ONE YEAR OLD TODAY...ONE YEAR OLD TODAY...

Twelve months ago I set about delivering a brand new type of gardening blog. Full of facts, tips, ideas, inspiration and general gardening news I have tried to deliver a blog that might help benefit gardeners who are just starting out in their journey just as I did a few short years ago.

What I found though was that I met a heap of other gardeners who were also willing to share their knowledge, debate their opinions and generally show off their awesome gardens. I've been humbled by the interactivity and willingness of gardeners far superior to my talent to come and share and participate in this world known as the blogsophere.

So, after 66,774 pageviews; 43,874 visitors; 419 posts (including this one) and more than 679 comments I wanted to make my first blog birthday a celebration of your involvement. In particular I wanted to highlight those gardeners who have commented the most on my blog over the past twelve months and have compiled a list of the top 10. To you, and others who have dropped in over the year - THANK YOU!

1. Alice - A Grower's Delight (57)
2. Val - Val Has Her Say (57)
3. Kerri - Colors of the Garden (46)
4. Kim - A Study in Contrasts (33)
5. Nelumbo - The Garden Blog (of a gal growing southern) (31)
6. Annie in Austin - The Transplantable Rose (22)
7. Trey - The Blogging Nurseryman (12)
8. Carol - May Dreams Gardens (11)
9. Lisa - Millertime (9)
10. Colleen - In the Garden Online (9)
11. Corrine - Mallee Native Plants (9)

Okay...so the list was a little more than 10 - but who's counting? I've had a wonderful year despite a few setbacks (namely from my original name) and all that was associated with that dilemma.

I enjoyed starting this post (which BTW became the most commented post on my blog this year) and seeing how others responded to it.

I've made some great online friends from all over the world and I am looking forward to being part of this ongoing gardening blogosphere well into the future.

THANKS AGAIN!

Posted by Stuart at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Considered as a ratio, 1 in almost every 10 trees will find their way into landfill, disposed of unthoughtfully or worse still - incinerated. Which must make us wonder why we even bother to educate people to use 'real' Christmas trees instead of their artificial counterfeits.

Sure, a 'real' Christmas tree will break down within 5 to 10 years while a plastic wanna-be will take aeons but the environmental effect of disposing rather than recycling is of paramount importance.

Assuming the average Christmas tree weighs 4.5kg this calculates as 11.5 thousand tonnes of rotting plant material in places where the nutrient run-off may be detrimental rather than helpful.

Scarier than this is the thought of having 11.5 thousand tonnes of pine incinerated causing creosote deposits and harmful smoke polluting the environment.

What's the Answer?

People are truly lazy beings. If something becomes an inconvenience then as a species we will find the easiest way to deal with it. So, when it applies to waste we would rather dispose of it than drive out of our way to have it recycled.

Therefore, each retailer of 'real' Christmas trees should become responsible for the recycling and mulching of them. If this means raising the price so that the trees can be collected and recycled accordingly then so be it.

Let's be a little less consumeristic at Christmas and make sure that 100% of 'real' Christmas trees are recycled into garden mulch.

Posted by Stuart at 5:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Well this is it for me until after Boxing Day (Dec 26 here in Oz). I want to thank all you wonderful bloggers and readers who have given me so much this year.

Your emails, comments, links and even the jokes at my expense have all contributed to a wonderful year.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and that you're blessed with the presents you hoped for - or at least a nice card or two. Keep it safe and I look forward to seeing you back here after a wonderful break with your family.

Love Stu.
xoxoxoxo

Posted by Stuart at 6:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Yet while we can't live without them I'm sure there have been many times we've sworn at them or let our calm dispositions become distanced somewhat. Trying to untangle a rogue garden hose is actually tougher than fighting an Amazonian boa - just trust me on that one!

So, which garden hoses are the best? Well, you can continue reading or you can head over to my Garden Hose aStore where I've compiled a list of some of the best hoses and hose fittings you will need to start out.

Which Garden Hose?

The range of garden hoses available today can cater for almost any fussy decision maker but it's hard to know which is the best hose for your situation. Is there any difference between a cheap hose and one that's more expensive? Should I buy a no-kink, coiled or budget hose? Are brass fittings better than plastic?

With so many variables, the market for garden hoses can seem a little overwhelming.

Cheap Garden Hoses vs Expensive Alternatives?

This totally depends on you and your gardening style. If you already have your own water reticulation system set up then a budget hose that you use on limited occasions may be the way to go. On the other hand if you use your garden hose on a daily basis then spending a little more will save you a heap of stress.

Many of the cheaper garden hoses just don't stand up to the rigours of gardening use. Choice Australia, in a recent review summarised their findings as;

There's a relationship between price and performance: it seems you need to pay at least A$35 [US$28] to get a good hose (though even that's not a guarantee). Below that it's pretty hit-and-miss...

The old adage "You get what you pay for" definitely applies to garden hoses. So what about the more expensive brands...does it matter which one and if I pay the most does it ensure that it is the best?

