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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Plumbago, otherwise known as leadwort, is a well-known flowering shrub in Australia. It is one of my wife's favourite plants and I often get the question "Can we grow one of those in our garden?" to which I have refused point blank.

The reason: Plumbago just grows too big for most small gardens.

It's the kind of plant that you would expect to find on your grandma's farm. It will either be grown as a screen or hedging plant or dotted amongst large garden beds. In that era of gardening, plants were handed down by cuttings from neighbours and ceremoniously plonked in a spare spot. Landscaping and garden design weren't high on the agenda so it just became another filler shrub with pretty flowers.

Most suburban gardeners seem to have adopted a similar attitude and after a few years of healthy growth they find themselves with an enormous plant sprawling over their delicate flowering beauties. When this happens, they either tear them out of the ground or remove every other plant to accommodate the spread.

So, if you want to grow Plumbago you really need to have enough room to allow it's rampant growth. Plumbago auriculata, probably the most common species, will grow at least 3m (10ft) high and the same, if not more, wide. As you can see, it's not a plant that you want to grow in between a couple of rose bushes.

Yet, while its size is a little daunting, if you have the room then it is one of the best plants to have growing in your garden. It's drought-tolerant. It will easily put up with poor soil and it doesn't need to be pruned each year. Plus, it flowers profusely from early spring through late autumn. What more could you want in a plant?

However, it does appreciate the warmth and won't tolerate the frost. Originating from South Africa, the Plumbago enjoys warm to tropical climates and grows well along the coast.

How to propagate Plumbago

Propagating plumbago is just as easy as growing it. It can either be cultivated by germinating seed collected in autumn or via softwood cuttings during the growing season.

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Strawberries don't grow on trees, Stuart! I can hear your thought patterns already and, admittedly, the first time I heard about these trees my mythbusting senses launched into overdrive.

But I have since seen the error of my ways and am now the proud owner of this gorgeous specimen tree. It has taken pride of place in a bed that we've been renovating and when fully grown should give us a little more privacy - and hopefully an abundance of fruit.

As our garden is limited in space, choosing trees is a very delicate operation - there is only so much room. So when we go shopping for a tree it must meet a few essential criteria before finally getting the nod. Firstly, it can't grow more than 10m (32ft) and preferably no more than 5m (16ft).

Next, it needs to be ornamental. That is, it needs to have a nice shape, pretty flowers and great looking bark. The Irish Strawberry Tree excels on each of these conditions. Its bark is a deep red maturing to a dark brown. The flowers are a brilliant white and resemble Lily-of-the-Valley in shape and growing habit and are profuse in autumn and winter.

Our final pre-requisite for making it into our garden is that it should fruit. This is more an ideal condition than mandatory, but it makes sense to grow trees and plants that do more than look nice. If they can produce something that's edible then it adds to its desirability. The Strawberry tree, Arbutus unedo, fruits every spring after the flowers have bloomed and commence their life green, ripening through yellow and finally maturing a striking red that resemble strawberries.

We often like to choose deciduous trees over evergreens because we like the effect when winter rolls around. But since we have our Silver Birch, Crepe Myrtle and Magnolia soulangeana and a myriad of roses in the front garden, it seemed that an evergreen might be better placed. The strawberry tree is an evergreen and its lush green foliage is similar to a camellia in shape and colour but a little smaller.

Where can Strawberry Trees be grown?

The strawberry tree can be grown in more mediterranean style gardens but will also relish any garden that doesn't suffer from annual snowfall. It needs full-sun and can even withstand prevailing winds provided it's mulched well and planted in fertile, well-drained loam.

Due to the strawberry tree's proficiency in producing fruit, you may want to plant this tree somewhere that is accessible and won't drive the neighbours mad by dropping its yields over their fence.

How to care for a Strawberry Tree

It's best to prune your strawberry tree after fruiting at the end of summer. This process should be limited to tip and shape pruning and when you've finished, fertilise with a handful or two of blood 'n' bone and collar the root ball with a slow-release fertiliser.

Like most fruiting trees, the strawberry tree does require more moisture than annual rainfall and the soil should be kept damp especially through the summer months.

Apart from these points the strawberry tree is mainly low-maintenance and should provide a great source of edible fruits and look great at the same time.

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Of all the fragrant plants that we can grow in our gardens, lavender is a popular choice. It perfumes your hand as you run your fingers through it and will taint your clothes even if you mildly brush against it. And on a balmy summer's night you can smell the aroma waft through the still air, catching your nostrils off guard but then gently soothing them and seducing your senses for more.

