The kids were desperate to get their hands into some gardening yesterday, and I was only too happy to oblige. Our youngest boy had obtained some directions for making a mini-greenhouse from a milk bottle and had been bugging me all week to help him with it.

I finally had some free time yesterday and the recycling bin hadn't been emptied so we had a few spare bottles on hand.

Step 1

We started by cutting the bottom third of a 2L plastic milk bottle (you could use any plastic bottle) and added some potting mix to a knuckle length below the rim.

Step 2

Once the soil was in, it was time to sow the seeds. The boys decided to plant some chive seeds and the girls opted for coriander. Both seeds had been collected from our herb garden at the end of last season.

They scattered a few seeds on top of the soil and then lightly pressed them. Another layer of soil was then used to cover the seeds and then a final moisture add.

Step 3

The final step in the project is to fit the top portion of the milk bottle back over the bottom part. The plastic used in making these milk bottles is quite soft and easily malleable while some other bottles have more rigid plastic and will take some patience to fit it over.

Each of the kids then labelled their mini greenhouses and found a spot in the shed on the window ledge.

The whole project took us about 10 minutes, which isn't bad with four kids! It was just long enough to keep their interest without drawing out and becoming a protracted slog and it means they now have their own greenhouse to watch and brag about.

I can guarantee that they will be in the shed every day to check their progress and there will be bragging rights for the one whose seeds pop through first.

It's a great little project to inspire your kids with gardening and educates them about an easy propagation technique that they can use later on in life.

Posted by Stuart at 7:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I could hazard a guess that a greater percentage of vegetarians, especially vegans, grow their own vegetables than buy them. And, if I did a quick word association game with you and mentioned the term vegetarian, what terms would flow through your mind? Soybeans? Tofu (a soy bean extract)? Bean curd?

So, why don't vegetarians grow soybeans?

I guess it all comes down to cost. Soybeans, lentils, and many other pulses are essential cereal crops in the western world. The efficiency of producing them en masse reduces their price that it becomes a futile exercise to grow them yourself.

Currently, here in Australia, potatoes and garlic are expensive items to buy in the shops so many home gardeners are growing them in their vegie patches. Carrots are a dime a dozen, and unless you really wanted to grow your own most gardeners would opt for the convenience of buying them.

And this is another reason why gardeners aren't planting soybeans - convenience. The use of soybeans in many products, including tofu, requires dried beans rather than fresh. So, after you have gone to all the effort of growing them, you then need to hang them to dry (a process that takes a few weeks - and the right conditions) before you get to use them.

Most gardeners might try this once or twice as a novelty, but when you consider the price of buying them retail you would have to be a die-hard purist to continue growing your own.

For my garden I would much rather grow food items that can be eaten fresh - snow peas, sugar snaps, runner beans, broccoli, tomatoes and capsicums. If it needs to be dried before eating then it's most likely to be cheaper and more convenient to buy.

But, what if you were still eager to grow your soybeans? How would you go about it?

How to grow soybeans

Soybeans can be grown just like any other legume. They need to be supported whilst growing and will normally take between 80-90 days to harvest from sowing. Soybeans are good for the soil and will add much needed nitrogen back making the bed fertile for later crops.

They are susceptible to frosts so it's best to sow seeds once the soil has warmed up and you should be picking by the start of summer.

They don't have to be dried once picked but can also be blanched in boiling water until the pods open up. Then store either by freezing or canning for later use.

Posted by Stuart at 7:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Tomorrow is the last day if you're wanting to get your entries into our Quirkiest Planter competition so make sure you're snapping your heart out over the next 24 hours.

This week we have one more entrant as Paul Sayer from Tasmania shares his offerings. Paul has submitted his succulent boots and a homemade planter that mimics a bird bath. Kudos Paul, and great to see another Australian getting in on the act.

On Monday, I will produce a list of all the entrants (if your struggling to remember who has submitted one) but there is still time if you want to add your chance of taking home our great prize. All the details are here and you have until 12:00pm midnight (West Australian time) on Saturday 30 June, 2007 to enter.

The Prize

The winner will pick up 4 bottles of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion kindly donated by Skin MD Natural that, with normal daily use, should last between 4-8 months and protect those precious gardening assets - your hands. The normal retail value of this prize is over $100 so it's worth getting your entries in. Delivery is included as part of the prize...

About The Prize

"Is gardening ruining your hands? Skin MD Natural is a new state of the art "Shielding Lotion". This lotion is perfect for those working in gardens because it greatly enhances the skin's own natural protective factor by many times while extraordinarily hydrating the skin. It is very effective in helping to prevent the damage caused when working around poison ivy, poison oak or sumac, pesticides, fertilizers, dirt, chemicals, and soaps. As well as food preparation, exposure to harsh weather, and hundreds of other irritants. www.skinMDNatural.com

Posted by Stuart at 6:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Absurdly I enjoy those "Where did I come from?" discussions with my kids. Watching them squirm and giggle, their faces blushing crimson as they take in the enormity of the question they just asked. And I always enjoy giving more information than is needed - just to heighten the squirming, giggling and embarrassed blushes.

Sure, they'll need counseling so if you have any recommendations....for counselors, that is.

While the 'birds and the bees' chat is fun and interesting I think, after all these years, that I finally have a handle on it. However, I've always wondered where new plants come from.

I'm not talking about new colours or dwarfing varieties but actual new plants that we've never seen before. It seems that the plant kingdom continues expanding if our gardening catalogues are anything to go by.

Fortunately, Graham Rice from the Transatlantic Plantsman has produced a two-part series on where they come from as he looks at the discovery of Gaillardia aristata 'Amber Wheels' in Part One and the tetraploid mutation of Campanula ‘Royal Wave’ in Part Two.

I wonder if there are any undiscovered plants around my 'neck of the woods'?

BTW - don't ask me what a tetraploid mutation is? That goes beyond the bounds of this blog and my experience.

Posted by Stuart at 7:10 AM | Permalink

Yesterday, after inspecting the garden between downpours, I discovered a mushroom growing in the middle of one of our flower beds. I always enjoy finding new treats that just spring up without any effort on my part and so I hastily picked it and took it inside.

Then began the doubt period. You know what I mean. It's the period of time when the "is-this-an-edible-mushroom" thought pops into your mind that continues until you finally do something about it.

I left it on the kitchen counter and went back to it from time to time. Touching, prodding, smelling, feeling - all the while hoping to justify that this mushroom was legitimate but weighing up the consequences if I were wrong.

Thinking that it's always better to be 'safe than sorry' the next step was to research the probability of my mushroom actually being an 'edible mushroom' and not some poisonous derivative. Fortunately, I came across this site from the the Western Australian Department of Agriculture [link since removed] that finally settled my mind.

The final outcome - it is an edible mushroom! And, I'm so going to enjoy it grilled in butter tonight. Fattening, I know - but my taste bads are salivating already.

So, now that I've correctly assessed one edible plant surely there must be more in my garden and possibly heaps more in the bush trails that I often trek. But when I find something that mildly represents something of edible value, the doubt period commences instantaneously. How do you know whether this leaf, berry, root, tuber etc. is edible or not and is it better just to leave it until you have positive identification?

Possibly.

However, if you're as curious as I am to discover and learn new things then you won't settle for always walking away from a possible edible feast. SurvivalIQ.com have a Universal Edibility Test on their site which gives some very helpful steps in attempting to discern the edibility of certain plants.

In most cases, it's always best to have a possible identification of a plant before you attempt to eat it. But if you're keen to discover and can't find any information on a particular plant then the UET may give you some power in trialling for yourself.

Disclaimer: You may want to read the rest of their articles before proceeding with their Universal Edibility Test as some things can prove incredible fatal before you even get past step 1.

