The sago palm isn't actually a palm but instead a cycad - more closely related to evergreen conifers than palm trees. Yet it somehow picked up the common tag of being a palm and is rarely referred to as a cycad other than by those who know. The difference: - palms are monocotyledons (seeds sprout only one leaf) while cycads are dicotyledons (you guessed it...they sprout two leaves from the seed). Hardly a big difference when you're trying to explain this plant's genetic background.

While this plant may not be a true palm, its shape and size make it one of the most utilised specimens in landscape tropical gardens. And why not? The foliage, as an architectural texture, is exquisite and as it grows the trunk adds the dimension of height.

Where can sago palms grow?

Almost anywhere the summers are warm and mild and where they will be sheltered out of frosts and snow. If kept in pots they can be grown in cold climates providing they are overwintered and your summers aren't too cold.

If your climate isn't characterised by frost-ridden winters then growing a sago palm in the ground is certainly an option. Obviously palms that grow in the ground have less maintenance requirements and can grow much taller than their pot-bound counterparts.

Problems with the sago palm

• Slow growing - while they look fantastic when they're a decent size waiting around for them to grow can be an exercise in patience. In most cases they will only add 1-2" (2-5cm) per year - and that's a good year.
• Great leaf catchers - because of their shape and growing habit, sago palms are great leaf catchers. This is a bonus if that's why you wanted to grow this plant but for most gardeners it can become they reason they rip them out. Therefore, plant them in a location that isn't beneath a deciduous or leaf-shedding tree.
• They need warm summers - while sago palms can put up with cold winters they really struggle if they can't enjoy some summer warmth. If your summers don't average at least 20°C (70°F) then the sago cycad may not be an option for your garden.
• They need sun - just like warm summers, cycas revoluta basks in full sun. While they will grow in shade and perform quite well in part-shade they can often become leggy and more disease-prone without at least half a day of full-sun.
• Deadly to dogs - for those gardening pet-lovers keeping a sago palm and a dog in the same confines is asking for trouble. The seeds from the sago palm are extremely poisonous and will kill a dog within a few hours of digestion. And, don't think your children are immune - this can seriously harm them as well.

Caring for a sago palm

Apart from the growing conditions mentioned above sago palms are quite easy to care for. A feed of a balanced fertiliser every six months and caution taken when watering (they don't need much) is really all these plants require.

If your sago palm has become a leaf catcher then removing the built up compost from with the plants centre is paramount. Leaving it to rot down within the plant can cause a myriad of disease and fungus problems which are better prevented rather than trying to cure.

Does Sago come the sago palm?

Most of us have enjoyed endured sago at one point or another in our lives so it's not a dumb question to think that this plant may be the source of our child-based memories. However, the true source is from another palm (a real palm) also commonly known as the Sago Palm Metroxylon sagu.

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And, it appears that the retail industry is becoming far less discerning in what it offers and the days of little boys peeing and blushing pixies are but a distant memory. Some of the recent collections are up there with Formula 1 bimbo models or Hooter's waitresses.

Stylized couples, life-size bronze sculptures and the modernization of formal classics appear to be the big sellers. But my question is, "Who buys these?" While they appear in their abundance at retail outlets I'm yet to see any that reside in local gardens.

Maybe those who purchase them place them in more secluded spots than the gardening shops? Perhaps the lawn-hugging lounge babe is couched across a creeper in the backyard rather than in the middle of their front garden turf? Who knows? They seem to disappear from the nurseries but never reappear in society.

Maybe some Victorian vigilante is knocking them off to rid society of its ills? Whatever the case, they can't be ignored - they don't seem to be going anywhere fast just taking up floorspace that could have been granted to more interesting plants.

So, would you (do you) have a nude sculpture in your garden? Would it offend the neighbours if you did? Would you care? Interested to hear your thoughts.

