I can remember vividly on a talkback gardening show a few years ago, a lady was phoning in to complain that she had found worms in her garden and was requesting a removal solution. How things have changed!

To find a gardener that didn't want worms inhabiting their garden is nowadays a rarity. We have begun to understand what a great resource they are and the many benefits that come from allowing them to deal with our scraps to naturally tilling our soils. How do you keep worms in your garden so they keep working for you? Read on...

Continue reading "Worms - Day 21: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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It is only recently that we have started realising that frogs play an important role in our garden. Many gardeners are now trying to attract frogs into their gardens as they realise the benefits that are associated with them. They are great at keeping the insect population to a minimum and probably better at doing this than spiders.

If you don't have many of them living in your garden then you may find your garden is more fatigued than you think. Read on to find out why frogs don't reside in some gardens....

Continue reading "Frogs - Day 20: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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The difference between a good garden and a great garden is the weaving of landscaping structures into the garden fabric. If you've planned it well it will look spectacular at least and magnificent at best.

But like all things in the garden, they will become tired and need maintenance and there is no time like the present to get outdoors and check them out.

Continue reading "Landscape Structures - Day 19: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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Tropical plants are not everybody's cup of tea especially if you happen to live in regions that are prone to snow and frosts during winter. But even if you are, you may still decide to keep some living indoors where the temperature can be controlled.

Bromeliads, hellaconias, kalanchoe are wonderful tropicals that can do well indoors but given a little help can survive well outdoors in most regions as well. Read on for some things to consider to keep them growing well...

Continue reading "Tropical Plants - Day 18: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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Until recently I have never seen the point in palms. The reason: I live in a climate zone where they are possible to grow easily and many (or should I say most) new homeowners have grabbed hold of these low-maintenance plants and adorned their non-existant gardens with them. They have become so fashionable that they have now surpassed conifers as the "lazy-man's" plant of choice.

However, I have since discovered bromeliads in a big way and have now added a rainforest room to our garden (yet to be constructed) which means that palms are going to be a big part of this. Palms when planted in a way as to resemble their own environment look fantastic and distinctly display a tropical atmosphere.

So how do you keep them from looking tired and worn out in your garden? Read on....

Continue reading "Palm Trees - Day 17: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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Bringing your garden indoors has so many benefits from softening the space inside your house to purifying the air naturally. The variety of indoor plants is also growing as many people enjoy their benefits and as houses become more confined.

If you've ever wanted to grow plants indoors or you already are read on for tips to deal with some of the problems you may face...

Continue reading "Indoor Plants - Day 16: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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Container gardening is becoming more and more fashionable as people's gardens reduce in size. Even for the gardener with acres of land they are still very popular. The main benefit of container plants are that they allow a gardener to express themselves and change their garden at a whim.

Apart from the increased maintenance and water use there are few points that will help you from keeping your container garden looking fresh. Read on....

Continue reading "Container Gardening - Day 15: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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The beauty of growing climbers is that they add vertical dimension to your garden without taking up precious groundspace. Climbers can hide unsightly walls, soften areas with sharp corners, shade lifestyle zones of your garden and add something spectacular as they traverse their way up trees.

They can, however, become quite menacing when left untendered and can even cause irreparable damage to your house or other constructed projects. Read on for how to look after them....

Continue reading "Climbers - Day 14: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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Conifers are incredibly versatile plants in the garden as they range from tall trees to those with weeping habits and also groundcovers. The conifer family consists mainly of cypresses, junipers, firs, cedars, larches, spruces and pines and is more at home in a formal type setting.

The beauty of conifers has to be their low maintenance appeal. Apart from good soil preparation including drainage and mulching there isn't a lot that is needed for conifers to look good. They suffer from very few problems and the ones they do struggle with, mainly pests, can usually be rectified naturally.

Read on for a couple of problems that you might be facing or if you're after even more information.

Continue reading "Conifers - Day 13: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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Deciduous trees are a landscaper's delight because they have so many inherent characteristics that can benefit any garden such as;

• Autumn leaf colour


• Summer shade/ Winter Openess


• and, their frame structure during the winter months to name a few

If you want to know how to care for them read on....