My rule of thumb has always been - if it's bright in colour, has yellow tinges, and the skin of the fruit appears waxy then steer clear. The problem with this rule is that it outlaws bananas! So, you're probably best to stay away from the boundless myths and research for yourself what is, or isn't, an edible plant.

Posted by Stuart at 6:17 AM | Permalink

This recent article [link since removed] mentions how a woman had her $1000 necklace swiped while she was out enjoying a spot of gardening.

As I clicked on the article headline, I anticipated writing a post on the virtues of locking your house while outdoors - even when your only just outdoors - and it seemed too enticing to pass up. However, as I read the article it became overtly clear that this woman didn't lose her necklace while her back was turned.

In fact, it was physically ripped from around her neck by a drive-by heist...

Which begs the question, "Why is a woman gardening while wearing a $1,000 necklace?" Is this part of the new summer gardening range?

While I feel sorry for this woman, firstly for the trauma of dealing with a theft like this and secondly for losing her prized necklace, I struggle to feel any empathy. Who gardens while wearing expensive jewellry? Certainly no one in my neighbourhood...

Could this happen to you? Do you wear expensive clothes or jewellry pieces while working in the garden?

Posted by Stuart at 7:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

If you wanted to deter cats, dogs and other pesky animals from your garden it's always been a losing battle. Stopping dogs from pooping on your lawn, cats from whizzing in your children's sand pit and other native animals enjoying your flowers has largely been in vain.

I'm the first to admit that I struggle to deter cats from my garden and would rather see laws in place that force their owners to lock them up like any other pet. But, I concede that if I could find a way to deter them from entering my yard I would jump at it with open arms.

And I think I have...

I stumbled across this invention: Contech Electronics Scarecrow Motion-Activated Sprinkler #CRO101/CRO102(aff.) that senses animals within a 1,000 square foot area via its inbuilt motion detector. Immediately, it turns on and blasts the offending animal with a jet of water and startling sprinkler sound.

There couldn't be a more humane way of deterring animals from your garden.

One Amazon buyer wrote this about the product;

After spending so much time and effort into our first square foot garden I was devastated when a few days later I went out and found areas where our neighbor's cat had decided to make a litter box out of our garden. My solution to the problem was a shotgun, but my pro-animal husband refused and wanted to try a more humane effort. So, I went to the local garden supply store and bought their recommendation - some granules that I had to sprinkle generously all around the border of the garden every 24 hours or whenever it rained. Well, that did not work, every morning the cat had left me a present overnight.

After doing lots of research and before leaving for a week long trip (I was worried I'd come home to no garden at all) I finally decided to buy the Scarecrow. Now, I am a frugal person and it killed me to pay this much money for something to protect my garden (not to mention the overnight shipping charges, since I wanted it here before we left town).

The minute it came we opened it and my children and I went out and installed it. I have to say we had so much fun "testing" it and trying not to get sprayed! That night my husband and I heard it go off one time (it's right by our window). We left town the next morning. I was so nervous about what we'd come home to, but when we got home my garden was nearly perfect! I could see one spot where it looked like that cat had started trying to do his business, but it wasn't very "finished" looking. I dug up all around to make certain, but it was all clean! It's been nearly 3 weeks now and my garden is still in perfect condition, no more kitty crap!!

So, overall, this sprinkler is worth every cent. The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is that I wish the stake was made of something more solid than plastic. If you are debating over this, trust me, it will work and you will LOVE it!!!

The problem with trying to stop animals from entering your yard using all manner of other ideas is that I just haven't heard of any that work. I have even touted the idea of using vinegar around garden hotspots to deter cats but the problem is that unless it's only a small area you're wanting to protect then you will undoubtedly have the smell of vinegar emanating from every corner of your yard.

From the 4 negative reviews of the 85 Amazon.com received, they all shared how movement from their plants set the sprinkler off. One reviewer observed that those who were happy with the product obviously had more sheltered gardens and those with exposed yards would have difficulties. Therefore, if you have a garden where gusts of wind are more prevalent this product may not be the answer for you.

For those who have sheltered yards, I suspect that this product may be the solution to your animal problems.

Posted by Stuart at 6:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Ornamental grasses are becoming more endearing especially as water restrictions and drought-prone areas press their case against our gardens. It wasn't that long ago that many gardeners would steer clear of these 'weedy' grasses and opt for flowers and ornamental perennials.

But, times are changing and what was once determined as unworthy for the home garden is rapidly becoming a popular import. Gardeners are replacing their non-indigenous botanicals for native grasses and enjoying the benefits of low-maintenance weed-suppressing plants. And, we're not limited by variety or colour, shape or texture as many of our predecessors have been.

Ornamental grasses have copped some bad publicity over the years, and it's not entirely unjustified. In some states of Australia and the US, several species reside on the noxious weed lists and have been banned from being grown in home gardens.

The reason: they are incredible propagators.

This is both an advantage as much as it is a disadvantage. If you consider that most of our cereal grains; barley, wheat, oats, rice and corn are all members of the grass (Poaceae) family you can quickly understand that if they weren't great producers of seed we would be very hungry people.

Types of Ornamental Grass

How to Grow Ornamental Grasses

Most ornamental grasses reside in full sun, having spent most of their existence in savannas, tundras and coastal plains. Understanding their origins help explain the types of soil they prefer, opting for sandy soils over loams and clay.

They don't need copious amounts of rainfall or watering to exist and can easily survive extended periods of drought. This is why they do so well in xeriscape gardens and those created to be drought-tolerant.

It's best not to grow grasses with high water-dependent plants as either the grass will struggle with excessive moisture or the water needy will suffer from not enough. Group ornamental grasses with succulents, cacti and grey-foliage plants for their best rate of survival.

Propagating Ornamental Grasses

This is by far one of the easiest plant families to propagate after succulents. The most effective method is via collecting seed and distributing in situ. Some, like the Japanese Blood Grass, can be divided and propagated this way which can be just as successful but takes more effort.

The problem with grasses is not their ability to propagate but that they are so successful at it. You may find yourself weeding more often if you don't want them to spread beyond their boundaries.

Sources: Santa Rosa Gardens, University of Illinois Extension.

Posted by Stuart at 6:20 AM | Permalink

Stuck for what to do with that expired credit card? Sure you are...you were thinking of just cutting it up and discarding in the trash weren't you?

Well...no longer, gardener. Instructables.com has come up with a cute way to turn your credit cards (or any other plastic card) into an ornamentally green fridge magnet.

You choose what you wish to plant. It could be herbs for the kitchen, a series of small bonsai or just fun stuff with the kids. This is a great project and can lighten up that dull fridge with a bit of gardening ingenuity.

Posted by Stuart at 7:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The flights are booked, your accommodation's been reserved, the cat's lodging is secured and your itinerary is as loose and carefree as you hoped it would be. And, two days out from your relaxing getaway it suddenly occurs to you that the garden needs looking after.

The two-week break you've been planning all year is momentarily jeopardised. You're crippled at the thought of coming back to a brown lawn, your favourite rhododendron keeling over and pest infestations racking your vegetable garden.

But, it doesn't have to be this way. With a little forethought you can easily taken a vacation from your garden and return with it looking better than it always has.

Here's a checklist to help you get away without any gardening headaches;

1. Have you planned the watering schedule? If your garden is reticulated it should just be a matter of scheduling the timer to irrigate your garden at set times. It may pay to have someone who knows how to work these machines come and check every couple of days to ensure it's working properly.

   If your garden is primarily hand-watered, devise a roster with some of your friends pitching in to take a turn. Martha can do Mondays, Santana - Wednesdays, Eloise - Fridays and Fred (your next-door neighbour) can drop over for a quick check on Sundays.

2. Have you mulched the garden beds? If you don't want to turn friends into avoidance specialists my biggest gardening tip would be to mulch all your garden beds. It will save water and mean there are less chances for weeds to get a foothold.
3. Have you organised someone to mow the lawns? I don't know about you but most of our vacations tend to be in the warmer months when lawns grow their fastest. Therefore, you may want to organise a lawn contractor to come and mow once per week.

