Whether you’re tending to a herb garden, pot plants, a beach house or a beloved established garden, the @boutSeniors gardening page can help you find the answers to the trickiest questions a green thumb can cultivate.
Ask Teena
Teena is the ‘gardeners’ gardener‘ who has inspired a generation of horticulturalists to create their own masterpieces. She combines radio broadcasting, writing and lecturing about gardening with managing a nursery and running her own garden consultancy business. Her own garden with shared with the public as part of the Australian Open Garden Scheme saw more than 3000 people streaming through the gates.
@boutSeniors is privileged to share her knowledge with our garden-loving visitors. Read her answers to your Q&A here.
Gardening
Green Thumbed Sites
- Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants (ASGAP). For those interested in the cultivation, propagation, conservation and appreciation of Australia's native flora.
Go there
- Australian Water Gardener. Comprehensive free gardening information site for garden pond owners.
Go there
- Flora for Fauna. Attract birds, butterflies and other fauna to your garden. Find out what native plants will attract what wildlife in your part of Australia.
Go there - Gardening Australia. The ABC's gardening program website.
Go there - Garden Clubs of Australia Inc. Find your local club, seasonal tips and more.
Go there
- Garden Web Australia. Hosts forums, garden exchanges, articles, contests, a plant database, a garden-related glossary and online catalogues.
Go there - Global Garden. National monthly online gardening magazine and resource.
Go there - Organic Gardening. Aims to encourage organic vegetable growing.
Go there
Budget gardening
For Teena Crawford, keeping your garden flourishing needn’t cost the earth. Follow a few simple tips to ensure a blooming marvellous back yard!
Gardening keeps you fit and active, as well as the end result of being able to enjoy your favourite plants and flowers year in, year out. Use what you already have around the home and garden to give you an outdoor area with style. In the current Winter issue of Your Life, Teena Crawford explains Gardening on a budget.
Peter’s veggie patch
Following on from the excesses of the last couple of decades, many of us now realise that sustainability and self-sufficiency is the way to go. A simple veggie patch can help get you started on the path to the good life.
The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens may seem an unlikely spot to grow your own vegetables but it’s home to one of the most famous veggie patches in Australia, Peter Cundall’s veggie patch. Established in 1997 for the ABC TV’s Gardening Australia, the garden flourishes under the organic gardening techniques implemented by Peter, including companion planting, green manuring and crop rotation.
Initially planted on poor, waterlogged, sandy soil, the garden’s base was enriched using organic matter such as mushroom compost, blood and bone and chicken manure, all of which can usually be found locally and cheaply, or you can start your own compost heap with leftover food items. Crop rotation, meaning the same crop is never planted in the same bed two seasons in a row, prevents the build up of pests and diseases. It also helps keep the soil healthy by ensuring it isn’t stripped of all its nutrients by one crop.
If you are planning a trip to Tasmania, you can visit Peter’s veggie patch or get useful tips online to help start your own compost heaven.
Q&A – spring clean
Q. Is it too late to put your spring bulbs in? Mine are starting to shoot at the top.
A. I would plant these bulbs now but you are likely not to get too many flowers. It would depend on what type of bulbs and where you live in Australia. Be careful not to damage the emerging shoots. Normally spring bulbs are planted in the autumn after the last of the hot weather has passed. As a general guide, plant the bulbs twice as deep as the ‘bulb height’. Tulips and hyacinths bulbs need a chilling period. This is done by putting the bulbs in the crisper of the fridge for 4–6 weeks before planting.
Q. My mother is moving into a retirement village and she wants to take a few of her plants with her and put them into pot plants. Can all plants survive in a pot? What is the best way to transfer plants from the garden to pots? Do natives transfer into pots well?
A. Many plants can be dug from the garden and potted up using quality potting media which has the Australian Standard on the bag. Prune after planting for shape, and to compensate for loss of root system. To decide the best plants for this follow these points:
(a) Only consider plants that are suitable for the aspect of the new garden, i.e. sun or shade.
(b) Choose plants that are generous with their flowers. Plants with bright or perfumed flowers are desirable.
(c) Many natives do not transplant successfully. If the native plants are favourites with your mother try potting them up, and if they are unsuccessful, buy new ones.
Q. My parents have downsized and started a worm farm instead of a compost. Can you pour the worm fertiliser straight onto the garden or how much water should you use to dilute it?
A. Worm fertiliser is best diluted with ten parts water, and watered around the root zone of your garden plants.
Q&A – going away
Gardening guru Teena Crawford gives you tips on how to prepare your garden for going away on a trip and answers questions on mixing natives and exotics, as well as how to move a lemon tree.
