also helps in cleansing the body as it has detoxifying properties.
It improves blood circulation , enhances appetite and provides relief from acidity in the stomach. It’s used in the cure of halitosis or bad breath.
If you are lucky enough to have access to a cardomom plant, the leaves also have a cinnamon fragrance and are ideal for wrapping small parcels of meat and rice for steaming.
These are best wrapped and steamed the day before you want to use them, then  stored in the refrigerator over night and re-warmed up in a steamer just prior to serving. The mild cinnamon-pine flavour will permeate the contents adding a subtle aroma - perfect for coconut rice.
AND THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY?

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Hard Surfaces for Outdoor Dining

Formal outdoor settings photo M Cannon

This garden series with Garden Designer Peter Nixon, is all about garden challenges thrown at us mostly by nature but also due to a situation in your garden that you might need to fix.
Today’s garden challenge is for those areas in your garden where you want to put outdoor dining table and chairs.
For your dining setting you'll probably have chairs and a table, but you don't want them to sink into the soil.
If you don't want formality because it will be at odds with your planting, then you need to consider the alternatives that will be outlined in the podcast.
Let’s find out. I'm talking with Peter Nixon, garden designer www.peternixon.com.au


Peter suggested using salt textured concrete that’s really just concrete that’s finished with a different finish and doesn’t appear as a hard surface.

Informal setting for outdoor dining. photo M Cannon

While the concrete surface is not set, you can also use coloured oxides and then either some pebbles, or press any large leaf onto the concrete as a stencil.
Push the pebbles into the hard surface with a rubber mallet so they don’t become a trip hazard.
Then use edging material to create a channel around the edges and into that plant mini mondo grass.
If you have any questions about what hard surface to have in your garden, or have some information to share, write in realworldgardener@gmail.com

PLANT OF THE WEEK

New Euphorbias:Euphorbia Diamond Frost
Euphorbia Stardust Pink Glitter and Euphorbia Stardust White Sparkle.
Some of you may know Euphorbias in the perennial border.
Did you know that the variation within this genus is amazing, some people might even say awesome.
From low-growing garden weeds called petty spurge to giant, cactus-like succulents.

Euphorbia Diamond Frost

Segue to an annual called Gypsophila or baby’s breath. What do they have in common with several newish cultivars of Euphorbia for your garden
Let’s find out …I'm talking with the Plant Panel; Karen Smith editor of Hort Journal magazine, and Jeremy Critchley wholesale nursery owner www.thegreengallery.com.au

The petals are actually small and dainty like baby’s breath, but there are so many of them that the leaves are scarcely visible.
These new delicate looking but tough, high impact Euphorbia plants flower every day of the year in warmer climates.

Euphorbia Diamond Frost

Stardust is more compact than Diamond Frost and is ideal for patio pots and garden borders in full sun positions.

Heat and drought tolerant, a truly low maintenance plant.

Euphorbias all produce a mostly white latex which they oozes out of the stems when cut, and this sap is often toxic.

If you have any questions about growing Euphorbia white Stardust or Pink Stardust why not write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com

  

 

Owls that Bark and Flowers that Torch

WILDLIFE IN FOCUS

Barking Owl. Ninox connivens
In Australia you can basically break down our owl species into two groups.