Not entirely. The most expensive garden hoses can be just as good as a reasonably priced hose and the difference in pricing is merely a marketing strategy. But, there are definitely some valid points to consider when selecting a good quality hose for your garden.

As most garden hoses are tightly packaged with fittings attached it becomes a difficult proposition to test them so if possible find a garden centre that has them on display out of their packaging.

Here's what to look for...

• A good quality hose won't kink so try bending it. If it's difficult to bend or the plastic rebounds quickly without any noticeable effect on the hose then it's more likely to be a superior quality hose.
• Inspect the thickness of the hose. A thicker hose is less likely to be split, can handle more water pressure and won't kink if left in the sun.
• Check it's UV rating. Most hoses are now specifying what levels of UV light they can withstand. The higher the better.
• Check the attachments. If they're loose or appear cheap and nasty it's a good indication that the manufacturer is cutting costs and has probably done the same with the hose.

Which Hose Attachments Are Best?

Is plastic as good as brass fittings? The answer is definitely no but this doesn't mean that you must have brass fittings on your garden hose. As with selecting a hose it all depends on how much you're likely to use it.

If your garden hose will mainly sit on the reel and see action sparingly then plastic fittings may be all you need. However, if you use your garden hose on a regular basis then it makes sense to invest in some quality fittings for it.

The only word of caution is that as brass is a metal it will heat up if left in the sun so take this into account if your hose regularly finds itself being exposed to sunlight.

How Do I Look After My Garden Hose?

• Store it on a reel. The best way to keep kinks out of your hose and to maintain it is to store it on a reel. This will help maintain its shape and keep the plastic or rubber from wrapping contortedly.
• Keep it out of the sun. Sunlight will damage your garden hose no matter what quality it is - it will just take a little longer with a more expensive brand. Find a location such as under your roof eaves or similar to store it in full shade.
• Don't let your pets play with it. Dogs and cats that regularly tangle with your garden hose will inevitably split it or puncture it in some form. Once a hose is punctured the only repair you can do to it is cut off the damaged end.

To sum it all up, the more you spend on a garden hose the more likely it will last. Buy some decent attachments and look after it well and your garden hose will reward you for many years to come.

Posted by Stuart at 6:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I understand every greenie is going to be having kittens because I'm not espousing the benefits of having a 'real' cut Christmas tree adorn the living room. But that's okay because I think you'll find that you agree (maybe?).

1. Your cut Christmas tree may not make it to Christmas - When it comes to buying a Christmas tree you have two options to consider. Firstly, do you rush and buy one as soon as they become available or do you wait until the last minute hoping to pick a fresh one just in time for Christmas?

If you chose the first option you may already be looking at a wilting tree wondering whether it was the right decision. But hopefully you've already taken some preventative care measures and your tree is doing better than your outdoor garden plants.

If you held off, then depending on sales, you may find that you either miss out altogether or that you buy a tree that isn't fresh anyway as vendors try to offload their excess stock.

2. Fresh cut Christmas trees come au naturel - that includes bugs and other unwanted insects. Yep. Even spiders! This is especially true in the northern hemisphere where eggs have been hatched laying dormant through the winter only to be aroused into action from the warmth of your house.

Suddenly a plague of aphids or spiders begins to invade your house and you find yourself reaching for the pesticide spray. And we all know there's nothing better for the environment than spraying pesticides into the atmosphere.

All your 'green' enthusiasm goes up in a puff of insect spray.

3. You just killed a living plant - We're not talking about cutting a few flowers to embellish the living areas. We're talking about cutting a tree down - regardless of whether it's renewable or not.

Plants are heavy resource dependents and to remove them from the ground in an immature state can't be good for the soil. While research has shown that mature pines successfully replenish the earth little or no studies have proved that replacing immature pines year after year are doing any good for the soil.

So, there you have it. The best green options for having a Christmas tree are to grow your own in a pot or buy a plastic one that will last 10-15 years.

Posted by Stuart at 4:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Free of any soil, mulch and organic composted material Patrick Blanc's vertical gardens are certainly eye-catching to say the least. Skyscrapers, shopping malls, carparks, museums and building facades are all being decorated with plants as part of Blanc's botany research.

Consisting of only a metal frame, a PVC layer and some felt plants are held in a vertical growing position with the roots attaching themselves to the felt. This felt layer also becomes the distribution layer for the water and nutrients providing the essentials directly to the plants.

Even though it appears to be an engineering success Blanc reports that the weight of the system is only 30kg per square metre making it possible for any wall to carry the load.

Follow this link if you're interested in reading more...

Posted by Stuart at 4:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How easy is it to take great photos these days! Digital cameras are becoming more sophisticated yet simpler to use, and they're getting cheaper every day.

While all this is great news for professionals and amateurs alike the temptation creeps in to snap photos of anything and literally everything. We're no longer bound by the limitation of expensive film and developing costs so we cast off our photography inhibitions and click madly knowing that we can always Photoshop it if it doesn't quite work as expected.

