With Starbucks, and now other cafe's, giving away their used coffee grounds to home gardeners what are we supposed to do with this free resource?

Fortunately Sustainable Enterprises have come up with a few pointers to help us out;

• Sprinkle used grounds around plants before rain or watering, for a slow-release nitrogen.
• Add to compost piles to increase nitrogen balance. Coffee filters and tea bags break down rapidly during composting.
• Dilute with water for a gentle, fast-acting liquid fertilizer. Use about a half-pound can of wet grounds in a five-gallon bucket of water; let sit outdoors to achieve ambient temperature.
• Mix into soil for houseplants or new vegetable beds.
• Encircle the base of the plant with a coffee and eggshell barrier to repel pests - this is the one that most interests me. I'm going to give it a try around my agapanthus and see if it does the trick.
• If you are into vermi-posting, feed a little bit to your worms

If you have other uses for Starbucks coffee grounds in the garden let me know.

Posted by Stuart at 7:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

If you've been following the health industry with any interest you would have noticed a product called Himalayan Goji juice being touted as the next big thing in health food supplements. We've seen it all before with mangosteens, acai and even hoodia gordonii and I'm sure goji berries won't be the last.

Each of these so-called 'incredible health supplements' have surpassed each other making mangosteen and acai juice so yesterday! But, for the time being goji berries are the flavour of the month which entitles manufacturers of goji juice to charge a truckload for their products - apparently.

So, I'm not about to argue whether the hype is real or not but for those who are convinced it's the health supplement of the century, let me show you how to grow goji berries.

History of goji berries

Before you race out and buy some goji seed it may pay to read up on it's preferred climate and history.

Firstly, as most overzealous marketers would want you to believe that goji berries are grown in the Tibetan Himalayas according to this report at least, it's most probably not the case. It is far more likely that goji berries come from Lycium barbarum a plant native to China.

Having grown well in the UK since 1730 and now being tested by home gardeners in the US there's reason to believe that goji berries could survive many of our gardens.

Goji berries are not keen on tropical climates but are able to stave off frosts in cold climate gardens.

How to grow goji berries

While many nurseries are now stocking goji plants the easiest, and by far the cheapest, way to start a goji is by planting from seed. If dried goji berries are available in your area then its possible to remove the seeds and germinate as you normally would for any seed propagation.

Once the seedlings have produced 3-4 leaves repot them and continue growing in containers until they are at least 15-20cm tall. When they reach this height they can easily be transplanted to their garden position in late autumn or early spring.

A good dose of slow-release fertiliser around their drip line in spring will help them with fruit set and encourage strong root growth.

How long do goji berries take to mature?

Lycium barbarum will set its flowers in summer to early autumn and the berries will mature by the end of autumn and into early winter. The goji berries start off green and ripen to a dark red and look similar in shape to tamarillos.

Are goji berries edible?

Of course, however they are not usually eaten fresh but are either cooked or dried. They are used extensively in Chinese cooking flavouring rice and wet dishes. However, they can be eaten dried and apparently are similar in taste to a dried tomato with the texture of a raisin.

Posted by Stuart at 6:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

If you're trying to save money on your garden fence there are many ways to be creative and stick within your budget. It all depends, however, on what you want your fence to do.

If it's just for the sheer aesthetic value making a cheap garden fence is very achievable. But, if you plan to secure your home and make it more impenetrable than Fort Knox you may have to fork out a few dollars.

Rustic Wooden Fence

This wooden fence is high on the aesthetic value and low on the security side and would be quite easy for an DIY landscaper to construct in a spare weekend. Depending on your location, sourcing the materials shouldn't be hard and in most cases can be accessed from your own property or local forest. Even secondhand wood from building sites would work well.

White Picket Fence

This garden fence is almost an institution especially amongst cottage gardeners. Your budget will dictate what's possible with erecting a white picket fence but if your trying to keep it cheap I would recommend scrounging through demolition or salvage yards.

One of the big downsides to picket fences is the constant maintenance. So, while you may be able to buy cheap pickets it would certainly be worth your time investing in a good exterior white paint and using galvanized nails or screws. They will both cost a little more but will save you years on maintaining it.

BTW - picket fences don't have to be white!!

Dry Stone Wall

If larger rocks can be easily and cheaply accessed in your area then a dry stone wall is possibly the best option for a high security fence made within a limited budget. There is no mortar or steel rods to purchase and no footings to be laid. It's just a matter of positioning your rocks so that the wall interlocks with itself.

The added advantage of a dry stone wall is that once it's completed there is no further ongoing maintenance and it will last for centuries - if it's been well constructed.

Bamboo Fence

Like the dry stone wall, if bamboo is easily accessible (try areas where it has become an invasive weed) then erecting a bamboo fence is also going to be a relatively cheap option. Bamboo is also very strong so if the garden fence is constructed well it should offer some degree of security as well as looking great.

The bamboo fence is another option that is low in maintenance and won't require painting or costly oils. If bamboo isn't available in your area, then brushwood may be worth considering as well. Both types of fence will take some time to tie up but it is much cheaper to do it yourself than buy sheets already prepared.

Rusty Iron Fence

The beauty of garden fences is the ability to hide them with creepers and climbing plants. Thus, you can easily source old rusty iron fencing from a salvage yard and then hide it as you allow your creeping plants to grow over it. An iron fence like this should offer some privacy and also a high level of security. Plus, once it's grown over will also prove to be incredibly aesthetic.

This is also another low maintenance garden fence and you may even decide to allow some of it to show between your plants to add to the effect.

Brick Fence

Using recycled bricks, a brick fence can be one of the cheapest yet high security garden fence options on offer. Unlike the dry stone wall you will need to also purchase and mix up some mortar to hold them together but this shouldn't be too expensive.

Leaving the gaps in the fence like this will compromise whether you're after privacy or a cheap fence. If you would rather more privacy then make the gaps smaller or non-existent. Otherwise, relish in the knowledge that you saved yourself some extra bucks.

