John Lennon dreamed about fields of them - and can you blame him?

Arguably the most delectable fruit known to home gardeners is surprisingly one of the easiest to grow as well. Though I'm still unsure as to why I nurture my strawberry plants because either their fruit shrivels and disappears upon ripening or my children are feasting at my expense. I'm tending toward the latter.

Nevermind, at least someone is benefiting from these wonderful fruits.

I've always grown strawberries, experimenting with different varieties and techniques hoping to achieve better results each year. And bit by bit my success is slowly improving. Yet I find my biggest distraction is comparing my yields to those in the local supermarket. I've had to console myself that unless I give my strawberries the attention and "cotton-wool" treatment they receive from professional strawberry growers, they will always look second-class.

But that's okay. They taste better than those bought from the shop.

So what have I learned about growing my own strawberries?

1. Insects love them. Especially the two-legged variety who fight over the TV Channel and dirty the bathroom.

   Aphids and Slater beetles are also particularly notorious and while most advise using some sort of chemical repellent or spraying your fruit, I've found that by keeping them up off the ground in a container or hanging pot can almost halt most infestations.

2. Keeping strawberries from coming in contact with the soil has the added bonus that they're given more space for airflow. This way they ripen more evenly.
3. After 2-3 years strawberry plants slow down in production so it's time to start again with some new runners. Accept this as a positive option to try some new varieties.
4. Allowing too many runners to be produced is bordering on 'evil'. Firstly, it means that the strawberry plant is putting all its energy into producing these rather than yielding fruit. Second, if too many runners are allowed to grow in the same bed it restricts the availability of nutrients and crowds the plants ability to grow.
5. If you have to grow them in the ground, mound the soil and cover with some gauze matting. Don't use black plastic unless you live in a cold climate and you want the soil to heat up otherwise it will become unbearable for your strawberries and they will struggle.
6. When planting strawberries, always leave the crown just above the surface otherwise the plant will rot.

Finding a variety that will grow in your garden is as easy as finding a neighbour who is keen to let you dig up a young runner.

There are also usually a few varieties available from your nursery at the start of spring.

Do you have any preferred varietals? Any tips that I didn't mention here? Share your thoughts in the comments below...

Posted by Stuart at 6:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Our insatiable appetite to grow flowers, coupled with the desire to prove ourselves as gardeners, may just be the undoing of our fragile environment. While we blame Amazonian timber-loggers, multi-national petrochemical producers and our government's inability to deal with ozone depleting gases, some of our environmental problems may be occurring much closer to home, possibly in our own backyard.

Gardeners are no strangers to societies ills. Our own gardens are often the result of trying hard to keep up with the proverbial Jones'.

Our drive to have more, be more and do more is what keeps us as fat as our friends and away from our families. That same drive forces us to skew nature to our advantage with little respect for natural order and at a cost to which we are unaware.

The accomplices: Garden Shows and Magazines, Green Thumb Sunday and Garden Blogger's Bloom Day.

While none of these are specifically evil, and are certainly not created to be, they do encourage us to put our effort and value into gardens where flowers are the focus. This, in itself, is not a bad thing. However, the problems begin when we start to see others having more success with a particular plant. Our desire to improve then focuses on unnatural aids in the same way as a struggling cyclist in the Tour de France.

The killer: Phosphorus.

Anyone who's been gardening for some time can identify with having plants - especially flowering plants - not live up to their optimistic expectations. For whatever reason; the soil, climate or seasonal dysfunctions fail to produce a show of flowers that we can truly be proud.

So we reach for artificiality, working against nature's rules rather than finding ways to move within it.

Sadly, this has devastating effects on our environment. Fertilisers, that are created with the sole purpose of helping us achieve our ridiculous desires, end up in our water sources. They create havoc with ecosystems that eventually filter back into problems to which we lay the blame on large agricultural producers. Those dreaded farmers who keep leeching nutrients into our waterways.

Unbeknownst to us, we produce 100% more phosphorus leeching than they do.

In an article by John Lory, from the University of Missouri Extension Services, titled Phosphorus Best Management Practices for Biosolids and Other Organic Residuals he states that a 5-year limit of 600 pounds per acre of phosphorus in the soil is an allowable application for sustainable agriculture.

While that may sound huge it becomes even more scary when you consider the Department of Horticulture at Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service
[PDF] suggests that in growing flowers we should fertilise them at a rate of 1lb of 5-10-5 per 100 sq. feet every 4-6 weeks.

Assuming that a gardener is diligent with this ratio and feeds their flowering plants once per month for every non-winter month, they will be adding the equivalent of 393 pounds per acre of phosphorus every year. Over a 5-year period, this calculates to nearly 2,000 pounds per acre with a residual amount of more than 1200 lbs - twice that allowed by agriculture.

Most gardeners will quickly justify that they don't even have that much gardening space and therefore can't possibly use the quantities quoted. But it all adds up. As most people who have gardens don't use organic matter in feeding their plants they choose instead to reach for a bottled substitute and will often exceed the manufacturer's application rates - not that these rates were that great anyway.

Once a buildup of phosphorus occurs in the soil it begins to leech into our waterways and adversely affect our local environments. Over time, the problem becomes much bigger and an eco-disaster becomes acutely probable.

If we are to continue being good gardeners we have to stop focusing on flowers and start enjoying every part of the garden. Especially the soil that supports it.

We need to use organic matter - which Scott's likes to blame as the root cause of our phosphorus issues - and live with the failures that our climate and environment permit.

It would be great to see those accomplices mentioned previously actually disclose how the flowers they illustrate were produced. Let's start acknowledging those gardeners who snub chemicals and produce flowers naturally - even if they do look a little less than perfect.

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

For those of you who are regular visitors to this blog you may have been noticing a few strange things going on: images not showing, dissected page borders plus page elements tripping over themselves.

Readers who choose to use Internet Explorer (have you not heard of Firefox!!!) have had to deal with this for quite some time - since this blog started, to be exact. However, Firefox users have justed started to wrestle the same beast.

The reason - my Garden Blog Directory (which is soon to be unveiled with a brand new name and features) has had to transfer to a new server to access some important features. In doing this, it's dragged my whole account - kicking and screaming - with it.

So, I've taken the opportunity to clean up some code that has been causing a few problems and for the first time IE users can see my blog exactly (well, almost!) how those with Firefox have enjoyed it. Yay!!!

My posting has been a little erratic as I've turned my attention to fixing up these issues and also getting the Blog Directory back up to speed - my apologies for the 20+ blogs waiting to be added, thank you for your patience.

While I can't offer too many more inside tidbits I can say that the new and improved directory will be fairly impressive - if I do say so myself. From my view point it will save me hours of work in adding new blogs which means I can concentrate on creating some great new features that have been on my To-Do list for too long.

However, this blog is still my main focus and I'm keen to hear from you if you are still having problems with reading the content, submitting comments or generally trying to navigate your way around it. If you have any suggestions then I'm keen to hear your feedback.

To all those who use Internet Explorer, I hope you enjoy the way it was supposed to be presented - before you go and download a REAL browser.

Posted by Stuart at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Treehugger have a great post offering some excellent ideas on How to Green Your Gardening.

As society becomes more aware of issues that affect our environment the onus falls back on us not to bury our head in the sand and hope the problems go away. So, Treehugger's post offers some helpful pointers to direct our thinking and hopefully our actions as gardeners.

There's nothing new in their Top 10 Hits of ways to go greener but their statistics are interesting, if not concerning.

While all of that was helpful the best offering Treehugger posted was their list of other sources that offered green ideas, projects and forums.

