Basic gardening tip for Australian native plants

Australian native plants are one of the most diverse group of plants you could wish for.  Bright and breezy colours, flowing or structural you name it they will provide a plant for you.

Grenvilles at left come in a wide range of colours and sizes.  They sprawl, spread and grow tall and the birds love them.  Many of the flowering gums seen here can enhance any backyard provided you choose a small species, which there are many.

Australian natives need a natural to slightly acidic soil, they do not like nitrogen rich fertiliser, really they don't need much of anything.  Most are water wise and respond to light pruning after flowering to keep them in shape.  Pruning is best done in Autumn. 

When choosing a plant think small as they will establish quicker and put on lots of growth come Spring.

Want some structure, plant Banksias they not only provide beautiful floral arrangement but follow up with an impressive display of nuts.

Grasses look fantastic set amongst other exotics and sway gentle in the breeze creating a lovely effect between more structural plants like these conifers.

This is only the tip of the iceberg so go native and enjoy the delights of a beautiful low maintenance garden.

Happy gardening

Bronwyn

Basic tip for passion fruit

It's that time of the year when the passion fruit are starting to appear providing us with delicious tangy fruit.  But, if you don't keep the water up to them the flowers will shrivel up and the fruit become stunted.

We have two four month old plants that have taken off at a rapid rate, all due to good soil and lots of water, never letting them dry out.  They will not  however fruit well for a few years just concentrating on growth, which is normal.

Our older plant on the other hand is going to have an abundance of fruit after a rocky start this summer.  I didn't realise the watering system wasn't working and it became very distressed in only a few days.  Lots of watering later and it has recovered well, flowering and starting to form fruit.















Keep the water up and be rewarded with luscious fruit.




Happy gardening

Bronwyn

 

Ornaments in the garden

I love ornaments in the garden so was deliggghted with my Chnristmas presents from Gary.

They join his home made black cat, but do look decidedly brighter, to provide interest and scare off the crows.

Christmas, plants and decorations

Well its Christmas again and I have been putting up decorations all day, but I never forget to use plants as part of the festivities.




This year I've chosen red and white petunias as a feature in our entrance way, plus a bit of tinsel and bells.  It is so simple and inexpensive, which is important at this time of the year.














I sprayed a plastic pot with silver spray paint which we already had, but use any left over paint.  Popping the petunias in as seedlings a month ago, as this is the cheapest option when buying plants for colour and put a bow on to finish them off





Picked up some cheap decorations at our local shopping centre and the job was done.

I think it looks great and all on a budget with existing plants.









Merry Christmas and happy gardening


Bronwyn

Blue Hibiscus

Why not try Blue Hibiscus in your garden.  They are a very delicate plant unlike traditional hibiscus.

I grew mine from a 6 inch soft wood cutting and although it has taken 2 years for it to reach its present height of about 3 foot it has been worth the wait.


Last night on my usual ramble around the garden I spotted its first beautiful blue flower.  To say I was delighted is some what of an understatement.  All the effort and time was in that lovely flower and there are many more buds forming.











Try one you'll love them.

Happy gardening

Bronwyn

Tomatoes - don't forget stagger your planting

We have had great success with our tomatoes this year, but the first plants had given their all and needed to come out.  I love getting in there and having a good tidy up, picking the lasts of the fruit.

As with all good gardening techniques we already have new plants coming along and they will be fruiting in no time.

So don't forget stagger your planting and you will have fruit right through Summer.


Happy gardening


Bronwyn

Agapanthus the heat lovers

Agapanthus are one of the most popular border plants found in gardens all over Australia and I just love then.

 

In my garden I grow them in remembrance of my Nana who as a child would let me pick every flowering head in her garden when we would visit on Sundays. 

 

These white beauties blend in wonderfully with my mothers White Iceberg climbing rose.

They have long strappy leaves and form into dense lush clumps of evergreen foliage.  Tall stemmed flowers tower over the leaves in a variety of blue shades along with white, offering great colour in a wide range of conditions.

Agapanthus are hardy plants, and are easily grown. Aggies, as they are known will  stand up too drought and poor soil conditions, but both flower and foliage production improves with moisture and feeding. They love a position in full sun, though will be alright in part-shade, but not full shade as the flowering will not be as prolific.  Pop them in any well-drained soil, removing any spent flowers as this will encourage further flowering. If growing in pots, do not use overly large containers as they do better when the roots are somewhat congested.

 

Easily propagated by simply dividing the roots system when they develop into larger clumps, this is best done in winter.  They can also be propagated from the large seed heads.