   If you have really, really good friends it may not be too much to push the boundary and get one of them to mow it for you. But, you need to remember that relationships are more important than grass so it may pay to hire someone.

4. What about the bird seed? Okay, for the past year you've been enticing wild birds into your garden to eat from your feeders. Now that you're taking a break you've just realised that they're going to go hungry unless you make some extra provisions.

   You could opt for a hard seed bell that will take extra effort for the birds or possibly fully restock your feeders before you leave. You could even request Martha, Eloise, Santana or Fred to fill them when they drop in to water. Begging works...

5. What about all your fruit that's ripening? This could be the answer to your bird feeding problems. Just remove all the deterrents that you had which tried to scare them away and let them feast while you're on your break.

   One horrible problem will be removing all the fallen fruit. If left to rot on the ground for a couple of weeks it could increase your chances of attracting fruit fly and other vermin to your property. This might be another job for Fred but you could at least reward him by allowing free access to any fruit he chooses.

6. Have you considered your container plants? If they're not part of the reticulation scheme you could use some of the PlantMinder products to keep them going for a few weeks. They're not cheap so you may want to be a little selective in which plants get the treatment but it will give you some options.
7. Have you cleaned the fish ponds? Imagine coming home to an algae infestation where your fish have given up the 'ghost' and taken an extended break of their own. A day or two out from leaving home is probably a good time to clean the pond, check the pumps and aeration products and make sure the fish are well fell.
8. Have your plants been fed? If you're going away for a few weeks you're probably best to feed your plants with some slow-release fertilisers rather than liquid feeds. This way the plants can draw their nutrients more constantly than with one concentrated boost before you take off.

Well done. You're now all ready to get on the plane safely knowing that your garden will be there when you get back.

Just don't forget the plane tickets...

Posted by Stuart at 6:25 AM | Permalink

We are running out of arable land.

In fact, according to FAO we are currently using 80% of all productive land with a need for 20% more within the next 40-50 years. This seems 'do-able' until you take into account that 15% of all arable land is being mismanaged or being lost to salinity or pollution.

And it's getting worse...

Changing climates are forcing droughts and floods to wreak havoc across our pasture lands while greater world needs ensure farmers are removing more trees. Broad-acre farms are becoming dust bowls and losing yields every year as pest and diseases ravage what little crops are being produced.

Project this dire situation forward 40 years and add another 3 billion people to the world's population and suddenly you have a gigantic catastrophe waiting to happen.

Unless, of course, there is a paradigm shift in our thinking and we begin to answer some of the questions that scientists have been asking for decades.

We fail constantly at feeding the 6.5 billion we have on this planet now let alone increasing that by 50%.

Kris Litman, who took this photo, states in his comments;

Every 3.6 seconds, or the time from one breath to the next, someone in this world dies from hunger. That's 24,000 deaths a day, or over 8 and a half million deaths a year. These deaths are mostly children.

1 in 7 people of this world live in chronic hunger, which is defined as not having a single day of one's life receiving adequate nutrition. That's the same number of people that live in the world's developed nations.

In my hands are 3 ounces of rice. The average person living in chronic hunger receives only this amount of food...daily.

Our attempt to solve the crisis...

The shift for most people has been to start growing fruit and vegetables on their own land. The self-sustainable life has been touted as the way of the future and permaculture has moved from cringe-factor-60's-thinking to a plausible response to the world's food problems.

But, it just can't work. As most of the world's population live in urban centres with nothing more than a balcony as their source for growing any vegetation. Those that have land are limited to postage stamp blocks where they can add a fruit tree or two and grow a handful of vegetables to supplement their daily requirements.

In other words, self-sustainable gardeners are becoming the new elite.

Those that can grow enough from their own land are in the minority, mainly because most people don't have enough land to produce their food needs. Those that don't, have to rely on regulatory board pricing, seasonal availability, climate and pest plagues in the hope that they will have enough food to eat.

And I'm not talking about the third world here. That's another issue entirely.

There's got to be a better way...

I truly believe there is. In an age where technology can grow and adapt taking our civilization forward every 5 years, it astounds me why we still think of farming within a 'box' that was handed down to us from our forefathers. Land is 'King' and trees and forests are the enemy stopping us from securing better yields and better quality foods.

Crap!!!

Allow me to throw a few technologies into the ring. Firstly, hydroponics has been around for quite some time and advances are being made more and more in producing organic results. The benefits are incredible: consistent yields, no pests and minimal disease spread, lower water use and no heavy machinery.

Second, our ability to harvest water. This has only come about because we are facing such shortages. Average rainfalls are becoming anything but average and most arable land seasonally falls victim to droughts or floods. Water is a precious commodity but it's not impossible to source and in fact, we are getting better at doing it.

Finally, our strength at building UP. I don't understand why we haven't grasped this idea yet. We keep extending farms laterally somehow expecting that it will never come to an end. Alas, it is a limited resource.

However, going up is not a problem. There's more room above the earth's surface than across it.

I've often thought about this problem and the solution I'm prescribing and wondered if it was at all possible and whether scientists would ever 'give it a go.' To my amazement, I stumbled upon a site that was developing some of these ideas.

The Vertical Farm Project.

Who knows - we may actually end up with farms in our cities rather than in rural centres. And, the technology is not that expensive that it can succeed in New York, Paris or Lilongwe.

Posted by Stuart at 7:00 AM | Permalink

Is it wrong to covet a neighbour's garden?

Well, is it?

Isn't it our aim as gardeners to make everyone want our garden? I guess to some extent it is, but mostly we garden because we love it. If others appreciate our little portion of world beautification then it's a bonus, but our hobby doesn't stem from enticing others to desire what we've achieved.

I can appreciate my neighbours garden without craving to have it, or a garden like it.

I'm using the term 'neighbour' quite loosely because some of the gardens I covet are not even in my suburb. Some don't even reside within my state, and some aren't even grown in this country. But, in a global-village-kind-of-way they are still my neighbours... and I still lust after their gardens.

5 Reasons why it's bad to covet your neighbour's garden

• There's nothing they do that you can't - especially if they're literal neighbours. Every plant that grows in their garden could grow equally as well in yours. Your soil could be as healthy, your plants as pest-free and your flowers as big (if not bigger).

  True, they may have more money than you and able to hire the best landscaper's etc but if you're lusting after that then you might want to get your head read. Most of the gardens I covet have very minimal landscaping and structural features but use what they have and adhere to the adage..."if you've got it - flaunt it."

• Competition is for the soccer field - unless, of course, you struggle with Ugly-Parent-Syndrome - then it's probably best to stay away from the soccer pitch altogether.

  Seriously though, when you covet your neighbours garden there is a tendency to either give up and not even try or worse, take up the challenge and begin competing with them. When we start competing with our neighbour for "Best Garden in the Street" our knowledge and experiences become treasured possessions that can't be shared for fear of handing over the 'secret herbs and spices recipe'.

  I've always found that the best way to learn is to ask questions from those you admire and be willing to share some of your own experiences. This creates trust and then, mutually, ideas can flourish.

• Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery - unless you're a gardener...then it just shows that you lack imagination. If God had wanted us to all have the same gardens He wouldn't have bothered giving us millions of plants. He could have just come up with the Home Depot range.

  Sure, it's okay to like someone else's garden and appreciate their creativity and talent but to want to copy it is another thing.

  I love to be inspired by another's garden, take some ideas and then form them into something unique for my own garden. I guess this is why I balk so badly at garden gnomes, gazing balls and tacky water features. It's because they say originality as much as "What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?"

• You're garden is special - and your garden should reflect that. It is yours, after all. You need to take some pride in what you're creating and elevate your own gardening achievements without comparing them to next-doors.