Bottle Fence

For a slightly more eccentric look you could construct a bottle fence. The idea is that from the street it looks like a wall of bottles that you would find in a cellar but it's been glued together with mortar to form an impenetrable garden fence. If you have an abundance of large bottles then this is not only a cheap option but also a very easy one.

You also have the ability to make patterns in the wall with different coloured glass bottles. Even adding some paint to the mortar joints or using a pigmented mortar can add some extra aesthetic value.

Are there any that I've missed? How did you save money on your garden fence?

Posted by Stuart at 6:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

It's that time again.

That's right, it's your chance to pick up a great prize thanks to a very generous sponsor. We'll start it off on Friday June 1 (Western Australian time) and explain all the details of what's involved then.

But I will give you one clue - it does involve taking photos, so get the lens cap off and dust the glass this is going to be a lot of fun...

Posted by Stuart at 7:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

There are two ways to feed plants and gardeners are often divided as to which method is the best. Some swear that foliage fertiliser sprays are the most efficient and effective method at delivering nutrients to a plant. Others, especially the permaculture set, are adamant that ground based fertilisers are the better of the two.

Well, it may just be that both are essential. In fact, using both foliar spray and slow-release fertilisers may be an even better outcome for you plants.

We've been re-indoctrinated to believe that the soil in which a plant grows is the most important element in our garden's health. And quite rightly so. However, this has come at a cost because our perceptions of foliar spray fertilisers has become more negative.

We know and understand that plants receive most of their nutrients through their root system. If the soil is healthy and well nourished then the plant can feed well and grow with a minimum of fuss and problems. Even pests and disease are less likely to trouble our plants.

What we may not know is that using foliage fertilisers may actually increase that intake - and exponentially as well.

This report explains the process;

By applying a foliar fertiliser directly to the leaf, it increases the activity in the leaf, at the same time increasing chlorophyll and thus photosynthesis. Because of this increased activity, it increases the need for water by the leaf. In turn this increases water uptake by the plants vascular system, which in turn increases the uptake of nutrients from the soil.

So, in actual fact while we need to maintain the nutrients in the soil the use of foliage fertilisers can increase their effectiveness and the plants efficiency at using them.

How to use foliar spray fertilisers

Foliage fertilisers always retail in liquid form, or at least in powder form that requires them to be dissolved in water. This is the best way for your plants to draw their nutrients from the fertiliser.

Most plants will only require a slow-release fertiliser application once at the start of each growing season. However, foliage fertilisers can be applied much more often and this depends on the type of plant grown.

• Perennials - should only require a foliar spray every 6-8 weeks during their flowering or growing season.
• Annuals - are much heavier feeders because their whole growth needs to be completed from seedling to producing plant within one growing season. Therefore, their fertilising needs are heavier and they will require a foliage fertiliser every 3 weeks at a minimum.
• Vegetables - on the other hand, vegies need even more and should be fed through their foliage every week during their production season. This will stave off any pest and disease problems and increase the yields of your vegetables.
• Fruit - if you compare the speed of most fruit trees from flower to produce you will notice that it is considerably slower than say, a carrot crop which can be ready within 12 weeks. Therefore, there is less need for fruit trees to be fertilised and these should be treated the same as your annuals.

With foliar spray fertilisers, the key nutrients you want to impart are potassium and phosphorous - in that order. Nitrogen, which is responsible for leaf growth, is your least desired element as the foliage will grow well to the detriment of fruit and flowers.

One of the most popular foliar spray fertilisers is fish emulsion. However, it's not the best as most fish emulsions usually have a ratio of 5:1:1 which is great for growth to the exclusion of blooms and fruit. You would be better finding a liquid fertiliser with an NPK ratio of 1:1:1.5.

So, the final outcome is that both are necessary. We need to feel our soils with slow-release fertilisers, compost and other organic materials but we should also be feeding our plants with foliar sprays to help them grow.

Posted by Stuart at 7:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

As it's coming to the end of another month I thought I'd take a step back in time an review what was being talked about on this blog 12 months ago. Some of the gardening tips that were given then are still very much applicable today and while the race is always on to share something new, it's also good to take stock of the past.

So, here are some of the tips that were given in May 2006,

• Planting and transplanting tulip bulbs growing tulips is an enviable passion because they have such beautiful blooms. If you take the time to look after them they will continue to reward you year after year.
• A review of compost tumblers composters are a great tool in the garden but it depends on how you plan to use one that determines which tumbler is best for your specific lifestyle.
• Caring for African Violets one of the most popular indoor plants have their own requirements and needs to grow them well.
• Are you a green thumb gardener? this was a humorous look at whether you could claim to be a dinky-di green thumb gardener. Those who struggled to to know if a lettuce was a weed or not - possibly should take up another hobby.
• How to grow Lobelia from seed these annuals are always present in nurseries and garden centres as seedlings but how can you grow them straight from the packet? Easy.
• Honey Beekeeping for the Beginner if you've ever wanted to keep bees on your property then it's not a formidable task. Sure, it's not a walk in the park either but there are some great tips to help you get started.

I hope you enjoyed that little trot through the archives and I look forward to hearing your comments.

Posted by Stuart at 6:35 AM | Permalink

Plumbago, otherwise known as leadwort, is a well-known flowering shrub in Australia. It is one of my wife's favourite plants and I often get the question "Can we grow one of those in our garden?" to which I have refused point blank.

The reason: Plumbago just grows too big for most small gardens.

It's the kind of plant that you would expect to find on your grandma's farm. It will either be grown as a screen or hedging plant or dotted amongst large garden beds. In that era of gardening, plants were handed down by cuttings from neighbours and ceremoniously plonked in a spare spot. Landscaping and garden design weren't high on the agenda so it just became another filler shrub with pretty flowers.

Most suburban gardeners seem to have adopted a similar attitude and after a few years of healthy growth they find themselves with an enormous plant sprawling over their delicate flowering beauties. When this happens, they either tear them out of the ground or remove every other plant to accommodate the spread.