As I'm no expert in photography I'm not about to bore you with my own ideas. However, I will give you a few helpful hints that I have learnt or that I'm in the process of learning.

How to get your foregrounds right - As most garden or landscape photos take in a large scene the composition of your foreground can make a big impact on the final image. Often the foreground can become complicated as we try and capture everything that we're seeing.

Make some room in the image by focusing in one element and composing it well.

Have an eye for detail - It seems contrary to the last point, and actually...it is. Gardening photos often require close up zoom pictures in order to truly convey what was important about it. The way the light glistens on a water globule hanging precariously from a leaf tip needs to be considered in detail. If not, then the image will be anything but startling and the viewer will miss what you were seeing.

Composition and the Elements of a good garden landscape photo - Here is the critical factor. Composing your photos well will either make them look sensational or create very ho-hum images. In this article, photographer Gloria Hopkins makes these important tips;

• Don't center your subject unless doing so strengthens the image;
• Arrange your scene so objects in the image guide the viewer's eye around the image. This gives you a small measure of control over how your work is viewed; and
• Shoot in sidelight to reveal the texture of your subjects and add a 3D feel.

and finally,

Framing is the key - Obviously you won't be able to capture everything you see in one photograph. So a compromise needs to be made between what is "reality" and what will become your photo reality. Taking a good landscape photo means passing up some of the information your eye can see so that those who see your image will understand the reality that you are trying to portray.

For instance, lets' assume the photo above of the sunflower harvest has a busy highway to the left of the image. You can see it and you know it's there but for those who view the photograph it is not part of their "reality". Therefore the framing technique has been successful.

Posted by Stuart at 5:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

For some time I've kept a cherry tree in a tree bag waiting for some construction to be completed so that I could plant it. Some of you may remember the day I did finally plant it out and what a relief it was.

Our climate is a little too warm to grow cherries normally so every time my cherry tree would blossom it would never result in producing fruit. The tiny flowers would just wither and die.

Well...I'm here to show you my very first cherry...

Actually, I wish that was how my first cherry looked. Here's the real un-Photoshopped version

Something else had already found my cherry even though I had been watching it ripen for days. Needless to say I was a little less than happy....Trying to be organic has nobs on it!

This cherry tree was a present from my sister nearly 4 years ago and this is the first season that it's been in the ground. Unfortunately it was the only blossom that continued to mature but I'm optimistic - at least it produced one!

So, I shall feed it again with some good fertiliser, continue to mulch it with a feeding mulch and make sure it gets watered well over the summer growing season. Hopefully next year will be even more productive.

Posted by Stuart at 4:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Congratulations to Andrea from Buy Organic who was the first to guess that our garden was of course the Mahallat Spring Garden in Tehran commonly known as Sarchesmeh.

In a bizarre twist we actually had two readers with the correct answer yet one was already added to my Email Whitelister while the other hadn't been yet. So, because it was so close I've decided to award Colleen from In the Garden Online with a $20 Amazon voucher as well.

A few people have told me that they have been watching the competition for the whole time and enjoyed it but for my own humouring (and knowing whether it's worth running another one somewhere down the track) can you please make a quick note in my comments to tell me that you were keeping tabs of the competition.

Thanks to all those who did have a go. I hope it wasn't too hard and you found that ripping all your hair out didn't became a viable option.

Here's the garden...

If you click the picture it will take you to the site where I sourced the image. I couldn't acknowledge the article during the competition as someone would have picked it up immediately.

This isn't a garden that I've been to but from the look of it I certainly think I would enjoy seeing it. If you have been there and can shed some more light on its history let us know some info.

Thanks again for playing and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have. To our two winners Andrea and Colleen - check your inbox.

Posted by Stuart at 4:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Here's Day 8's picture. Any guesses?

What Is This?

Over the next two weeks a picture of a famous garden will be revealed, piece by piece. If you think you know the name of the garden, take a guess in the comments section and the first correct answer will win a $50 Amazon gift voucher just in time for Christmas.

We're into our second week now and more than half of the photo is exposed. Via my stats I can see that a few people are tracing each day's postings but not many are having a guess so let me remind you that you can make one guess per day. The first one to guess correctly picks up the prize so don't hold back.

I'll start adding some clues this week as well to help you out as it is a fairly obscure garden although world-renowned.

Today's Clue:
This garden is commonly referred to as the 'Spring' garden.

Previous Clues:

• It's not an Australian garden.


• It isn't a garden that's found in the southern hemisphere.

Go ahead...take a guess!

Posted by Stuart at 4:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

It's no newsflash that Nostradamus was an astrologer and physician or that many believe he was a prophet. His quatrains, verses with meanings, have been interpreted and misinterpreted time and time again.

What we haven't known until now is that Nostradamus was a serious gardener who predicted world gardening trends long before they occurred. People have bandied his prophetic utterances for centuries using them to highlight political and social history. Alas, Nostradamus was merely talking of his garden like a lovesick Romeo esteems his Juliet.