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

This time last year the weather wasn't much different than what it is now - wet, cold, stormy and fairly depressing. The garden was in its dormancy period and optimism had flown north for the winter.

Yet there were still some highlights from my garden as well as posts that were included that are worth mentioning again. So here's a quick recap of July 2006.

• One of my bromeliads began flowering its head off
• I took my children camping overnight and fell in love with some gorgeous Acacia dealbata
• We spent a day with the family in Perth's Kings Park Botanic Gardens. These gardens are absolutely stunning with their efforts to beautify the landscape with native Australian species.
• Tips on choosing appropriate plants for a xeriscape garden
• A few thoughts on why we choose the colours we do in our gardens.
• How to grow and care for your impatiens
• And, 10 backyard landscaping ideas you could do in a weekend became one of the most visited posts on this blog.

Posted by Stuart at 7:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It might take a few glances but this bike hasn't been left at the front gate by a welcome visitor. No, it's a revolutionised garden ornament that fits in so well with its surroundings that it is almost impossible to tell the difference.

And, it doesn't take much to re-create it. All you need is a rusty old bike, a can of spray paint and a few spare hours on a Saturday afternoon.

There have been many times when grandiose ideas of renovating rusty used bicycles have crossed my mind. But, when you consider the cost of new parts it's far less expensive discarding the old one and buying a whole brand new bike. Then you're left with a piece of junk that invariably ends up in the local wastage facility.

A better idea is to turn it into a very novel garden ornament. For the highly creative, you could add flower baskets to the front or weld on a life-size metal rider or even consider an abstract positioning.

As bicycles have been a part of the world's transport systems for eons you would be hard-pressed not to fit one of these into any landscape style. You could retain a rusty look for a xeriscape garden, paint it rainbow or pastel colours to fit a cottage style or even spray it fire-engine red for a Japanese feel.

So many options - so many bikes...

Posted by Stuart at 6:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Top 10's of anything give us an insight in what others believe to be important. This list of the 10 best gardening resources is no different and I trust it will be a useful resource for you.

Top 10 Most Hated Weeds
10 Ideas to Save Water in the Garden

Top Ten Online Gardening Videos

Top 10 Garden Birds for 2007
Epinions - Top 10 Gardening Tools
Style-at-home.com's - Top 10 Gardening Tools

Top 10 Apple Varieties
10 Tips for Organic Gardening with Children
Top 10 Gardening Gifts for Mum (Mom)
Top 10 Natural Garden Plants

Top 10 Benefits of Growing Your Own Herb Garden
10 Edible Flowers in the Garden
Top 10 Perennials for a Xeriscaped Garden
Garden Rivals - Top Ten Gardening Tips

Top 10 Butterfly Garden Plants and Flowers
Top 10 Poisonous Plants
Top Ten Bamboos

Top 10 Green Cities in the US
Top 10 Gardening Movies - (ok...they have gardens in them...)
10 Most Amazing Flowers in the World

Top 10 Signs You Have Too Much Zucchini
How to Fix The Top 10 Lawn Problems

10 Garden Plants That Could Harm Your Children or Pets
Top 10 Things to Do When You're Itching to Garden but It's Too Early to Plant Seeds
Top 10 New Year Resolutions for Gardeners

10 Ways To Get Free Plants For Your Garden
Top 10 Home and Garden Pesticides

10 Backyard Landscaping Ideas You Could Start This Weekend

Posted by Stuart at 6:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

For many gardeners the prime goal is growing plants that bloom their heads off during spring and through the summer months. Some even experiment with the odd winter bloomer and many will attempt to deadhead their plants at the end of summer to encourage an autumn flourish.

It seems that trying to keep flowers in the garden is the prime ambition and one that we should all strive to achieve.

However, there are so many plants that actually look better without their foliage or colorful blooms that are sorely missed within many home gardens. They belong to the group of plants we term deciduous.

Those plants that reside within this group shine best when their autumn colour has past and spring buds are a few months away. Stripped naked and bare their trunks, branches or stems create another dimension in the garden that only the super-wise gardeners seem to enjoy and plan towards.

If your garden looks a little dreary in winter why not take advantage of some of these incredible trees and shrubs with their beautiful bark colours.

Cornus (Dogwoods)
The red stems of C.alba 'Sibirica' and C.sericia are awesome standouts in any winter garden, especially if it's covered in snow. Dogwoods are great cool climate shrubs and will contrast amazingly against a dull winter garden backdrop.

Salix matsudana tortuosa (Corkscrew or Tortured Willow)
The gnarled branches of the Tortured Willow are prized by florists who use them effectively in their flower arrangements. This highlights the versatility of this beautiful tree as it gives texture to a winter garden and dappled shade in the summer months.

Betula pendula (Silver Birch)
The perennial favourite, silver birches and many other trees within the Betulaceae family offer some variations on bark that is not only beautiful but also great texturally. The white frame of the silver birch can be contrasted wonderfully if planted alongside B.nigra (River Birch) and it's dark brown offerings.

Corylus avellana 'Contorta' (Hazelnut, Filbert)
Like the Tortured Willow, Hazelnut trees have these incredible contorted branches that dazzle when their leaves have all fallen away. And while they look great in a winter garden they also offer a great source of fruit during the summer months making the Filbert an extremely versatile tree.

Acer pseudoplatanus (Sycamore maple, Plane Tree)
The tree that Zaccheus climber to get an eyeful of Jesus is also another standout in the winter garden. Sycamores are large trees so they won't be an option for most gardeners but if you have the room then this maple will make an excellent feature tree. It will shade the garden through the warmer months and then shed its auburn leaves to display its wonderfully mottled bark.

Parrotia persica (Persian Ironwood)
A native tree to Iran, the Persian Ironwood will grow well in most warmer climes and offers multiple trunks and low branches. Its gorgeous autumn foliage is only temporarily missed once the bark becomes its focal point.

Populus tremula (Aspen Tree)
Not too dissimilar looking to the birches and beech trees, Aspens are tall and slender with predominantly white trunks. They can be planted close together for great effect and look best this way rather than planted solo.

Posted by Stuart at 6:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

It all started in the 60's as 'flower power' gained momentum and people smoked a little too much gunja while becoming overly obsessed with free love. What began as an act of respect, honouring our trees for the place they command in our environment, has evolved into a more one-sided, candid affair. And nobody bothered to ask our trees how they felt about this spontaneous invasion of privacy.

For myself, I have a big no-go comfort zone, where only certain people - my wife, kids, immediate family and perhaps someone seeking solace in their grief - can enter. If others disrespectfully try to invade this chastened area, the hairs on the back of my neck pique like an echidna's defense system. Warning bells resound within my head and suddenly I feel more awkward than Hugh Grant trying to act.

Take this to the next level....we all know trees have feelings, yet they are unable to communicate them - certainly not as well as these plants, anyway. Who knows, maybe trees don't approve of our impromptu advances.

A hug is a very special thing. And it doesn't just communicate "I care about you." An embrace from your grandmother may seem innocent enough but two teenagers hugging in the back of a car demonstrates something completely different - especially to her father who's descending on the car faster than a leopard tracking its prey.

