When I was first introduced to the genus Sansevieria I admit that being impressed was not high on the emotive scale. Actually, I kind of thought they were stupid plants with very little point to them taking up residence in anyone's garden and I would pigeon-hole those who grew them as obvious non-gardeners.

The reason: I had only ever seen Mother-in-law's Tongues grown as they're shown here - isolated and grown as a focal point in a sea of dry sand.

Later on, I became enchanted with their architectural poise after seeing them grown in great clumps. They were like this sea of cream and dark green that stood vigilant against the elements and stubbornly resisted any movement like a royal guard on sentry duty.

Interestingly enough, sansevieria is meant to grow this way. If you found them growing in the wild in tropical Africa you wouldn't find them growing as dot plants but mingling together to produce an almost impenetrable shield.

While this clumping habit can be an obvious advantage for the home gardener it can also be sansevieria's downfall. In many countries, the Mother-in-law's Tongue plant has been listed on the Known Weeds registry. Once this plant escapes from any confine it can easily propagate and continually clump until it becomes an environmental nightmare.

How to grow Sansevieria

Answering this question is like Shrek responding to Princess Fiona when she exclaims, "A talking donkey!" It's no surprise that sansevieria will grow - it's getting them to stop that's the trick!

However, there are a few things that will help them grow better;

1. Sunlight - the more the better. Mother-in-law's (we'll shorten it for expediency) love full-sun and while they will still do fine in part-shade they excel when they're completely exposed to the sun's rays.
   


2. Well-draining soil - this is probably why they're often found growing in sand. While sansevierias enjoy a well-composted soil they don't appreciate hard, clay loams. If clay soils are all you have then consider building a raised bed filled with good-draining sandy soil. They will love you for it.
   


3. Water - they're not water-hungry plants and can easily tolerate a drought, yet they do enjoy a good watering provided the soil drains well.

How to propagate Mother-in-law's Tongues

As sansevieria is a clumping plant, reproducing them is merely a matter of division. Each Spring they will send out some new shoots than can easily be removed, with roots intact, and repotted or planted elsewhere.

I'm not sure how expensive these plants are elsewhere in the world but here in Australia a 200mm pot will set you back $12+. So, when a friend told me that she was removing all hers from a neglected garden bed I was quick to accept and they easily took to my garden and have grown well ever since.

So how did Mother-in-law's Tongues get their name?

Sharp. Pointed. Long. I'm not sure really. Maybe it has something to do with the colour - Hi Mum!

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Most people can instantly recognise a jade plant. In fact, even if they're a non-gardener and they have a complete disdain for anything that grows you will invariably find one plonked in their...ok, we'll use the word 'garden' - but in an extremely liberal sense.

Often identified as the 'money plant', 'money tree' or the 'dollar tree', the common name Jade can refer to two different genus of plants - Crassulas are the most familiar but Portulacaria afra is also tossed into the same pot.

And while there seems to be some reputation crisis going on over at GardenWeb's Bonsai forums, Dwarf Jade (whether you're referring to C.argentea or P.afra) can both be shaped as bonsai plants.

The difference is that Portulacaria afra is much better suited to being a bonsai because its leaves almost seem miniature. Crassula argentea "Hobbit" has a dwarf growing habit and can also be bonsai'd but not with the same stunning effect.

I've never been a fan of the Jade plant in any of its forms, mainly because they grow anywhere and novices seem to love them. But a Jade bonsai has real potential. It obviously takes some effort to grow these well shaping their growing habit as any bonsai would require.

If you plan to try one of these check out some tips on choosing good quality stock, the right pot and other requirements for creating a jade bonsai. The principles for bonsai are always the same regardless of the plant.

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Peter from Backyard Organic Farming has recently started cultivating dragon fruit cactus - you know, the fruit that Andrea thought mirrored David Bowie's hairstyle.

These tree-like cacti, Hylocereus undatus, produce the most amazing fruit commonly referred to as dragon fruit. Admittedly, I have never tasted one but they are touted as the new fruit of the gods - maybe the gods were getting bored with sapotes and could no longer endure the smell of durian!

Greenhouse Girl has a great wrap-up post on how to grow these awesome fruit trees. They can even be propagated from seed!