  Put up a sign in your front yard that says, "This is the only garden of its kind in the world," if you need to remind yourself.

  The plot of land you're working with has its own demographics. Divots, culverts, mounds, bogs, groves whatever. Use whatever feature you have and create something entirely unique. If you're always looking at your neighbours garden you'll find yourself wanting to remove some of the features that could become the beauty spot of your garden.

• What are you missing out on? - when horse and carriages once ruled the motorways they would put 'blinkers' on the side of the horses eyes. This would stop them from looking around and being enticed from the direction they were supposedly heading.

  If we spend too much time coveting our neighbours garden we can easily miss what is going on in our gardens and in others around us. Our focus is consumed by the garden we desire that we can actually miss the more desirable.

So, next time you find yourself looking over the neighbours fence make sure it's because you're trading ideas. If you begin to covet what your neighbour has created, I can guarantee that you will end up despising gardening altogether.

Posted by Stuart at 7:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

We're in our final week of this competition with entries closing next Saturday. So don't be too slow in getting those photos in.

You can include photos that have already been published provided you create a new post for them (for bloggers). The rest of the guidelines remain and the competition will end on Saturday 30 June, 2007.

Jonathan Strutt, a friend of mine here in Busselton, has submitted this upside-down terracotta planter. It makes you take a second look as it messes with your sense of direction but quite quirky just the same.

Our judge, Peter, has also sent in a photo (although not for judging) just to add some inspiration for those scrounging for a good photo opportunity.

Cheers Jonathan and Peter. Remember, we only have 1 week to go so don't miss out...

The Prize

The winner will pick up 4 bottles of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion kindly donated by Skin MD Natural that, with normal daily use, should last between 4-8 months and protect those precious gardening assets - your hands. The normal retail value of this prize is over $100 so it's worth getting your entries in. Delivery is included as part of the prize...

About The Prize

"Is gardening ruining your hands? Skin MD Natural is a new state of the art "Shielding Lotion". This lotion is perfect for those working in gardens because it greatly enhances the skin’s own natural protective factor by many times while extraordinarily hydrating the skin. It is very effective in helping to prevent the damage caused when working around poison ivy, poison oak or sumac, pesticides, fertilizers, dirt, chemicals, and soaps. As well as food preparation, exposure to harsh weather, and hundreds of other irritants. skinMDNatural.com

Posted by Stuart at 6:10 AM | Permalink

If there's one thing I loathe about gardening - dirty fingernails are IT. And I get them because (a) I spot a weed that's rising up against my garden which immediately needs to be pulled out (even if I'm in my Sunday best), or (b) the kids have nicked off with my gloves - again, or (c) if I wait another 20 minutes to plant these damn ranunculi they may not flower in time.

But really, dirty fingernails are a hallmark of a gardener - a trophy, if you like. They tell the world that I'm okay with getting them dirty and I'm no sissy who needs a manicure every Thursday afternoon.

Which is okay if you're not an habitual fingernail biter remembering that you previously waded through the compost as you crunch down on something that tastes sweeter than normal.

Mmmm....

Still, I'm not averse to letting my hands soak in the soil and be stained from the enjoyment - much like a child sporting a scarlet blemish after chowing down a large stake of berry pie. It's just that there seems to be very few options to getting them clean again. Or is there?

Here's a few tips from around the garden blogosphere;

• Marcy from My Quilts 'N Stuff uses high pressure water aimed right under her fingernails. The pressure dislodges any dirt and the nails are cleaned almost immediately.
• While still visiting Marcy's blog, one of her readers commented on another tip that some gardeners use by rubbing soap under the fingernails before gardening. I agree with the conversation - which is better soap or dirt? Sorry, the jury's still out on that one...
• The Gardenweb forums have all manner of answers from using Borax powder, LavaPro soap, disposable gloves under your normal gardening gloves while others reverse this and wear cotton gloves underneath a pair of latex.
• What about a nailbrush? It seems these are fairly effective and quite cheap. Some people complain that they're harsh on their hands and nails, and admittedly they have been known to rip skin from flesh. Maybe, you could create your own Luffa sponge instead. They're organic and if you grow the cucumbers yourself are dirt cheap and environmentally-friendly when disposed of.
• Some gardeners find that shielding lotions are another protection that can taken - at least for their skin's benefit. These lotions can help retain moisture and shield the dirt from our skin's lines and wrinkles. They don't do a lot for your fingernails but your hands will remain supple.
• And finally, one great tip I read recently (but can't for the life of me now find) was sewing a small shade cloth bag that allowed a bar of soap to be inserted and then hung under a garden tap. The coarseness of the shade cloth acted in much the same way as the luffa sponge but was far more durable with the added soap bonus.

If you find yourself gouging large pieces of dirt from beneath your fingernails, try one of the tips 'n ideas above. They may not be the prettiest nails in the world, but they certainly won't be the ugliest.

Posted by Stuart at 6:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I was tagged by Kathie Thomas over at Virtual Assistant. Cheers Kathie! Being tagged means that I need to share 7 Random facts about myself and tie them to my blog Gardening Tips 'N Ideas.

So here are my 7 Random Facts:

1. Offering gardening tips to other gardeners seems like preaching to the choir but I realised early in the piece that you can never know everything - especially when it comes to gardening. Even though I offer garden tips and inspirational ideas on my blog it's mainly the things I found out from others.
2. I would love to take a year traveling around the world blogging from different gardens, both renowned and hidden secrets. If someone beats me to this one, let me know and I shall subscribe immediately.
3. My greatest gardening triumph came when I first succeeded propagating some lavender cuttings. It hooked me from that point onwards and I've never looked back.
4. I've always been intrigued by the idea to garden naked, but I'm not sure I would ever go through with it - (a) the fences are too low, and (b) I can't afford trauma counseling for all 4 of my kids.
5. I secretly desire that one day someone will nominate my garden for Australian Garden of the Year. I'm not sure such a competition exists but if it did could you imagine the size of the trophy - whoppingly huge, I'm sure.
6. As I'm looking back over the history of my blog - from the security of my banana lounge perched on the patio - I hope that I will be able to reflect on all the gardeners I was able to help inspire and encourage in their hobby. Who know's, maybe this blog might be instrumental in helping young people take up gardening instead of spending their life on the PlayStation. Wouldn't that be awesome!
7. It was my birthday yesterday. I turned 35 and became really mellow as I contemplated what a mid-life crisis might look like. Hopefully it includes a red, convertible mower.

And for the 7 people I'm about to tag, here are the rules of engagement;

Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to then report this on their own blog with their 7 random facts as well as these rules. They then need to tag 7 others and list their names on their blog. They are also asked to leave a comment for each of the tagged, letting them know they have been tagged and to read the blog.

Here are 7 of my favorite blogs and or people:

1. Marcus Holt - Holt Press
2. Scott Vawser - No Guarantees
3. Colleen Vanderlinden - In the Garden Online
4. Val - Val has her say
5. Kim - A Study in Contrasts
6. Peter Holt - Holties House
7. Kerri - although she's very busy at the moment at Colors of the Garden

Adding Kerri to my list just reminded me that I promised to dish out the Thinking Blogger's Award that Kerri so generously awarded me. I promise I will do that this week.

Posted by Stuart at 6:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Manor Park Allotments, came under increasing pressure from the London Development Agency (LDA) as works commenced on the 2012 Olympics and looked like they would lose their 100 year old growing plots. However, it seems that this may have been averted now as allotmenteers are offered an alternative until the Olympics have come and gone.

GTNI first mentioned this story back in February when Manor Park gardeners were begging for people to sign their petitions.

The LDA originally proposed an alternative venue but when it couldn't be secured they reneged on their promise and ordered that allotment owners leave their plots empty-handed. The Manor Park allotmenteers then sought legal advice and planned to sue the LDA in London's High Court.