So, let's assume there is a possibility that maybe trees don't overly approve of our embracing gestures. That being the case, perhaps we need to be a little more discerning in how we approach a tree and grasp it in our clutches. Here's some points to consider;

• Learn how to hug. It may seem completely obvious that hugging is a natural physical response but some people, for whatever reason, just suck at it. Take time to be a good hugger.
• Always remain aware of the relationship you have with the tree - basically its plutonic. It can never, and will never, be anything more than that so don't kid yourself. Your embrace needs to reflect your understanding of this situation.
• Don't hug a tree around large groups. This could mean large groups of people or large groups of trees. The former can be embarrassing for the tree while the latter can cause insane jealousy within a forest. Be mindful of who's watching you. You don't want to hurt anyones feelings.
• Never be the last to let go. You initiated the hug so it's within your control as to when its appropriate to break the embrace. Don't wait for the tree or you'll be there for a long time.
• Group hugs are appropriate - bear hugs aren't.
• If the tree hurts you in the midst of an embrace (ie. its bark grazes your skin, a twig pierces your finger or it drops a heavy bough on your head) take it as a sign that maybe you're getting a little too close for comfort. Don't abuse the tree but respectfully step away and find another more engaging offer.
• Don't tell your mates about your activities. The "I hugged a tree on the weekend" story is slightly disrespectful and won't win you, or the tree, any friends. Enjoy the memory - just don't boast about it.

If you follow these simple guidelines your tree hugging days will flourish and you will always be welcome in the forest. If you choose to ignore them, you do so at your own peril - wear a hard hat.

Posted by Stuart at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

How do you propagate a plant that only flowers every 60 to 120 years? Certainly not from seed.

And division isn't all that easy either - especially when it relates to non-invasive species of bamboo. You can rule out grafting, cuttings, leaf propagation, root propagation: all of them are fairly redundant when it comes to reproducing a plant wrongly stigmatized as a pest.

The key, it appears, is in scientific plant tissue. Test tubes are now becoming the new birth centres of many of these plants after Jackie Heinricher and Randy Burr, owners of Boo-Shoot Gardens started experimenting with possible ways to cultivate these species.

The result is an incredible array of clumping bamboos that may someday threaten the cotton industry as becoming the fabric of ecological choice.

Posted by Stuart at 8:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Does size really matter?

Duh! Of course it does. If it didn't they wouldn't have bothered building the Eiffel Tower so high and we'd all be happy playing Putt-Putt than strolling around 18 holes.

So when it comes to our gardens the last thing we want to show people is how small it is. Somehow we want to project our postage stamp plot of land to resemble the Kew Botanical Gardens - without the maintenance. It's not that we're embarrassed, it's just that we would rather accentuate our better features.

So, how do you go about creating this illusion that your garden is bigger than it really is? Stick around, here's a few tips;

1. Small Furniture

   Nothing says BIG more than scaling down items in a normal sized space. The picture above is a classic example of the opposite situation. A large chair makes the room look incredibly small therefore small furniture would have made the room look large.

   The same applies in the garden. Try finding (or even making) some furniture that is smaller than normal but is scaled against similar pieces of furniture. Then place them in a typical setting within your garden where a visitor will see them at a distance. (Note: the distance doesn't have to be too far).

2. Paving

   
   A similar thought needs to happen with your paving. While most gardens have paths 80cm-1m wide try reducing yours down to 50-70cm in breadth. If they're not used as heavy access ways and are primarily for show this shouldn't be too inconvenient and in a small garden it's more likely that paths are for moving around the garden than being heavily trafficked.

   Another option may be to reduce the diminishing width of your pathways. As the path gets further away from you, or you starting point, start to gently bring the width inwards. This works especially well on straight paths.

3. Long Ponds

   
   If a pond is likely to feature in your landscape then it will be more beneficial to create a long pond that extends away from the focal point. It will entice your vision far beyond the limit of the pool in much the same way as the ideas for the diminishing path. Square or circular ponds will just highlight how small and lacking in space your garden really is.

4. Borrowed Landscapes

   
   If the neighbours have got something 'going on' already over the back fence then try and incorporate their style into your garden - or at least the part of the garden that butts up to their fence. Borrowed landscapes are the easiest way to increase the visual size of your garden because it creates a sense that your garden continues past your boundaries.

5. Mirrors

   
   'Mirror...Mirror...On the Wall...Who's Garden is Largest of All?" Take a leaf out of Hollywood's book and add some large mirrors against some of your walls. They will help continue the illusion that your garden is twice the size.

   If you do decide to add some mirrors make sure they don't reflect obvious items such as furniture or a focal plant. This will just make the image look contrived and won't work at all.

6. Doors and Facades

   
   Doors and facades have the opposite effect to mirrors. While a mirror will reflect what's before it, doors and facades highlight what might lay behind it. Sticking a door to the side of a fence will create the illusion that the garden somehow extends through that opening.

   Using a facade, especially like this example, can make a garden look much bigger than it truly is. The facade will always trick they eye to think that the building continues beyond the front dimension.

7. Plant gradation

   
   Well, whaddya know...plants can even be used to visually increase the size of your garden. Growing all your plants at one level will instantly shout the smallness of your garden. Instead, grade the height of your plantings so that they take your eye on a journey and give extra dimension to your garden.

8. Split levels

   
   One technique we've employed in our garden is the use of split levels. When we first started, our backyard was just a formless plot of dirt so we hired a bobcat and moved most of it around. We ended up with two different levels that are separated through steps and decreasing inclines but actually looks like we have more than two.

   The use of height changes makes the garden look much bigger than if we had just left it in its original state.

9. Fence Colour

   
   Dark colours, especially dark-green, can almost remove the visual presence of a fence altogether. While dark colours are a 'no-no' indoors, light coloured fences are a major faux pas in your garden. They instantly attract your eye and state the boundaries.

   Even better than just painting your fence with a dark colour is to start growing climbers and creepers over them. With a little vegetation, the fence can be hidden altogether an no obvious boundaries will visually exist.

10. Columnar Trees

    
    Planting columnar trees (Pencil Pines, Poplars and Birches) add a dimension of height to your garden which draws the eye upwards increasing its visual dimensions. These are especially good along a fenceline as the eye will be drawn up, and over, the fence altogether.

11. Explore Lust

    
    Creating some Explore Lust in your garden is a valid technique to enhance the illusion that your garden goes on forever. It involves using pathways that continue out of view, gates and doorways that are left ajar and entice the eye to explore where they might lead and using statues that appear to look further afield.

12. Grow Small Plants/ Bonsai

    
    Stick with miniature plants or shape them to resemble bonsais. This obviously takes more ongoing effort than all the other ideas but if that's the way you like to garden it may be quite feasible to keep your plants small.

If you have other ideas or decide to give some a try please share them below in the comments. It would be great to hear how they work out.

Posted by Stuart at 6:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Pollinator Partnership, a project jointly started by the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) and coordinated by the non-profit Coevolution Institute (CoE), has as its mission to encourage the health of resident and migratory pollinating animals in North America. Like birds and bees and stuff...

As a celebration of the US' National Pollinators Week, the Pollinator Partnership is offering a free Pollinator Garden Wheel. How many times can you say 'Pollinator' in one sentence?

The Garden Wheel is a useful little tool that highlights which plants attract pollinators and what you can do in your garden to entice them. And, once you've attracted them it will give tips on how to keep them there, nourished and with habitats for them to live within.

While the Garden Wheel is free there is a $5 shipping charge and its not just available to residents of the US. From their ordering form it seems that they will ship them almost anywhere within a 2-3 turnaround.

If you want one click here.

Posted by Stuart at 6:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you're serious about composting, or at least consciously aware that recycling is more essential than convenient, then you'll need one of these bad-boys - a chipper shredder - in your gardening arsenal.

For months I've been piling up all my prunings in a large heap that was beginning to resemble the Helotes pile. And every trip I'd take to Bunnings included sauntering down one aisle in particular - the garden chipper shredder row.

I'd researched the model. Found the best prices. I'd even crafted a scale replica from a single piece of stone...Nah, that's taking it a little far. But you get the gist. I wanted...needed...a garden shredder - yesterday!

And then I got one.