Here's an example;

The year 1999 seven month,
From the sky will come a great King of terror:
To bring back to life the great King of Angolmois, (the Mongols),
Before after Mars to reign by good luck

which has been altered considerably from the original;

The year 2007 seven month,
From the ground will come a great King of terra firma:
To bring back to life the great King of Deodar, (the Conifers),
Before after Moon-planting to reign by good propagation

It's actually quite devious how modern interpretations have made a humble gardening prediction into some political justification of 9/11.

The true gist of what Nostradamus was trying to foreshadow was that 2007 will be a year where great upheaval will occur in the gardening industry. No longer will people be planting dwarf versions of the original. Miniatures will be discarded like a handful of onion grass. There will be weeping and gnashing of tiny leaves in the compost piles.

For the mighty Sequoias, Deodars, Huons and Wollemis will begin to reign the landscape once again.

People will no longer settle for small and those that patent miniature versions of plants will be scoffed. True gardeners will tear down their barns and their sheds and make room for a large living conifer specimen that will alter the skyline for generations to come.

Streetscapes of robinias and plane trees will be rejected like a jilted lover with halitosis. People will brag about the height of their conifer and make excuses for their genetically modified willow.

Instead, the mightiest of the mighty arboreal relics will once again capture the imagination of a public incensed with a desire for meaning in their gardening efforts.

This is what Nostradamus was really talking about: Conifers will again be the plant of choice and the gardening public will no longer stand for palms and patented miniature versions of colossal trees constrained like a lion in a cage.

2007 will be the year that gardeners became serious about great trees.

This has been written as part of Problogger's Group Writing Project.

Posted by Stuart at 3:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Sam from Managing Your Garden has come up with 6 Fashion Tips for Gardeners. While it's more about appropriate attire for the garden than limelight-stealing trendiness it's a valid resource for gardeners.

The only fashion tip that I would add would be the inclusion of some gardening overalls. Not that I have a pair - yet (Christmas hint!!!) but I love the idea of having something that I could just slip on without having to throw in the washing pile after a 10 minute gardening stint.

If you really wanted to boost this list as a fashion trend then I guess neck-scarves could be seen as a viable accessorising option. And possibly even a nice garden belt.

Who knows, Yves St Laurent may actually start a gardener's fashion collection!

Posted by Stuart at 5:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Here's Day 7's picture. Any guesses?

What Is This?

Over the next two weeks a picture of a famous garden will be revealed, piece by piece. If you think you know the name of the garden, take a guess in the comments section and the first correct answer will win a $50 Amazon gift voucher just in time for Christmas.

We're into our second week now and more than half of the photo is exposed. Via my stats I can see that a few people are tracing each day's postings but not many are having a guess so let me remind you that you can make one guess per day. The first one to guess correctly picks up the prize so don't hold back.

I'll start adding some clues this week as well to help you out as it is a fairly obscure garden although world-renowned.

Today's Clue:
I have already mentioned that it's not an Australian garden. So my next clue for today is that it isn't a garden that's found in the southern hemisphere. Hope this helps.

Go ahead...take a guess!

Posted by Stuart at 4:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Earlier this year I wrote about our crepe myrtle tree as it was in full flower and growing quite well for only being a 2 year old plant.

Well...this season it's looking healthier than ever. Its leaves are the expected vibrant green and there has been no sunburn on its tips which marred last years flowering season. But the most exciting news is that there is a profusion of blooms all over this tree preparing to open over the Christmas period.

What did we do differently? Firstly, we mulched the soil in early spring with a rich mushroom compost. This helped add some much needed nutrients to the soil and has kept the plant from drying out. We also added some extra blood and bone fertiliser to the garden bed at the same time.

Second, we mended the reticulation so that the crepe myrtle was able to secure a reliable water source. Last year we were having a few issues with our retic that saw every other plant do well but limited our myrtle tree.

I also pruned the crepe myrtle when it was in its dormant period over winter by about a third and continually removed the usual suckers as they appeared. Crepe myrtles have a habit of growing as bushes if you allow them to yet this is not our desire so we need to keep up with removing the suckers that appear at the base of the plant.

Crepe myrtles, or crape myrtles as some people refer to them, are given their name for the papery crepe-like flowers that are produced en masse during the summer season. They begin as a vibrant pink flower and dull down as the age of the blooms increase.

Our particular plant only grows to about 1.5m (3-4ft) but apparently there is a new miniature variety - the dwarf crepe myrtle tree - that will only grow to about 1ft. Its weeping habit ensures that the plant sprawls much wider than the standard crepe myrtle but the profusion of flowering is even more intense.

Posted by Stuart at 3:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Here's Day 6's picture. Any guesses?

What Is This?

Over the next two weeks a picture of a famous garden will be revealed, piece by piece. If you think you know the name of the garden, take a guess in the comments section and the first correct answer will win a $50 Amazon gift voucher just in time for Christmas.

Here are some of the guesses that readers have made already - (unfortunately none of them are correct!!)