Well, it seems the LDA has finally taken a more gentle approach and has secured land in Marsh Lane Waltham Forest. However, while there are 64 plots to be made available at this new site, 80 will be bulldozed at Manor Park. Still, it seems this may be the best resolution and if allotment owners can guarantee entrance to their plots until September the court action may be dropped.

Eventually, the allotments will be returned in 2014 however, the land will have suffered greatly due to the Olympics construction and subsequent use. The ground will be more compacted with possible drainage problems and the fruit trees will have all gone.

So while allotmenteers may be savouring some limited success in their quest they may end up reaping more problems in the future.

Posted by Stuart at 7:06 AM | Permalink

Imagine a garden that contained one of every plant species known to mankind. Every tree, every shrub, every groundcover, every bulb, conifer, palm, and weed. You name it - it was there.

Now think how much room it take to hold that number of plants in one place (if it were at all possible). Would it be a National Park size? Possibly a small island? Or, maybe an average size country?

Sure. If you just threw all the plants together it wouldn't require a huge location but if you planted them with their prefered habitats ie. full-sun, part-shade, below a tropical canopy etc this area is going to be of mammoth proportions.

Plus, all the trees would need room to mature and spread so they could grow as healthy as possible. The swamp and bog plants must be kept separate from the cacti and the alpine species are going to struggle in the same spot as most Mediterranean plants.

What do you think? Is it a small continent or can they all be contained within a large farm?

Posted by Stuart at 6:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Take a brisk walk around some of your local suburban gardens, a stroll through Yahoo! Answer's Garden and Landscape board or participate in some gardening forums and you will soon realise there is a growing need for good gardening coaches. Especially when you find questions like, "How deep down are you supposed to plant an apple seed???", or "Did I hurt my grass' feelings?"

A garden coach is someone who can offer advice, knowledge and know-how to a gardening problem without creating more of the same. They can offer suggestions from the very basic "How to prepare your soil" to more complex issues like "What plants to grow now that you've prepared your soil." In some ways a garden coach is like a consultant or a mentor to home gardeners.

For some, being a garden coach is a profitable venture charging clients for the hours given. Others offer their gardening acumen and experience pro bono in a desire to genuinely help others with no recompense. Either way, you will need to be a good coach if you are to be helpful or make any money - though the two aren't mutually exclusive.

So, could you become a garden coach and if so how could you be a good one? Here's a checklist to see if you qualify as a possible gardening coach candidate;

1. Already doing it yourself - Basically, practice what you preach. Don't teach others to compost if composting is not something you do or raise the virtues of permaculture if you rely heavily on pesticides and snail pellets.

   You are probably better off to stick with what you are doing in your garden than what might work in a gardening utopia.

2. Know the area - If you are coaching someone from another state, region or city you might want to familiarise yourself with the prevailing climate, season, indigenous species, what grows locally and what doesn't. Even pests, diseases and weeds can be very localised so find out what you're talking about before spouting off your lack of wisdom.
3. Willing to learn yourself- nobody likes a know-it all and your client is only asking for your knowledge and not your biased opinions. Allow them to teach you something and take notes from their experience so that you too can further your knowledge base.
4. Patience - this will all depend on how involved you become as someone's garden coach. If you're in it for the long haul you will soon realise that patience is more than just a virtue. Some people will take a while to 'get it' and you just need to be there to help guide and encourage them in their wins.
5. Able to research information - as with #3 you should never stop learning yourself. Some things will stump you when you are giving advice to gardeners so it pays to be able to take it away and research a solution without giving the flippant "I dunno" answer. Most gardening questions have already been answered so it's just a matter of finding where the information is.
6. Passion for gardening - DUH!! If this was an ordered list this one would be first. If you aren't passionate for gardening then I'm not sure being a garden mentor would be worth your time or your clients.

   Part of staying passionate about your hobby is actually doing it. I know, myself, that when I get too engrossed in blogging about gardening without actually doing any my creativity dries up - both with my garden blog and with my garden. You need to refuel your passion by spending time with the very thing that you love doing.

7. Horticultural qualifications - while this is not an essential quality of a good garden coach it may be beneficial especially if you decide to charge people for your services. You could take up a Master Gardener course or at least audit some subjects at your local college or university. Some certification can even be completed online but with something as practical as gardening you might be better considering a residential course instead.
8. Experience - this is the main key for offering your services as a garden coach. In fact, it can even supersede qualifications when offering yourself as a mentor to gardeners. I know I would rather have someone with 20-30 years under their belt advising me on my garden than taking stock of someone who's just completed a degree.

   You can't buy experience but you can hire it. So, if you're planning to offer your services as a garden coach keep a photographic portfolio of what you've done and this will always increase your credibility.

So, to those gardeners who might consider employing a garden coach is there anything else you would add to this list of qualities?

Posted by Stuart at 7:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Parenting Post recently wrote an article on How to Garden With
Children in 53 Easy Steps though I'm sure the word "EASY" has been over extended in its meaning.

It's a great article and I found myself nodding and smiling as I scanned each step, reminiscing my failed attempts of gardening with our children as toddlers. They're all a little older these days and not much interested in gardening - unless of course it comes on the Nintendo.

I'm not being fair. They do love to get their hands dirty, still, and will even pull the occasional weed. But, the fervour for helping in the garden has waned somewhat. I'm sure my impatience and "Daddy, will do that one..." comments haven't helped encourage their gardening desire. It's funny how one passion can override another, isn't it?

So, I'm keen to rectify my overzealous perfectionism by starting little garden projects with their help. And the beauty of my new found paradigm shift is that it's never too late to start.

For those who love gardening and have young children my advice would be enjoy the 53 easy steps - even if it takes 103.

Posted by Stuart at 6:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I'm so slack with participating in Bloom Days and Green Thumb Sunday etc, but I like this idea from Carol. And as my blog is a pseudo gardening journal for me, it's a great place to store what's going on in my garden.

However, there's not much going on at the moment. Certainly not in my garden anyway.

The natives are all gearing up to flower so I should have something for next month but for June all I have to offer is a few rogue Artoctis sp. flowers. They seem to defy the cold and balk at any reason why they might want to lay low for a few months and merrily flower along. Which is great for me because I have something to contribute.

Anyway, here they are for you to admire as much as I am at the moment.

They are so cheery they make a bleary day giggle like a schoolgirl. Until next month....

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

We finally have another gardener who has submitted some "Quirky Planters" for our competition and some bloggers who have suggested they're getting their entries together. If you are still wanting to participate you do have time as entries won't close until the end of the month.

You can include photos that have already been published provided you create a new post for them (for bloggers). The rest of the guidelines remain and the competition will end on Saturday 30 June, 2007.

Here are Rosalie Larson's submitted entries.

Thanks for your submissions Rosalie. Lisa is the only other entrant thus far and you can see her submissions over here...

The Prize

The winner will pick up 4 bottles of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion kindly donated by Skin MD Natural that, with normal daily use, should last between 4-8 months and protect those precious gardening assets - your hands. The normal retail value of this prize is over $100 so it's worth getting your entries in. Delivery is included as part of the prize...

About The Prize

"Is gardening ruining your hands? Skin MD Natural is a new state of the art "Shielding Lotion". This lotion is perfect for those working in gardens because it greatly enhances the skin’s own natural protective factor by many times while extraordinarily hydrating the skin. It is very effective in helping to prevent the damage caused when working around poison ivy, poison oak or sumac, pesticides, fertilizers, dirt, chemicals, and soaps. As well as food preparation, exposure to harsh weather, and hundreds of other irritants. skinMDNatural.com

Posted by Stuart at 6:39 AM | Permalink

"Whenever there is a hard job to be done I assign it to a lazy man; he is sure to find an easy way of doing it."
Walter Chrysler

This quote has been my mantra ever since I was introduced to it at the start of my working life. And when it comes to cleaning up anything I hate wasting time so I always look for the easiest method possible.

