A sucker for romance - perhaps! Valentine's has a special place for me and Deb. It was the day I used to 'pop the question' and as my wife will attest my planning went a little awry.

At the time I was working as a chef in an inner-city Perth cafe. I hadn't bothered to make any reservations for dinner anywhere until the day before - big mistake. Our cafe didn't open for dinner so I had forgotten how busy most restaurants became on the most romantic night of the year but after a few hundred phone calls I was gently reminded that perhaps I could have started this process a tad earlier.

Fortunately, as I was running out of names in the Yellow Pages, I struck paydirt. One restaurant in the heart of Subiaco, perhaps Perth's version of England's Soho, had places available. Maybe I should have questioned this peculiarity then but I was just excited to have somewhere to take my future wife-to-be. A tip for beginners: Never book into a restaurant that has seats available a day away from Valentine's - it can never be good. And it wasn't.

I'll leave it there but needless to say preparation was a rapid learning curve for me.

So this year I plan to be on the ball. I'm tossing up between the eternal dozen red roses, maybe a red rose bush for the garden, a love swing or even lingerie and chocolates. No. Those two never go together do they?

Posted by Stuart at 5:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Landscaping your garden is like gazing into a crystal ball and hoping that everything is going to grow, weather, change and adapt exactly the way you want it. You know what you want but you also know that some of the variables are outside your control.

This is my favourite aspect of my garden at the moment and has performed far better than I could ever imagine. Keep in mind that it is only 12 months old and the idea was to have a garden full of bustling natives that looked as if someone had formalised the bush. These plants still have a way to go to maturity but it is already beginning to surpass our expectations.

Fortunately we can borrow the landscape from our neighbours who are also growing some natives with a beautiful leucadendron poking it's head above the fence. We were able to keep some of our magnificent peppermint trees and even some of the carex grass in the foreground was originally part of the scene.

We often sit down in the afternoon with a cup of coffee admiring the view and anticipating what this will look like when the fences are covered and we really will feel like we're sitting in the bush.

What's your favourite aspect of your garden and did it naturally occur or have you helped it along the way?

Posted by Stuart at 5:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tropical plants are not everybody's cup of tea especially if you happen to live in regions that are prone to snow and frosts during winter. But even if you are, you may still decide to keep some living indoors where the temperature can be controlled.

Bromeliads, hellaconias, kalanchoe are wonderful tropicals that can do well indoors but given a little help can survive well outdoors in most regions as well. Read on for some things to consider to keep them growing well...

• Temperature is the most important variable for tropical plants to survive and live healthy lives. They require temperatures to be between 10C (50F) and 26C (80F) constantly which is hard to achieve (although not impossible) when you don't live in tropical areas. The best way to keep tropical plants warm in the garden is to ensure they're protected from wind corridors and can receive an adequate amount of light.
• Light many tropical plants grow in rainforests where they are concealed below a canopy of taller trees and so only receive filtered light if any. If your tropical plant is placed in hard light it will struggle and unless repositioned will eventually die. If you are trying to create a rainforest in your garden you will need to be patient while the canopy is growing before you underplant with your favourite tropical plants.
• Water is not as important as is humidity. Tropical plants would normally be mulched extremely well on the floor of a rainforest and the warmth from the mulch accompanied with the moisture remaining from almost zero evaporation can usually be enough to sustain these plants. Others that require more usually are shaped to collect it themselves such as bromeliads. They don't require a lot of water to their roots but trap it in their leaves and disperse it from there.

Posted by Stuart at 4:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Peter Jackson, the director of the the Lord of the Rings trilogy and just recently the mega blockbuster King Kong recently took time out of his busy schedule to share his passion for gardening with gardeningtipsnideas.com.

G4D: Peter, you're a fantastic director and we've thoroughly enjoyed your recent movies, how do you take time out to relax and where does gardening fit into your lifestyle?

Peter: Tough question. When I'm not shooting a film I like to get back to my little shack in Wellington, NZ and get my hands dirty in the garden. I find that gardening takes my mind off the pressures of producing million-dollar movies.

G4D: So what does getting your hands dirty look like on your average R&R break?

Peter: Well it's metaphorically speaking of course. The landscapers are the real heroes of the garden I just point them as to where I think the plants will look the most dramatic.

G4D: In an industry such as film-making you obviously become immune to the critics. How do you respond to those who criticise your garden designs?

Peter: Pretty well, I think. (Laughing) Nobody's died yet! Seriously, I like to hear other people's opinions and I draw from their viewpoints. Even the most amateur gardener can sometimes come out with a pearler of an idea that can turn my garden into something bigger than King Kong.

G4D: Have any of the movies you've created ever inspired your garden design?

Peter: Sure, if you take a look down there (pointing to the most farther point in the yard) I had my landscaper F. Rodo create a little Rivendell for me. My children tell me that they've even seen glimpses of hobbits in the woods.

G4D: And your next gardening project?

Peter: The mountains you see behind me are an ecological disaster. I want to get a team up there and rejuvenate their environment. I want to plant trees, native shrubs and hopefully rid this mountain of that wretched snow forever. Hopefully we'll have a tropical rainforest that won't just be a prop.

Posted by Stuart at 7:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I trimmed the lavender hedge yesterday, sheared the coreopsis, hebes, and erigeron, dug out the spent wallflowers, poppies, chrysanthemums, lobelia and then stood back and realised my garden looked NAKED!!! It's a sickening, mixed with adventurous optimism, kind of feeling. It had to happen. The garden was looking tired and needed a midsummer freshen up.

So we packed up the kids and took a stroll down to the local nursery (Bunnings) where I became their biggest customer of the day - not! But we did buy a few good things to dress up the bare patches. Orange and butter yellow Cosmos and pure white alyssum seeds, purple lisianthus, pink dianthus, purple and pink asters and grey foliage lambs ears and cerastium.

Today - we're planting!!!

Posted by Stuart at 7:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Until recently I have never seen the point in palms. The reason: I live in a climate zone where they are possible to grow easily and many (or should I say most) new homeowners have grabbed hold of these low-maintenance plants and adorned their non-existant gardens with them. They have become so fashionable that they have now surpassed conifers as the "lazy-man's" plant of choice.

However, I have since discovered bromeliads in a big way and have now added a rainforest room to our garden (yet to be constructed) which means that palms are going to be a big part of this. Palms when planted in a way as to resemble their own environment look fantastic and distinctly display a tropical atmosphere.

So how do you keep them from looking tired and worn out in your garden? Read on....

• Climate most palms grow in the tropics or mediterranean climates. However it is possible to grow many of them in colder climes depending on what type of palm it is and where it originated from. It is also possible to try and recreate their ideal climate by grouping plants of similar needs together. For instance, I know of many gardeners who have successfully recreated their own rainforests to house their palms.
• Light when you're planting your palm consider how they would grow in their natural environment. If they love to strive for the light they are most likely sun-lovers whereas if they usually reside in the under-canopy they will most likely prefer filtered light. Do some research on your palm first as the lighting conditions for your palm could make or break their growth.
• Fertiliser Palms require more minor elements than most other plants so it is best to hunt around for a suitable fertiliser. One advantage of buying a good quality specific palm fertiliser is that the same product can be used to fertilise most of your non-palm garden as well.

  Fertilise your palms once every month from Spring through the end of Summer.
  

If you're looking for more information on growing palms in your garden take a look at The Palm Shop or The Master Gardener Online.

Posted by Stuart at 6:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We originally bought this plant for our last house to hide an unsightly bore pump. It did okay in this position, although it didn't see a lot of light, but in the position it is in now (lots of morning sun and late afternoon shade) it is absolutely thriving. We planted it in this position, again to hide something but this time it was the pipes protruding from the hot water system.

This version, petiolatum, has soft leathery silver foliage while another type "Limelight" has limegreen foliage. It's dense foliage can hide just about anything and can soften walls very well. It displays non-descript white flowers in summer and its main growing period is spring through summer.