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Garden lighting, for most gardeners, has been the 'icing on the cake' rather than the cake itself. Unless you've started your garden with the intention to include illuminating your plants, walkways and garden hazards it's probably an afterthought that's more dream than thought. And once a garden is established it's not an easy task digging trenches for electrical cable trying not to disturb tree roots and navigating your way through garden beds.

Which is why solar lights became an option for you. They didn't require cords - or if they did, they didn't need to be interred at the same depth as a corpse - plus they could be positioned anywhere in your garden with a minimum amount of fuss. And, you didn't need an electrician to install them.

As night fell, you waited expectantly for these garden lights to shine out and illuminate your garden as though you had reversed the effects of day and night. Instead, you found these lights to almost be as useless in the garden as gnomes. The brightness emanating from them would struggle to compete with a candle during dusk and certainly wasn't the shining force you had imagined.

What did you expect? A million candle-power beam that kept the neighbours up at night?

In the cold, hard, light of day - when your solar lights are renewing their energy for the 'big' night ahead - it seems that these were never meant to compare with their hard-wired counterparts. And while they may struggle to provide a great deal of illumination they still do have a purpose - as focal points or leading lights along your garden paths.

And, there are 'solar lights' and there are 'SOLAR LIGHTS'. The technology is increasing rapidly and new products are being introduced to the market with far better output than they did years ago. Plus, they're getting cheaper. But it pays to know what to look for when considering whether these lighting instruments will work in your garden.

Buying tips for solar garden lights

1. Light Strength - this is measured in mcd's (Millicandela) which is the rating used to assess the brightness of LED's. The higher the number, the brighter it is.
2. Cords or Cordless - if your solar lights come with cords it's usually because they share a power source. This is produced as a stand complete with a photoresistor, rechargeable batteries and wiring to power up these lights. However, if you're sharing the power source between a few lights then expect that they won't be as bright as those which have their own power source - but they should be cheaper.

   Plus, cords in garden beds are never a great idea anyway. It doesn't take much to forget they are there and thrust a garden spade onto them rendering them useless.

3. Sturdy - consider that your solar lights will be in your garden as often as your plants and will need to weather all conditions that prevail in your climate. Check that the materials are robust and won't break after the first cold-snap or heat-wave.
4. Be realistic - these lights will never compare with their fixed peers so when they claim to illuminate a focal point within your garden "just like electrical lighting", allow common sense to prevail. Technology in solar illumination hasn't achieved those results yet and I'm sure it will be decades before they can find more efficient ways to make these work.

They are a great addition to any garden provided you understand their limitations.

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These mini landscapes are basically bonsai for those of us who don't have the patience to create bonsai. But more than the oriental artform, these garden themes actually create a minute still of scenes that we may have encountered ourselves or perhaps have dreamed about.

For those of us gardeners who are holed up with driving autumn rains this seems like a great opportunity to expand our gardening repertoire. I'm just waiting on some inspiration...

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More than just not trying to look obscure, garden rocks bring qualities to our landscapes that ...well...could only be done by something so hard and rock shaped. Their size, mass, shape, colour and texture can add a whole new dimension to even the most beautiful garden. And they won't get lost trying to do so.

Yet, introducing rocks into your garden can often be an expensive exercise. Landscaping retailers don't usually give this precious resource away for free but there are some avenues that might. Here are some great places to start looking;

1. Classifieds - Quite often people are prepared to offload surplus rocks. Sometimes this is from oversupply or it could be that they just aren't desired in the garden anymore. Whatever the reason these rocks are usually listed as 'Free to a good home' provided you are willing to come and pick them up. You may not always get what you want but as they're free, beggars can't be choosers.
2. Farms - If you live in a rural setting, then finding farmers who want to offload rocks shouldn't be an arduous task. Most farmers will have even piled up their rocks - making it easier for rock hunters - so that they can till their soil and plant produce.

   For us, we can drive north and get limestone, drive south and choose granite and head east to score gravel rocks. And farmers are usually only to happy to offer you this resource for free.