So, if you want to grow Plumbago you really need to have enough room to allow it's rampant growth. Plumbago auriculata, probably the most common species, will grow at least 3m (10ft) high and the same, if not more, wide. As you can see, it's not a plant that you want to grow in between a couple of rose bushes.

Yet, while its size is a little daunting, if you have the room then it is one of the best plants to have growing in your garden. It's drought-tolerant. It will easily put up with poor soil and it doesn't need to be pruned each year. Plus, it flowers profusely from early spring through late autumn. What more could you want in a plant?

However, it does appreciate the warmth and won't tolerate the frost. Originating from South Africa, the Plumbago enjoys warm to tropical climates and grows well along the coast.

How to propagate Plumbago

Propagating plumbago is just as easy as growing it. It can either be cultivated by germinating seed collected in autumn or via softwood cuttings during the growing season.

Posted by Stuart at 6:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

For the ultimate in quick and easy productive gardening, growing plants in straw bales would have be the outright winner. No soil. No garden edging. No digging. Just a bale of hay.

When we think of growing plants, we tend to assume that soil is the only medium that we can plant into. It's just not the case. Most organic materials provide a great growing medium for plants.

So, how do you do it?

Here's Kent Rogers 10 day preparation schedule;

• Days 1–3 Water the bales thoroughly and keep them wet.
• Days 4–6 Sprinkle the bales with 1/2 cup of ammonium nitrate (32-0-0) per bale per day, and water it well into the bales. I didn’t have any trouble finding ammonium nitrate from my local ag-supply store. They sold it in 40-pound bags. I have heard, however, that some people have had difficulty finding it in more urban settings. Ask around.
• Days 7–9 Cut back to 1/4 cup of ammonium nitrate per bale per day and continue to water it in well.
• Day 10 No more ammonium nitrate, but do add 1 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer per bale and water it in well.
• Day 11 Transplant your plants into the bales. I used a spatula to make a crack in the bale for each plant. Place the plant down to its first leaf and close the crack back together as best you can.

If you go buying ammonium nitrate in bulk you're probably going to raise some security alarm bells, especially if you live in the US, UK or Australia. Plus, ammonium nitrate is expensive and hard to find. There are some alternatives however with Urea being the next best option (46-0-0) and an organic substitute is poultry manure.

If you want to use the chicken manure then you will need to prepare it in a bucket by just covering it with water and leaving for 2-3 days to rot. This will remain as a liquid that can be poured over the straw bales at the same rate as the ammonium nitrate.

How to grow plants in a straw bale

Once your plants are in the straw bale it's just a matter of maintaining them as you would in the soil. The only proviso to this is that because a straw bale has a greater surface area (the top plus 4 sides) it will have more chance of drying out.

I would advise that you grow two bales together with their long sides butting up against each other and then continuing a row with more straw bales end to end. This will significantly reduce the surface area and evaporation won't occur so readily.

This method of growing plants is mainly successful only with vegetable crops and predominantly those that grow above the surface. The only vegetables that won't grow well in straw bales are your umbellifers (potatoes, swedes, carrots etc) and your alliums (garlic, leeks, onions etc).

You will need to continue adding your chosen fertiliser - ammonium nitrate, urea or poultry manure - every 3-4 weeks. Plus, you might want to use a liquid fertiliser as well.

Posted by Stuart at 6:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Your garden soil is your greatest asset. If it's kept healthy and alive then growing plants won't be a problem. But, if you ignore it, abuse it, or work it too hard you will find that your plants aren't going to stick around.

Organic Gardening came up with this great list of tests that you can perform in your own garden to bring your soil up to speed.

1. Soil structure & tilth Dig a hole to the depth of a shovel and crumble the soil in your hand. It will either be cloddy, powdery, or granular. Granular is the ideal as it allows better movement of air and water.
2. Compaction
   Drive a piece of thin wire into the soil. The point at which it bends displays where the soil is becoming too compact. A foot or more of easily penetrable soil is ideal as compacted soil inhibits root growth.
3. Workability
   Simply judge the effort necessary to prepare beds for planting. If it's too hard to work with your soil then you will have many problems with your plants.
4. Soil Organisms
   Dig a hole about 6 inches deep and inspect the animal life present. This includes earthworms, centipedes, spiders and other insects. If you count less than 10, your soil does not have enough active players in the food chain. The reason why this is so important is that the more active life beneath the surface of your soil, the less chance of disease and other pests.
5. Earthworms
   As with the last test, dig another hole and count the number of wriggling earthworms. Three worms are good, five are better. No worms = low quality organic soil.
6. Plant residue
   One month after turning over your cover crop, re-dig the area and inspect the decomposition. If you can still recognise plant parts as well as plant fibers and darkly colored humus this demonstrates that the soil activity is good.
7. Plant vigor
   All factors being equal (no adverse climate problems or seed timing issues) then your plants should be healthy. They should also be relatively uniform in their growing stages, size and colour.
8. Root development
   Dig up a growing weed and inspect its root development. The roots should have white, fine strands that appear healthy. Brown roots indicate drainage problems and stunted roots may show that disease has set in.
9. Water infiltration
   Remove the bottom from a tin can and insert it into the soil leaving 3 inches above the surface. Fill with water and time how long it takes for the water to dissipate. Repeat this several times until the rate of absorption slows and your times become consistent. Anything slower than 1/2 to 1 inch per hour is an indication of compacted soil.
10. Water availability
    After a soaking rain record how long it takes for your plants to show signs of thirst. The basic lesson is that if plants require more frequent watering than typical for your region, your soil is probably the culprit.

Posted by Stuart at 7:01 AM | Permalink

One of the best gardening books that I have laid my hands on recently is William Bryant Logan's The Tool Book. Thumbing through the pages, you could be forgiven for thinking that it was just a catalogue of gardening implements. But, as you start to read Logan's dialogue you get a sense that this book is more than pretty pictures and fluffy content.