It is very easy to propagate from cuttings as we have done with this one and it has only taken 2 seasons to get to this size.

Posted by Stuart at 7:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Bringing your garden indoors has so many benefits from softening the space inside your house to purifying the air naturally. The variety of indoor plants is also growing as many people enjoy their benefits and as houses become more confined.

If you've ever wanted to grow plants indoors or you already are read on for tips to deal with some of the problems you may face...

• Leaf Problems nearly all of the problems you will face with indoor plants will show up in their leaves. They express themselves when they're struggling through their leaf presentation. If you have a specific problem with your indoor plant visit The Gardener's Network for a simple list to diagnose the cause.
• Fertilising indoor plants is the same as fertilising plants that grow out in your garden except that they do better when applied with a liquid fertiliser. Most plants will require an application of this every 2-3 weeks.
• Light the idea of keeping plants indoors is to keep them away from the harmful effects of too much light. However, it is possible to limit their light needs too much which will cause them to struggle. Most plants need some light but some will need to be next to a window while others will do better enjoying filtered light. If you're plant is suffering it could be because it is getting too much or too little light. Try adjusting the position of your plant and note any changes in its growth.





Posted by Stuart at 7:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For all my non-Australian readers I feel I need to inform you that today, 26 January, is Australia Day. It's our version of the US' 4th of July except we're not quite as patriotic - we just enjoy having the day off. So if you were after some new posts today, unfortunately this is it.

I'm off enjoying the day in true Australia fashion by taking the day off!

Posted by Stuart at 5:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK. So you've got some plants in your garden that you just love and some that maybe causing some hassles. Imagine being able to put in an order to have your very own designed plant turn up next week via courier.

What would it look like? Would it flower? Would it be a foliage plant? Or could it even be a foliage plant that flowered and grew as tall as an oak?

If I designed my own plant it would have to be a tree because there are so many trees that I like some aspects of but find other characteristics unappealing or inconvenient. Take for example the mango tree. I love mangoes and I also love bananas. Imagine a tree that would only grow to a height of 3m, produce mangoes in summer and bananas in winter and flowered like a jacaranda.

Or, imagine a rose that constantly flowered, never had a dormant period and flushed different coloured roses each season. Your imagination could run wild couldn't it?

Posted by Stuart at 4:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The organic vs chemical debate is not one that will end in the near future especially as there seems to be no clear winner. It's a very subjective debate and while many people can see the benefits of buying organic produce only 1% of the Australian population do.

The Australian newspaper recently reported this article [since removed] even citing Rosemary Stanton, a local food celebrity, to be pushing the organic bandwagon. Are we any better off eating organic foods than we are purchasing produce normally from the supermarket? It seems the jury is still out.

Posted by Stuart at 4:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Container gardening is becoming more and more fashionable as people's gardens reduce in size. Even for the gardener with acres of land they are still very popular. The main benefit of container plants are that they allow a gardener to express themselves and change their garden at a whim.

Apart from the increased maintenance and water use there are few points that will help you from keeping your container garden looking fresh. Read on....

• Water Retention the biggest problem many gardeners find with their container plants is for them to dry out in summer and become waterlogged in winter. During the peak of the summer months you may need to water many of your container plants twice every day depending on the size of your plant and the size of the pot. This is because your plant will transpire naturally, as does your garden plants, but they also lose moisture as their is less soil to hold it.
• Fertilising your container plants is another area of concern. Because container plants require more water they lose nutrient though the soil quicker than a plant positioned in a garden bed. Use water-soluble slow release fertilisers in conjuction with a good liquid feed such as liquified worm castings or seaweed extract.
• Adequate Drainage is important to stop your plants roots rotting. Apart from having a good potting medium that can drain well, on bigger pots try filling the bottom with broken tiles, bricks or even small stones. Also, lift the pot off the ground with some type of support such as bricks or pot feet so that the container can allow the pot to drain.

Posted by Stuart at 4:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Spiders have never worried me as much as they have my wife and kids. I don't jump when I see them and I certainly don't get fearful about them in my house. I find them more an inconvenience than a scary predator who I perceive is planning to devour me while I sleep.

I'm not sure whether it's just a Busselton problem or that most areas have issues with spiders but it seems that keeping these pests at bay is an ongoing struggle. Our gutters are constantly home to many species of spider as they set their traps for flying insects which appears, on the surface, to be a bonus for us. However, I'm still brushing away flies and the midgees and mosquitoes that continually invade us as at night persist.

And while I still struggle with the pests these creatures are supposed to help keep at bay, I find my gutters completely redecorated with their webs which they treat like tents yet forget to pack up when they leave. How am I supposed to control these little critters and teach them to clean up after themselves?

Posted by Stuart at 5:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The beauty of growing climbers is that they add vertical dimension to your garden without taking up precious groundspace. Climbers can hide unsightly walls, soften areas with sharp corners, shade lifestyle zones of your garden and add something spectacular as they traverse their way up trees.

They can, however, become quite menacing when left untendered and can even cause irreparable damage to your house or other constructed projects. Read on for how to look after them....

• Well Maintained Support often gardeners misjudge the impact of climbers over the support they have provided for it. A full-grown wisteria could be in excess of a tonne when in flower and if it's not supported well enough will damage the support and the climber. Ensure that there are no signs of stress on the supporting frame and if possible replace the supporting frame if you've assessed that it's not capable of holding future growth.
• Pruning most climbers do well to be pruned after flowering. Usually this is only for shape as you direct it's growing tendrils against the supporting frame. You also need to prune to keep most climbers compact.
• Choosing the Right Climber if you don't choose your climber correctly it may end up biting you in the future. For instance, it is well known that Philodendrons can bring down trees they're allowed to grow on, and some ivy's can remove mortar from between bricks when they allowed to grow against your house. If you have a climber that's beginning to cause problems with the object that's supporting it remove the climber while you can and replace it with something that will have less detriment on its surroundings.





Posted by Stuart at 5:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm off to Perth with a couple of buses full of kids heading for Planetshakers tomorrow so this will be my last post until Monday. Enjoy your gardening and keep your weekend weed-free.

Posted by Stuart at 6:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I know, this sounds like a negative post and I should be doing one about my 5 most loved plants or 6 things I enjoy about gardening or something of that ilk. Well..I'm not going to. I feel like having a rant about plants that I really don't like and I still wonder why they sell them in nurseries.

I may change my mind at a later date so I'm going to qualify this post by saying that it's My (Current) 5 most hated plants.
Do you have a list of plants you'd rather not see growing in gardens? Tell us about them maybe we could form a posse and route them out.

Anyway, without further adieu here is my list....

These are listed in most hated order so you can gauge the level of emotive dislike I have for these plants.

1. Celosia maybe it's the way people plant these in the garden that makes them so unappealing. Perhaps they would look good mass planted...perhaps! Though I doubt it very much. They just look so fake. In fact, if they made a fake version of this plant it would be the only imitated version that would look better than the original.
   






2. Vincas if you struggle to grow these in your garden you might contemplate changing hobbies. Anybody can grow these and usually do. They're horrible!! Plant petunias or pansies instead.
   





3. Spider Plant now there are versions of the this plant that I really like that's why this one is only in 3rd place. However, it is one of those plants that have been done to death and seem to trip over them everywhere.
   






4. Snapdragons I've even had these in previous gardens so I don't hate them that much maybe it's just another "everywhere" plant that people could, and should, find alternatives for. It's like eating chicken every night - eventually you get tired of it. Once they start selling these seeds in Kiddie-gro packs you know there no longer a challenge.
   





5. Amaranthus Tricolor why do people grow these as display plants - they look stupid. Sure, I've seen them mass planted which looks ....well, ok...but growing them singularly [shaking head] I struggle to comprehend.
   