3. Old Mines - This also depends on your location, but if you live near some abandoned mines or quarries then sourcing garden rocks freely is quite easy. The only sticking point with mine tailings is perhaps the residue left on the rocks from chemicals used in the mining process. It's probably best to do some research before heading off for the day and returning with contaminated rocks.


4. Inner city developments - Inner-city dwellers also have access to rocks for their gardens which can come primarily from new buildings. Whenever a new skyscraper is built it requires generous footings to be dug into the bedrock. This rock is then usually shipped offsite and deposited elsewhere. You may not be able to access the rock from within the development but a conversation with the foreman could direct to you to where they're being taken. Or, you could stalk one of the trucks departing from the building site.


5. Demolished or renovated gardens - gardens, usually owned by non-gardeners, are often dismantled, renovated or just plain removed leaving a host of resources - including rocks - for the picking. If you offer to take them away they will most likely accept so that they can save on refuse fees.

While I've listed a few places you can easily source rocks for your garden, there are some places that are off limits without certain permissions.

1. Rivers and Beaches - while you may only need a few rocks and see a boundless quantity before you it becomes a problem when everyone has the same opinion. Taking rocks from an environment that depends on them can be extremely detrimental. These rocks have a place in their eco-system and hold back erosion and many other problems that arise when they're missing.
2. Your Neighbour's Garden - As tempting as this may be, taking rocks from next door - unless granted permission - could strain your relationship, especially as it won't be hard to track down who the culprit was.

Even if you can't source garden rocks for free, there are many other options for getting them cheaply. Salvage and demolition yards, completed housing projects and landscape seconds may also prove to be fruitful.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (7)

As a quick disclaimer, this is not my type of garden. However, I'm realising over the years, that not everybody prefers my type of garden. Our friends aren't overly-enthusiastic gardeners, yet they were keen to explore something a little different than the usual flax, cordylines and lilli-pilli hedges that abound with new homes.

They wanted to highlight this red wall at the very front of the house so I suggested that they invest in some Silver Torch cactus, Cleistocactus strausii, a Bolivian native. The problem was sourcing cacti that were of a decent size worthy of making an immediate impact. Silver Torches can be bought at some local nurseries but they are so small they would have hardly made an appearance over the rim of the container, plus they want $20+ for each one.

So you can imagine that sourcing three of these beauties at a worthwhile size was not going to be cheap. And not surprisingly as they're not the fastest growers. While they can get up to 3m high it will probably take a few decades - depending on conditions - to get there.

Fortunately, I had driven past a house a few weeks earlier and noticed that they had a few clumps of Silver Thorns in their ramshackle front garden. So I mentioned this to my friends who then went and knocked on the door and graciously asked begged for some divisions, if possible.

To their amazement the owner was happy to dig them up and repot them and only charged them $30 for all three. In fact, this gardener was ecstatic that someone had found something in her garden that was worthwhile and was more than happy to oblige. It was a win-win for both parties and all because my friends had risked to ask the question.

Six months later all three of them are doing fine, albeit one of them has a kink. But apart from that, there's no holding these beautiful cacti back. They will complement this colour scheme even if it fades or peels over the years.

It just goes to show that it does pay to ask. If my friends had sourced these from a nursery at this size they could have been paying hundreds of dollars. Yet because they asked they saved a packet.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (2)

Fast becoming the mulch of choice for many landscapers due to their varied textures, colours and size, these decorative pebbles are turning up in gardens all over the world. And why not? They're natural, can quickly transform a garden area and are basically maintenance free. Plus, they don't need to be renewed - so long as we don't take fashion trends into account.

So what could possibly be wrong with gardeners utilising these natural resources?

Two reasons, really. Firstly, most decorative pebbles come from a finite source - ie. that being the rivers of the world. What has taken hundreds - maybe thousands - of years to cultivate through erosion of larger rocks will take the same amount of time to replenish. However, at the rate that the world is excavating these for home gardeners there will be a lag of a few thousand years before the next harvest is ripe.

The second reason is far more concerning. These pebbles play an important part in our river systems. While they get tumbled and smashed against each other or larger rocks on their descent therefore producing more silt, it is actually the silt that they hold back from moving too fast through the river.