I admit I'm having an affair with this plant and if I weren't already struggling our recent weekend trip to our local lavender farm has not helped my situation.

The hedge we just removed was an old style lavandula angustifolia (English lavender) that I had propagated from a plant at our last property. The scent, and flowering proficiency, were wonderful but it really is a plant that enjoys some space. More space than we could give it, anyway.

So our trip was to find a new, more compact style of lavender that offered a tantalising aroma. We wanted a variety that flowered for more than a few months over summer and could still be hedged. And, it wouldn't take over the garden.

Walking around this farm where more than 75,000 lavender plants are growing from 90 different varieties and stemming from more than 20+ species, would be similar to walking through Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Where do you start?

The obvious place was with the species. Do we opt for another angustifolia? Or, do we begin perusing the French lavender (lavandula dentata)? Maybe, the Spanish or Italian lavender (lavandula stoechas) was a better match? And who could pass by the fern-like lavandula multifida?

In the end we chose lavandula intermedia "Sumion" for as its name suggests it was right in the middle. Not too big; compact growing shape; easy to hedge; prolific and long flowering season, and it won't look dead when you prune it. And who could walk away from a farm with this much lavender, and only buy one plant type? Not us, that's for sure. So a lavendula stoechas "Dark Plum" found its way into our shopping bag as well.

How to propagate lavender?

Lavender is very easy to propagate and most species will take from a single tip cutting planted directly in the soil. If you don't get much success from that method then select semi-hardwood cuttings after the lavender has flowered. Dip the end in honey, or a rooting hormone powder, and pot out in a well-draining medium.

Keep the cuttings under glass for the first few weeks until some growth begins to show and then slowly wean them out into the open.

I usually grow lavender cuttings in groups of 5 or 6 in the one pot, transferring them after they have shown a considerable amount of new growth.

How to hedge lavender?

Hedging lavender is just as easy as propagating it. Depending on the species you are trying to hedge position the plants relatively close. A rule of 2/3 of the growing width is probably a good starting point.

It may seem strange to prune these plants as they grow, but after each flourish of blooms take your hedging shears and remove a good third off the plant's bulk. The temptation will be to leave them to continue growing without pruning them but I can assure you that they will grow much quicker, and stronger, after being pruned.

Once the hedge has filled out and matured to most of its growing height, commence pruning it to shape. This is best done after the flowering season but with some lavenders, particularly angustifolia, you may need to prune again before it flowers again.

Caring for lavender is quite easy. They aren't that receptive to liquid fertilisers due to their leaf structure but they will readily appreciate a good dose of sheep's manure every season.

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Dracaena Marginata is not a plant that you grow for flowers - it's the foliage you're after. You can either grow it in the ground, planted en masse, or as a stand alone feature planted by itself in a decorative container.

And, it can grow just as well indoors as it does outdoors (that's if you live in a semi-tropical to tropical planting zone, that is). Dracaena's aren't very fond of frost but they can tolerate colder climates so long as they're protected. They don't like too much water but prefer their growing medium to be moist.

Draceana's come from the Dragon Tree, dracaena draco, which is a native plant to the Canary Islands, so their growing habits, likes and dislikes, and temperamental preferences are all very similar.

They can grow to more than 4m (12-13ft) but can easily be kept smaller by pruning the stems prior to spring.

The stems of a draceana marginata are commonly flexible and thin and seem adequately disproportionate to its height and also the foliage that tops it. They can easily be bent and shaped to conform to your structural desires by using bonsai wire to contort each stem.

If your dracaena is only single-stemmed and you want it to branch out, cut the foliage from the top and reduce the stem to the desired height. Within a few months the foliage will begin to bud from the wound and new branches will grow.

How to propagate dracaena maginata

Draceana's can be propagated by a variety of ways but the most easiest is by taking a cutting from the stem and after applying some rooting hormone to the base (don't forget which end is 'up') firmly push it into some potting mix. Water frequently and apply a liquid fertilizer when the foliage begins to appear.

Other methods of propagating dracaena include air-layering and basal root cuttings.

Fertilising dracaena marginata

Soluble liquid fertilisers are the best form of nutrient release for dracaena's but during their dormant period you can also add some slow release pellets to their growing area or container.

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A plant that's used extensively (shall I use the term - 'used to death') are Clivias. Their famed orange heads have become quite popular over the past decade or more and they will quite often be seen lining the base of evergreen trees.

They're a popular plant because they give maximum effect for very little effort. Clivias, given the right conditions, can almost look after themselves and repopulate any free space - which can be viewed as a blessing or can easily become a curse.