Barking Owl

The "seeing owls" Ninox genus, and the "hearing owls" Tyto genus. This means that the hearing owls tend to hunt under the cover of darkness later in the night and use their sensitive hearing to locate their prey, and the seeing owls hunt during the dawn and dusk periods relying more so on their excellent vision.
Today we examine one of them that has a most unusual call.
Let’s find out about this very interesting bird. I'm talking with Manager of Birds in Backyards, Dr Holly Parsons. www.birdsinbackyards.com.au
PLAY: Barking Owl_30th_March 2016
This "seeing owl" group is the one in which the barking owl belongs.
The Barking Owl is a medium-sized hawk-owl.
Hawk-owls don't have that heart-shaped face of the tyto-owls such as you would see in a Barn Owl, Tyto alba.
Barking Owls are found throughout Australia, except for the arid central areas
Barking Owls like savannah woodland, although they also inhabit well-forested hills and riverine woodlands. You're more like to hear rather than see a Barking Owls. The sad thing is that in Victoria they’re endangered and in NSW they’re listed as vulnerable because of the lack of hollows in trees especially in bushland.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Fungal Problems in the Veggie Patch
So, you’re looking at your spinach and you see holes in the leaves, but they’re all uniform and perfectly formed, right?
  What insect does that?
Or, are the stems or your Silverbeet have an ugly blackish brown stain down the middle of them?
Perhaps the leaves have got that rusty look, and definitely look some-one had a go with a blow torch?
Wait, have your cucumber leaves gone all white and crispy, then start turning brown and collapse in a heap in the veggie bed?
You probably have read or heard the advice that the most important things you can do to prevent fungal problems is to avoid overwatering, overhead watering and excessive fertilizing and keep your garden free of debris.
O.K. what about some of us that had all that rain?

Powdery Mildew starts off small. photo M Cannon

 Or you might’ve heard that you need to mulch well and avoid watering the leaves or splashing soil borne particles on the leaves.
One things for sure, you can water or fertilise away the problem.
 Firstly what is this fungus thing anyway?  Fungus are structures which produce spores. Disease‑causing fungi penetrate the plant for food during their growth stage, then produce spores which can, in turn, produce new fungus.
 The fungus feeds of your plants because not containing chlorophyll, it can’t make it’s own food.

Powdery mildew with fungus eating ladybeetles. photo M Cannon

 There are two main types of spores
Short-lived spores which quickly produce new fungus to grow and spread through plants while there is plenty of food. These spores allow a fungal disease to spread rapidly during the growing season.
Then there’s the  Long-lived spores which are very hardy and allow a disease to carry over during periods of stress, for example when there is no food.
So what does fungus love?
Which fungus shall I start with. How about powdery mildew?
A fungal disease around a lot in spring and autumn when days are warm and nights are cool.
 Powdery mildew is a white or grayish powdery/mouldy growth that you see on the leaves and new shoots. The leaves look deformed, and will always start to collapse, particularly on the cucurbit family, live Pumpkin, and cucumbers.
The leaves are never going to return to a normal appearance, so getting rid of them will help to stop the spreading of fungal spores.
Yes, that includes the ones that have fallen into a crumbled mess in the veggie bed.
The next fungal problem I’m going to mention appeared on my spinach this year. That is Fungal leaf spot. Having said that, I’ve had several good months of harvesting spinach and silverbeet, so I can’t complain.

Leaf spot on beans. photo M Cannon

There are many types of leaf spot diseases that can affect beetroot, broad beans, carrots celery, peas, potatoes (early blight) silverbeet and tomatoes (targetspot).
Sometimes the leaf spots cause only slight damage, but other times they practically destroy the leaves of the plant in question.

HOW DO I FIX THIS?

Basically, if you’ve already got it, you can’t because as I mentioned, the leaves won’t return to normal, but you can stop the spread to other new leaves and other plants in the garden.
All of these above symptoms signal fungal problems in the garden, a lot of which can be fixed with physical things like improving air circulation around the plants.
You can also dig the problem leaves into the soil since sexual spores of the fungus won’t develop on buried leaves.
In all cases, fungal problems can be treated organically
Spray with a good compost tea
Or secondly, try spraying with bi-carbonate of soda (sodium bicarbonate) because it will also kill powdery mildew.
Facebook-To make mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 2 ½ tablespoons of vegetable oil with 4 litres of water.
TIP: The sodium in the baking soda will combine with chlorine in your water supply to form table salt (sodium chloride). A better choice is potassium bicarbonate where the potassium becomes a plant nutrient.
This product is available from your garden centre or nursery. I’ll put a link to the name on my website and facebook page.
AND THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT FOR TODAY?

DESIGN ELEMENTS

This garden series with Garden Designer Peter Nixon, is all about garden challenges thrown at us mostly by nature but also due to a situation in your garden that you might need to fix.