If you take these river stones out of the equation then silt can become a problem further down the river. Increased levels of silt can bring a heap of problems as it builds within the river delta. The sheer volume can increase water temperatures killing fish and producing algae that destroys the life within these rivers.

And the effects are irreversible.

While it may not effect your backyard it is having, and soon will have, devastating consequences in developing nations where these are sourced. Counties such as China, Vietnam, Thailand and India are the big exporters and while the price is high these countries will always put economic gain ahead of their future environmental welfare.

What can be done about this?

Firstly, if you plan to use decorative pebbles in your landscape then buy them from a producer that sources them from less important rock specimens. If they come from a river bed somewhere they will always be doing the environment harm. Yet, if they are produced as a byproduct of mine tailings or sourced from rocks that have little impact on the earth's structure then they will be far more appropriate.

Even better than the first option is not to use them at all. Stick with organic mulches that are readily renewable and are much better for your garden soil anyway.

Decorative pebbles may be the current landscaping trend but is the cost worth the aesthetic appeal?

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (6)

Did it actually take 12 months to build this feature? No. If I added up all the time we actually spent ('we' being a few friends that offered help over the course of time) then we could have completed it over a long weekend. However, with so many other commitments tearing at my free-time, and money not always being readily available the project stalled for more than 9 months. The rest was a culmination of an hour here, or an hour scraped from there, to get certain parts achieved.

Was it worth it? Of course it was worth it. Most of our summer has been spent sitting under its shade allowing the gentle breeze to keep us from baking in 35°+C days. Deb spends most of the day reading while I gaze over the garden considering which plants are likely to stay and which will go.

Planning a garden pergola

Before starting our garden pergola there were a few issues that needed to be sort through. I wanted an open pergola that would accommodate a grape vine with summer fruit dangling through the rafters. Deb didn't want
the bees. I wanted rustic and old-world charm whereas Deb was more geometric shapes and lines.

In the end, we opted for a gabled, covered roof and I got my bush poles.

But that's not where the planning ended. At every turn we were given a few more options and the pergola that we ended with was certainly not what we had initially planned. It was, in fact, far better.

I guess this is one of the blessings of building your pergola yourself. If you had signed off on a contract with a builder making changes along the way can become very costly. Doing it ourselves made it a 'work-in-progress' and it took its shape over time.

The pergola roof

The roof is always the most contentious issue when building a garden pergola. Should it be covered? With what? Should it be gabled, flat, leaning or convex? Should it remain open? There are just so many considerations for the most important part of this construction.

One of our issues is that Busselton receives a considerable amount of rainfall. It's said that it rains for 9 months of the year and drips off the trees for the other three and sometimes it certainly feels like that. So, to keep our pergola open meant that the area would rarely be used.

Also, our backyard faces east so it cops the morning sun - albeit mostly hidden behind the towering peppermints. We didn't want to lose this aspect of our climate so we chose to cover the east facing roof side with tinted polycarbonate sheeting. This allows the sun to still shine through and warm the living areas in the house and gives us uninterrupted views of the tree canopy above.

However, the west side is a different story. On most summer days the sun would penetrate the patio and render it unusable between 12 and 5 pm. With this side we covered it completely with Colorbond™ sheeting. Now the whole roof keeps out the elements but we don't feel like we're cocooned within an indoor space.

It's really the best of both worlds.

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After a weekend spent wrenching lawn runners from my front garden beds, my plan to install some brick edging has rapidly moved up the TO-DO list. It's not that I didn't want to add some edging it was merely a low priority job that could fit in after the enjoyable tasks.

But, after spending two half days pitting my waning strength against the lawn in an 'all-out-turf-war' I realised that this job can't wait. And that's okay because I'm looking forward to neatening up my front yard and making it less of a chore to maintain.

As a bona-fide lawn lover, one of the prices I pay for this affection (or, should that be *affliction*) is spending copious amounts of time maintaining it. Mowing, snipping and edging can easily chew up an hour or two each week in the warmer months.