Clivias, clivia miniata, are similar in appearance to the agapanthus family. They sport dark green strappy foliage and their flowers sit atop a fleshy wand-like stem. They're a clumping plant and will grow quite well if clumped in large drifts.

If you don't have any clivias already growing in your garden, the best way to get started is by finding a friend who does and dividing their clump. They're not the cheapest plant to purchase and the more rare the flower colour, the more expensive they become.

Lighting requirements

Clivias are a great shade-lover. They do best when they're out of the sun and hidden under the dripline of a large shady tree. They will also grow really well in woodland areas where dappled light is the most light they come in contact with.

Feeding requirements

As a rule, clivias aren't necessarily heavy feeders although they do appreciate a rich, free-draining soil. It's best to give clivias a boost of organic fertiliser during their flowering period or immediately afterward as this will help them conserve energy for next year's blooms.

Watering requirements

Clivias should never be allowed to dry out and a good covering of mulch at the start of spring will help them retain a good amount of moisture. If they're watered well during spring and summer they should do amazingly.

Soil requirements

These plants aren't fond of clay soils because they don't like their 'feet' to remain wet. A loamy soil rich in humus is the perfect setting for clivias. Make sure the loam is leaning to the sandy side offering good drainage yet able to retain all the nutrients needed by these plants.

Height and shape considerations

Clivias are a fairly low-growing plant managing to reach no more than a metre (3ft) but most will be much shorter than this. They are best planted en masse to achieve an awesome display as on their own they can appear a little lost.

Flowering Time

Clivias flower through spring and summer and will only flower once per stem. Each plant, however, may produce multiple stems adding to their length of flowering.

Although clivias are often thought of as an orange flower there is quite a diversity in flower colour these days. Reds, corals, yellows and even a more rare creamy-white can be found and used extensively through your garden.

Where do Clivia's grow best

These plants aren't the best in areas that are prone to frost or tropical heat. They prefer a mild climate where they can't be scorched by either element.

How to propagate Clivia

Clivias are best propagated by division. In late winter or early spring, clumps of clivia can be lifted and the rhizomes cut through to generate new plants. Replanted in the same location or in pots which a good free-draining mix will help these successfully recreate themselves.

They can be grown from seed that has been collected from the spent flowers but this takes more time and has less chance of success.

If you want to grow them from seed the trick is to impress the seed into some good seed-raising mix allowing the top half to remain exposed. Keep the mix moist and the seed should germinate within a few weeks. Plant up into larger containers as the rhizome continues to grow and you should see its first flowers within 3-4 years.

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The moment someone mentions the word "frangipani" my nostrils begin to seek that aroma as if it were a natural physical attraction. For once you've breathed in the fragrance of these flowers there's no going back - it will become indelibly stamped upon your senses.

But then for the remainder of the year the plant looks like a naked twig taking up space that could be occupied by something far more productive.

It's this love/hate relationship I have frangipani's. When it's flowering there is no competitor. When it's not you could try to hide the stems with aluminum foil and it would still gain more respect.

I'm yet to plant one in my garden for that very reason - and for the reason that most people plant them awkwardly in their gardens. I'm over the idea that they should reside next to a bed of roses or competing against a rampant plumbago. Or worse still, they protrude from their lonely position in a bed of sand (not soil) by some gardener who thought they got lucky with the "plant-of-the-century."

No folks, the frangipani needs to be grown as an architectural plant. Or, at the very last within a tropical grouping surrounded by flowering canna lillies, bromeliads or tillandsias.

In it's natural environment the frangipani grows wild in Central and South America - picture the climate! Warm tropical days where frost is never present. Frangipani would grow well in most coastal areas around Australia and the lower third of the US. If kept indoors it may even be grown quite successfully in most other parts as well.

Plumeria rubra, it's scientific name, are available as evergreens - although you rarely see them growing - as most specimens are deciduous. They can grow to nearly 8m (26ft) or more and span 3-4m(13ft), resembling a phallic sculpture during their dormant season.

Their gorgeously fragranted flowers aren't just limited to the common white with yellow centres either. They range from dusted apricots through coral pinks and even extend the palette through to dark reds which makes their desirability even greater.

How to propagate frangipani

Frangipani are one of the easiest plants to propagate and grow, which is why so many would-be-gardeners have stuck them in the ground.

During the winter months, when the plant is dormant, take a cutting about half the length of your arm and leave it in the sun to dry. When the wounded end has calloused over plant this part into a free-draining potting mix and leave in a warm, sunny spot. Come spring, the propagated frangipani shall begin to produce foliage, but may not display any flowers for the first year or two.