So when I found this great tip for cleaning garden tools at curbly.com I slapped the front of my head and as eloquently as possible remarked how ignorant I have been. The tip-giver, aliased as Badbadivy, shared her cleaning hint after some advice from her father.

The idea is: before using your shovel, rake, hoe, fork or any other garden implement you spray it with a fine coat of olive oil. I'm guessing it must be at least the fifth or sixth press oil if you're prepared to use it on your gardening tools so I would much rather use a cheap home brand canola or vegetable oil.

The oil coats the tool and when you go to wash it, all the dirt and muck simple slides straight off. No hassle and no scrubbing. Cleaning garden tools has never been easier!

I would even go so far as to suggest that you recoat the tools after you've cleaned them and this will stop them from rusting while they're not in use.

Great tip badbadivy.

Posted by Stuart at 6:59 AM | Permalink

There's garden-wear...and then there's wearing your garden. One is for wearing in your garden while the other is for wearing your garden out. The former can be sourced at Bunnings or Home Depot while the latter can only be admired from Anni Rapinoja's website.

Treehugger introduces Rapinoja as;

Anni Rapinoja is a Finnish environmental activist and artist, whose work explores Government decision making for the environment and the overlooked/forgotten fact that humans actually need the environment and are part of the whole eco system.

Her works include this Mother Of Earth coat (illustrated) made from common reeds and handbags and shoes crafted from the Red Worthleberry, Bilberry and Tea-Leaved Willow.

Her pieces are a fascinating portrayal of how much we need nature and how much a part of it we really are.

Posted by Stuart at 6:28 AM | Permalink

My neighbour flies a flag from a mast in his backyard but I can't see myself ever putting one up. And, I know Americans are renowned for their patriotic pride when it comes to displaying their colours but are flags an item that gardeners would have in their gardens?

For those who might never fly a flag there is always the option to grow one. That's right - a flower flag. I'm not talking about hoisting a flag that has a floral emblem on it but actually growing a rectangular bed with flowers that depict your country's flag.

Certainly there's enough people who have grown them before to warrant the home gardener to give it a go but one must ask the question, "Why?" Is there a purpose for this irregular gardening practice? The answer - is there a purpose for any of our gardening practices?

The decision to grow a flower flag obviously comes down to patriotism - and too much time on their hands. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that gardeners who grow flower flags also have easy graphics to work with. For instance, the US flag is made up of three colours consisting mainly of horizontal stripes. The Australian flag is similar sporting the same colours with a marginally more complex pattern.

But, what if you were from Saudi Arabia, or Wales or worse still - Tibet. The Japanese, Scottish, Swedish and Italian gardeners have no excuse and could easily grow their flower flags without too much concern.

So, if you are inspired and think you might give it a try for your next National Festival here are a few things you might need to consider;

• Plant flowering times - obviously if the flowers you choose don't flower at the same time or even in the same season as your national holiday then it's a fairly pointless exercise. You will need to find plants that will grow and flower at the same time. And, you may need to prepare yourself for some level of compromise - the colours you really want may need to be substituted or at least a different hue found as an alternative.
• Flowering height - of course a flower flag is going to be grown with annuals - I'm yet to see one grown from perennial shrubs. However, you will need to consider the differing heights of plants and their eventual blooms. Mixing english stocks with lobelia is probably not going to be a great option.
• Plant growing preferences - basically, some plants prefer moist soil while others are happy with drier feet. Some prefer full sun and others are shade lovers. Find plants that are mutually happy in the position you plan to put them in.
• Replacing dead or damaged plants - this is the tricky one. If one, or a few, of your plants die during the growing or flowering period the result will look like a 5-year old with a lost tooth. If you're serious about growing this flower flag then you will need to have a few understudies maturing in the wings. Then replacing the dead plants will be an almost routine affair rather than a catastrophic disaster.
• Encouraging their blooms - ok, so it's only a week away from your national festival and the flower flag doesn't look like it will be blooming on time. Is there anything you can do about it? Well, you could try talking nicely to them, maybe invest in an all-night prayer vigil or you could try encouraging them with a high potassium liquid fertiliser. It may not get them over the line in a week but it's worth a shot.

So, if you plan to grow a flower flag in your garden I wish you all the best. This is not an easy thing to achieve success with as so many things can go wrong but if you manage to pull it off then you could become the toast of the neighbourhood.

And if you're looking for a little more inspiration take a look at this US flag grown in Vandenberg which spans more than 6.5 acres.

Posted by Stuart at 7:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Do you ever find yourself scratching your head wondering "What the heck is this plant that's growing in my garden?" only to remember that it was one your mother-in-law gave you for Christmas that you felt obligated to plant? The name escapes you, for the time-being anyway, but you do recognise the flower and that awkward scent.

If you leave your plant names to memory there's a good chance that one day you'll find yourself forgetting a few. And who can blame you? If you live on a normal suburban block you probably have a couple hundred plants in your garden so it's quite possible to forget the odd one or two.

What's more embarrassing is that you only forget the name when you're showing your visitors around -

"There's the gardenia jasminoides we planted last spring next to our hellebores niger. Don't you love the contrast?"

"Yes. Just gorgeous. And what's that plant in the front?"

"That's...um...yes, I can't remember off the top of my head. Funny, I only planted it last week."

For those fastidious gardeners who keep a journal, this is probably not a scenario you would experience. However, for those a little less organised, like myself, there are garden markers. Plant labels that can easily identify what's growing where.

I've often considered labelling my plants in some form but never quite found the best way to go about it. Sure, there's an abundance of products available and even ideas on how to make your own. But the reality is that most garden markers look downright gaudy at best.

If I'm investing my hard-earned money into creating a beautiful garden the last thing I want in front of my plants is a plastic label with black texta. No, I want something a little more...beautiful!

Then I came across these copper plant markers that allow you to etch the plant names (and any other information you desire - ie. planting date, latin name etc) directly into the copper. It doesn't really matter if you have bad writing or not, they will still come up looking a treat.

And while most packs of plant markers come in packets of 10 and are seemingly expensive you won't need to label every plant but just the ones that are focussed on the most - or the ones you regularly forget.

Posted by Stuart at 6:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

For some gardeners it's the ultimate dilemma. While for others it's a decision that has been made aeon's ago and will not be reneged upon.

I'm talking about the choice to leave flowers in the garden or stuff a vase to adorn your home.

For me, it's all about the garden. On occasions I have snipped the odd rose or gorgeous gerbera to bring back inside and admire. But this is rare. I'm much more inclined to leave the beauty in the place where it originated.

My mother, on the other hand, will always cut her flowers and has no hesitation arranging an ornate vase to lighten the living room. To her, a rose left on the bush is wasted.

Do you bring your flowers inside or leave to admire in your garden? And, are you 'religious' about your decision or will it depend on the situation?

Posted by Stuart at 6:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

As a fervent reader of Seth Godin I had often heard him discussing the virtues of his Squidoo Lens site and 'umm..ed' and 'aah..ed' as whether I should head on over and set something up.

Well, I finally did yesterday. I've called it 60 second Home Garden Tips and it's full of some of the things that I have enjoyed about gardening. There's a quiz asking for you to vote on your favourite Celebrity Gardener or submit one that I haven't added.

You can do the same with the Gardening Tips, voting for the ones you've enjoyed and adding others from the around the web. I'm keen to see how popular these lenses are and can become and if they offer any tangible traffic benefits to blogs.

It was good to see Colleen from In the Garden Online has already created a lens for her blog as well. If you would like to create your own you can do that here...

Posted by Stuart at 7:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Plastic shopping bags are high on the environmentalist's list of things to remove from the public psyche. We are now banning them in shops, being told to find substitutes and some shoppers may even be rewarded for using recyclable shopping bags.