So, in order to find a solution to keeping the lawn at bay and allowing my plants to enjoy less competition in their garden beds I've been casing the neighbourhood for edging options. And here's what I've found;

Concrete Edging

Honestly...I hate this stuff. It looks cheap and nasty. It always cracks and moves within a few years and the coloured concrete edging fades just as quick. Plus, because it's so inexpensive it seems every second garden has it. Yuk! Definitely NIMG.

Plastic Edging

I'm not even going to waste your time or mine contemplating this non-option.

Metal and Wood Edging

I must admit that I'm a little partial to some of the corrugated tin edging that a few gardeners are now using to border their beds. In fact, I've even used it in a few places in the backyard. The downside to metal edging is it can be rendered useless against a whipper-snipper at 8000 RPM's.

The half-pine log edging that seems to be finding its way into some gardens, in most cases, is completely horrific. However, I did find one garden where the owner had used this and randomly placed boulders between the edging to break it up. It looks fantastic.

Brick Edging

But, the best material for my personal taste was brick edging. It looks classy. It's solid. And, it will outlast every other material. Having said that, there is GOOD brick edging and POOR brick edging.

Let's start with the POOR.

Most bad examples of edging a garden with bricks relate to gardeners who haven't taken the time to set them properly. If you're looking for a ramshackle, rumbling look then placing them on top of the soils' surface and positioning with a mallet will suffice. However, if you're looking for something that will last past the first weekend you might need to take a little more care.

Some other bad examples of brick edging are where gardeners have used them in patterned styles such as the dragonstooth effect. This is where each brick is positioned on a vertical, leaning 30° angle. Very 70's.

And then there's the GOOD.

In almost every garden where brick edging looks good, time and preparation have been the key. If you want your edging to last you will have more success when mortar is included in the equation.

And this doesn't necessarily mean between the bricks.

For some brick edging it can just be providing a mortar footing for the bricks to be placed upon or after paving the edge of your garden bed with them, running a loose side-footing along the front-side of the bricks.

They look great in random vertical patterns, or using just the width of the brick as your edge, or placing them lengthways to provide a wider border edging. It may even be worth the effort to create a small wall 2 - 3 bricks high.

Brick edging constructed this way will outlast all the other options and will continue to look great years after you spent the time installing it. Plus, you won't have to wrestle lawn runners or rogue ground covers ever again.

Any other options for garden edging that I haven't mentioned?

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (7)

You don't have one? And you still call yourself a 'gardener'?

Every time I visit our local Bunnings store - they're now the local nursery as the independents have all closed down - it seems there's a new must-have appliance to plonk in my backyard. Patio heaters, umbrellas, barbecues, chimineas - and the list goes on.

While the kitchen seems to be an endless target for new white goods with every conceivable implement now created - that is until our next *need* arises. At least in this part of the house they fit on the bench. Backyard cooking appliances such as barbecues, chimineas and now the vital outdoor pizza oven are much larger and require room to harbour.

Whereas kitchen appliances can be used, cleaned and then stored out of sight - and sold 3 months later at a garage sale for $5 - outdoor appliances aren't quite as portable. So, if you're going to add one to your backyard you might want to make sure you're going to be happy with it - and use it.

And this is where I come unstuck. I'd love to have all these gizmos, and more, but I struggle to justify parting with some of my garden to house it. It all comes down to lifestyle and what appliances I'm likely to use regularly.

I'm a bbq-kind-of-guy. Our summer months will usually be spent on the patio hosting friends and cooking a few snags (coll. sausages) over a greasy hotplate. Cooking pizzas in the backyard is not really an activity that pushes my buttons - but it could be. But certainly not enough to warrant one.

For most home-owners, one of these appliances is enough. Either you have a barbecue, OR a chiminea, OR an outdoor pizza oven - but not usually all three. Yet, if you took Bunnings' suggestions you would have all three and whatever else is on the market next month.