Now my life is in a state of euphoric bliss as I power my way through tonnes of half-rotting twigs and branches.

The model: Alko. Size: 1600watts. Price: A$90. I can see you're impressed! As I was.

This garden chipper shredder is now my favourite garden tool because I can finally continue to prune my trees and shrubs knowing that they won't end up at the town wastage facility. In fact, they're now well on the way to becoming next season's mulch/ potting mix/ soil.

I must confess that I really would have preferred a petrol-powered model. Those garden shredders have some real grunt compared to their electric counterparts but the price is also a little intimidating. And, for my garden size - a typical suburban block - an electrical chipper is capable of handling the load, albeit a tad slower.

So, let's take a look under the hood. Basically the unit operates much the same as a lawn mower that's been tilted on its side - and if that doesn't scare you it explains why manufacturers have gone to great lengths to ensure that these shredders can't be operated unless the safety lid is firmly secured.

Two blades rotate at almost supersonic speed pulling the garden refuse downward until all that's left is a pile of finely chipped plant material. Most electric garden tools, including the chipper shredder, now have hand guards that restrict the access of your most precious gardening tools - your hands. This means the only things that can enter via the chute are twigs about the width of two of your thumbs.

When my pile is finally reduced to a heap of compostable material it will be time to sharpen the pruning shears once again and start all over. I'm looking forward to that day.

Posted by Stuart at 5:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Most gardens are created to interact with only one of our five senses - sight. Sure, some add a few roses and perfumed plants to entice the use of our 'smelling organs' but rarely are all five senses planned into a garden from the outset.

But, in a changing world where 'interactivity' is a key buzzword, one would assume that gardeners would plan their gardens with far more attention to engaging all our sensory perceptions. Planning only for sight with feeble attempts at interacting with a few other senses is like growing garden beds with plants all the same height. It fails to inspire.

So how do you create a garden that entices its visitors to engage all five of their senses? Easy, read on;

Touch

Plants are so varied in form and texture that to not play with the sense of touch is almost a cardinal sin. Many gardeners appreciate this and add a few plants to appeal to this sense but don't really grapple with making it a high priority.

Here's some ways to make touch an important part of your garden;

• Contrast extreme textures - one possible way of doing this would be to grow a mass planting of Lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina) around the base of a spiky Saguaro Cactus . The effect of soft and supple versus hard and prickly is sure to create a conflict within your visitors that forces them to reach out and examine the contrast.


• Grow plants that spill onto a pathway - having plants that press against your visitors as they peruse your garden is another way to sense touch and encourage some interactivity. Warning - sharp, prickly plants will deter people from using your paths.


• Use plants for pathways - while we often think that paths in our gardens should be hard, experiment with growing different lawns. Walking over a groundcover can engage our sense of touch much better than walking on brick paving.


• Locate plants that have texture appeal in accessible areas - if you have large garden beds then plonking a great texture plant in the middle where your visitors can only admire from a distance will lose some its charm. Place them closer to access areas or detour paths right past them.

Taste

In a garden setting, this is probably the hardest of all the senses to try and engage. The obvious avenues would be to grow fruit trees and plant vegetables that your visitors can sample as they walk through. But, are there other ways our sense of taste can be enticed?

• Grow nectar producing plants - many of our Australian natives such as Callistemons (bottlebrush) and grevilleas harbour nectar to tempt birds and bees to pollinate. This nectar can easily be dislodged by shaking it against the palm of your hand and the sweet syrup can be enjoyed. Kids love this stuff.


• Plant herbs in random spots - herbs are great to be enjoyed a taste at a time. Plant some coriander, different types of mint or lemon thyme in different locations that encourage your visitors to break a stem off as they walk by.

Sound

Sound is becoming more and more expected in the garden and it's a sense that gardeners are beginning to embrace. Meditation gardens are great at introducing sound as garden sounds are very relaxing. Here's how to add some sounds;

• Add some trickling water - a stream, fountain, water feature, whatever...the sound of water movement in a garden setting is a great way entice people to engage their hearing senses.


• Plant nectar producing trees and shrubs - these types of plants will always encourage bees and birds to frequent your garden and the sound of them flapping their wings is quite enjoyable. Some of our eucalypts attract thousands of bees at a time and the sound is not to dissimilar to the hum of a distant plane.


• Grow grasses - as the breeze catches these gracious plants, the sound that emanates from their foliage is both gentle and soothing.


• Encourage cicadas and crickets - if you enjoy the sound of summer then entice these little critters into your garden by growing plants that will attract them. Cicadas enjoy sucking sap from their hosts while crickets are happy to feed on seeds and crumbs.

Smell

If garden fragrances hit you before you enter it then you know the owner has put some effort into using the sense of smell. It's certainly one of the easiest senses to engage in the garden as there are loads of perfumed plants available in almost any setting.

• Contrast texture with fragrance - growing plants that spill onto walkways not only interact with your visitors sense of touch but can also force aromas to be released. A hedge of lavender, or a groundcover of thyme that emits gorgeous perfumes as you walk past or on is incredibly soothing and enjoyable.


• Grow perfumed climbers on arbours - the reason for this is that it allows airflow better than growing them on a fence or wall. Jasmine, or scented climbing roses are great for this and will exude delightful aromas.

Plant roses throughout your garden beds - rather than just grouping them together in one location. Your visitors can then enjoy the fragrances as they enjoy your whole garden rather than just at one point.

Sight

This is by far the easiest sense to employ and therefore needs very little commentary. However, there are some ideas that I've discussed previously that may inspire you in this area;

Creating some 'Explore-Lust' in your garden
Taking advantage of the borrowed landscape
Add some outdoor lighting to illuminate your garden at night

I hope this has inspired you to plan and create a five senses garden and if you have other tips 'n' ideas then I'd love to hear them.

Posted by Stuart at 6:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

When it comes to issues of weed control it seems that every man and his dog has an opinion on how they should be treated. Organic gardeners will have nothing to do with chemical products and many novice home gardeners can't be bothered searching out alternatives.

While big chemical companies keep producing weed killers (and marketing them as organic) most home gardeners will pay the money because they work. They usually take very little effort to apply and work almost immediately. However, the residues that are left in the soil or on our fruits and vegetables are forcing us to consider possible substitutes.

The two on offer that most gardeners - although usually from opposite ends of the spectrum - will employ are solarizing soil or using glyphosate.

What does it mean to solarize soil?

Many organic gardeners have been using the concept of solarizing the soil to rid it off unwanted weeds. The idea is that you cover the ground with a large sheet (preferably plastic or geotextile) and allow the sun to warm up the area and eventually kill the weeds. It usually doesn't work on seeds that haven't germinated yet but can do if the weather is hot enough.

The process can take from one week up to a couple depending on the warmth generated under the plastic.

What is Glyphosate?

Glyphosate is a non-selective systemic herbicide that is applied to weeds and drawn into the plant through their leaves and stems. You would pobably better recognise the name 'RoundUp' more than the term glyphosate as this is the brand that it was initially marketed under.

While glyphosate would kill the weeds its effect ended in the plant itself and it becomes neutral when it hits the soil. This is a big advantage for gardeners wanting to use chemicals against their weeds but not damage the environment and leave residues in their garden beds.

Which weed killer is better?

I'm not about to give you an answer to that question because it's highly subjective and most opinions are valid. So, rather than draw a line in the sand let me at least compare the pros and cons of both alternatives.