Posted by Stuart at 6:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)

Conifers are incredibly versatile plants in the garden as they range from tall trees to those with weeping habits and also groundcovers. The conifer family consists mainly of cypresses, junipers, firs, cedars, larches, spruces and pines and is more at home in a formal type setting.

The beauty of conifers has to be their low maintenance appeal. Apart from good soil preparation including drainage and mulching there isn't a lot that is needed for conifers to look good. They suffer from very few problems and the ones they do struggle with, mainly pests, can usually be rectified naturally.

Read on for a couple of problems that you might be facing or if you're after even more information.

• Rust this disease can often strike conifers and once the tree becomes infected it is practically impossible to remove it. The best defense against this disease is to keep your conifers well mulched and well watered. If you notice one of your conifers to have contracted rust remove it immediately before the others can become infected.
• Mites these pests are more pro-active in the cool weather months as they produce webs on the underside of the foliage and suck out plant juices reducing chlorophyll in the plant. The best way to control mites is to hose off or apply an insecticidal soap.

Posted by Stuart at 5:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The first coat of paint has now been completed and I'm glad that I don't have to do this job more than once every decade. If you read my Gutter Trash post previously you would know that we're changing the colour, only marginally though.

In fact, it's so marginal that I'd be surprised if anybody ever notices apart from my wife who keeps telling me that it's 100 times better. I'm feeling like it's a case of the Emperor's New Clothes as I'm standing there admiring the new paint job. Am I imagining that these gutters have taken on a whole new look?

I still have the second coat to go and the previous colour was quite dark so maybe the gutters will improve when I've finished that one! We'll wait and see....

Posted by Stuart at 5:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Saturday we took a trip to Mandurah (a bustling city of 60,000, 80km south of Perth) to Abingdon Miniature Village where we met my parents and my grand-parents (I told you I was still a spring chicken!). It was inspired by the owner's visit in 1999 to Cockington Green in Canberra (Alice will have visited here) and they began construction in March 2000.

Most of the miniature models are exact replica's from some of England's more well-known areas and are hand made using a 1:10 scale.

It's not clear enough to see in this picture but nestled amongst this flowering groundcover is a little village set to appear as though it were built in a valley.

This lake has a model train running around the perimeter of it which does two circuits and then stops at the train station. It then waits a couple of minutes and for someone to walk across the bridge and trigger a sensor before it starts it's journey again.

As you can see, conifers are a big inclusion in this garden with more than 2,500 from over 100 varieties it is the largest conifer display in WA.

This maze was incredible and we almost lost a couple of kids in it. I usually baulk at these as being a little gimmicky but this one was quite hard to work out. They are currently developing a circular one in another part of the garden.

Posted by Stuart at 5:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Deciduous trees are a landscaper's delight because they have so many inherent characteristics that can benefit any garden such as;

• Autumn leaf colour


• Summer shade/ Winter Openess


• and, their frame structure during the winter months to name a few

We planted a couple of Silver Birches in front of our west-facing bedroom to allow the sun to warm the room in the winter months but shade it during the heat of summer. I know a few people who dislike deciduous trees because they appear dead in winter whereas I like them better than evergreens because they can change the look of your garden with each season.

If you want to know how to care for them read on....

• Pruning there may come a time when you decide to prune your deciduous tree either because it's shape is becoming disfigured, broken branches or some of the limbs are interferring with other structures or trees. If it's not performed correctly your pruning efforts may affect the health of your tree and in extreme cases even kill it.

  Start with a halfway cut under the limb and away from trunk. Then perform a second cut further away from the limb but on top of it until the branch gives way and breaks. The remove the stub back at the trunk. Don't apply any paint or chemical to seal the wound and leave it to naturally heal itself.
  



• Lack of water if you live in an area where the annual rainfall is not enough to sustain your tree, supplemtary waterings will be needed. Make sure a well is made around the base of the trunk and keep the area watered without allowing it to become too moist. Deciduous trees require more water when they've awaken from their dormant period and beginning to grow their new leaves.
  


• Root Disturbance deciduous trees dislike any major root disturbance. If you plan to dig through the roots for the purposes of laying footings or conduit for electrical work, try another way first. Root disturbance is the main reason for deciduous tree deaths as it hinders the tree's ability to receive nutrients that it previously could.
  

Posted by Stuart at 5:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After a busy week of press interviews, autograph sessions and refining some magical skills we caught up with Harry Potter to discuss his gardening hobby.

G4D: Harry, you're earning yourself an amazing reputation as a gardener these days. How do you find time to fight dragons, evil warlocks and still maintain a healthy plant collection?

Harry: It's all about balance. Knowing when to say "Enough is enough" and take some time off. There'll always be an evil character to destroy and I'm realising more and more that it's not solely my repsonsiblity. The Fab Four are getting a bit of press at the moment...leave it to them I say.

G4D: What are you working on in your garden at the moment?

Harry: Lighting. I read your Hot Gardening Predictions for 2006 and realised I was lacking some oomph! in my garden at night. I wanted to show off some of my plantings and landscape features regardless of when the sun went down.

G4D: Some people are saying your gardening methods are a little unorthodox how would you respond to your critics?

Harry: Sure, here they may seem a little different but at Hogworts they laugh at me for being a purist. I make my own compost, admittedly they have worms of doom crawling throughout, so that may seem a tad queer, but mostly I plant annuals, mow the lawn...you know, the usualstuff gardeners do.

G4D: And you never use magic?

Harry: There have been times for sure when I've had guests coming over for lunch and I couldn't be bothered weeding the front flower beds. But that's a rarity.

G4D: You've been in the news recently as a greens activist. Has that stemmed from your gardening activities?

Harry: Sure. I hate seeing trees cut down to make pencils and drum sticks. I think we need to look after our natural vegetation before it all vanishes.

G4D: You also unveiled your recent landscaping project at your home with many of your friends, and obviously the press, attending. How did it go and what was their reaction?

Harry: I think they were pleasantly surprised actually. They didn't say a lot but I knew they were a little overwhelmed with what I'd constructed.

Posted by Stuart at 5:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I sat outside yesterday morning, basking in the warm sunshine and enjoying my garden when I was interrupted by two frolicking monarch butterflies. I pondered for a mere moment contemplating what this means for my garden. It means CATERPILLARS!!! Sure, butterflies are nice and everybody wants butterflies in their garden but caterpillars...well they're another thing.

So I started researching my recent inhabitants and found - yes, to my surpise! - that many people actually develop their gardens in the hope of attracting these mystical winged creatures. You can plan your own butterfly garden by taking a few simple steps that most serious gardeners would dread.

One piece of advice was that

Maintaining a damp, slightly salty area in the yard may attract groups of these butterflies.

Try keeping a salty area in your garden and you won't have a garden there unless of course you plan to grow coastal plants. And they like to mainly feed on leafy vegetables and herbs. That would be fine if you didn't plan to eat your vegetables or herbs yourself.

These butterflies have got to go.

Posted by Stuart at 6:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I really enjoy this groundcover. It's so adaptable as it can grow in full-sun or almost full-shade. I've used it twice in my garden, once here as it fills in between the slabs which softens the whole aspect and again out the front under a group of Silver Birches. I've naturalised some daffodils under the dichondra in this bed and it looks great in spring.

It takes a little while to get going but give it some liquid fertiliser, spring sunshine and warmth and a regular supply of water and you'll cover any spot in the garden.

Posted by Stuart at 6:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Growing your own fruit is very rewarding and with very little effort fruit trees will continue rewarding you year after year. The limiting factor for many gardeners is space but with grafted hybrids now on the market and many gardeners deciding to keep their trees in pots, fruit trees are becoming an easier proposition.

Just like any plant, fruit trees have their own needs and can become fatigued just as easy. Read on to find out how to deal with them......