The Tool Book is really a history lesson dating back to when mankind began to till the soil and make it useful. He explains each garden tool - yes, even the ones that have you completely baffled as to their use - and muses over how they came to be, how they have been refined and current expressions and ways to use them.

The one thing that struck me was that Logan doesn't just describe a 'hoe' as a 'hoe'. It's either a 'weeding hoe' or 'cultivating hoe' and its specific design has been styled for a unique purpose (not that this would surprise Carol). And, every other tool in the book gets the same treatment.

For gardeners new to their hobby, and even those who have been enjoying this pastime for a while, the Tool Book is sure to open your eyes to some great tools and their purposes. In fact, if I were a brand new gardener this book would be the first thing I read as it will propel your gardening knowledge beyond your current experiences.

Logan's The Tool Book is one of those must-have reads that will probably take pride of place in your gardening collection. Its design is simple and easy to use and you will find yourself coming back to it time and time again to find better ways of doing the same job.

Posted by Stuart at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

There is a debate waging in gardening circles over the common practice of discarding potting soil in favour of fresh material every time a gardener transplants or repots a plant. Even Marie Iannotti is polling gardeners as to their use and re-use of potting mix.

Jeff Ball from Gardening and Yardening has rebutted the timeless advice offered by many a gardening expert, instead choosing to renew his potting mix and reuse it. But is it wise to counter expert opinion and go against the grain of traditional thinking?

At AllExperts.com, another subsidiary of About.com, resident gardening expert James L. Crowder is an obvious proponent of dumping used potting mix and advising gardeners to use fresh. In one piece of advice to a fellow gardener who was requesting suggestions for a struggling tree, Crowder finishes his response with "If you can repot it, throw away the old soil, don't reuse it.".

Without reading the question one might assume that the querying gardener has soil-borne problems that are killing her plant. However, the soil has nothing to do with her question. It's merely a problem with a rootbound tree that's too big for its current container.

So why does Crowder give her the advice to discard her potting soil?

Well, if you look back at where most gardening 'experts' get their knowledge from you will notice that they mainly come out of large horticultural industries or botanical gardens where plants are produced en masse. In this environment every aspect of potting; from the air quality, plant specimen, sterilization of potting containers and the potting mix itself, is imperative to be in prime condition.

If there were to be an outbreak of any form of disease in this climate their plant stocks would be devastated. Penn State University advises that "A potting mix that has been treated to kill plant pathogens or a soilless mix purchased with the assurance of being free of pathogens should be handled as if it were food and kept free of unwanted organisms."

So the big question for home gardeners is, "Do we need to be that safe when planting?" And the answer is an unequivocal "No".

Sure, home gardeners can still lose plants to soil-borne diseases but unless you're potting plants in vast quantities or you grow rare and exotic plants then reusing your potting soil is fine. Obviously you take a risk and even Jeff admits to falling victim to one of these but candidly brushes it off as a rarity.

To answer the burning question - it comes down to personal preference. If you're not worried that the potting soil may be infested and the likelihood of loosing some of your plants is a reality then reuse the mix as Jeff has prescribed. Otherwise, recycle it by adding to a 'hot' compost heap and find some fresh medium to grow your plants in.

Posted by Stuart at 6:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Autumn is not the most exciting season in our garden, so I don't have a lot to share with you. But, I do have a few good pics that can display some of what's going on.

Enjoy...

Posted by Stuart at 6:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Could there be anything worse for a gardener to find their favourite blooms having succumbed to plant wilt? Maybe. Perhaps finding a deer (or a kangaroo) eating your prized peonies could be a little distressing. Or, just looking up as your 3-year old snips the single bud off your chrysanthemum that was destined for glory at the local show.

These things could certainly test your patience but unlike these scenarios plant wilt can be avoided in most cases. For many beginner gardeners our desire to succeed and see our plants do well can actually be the reason they die. Too much TLC and love and attention is harmful, and can be fatal.

So, why do plants wilt and what can be done to minimise the risk.

1. Overwatering - this is a common mistake with growing indoor plants. We often water them the same as we would those growing outdoors but forget that evaporation is much lower inside. So plants end up sitting in very moist soil and their roots begin to struggle.

   Overwatering is also a common mistake early in Spring as gardeners adjust to their plant's requirements. We're eager to see them grow that we begin watering a little too early.



2. Lack of water - the flip side of the first problem is not watering them enough. If your plants are wilting because the soil has become too dry then the obvious solution is to begin watering them and keep this constant until the plant picks up again.

   Container plants have a knack of drying out quicker than those growing in the ground. So, the best way to resuscitate your pot plants is to plunge them into a bucket of water and hold until all the air bubbles have subsided. Note: this is only for extreme cases.



3. Too much sun - plant wilt often happens when you're growing them in the wrong position or if indoors, the plant is too close to a window. Too much sun for a shade loving plant is like too much social activity for an introvert.

   If outdoors, try moving your plant to another garden bed where it is less likely to be scorched by the sun's rays. Indoor plants may need to be moved away from the window but still where it can receive some indirect sunlight.



4. Not enough sun - and this ties in with the overwatering idea. Plants wilt sometimes because they're not receiving enough sunlight. Picture an extrovert confined to a cubicle office space every day and you'll understand the problem. The answer, again, is to move them.


5. Rootbound plants - often plants can outgrow their containers if they're not transplanted very year or two. Once a plant gets too large for its pot it struggles to draw nutrients and moisture from the soil - if there is any left, that is.

   The answer is to repot your plant into a larger container and use some quality potting mix as its growing medium.



6. Too much fertiliser - overzealous gardeners can cause plant wilt just by feeding it too much. When adding fertiliser to a plant's growing medium, whether it be soil or potting mix, take into account the size of the plant and when you last fed it. Plants don't usually become obese, they just die.

   Try using slow release fertilisers where possible and usually they should only be added at the start of the growing season and again during flowering times.



7. Disease - plants can often wilt as a result of an infection as well. There are a few main types of plant wilt related to disease, namely - Fusarium wilt which is a fungal disease common to cotton, tomatoes and palms. This type of wilt can be controlled via a fungicide which should be used as per the directions. Other forms are Bacterial wilt and Verticillium wilt.
   