Pebble paths. photo M Cannon

Today’s garden challenge is for those gardeners that don’t want hard surface garden paths.
Concrete, brick or other types of paving for paths can be a bit harsh in areas where the garden is quite natural.
In this segment, garden designer Peter Nixon explores some softer alternatives.
Let’s find out…
PLAY:  Garden Challenges_Sour sub-soil 5 Peter Nixon_9^th  March 2016
Peter is not a fan of pebbles on paths.

Garden paths photo M Cannon

Instead why not try a combo of bark chips and shell grit, or decomposed granite, perhaps lillydale topping and bark or woody mulch.
You would need to run the plate compactor over these surfaces to compact the path.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Kniphophia species

Perennial gardens are a must because they supply flowers that attract bees and butterflies to your garden a lot more than your hedging plants and maybe even your trees.
This perennial is native to Africa where it grows in the high country covering with a blanket of flowers and withstanding hot summers and cold winters.
Sounds like a flower you have to have in your garden.

Kniphophia Echo Rojo

Today, we’re looking at bare rooted Kniphophias or Red Hot Pokers.
Also called, torch lily, knofflers or poker plant, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Xanthorrhoeaceae, which is the same family as Australia’s native grass trees.
Let’s find out more. 
I'm talking with the Plant Panel -Karen Smith editor of Hort Journal, www.hortjournal.com.au  and Jeremy Critchley, the owner of the Green Gallery Nursery www.thegreengallery.com.au , which is a wholesale nursery by the way.
PLAY: Kniphophia Limelight_30th_March_20166

Kniphophia Echo Mango

Did you know that the genus Kniphofia is named after the 16th century German professor, J.H.Kniphof?
These Kniphofias are native to Africa. and Jeremy saw fields of them when he lived in Lesotho in Africa.
The new variety of Red Hot Poker is the echo series which has three cultivars: ‘Echo Mango’ with ripe mango-coloured flowers, ‘Echo Rojo’ with deep-orange to red flowers, and ‘Echo Duo’ with two-toned orange and fading-to-white colored inflorescences. Each of the Echo cultivars are supposed to have good disease resistance, produce vivid-colored flowers at the top of strong stems and are strong rebloomers.
The series name Echo refers to the repeat flowering nature of these plants.

Pricey Spices and Gail the Flower

SOIL SAVVY

Phytophthera cinnamomi  or commonly called Dieback
If you’ve ever noticed some browning off of branches or limbs on your trees and shrubs, chances are you don’t have a pest but a fungal disease in your soil.
Phytophthera can be isolated if you notice it in one or more plants in your garden because it will affect plants individually.

Phytophthera in the landscape. photo M. Cannon

Although Phytophthera doesn't discriminate as to which plant it affects.
Let’s find out about you can do about it. I'm talking with Penny Smith, Horticultural Scientist, specialising in soils.

Dieback in Arbutus unedo photo M Cannon

The scientific name of this fungal dieback is phytophthora cinnamomi  and this fungus was probably introduced into Australia through European settlement.

It has now spread to affect hundreds of thousands of hectares of native vegetation, in just about every state in Australia.

Phytophthera also affects parklands and even Botanic Gardens.
So the big tip was if you think you have it in your garden when you’re watering your plants that have compost around it, the phytophthora fungus is less likely to spread through your garden because the organic matter is an inhibitor to that fungus.

If you have any questions about phytophthora or any other fungal disease, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

VEGETABLE HEROES

Turmeric or Curcuma longa.

Turmeric photo M Cannon

Turmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae.
It ‘s native to southwest India, where it receives temperatures between 20 and 30 °C  and a quite a bit of annual rainfall.
Turmeric has been grown in cultivation since 500 BCE where it’s an important part of  Ayurvedic medicine.
Ayurveda translates to “science of life.”
In India, inhaling fumes from burning turmeric is supposed to alleviate congestion, also turmeric juice was used to help with healing of wounds and bruises, and turmeric paste was applied to all sorts of skin conditions – from smallpox and chicken pox to blemishes and shingles.
You may have seen Buddhist monks with their saffron or yellowy coloured robes.
This is where the natural colouring properties of Turmeric comes in.
Not only is it used to colour Buddhist robes, but has been used to dye clothing and thread for centuries.
The whole plant is edible; the roots are boiled, dried and ground up to produce turmeric powder, the leaves make a wrap for steamed fish, and even the flowers can be eaten as a vegetable, like lettuce.
What does it look like?
Turmeric grows to about 1 metre in height, with alternating lime green leaves about a metre long; in other words quite big as you’d expect in a rainforest setting.
The flowers are pure white and extend upwards on floral spikes, up to 20cm long. Suitable for picking too.