They are flowering prolifically in Adelaide's extreme heat at the moment in garden beds and as lush street plants.  These conditions are harsh and they only receive water when it rains, which in summer Adelaide is not very often.  Adelaide only has an average rain fall of 20 inches a year so you can see why I think these beauties are a must for any hot dry garden.

Happy gardening


Bronwyn

 

Hollyhocks a flowering giant

Driving home from a delicious lunch with my nieces today I came across some Hollyhocks growing as a street plant.  As I'm in South Australia at the moment where the weather condition during the summer are extremely harsh and get to 40+ Celsius, I couldn't believe that these beautiful flowers were thriving.

Growing up to 8 feet tall the flowers arrange themselves in clusters all the way down the stalks and come in a variety of colours.

Depending on the position they may need staking, but usually stand on there own as these were doing.













Hollyhocks traditionally like well drained soil that is rich in nutrients, and prefer full sun. Tolerating a small amount of shade however, they are intolerant of damp winter soil.

But, here they were showing off in full flower in dry, hard packed soil on the very edge of a verge. 

Just image if you gave Hollyhocks a little bit more attention, they would repay you with beautiful blooms right through summer.  A must to frame any cottage garden.

I'll certainly be planting them next spring and look forward to the wonderful display.





Happy gardening

Bronwyn

Pumpkins - abundant leaves no fruit

I planted pumpkins again this year, after growing Butter Nuts last year with  good results.

The pumpkins took off with a vengeance growing about a foot a day and the leaves were like dinner plates.  I would check expectantly each week waiting for the flowers to appear and eventually the fruit.  Unfortunately all we got were flowers, but no fruit.  Imagine my disappointment, so research was the order of the day.

I knew pumpkins had both male and female flowers, but didn't realise the complexities involved in fertilisation.


Reasons for lack of fruit:

1. The female flowers appear at a different time than the male flowers
2. Lack of bees at pollination time due to weather conditions
3. Lack bee attractive flowers in the area.
4. Overdoing on fertiliser with a high nitrogen formula
5. Yellowing levels and broken stems

What to do:

Growing more bee-attracting flowers nearby is always a plus. Try sunflowers, sage, or a patch of lavender, all will attract bees just when you need them.


 



If you are really keen identify the female flowers by the slight bulge at the very base near the stem, which will develop into a pumpkin if fertilised.  They have to get pollinated during this critical time. A helping hand-pollination of the female flower will be very helpful.  


Using a cotton swab or small paintbrush, wipe the pollen from a male flower onto a female. 

 

 

 

 

Yellow leaves may be removed from the vine without hurting the vine. The vine often sends new shoots from the sides when trimmed or when the stem is accidentally broken.  Flowers will then develop farther along a vine that is producing pumpkins these should be removed so that all the strength is concentrated in the already-formed pumpkins.

 

Well-composted manure should solve the problem of high nitrogen level.

 

 

Then there is the weather, well that we will leave to nature.

 

Never be afraid to admit defeat it is all a learning cure.  Mine have been pulled out and I'll try again next year.

 

Happy gardening

 

 

Bronwyn

 

 

 

Pruning old fruit trees

Mum recently had her 40 year old Nectarine tree cut back to the stump.  My Nana grew this particular tree from a seed and contrary to popular opinion it grew into a great tree with an abundance of fruit.  But, recent storms had decimated it and there were broken branches hanging everywhere.


My mother likes everything neat in her garden so decided to have it cut back severely, as you can see.


















 I like to seal the ends of large trees after pruning, by applying tree pruning paint.   A tip I learnt from my father.

He explained to a very young gardener that in harsh dry weather conditions using a pruning sealer will help the tree retain more moisture which helps recovery.  This is particular relevant for older trees like Mum's Nectarine.

Dad use to use bits of left over paint, but times change and now we have special pruning paint which can be found at your local garden supplier.

Happy gardening


Bronwyn

Grafting, get snipping

I'm visiting my mother at the moment and one of the first plants I notice was her Double Delight rose, which had reverted back to the original root stock.

I have written about grafting and the importance of keeping the root stock regrowth below the graft under control before, but thought it was a good opportunity to reinforce it.

Double Delight rose lives up to it's name, as it has the most delightful perfume and creamy red blooms.

As you can see my Double Delight is thriving whereas Mum's is a tiny little red flower with no perfume.  All because she didn't cut all the shoots below the graft off, which resulted in it returning to the original rose used as the strong root stock.

So be vigilant and snip off these shoots and fertilise.  My favourite fertiliser is Sudden Impact for Roses with a little sulphur thrown in for good measure. 

Two simple tips but if adhered to will result in amazing roses.