Solarize your soil

PROS

• Chemical free


• Once you have the plastic or geotextile, it's a very cheap exercise


• Large garden beds can be managed without too much effort


• Possibility of killing some of the weed seeds before they germinate

CONS

• Can only be used on new garden beds or sections of garden that don't have other plants already growing


• Buying the plastic or geotextile to get started is quite expensive


• Storing the plastic can be a headache. It's a bulky material that you will only use once or twice each season so most of the time this material will need to reside somewhere and take up precious space


• Plastics are made from non-renewable energy sources (crude oil). So while you may be killing your weeds organically you're being a hypocrite regarding the materials you need to do achieve this.


• Plastic doesn't last forever and once you start getting a few holes in the sheets they become ineffective and will need replacing.

Use Glyphosate

PROS

• Inexpensive and readily available


• Extremely effective against growing weeds


• Weeds are usually dead within 7-10 days after applying glyphosate


• It won't leave residues in your soil

CONS

• Can be quite expensive if used over large areas


• It can only be used on plants that are growing and not as a pre-emergent weed killer


• Any plant that comes in contact with glyphosate will die. So, if you're spraying around your ornamentals great care needs to be taken that you don't inadvertently spray them with it.


• While residue from this chemical won't build up in the soil it can build up, and remain, on fruits and vegetables that may have come in contact with it


• While not official, there are many links between health problems and using glyphosate. At present, there appears to be some cause for concern for pregnant women but this has not been verified to date

The Conclusion

In my own garden I'm happy to employ both methods of weed control. If I'm starting out with a new bed and I don't want to waste considerable amounts of time or effort I will start off with solarizing the soil. Then, as plants grow and weeds grow between them I'll readily use some glyphosate to eradicate them.

I know a few organic gardeners who don't have a problem using glyphosate and some home gardeners that will also employ solarization. IMO - both methods are warranted.

Posted by Stuart at 6:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

My parents always warned me that I should eat my brussel sprouts. If I did then I would increase the chances of growing hairs on my chest. I obviously didn't eat enough. But, here's one guy who obviously got carried away.

Brussel sprouts should come with clear warnings!!

I took much of what my parents said about vegetables as gospel - until I turned 5. Then I started to realise that broccoli wasn't going to make my hair curly (like I wanted curly hair anyway), brussel sprouts had no effect on body hair and pumpkin wasn't going to make me immune toward a current strain of influenza.

Apart from the paternal myths, I was always told that vegetables were good for me. "Good for what?" is what I needed to know.

Here's a list of vegetables and the body parts that they can improve;

Asparagus

Apart from the many vitamins that asparagus contain it also provides our body with a carbohydrate called inulin. Inulin can't be digested while eating so it forces the digestive tract to deal with it and therefore improves its performance.

Broccoli

The mother lode of nutritious vegetables, broccoli is the best for improving your colon. You're probably wondering whether that's an area you really want to enhance but if you can avoid undergoing a colonoscopy in your lifetime then it's a vegetable worth serving up regularly.

Brussel Sprouts

Those little cabbages actually do have some benefits. In fact, they're supposedly beneficial in reducing many forms of cancer but moreso against your colon and your liver.

Cabbage

Cabbage is going to help your mind. It's actually been found to help prevent Alzheimer's disease.

Carrots

High in Vitamins A, K and C, carrots are the 'go to' vegetable for improving your eyes. Vitamin A is essential in maintaining good eyesight. However, if you're completely blind then stuffing yourself with carrots in the hope that they will improve your eyesight is a waste of time. Carrots will only help maintain good vision, not increase it.

Eat too many though and your skin will take on an orange tinge due to the excess beta-carotene. At least you'll have a good excuse if you overdo the spray-on tan.

Daikon

The strong flavour of daikons (Chinese radish) are great for preventing and healing sore throats and can be attributed as a diuretic for those who need some extra maintenance on the plumbing system.

Eggplant (Aubergine)

This incredible vegetable is great for your heart and fighting coronary diseases. However, if you're going to cook it in oil use extra virgin olive oil so that you don't waste it's health benefits.

Fennel

If you can get over the anise flavour (you either love it or you hate it), fennel is a great vegetable in aiding digestion and looking after your stomach

Garlic

A great help for your teenage child, garlic can be rubbed raw over the skin to combat acne.

Horseradish

Got a cold or blocked nose? Horseradish is great for clearing your sinuses.

Jerusalem Artichoke

Jerusalem artichokes is a serious vegetable when it comes to dealing with your Intestinal tract. They're a good substitute of potatoes for diabetics but may increase flatulence.

Kale

Due to high levels of B6 and folate, Kale will help strengthen your bones and prevent osteoporosis.

Leek

Strung out? Getting testy at small things? Then it's time to introduce a few leeks into your diet to lower your blood pressure. Your family will love you for it....

Mung Beans

Also for the heart and warding off cardiovascular disease.

Nopales

Nopales are the fleshy stem from the Prickly Pear and are great for unblocking arteries.

Okra

Due to its high levels of Vitamin C, Okra is famed with helping those with breathing problems such as asthma.

Pumpkin

High in zinc means pumpkins are able to preserve your spine as a deficiency in this chemical can cause serious bone problems - especially in older men.

Rutabaga (Beetroot)

Promotes the production of seratonin in your body. Seratonin is a mood changing chemical that affects you positively.

Swedes

Swedes, like all cruciferous vegetables, contain indoles that can combat rogue oestrogens that can trigger tumour growth in the breasts and lead to breast cancer.

Turnips

Apparently, turnips are responsible for keeping your teeth clean. Skip the next dentist appointment.

Wasabi

Believed to be an antidote for food poisoning thereby saving your whole body

Yam (Sweet Potato)

Yams are high in complex carbohydrates which produce the sugars needed for the body plus provide enough nutrients so that the body doesn't become depleted. This is great news for your pancreas.

Zucchini

Not surprisingly, the zucchini is a great combatant of prostate cancer. High in manganese and Vitamin C zucchini's will even aid in urinary problems.

Sources:
Sixwise.com
SAC Food Co-op [PDF]
World's Healthiest Foods

Posted by Stuart at 7:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

The guys from Instructables.com have come up with another great tip for the garden this time converting a 2 litre soda bottle into a self-watering planter. Sure, it's not exceptionally pretty - but it's cheap and does the job.

The pop bottle planter works on the idea of utilising a central wick that dips into the water reservoir beneath the plant and draws moisture up into the soil. It's quite ingenious - almost MacGyver-ish - and can be made solely from items that are no longer needed around the home.

If you end up making one of these please forward me some pics as I'd be keen to show the Tips 'n' Ideas community how they've been used.

Posted by Stuart at 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Formerly known as Helichrysums, Bracteantha bracteata belongs to the Asteraceae family and are affectionately known as Paper Daisies, the Everlasting Daisy or Strawflowers. And each of these names are apt.

Their glowing flowers blaze hotter than the noonday sun in such vivid colours from bright yellows to hot pinks and almost any shade in between. Yet they appear to be soft and fragile like an Aster or Gerbera bloom but upon touching them you're almost taken aback as they feel just like paper. Actually, if you didn't know what they were you would swear that you had been sold an artificial plant.

Fortunately, they're real - yet incredible.

Bracteanthas are in a class all their own. They grow well as perennials but most gardeners tend to treat them as annuals or at least replace them every 2-3 years. They have a habit of getting a little leggy and when they're not flowering they look ordinary at best - a scruffy set of mid-green, elongated leaves that droop like they need watering.

Most cultivars of bracteantha are grown as groundcovers but they can reach up to 1m when fully grown and make wonderful companions to less showy foliage plants. They're even recommended by the CRC for Australian Weed Management [LINK SINCE REMOVED] as a great alternative to many of the invasive ornamentals such as Arctotis and Gazanias.