So, finding your favourite plant wilt doesn't mean it's the end of it. There are some things you can do to try and save all your effort and hopefully turn your plant around so that it blooms another day.

Posted by Stuart at 6:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

For gardeners living with limited space, a herb spiral may be a good method to incorporate some of your favourite herbs into the garden. It winds its way from the base into the centre perched more than a metre above ground level giving enough room to nearly all your herbs.

The herb spiral is a permaculture gardening method that uses nature to its full potential. Gravity allows the water to seep through the levels meaning that the plants at the top get full drainage while the ones at the bottom may reside in a simple bog. It also gives your herbs shady spots with varying degrees. The herbs that need full-sun can be grown in those positions while more shade loving plants can be located on the opposite side.

Here's a great resource for those needing to know which herbs to grow in a herb spiral by considering their light and watering requirements.

Another benefit of a herb spiral is the ease in which one can access the plants whether it be to pick or to plant and maintain them. The spiral doesn't take too much space and its varying heights means that you're not always bending over - much better for the knees and back.

How to build a herb spiral

Obviously, the first requirement is to choose the materials you plan to build with. I have seen these made from staggered PVC piping (100mm diameter), clay tubing and rocks and stones.

Next, drive a stake into the centre of where you plan to construct your herb spiral. Tie a piece of string (1m wide) to the centre and using a loose stake tied at the other end, mark out a circle. This will give you your base measurements and a place to start. If you're using the pipe or tubing you won't need to measure a circle this wide.

Using your chosen materials start forming a base by adding a perimeter of material and filling it with good draining soil. Continue until this base is about 30-40cm high.

Then, take the spiral from one of the sides and begin to work your way in, and up, to the centre adding materials to create a barrier and filling it with soil. Once finished it should stand about 1m high and have come to a small central planting area.

Water well and leave for a few days to settle in before planting. When the spiral seems like it won't move any further and the soil has compacted a little, it is time to begin planting.

Posted by Stuart at 6:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

I usually become bored with blogs by photographers as they all seem to assume that their pictures speak a thousand words. They post an image and then leave it up to the reader to take it or leave it - the latter being my default choice.

That was until I came across David Perry's blog. With a camera, this guy seems unstoppable and his photographs really don't need any explanations, but fortunately he continues the story each time. With some posts, the journey progresses with follow-up images while others continue with descriptions, anecdotes and general observations.

I have never REALLY raved about any other blog until stumbling across David's. Some have awesome images. Some have great written material. But most sadly lack when it comes to both. David's blog succeeds.

And what I enjoy more about David's candid thoughts is that they come from a guy who acknowledges his gardening experience and limitations. This is how he describes his blog;

If I were to somehow leave the impression that I consider myself some sort of gardening expert, I’d be misleading you.

I’m not. I am instead a practicing gardener, still quite capable of unintentionally wounding and sometimes even killing plants that I really just want to nurture, a guy who despite that (ironically), has always found healing with his hands in the soil. I’m also a guy who sometimes struggles with feelings of inadequacy in the presence of gardeners who can see so much deeper into a garden’s bones than I, so much more intuitively into a plant’s nature ...and lets not even get into those who can effortlessly rattle off the Latin name of every botanical specimen in sight. This blog is not about gardening expertise or plant snobbery. It is about permission, a sort of blue-collar love affair with gardens.

And oh yeah, coupled with that from time to time, a bit of shared expertise in the art of actively seeing ...and then capturing what one sees.

Plus he shoots his pictures from a Canon EOS1D - just wait while I wipe up the drool.

If there were a blog that I would truly recommend for the feed reader - David's is it!

Posted by Stuart at 6:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

As most gardeners are aware, trees are responsible for turning our polluted breathing space back into oxygen to replenish our air stocks. They inhale CO2 and exhale O2 which is the complete opposite of homo sapiens. So, in a balanced world trees make sense.

However, it seems that their task on regenerating life is failing. Reports have indicated a recent surge in greenhouse gases has not come from industry or personal misuse but rather from trees and plants finding that they are unable to cope with global warming. They are not absorbing the amounts of pollution they once could.

Up until now the environment has been able to account for at least half of all human pollution.

While this predicament is an alarming one Treehugger reader noted that it may have little to do with the amount of pollution and more to do with a lack in rainfall. Given that climate change occurs randomly, this phenomena may be just that.

It will be interesting to see how this pans out over the next decade as scientists continue to gauge the effects of our polluting lifestyles. Their fears are that unless major change happens within the next 10 years, the damage will become irreversible.

Posted by Stuart at 5:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Strawberries don't grow on trees, Stuart! I can hear your thought patterns already and, admittedly, the first time I heard about these trees my mythbusting senses launched into overdrive.

But I have since seen the error of my ways and am now the proud owner of this gorgeous specimen tree. It has taken pride of place in a bed that we've been renovating and when fully grown should give us a little more privacy - and hopefully an abundance of fruit.

As our garden is limited in space, choosing trees is a very delicate operation - there is only so much room. So when we go shopping for a tree it must meet a few essential criteria before finally getting the nod. Firstly, it can't grow more than 10m (32ft) and preferably no more than 5m (16ft).

Next, it needs to be ornamental. That is, it needs to have a nice shape, pretty flowers and great looking bark. The Irish Strawberry Tree excels on each of these conditions. Its bark is a deep red maturing to a dark brown. The flowers are a brilliant white and resemble Lily-of-the-Valley in shape and growing habit and are profuse in autumn and winter.

Our final pre-requisite for making it into our garden is that it should fruit. This is more an ideal condition than mandatory, but it makes sense to grow trees and plants that do more than look nice. If they can produce something that's edible then it adds to its desirability. The Strawberry tree, Arbutus unedo, fruits every spring after the flowers have bloomed and commence their life green, ripening through yellow and finally maturing a striking red that resemble strawberries.