• No Fruit if your fruit tree isn't producing any fruit it's most probably due to a lack of sunlight getting in amongst the branches. Try staking your vertical branches in a horizontal position by either using weighted bags hanging from the tips of the branch or literally tying the end of the branch to a pre-positioned stake in the ground. This will allow sunlight to penetrate the centre of your tree and should result in flowers and fruit next season.
• Too Much Fruit can also be a problem. If they're all left to ripen the weight of the fruit could break branches. It can also increase the risk of fruit diseases when too much fruit falls to the ground and is allowed to sit around and rot. The best way to deal with this is to selectively prune some of the bearing branches too limit fruit production. This will also result in better fruits as they're given more room to grow and they don't have to share nutrients and water with more fruit.
• Pruning is an important part of fruit trees and should be performed while the tree is dormant (late-winter). Remove branches that are crowding the centre of the tree and any that are broken or growing irregularly. There are many ways to prune and train fruit trees but I think the most consideration needs to be regarding how you will get your fruit off the tree as it grows. If you choose a central leader pruning regime you may find that you will need a large ladder to obtain your fruit.
• Fertilising your fruit tree should happen immediately after pruning. Use lots of newspaper to circle the perimeter of your branch growth with blood and bone underneath it. This will keep the weeds down. Add a generous helping of sheep manure and then cover with pea-straw. This should be enough for the tree right through the fruiting season.





Posted by Stuart at 5:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The most interesting gardens are those that have incorporated some sculptures, statues or ornaments in amongst their plantings. However, just as interesting as these are they can also bring down the tone of your garden if placed innapropriately.

Have you ever seen a tropical garden without an Easter Island head or a little Buddha? Or a cottage garden without a sundial? Now, imagine swapping those two pieces over and hosting them in the other garden style. It just doesn't work. The trick is being able to define your style and then purchase your ornaments to complement it.

One of our garden rooms is based on an Australian native theme. There are lots of things we could, and most probably will, decorate it with. At the moment our only ornaments are these jarrah fence posts which we collected from the bush. They don't look out of place because people expect to see them in this setting. We will add things like rusty steel buckets filled with cascading "somethings", plough shears etc.

Another of our garden rooms is cottage style where these things would look out of place. We would do better to have sundials, statues, bird baths etc to accentuate what we're trying to display.

Analyse each statue, sculpture or ornament to see whether it fits or not. The golden rule is: Better to not have something that have a decoration that seems out of place.

Posted by Stuart at 7:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday I found myself cleaning my non-seamless gutters in the middle of summer. I usually leave this job until the end of Autumn (Fall for those who live in places where they call Autumn "Fall") just before the first rains of winter. It makes sense to do it then because you can unclog all the debris before the gutters force the rainwater to your downpipes. It doesn't make sense cleaning them in the middle of summer!

That is unless you plan to repaint them. A long story made short.....we chose the wrong colour blue on our pre-selection colour chart and when we noticed the painter begin painting them we realised we'd made a mistake. This painter was as unhelpful as speed humps on a runway so here we are, 2 years later, repainting them with the colour we originally wanted.

Anyway, back to the gutter trash. I couldn't believe how much debris could accumulate in my gutters since last Autumn but it was like winning a composting lottery. If only the tress around my house could save me the time by directly depositing their leaves onto my compost heap, it would be perfect.

Posted by Stuart at 7:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Very few gardens would be devoid of at least one rose. They are adaptable in any garden and come in so many different colours that they will fit any colour scheme.

But they are also very susceptible to a few problems that gardeners can sometimes struggle to deal with. Read on if you're having problems with your roses....

• Aphids these are softbodied insects that will latch onto your plant (not just roses) and will continue to feed off them until they are removed or they run out of a food source. With roses they aren't detrimental apart from severely distorting your blooms. There are a couple of ways of removing these pests;
  1. White oil - this is a detergent based spray that kills aphids very easily. However, you need to apply it when you are guaranteed at least 6 hours of sunshine.
  2. Ladybirds - are aphids natural predator however their maturity rate is much less than aphids and so will take longer for them to become active in removing the aphids from your bushes. One way to overcome this is to by the ladybirds from somewhere like Bug Central.
  3. Spraying with water - this is a very effective way to deal with these little creatures. I had to perform this on my nagami cumquat last week and it cleaned every aphid off and they haven't returned.
• Blackspot is a fungus which will affect the leaves of your rose bush leaving them with black spots. There are chemical dusts available to kill the fungus but they won't repair damaged leaves. The best way to deal with these is to remove all the affected leaves and either burn them or discard in the rubbish. Don't put them in your compost heap!
• Pruning is a very important job where roses are concerned. It's easy to do so long as some good techniques are employed. The best time to prune is toward the end of winter just before the plant comes out of its dormant cycle. Remove any dead wood and then prune to shape.

Copied from The Royal Horticultural Society
• Suckers - In Western Australia all our roses are grafted onto Fortuniana root stock because this is the hardiest way to grow roses here. If your roses are grafted onto root stock you may notice suckers or side shoots growing below the graft. These need to be removed so that the bus does't revert back to it's original stock.

Posted by Stuart at 5:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A garden without groundcovers is like a house without floor coverings. Apart from lawn they're the carpet of our garden beds, filling voids that other plants would too easily dominate or fail.

In my garden I have quite a few groundcovers; dichondra, Creeping Jenny, prostate lantana, chamomile and creeping thyme to name a few. The beauty of growing groundcovers is their willingness to fill spaces, keep weeds at bay and give another dimension to your garden.

However, like all plants they're susceptible to garden fatigue and need to be maintained. Read on for more info....

• Consistent Climate as groundcovers have the ability to grow over larger areas than their vertical cousins they have the ability to spread from full-sun to shaded areas or vice versa. With some groundcovers this can cause burning or even rot. It's most probably related to the sun's movement in the sky during the different seasons and can only be rectified by removing the plant from the area it's struggling in. This will then give you the opportunity to grow something else that can tolerate the different micro-climate.
• They Require More Fertiliser groundcovers have a more shallow root system than most plants and a greater number also. Therefore, they rely on the availability of fertilisers and will take nutrients from competing plants to the detriment of the other plant. Use liquid fertlisers which can be readily absorbed by the groundcover through its leaves and slow-release fertilisers for their close neighbours.
• Pruning some groundcovers require pruning as they can be prone to becoming leggy. If this is the case, prune by about 1/3 after the flowering season or during their dormant period.

Posted by Stuart at 6:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Summer certainly has its benefits. The days are hot but the evenings are still warm. Plants are still flowering and the lawns are looking green, really green. But the biggest benefit of all is enjoying the fruits of your labour and this time of year stone fruits are in big supply.

Peaches, apricots, plums, nectarines, loquats and cherries. Left alone to ripen on the tree the sugars concentrate and give a sweeter, maturer flavour. They also retain more moisture and hence their flesh becomes juicier. Shop bought stone fruits are usually picked well before they're ripened and brought to maturity unnaturally leaving the fruit tasteless and sometimes quite sour.

While most people prefer not to grow their own due to lack of space or perhaps the abundant yields you're likely to get, there is a great alternative. Many nurseries now sell grafted stock which means you could have a peach, nectarine and plum all on the same tree. Or if you only like peaches you could get a grafted plant that has 2 or more different varieties growing on it. Another alternative is to have a grafted plant that spreads the fruiting season so rather than dealing with an abundance for a short period one variety begins fruiting as another finishes.

These are great spacesavers and obviously limit the yield you're likely to deal with. It's also possible to grow them in a pot although they will need to be repotted every couple of years.

There's really no excuse for not having some variety of stone fruit in your garden and you're the one that will benefit from having them.

Posted by Stuart at 7:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I hate using chemicals to clean my house, I detest taking chemicals into my body unless I have no other choice and I get all itchy when I think about pouring chemicals all over my garden.

Give me some rich composted manure any day. I know complete chemical fertilisers are supposed to be balanced and provide all the nutrients your soil and plants are craving....blah, blah, blah...but you'll never convince me that they're better than the natural alternatives.