Best Climate for Growing Bracteantha Plants

Bracteanthas are a little fussy when it comes to their growing conditions and environment. They're not real fussed on humidity so will struggle in tropical areas where moisture levels are high. They much prefer a dry heat during summer and mild winters where average rainfalls are available.

They really shouldn't need any extra watering after some initial TLC. However, when starting them off in their garden bed, or plant container, bracteanthas will need some regular watering and some nitrogen-free liquid fertiliser to get them going.

Do bracteanthas make a great cut flower?

They sure do but it's best to pick them once the buds are half-opened. If you pick them too early they may fail to open properly and if you pick them too late they may not last in your vase all that long.

Bracteantha cultivars

B. bracteata "Sundaze n" - The Sundaze range comes from Redland's Nursery and come in White, Pink, Lemon, Bronze and Gold.
B. bracteata "Bright Bikini" - A bright orange bracteantha that looks incredibly artificial with its gloss sheen.
B. bracteata "Colourburst Pink"
B. bracteata "Dargan Hill Monarch" - Yellow and orange blooms with silver-grey foliage
B. bracteata "Diamond Head"
B. bracteata "Cockatoo"

Posted by Stuart at 6:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So, you've been taking a few pics around the garden. Now its time to claim some honour for all that detail macro work you've been doing.

The Garden Photographer of the Year competition is on thanks to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Five categories ranging from Plant Portraits, Life in the Garden, Trees, Garden Views and My Garden should inspire you to get your shutter speed moving faster than a hummingbird's wings.

Plus, there are prizes up to £10,000 on offer. So, if you're an amateur garden photographer you really must enter this awesome competition and be quick about it - you only have until the end of July to register.

UPDATE:

I've been recently informed by Jane Nichols, the Marketing and Sponsorship Director of Garden and Landscape Photographic Arts Ltd. (the company promoting this competition) that the deadline is actually 31st January 2008.

There you go, you have a little more breathing space.

Source: Amateur Photograper

Posted by Stuart at 6:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Most of the time, my blogging schedule has me sitting in front of the computer as soon as I'm awake. So a cup of coffee is essential if I'm going to make any sense at all.

And it got me thinking, I'm sure every other garden blogger enjoys either a herbal tea or a mug of freshly ground coffee as they sit down to compose their posts for the day. Then WHAM!!!...an idea hit the fore. Wouldn't it be great if we started a new meme where everyone showed off their coffee (or tea) mug and shared their caffeine preferences?

So here's my choices (the cup above is actually my son's but I thought I would use it for this illustration as it's a great coffee mug - he only enjoys Milos in it BTW);

What's your preference - coffee or tea?

Mine is definitely coffee. I do like some teas but coffee always gets me going.

Instant or Brewed?

In the mornings it has to be instant. However, I will usually put my little Turkish stove top pot on once I've finished and then sit back and relax with my wife before heading off to work. It's our little thing....

How do you take it?

White. One teaspoon of coffee and one spoon of sugar.

Do you have a favourite cup?

I did - until it got broken. It was a Mr Happy cup that I was given for a birthday present. Nowadays I just try to go for the biggest cup.

How many will you enjoy during a normal day?

It used to be ten. But I've cut back to four now as I read somewhere that four was the maximum one could have without any health side effects (though I'm sure some will disagree with this).

Does it matter if you don't start the day with a coffee/tea?

Yes. I get grumpy and somehow feel grubby like I haven't had a shower. To be honest, I can't remember the last time I started a day without a cuppa.

Now it's your turn. Choose 5 people you know that are coffee/tea drinkers and ask them how they take it.

I'm not going to select 5 people but if you would like to run with it take it on and share your coffee drinking habit with us all.

UPDATE:

• Here's Val's offering and she's bought a few coffee drinkers out of the closet if you keep reading her comments.
• Rosengeranium doesn't drink coffee.

Posted by Stuart at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Over the weekend, 24 hours of live concerts being played in all 7 continents were all beating the same drum. Scores of revelers attended nine concert venues and scores of top class bands and musicians donated their time. All in the name of reversing the effects of human pollution and saving our planet.

John Mayer penned this optimistic view on his own blog prior to the shows;

I woke up this morning with hope. Excitement, even. Live Earth is taking place in 48 hours, and I’m starting to feel the first ripples of what could become a revolution.

You mean a revolution like Woodstock? Where people dissed authority, smoked more than enough pot and generally rebelled against a society so that social freedom's could be enjoyed. The outcome of all that was the oft quoted, "If you can remember Woodstock - you weren't there."

So, will Live Earth have made a difference in a generation that will eventually inherit the management of our precious globe? Or, was it just a good day out?

Maybe this next generation will adopt the message and alter their disposable habits - one they've discarded their Motorola Razr for the new iPhone, that is. They've pledged not to use disposable nappies, use chemicals to wash their clothes and won't drink bottled water. They have even vowed to replace their incandescent light bulbs with low energy substitutes and take shorter showers.

However, I'm cynical that this has made an ounce of real difference.

By nature, we're a people of comfort. And comfort can only be achieved through convenience. Why is McDonald's so successful? Because people can't be bothered cooking. Why do fruit & veg grocers exist? Because we can't be fagged growing our own and having to barter with a neighbour for our own sustenance.

Don't get me wrong. I loved the idea of Live Earth and thoroughly enjoyed the music. It's put a message out there and focused the attention of our young people. But a revolution.....?

Bild am Sonntag, Germany’s best-selling Sunday newspaper, put it best;

The bottom line is that if nothing else, the issue of climate protection was a lot of fun for two billion people for one day.

Source: Telegraph.co.uk

Posted by Stuart at 6:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I've had free-range chooks before. I've even allowed ducks to roam through my vegie patches but I'm not at all impressed with the idea.

They rip my seedlings to bits in an effort to find a worm. They take great delight in stomping through my carrot patch and wouldn't think twice about pooping on my ripening strawberries. In fact, I think I'd rather keep the snails than let ducks and chickens forage in my garden.

But, I don't want my chickens cooped up in a pen all day either.

But this little Aussie invention might just be an alternative that keeps the best of both worlds. Free-range chickens in a cage. Odd, but simple.

They can be maneouvred effortlessly without having to engage the whole family in a chicken stalkout. Plus, they get to forage from wherever they're placed without getting into your prized vegetables. Ingenious.

At the moment, they're only available in Australia through the manufacturer McCallum Made. However, they do have an email address on their page if you want to start pestering them to export to your country.

Source: Treehugger

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

There are garden bloggers and then there are the movers and shakers in the garden blogosphere. People who go beyond their own blog and can create something more of value within the blogosphere that either adds more value to it or makes it easier to be part of it.

Kerri from Color of the Garden chose me awhile back to select some recipients for the Thinking Blogger award. I've been toying with that idea for some time (obviously) and decided I would much rather reward those bloggers who are innovative and entrepreneurial rather than just great thinkers - though the two are not mutually exclusive.

All this thought has challenged me to create this list. These are the true movers in our category and I can't wait to see what they come up with next...

14. Tricia

Green Thumb Sunday is probably one of the most successful meme's in the garden blogosphere and it was Tricia from As the Garden Grows who started it. Hundreds of garden bloggers participate in this weekly 'show and tell' all linking back to her blog.

Tricia also has more than 10 other blogs on the go, including pesonal blogs, photography blogs etc.

Ed's note: The reason Tricia is at the bottom of the list even though she is highly favourited and works tremendously hard on her blogs, I hate (is that too harsh) her Pay Per Posts. It's not that I'm against sponsored posts it's just that Tricia seems to write about anything and whore her garden blog to topics about Payday Loans, Coupons, Vacuum Cleaners and copious other unrelated material. If I wanted that stuff, I'd go and read blogs about it. Needless to say, I no longer subscribe to her feed. I get enough spam in my Inbox....