For those who do have the room to add an outdoor pizza oven, Gardening Australia has a fact sheet on how to build one. However, before embarking on such a project you might want to consider some stories from those who've tried - and ended up buying a pre-fab Vesuvio.

Pizza ovens are a great alternative for outdoor living - just consider the likelihood of practical use before installing.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you're planning to sell your home in the near future and don't have trees, shrubs and a paved patio area - pencilling in a few DIY weekends may be on the cards.

According to research conducted by UK's Halifax Estate Agents, these three features are what most buyers are looking for. The findings are intriguing because it flies in the face of modern home pedagogy.

If you take current TV shows as gospel - and I'm not sure why you would - then plantings need to be low maintenance, foliage species. Grasses, succulents and strappy-leaved plants have been the rage for almost a decade. We've been led to believe that people no longer enjoy gardening, or gardens. Therefore, the lie continues, we need to make our "outdoor spaces" as minimally imposing on others as we possibly can.

But, if this research is anything to go by then it seems that homebuyers are looking for houses with gardens more than minimalist outdoor spaces. Why? Because shrubs and trees are hardly low-maintenance. Certainly not as carefree as flax and cordylines, anyway.

They require regular fertilising, mulching, pruning and some even need frequent deadheading during their growing season.

Have homebuyers really seen the error of their ways? Or, are they just nostalgically romanticising the gardens they once grew up in?

Anyway...moving on.. Here are the winners in the features most homebuyers look for.

Must-Have Garden Feature Winners

1. 63% of homebuyers are looking for homes with trees and shrubs
2. 58% want a paved patio
3. 57% want a garden shed or greenhouse
4. 43% would like a water feature, and
5. 42% like the idea of growing roses

People aren't just looking for the things they want either. There are a few items that many of them would rather not see in the garden. And here they are;

Things that shouldn't Feature in the Garden

1. 67% don't want to see garden rubbish. Makes sense. Here's some tips to hide your garden maintenance areas.
2. 59% are turned off by dog and cat mess
3. 43% said they want their privacy and don't like neighbours looking over the fence. Here's some gardening tips to screen your backyard.

Probably the most interesting statistic to come out of this research - for me anyway - was the opinion of having gnomes in your garden. 1 in 10 people said they would be attracted to a home with garden gnomes while 17% (nearly 1 in 5) admitted that it would be a turn-off. Interesting...

Source: DIYWeek.net

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A reader asked whether a list existed whereby Australian native plants could be substituted to create a Japanese Garden.

To my knowledge such a list doesn't exist, until now that is.

First, we have to pull apart the Japanese Garden style to understand how the substitution is going to work. Predominantly this form of garden design features the use of rocks and pebbles, water, conifers and evergreens, flowering deciduous trees (cherry, peach, magnolias etc), many flowering shrubs (azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias) and then there's the quintessential bamboo.

The rocks and pebbles aren't a problem. It's fairly easy to locate granite rocks and river stones/pebbles. Even the water (as it is being constantly reused) isn't too difficult to source.

So how do we choose water-wise Australian natives that will replace these plants and still pull off the effect of a Japanese Garden?

Let's start with the conifers. Australia has a few conifers of its own and also a few plants that easily resemble this group of plants.

Australian native conifers (or conifer-looking plants)

• Huon Pine - Lagarostrobos franklinii
• Bunya Bunya - Araucaria bidwillii
• Grey Honey Myrtle - Melaleuca incana
• Acacia "Limelight" - Acacia cognata "Limelight"
• Mountain Plum Pine - Podocarpus lawrencei
• Pencil Pine - Athrotaxis cupressoides

That should get you started in that department. The next type of plant you're looking for is some evergreen shrubbing plants that can be used as hedges or balled specimens. Options in this area are;

Australian native shrubbing plants

• Westringia fruiticosa "Smokie"
• Golden Diosma - Coleonema pulchrum 'Aurea' (Origin: South Africa)
• Green Honey Myrtle - Melaleuca diosmifolia
• Gold Dust Wattle - Acacia acinacea
• Metrosideros umbellata