Maybe, I'm becoming a greenie? Or in this case - a brownie? (not the choc-chip variety though). I live for the earthy smell of freshly cow manured garden beds or pouring slow-release sheep's manure around my roses. What better way to tell people you live in the country?

It's cheaper too, especially if you can source it from a local farm rather than buying it by the bag full. So next time you reach for the branded chemical fertliser in your gardening shed try thinking of a natural alternative. Your plants will love you for it.

Posted by Stuart at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I love bulbs. Okay...that's an understatement! These delicious anomalies of the plant kingdom which grace our gardens every spring remind us that gardening is worth the effort!

Growing bulbs isn't terribly hard and any amateur could succeed with most. So long as you plant bulbs at the right depth, at the right time, in the right soil, give them the right amount of water and fertiliser, don't cut them back too early and don't leave them in the ground to rot - they should be okay! It's not too hard ... is it!

If you want to have the best looking bulbs in the street and have your neighbours drool over the side fence, read on...

• Flower Failure before you purchased your prized bulb that you're planning to see grow this spring the flower had already developed inside it - or not! The bulb (I'm including tubers, rhizomes and corms in this definition) should be plump and firm and not spongy. Most bulbs that fail to flower never had the flower grown in them before they were planted.
• Bad Storage naturalised bulbs that you've planted for woodland effect don't need to be dug up each year but others such as tulips, gladioli and hyacinths need to be taken out of the ground and stored in a cool, dry place ready for the next season. These need to be stored away from where they can become damp require airflow to hinder bacterias and fungi to grow.
• Incorrect planting most bulbs prefer full-sun and consistent watering so find a place where this is possible. Your bulbs will need to be planted at the correct depth if you want them to succeed and you can check out what the depths required are in this planting guide [link since removed].
• Fertilising bulbs should be fertilised with some blood and bone once they've been planted and then again after the flowers have finished. The second application helps prepare the bulbs for the next season's growth by giving them a boost as they try to regenerate themselves.





Posted by Stuart at 5:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I always thought lawn snobs were other people!

You know the ones I'm talking about. If the lawn hasn't been mown in the past 2 days, it's getting a little too long; weeds never see the light of day and 40L bags of fertiliser are stacked in the shed in case of emergencies. They have edge trimmers, brushcutters, and a selection of mowers that can handle just about anything. And, they have signs on the verge warning you that this is a REGISTERED LAWN and should you fail to heed the warning and step onto their crisp blades of green - you will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

In my teen years, I always desired to drive my hotted up XF Falcon across those lawns leaving an indelible stamp of unnaproval on these lawn snobs.

Today, it's different. I'm actually facing the realisation that I'm one of those hated snobs. No. I don't have signs on the verge and I can wait a week before I feel compelled to bring the mower out. The problem is just that - I can't bring my mower out because the engine died just before Christmas and it's at the repair shop.

I had to HIRE a mower!! Yuk! It would be the same as having to wear someone else's undies. There are things you just don't do.

To make matters worse - it was a rotary mower. My poor blades of Sir Walter. It took massive chunks out of my grass taking great delight in ruining the lawn I've been tendering for the past 12 months. Did I mention I HATE rotary mowers? I have a new philosophy on life - if you don't have a reel mower, use pea gravel.

OK. I admit it. I'm a lawn snob. Hi...my name's Stuart and I haven't cut my lawn for 2 days now.....

Posted by Stuart at 6:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I finished the last frame on Saturday afternoon so we hoisted them up so that we could get a feeling for the height.

You can never really appreciate the size of a building and the room you're going to have in until height has been added. I remember walking around our house pad after the concrete had been poured thinking how small it was. But, after they laid the bricks you could get a sense of dimension and it didn't feel so small.

I've had a few chuckles from mates who thought my 3.5m (11.5") x 5m (16.4") shed was a tad on the small side but when you're trying to fit this plus a decent garden on a 690sq.m (2,263") block you have to use your space well. This shed will accomodate ample room for my woodwork projects, including a bench to house my power tools, storage cupboards, a place for my home brew kit plus a gardening bench shed. Along one side it will also house racks of plants that we will be propagating.

Alas, this is how it will sit for a while as we save enough for the roof trusses.

Posted by Stuart at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

NOTE: THIS IS A REPRINT OF AN ARTICLE ON MY PREVIOUS BLOG AS I REBUILD THIS INFO HERE.

The beauty in having perennials in your garden is that they don't need to be replaced each year. They can be just as showy as annuals but no way near the amount of work. They will give your garden a framework in which to plan and strategise about your flower colours, foliage, textures and heights.

Perennials and annuals seem to have much in common, so apart from lasting more than one season what differences do perennials have? Read on for more info...

• Maintenance - perennials such as daylilies, agapanthus, dietes and other rhizomous plants need to be divided probably every 2-3 years. This will encourage more blooms and a better looking plant. Other perennials need to be pruned by at least 1/3 each year to give better shap but also to avoid problems of becoming leggy or crowding your garden.
• Pest Control - unlike annuals which you can rotate each season to avoid soil-borne diseases, perennials are likely to stay in the same place in your garden and provide their own struggles with pests and disease. As diseases and pests can differ greatly between plants the best advice would be to take a sample of your infected plant to your local nursery and get their opinion. Having said that, many nurseries are likely to try and sell you a product to cure the ailment so be wise and not accept their remedy as gospel. If possible, look for an organic alternative before pouring chemical on the problem.
• Seed Outbursts - with annuals it's great to have them self-seed. However, with perennials this can become a nightmare. Plants like Rose-of-Sharon from the Hibiscus family can become a pest as seedlings grow and multiply. To remedy plants that do this, make sure there is a thick layer of mulch around the base of the plant to dissuade seeds from reaching the soil and germinating.

Posted by Stuart at 6:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Tommy Lee's gone back to study in his hit new series "Tommy Lee's gone to College". We caught up with Tommy Lee this week to find out how he's going in his horticultural class and to discuss his life hobby - gardening.

G4D: Tommy, you're doing really well being back at college and obviously not having too many problems with the social aspect of college life. Tell us about your horticultural class and what your doing in your own garden at fraternity LEE.

Tommy Lee: Sure, man. If you've been watching the show you'd 've seen me get a B+ for my last plant test. I was pretty proud of myself for that....yer had a couple of beers to celebrate, maybe a couple too many..huh.. Yer...doing pretty well at college. I love trees and stuff it's just a bit hard to remember some of those big names like ELM or MAPLE. I spelt OAK wrong the other day - I thought it was O.K.

G4D: Tell us about your garden plans for your fraternity house.

Tommy Lee: Yer... still getting some ideas. I've been riding 'round the campus taking some notes of stuff I like. You know..like...grass, yer I like grass, not the stuff you smoke of course...huh. Flowers...yer I like flowers. Think I'm going to get some .....maybe some red ones. A few orange ones....

G4D:You've come back to college so I'm guessing you're hoping to do something new with your life. What are your plans and how are the plant studies going to help?

Tommy Lee: I'm thinking of being an activist with Treehuggerz. It just amazes me how many trees get chopped down every day just to make magician's wands. What a waste man!

G4D: Tommy, I think they might be drum sticks.

Tommy Lee: Them too man. What a waste. And like if we keep chopping trees down then the world's gonna get smelly man. You won't even be able to breathe. You'll have to get a gas mask or something.... I just want to make a difference in this world. You know like Ghandi or something. This world's just making me sick man. I just wanna rip my hair out...

Disclaimer: This interview was purely fictitious and was not in any way aimed at jeopardising this celebrity's status as a gardener.

Posted by Stuart at 8:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Gardening For Dummies Book

Editorial Review

National surveys show that gardening has become the most popular, least exclusive hobby nationwide. From the balconies of Manhattan to the patios of Malibu to the backyards of Chicago, anybody with a few square feet of earth is doing their best to make their little corner of the world more gracious and beautiful. And the best thing is, you really dont have to be born with a green thumb to give life to a glorious garden. Anybody can do it with a little coaching. Which is where Gardening For Dummies comes in.