Continue reading "Deciduous Trees - Day 12: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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Growing your own fruit is very rewarding and with very little effort fruit trees will continue rewarding you year after year. The limiting factor for many gardeners is space but with grafted hybrids now on the market and many gardeners deciding to keep their trees in pots, fruit trees are becoming an easier proposition.

Just like any plant, fruit trees have their own needs and can become fatigued just as easy. Read on to find out how to deal with them......

Continue reading "Fruit Trees - Day 11: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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Very few gardens would be devoid of at least one rose. They are adaptable in any garden and come in so many different colours that they will fit any colour scheme.

But they are also very susceptible to a few problems that gardeners can sometimes struggle to deal with. Read on if you're having problems with your roses....

Continue reading "Roses - Day 10: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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A garden without groundcovers is like a house without floor coverings. Apart from lawn they're the carpet of our garden beds, filling voids that other plants would too easily dominate or fail.

In my garden I have quite a few groundcovers; dichondra, Creeping Jenny, prostate lantana, chamomile and creeping thyme to name a few. The beauty of growing groundcovers is their willingness to fill spaces, keep weeds at bay and give another dimension to your garden.

However, like all plants they're susceptible to garden fatigue and need to be maintained. Read on for more info....

Continue reading "Groundcovers - Day 9: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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I love bulbs. Okay...that's an understatement! These delicious anomalies of the plant kingdom which grace our gardens every spring remind us that gardening is worth the effort!

Growing bulbs isn't terribly hard and any amateur could succeed with most. So long as you plant bulbs at the right depth, at the right time, in the right soil, give them the right amount of water and fertiliser, don't cut them back too early and don't leave them in the ground to rot - they should be okay! It's not too hard ... is it!

If you want to have the best looking bulbs in the street and have your neighbours drool over the side fence, read on...

Continue reading "Bulbs - Day 8: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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NOTE: THIS IS A REPRINT OF AN ARTICLE ON MY PREVIOUS BLOG AS I REBUILD THIS INFO HERE.

The beauty in having perennials in your garden is that they don't need to be replaced each year. They can be just as showy as annuals but no way near the amount of work. They will give your garden a framework in which to plan and strategise about your flower colours, foliage, textures and heights.

Perennials and annuals seem to have much in common, so apart from lasting more than one season what differences do perennials have? Read on for more info...

Continue reading "Perennials - Day 7: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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NOTE: THIS IS A REPRINT OF AN ARTICLE ON MY PREVIOUS BLOG AS I REBUILD THIS INFO HERE.

Annuals are the plants that keep us busiest in our gardens. Many gardeners raise their own seeds, plant them out, watch them flower and then dig them out only to begin the cycle again for the next season.

We're 3 days into summer here in WA and as I view many gardens it's amazing how many of them are struggling with a few hot days. How do you keep your annuals healthy and what signs do they show that they're struggling? Read on....

Continue reading "Annuals - Day 6: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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NOTE: THIS IS A REPRINT OF AN ARTICLE ON MY PREVIOUS BLOG AS I REBUILD THIS INFO HERE.

Herbs

If there were a group of plants which were the least prone to pests and diseases, herbs would be it. However, they're still a plant and they still need to be kept healthy.

Read on for more details....

Continue reading "Herbs - Day 5: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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NOTE: THIS IS A REPRINT OF AN ARTICLE ON MY PREVIOUS BLOG AS I REBUILD THIS INFO HERE.

Even for the most amateur gardener, growing your own vegetables is high on the list of gardening priorities. The rewards of being able to harvest something you've grown yourself outweighs the minimal effort it takes to achieve. All you need is a plot of soil, some good-quality seeds and a source of regular water.

Well...that is until the health of your vegetable patch begins to decline and the rewards of your labour become insignificant at best. How do you keep your vegetable patch healthy and ascertain the level of its health? Read on for more tips....

Continue reading "Vegetables - Day 4: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue" »

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