We often like to choose deciduous trees over evergreens because we like the effect when winter rolls around. But since we have our Silver Birch, Crepe Myrtle and Magnolia soulangeana and a myriad of roses in the front garden, it seemed that an evergreen might be better placed. The strawberry tree is an evergreen and its lush green foliage is similar to a camellia in shape and colour but a little smaller.

Where can Strawberry Trees be grown?

The strawberry tree can be grown in more mediterranean style gardens but will also relish any garden that doesn't suffer from annual snowfall. It needs full-sun and can even withstand prevailing winds provided it's mulched well and planted in fertile, well-drained loam.

Due to the strawberry tree's proficiency in producing fruit, you may want to plant this tree somewhere that is accessible and won't drive the neighbours mad by dropping its yields over their fence.

How to care for a Strawberry Tree

It's best to prune your strawberry tree after fruiting at the end of summer. This process should be limited to tip and shape pruning and when you've finished, fertilise with a handful or two of blood 'n' bone and collar the root ball with a slow-release fertiliser.

Like most fruiting trees, the strawberry tree does require more moisture than annual rainfall and the soil should be kept damp especially through the summer months.

Apart from these points the strawberry tree is mainly low-maintenance and should provide a great source of edible fruits and look great at the same time.

Posted by Stuart at 6:32 AM | Permalink

It's finally official...

After nearly two months of anticipation the Inaugural Mouse & Trowel Awards have been decided. And the big winners were GardenRant and Digging both scooping three awards each with GardenRant taking the coveted Garden Blog of the Year. Congratulations to the Ranters and Pam - you deserve your accolades.

Equally deserving, Yolanda Elizabet's Bliss took out the award for Best International Garden Blog. This is a great one for the feed reader as Yolanda shares some wonderful pics of her garden and even some of the projects she has undertaken. And all this coming from Dinteloord in the Netherlands.

But certainly the most praise should go to Colleen from In the Garden Online for running such a great competition. I'm looking forward to seeing who will appear next year and hopefully Colleen with continue with it again. Big, big Kudos!!

To all those faithful readers who voted for Gardening Tips 'n' Ideas - a quick hat tip to you. I was amazed that this blog even made the nominations so I'm truly honoured. Thanks again.

Posted by Stuart at 5:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

If you're looking for a new way to decorate your iGoogle search page then the Featured Gardening Blog gadget may be the answer. This new gadget has been developed to randomly feature a blog from the Blotanical every time you refresh your page.

For more information and how to install, read here...

Posted by Stuart at 8:13 AM | Permalink

We're another step closer to getting our new hedge in the ground (for new readers this is why) as I have now taken a heap of softwood cuttings - more than we actually need - and stored them in the shadehouse.

The plan is that these will develop roots over the winter months and hopefully we should be able to repot them into individual containers by spring. With this time delay we probably won't be putting these in the ground until Spring 2008 which leaves the garden bed barren until then. However, we will most likely opt for some flowering annuals just to fill the beds this season.

It might have been easier, though definitely not cheaper, to have bought the lavender plants as 200mm pots now but I'm keen to get started with some more propagation. It's been almost 4 years since I have had the space to propagate anything so I'm 'itching at the bit' to get more plants on the go.

I'm also keen to develop my own seed-raising mix using the compost I've made. It seems every Tom, Dick and Harry has a formula for making their own but they differ greatly in their ratios. So, I'm testing some varied ingredients some using river sand, others using cheap bags of potting mix that I've modified but all incorporating the compost. So, we will see how this all ends up. Hopefully some will survive.

Posted by Stuart at 7:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The problem with growing vegetables is they take a season to grow and we only have limited space to grow them in. Which leaves us in an unenviable predicament - which ones should we grow?

With so many varieties of tomato (as an example) - which ones get the nod and which ones don't? And, why? Do we opt for new species? Taste? Shape and size? Or, yield?

I'm sure every gardener has their own rationale for deciding upon which plants to grow and for the most part they're not incredibly difficult choices. So, what do you do if the choice comes down to the final two and you're struggling to make a decision?

Well here are a few tips to help you make that choice;

1. Eeny-meeny-miney-mo - I can sense the contempt in your attitude already!!!! Work with me, people! Sure, this is a child's form of decision making but don't discount it so readily. The eeny-meeny-miney-mo process has a lot going for it. Firstly, you are guaranteed of a result. Second, you can sway the outcome by adding extra eeny-meenies into the mix and finally it's a method that is easy to remember and is universally accepted - and understood.


2. He loves me - he loves me not - taking the process up another step we find the eternal flower-petal discardation (that's my word, but you can use it if you like) technique. As with the eeny-meeny process it must provide a result as each flower only has so many petals. Obviously, it's a little more destructive and I'm not sure Al Gore wouldn't have a thing or two to say about it, but it's a small price to pay to arrive at a decision making conclusion.


3. Paper-Scissors-Rock - you will need another person to help you with this decision. If you're trying to sway the vote, Dumb Little Man has some great tips on how to win this game. I find the most useful part of this decision making form is the ability to make it the "Best-of" series. So if you're down 3-1 you can easily modify the game plan to be the "Best of 7" or 9 or 11 .....


4. Flip a coin - while this gives both choices an equal 50-50 split, I find this option is a little too restricting. There is no chance to 'game' the toss and therefore the stark reality of a completed decision cannot be argued. You could implement the "Best-of" procedure to add some spice but really this is a one-toss decision maker.


5. Draw a card - similar to draw straws except you can do this one by yourself just by using a deck of playing cards. Set your own criteria (Ace - means draw again: 2-7 for one option and 8-picture card for the other choice) or you can sway the chances by reducing the number of cards for one of the options.



This should give you a few ways to aid that decision-making process and if you know of any I've missed I'm keen t hear from you.






Posted by Stuart at 6:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

If I had to choose the Top 10 flowers in the world, these would be my selections.

This has been part of Problogger's Top 5 Group Writing Project. You've still got time to enter...