Puzzled by pruning? Baffled by bulbs? Cant tell a hosta from a hyacinth? Dont worry! This all-in-one reference delivers the know-how you need to transform your little patch of the outdoors into a blooming paradise. Drawing upon the expertise of the National Gardening Association, it gets you up to speed on:

* Basic gardening skills—from understanding your microclimate to using gardening tools to managing pests and common plant diseases
* How to design, plan and build a garden landscape that reflects your unique sense of style
* Selecting, planting and maintaining stunning roses
* Building a raised bed for your perennials and making them bloom in any climate
* Choose, grow and maintain annuals
* From amaryllis to spider dahlias to wood tulips—coaxing beauty from homely bulbs
* Enjoying natures bounty by growing you own vegetables and herbs

A veritable encyclopedia of gardening, this Gardening For Dummies is an indispensable resource for novices and experienced gardeners alike. It brings together between the covers of a single volume seven great books covering:

* Gardening Basics
* Garden Design
* Roses
* Perennials
* Annuals
* Bulbs
* Vegetables and Herbs

Your one-step guide to a beautiful garden, Gardening For Dummies shows you how to experience the “purest of human pleasures” in your own backyard.

Posted by Stuart at 7:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NOTE: THIS IS A REPRINT OF AN ARTICLE ON MY PREVIOUS BLOG AS I REBUILD THIS INFO HERE.

Annuals are the plants that keep us busiest in our gardens. Many gardeners raise their own seeds, plant them out, watch them flower and then dig them out only to begin the cycle again for the next season.

We're 3 days into summer here in WA and as I view many gardens it's amazing how many of them are struggling with a few hot days. How do you keep your annuals healthy and what signs do they show that they're struggling? Read on....

• Self-seeding Density - if many of your self-sown seeds are struggling for room they will display this sign by stunted growth and poor flower numbers. Overcrowding is common especially with plants like Salvia, Cosmos and Gaillardias. To remedy this situation, try and remove some of the seedlings as they appear leaving the strongest, healthier ones to thrive.
• Deadheading - to improve the number of flowers growing on your annuals, try removing the dead heads. Annuals will pour nutrient and water resources into seed production at the expense of flowering so the only way to keep these flowering is to remove spent flowers.
• 'Leggy' Plants - some plants tend to become 'leggy' as they grow (they lose all their lower leaves and only display their stems). This is common with Chrysanthemums and can be fixed by pinching back lateral stems so that the bush remains compact.
• Fertilising - annuals are best fertilised with a liquid fertiliser every 4 weeks during their growing season. If you fertilise at a rate less than this you should expect to see less flowers and unhealthy plants.

Posted by Stuart at 5:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

My best performing plant this week would have to be our Alyogyne huegelii - Native Hibiscus. We planted two of them only 12 months ago. This one was planted facing west which recieves a great deal of the morning sun but is then shaded for the afternoon. The other one was planted in a very shaded position, covered by two towering Agonis - Peppermint trees.

Their spindly foliage is graced by a flurry of candle-like flowers in Spring through Autumn and it's a real stand out plant in my garden. They're native to WA, SA and parts of the Northern Territory and enjoy semi-shaded moist soils. They grow to around 2-3m high and about 1.5m wide and can be successfully espalliered or even grown in mass plantings.

Posted by Stuart at 8:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One problem that faces many gardeners is the amount of water needed for their plants. Not enough, and your plant dies, too much and...you guessed it - your plant dies. So how do you know when the plant is getting just the right amount of water.

The biggest factor in determing a plant's watering needs is the soil that contains the plant. If we all had perfect loamy soils it would only take one answer but many gardeners have clay soils which take water in slowly and lose it slowly while gardeners here in WA have sandy soils. These sandy soils receive the water quickly but unfortunately lose it just as fast. You can read more about soil water retention here.

Another factor is evaporation. In the winter months when evaporation is low (and rainfalls are usually higher - unless you live in the tropics) the watering needs of your plants are less. In summer your plants will need increased watering. Our Water Board gave us a month by month fridge magnet watering guide which ranges from No Watering during the winter months to Every Second day during the hottest ones.

Try grouping your plants with the same watering needs. Don't put exotic annuals together with native shrubs or vice versa.

If you have been overwatering your plants, the only way to save them is to cease watering until the soil has begun drying out. If the plant is in a container try moving it to a sunnier, drier location. If the plant is in a garden bed and the bed is constantly getting too wet, you may need to raise it so that the water can seep through rather than sit.

The golden rule in watering is only water when your plants need it and then water them thoroughly.

Posted by Stuart at 7:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

NOTE: THIS IS A REPRINT OF AN ARTICLE ON MY PREVIOUS BLOG AS I REBUILD THIS INFO HERE.

Herbs

If there were a group of plants which were the least prone to pests and diseases, herbs would be it. However, they're still a plant and they still need to be kept healthy.

Read on for more details....

• Root rot - this occurs commonly in herbs, especially those planted indoors or in poor soil. It happens when there is minimal light and the herb is being overwatered. To remedy the situation, move the herb into a sunnier position and reduce the water supply. If the herb is indoors, place it near a window that receives considerable light throughout the day.
• Aphids - some herbs are prone to Aphids and while they can, in most cases just be hosed off with a forceful spray, they are best removed with an insecticide soap. As herbs are mainly used for eating or herbal teas, you should refrain from using strong pesticides.
• Overfeeding - herbs aren't heavy feeders so it's best to feed them prior to Spring with a slow-release fertiliser. You can also complement this with a liquid fertiliser applied every 6 weeks. Any more than this and you may find your herbs are struggling to intake all that nutrient and your fertilising will become counter-productive.

Posted by Stuart at 7:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I finished frame number 3 yesterday - 1 to go. The weather's been great to work in apart from ending up like a dripping tap with a red neck and arms. Fortunately the plans are not that complicated so I can turn the radio on and tune out as I plod through my sawing and hammering.

I enjoy dreaming with each nail I drive in that it's one step closer to having my shed where I can store my tools, start new projects and make home brew. We were even contemplating the projects we could do this winter because we'll have somewhere dry to do work on them.

But, even though it's exciting that it's all coming together and another project will eventually be finished, the worry that I'll run out of things to do sets in. What happens when my garden's finished? Maybe I'll install a hammock and enjoy it all.

Posted by Stuart at 6:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

If you've ever had shrubs that didn't plant well, and perhaps even died, take a look at how to plant them well.

Start off with the basics, something to dig with, some water and fertilizer and of course, your new shrub - this is Callistemon viminalis - "Little John".

Dig the hole twice the width of the pot and to the same depth as the root ball. (Note: I usually would mix 1 part of this soil with 1 part cow manure and 1 part soil improver. In this case though, as it's an Australian native shrub, they're not big on fertiliser so I'll just stick to the blood 'n bone.

Transplant the shrub into the hole teasing any roots out if it's badly rootbound. Half-fill the hole with water and then backfill with the soil. Water generously after the shrub's been planted and then water regularly, at least every second day for next couple of weeks.

Make yourself a cup of coffee or herbal tea, stand back and admire the potential vista.

Posted by Stuart at 5:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

NOTE: THIS IS A REPRINT OF AN ARTICLE ON MY PREVIOUS BLOG AS I REBUILD THIS INFO HERE.

Even for the most amateur gardener, growing your own vegetables is high on the list of gardening priorities. The rewards of being able to harvest something you've grown yourself outweighs the minimal effort it takes to achieve. All you need is a plot of soil, some good-quality seeds and a source of regular water.

Well...that is until the health of your vegetable patch begins to decline and the rewards of your labour become insignificant at best. How do you keep your vegetable patch healthy and ascertain the level of its health? Read on for more tips....