Happy gardening


Bronwyn

Arthritis and Pennywort

Pennywort is a bright and breezy little creeping herb and the best thing about it is it helps with arthritis.

The leaves contain an active ingredient (called Madecassoside) which is an anti inflammatory compound. Eating 2 fresh leaves a day should provide temporary relief, although it may take up to 3 months to gain the full benefits.  












Pennywort requires constantly moist conditions and will thrive in shady positions. As it is a prostrate perennial, it may need containing because of its tendency to spread, which it does in my garden. 

We have it in a shady position down our side mixed in with the hydrangeas.  As this garden is small it is easy to give it a good cut back every 6 months to keep it under control.





I love it!  How easy is it to take, just pick the leaves when strolling around the garden, but stick to only 2 a day.

Check it out on the Internet for more information


Happy gardening


Bronwyn

Kaffer Limes, are they a fruit, a herb or both!

Well, Kaffir lime trees hold the distinction of being both a fruit and a herb. The leaves from the tree are used as flavouring for a variety of recipes, particularly Asian dishes, as is the rind.  

 

The leaf shape is also unusual being in 2 parts almost like a figure 8.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They can be grown in a container but choose one with plenty of space for the root ball, with room for growth.  Whether growing in a container or straight into the ground Kaffer Limes need free draining soil.
 

Watering well is important, but if the soil is too moist, you run the risk of root rot. Allow the soil to dry out a bit between watering times. You can test the moisture of the soil simply by sticking your finger into the soil and if it feels dry, then it's time to water.

 

             

These trees are very sensitive to cold so you must protect them from frost, by placing up against a wall or protected area of the garden that has good sun exposure in the winter.  Kaffer limes need plenty of sun regardless of the season.           

 

Fertilize your lime tree using a fertilizer specifically for citrus trees, and only fertilize in the spring and during the growing season, not in winter.


The Kaffer lime is only grown for the leaves and rind, so if you want juicy limes pick another variety.


I am very fortunate to have a sister-in-law and best friend who both have this wonderful lime growing in their gardens.  When visiting I always pick handfuls of leaves and pop them in the freezer, they last for ages and are ready when needed.


Happy gardening

Bronwyn

 

 

Gaura is like butterflies in the garden

Often called the Whirling white butterfly bush, Gauras come in a variety of white, white with pink tinge and darker pink  flowers.  The flowers are on long stems and gently sway in the breeze creating colour and movement in the spring and summer garden.

White gaura is an informal, yet graceful, ornamental with a loose, bushy habit growing to a height of  3-4 ft or 80cm they look sensational in perennial borders or beds. The pink varieties tend to be more clumping and not so tall.   It is a plant that keeps giving as it self sows its seed, a bargain for any gardener.












Gaura is a pretty, water-wise plant, that loves sun, good drainage and a jolly good cutting back as the long wands of butterfly flowers finish.  Pruning back in mid summer will extend the flowering season as they flower again after about six weeks from pruning.

I started with only 2 small bushes and now have a wonderful boarder that is continuing to  extend every year creating a real splash in our summer garden.



Happy gardening


Bronwyn

How to get the best out of cut flowers

There is nothing like picking or receiving beautiful fresh flowers!  They don't need a lot of care but by following a few simple tips will allow you to enjoy your flowers for as long as possible.

1. Always use a clean vase
2. Remove all the foliage that will be below the water line
3. Snip off about an 1" or 2cm from the bottom of the stems, cut at a right angle
4. Bought flowers always come with Flower food, but if you don't have any use a teaspoon of sugar and a cap of bleach per litre of water
5. Place the flowers away from direct sunlight, heating from air con, and any draughts.
6. Ripe fruit will also shorten your flowers life so keep them apart
7. Change the water every 3 days and run the stems under cold water and again snip off the ends.

Happy gardening

Bronwyn

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow or Brunfelsia pauciflora can be deadly

I don't think you will find to many plants that rival this Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow for fragrance and floral display, but it has a deadly secret.  The seeds are poisonous as is the rest of the plant, so if you have children or pets don't let them any where near them.


My friend Julie has just recently learnt the dangers of this plant and keeps Bundy her Labrador and his brother and sister  well away from them.

 

 If you do however want to grow this plant it will need gentle heat, a slightly acidic soil and average watering.  It will grow in hotter areas provided it has some shade protection.  Yesterday Today and Tomorrow  is an evergreen and will grow between 4 - 7' tall, though can be pruned  if you want to keep it smaller and also grows very well  pots.

Deadly but beautiful, just go to show you need to know what plants you are putting in your garden.

 

 

Happy gardening

 

 

Bronwyn