13. Katina Mooneyham

Katina is responsible for a great niche blog, Katina's Little Gardeners who shares from experience as she homeschools her two children. She is also the contributing editor at Garden and Hearth [link since removed] and ran another blog: A.K.K.H. Natural School [since discontinued] about the joys of home-schooling.

12. Kenneth E Point

Better known as Kenny from Veggie Gardening Tips he shares a wealth of wisdom within his blog regarding the growing and cultivating of vegetables. He has also produced a free e-book titled My Gardening Secrets.

11. Beth Lawrence

Canadian, Beth Lawrence, runs the blog Grow See This with articles and tips to help gardeners. She also offers podcasts and vidcasts with more gardening tips but in another format that is making use of today's technology.

10. Angela Pratt

Sacramento Gardening seems to have been the source of inspiration for Angela from Angela's NorCal Garden Blog. Angela produces stock art photography on her (much lusted after) Canon 5D and writes to a Sacramento audience..

9. Hanna, from Cleveland

In true marketing fashion, Hanna's This Garden Is Illegal arrests your attention from the very beginning. Add to that some great writing prose and you've got a winner on your hands. And Hanna could be forgiven for stopping there.

But as most garden bloggers know you don't find too many gardening blogs that don't sport a "I'm a [Flower]" banner on their sidebar. This is such a great viral method of getting your blog out and no-one has done it better than Hanna.

8. Marc

From GardenDesk blogging fame has since started a new blog called Veggie Garden Info which is a reblog of RSS feeds that discuss anything pertinent to vegetable growers. It's a handy resource and also gets bloggers exposure that they may not have had previously.

7. Doug Green

Who hasn't heard of Doug Green? Doug's blog stemmed from his original site Simple Gifts Farm but also includes sites on Perennials, Ponds, Gardening for Beginners and Flowering Bulbs.

But what makes Doug's site stand out from others is that he also offers newsletter subscriptions to his readers. Sure, most of us offer RSS subscriptions but this is a whole 'nother level. Newsletters are easy to procure and take extra time in maintaining a subscriber base and writing articles and links.

6. Mr Brown Thumb

You'll know Mr Brown Thumb from his great blog of the same name. Mr BT has an obvious knack for photography and covers a wide range of plants.

His side interests include the Google for Gardeners custom search engine (you will find this on his blog) that can also be added to your iGoogle page as a easy gadget. Mr BT also has three other blogs: Garden Hacker, Garden Rate and Review and Gardening Seeds. It's pretty hard keeping up with one gardening blog let alone four and the latter two haven't been posted to since April. It will be interesting to see how these go.

5. Douglas Welch

Doug's blog, A Gardener's Notebook doesn't get a huge amount of traffic but subscriptions to his feed almost top more than 1500 readers. And that's just his blog. Doug also offers his readers the opportunity to subscribe to his podcasts via iTunes.

4. Kathy Purdy

One of the original garden bloggers, Kathy has been pouring into her blog Cold Climate Gardening for more than four years and it's a great source for gardeners dealing with cold climates.

Kathy also maintains a garden blog directory on her site that lists hundreds of great reads worthy of adding to your feed reader.

3. Carol

Carol is an Indianan gardener who blogs about her garden and various gardening topics through May Dreams Garden. It's a great blog and she's shared some great posts over the years especially her article on garden hoes.

She is also responsible for the Garden Bloggers Bloom Day that encourages garden bloggers to show what's blooming in their garden on the 15th of every month. Carol also maintains the Garden Bloggers Book Club (try saying that without pronouncing Book as 'Blook') that is a virtual copy of a physical book club.

2. Colleen Vanderlinden

The magnanimous Colleen has been quite the blogger of late. Not only does she keep up with her personal garden blog In the Garden Online but she is also a Feature Writer at Suite101.

And who can forget her mammoth efforts when it came to putting garden bloggers on the map with her Mouse & Trowel Awards. These awards which aimed to mend the obvious exclusion of our category within the Bloggies did just that.

1. Susan Harris

A noted contributor to Garden Rant, Susan also maintains her own blog Takoma Gardener, started the DC Urban Gardener News for DC Master Gardeners among others, and also has time to produce, and star, in the odd gardening video.

Susan has also started a new site called the The Gardening Coach which aims at offering garden coach services to gardeners who need a little encouragement.

Posted by Stuart at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)

Some gardening books, such as Tracey DiSabato-Aust's The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting and Pruning Techniques (aff.), are masterpieces and deserve a spot on your bookshelf for eternity. Some, like Sean Hogan's Flora: A Gardener's Encyclopedia (aff.), are reference materials that you refer to constantly. And some are gifts from uninitiated gardeners or books you bought at a time of weakness.

Now they just take up space and collect dust.

What can you do with them? Here's a few options that you might find useful;

1. Re-sell them - if you want to get something back on the purchase price that you squandered then you might want to consider reselling them on Amazon or listing for auction on Ebay. They're both easy ways to get clean up your shelves and put some cash back in your pocket.
2. Join BookCrossing - this is such a cool idea. It works by people registering their books online at BookCrossing. Then they "set them free" by leaving them on a park bench, in a cafe or a bus port and then track the book's whereabouts via the same site.
3. Donate them to Adopt A Library - all books that are donated to Adopt A Library are forwarded onto prisons, schools and other areas where they can be used again.
4. Visit a book exchange - Most cities and towns in the western world offer a book exchange. They work by requesting you exchange the number of books that you're looking for and paying a nominal fee for purchase. These places often carry valuable books that unsuspecting exchangers swap without knowing their true worth. Good places for wasting an hour or two.
5. Online Book Exchange - if the local book exchange is a little limited in what they offer then on option might be becoming a member on MyBookExchange.com. This site offers free membership and you only pay a $1 request fee for each book that you find. You will need to keep at least 2 books listed to retain your membership and sort out postage costs but otherwise it's a very cheap option.
6. Donate them to a local library or charity - if your unwanted books are still in good condition then most libraries and charities would be happy to accept them. It doesn't result in any benefit to you as neither will part with and form of swap or exchange but you can rest knowing that you made a contribution to society.
7. Recycle as gifts - a fellow staff member (who you hardly know) is having a housewarming and you've automatically found the perfect gift. Provided it's still in good condition this might be a great option for making room on your shelves for books that you actually want.
8. Compile into an ideas file - even the worst gardening books have at least one or two redeeming photographs that could be cut out and pasted into a scrapbook of inspirational ideas. The rest of the book can then be recycled or,

Ok, I know I said "8 ways..." but I'm adding this last one in for free...

9. Turn them into compost - if you can't give them away, nobody's interested in buying them and you've removed all the inspirational ideas (or there weren't any in the first place), then the only option is to at least make them useful in the garden. Don't just throw the whole book in as is, otherwise it will take a few years to eventually break down. Instead, shred it into strips and soak in water before adding to your heap and it will compost quite readily.

   It might even give you some sordid satisfaction as you watch it decompose.

So, don't just throw them in the bin and send them off to landfill. Find ways to get them back into circulation and onto someone else's shelves. It's therapeutic for you and good for the environment.

Posted by Stuart at 5:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A few weeks ago I shared how to make an Herb Spiral in your backyard to save room and still grow all the herbs you ever wanted. And that was all good for those who a). have the time to build one, and b) who have the room to accommodate a spiral.

What about gardeners who have only have room for containers?

Well, the answer is to grow herbs in a wine barrel planter. There's enough room in one of these tubs to cater for a few of your favourite herbs plus it won't take up a large section of your backyard.