• Soil Condition - to ensure a healthy vegetable patch it all begins with the soil. Most issues that pertain to growing successful vegetables start here and if this is not maintained your vegetable success rate will fall. For more info on keeping your soil healthy check here...
• Pest Management - apart from managing your soil, managing and eradicating (if that's possible!!) pests is the next focus. Caterpillar's eating your cauliflowers, white moth's chewing their way through your lettuces and slater's biting the tops of carrots. Some people use chemical sprays which in most cases are only temporary solutions while others prefer 'Companion Planting'. Companion planting is the concept of grouping plants together that use eaach other's natural abilities to ward off pests and therefore allow more success with your vegetables.
• Water Source - of all the plants in your garden, vegetables will probably require the most water, and regular water as well. Without a regular water source, your vegetables will struggle to grow and fruit consistently. If you are producing small, inedible fruits or vegetables that seem stunted in their maturity it will most probably be linked to inefficient watering.
• Adequate Support - many of the climbing vegetables require support to enable them to grow and produce. If the support is not adequate or doesn't allow for good ventilation or sunlight exposure, these vegetables will struggle to succeed. Make sure your supporting frames are strong enough to hold the climber well into maturity without sagging or showing signs of stress from the increasing weight.

Posted by Stuart at 5:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was just reading an article about a couple who began using permaculture methods in Malawi, a country I visited more than a decade ago.

It intrigued me that permaculture can happen anywhere - my stereotypical mindsets are just beginning to whir into gear. I've always seen permaculture happen in an Australian setting and hadn't really considered that others in different countries would be doing the same, or how that would look.

Don't put me in a box. I'm a non-practising advocate of sustainable agriculture and even moreso when it comes to the home garden, but where I stand in ideology I fail to fulfil in practical living. Sure - I compost, I plan to grow my own vegetables and I'm going to have chooks eat our scraps. Apart from that there's little else we do. We don't recycle our own greywater (let alone our own effluent), collect rainwater or limit our fertilisers to just worms and organic matter.

But then I'm wondering if this okay? Am I doing enough or should I be more proactive?

Posted by Stuart at 6:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I really enjoy this time of year. Usually the sun is shining - this year Busselton's weather is an exception - and I can get on with some gardening projects over my break. This year's a little different as I've had time to ponder my goals for my garden for 2006.

I had two friends, at different times during the day, drop in and go gooey over the garden and I'm thinking "What are they seeing that I don't?" I look at my garden at the moment and see all the jobs I should be doing or need to be done in the future and it's easy to get a little despondent.

So to break out of my self-induced gardening depression I cancelled the pity party and began looking at what I wanted to achieve at the end of this year. It was very enthusing.

Read on for my short list and let us know what your gardening resolutions are. Check out Andrea's resolution list.

1. Finish the shed, pergola, water feature, 3 arbours and complete the fence I started about 2 months ago.

2. Donate a Saturday every 4 months to helping a friend design and landscape their property - very excited about this one.

3. Read some more gardening books.

4. I'm going to try all new annuals in my cottage garden and steer away from what I planted in 2005 - now there's a challenge.

5. Maybe....big MAYBE - I might even fit in a short horticultural course.

Posted by Stuart at 6:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NOTE: THIS IS A REPRINT OF AN ARTICLE ON MY PREVIOUS BLOG AS I REBUILD THIS INFO HERE.

Plant Propagation and Seedlings

If you're a keen gardener one of the greatest parts of our hobby is propagating plants and raising seedlings. It's the most self-gratifying test to see whether you've been successful, or alas - a failure! But don't take it personally, every gardener has failed in tying to succeed. It's part of life I guess.

While trying to succeed is the aim it is worth understanding the signs of healthy propagated material and seedlings. Read on for tips...

• Moisture - extreme levels of moisture or dryness will affect your success with raising seeds or propagating plants. If it's too moist bacteria's and fungi are more readily attracted and encouraged to thrive. If this is the case, remove the covering and/or place them in a sunny sheltered spot and change the watering routine. If it's too dry, your young stock will struggle to feed and become malnourished. To rectify this, increase your watering routine and find possible reasons why your planting medium is drying out. Possibilities; too much sun, inferior medium or just not enough water.
• Wilt - this usually occurs when your cutting has too much leaf material present. Try trimming your specimens down to only a few leaves at the top. I was also shown a great tip by a gardener friend to cut the tips of each leaf before propagation. The reason - you could then readily see what was new growth.
• Strike Rate - we would all like 100% of our cuttings and seedlings to be successful but usually this is severly idealistic. It's good to journal your attempts and gauge what works and what doesn't. As you continue propagating and raising seeds you should find your success rate improving. If it's not, try to ascertain possible causes for failure and isolate them.

Posted by Stuart at 5:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Every garden needs a resting point - a place to pause and 'smell the roses' and there is no better way to do it than with a garden bench. I've finally completed and installed our bench constructed from an offcut lump of sheoak and a jarrah railway sleeper cut in half and then sealed with an exterior grade oil.

It didn't cost a lot to create, although it did take a fair amount of procrastination until I finally completed it, but it will give many years of enjoyment as we sit and watch the garden grow.

The next part of the this landscaping project will be to install an arbor over this to allow a wisteria to envelope it and to hide the hideous metal wall. It should look quite the picture with the garden bench nestled inside a growing arbor.

Posted by Stuart at 6:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Bonsai has been a BIG part of my life - in a SMALL way!

One gift we received on our wedding day was a little bonsai Melaleuca with a note attached encouraging us to care for it as much as we would our marriage. 6 months later it was dead - the bonsai that is, not the marriage! I'm just so thankful we weren't given a lucky bamboo!!

Fortunately we didn't put a lot of stock into the attached note and the peril that would await us should we fail - we've been going 11 years now.

I once worked with a guy who was devoted to his art and would bonsai anything that would grow. My concept of the art up until that time was limited to oaks or conifers while he had more than 200 bonsais created from every tree imaginable - and predominantly Australian natives. This guy's house was more an excuse for an indoor garden than it was inhabitable.

What amazed me though was the simplicity of what he was doing. There were a few things to consider as fundamental but the rest was purely left to the gardeners creativity.

Roughly translated bonsai means 'planted in a tray' and is defined as "The art of dwarfing trees by careful root and stem pruning coupled with root restriction." So what are the key fundamentals of this art?

• Good Stock to start off a bonsai you need a sapling that doesn't have any disease or imperfections (that you don't want!) and is still small enough to begin on. There are 5 main styles that are better defined here so you need to take this into consideration when preparing your bonsai.
• Select a Pot this is not critical in the beginning, in fact my friend had the majority of his in plastic pots as they began to grow and contort. However, there will come a time when you want to show your bonsai off and the choice of pot does become critical. There are many factors needed to consider; size of bonsai, flower colour, the scene you're trying to create and possibly even where you will store your growing bonsai.
• Training the Branches once you've decided on a form for your bonsai the process of shaping the branches begins. Use pliable copper wire to retrain the growth habit of specific branches forcing them horizontally or in a weeping fashion as your style depicts. The wire gives enough weight to hold the branch in place without snapping them or marking the trees cambian layer.
• Trimming the Roots this is what really sets bonsai apart. We can all train and trim our garden trees and shrubs but we would never dig them up periodically to trim their roots. With bonsai this is essential otherwise the tree will want to continue growing to its normal height. The roots need to be confined within a small pot so trimming them keeps the tree healthy and growing.

Posted by Stuart at 5:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

NOTE: THIS IS A REPRINT OF AN ARTICLE ON MY PREVIOUS BLOG AS I REBUILD THIS INFO HERE.

Without soil there would be very little garden and while many of the inner city dwellers opt for container gardening as they're limited by space, many other gardeners are limited to soil due to costs. So it makes sense to keep your soil healthy.