Nelumbo - Melbourne's Royal Botanical Garden
Ashlee Walker - Hidcote Manor Garden
Old Roses - Monet's garden at Giverny

So it's still open for anyone to have a go.

Go ahead...take a guess!

Posted by Stuart at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

If you're stuck for buying someone a present this Christmas why not buy them a complete Organic Vegetable Garden for $25.

Intrigued? Read more...

Posted by Stuart at 5:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's Day 5's picture. Any guesses?

What Is This?

Over the next two weeks a picture of a famous garden will be revealed, piece by piece. If you think you know the name of the garden, take a guess in the comments section and the first correct answer will win a $50 Amazon gift voucher just in time for Christmas.

Go ahead...take a guess!

Posted by Stuart at 4:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The first time I planted society garlic they all withered and died. I had planted them facing an easterly aspect with a solid wall behind them. When summer began the heat emanating from the brickwork was too intense and I lost the lot.

Undeterred, I set about purchasing some more and repotting the one plant that survived. Now they reside in my front cottage garden and have grown quite successfully.

I'm a big fan of society garlic (though it's not really a garlic at all - it just smells like one) as it is so adaptable for any garden. Its strappy grey-green foliage contrasts well in a variety of settings and when it blooms the purple flowers dangle from its un-engineered stalks.

Our society garlic has become a permanent resident in our front cottage garden but it could easily suit a succulent garden, a xeriscape planting and would grow equally well as a container plant.

Society garlic needs full-sun but not in a location where it will burn. It flowers from late winter to autumn yet even though the flowers are gorgeous the foliage is the main attraction for the garden planting.

To propagate society garlic you can divide the rhizomous roots during winter or allow seed to set and dry before harvesting. Dividing this plant is by far the more successful of the two methods and also the quickest. However, if you enjoy a challenge and like propagating from your own seeds then it is still an easy way to reproduce them.

To keep your society garlic looking neat deadhead the petals, including the stalks, once the flowers are spent.

Posted by Stuart at 3:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Staring at a digital monitor for hours at a time, especially in an air-conditioned room, has a nasty way of removing all the moisture from your cornea. The condition is known as "dry eyes".

You know you have it when you attempt to blink rapidly or rub them shut with your fingers because the heat is becoming painful. Squinting, excessive blinking and even trying to refocus your vision are keys that dry eyes is setting in and it's time to take a break.

There is an easy solution for rectifying dry eyes though. According to a West Australian article, two Perth optometrists are recommending that people adorn their desk with a pot plant.

That's right - an indoor pot plant.

The easiest of remedies, all one has to do is place the pot plant near themselves as they continue to work. The plant, as part of its natural evapo-transpiration, will increase the ambient humidity of the area you are working in and therefore help keep your dry eyes moist.

The next question that raises its inquisitive head is - Does it matter which indoor plant you place on your desk?

The unequivocal answer is 'Yes'. Plants with broad, larger leaves are far more likely to transpire than strappy foliage. Many common indoor plants such as draceana and kentia palms are probably not suitable to replenish your dry eyes. While spathiphyllum, syngoniums and African violets are exceptional.

Succulents are less beneficial as their water storing qualities prove disadvantageous when wanting to hydrate a room.

Apparently it doesn't matter how large the office space is provided the indoor plant is located near where you work. This is beneficial as you won't require a plant that is proportional to your workspace - and it may even leave enough room for you to work on.

Dry eyes can be rectified through other means, namely using humidifiers to hydrate the airspace, drinking good amounts of water, using eye drops and eating more vegetables. While all those remedies are sound advice it seems that the best alternative that has been provided is the introduction of indoor plants.

Isn't it canny how horticulture can once again benefit mankind's ailments!

Posted by Stuart at 4:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Here's Day 4's picture. Any guesses?

What Is This?

Over the next two weeks a picture of a famous garden will be revealed, piece by piece. If you think you know the name of the garden, take a guess in the comments section and the first correct answer will win a $50 Amazon gift voucher just in time for Christmas.

Go ahead...take a guess!

Posted by Stuart at 4:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's Day 3's picture. Any guesses?

What Is This?

Over the next two weeks a picture of a famous garden will be revealed, piece by piece. If you think you know the name of the garden, take a guess in the comments section and the first correct answer will win a $50 Amazon gift voucher just in time for Christmas.

Go ahead...take a guess!

Posted by Stuart at 3:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's Day 2's picture. Any guesses?

What Is This?

Over the next two weeks a picture of a famous garden will be revealed, piece by piece. If you think you know the name of the garden, take a guess in the comments section and the first correct answer will win a $50 Amazon gift voucher just in time for Christmas.

Go ahead...take a guess!

Posted by Stuart at 4:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Like a 'horse' and 'carriage'; 'fish' and 'chips'; 'sticks' and 'stones' and 'drunk' and 'disorderly' it seems that 'chickens' and 'gardeners' are a match made in heaven.