Turmeric rhizomes photo M. Cannon

The rhizomes have tough brown skin and deep orange flesh inners.
To get hold of some Turmeric rhizomes you need to go to an organic fruit and veg market where you can buy fresh turmeric roots where at throughout summer, you may be able to use those to sprout a plant.
Otherwise, you’ll have to find a local nursery or online store that carries them.
Note: Sometimes it’s sold as hidden Ginger online but we aware that there are different kinds of hidden ginger, but only the rhizomes of Curcuma longa, Curcuma zedoaria and Curcuma aromatica should be grown as spices.
Turmeric isn’t the most common of household plants so it may take some looking.
If you have access to a supermarket that carries it, several because they probably won’t all sprout.
To get your rhizome to sprout just place it in a paper bag in a warmish spot in the kitchen, say by a window and you should see sprouts in a few days.
Once you have a fresh rhizome or root, all you need to do is plant it.
A large root will have several fingers to it.
You can cut these apart and start more than one plant if you wish.
Another way to get it to sprout is to just bury the rhizome 5 cm deep into loose potting mix.
If there are any knobs or buds on the root, turn it so they are facing upwards.
Keep it damp but not sopping wet or the root may rot.
In a month or so, you should see sprouts come up.
If you are going to grow turmeric outside, you can transplant it out in late autumn. For indoor plants, you can do this anytime.
Why grow Turmeric?
Even if you don’t ever make your own curry paste or even cook with Turmeric, the Turmeric plant is very lush and tropical looking.

Turmeric leaves photo M Cannon

The flower is very attractive and edible.
The whole plant dies down over winter so unless your ground freezes over it may just pop up again in Spring.
For those that use Turmeric in cooking, did you know that if you make your own Turmeric powder from the rhizomes, it won’t be as bright as the processed store bought version?
Because the root can harbor mould and foodborne pathogens, turmeric is typically irradiated to kill pathogenic bacteria.
Irradiation also creates a brighter powder, but if you don’t want irradiated Turmeric, either buy organic powder or grow your own.
Where to grow it.
Unless you live in a tropical, sub-tropical or temperate zone  in Australia, the majority of people who are going to grow turmeric will have to do it indoors, and it does grow fine in pots.
In temperate region your Turmeric will die down over winter and return the following year.
Turmeric is a rhizome so like Jerusalem Artichokes, and Ginger, you plant them in the soil when the rhizomes are dormant

Turmeric shoots from a rhizome.