But, whichever way you turn there are still billions, possibly gazillions, of plastic shopping bags still laying around - and there will be for some time yet. I know, because I'm sure we have at least that many littering our pantry shelves.

So, rather than depress yourself with the overwhelming enormity of the problem try using the ones you have for another noble purpose - growing vegetables.

Here's one guy who's turning his shopping bag problem into cultivatable hot property. He fills the bags with potting mix and sows seeds as someone would do with a garden bed. A little water, some sunshine, add some fertiliser and Voila! the bags have sprouted fresh vegetables.

One of the bonuses of growing vegies in shopping bags is that the heat is captured by the plastic which warms the soil. So, for those wanting an early start on some tomato or capsicum plants this is quite an advantage.

The plastic bags can be washed and reused after each crop but hopefully they will start to break down from the pH levels. Then it's on to the next bag and the next crop of vegies.

Posted by Stuart at 7:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

It seems that finding the Quirkiest Planter is a much harder task than I first anticipated. And, as Lisa suggested, most gardeners - especially in the northern hemisphere - are too busy in their gardens to enjoy participating in a competition.

So, after much deliberation, and agreement by our sponsor and judge, it has been decided to not only extend the time frame for the whole month of June but also widen the scope of what we're looking for. Obviously, the 'Quirkiest Planter' is still desirable but we're also happy to include the 'Most Extraordinary' container plants as well.

Maybe you're trying out an upside-down tomato planter, or your strawberry tower is full to overflowing. You might have created a container of bulbs that are blooming their heads off or your annual posse is magnificent to say the least.

You can include photos that have already been published provided you create a new post for them (for bloggers). The rest of the guidelines remain and the competition will end on Saturday 30 June, 2007.

BTW - I will send Lisa a $20 Amazon voucher for being the only person to have produced the correct photos in time. Well done Lisa.

The Prize

The winner will pick up 4 bottles of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion kindly donated by Skin MD Natural that, with normal daily use, should last between 4-8 months and protect those precious gardening assets - your hands. The normal retail value of this prize is over $100 so it's worth getting your entries in. Delivery is included as part of the prize...

Posted by Stuart at 6:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Do you remember that first-grade experiment you undertook at school? Every child had a piece of cotton wool that had been moistened from the tap, placed on a butcher's styrophoam meat tray and then covered with tiny seeds. The window sills would be cluttered for the next week or two as we watched our tiny seeds finally sprout.

Well, if your memory serves you well you shouldn't have any further problems in growing your own alfalfa sprouts.

Backyardnature.net breaks the process down into five easy steps and shows how you can grow your own alfalfa at home. And, if you're looking for seeds they even have a link to purchase from their site.

Posted by Stuart at 6:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Autumn is a beautiful season in the Australian native bush because so many plants are busting out in bloom with incredible shapes and textures. Hakea laurina is one of those plants and considering that it has to compete with all the acacia, eucalypts, banksias and grevilleas it needs to be darned impressive to even get noticed.

Fortunately, this hakea is stunning for as soon as it begins to flower it instantly catches your attention. It's a great Australian native to plant in your garden growing to approximately 3-5m with little fuss and no maintenance required. In fact, I've seen hakea laurina growing in the middle of some people's lawns engulfed with kikuyu and still flowering its head off.

Many gardeners mistake hakea laurina for hakea petiolaris as they have very similar flowers. But, the way to distinguish them is via their leaves - H. laurina are elongated and thin whilst H. petiolaris are round and wide. Regardless, if you ended up with either in your garden you ought to be happy.

Hakeas aren't impressed with being fertilised so a once per year application of a slow-release fertiliser should do the trick. They don't require much watering and are happy to be pruned by the birds that they attract.

Posted by Stuart at 6:11 AM | Permalink

I felt guilty looking at all this fruit burdening my little kumquat tree so rather than sit and watch it rot or feed the birds (who don't seem to be interested in them anyway), I purposed myself to make some kumquat marmalade.

I'm a little impartial to marmalade at the best of times so adding some extra flavours that I really enjoy seemed the next logical step. The lemons still aren't quite ready so I had to rule them out. And, my family isn't keen on ginger so I had to limit my tastebuds a little but I did find a few ripe limes and even some stalks of lemongrass.

Fortunately, my kumquat tree had only yielded 2kg of fruit because it still took my daughter and I an hour to slice and remove the pips. Then it was onto the stove to cook it all up.

We had been saving glass jars over the past couple weeks in preparation for this little project but we were still short and had to make do with some Tupperware containers instead of pouring it down the sink.

For those who also have kumquat trees, or in fact any citrus fruit, that are ready for harvesting you might like the recipe that we used so I thought I would include it below;

Kumquat Marmalade Recipe

You cook up the Kumquats, Limes and Lemongrass with the water for about an hour or so until the peels become soft. Then add the sugar that's been warmed in a low oven for about 10 mins with the Jamsetta and boil for a further 10 mins. Then pour into sterilised jars and cover.

Pretty simple recipe really. I would rather have done it without the added pectin and just used the seeds but I'm not sure how to do that so I will further investigate and update this post when I come up with an answer.

I can't wait to try it on toast for breakfast this morning...Yum!

Posted by Stuart at 6:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I'm guessing you're all getting your submissions extra precise and taking the time to make sure your entry is going to be a shoo-in. Why? Because I haven't heard from anyone to confirm their participation.

With only 4 days left of the Quirkiest Planter competition it would be great to have some entries for Peter to judge. So, if you've been holding back, get your entry together fast and make your planter famous.

Posted by Stuart at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Search any botanical book looking for a scientific name or definition of a 'shrub' and your search will be in vain. Shrubs are colloquial for 'plants we can't define'! They're not trees. They certainly don't grow as annuals and you won't dig them up each year like bulbs. Yet, they are so much a part of our garden that without shrubs our landscapes would be hideously bare.

They're the filler like cream between layers of sponge cake. Everyone talks about the sponge but without the cream our tongues would be smacking our jowels in search of moisture.

But shrubs are more than that. In many landscaper's vocabulary, focal plants are the sponge cake of any garden. Their perspective on shrubs is to highlight the specific plant that somehow needs special attention - what if, that focal plant was a shrub? No, what if it were shrubs, plural?

Ok. Now you're working with me...this is great. Imagine your garden is a vista of colour, shape and texture and not an annual or a bulb were in sight - not that I'm against either. Evergreen shrubs contrasted against their deciduous counterparts. Brilliant flowering shrubs took the stage while more humble foliage plants helped contrast their beauty for one season and then reversed roles in the next.

Now you're getting a picture of what shrubs can do for your garden.

The Difference between Shrubs and Trees

Definitions of 'shrubs' abound but I think the most succinct one is this;

Woody perennial, smaller than a tree, usually with multiple stems.

It captures definitively what a plant must be to be called a 'shrub'. Shrubs are not trees although often you might hear a plant being described as a 'shrubby tree' highlighting its growing habit and the height it may have.

Trees usually have one central trunk that rises to meet its foliage while a shrub is often multi-stemmed and wrapped in leaves. Trees often start at 5-6m while shrubs usually end at this height. However, shrubs are similar to trees in that some species are deciduous like dogwoods while others remain evergreen. Some flower and others may not, or their flower is insignificant.

How to grow shrubs

It all depends, of course, on your specific climate, soil type, altitude etc as to how to grow shrubs. As they're not a specific genus the term collectively represents everything from a proteaceae to a virburnum; a heather to a rhododendron. So, to give specific how-to instructions would be like trying to lasso the wind - any advice could be spot on or it could miss the mark by a football field.

However, planting a shrub is fairly standard as too is pruning them. Pruning shrubs should be performed either at the end of the flowering season or just prior its growing period. And, it is usually recommended that the shrub is pruned by a third or at least to shape.