Gardeners keeping chickens may just be a stereotypical cliche I've accepted all these years and so I'm determined to find out if many people have their own brood, what type of chickens they keep, and why do they keep them?

As suburban blocks become smaller and smaller and housing density increases one can see the writing on the wall that the backyard chicken coop may not be with us for too much longer. In this article [since moved] the lines are already being drawn in one city in the US.

The city codes of Kent require that a gardener wanting to keep chickens must reside on a block larger than half an acre or more.

Even here in Busselton, a sea-side town of 25,000, finding a block that's bigger than 500sqm is hard enough let alone half an acre.

We don't currently have any chickens, although we have had them in the past. We've even had ducks and their offspring for a while as well. However, we would like to have them in the future so if our shire changes the code on keeping chickens we won't be too happy.

Posted by Stuart at 4:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here's Day 1's picture. Any guesses?

What Is This?

Over the next two weeks a picture of a famous garden will be revealed, piece by piece. If you think you know the name of the garden, take a guess in the comments section and the first correct answer will win a $50 Amazon gift voucher just in time for Christmas.

Go ahead...take a guess!

Posted by Stuart at 4:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

This weekend saw me tackle our shed project yet again. This time it was cladding the walls with timber.

The beauty in taking so long in getting this project to completion has meant that we've been able to change our minds a few times. We originally planned to clad the outside in corrugated metal sheeting (Colorbond) until we stumbled upon a farmstyle barn that had been covered with timber.

The timber used on the barn that we looked at was hardwood Jarrah which looked fantastic. However, at triple the price of CCA Farmed Pine we opted for the green approach and decided we could stain it to a jarrah colour and still save some money.

I'm hoping to finish all the cladding this week and even hang my outside door.

Posted by Stuart at 4:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Steve Balogh from Groovy Green, a blog that I subscribe to, has just made a gross judgment error typical of people with axes to grind.

The post poses the question When Is "Enough" Enough? as it points the finger at people "in SUV's" - those degenerate earthwasters - who picked up 2 Christmas trees instead of one. I hope Al Gore doesn't get hold of this newsbreak.

My question is, why is the assumption made that both trees were for the one house? Perhaps we could instead make the assumption that they were picking an extra one for a neighbour or friend thereby saving carbon emissions by only taking the one vehicle.

If people really want the "Green Movement" to gather speed then they must stop picking on others choices. What I have done and am doing to "green-ify" my lifestyle may be much different than what you're doing and vice-versa.

I'm a little sensitive when it comes to green issues at the moment, still smarting from an offhanded comment from a friend who criticised me for considering to sub-divide a suburban block that we were looking at. Everyone seems to have taken on the official "green-police" badge now that An Inconvenient Truth has educated us of all the world's woes.

While I'm considering building a house for someone to live in - we all need somewhere to live - he's taken off for a weekend of waterskiing in his V8 jet boat! Consider the hypocrisy please.

Instead of thinking that everyone else is not as "green" as we are maybe we should assume that everyone is "more" green than we are and try and catch up.

Posted by Stuart at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

In most languages, apart from English, every object has a gender orientation. A table is 'female'; a window is 'male'. So, if inanimate things can be sexually qualified, why not plants?

If you've ever had problems identifying a plant's gender then here is a list to help you get it right.

• PANSIES - Originally female but has been recognised as male in the last 3 decades.
• PETUNIAS - Also predominantly female but can become male on Saturday night after an all-day pedicure.
• FOXGLOVES - Female.
• NICOTIANA - Cuban male.
• EGG & BACON PLANT - Both male and female varieties exist. The female variety has much wider stems the older it becomes while the male version is quite leggy with a robust round form.
• RUDBECKIA - Female. An abrasive plant that draws attention to itself by smothering others.
• LOBELIA - Male. A phlegmatic plant that suffers from drinking too much and enjoys lying anyway other than their own bed.
• POLYANTHUS - Metrosexual.
• PRIMROSE - Not to be grown near Rudbeckia this female plant can suffer greatly at Rudbeckia's expense.
• POACHED EGG PLANT - Female. After seeing the effect of the Egg & Bacon Plant, the Poached Egg Plant is far less hungry - well, it eats far less anyway.
• BUSY LIZZIE - Female. Companion plant to Rudbeckia.
• FUSCHIA - Definitely male. A procrastinating plant it will postpone anything that it can. Never consider this plant's history or current phase. It is "what's coming up" that appears to be important.
• SALVIA - Male. Every female plant wishes for one of these to come into their life as the proverbial "Knight in Shining Armour"
• IMPATIENS - Definitely female.
• CONEFLOWER - Young male.
• STATICE - This male plant won't settle for mediocrity aiming to stand higher than any tall poppies.
• COCKSCOMB - Urbansexual.
• SNAPDRAGON - Recognised in the feminine form ever since this plant was discovered.





Posted by Stuart at 4:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

In the true spirit of Christmas, Gardening Tips 'N' ideas is giving. A $50 Amazon voucher to be precise.