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If you're looking for a quick filling plant that will provide an abundance of colour and ramble through your garden, then nasturtiums Tropaeolum majus should be at the top of the list. Vivacious, sanguine, effervescent; adjectives that wrap nasturtiums in a nutshell.

Not only are they a great plant to fill in bare areas but they are so easy to grow. Throw a small handful of seeds into the soil, lightly till and water and within weeks you will have transformed your garden into a kaleidoscope of colour. This is low-maintenance gardening at its grass roots.

The trick with nasturtiums is not getting them to grow but forcing them to stop. They are a wonderful self-seeder providing they flowered well the previous season. And why wouldn't they have flowered well previously? Growing nasturtiums in nitrogen rich soil will produce an abundance of foliage to the detriment of producing flowers so stay off the fertiliser for these plants.

Nasturtiums grow well in a sunny location in a free-draining sandy loam. They don't do well in the cold and should be planted in from spring through early autumn. Don't bother buying potted nasturtiums or seedlings either - it's like buying bottled water when you live next to a mountain spring.

These plants originated from South America so you can expect them to enjoy the warmth and be frost-intolerant. Nasturtiums will grow to about 30cm (1ft) and cover more than triple that in width. Their foliage differs from variegated khaki to dark lush green and seemingly ever shade of green in between while nasturtium flowers are bright colours. Bright yellows, oranges, reds. And they're edible. Wash them after picking from your garden and toss into a green salad along with your borage flowers.

Nasturtiums are an annual plant, classified as a succulent, but will reproduce themselves year after year.

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I remember picking up this plant at Bunnings about 2 seasons ago as we tried adding some autumn colour to our garden. I was infatuated with the colour of the foliage and even more impressed when they began to flower.

However, winter followed autumn and the foliage began to turn yellow and eventually brown and finally withered completely.

I had no idea what was going on and there didn't seem to be a wealth of material on this plant that could advise me in any practical way. I poured on some fertiliser, increased the water rate - then hastily decreased it, checked the soil for problems...and that's when I found it. Or should I say, found them!

These little nodes at the bottom of their elongated stalks were beginning to protrude from the soil's surface. It was then I realised what was happening. This sedum was replenishing itself after it had spent all last year's growth.

I cut the stalks back to ground level and as expected the nodes became stalks and eventually the stalks bore blooms. Such is the cycle of life when it comes to the Sedum "Autumn Joy".

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Portulaca must be the cheeriest looking plant in the whole garden when it flowers. Its myriad of bright reds, yellows, whites, oranges and every colour in between can transform a desolate looking garden bed overnight.

We were at a camp on the weekend and the place we stayed at had a bed of succulents including some gorgeous orange portulaca. Against the foliage backdrop of these other succulents it stood out a mile and make the garden bed quite spectacular.

There are between 40 -100 different species of portulaca (or purslane) with the two most recognised species are portulaca grandiflora (moss rose purslane) or portulaca oleracea (common purslane or pigweed). Common purslane is edible and can be steamed or boiled and it has a texture similar to cooked okra. Both of these species are fairly common and available in most nurseries.

Moss rose is the most common portulaca you may find, especially in nurseries. A native plant to Brazil they are mainly grown as annuals and grow great as a groundcover. They will usually only grow to about 15-20cm (6-9in) high.

If you want to grow portulaca you may need to check with your local plant authority as portulaca oleracea has been classified in some areas as a noxious weed. Due to its easy propagation it can takeover areas quite quickly and be hard to eradicate. However, while portulaca is kept contained within a garden (in areas that allow it) it will grow wonderfully.

Continue reading "Portulaca grandiflora: The cheeriest flower" »

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If you asked someone to draw a quick sketch of a cactus, the saguaro would be the one they would draw. It is the most recognisable cactus due to it's use in western movies as landscape shots of the Arizona desert stereotype our view of outback USA.

The beauty of this cactus is the rate at which it grows. It takes 50 years to flower and 75 years to grow its first appendage starting life as a single stem. The ones that are usually shown in western movies with multiple appendages would be well over 100 years old and could be closer to 200+. However, at this age they begin show the effects of their age and, like humans, will become weaker and lose their healthy vigour.