Posted by Stuart at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

They say the first sign of madness is growing hairs on the palms of your hands. The second - is looking for them!

But when it comes to gardening there are those who enjoy talking to their plants and those who believe they can hear you. I'm sure they're the same people who shout at their TV thinking their rant may have some effect on the outcome.

For most of us we understand the difference. For some though, there is a new branch of study called psychobotany - I agree with the first part anyhow! It's the art of communicating with your plants so they can talk to you.

While some people consider this a novelty, I'm not sure I want my plants to talk to me even if they could. With four children in my house I know how noisy it can get when they all start having a conversation, yelling and screaming and competing for attention. What would this be like if your garden, full of hundreds of plants, became a competition for your focus every time you stepped into it?

Fortunately, Mythbusters have already covered this territory. And, surprisingly, they found that spewing negative thoughts or whispering sweet nothings had no effect on a plant's growth. Even playing classical music made no difference.

Bah, humbug! Sure, these guys are all science and no belief. And, as if science could prove such a thing anyway. It's anecdotal evidence that we're looking for, as the 'proof is in the pudding' - so to speak.

So, if you have a great story that your plants have done well because of your communication or failed because you mentally abused it, this is the place to share. And it's ok - nobody thinks you're weird.

Posted by Stuart at 5:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Is it a blessing or is it a curse?

It's like receiving a present from a friend that you're not sure whether you really wanted. Sure, it's nice that they thought about you but "What the heck am I going to do with this now?"

An inherited garden, whether it's from a past relative or some super gardener like Edna Walling, can be the greatest treasure or the natural disaster you hoped would never happen.

See, the problem with an inherited garden is that we feel obligated to keep it the way the person who planted it intended. Which is all very well until you consider that your lifestyle may be completely different to the original owners. How do you continue hand watering all the container plants while sustaining a full-time career? What happens if the climate changes and you're now faced with a drought?

An inherited garden can be the literal bane of your existence if it isn't managed properly.

If the garden is of heritage and conservation value to the community then there are possible ways to include professional help without it coming from your own pocket. Historic societies and heritage councils may be your first option. However, if you decide to proceed along this path you may need to render control to another organisation for its upkeep.

Handing it over isn't your only option and you can decide to maintain it yourself and many gardeners might opt for this choice. If you select this option there are a few things to consider;

• Overall Design - ask yourself "What was the garden designer trying to portray?" Maybe it was mass plantings of exotic flowers. Or, perhaps they tried to integrate the garden in with remnant forest or bushland. If you plan to conserve the garden in its original state then keeping it true to the gardener's design is the highest priority regardless of other factors.
• Focal Plants - pinpointing the plants that make the garden is a key in maintaining it. The struggle is keeping disease away and maintaining the plants structure and nutrient needs. For most mature plants this won't be difficult and may just require some observation periodically. For other more susceptible plants it may mean more regular checks to keep them healthy.
• Garden Ornaments - in an old garden, maintaining garden ornaments may be one of the hardest tasks. Sculptures crack and break, furniture can rust or warp, and pots can become brittle and immovable. Ornaments aren't meant to last forever and in some cases you may need to update these with replica items to maintain the garden effect.
• Maintenance Routine - apart from the obvious garden items, a gardener will need to plan how they will maintain the garden and keep a balanced lifestyle. Planning a maintenance routine will actually aid you in finding others to help with the workload as each person will know what needs doing and how often.

However, the garden you inherited may just be from a relative with little or no heritage potential. It's up to you to decide what will happen with it and whether it needs to be replaced to suit your lifestyle and newer gardening trends or whether it should be kept intact and maintained.

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

Sure. Anyone can make compost. But, can they really make it?

Compost isn't the hardest thing in the world to create - it's just a matter of mixing a whole heap of dead organic matter and leaving it to its own devices. A few weeks to rest, then turning it over every few days and Voila! you have compost.

Six weeks ago I set out to journal the process of making my own compost. From the start, through each turn and then the final product. I didn't want to bore you with all the photos so I limited it to just the ones you needed to see.

Here's how I make compost and what I use it for...

Posted by Stuart at 9:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The Northern Hemisphere is beginning to enjoy a little warmth in the form of Spring while us Southerner's are quietly buckling down for another winter. Yet, regardless of the season, there is always something to do in the garden and what better way to get out there than with a few handy gardening tips to inspire you.

Here's this week's round up;

• Treehugger has pointed out the National Wildlife Federation's Gardener's Guide to Global Warming. The map shows US states where the State Flower or Tree will become affected by global warming. Interesting stuff.
• Yolanda from Bliss has a great project underway and also steps through a way for gardeners to turn their rusty wheelbarrows into a planter. The final effect of her shed-makeover looks fantastic.
• In My Kitchen Garden has shared a post of their greenhouse construction. It gives another great alternative to the greenhouses I posted about earlier.
• Kasmira from Cincinnati Cape Cod shares how she installed her arbour. After learning that concrete is possibly the best anchor for keeping an arbour in its place, Kasmira installed it by herself and kept it level. You go girl...
• Finally, Katina from Katina's Little Gardeners has a great post on how to garden with kids on rainy days. Some interesting tips and ones that I'll store away for our next rainy day - which looks like tomorrow according to the forecast.

I hope you found some good articles and helpful posts in the gardening blogosphere this week. If you come across any that I've missed or would like me to link to helpful gardening post that you wrote, feel free to drop me an email.

Posted by Stuart at 6:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

With public focus on global warming being at an all-time high, experiments in sustainable backyard agriculture like this one are gaining interest and momentum. Gardeners want more control over what they eat and how it's grown and produced. Take a look...

I must admit, I'm always a little critical when I see experiments of his type mainly because the proponents always have more land than the average household to farm. Sure, any gardener can implement some of the strategies, but to provide enough food for the whole family is, in most cases, unlikely.

What I'd really like to see, and I would guess it occurs already in allotment gardens, is the growing of one or two certain crops and then sharing them with other gardeners so that some of your needs are met. Still, these methods won't produce all your needs so the question is, how does sustainable agriculture work to eke out broad-acre farming?