Starting next Monday (Western Australian time - Sunday for Canadian, US and South American readers) and over the next two weeks I will be revealling picture pieces of an internationally renowned garden. The first one to guess which garden it is will pick up the prize and be the envy of the garden blogging community.

Now I need to inform you that the garden will be a little obscure. With so many esteemed gardeners viewing these pages it would be a shame to see the prize go in the first day or two - I want it to be a little challenging at least. However, as time progresses little clues will begin to emerge and hopefully give you a few ideas.

How to Enter:

All you need to do is view the picture and take a guess via the comments page. The only rule is that each person may only have 1 guess per day.

TIP: If you want to see the picture as soon as it's posted it might pay to subscribe via Bloglines or your news aggregator.

All the best, and may the best blogger, or blog reader, win.

Posted by Stuart at 5:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Not long ago I mentioned that I was having troubles with my Camellia plant and how its leaves were turning a spotty brown. Although I asked for suggestions as to what it could be and how I might fix it not many were offered.

So, because I love my Camellia so much (kind of like another child) I went off in search of a solution. A friend of mine, who regularly comments on my garden was perusing with interest when I showed her my sad Camellia plant. To my amazement she informed me of her agricultural science degree and then continued sharing her font of knowledge as I began picking my jaw up from the ground.

Here's what I learned: There are 3 main causes of plant problems and each of them can be read via their leaves. First, it could be a virus. Second, it could be bacterial and third, it could be fungal. Here's how to tell what plant leaf problem you may have;

• Viral - Take a cutting and place it in a glass of water. If the water doesn't change colour then this is the problem.


• Bacterial - Same as with the viral, take a cutting to include the plant leaf and leave it in a glass of water. If the water becomes cloudy or milky then it is a bacteria problem.


• Fungal - Check the plant leaf and if it has hairs growing on it the it is a fungal disease.

There were no hairs on my Camellia leaves so I could safely rule out the problem being fungal. So I took a cutting and left it in a glass of water overnight - the result: clear water. Great. This meant my Camellia has a viral disease for which there is no cure.

Just like a human with a virus there is little you can do other than pamper, nurture and rest them. The bottom half of the camellia is still strong and its leaves are dark green as they should be so it will probably be able to fight back of its own accord.

Now that my friend had helped me diagnose my camellia I was ready to rid my garden of some of its other problems.

My lime tree has been suffering for some time and although it has a ton of fruit blossoming the leaves have all turned light green while the veins have stayed their original colour. She lent me a book on "Diagnosing Deficiencies in Plants" and I was able to deduce that my lime tree is lacking in either iron or manganese. So I plan to rectify that this weekend and will let you know how it comes along.

Posted by Stuart at 5:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you've been following Lisa's blog Millertime recently you would have enjoyed her posts on growing mushrooms indoors. It's a great concept for gardeners wanting to experiment with growing mushrooms and will keep you busy during the cold winter months when everything else in the garden is hibernating.

What was even more exciting about seeing these mushrooms pop up was finding out that it had only taken Lisa 5 days beore she was able to harvest them. The variety Lisa started with was the Oyster Mushroom but any gardener can grow Shiitakes, Enokis and even Morels.

The beauty of growing mushrooms via a kit is the convenience. Most mushroom kits come complete with the substrate (or growing medium) and includes the mycelium ready to bear. Combine the two and Voila! you have an alternative meal for dinner.

Posted by Stuart at 4:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of the most exotic - and in my humble opinion the most delicious - fruits available is the mango. Its fleshy pulp wraps itself around a ginormous hairy pip that challenges you to suck it dry. This of course then becomes a challenge to keep those fine hairs out from between your teeth.

If you have ever experienced the delight of eating a mango you will understand the description. Not a fruit to be digested in front of a potential spouse - certainly not on your first date anyway - the mango has no close cousins. If you tried explaining it to someone who had never seen or heard of this fruit the nearest example would be a ripe peach crossed with an avocado.

But of course, like most things in life, all good things must come to an end. However, with a mango the end is just the beginning.

The hairy pip that gave your teeth a natural flossing is the seed for a brand new mango tree.

How to Grow a Mango Tree

Step 1

Let the seed dry out in a cool location. I find that a bench in the kitchen on top of some paper towel is probably the best place.

Step 2

With a sharp knife open the pip as you would a mussel or an oyster taking care not to cut too deep into the flesh. Prise the casing open and you will find a white, fleshy pip inside that resembles an oversized lima bean.

Step 3

Place the mango pip vertically into a pot that has been prepared with a good seed-raising mix. Dampen the soil and then place a plastic bottle over top to act as a mini-greenhouse.

Leave in a warm shaded spot until the pip germinates.

Step 4

Once the mango pip has germinated it will begin to produce a few leaves at the top of its green stalk. This is the sign that it is growing well and a mango tree is not that far away.

At this point you can remove the plastic bottle provided you have somewhere warm to store it.

Mango trees originate and grow well as a tropical fruit tree so if you plan to grow them out of the tropics you may want to keep them as a container plant. This may be helpful as a mango tree can grow up to 40m making fruit picking an arduous task.