Where to grow frangipani

Be creative. Remembering that for most of the year it has no foliage or flowers, the stems can seem quite ugly and unattractive if planted in the wrong place.

As mentioned previously, mix them with some other flowering tropicals or palms that can accentuate their design qualities. You could even display your frangipani against a feature wall by contrasting the bare branches against a bold colour.

But, whatever you do don't just stick it in the middle or some flowering ornamentals. They look stupid.

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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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Bamboo has always had a bad rap from gardeners primarily because many home owners have planted invasive varieties. It would often be found clogging the whole side of someone's backyard as the owner viciously attacked it year after year trying to keep it under control.

So many gardeners have just walked away from it after hearing years of horror stories that it's never a consideration when buying new plants. And justifiably so. Most gardeners would view bamboo in the same way as pampas grass.

But, even though Yahoo! Answers are constantly sporting questions from concerned gardeners about how to keep a rein on their bamboo groves doesn't mean that things haven't changed.

Yet they have. Invasive varieties are being sold more rarely these days as clumping versions become the new trend in bamboo growing. These cooler climate varieties sourced from the high altitudes of the Himalayas and South America are suitable for most gardens - even small gardens.

The difference between a clumping bamboo and an invasive variety is that the clumping variety will not send up shoots outside of it's root ball while an invasive variety will. In fact, an invasive bamboo can send shoots out as far as the neighbours yard and continue growing from there.

So which varieties of bamboo can you grow without losing your garden?

Paul Whittaker, from PW Plants in Norfolk, is probably the most informative expert on the subject. He has won gold at Chelsea with his bamboo displays and has even written a book on the subject, demystifying the art of growing bamboo.

Best Clumping Bamboo Varieties

Whittaker recommends three different species of bamboo for the home garden;

1. Fargesia - a variety that hails from the highlands of China with colourful canes (great as a piece of art) and fine foliage.


2. Chusquea - this variety grows natively in the Chilean Andes. They are usually fast growing and prefer a cooler climate and high rainfall.


3. Thamnocalamus - this beauty resides in the Himalayas and prefers a cooler clime. It does better without sun and likes a sheltered position.

Most of the clumping bamboos grow much smaller than their invasive counterparts as well. These three types will usually grow no more than 4m (13ft) with a spread of around 2m (5ft). This is a bonus for home gardeners who want to add the diversity of bamboo but don't have the room to contain a large species.

Does this spell the end of seeing invasive varieties stocked in nurseries?

Not necessarily. Whittaker quite rightly points out that their are still uses for these fast growing types. If you need to quickly grow a windbreak or retain a sloping backyard, a spreading bamboo would be a very suitable choice. The problems occur when gardeners don't understand the roles these different varieties play and ignorantly plant an aggressive type.

What if you already have an aggressive bamboo species in your garden?

Don't despair. These can still be grown effectively without ongoing problems. The key to growing a spreading bamboo is 'containment'.

If the bamboo has currently spread further than you would like then you will need to start digging it up in the areas where it shouldn't be growing. Then, create a ring around the bamboo clump using a thick plastic (minimum 1-2mm) or some galvanized sheeting. Make sure this ring is set at a depth of 40cm (15 in) and is level with the ground. This will ensure that the bamboo can't spread outside of this area.

You may have shoots return from areas where you originally cut it back. These will just need to be vigilantly removed until they stop appearing but the clump should now be safe to remain where it is.

Link

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If you're looking for a cheap way to start your seedlings and you have a bunch of newspaper laying around, try combining them both.

Here's a little how-to tutorial that may help recycle the paper plus be a useful seed starting pot.

These little seed pots could be useful for planting all your vegetable seeds, e.g. beans, cucumbers, beetroots, pumpkins etc, in advance and then plant them into the ground as they being to grow. The newspaper will eventually break down and allow the roots to penetrate the soil, plus you've had a head start on next season's vegetables.

One extra tip: Make sure you place the newspaper pots on a tray as they will begin to break down from the continued moisture. An easy way to plant them straight into the ground would be to use a bulb planter to clasp around the whole pot.

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While a vast majority of the population doesn't live in tropical areas capable of growing your own coffee there are many gardeners who are able to grow their own tea. And I'm not talking just about herbals.

The real thing, coming from camellia sinensis can be grown most gardeners whether the plants are grown in the ground outdoors or protected by a greenhouse.

From your plant, you can make black, green or oolong tea.