The best way to find shrubs that will grow in your area is to drive around and see what other gardeners are having success with. This shouldn't exclude your pioneering spirit but it will help you to understand the shrubs that grow well and will probably have less chance of disease or pest infestations.

Propagating shrubs

Many of our shrubs are very easy to propagate and there are a few methods that would offer some success. Collecting and germinating seed may be possible with some shrubs but this is probably the least preferred method of most home gardeners because there are quicker and more successful options available.

• Air & Soil Layering - these two propagation methods work well with shrubs as their multi-stems and branches offer some easy to work with material. The success depends on the shrub and how temperamental it is to being cloned.
• Softwood Cuttings - many shrubs can be propagated this way and it works well with hebes, lavender, vibrunum and heathers.
• Hardwood Cuttings - similar to softwood cuttings except that the propagation material is collected after flowering has finished or during the shrubs dormant period. This is a great technique for dogwoods, azaleas and camellias.

So, if you've always thought of shrubs as being the filler plants in your garden, maybe it's time to take a second look. Just maybe, they could provide another level of interest that you haven't explored yet.

Posted by Stuart at 7:40 AM | Permalink

It seems that glam garden boy, Aussie's own Jamie Durie, is in talks with media heavyweight Oprah. Not much is being given away as of yet but there is some room to hypothesize a little.

One option may be that Oprah is keen to back a US made gardening show hosted by Durie. This wouldn't be the first such backing as precedent has already been established with Dr. Phil's own chat show that rates highly both in the US and overseas. If this is the case it will be interesting to see what format it might take on as Durie's passion is more in projects and landscaping than actual horticultural pursuits.

The other option, and clearly more favoured by some sources, is a regular spot on Oprah's chat show. His debut last year has catapulted his name into the American arena and a continuance of this has been rumoured. One-off projects are certainly within Durie's expertise and may become a consistent feature on the show.

From my perspective, I think either option is going to be good for Australian gardeners as our profile is raised. Jamie Durie is a great ambassador of our hobby and I'm looking forward to seeing the outcome of these negotiations.

Posted by Stuart at 6:59 AM | Permalink

Creating a butterfly garden is anything but new. In fact, there are more resources available via Google on how to make a butterfly garden than the practice of creating a square foot garden. But, what if the garden you are trying to create needs to be limited to container plants?

Those gardeners who live in apartments, lifestyle villages, or who only have space on their rooftops are limited to what they can plant. Everything they grow must be contained in some form of pot rather than in garden soil. So, is it possible to create a butterfly container garden?

Sure, it's just a matter of choosing the right plants that will (a) survive living in a container, and (b) still entice butterflies.

Keys to growing butterfly plants in containers

• Select the right container - this is paramount to your success in growing the plants that butterflies like. For example, if you choose to grow Buddleia davidii you will need to source a sizable container to accomodate its growth. Finding pots that won't dry out fast (which may mean sealing the inside of terracotta containers) is also as important.
• Choose brightly coloured containers - butterflies aren't attracted to bright colours for nectar but they are for mating. And there's nothing like drawing a crowd. So, while your flowers may be a few weeks away from blooming having brightly coloured pots may be the enticement they need.
• Increase your watering - if you've grown many of these plants in your garden beds before then you will quickly notice that they need more water now they're in containers. The potting medium is far more likely to dry out because of its limited volume so prepare yourself to water every day during the warmer months.
• Protect your plants from hot winds - if you have a balcony or rooftop garden you're more likely to experience stronger winds. Butterfly plants being what they are are usually quite heavy bloomers with whispy fragile stems so you may need to protect them from strong cross-winds.

Now that you have your containers already to go, what plants can you put in them to attract butterflies to your garden?

Plants to attract in your butterfly garden

Here's a short list of some of the plants that you will be able to grow noticing that they all are great bloom producers. Flowers are the main reason a butterfly, like bees, will be attracted to your plants so give them as much as they want.

Not all plants will work in all areas and the butterflies that are native in your region may be more particular about which plants they like to feast on. As your butterflies begin to descend upon your garden, take notice of which plants they're attracted to and learn from their behaviour.

Posted by Stuart at 6:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Everybody's seen them. Maybe you have one. Or, maybe the eccentric neighbour has decorated their porch in them. Wherever they are, they could land you a worthy prize just for exposing them.

I'm looking for the quirkiest planter. You know what I mean... the painted boot, the in-turned mosaic tyre or the rusty wheelbarrow with the flowering annuals.

The Judge

With any competition worth its 'salt' it must have an objective judge. Fortunately Marcus, a good friend of mine, has a blogging father who picked up a nomination in the recent Bloggies (no small feat). Peter Holt is Holties House, a blog of random and quirky trivia, anecdotes and the odd frivolous thought and comedic rant. I met Peter last summer when he visited Busselton and after subscribing to the 'House' have kept up with all the going's on.

Fortunately for us, Peter (like his son) is not a gardener - but he does know quirky when he sees it. So his choice of the overall winner will be completely objective - we hope!!

The Prize

The winner will pick up 4 bottles of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion kindly donated by Skin MD Natural that, with normal daily use, should last between 4-8 months and protect those precious gardening assets - your hands. The normal retail value of this prize is over $100 so it's worth getting your entries in. Delivery is included as part of the prize...

How to Enter

For bloggers: Start a post on your blog with a photograph of your quirky planter. You can simply post the photo but it would be great to hear how you came about finding such an oddity. You can add the Quirky Planter image if you would like to show your readers that your participating in this competition.

Once it's 'live' on your blog, send me an email and I shall add you to the daily links or, at the very least, the final compilation before judging.

For non-bloggers: Send me an email with the photograph added as an attachment. Include in your email the story of how you came about the picture and this will be added with the daily updates.

The competition will run for 1 week and end on Thursday 7 June, 2007 with the winner being published on the Friday.

General Guidelines

• The photograph must be an original taken by you.
• Entries after Thursday 7 June will not be accepted.
• There is only one prize to be given and this will be decided by our judge and his decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.

The competition starts now. So get those camera's snapping...

Posted by Stuart at 7:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Each week, as I step out in the garden blogosphere I'm always met with some of the finest garden stories, pictures of awesome flowering plants and projects that have just commenced. But, I'm mostly attracted to those bloggers who offer us some helpful advice. How to grow this plant; an easier way to compost; or ways to combat weeds in an ever sprawling garden.

There's never a dull moment so here's another dose of some great gardening tips and hints from garden bloggers.

• Pianna Nanna from Thyme for Herbs shares how she cured her headache using herbs - feverfew, to be precise. It always fascinates me how different herbs can alleviate some of our ailments and usually much better and faster than their chemical counterparts.
• Kasmira from Cincinatti Cape Cod explodes the myth that Sweet William will only flower in it's second year by doing it in her first. She is also planning to deadhead her plants this season to try and entice a second flush of blooms. Stay tuned...
• Maureen Gilmer from Gardening with Mo Gilmer: The MoZone has a great post on how to offer support for a vine growing up your wall without losing your wall completely.
• While it isn't truly a gardening tip per se I have been following with interest Deviant Deziner's Napa Pool Project. Garden Porn is turning it on this time demonstrating how landscapers move from the design to actually making it happen. Not everyone's cup of tea, I'm sure, but fascinating none the less.
• Last year Melissa from the Empress of Dirt showed off her Tipsy Pots and gave instructions on how to make them. This year Genie from the Inadvertent Gardener gave it a shot with not as much as success as what Melissa had enjoyed. To Genie's credit though, and our benefit, she shared what went wrong and how she will do it differently next time.
• Finally, Marc from the Garden Desk shares how to grow sweet potato. This was one of the vegetables to grow on his to-do list so it's great to see him getting them going.

And thus ends another week in the garden blogosphere. If you're looking for more garden blogs to read then head over to Blotanical and meet some great bloggers.

Posted by Stuart at 6:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)