The benefit of keeping a mango tree in a container is that you can move it indoors or into a greenhouse during winter and bring it out again in the summer months. It will take approximately 5 years to reap any fruit from your mango tree but if planted in the ground a mature 20+ year old tree will produce thousands of fruits per annum.

Posted by Stuart at 4:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (61)

One style of garden that I really enjoy - in other gardener's backyards, that is - is a Japanese Rock Garden. Their intricate formality and simple design concepts are breathtakingly beautiful.

So if you are planning a Japanese garden (make sure to add me to your visitors list) here is a great collection of photos that will inspire you to continue designing.

Just make sure you purchase a high-quality rake...

Posted by Stuart at 5:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Amy Young, an artist in Columbus, Ohio has fashioned an interactive art piece based on the digestive cycle. Dubbed the Digestive Table this incredible living masterpiece demonstrates the relationship between mankind ('personkind') and the environment.

The top portal is the entry to an ecosystem of worms, sowbugs and bacteria where the diner places their food and paper scraps. A funnel shaped fabric bag contains the entire ecosystem and completed castings are harvested via the bottom.

The diner can then view the whole process occuring in the bag through the eyes of an imbedded LCD screen. It monitors the activity of the worms and sowbugs through the use of infra-red technology allowing the whole experience to be interactive.

The beauty of Amy's design is that she's included every step and resource required so that if you want to create it yourself it's all possible.

Posted by Stuart at 4:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When I first read the title of this post, "Growing Plants in your Dorm Room" [link no longer valid] I immediately thought - "Are you serious?"

Expecting that it was going to be tips on growing the wacky weed (isn't that what college horticulture is all about?) my mind was put at ease when the Garden Lady answered a students query to vegetate his student housing.

Basically, the tips are the same as if your were to grow indoor plants but I would also add that you could water them with some basic indoor irrigation as well.

One commenter asked what would happen to them during the summer break? This would depend on what type of plants students opted for realising that many of the succulents could look after themselves while others may need a separate water source such as the Plantminder Water Bulbs

While I think the Garden Lady's advice was good I would have suggested plants that were more tolerant of odours such as sweaty gym socks and adolescent boy smells. Plants that could actually purify the air at the same time surely would be beneficial.

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

If a tree could produce offspring the same way as a human then the Baobab tree would be the expression of its pregnancy. Its bloated trunk storing enough water to feed it through the tropical dry season is the main feature of this amazing tree.

Native to Africa and India, predominantly focusing around the equator is Adansonia digitata while its counterpart Adansonia gregorii is native to northern Australia.

I remember first seeing these trees springing out of a desolate earth when I drove to Kununurra nearly 20 years ago. As the vegetation changed and plants became lower to the ground these towering baobab trees ("Boab" in Australian) stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb.

Silhouetted against a dimming red sky their deciduous form took on a gracefulness that defied comprehension. The baobab's limbs hardly move in the breeze and it takes a tropical cyclone to see them sway in any visible manner.

For nine months of the year the baobab has no leaves and flowers only during the summer. It sets seed pods toward the end of summer maturing in early winter which conatin kidney shaped seeds that are hard and predominantly white.

It is possible to grow a baobab tree in your backyard without living in the tropics - but it isn't easy. Firstly your gardening zone needs to be frost free with a fairly low annual rainfall. Warm summers and mild winters are the baobab's preferred growing climate and they don't need much watering.

To propagate from seed you will need to scarify the kidney shaped seed with a file and then soak in hot water for a couple of hours. Smoking them may also be beneficial providing the seed doesn't dry out. Then plant in a well draining potting mix and leave on a window ledge to sprout.

Baobab trees are slow growing reaching a maximum height of 15-20m (50-65ft) with a similar sized circumference.

In Africa, every part of the baobab are used by indigenous peoples. The fruit can be eaten, leaves are used for medicinal purposes and the bark and roots are used to make rope or cloth. In early Australian culture they were even used as Prison trees.

Posted by Stuart at 3:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

I no longer subscribe to any magazines but occassionally pick one up at the newsagents if it catches my attention. So, being the nosy blogger that I am, I'm keen for you to divulge your personal preferences when it comes to subscribing or buying gardening magazines.

And, has your subscriptions changed since you began reading blogs?

Posted by Stuart at 4:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

It's great to be back in front of the computer again after what seems like an eternity of blogging drought - in reality it's only been 5 days.

Where have I been?

For the three days from Wednesday last week, I was involved in a school leadership camp based in Perth. My role was to facilitate a group of eight 16 year olds as they traversed through the city and outer metropolitan areas looking for objects and scoring points. The camp is known as the Cool School Race Camp and has elements that are similar to the TV series The Amazing Race.

It was a full 3 days and I slept incredibly well Friday night and as much of Saturday morning as I was allowed. Needless to say my appetite to be blogging again has grown and I'm excited to be reading others blogs and adding to this one.

Posted by Stuart at 3:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)