It stands to reason that your soil is the most important resource in the garden which has sparked considerable debate between fertilising plants vs. improving the soil. Me...I'm certainly sitting on the soil improving side of the fence. That being the case, how do you improve your soil and keep it healthy year after year and crop after crop.

Read on for signs of soil fatigue...

• Non-Water Absorption - often soil can become impermeable by water. This is usually because the soil is packed too tight and won't allow anything into it. Sandy soils are easily penetrated by water whereas clay soils can resist it. However, very sandy soils struggle to retain the water and clay soils don't. How do you correct this problem? Trying adding some compost to your soil and digging it through where possible or using it to mulch where it's not possible. You could even try adding water saving crystals but this should only be viewed as a temporary measure.
• pH Levels - for various reasons your soils may be, or perhaps even become, too alkaline or too acidic for the plants you are trying to grow. On a range of 0-14 (0 being extreme acid; 14 being extreme alkaline) most plans prefer soil that is mainly neutral - 7pH but it will depend on the type of plant. Test your soil using a pH tester and then rectify acidic soils with lime and alkaline soils with compost and manures.
• Compacted soils - this is common with clay soils so if you want to break up the clay, apart from adding organic matter, try adding dolomite.
• Soil-borne diseases - this isn't common but can occur in your garden. Many gardeners who grow vegetables rotate their crops each season to guard against this happening in their beds. Apart from chemical solutions the best practice is to leave your soil fallow for a year or two.

Posted by Stuart at 5:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've finally begun construction on our new shed which will take a little time but should be well worth the effort. For the previous 2 years we've been restricted to a 6" x 4" zincalume garden shed which is now full to overflowing and allows most of my tools to rust each winter.

We originally designed plans with a second storey loft on top as an extra room but alas ran into neighbour issues when she thought we were building a skyscaper (it was only 0.3m taller than the Shire regulations) which would overshadow her non-existant garden. Where is the justice!

Anyway....we're back on track now and have started construction which will hopefully be completed before Easter - time and money willing!

Read on if you want to see how we're doing at each stage.....

Step 1

The first part of the process is to set up the stud walls. These consist of a (1) top and base plates, (2) vertical supports, and (3) noggins for cladding support. Clamp the base and top plate together so that you can mark the cutouts. Measure these to be the same width as your upright supports. I'm using (90x45mm) CCA Pine for the top and base plates and (90x35mm) for the uprights and noggins.

With your circular saw continuously cut through the rebates to loosen the wood. Then wth a hammer and chisel knock these scraps out to leave a clean rebate for the uprights to sit into.

Step 2

Screw your two very end uprights into the top and base plate to create a box. On your two longest walls you will need to set an extra upright in place near to the end uprights (commencing at the width of the corresponding wall). In this case I set them to start at 90mm. These second end uprights will give you something to nail into once you install your cladding.
Continue adding the remainder of your uprights until this part of the frame is complete. The measurements I've used are (1) spacing 450mm, (2) wall height 2400mm.

Step 3

Now you're ready to insert the noggins. These act as support for your cladding and should be spaced accordingly. Most cladding materials come in standard sizes and the type I'll be using comes in sheets of 2400x1200mm. Therefore, my noggins need to be set with the middle at least at 1200mm high.
To insert these between your uprights, pre-drill your nail holes at a 45 degree angle and partly insert your nail. Set these up at the correct measurement and hammer them in.

I will be posting further entries as we progress with this project so come back here soon....

Posted by Stuart at 6:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NOTE: THIS IS A REPRINT OF AN ARTICLE ON MY PREVIOUS BLOG AS I REBUILD THIS INFO HERE.

For every southern hemisphere gardener, spring has begun at a rapid gallop toward summer, so if you have a lawn you may be noticing some health problems already. In an age of considerable climate change, rapid population growth and limited water resources lawns are fast becoming a taboo gardening essential but try rolling around on the pea-gravel and you'll soon remember why you do.

The lawn to a garden is what carpet is to a home. It usually takes the most maintenance and resources in any garden (apart from xeriscapes) so it pays to understand the problems you may get and how to treat them.

Read on for tips to treat these problems...

• Dead Circles or Dirt Mounds - these are caused by the African Black Beetle (Scarab Beetle) and are treatable so long as you get to it early. Queensland's Dept of Primary Industries has a great fact sheet on treating these or you can follow the directions below;

  Biological control: An Entomopathogenic nematode sold by 'Ecogrow' +61 (02) 6257 0577.

  Chemical control: Cyfluthrin, sold under the trade name ‘Baythroid turf’ and 'Baythroid lawn/garden'; Chlorpyrifos, sold under many trade names including ‘Lawn beetle killer’, ‘Lawn beetle and grub killer’, ‘Lawn grub destroyer’, 'Lawn beetle and slater killer' and 'Chlorpyrifos G'; Diazinon, sold under the trade name ‘Pennside lawn grub’ and Eucalyptus and melaleuca oil , sold under the trade name 'Nutri-gro plus' and 'De-Pact'; Imidacloprid sold under the trade name 'Confidor hose-on lawn insecticide'.

  The African black beetle larvae can be very difficult to control, as it lives under the ground making it hard to bring the chemical in contact with this pest. To help overcome this problem the above mentioned insecticide’s should be applied to the lawn late in the afternoon and then watered in well.
  



• Dead Patches - these usually occur through under-watering Check your reticulation or sprinkler settings - they may not be reaching far enough.
  


• Dark Green Patches - this is caused from uneven spreading of fertiliser. When re-fertilising use a fertiliser spreader to control the rate at which it is dispersed over the lawn.
  


• Worn Patches - these are caused either from high traffic usage or because the lawn is too shaded and can't receive enough sunlight. In both cases it would be best to reassess whether lawn is appropriate in this position. Perhaps paving the area or growing a different strain of turf would work better.
  


• Sponging/ Thatching - you will notice this when walking across your lawn as you'll see holes between the lawn resembling a knitted jumper. The only way to deal with this is to de-thatch the lawn with a thatch rake, for small areas, or a mechanical vertical de-thatcher. This is best done while the lawn is still dormant.
  


• Crop Circles - if you find these are occuring overnight you may want to contact someone who knows about these things.
  

Posted by Stuart at 6:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Coming up with a list of 2006's hottest items seems to be the norm for media sources at the moment so to feel like I'm not on the outer I thought I'd come up with my own. The lists I've read in the papers are based mainly on Who's Hot (or Not), which technology is going to be the biggest seller and which religion/ cult is fast becoming the next big thing.

What about "Gardening" people??? Have we side-swiped the obvious 'mover and shaker' in the hottest columns this year? Is there nothing new to talk about when it comes to garden-styles, plant choices and new noxious weeds?

Let the world choke on their VoIP, their iPod's and Nicole Kidman's new boyfriend. It's time to make some risky predictions for a year that could be as unsettled as the last...

What's Hot for 2006.

1. Gardening Blogs. This is obvious as we want to create communities where people can share ideas, trade propagating secrets and generally publish to the world our 'little worlds'.

2. Xeriscape Gardening. Nothing new here but I predict that with water resources becoming even more limited more people will choose xeriscaping over starting a cottage-style garden.

3. Gourmet Chickens. I'm not talking about the one that may have made it to your Christmas table but the trend in having chickens in your coop that better reflect your personality. The type of chooks you decide to keep will certainly state something about who your are - consider them as the iPod skin for gardeners!

4. Outdoor Lighting. Why would anyone want to create something that can only be seen for half the time? Outdoor lighting is going to be a big consideration for more gardeners in 2006.

5. Flowering plants. We're over grasses!!!! Foliage plants with strappy leaves can be awesome additions to the garden so long as they don't become the garden! My prediction for 2006 is that many gardeners who've gone berserk with flaxes, mondo grass and dietes will be pulling them up in favour for jacobinias, phlox and daascii. Bring it on I say!!

Posted by Stuart at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)