Green Tea

* Pluck the very youngest leaves and leaf buds.
* Blot the leaves dry, and let dry in the shade for a few hours.
* Steam the leaves (like you would vegetables) on your stove for about a minute.
* For a different flavour, try roasting them in a skillet for 2 minutes instead of steaming.
* Spread the leaves on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at 250F for 20 minutes.
* Store the dried tea leaves in an air-tight container

Oolong Tea

* Pluck the very youngest leaves and leaf buds.
* Spread them out on a towel under the sun and let them wilt for about 45 minutes.
* Bring your leaves inside and let them sit at room temperature for a few hours.
* Make sure to stir the leaves up every hour.
* The edges of the leaves will start to turn red as they begin to dry.
* Spread the leaves on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at 250F for 20 minutes.
* Store the dried tea leaves in an air-tight container.

Black Tea

* Pluck the very youngest leaves and leaf buds.
* Roll the leaves between your hands, and crush them until the leaves start to darken and turn red.
* Spread them out on a tray, and leave them in a cool location for 2-3 days.
* Dry them in the oven at 250F for about 20 minutes.
* Store in an air-tight container.

Source: Growing Tea at Home

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If you live in a cold climate you've probably already written off palms as a plant that won't grow in your garden - and you would be partly right.

Most palms are tropical and can't exist in temperatures less than 15° C (59° F) but there are many cool climate palms that colder areas can grow quite successfully. Dwarf Sugar Palm - can grow at temperatures of less than -6° C (21° F) and reach heights of nearly 5m (15ft). Also the more common, and much larger, Bismarck Palm [pdf] can grow within the same climate while the Chinese Windmill Palm shouldn't be grown at all in warmer climates.

While these are only a few of the cool climate palms available to gardeners, there are more comprehensive lists available, tropical palms have a beauty and majesty all their own.

The fabulous Kentia Palm is one example. The Golden Cane Palm, Parlour Palm and the gorgeous Raphia Palm are some of the many others.

So, while we can all grow grow palms the question we need to ask is do we want to? I've been a major cynic of palms in the garden for quite a few years mainly because they have become the tree of choice here in Australia for landscaping new subdivisions. It seems every second home has littered their garden with fast-growing Bangalow Palms. Why? Very little maintenance is required. They don't drop leaves and they don't take much to keep looking good.

One day a friend inspired me with his plans to create a tropical rainforest garden in Perth, Western Australia. I cynically assumed he was off his rocker but after some investigation found that not only was it possible but I could also create a similar design to my garden in Busselton (250km south of Perth).

Caring for your palm

Palms don't require pruning but the removal of spent fronds will help keep them looking neat and tidy. Some palms send up suckers which will need to be cut out at base level but apart from sustaining them with a moderate weekly watering they don't need much else.

Palms naturally crave iron, magnesium, manganese and potassium so finding a fertiliser that contains higher levels of these nutrients will be helpful.

You can transplant palms and this is best done during their growing season (early spring) and provided that most of the rootball can be kept intact. Transplant your palm into a whole twice the size of the rootball and water copiously for the first month or so. Then resume normal watering and apply some fertiliser.

To keep your palm warm in winter wrap the trunk with bubble-wrap and mulch it well or wrap plastic sheeting over its drip line.

Growing palms from seed

Palms can be grown quite successfully from seed but palm seeds have a long gestation period. Kentia's for example can take between 2-3 years before sending up shoots. To aid their success, remove the fleshy coverings and soak the seed in tepid water for at least 24 hours. Discard any that are still floating after this period and plant the ones that have sunk to the bottom. Plant them in a good seed-raising mix and keep warm in a greenhouse or on a window sill.

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Probably one of the prettiest bulb-looking flowers (but not grown from a bulb) is Lisianthus. A native to the mid-south region of the US, this half-hardy perennial is commonly grown as an annual. Its more common names are the Texas Bluebell and Tulip Gentian while its botanical name is Eustoma Grandiflora.

Lisianthus is part of the Gentianaceae family which covers 70-80 genera and 900-1200 species.

Lisianthus' light green leaves are reminiscent of a succulent's foliage pointing almost upright as it tries to conserve water use. The flowers, on the other hand, look like tulip flowers as they begin to open. In fact, they more closely resemble the Alyogyne that I have growing in my garden.

I first planted this bunch of lisianthus seedlings in another bed but moved them because they were becoming claustrophobic. Having since moved them to another garden bed they have done much better and produced an awesome show of colour.

Lisianthus are extremely easy to grow as a seedling and can be propagated from tip cuttings after flowering has finished. They can be grown as perennial plants but are more akin to being replaced or at least cut back significant