The Saguaro cactus, carnegiea gigantea, is a native cactus to the Sonoran desert of Arizona. It flowers for about 2 months through the night in the middle of summer (once it's old enough - of course!) and Arizona claims it as its State Flower. It will grow to approx 8-10m (26-33 feet) when fully mature and will expand its appendages with water as it attempts to retain enough for dry periods. It can save enough for more than 2-3 years.

While you may want to grow one in your own garden you might find that you could possibly run out of time and never see it flower. So, if possible, buy a fairly established one.

Continue reading "Giant Saguaro Cactus" »

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You may have noticed a common theme running through the uses of these different types of cactus. They all seem to have some property that is prized for exploiting either for health benefits, medicinal drugs or even protection. Where cactus plants lack in the instant gardening appeal department they make up for when it comes to their usefulness.

Blue agaves, Agave tequilana weber azul, are no different. If you've ever had a drink of tequila (or should I say if you've ever been to university or college) then you would have tried the nectar of this cactus. The heart of this plant (the pina - now you know where pina colada comes from) is harvested when its about 12 years old and the sap is drained, fermented and distilled.

Agave's, like the hoodia's, are not true cacti. They are succulents that share similar properties. They are grown natively in the Jalisco state of Mexico which is about 2300m (7500 feet) above sea-level.

Continue reading "Blue Agave (Agave Tequilana): The Tequila maker" »

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They probably should have named this one the pumpkin cactus as it is the closest looking plant to a jarrahdale - except it flowers instead of growing from a flower.

This little and seemingly insignificant cactus has a very rich history steeped in the Peyote culture. It's hallucinogenic effects come from the psychoactive properties which come from either drinking the juice or eating the flesh of this cactus. These properties have been used by Mexican nomads for centuries both medicinally - and obviously, recreationally!

It's always the unassuming plants that pack a wallop!

Native to the Chihuahuan Desert, an area that spans through New Mexico, Texas and parts of Arizona, this cactus plant is a survivor. It's very easy to propagate and can be easily grown and harvested.

However, if you're planning to set up a thriving peyote business to prop up your drug habits you may need to think again. Most countries would have laws making the use of these, apart from medicinal use, illegal.

Continue reading "The Peyote Cactus - So prickly you could eat it!" »

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Here's another really interesting cactus. The hoodia gordonii is a native slow-growing plant of South Africa which bears large flowers that smell really bad. This is to attract flies which are the pollinators of this type of plant.

The hoodia is not a genuine cactus, although it certainly looks like one. It's actually a species of succulent which grows wild predominantly in South Africa but has also been found in Namibia and is often referred to as the Queen of the Namib.

They don't like full-sun, prefering to laze the day away in the shade after enjoying the morning sun. Hoodia gordonii is only a small growing plant usually reaching 30cm (12in) high and covering approx 80cm (30in) wide.

There is a lot of press about this plant because of it's apparent diet suppression qualities. The hoodia is dried and then marketed as a diet suppressant with very little medical proof yet as to whether it actually works.

Continue reading "The Hoodia Gordonii cactus plant" »

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I've never truly been interested in Cactus plants until recently. I always saw them as dry, boring and illegitimate plants. However, since contemplating xeriscaping and the wonder of growing plants without additional watering has since changed my views.

This variety, the Beavertail Cactus (Opuntia basilaris subsp. basilaris or Opuntia basilaris subsp. whitneyana), is native to the deserts of south-western USA and is a close derivative of what Australian's call the Prickly Pear - same family actually. They only grow about 60cm high and their flattened pads resemble beavertails, hence the name.

They bear magnificent red to purple blooms that begin flowering in spring and continue through to early summer.

Continue reading "The Beavertail Cactus" »

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Starting Monday next week, Gardening 4 Dummies will be hosting a new series on Extreme and Unusual Cacti. Cacti are an unusual group of plants anyway but in their group are some beautiful, ugly, poignant and disturbing plants that reach the extremes.

We'll take you across the globe in search of some of the whackiest and interesting cacti and give you tips on how to grow them and take care of their needs.

If you have any unusual cacti growing in your garden why not slip us a photo and we'll add it to the list. Tell us why they're unusual and the story behind how they ended up in your garden.

See you back here on Monday!

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