Any ideas?

Posted by Stuart at 7:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

In my previous life as a chef, I would often scorn cooks using meat thermometers to test whether a steak was ready. A simple finger test could instantly tell you what you needed to know but rather than train themselves in this art, they relied on science to alleviate the guess-work.

Well, it seems that the guess-work is now being taken out of gardening too. The SunCalc, an instrument to measure sunlight in the garden is probably one of the most intuitive tools that gardeners can use. As we all have multi-micro climates within our gardens, the SunCalc can accurately inform you of what level of sunlight you can expect in each zone.

And this is great because most plants that are sold, whether as seed or potted plants, are described by their optimal sun requirements. Full sun, part sun, part shade and full shade are options that we live with and need to know in order for our plants to have the best shot at success.

C.C from Coastal CA Gardening used her SunCalc to find a new full-sun zone for her tomato plants while the Garden Keeper at A Garden by the Ruins near Narberth was informed last year that one of her planting areas was not full-sun as she expected but instead was only partial sun. This is quite liberating information, especially if you've found that plants have consistently struggled to grow even after all the fertiliser and soil improvements you've added.

The SunCalc can only be used in the summer months to get an optimum reading. However I would suspect that with the height of the sun changing in winter it may pay to re-check your zones on a sunny day to see whether they alter.

I'm not sure where you can buy these as I've never seen them in the shops and Amazon.com don't stock them. If you do know of a retailer who carries these and a current price, it would be helpful to share with others so feel free to comment.

Posted by Stuart at 6:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Of all the fragrant plants that we can grow in our gardens, lavender is a popular choice. It perfumes your hand as you run your fingers through it and will taint your clothes even if you mildly brush against it. And on a balmy summer's night you can smell the aroma waft through the still air, catching your nostrils off guard but then gently soothing them and seducing your senses for more.

I admit I'm having an affair with this plant and if I weren't already struggling our recent weekend trip to our local lavender farm has not helped my situation.

The hedge we just removed was an old style lavandula angustifolia (English lavender) that I had propagated from a plant at our last property. The scent, and flowering proficiency, were wonderful but it really is a plant that enjoys some space. More space than we could give it, anyway.

So our trip was to find a new, more compact style of lavender that offered a tantalising aroma. We wanted a variety that flowered for more than a few months over summer and could still be hedged. And, it wouldn't take over the garden.

Walking around this farm where more than 75,000 lavender plants are growing from 90 different varieties and stemming from more than 20+ species, would be similar to walking through Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Where do you start?

The obvious place was with the species. Do we opt for another angustifolia? Or, do we begin perusing the French lavender (lavandula dentata)? Maybe, the Spanish or Italian lavender (lavandula stoechas) was a better match? And who could pass by the fern-like lavandula multifida?

In the end we chose lavandula intermedia "Sumion" for as its name suggests it was right in the middle. Not too big; compact growing shape; easy to hedge; prolific and long flowering season, and it won't look dead when you prune it. And who could walk away from a farm with this much lavender, and only buy one plant type? Not us, that's for sure. So a lavendula stoechas "Dark Plum" found its way into our shopping bag as well.

How to propagate lavender?

Lavender is very easy to propagate and most species will take from a single tip cutting planted directly in the soil. If you don't get much success from that method then select semi-hardwood cuttings after the lavender has flowered. Dip the end in honey, or a rooting hormone powder, and pot out in a well-draining medium.

Keep the cuttings under glass for the first few weeks until some growth begins to show and then slowly wean them out into the open.

I usually grow lavender cuttings in groups of 5 or 6 in the one pot, transferring them after they have shown a considerable amount of new growth.

How to hedge lavender?

Hedging lavender is just as easy as propagating it. Depending on the species you are trying to hedge position the plants relatively close. A rule of 2/3 of the growing width is probably a good starting point.

It may seem strange to prune these plants as they grow, but after each flourish of blooms take your hedging shears and remove a good third off the plant's bulk. The temptation will be to leave them to continue growing without pruning them but I can assure you that they will grow much quicker, and stronger, after being pruned.

Once the hedge has filled out and matured to most of its growing height, commence pruning it to shape. This is best done after the flowering season but with some lavenders, particularly angustifolia, you may need to prune again before it flowers again.

Caring for lavender is quite easy. They aren't that receptive to liquid fertilisers due to their leaf structure but they will readily appreciate a good dose of sheep's manure every season.

Posted by Stuart at 6:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)

I agree with Elizabeth.

However, I believe that there are a few new gardening words that should be added to the dictionary starting with these ones;

gno·ming [no-ming]
–verb
1. the act of making your garden look ridiculous by adding stupid looking creatures with dumb looks on their faces.
Sentence Use: My creatively challenged neighbour has begun gnoming his garden.

ga·ran-ting [guh-ran-ting]
–verb
1. the act of sharing with the world your views on how others should, or shouldn't, garden.
Sentence Use: One blogger in particular, is often garanting about people who use gnomes as garden ornaments

gar-den-war-ming [garr-denn-wor-ming]
–verb
1. the art of making your garden an ecological death spot by continuing with the use of pesticides and herbacides that affect our environment even though so much evidence has awakened us from this archaic activity
Sentence Use: Gardenwarming contributes lots of yucky stuff to our already yucky environment

wa-ter-stuff-ing [wor-tah-star-fing]
–verb
1. the act of cramming water features into a very confined garden in order to keep up with trends that have been created by Home Depot advertising
Sentence Use: Our waterstuffing continued last weekend as we added our fifth water ball to our tiny balcony. We still have two more on order.

bal-zing [borl-zing]
–verb
1. the art of adding gazing balls, which look ridiculous, to a landscape that once looked great
Sentence Use: My grandmother found herself balzing her garden up.

I'm sure there are many more that need to be added but if we can work with these few then I'm sure gardeners will understand their meanings and correct usage over time.

Posted by Stuart at 5:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)