 For all other districts, Turmeric is too large for a windowsill but can grow in a sunny room.
Choose a pot that’s at least 30cm across and the same in depth to give your plants room to grow.
Water your potted turmeric regularly to keep the soil damp, and weekly feedings with mild or diluted fertilizer won’t go astray either.
If you’re growing it in the ground, only put it in full sun if the ground is constantly wet, otherwise shade in the middle of the day is best.
Turmeric will cope with drought and even boggy soils, probably because where it naturally grows, the average rainfall is between 1000 and 2000mm a year
If the plant is stressed by drought or too much sun, the leaves will hang limp and develop burnt tips.
Most books will tell you to plant your rhizome in Spring, but the first lot that I bought withered and shrivelled and it wasn’t until late December that I purchased another lot.
This time the rhizomes were fresher looking and sprouted in a couple of days using the paper bag method.
These were then potted up and placed in a shady spot where all the young plants get put in my garden.
The plant had reached about 30 cm in height by the end of January.
When to dig it up?
You’ll have to wait at least 8 - 10 months before you can dig it up.
When the leaves turn yellow and start to dry out that’s when your turmeric is ready to dig up.
You’ll have to dig up the whole plant and cut the rhizome away from the stem.
You might be lucky and manage to dig up only a small part because storing it in the ground will keep it fresh the longest.
If you’re growing it in a pot, it’s pretty simple to turn the rhizome out, take what you want, and then put it all back.
So how else can you use Turmeric?
 To store your Turmeric just keep the unpeeled roots in an air-tight container in a cool dark place and the rhizomes should last for up to 6 months.
To use fresh Turmeric in cooking, just slice them thinly or mince instead of using powder.
If you are used to cooking with dry and ground turmeric from the store, take care when using fresh. It’s much stronger in taste and you will only need a small amount to really add its peppery zest to a meal.
WHY ARE THEY GOOD FOR YOU?
You don’t have to make the powder but instead use it as you would fresh ginger.
How about a fruit and veg Turmeric smoothie, or Turmeric pickle?
For sore throats, add 1 teaspoon of Turmeric to your favourite milk, and heat. Add some honey to sweeten.
Drink this before retiring for bed.
If you had 1 ounce of 28 grams of Turmeric you would have 26% of your daily needs in manganese and 16% in iron.
It's also an excellent source of fibre, vitamin B6, potassium, and healthy amounts of vitamin C and magnesium.
But you don’t need to eat that much.
Even a small dose has health benefits such as an improved ability to digest fats, reducing gas and bloating, decreased congestion, and improved skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and acne. Believe it or not.
AND THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY?

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Shade for Outdoor dining.
This garden series with Garden Designer Peter Nixon, is all about garden challenges thrown at us mostly by nature but also due to a situation in your garden that you might need to fix.
So far we’ve been covering hail damage, but will also cover sun scorch, garden loopers, and today’s garden challenge is about you and your friend or family are sitting around the outdoor dining table and then everyone runs indoors because there’s no shade.
Or you might have a fabulous perennial garden with a seating area, but where's the shade?

Shade for Outdoor Dining Needed photo M Cannon

So what can you do? Let’s find out. I'm talking with Peter Nixon, garden designer.

You could go for the pergola with the ubiquitous Wisteria growing over it.
Or you could make yourself a shade hut or a dining canopy.
What you could make yourself is a shade hut or a dining canopy.
For example Peter suggests that you could have 4 galvanised steel posts, 3 1/2 metres apart and over the top of that you could put a canopy such as Nature Reed.
Or if you want a pergola, grow a deciduous climber on it that will drop it’s leaves in winter so that you can enjoy some winter sun.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Gaillardia x grandiflora are commonly called Blanket flowers.


Gaillardia "Fanfare."

Would you like to grow dazzling daisy like flowers that get their common name from the bright colours of blankets?
Gaillardia are a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family, Asteraceae, native to North and South America.
Apparently North American Indians wove really bright blankets and the fields were these grow look like they’re covered in these blankets.
These are easy to grow plants that have some frost tolerance and definitely can cope with neglect.
Let’s find out more.I'm talking with
Karen Smith editor of Hort Journal and Jeremy Critchley, www.thegreengallery.com.au

The shades are red, yellow and orange and now some with pink in them. 
Look for Gaillardia Sunset Cutie and Gaillardia "Fanfare" that has tubular petals.

Gaillardia Sunset Cutie

Regarded as a mushrooming plant, meaning that it goes upwards then outwards to give it a mushroom habit. Perhaps a low mounding habit might be a better way to describe their growth.
To grow Gaillardia you need a full sun position and very well-drained soil.
They prefer loose, sandy soil that isn't overly fertile. Sounds like poor soils are good for them.

Established plants are quite drought tolerant.

The petals of some are frilled, while others have a unique, tubular shape.  Why not try some of these varieties -Gaillardia 'Tokajer' With marmalade-orange flowers that shade subtly to peach at the tips, this 60cm variety may need staking.
Gaillardia 'Burgundy' As its name suggests, this variety bears large, 3 inch wide wine-red blossoms on a 60 – 75 cm tall plant.
Gaillardia 'Oranges and Lemons' has softer colours than other blanket flowers, with peach-colored, yellow-tipped blossoms with gold central cones on a 60cm tall plant. Hardy.