So here's how to make one;

Step 1

You will need to buy or source a half wine barrel either from your local nursery, landscaping centre or direct from a winery (if there are any close by). They're not usually to hard to come by and might be a little more expensive than a similar sized plastic pot but cheaper than an equivalent terracotta container.

Step 2

The next step is to flip the wine barrel over and drill 5 decent sized holes in the bottom. These are for drainage and will allow any excess watering to run out of the tub without swamping the roots of your plants. Try and aim for the middle of the tub rather than putting them around the edges.

Step 3

Flip the barrel back to its right side up and cover the holes with a piece of gauze or shadecloth. I've used a piece of flyscreen that was left over from another project. If possible, fold the gauze in half a couple of times and then place over the holes.

This is to allow the water to seep out without taking your potting mix with it. It will also keep the drainage holes unblocked.

Step 4

Now it's time to get your hands dirty. A normal wine barrel can hold approx. 205 litres (54 gallons) so half will hold more than 100L. Therefore, you will need about that much in volume of potting mix. These bags contained 30L each and I had to supplement them with about another 1/3 of a bag.

Before you begin adding the potting mix move your tub into it's final location. Trying to move this after it's full of soil and plants will be impossible without a trolley.

Pour the first two bags (60l) into the wine barrel. Start pouring in the third bag to bring the levels up to your plants.

Step 5

Once the potting mix is in place, it's time to start positioning your herbs. The feature of my wine barrel is a bay tree Laurus nobilis so this will take up the majority of my planter.

Place all your herbs in their positions after removing them from their nursery pots. Don't start holding them in with soil yet as you want to take your time to a) move them around until you're happy with the look and mix of foliages, flower colours etc, and b) you will need to lift them all up to a common height.

You can do this making little mounds of soil under their roots until they are all at the same height. This should be about the length of your middle finger below the rim.

Once they're all in place you can begin filling in the spaces with the remaining potting mix. Water in well using a liquid fertiliser and your planter is now complete.

Posted by Stuart at 7:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Ever tried growing plants in containers - on the side of a hill?

Neither have I.

But, I'm guessing there are a heap of gardeners who have to deal with this challenge in their garden. Natalie Sharp was one of them - not any more, though.

Owner of Sharp Garden Designs, Natalie Sharp invented Pot on a Hill, a spiked stand that creates a ledge for any container to rest on. The stand is plunged into the side of the hill and forms a platform strong enough to hold the heaviest containers.

The design is not earth shattering and most people who see it can't believe they didn't think of the idea but is probably one of the most innovative gardening products to enter the market in recent times.

The Pot on a Hill garden stand is only available locally at the moment but can also be ordered online from Sharp's website.

Posted by Stuart at 7:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our competition to find the 'Quirkiest or Most Extraordinary Planter' has officially ended. And it is my sincerest pleasure to ....(drum roll, please)....open the email envelope and allow our judge, Peter Holt from Holties House announce the winner.

For several reasons my choice for a winner is Lisa;

1. Anyone who lists in their profile interests "composting" has to qualify as "quirky" just on that score alone. Remember, Peter's not a gardener....Ed.
2. I also liked her tenacity, two entries where most were not bothering to submit an entry at all.
3. Variety, from bedpans to boots and beyond, with a strong recycling theme throughout her entries.
4. And finally for outright quirkiness I think Lisa's entries fill the bill best.

I would very much like to add my congratulations to Stuart for organizing the contest, to Skin MD for their generous prize, to all the folk who entered and of course to Lisa for her winning entries.

Back to me - I want to add to Peter's appreciation and thank him for being our judge. The pressure we mounted him under was terrific and he came through unfazed. Thanks again.

Also, to Pete Grimaldi from Skin MD for his generous donation - I would like to thank you personally. Much appreciated.

Our next competition

Always looking forward, I'm keen to run other competitions on my blog and encourage some more gardening participation. If you have any ideas for what might make an exciting competition then I would love to hear your thoughts.

Would you rather take pictures or write posts? Do you prefer exposing others or do you like getting a little love sent your way instead? It would be great to hear.

Also, if there are other sponsors who would like to donate their wares and get a little exposure in the meantime then feel free to email me.

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

The joy of growing annual plants is the hope that next season they might self-seed and give something back for all the attention you gave them. So, while you may be tempted to deadhead your annual flowers to encourage a repeat flourish, it does pay allowing a few plants to go to seed.

Hopefully, they will disperse their future offspring and you'll be rewarded with sprouting seed next year.

In the case of one of my front beds, I planted some Californian poppies Escholzia californica but only one survived and it struggled to do anything. I didn't give it too much attention but it must have dispatched a few seeds as the next year a clump of these grew up in the same position.

This year, they are sprouting seeds everywhere - but only within the one bed.

As you can see, this bed has almost nothing growing in it - apart from the odd weed. The bed next to it is full of these Californian poppies to the point that some will need to be removed if the others are going to have room to grow.

So, what to do with the other seedlings?

Maybe I could transplant them! I guessed that the risk wasn't too great if I failed anyway, as the other sprouting seeds required thinning regardless. So here's what I learnt from the experience;

• Transplant your seedlings as early as possible - I left these probably a week longer than I ought to. The longer you leave them before transplanting the more comfortable they become in their current surroundings and the less likely they will succeed.
• Dig up some dirt with the plant - if you just tear the plant up without any soil to cover their roots then you will have just killed your sprouting seed. Dig a generous circumference of soil with the seedling and carry it to it's new location as a surgeon would carry a transplantable heart.

  Most flowering annuals have a main tap root which sources all their nutrients and water requirements. If you disturb this root, the less likely you will be to transplanting it successfully.

• Expect transplant shock - less than 10 minutes after I had moved all my sprouting seeds they each went into shock and keeled over. This is normal. To make sure the seedling handles the shock and doesn't die there are a couple of things to consider;
  1. Don't transplant your seedlings in the middle of the day - your plant won't be able to survive both the shock and evaporation at the same time.
  2. Water you seedlings in really well - this removes any air pockets left after replanting and gives the plant a ready source of water.
  3. Add some fish emulsion to the water - a liquid fertiliser can really help a plant resist transplant shock.
  4. Water your seedlings every day - at least until they are coping on their own.
  
  

• Use an appropriate pest deterrent - if you're not against using snail and slug pellets then sprinkle these around the base of your transplanted seedlings. Otherwise, use shell grit or copper filings to keep them at bay as they will view your struggling plants as an easy buffet.

Here's a picture of the garden bed with the transplanted seedlings in it. I took this photo about 15 mins after I had moved them and already the shock has hit them.

This was taken a week ago and over the course of the week I watched them lift themselves up, and then droop again. They'd repeat this every day but eventually the drooping would become less and now they are standing upright and growing just as well as their counterparts in the original bed.

I will show another photo, in a week or two, to display their progress but is appears that they will make it and be a welcome part of my front garden.

Posted by Stuart at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our competition to find the 'Quirkiest or Most Extraordinary Planter' has finally come to an end. So now, it's time to hand it over to our judge - Peter Holt from Holties House - to do the honours and pick a winner.

But, before we do lets take a brief recap of our entrants submissions;

• Lisa from Millertime presented us with these quirky planters consisting of a chair, plastic thermos, a Weber lid and some old boots.
• Then, Rosalie Larson submitted her little wagon and watering can planters.
• Jonathan showed off his upside-down terracotta pot
• Lisa followed up with two more entries. Here is a planted bedpan and washing machine tumbler.
• And finally, Paul Sayer from Tasmania submitted his succulent boots and homemade planter.

Hopefully Peter's being deliberating as the entries have come in so I should be able to announce the winner tomorrow. Stay tuned...

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 6:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)