Australian native flowering shrubs

Most flowering shrubs used within a Japanese garden style are fairly tidy and compact specimens. Most Aussie natives on the other hand are quite sprawling and leggy. However, there are newer species coming onto the market all the time that feature more compact growing habits. Try some of these on for size;

• Callistemon "Demense Brown" could easily rival a camellia - though flowering a few months later than its competitor.
• Grevillea "Austraflora Canterbury Gold"
• Hairpin Banksia - Banksia spinulosa
• Silky Eremophila - Eremophila

These should get you started but keep your eyes peeled for newer varieties that offer longer flowering periods and a compact shrub habit.

Australian native flowering deciduous trees

In a typical Japanese garden there are many trees to choose from that lose their leaves in the cooler months and then look resplendent with their new spring foliage and flowers. Australia doesn't have any flowering deciduous natives and only two that will at least shed its leaves each autumn - the deciduous beech Nothofagus gunnii.

To my knowledge, I'm not even sure these are available in cultivation but if they were you would be limited to growing them in very cold climates such as Tasmania.

The second is grown at the other extreme, in Northern Australia. The baobab tree, Adansonia gregorii (or commonly referred to as the "boab" tree) would be a great starter in a Japanese garden.

However, neither of these trees flower - not siginificantly anyway - and wouldn't be able to replicate the beautiful magnolia soulangeanas or flowering cherries.

Australian native bamboo

To those who know, this is an oxymoron. There are actually no native bamboos that grow in Australia as most either originate from Asia while a few grow natively in parts of Africa.

However, it doesn't matter as most bamboo plants are very drought-tolerant once established. Give them six months to get their roots in order and they'll fit right in.

If you need some tips on which species to buy read up on this post I wrote earlier on how to grow bamboo without losing your garden. Clumping varieties are your best option but if you have to grow a running type then ensure that you've taken precautions to contain it.

Australian native creepers/ climbers

While the typical Japanese garden would use Wisteria chinensis to grace arbors and cover walls, the Australian substitute would be Hardenbergia comptoniana. This beautiful pea-shaped flower literally drips off its entwined branches and can easily replicate the stereotypical japanese vine.

Wrapping it all up

It's not difficult to find indigenous alternatives to use a style in your garden. It certainly takes a little more effort but most styles can be achieved by researching the core fundamentals and substituting native plants for them.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (1)

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 | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 | Permalink | Comments (2)

If you need to ask the question then you obviously haven't seen one. And, if you haven't seen one then it's obvious that you don't believe in them. For if you did believe in them, you would see them everywhere.

I've never seen them - and I accept that my lack of belief has probably caused this seemingly irreversible condition.

My daughters, on the other hand, see them everywhere. And they're quick to point them out - well, at least they were until they realised I was an unbeliever. Now they just shake their head and cuss at my inability to see the unseen in the same way Morpheus was bemused by Neo's initial disdain for what he couldn't see.

I'm talking, of course, about the garden sprite - fairies. Pixies, elves, nymphs, sprites are all part of the world our children enjoy despite their parents ineptitude at grasping the imaginary.

Garden sprites are those little creatures that adorn fairy gardens. If you have children you won't need to add them in a physical sense because they just turn up. You may need to decorate a few shrubs with tinsel and allow them to store a few pieces of doll house furniture in the garden beds, but you won't need to add any pixie characters - they're already there.

No. Garden sprite adornments are not for children. They're for the unbelieving parents who need to reminisce their childhood.

When you think of garden sprites there is only one name that comes to mind - Frank Lloyd Wright. Arguably the greatest American architect, Wright created the Midway Gardens in Chicago and with the help of sculptor Alfonso Iannelli positioned Sprites to protect the gardens.

Their geometric shape is instantly recognisable and reproductions of Iannelli's work are quite common for many gardening enthusiasts. Their purpose in the garden is supposedly the same - protecting it.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (2)