Q. I am going away for three months on a grey nomad trip around Australia. Is there anything you could recommend I do to prepare my garden for my absence?
A. There are two aspects that are important when going away for an extended period. Firstly a well maintained garden, i.e., where the lawn is mown and the edges trimmed, the shrubs and roses are pruned and the pathways swept will give the impression that someone is home – this is good for security.
I guess from the timing you will be back in early Spring so I would do all of your Winter jobs before you leave. Prune any deciduous plants such as hydrangea and fruit trees. Tidy prune hedges and other evergreen shrubs where needed. Rake up the autumn leaves and spread them on your garden beds or put them in the compost bin. Put away hoses and other garden tools. Apply snail bait around soft, fleshy plants such as bergenia and arthropodium. Your garden will manage in your absence, and on your return, it will be bursting into Spring.
Q. Can you successfully mix natives with other plants in a garden? Do you have any tips for how this is best done?
A. Native and exotic plants look fantastic when integrated together in a garden; really, it is just like having a multicultural garden. My best advice is to combine plants that like similar conditions. Consider their water, soil and light requirements when combining plants. The other most important aspect is that the plants complement each other!
Q. I have an established lemon tree that I would like to move. Will that be possible or will it damage the tree too much?
A. Lemon trees can be moved when established. It really depends on how big the lemon tree is. Moving an established tree is best done over a six-month period. A ‘40cm deep trench’ is dug around the tree leaving a 60cm diameter root ball (or appropriate size to the tree). This severs some of the outer spreading roots and encourages the tree to grow more fibrous roots closer to the trunk. Reduce the tree canopy and remove any fruit at this time to compensate the loss of roots.
After six months the tree, with its strengthened root system, can be relocated to it’s new site. This process is best done in Autumn and Spring. Treating the tree with a root stimulant such as ‘Seasol’ is very beneficial during this process, and for re-establishing the lemon tree.
Queensland garden expo
Water restrictions continue to tighten but you can create a water-wise garden and learn how to use permaculture and organic gardening skills to save water at the Queensland Home Garden Expo.
The Expo will include a variety of lectures, workshops and demonstrations on everything from worm farming to sustainable planting. Find out how to improve your water efficiency but still make sure your garden grows.
The site of the show has doubled in size from last year and this year you will be able to see a fully sustainable garden, which has been planted on-site. The expo is on 6–8 July 2007 at the Nambour Showgrounds (formerly the Maroochy Showgrounds) in Nambour, Queensland. For more information, click here
Natives, ferns and caterpillars
@boutSeniors’ Gardening Guru, Teena Crawford, shares her incredible gardening knowledge, saving you time and hassle.
Q. I am moving into a new house at the beginning of June and want to know if I can plant natives then or if it is best to wait until early spring?
A. Moving to a new house (and new garden) is exciting. I would suggest moving in and waiting until spring to plant some natives. Over the winter, take some time to plan your garden considering things such as:
· if there is existing garden, do any plants need to be removed, re-located, etc?
· which way your home is orientated in relation to the sun, prevailing winds, etc.
· do you need shade from trees where the summer sun is too hot?
· creating areas to relax in the garden and a place to have your outdoor table and chairs.
Q. I know ferns require shade but do they need a lot of watering?
A. Generally, ferns require constant moisture. Their natural habitat is in the shaded gullies where the air is moist and cool. Although ferns need moisture, there would be some ferns that are ‘more’ tolerant of drier conditions. Try undertaking some research on the internet, in books or contacting a specialist fern nursery that will be able to suggest some hardy ferns for your specific region.
Q. My potted gardenia is being eaten away by something. Could it just be snails or something more?
A. If your potted gardenias have cut out holes in their leaves it may be snails or earwigs. Baysol or other snail bait will control both. Alternatively, if the gardenia leaves have large sections of leaves eaten it probably is a caterpillar or grub eating them. To control this you can spray the gardenias with Dipel, which is not a chemical as such, but a ‘biological control type substance’ which the caterpillars will ingest as they eat the leaves. Over two or three days the caterpillars die because the Dipel eats away their insides!
Teena’s Q&A
This issue @boutSeniors Gardening Guru, Teena Crawford, answers your questions about the trials and tribulations of growing potted plants, gardenias and rose gardens.
Q. Joan
I have slaughtered most of the plants in my terracotta pots this summer. I have tried to keep the water up to them, but am wondering if the potting mix, which claims to hold water, is really the right way to go?
A. Terracotta pots are very porous and therefore dry out very quickly. Try painting the inside of the pot with waterproofing paint or line the inside with a plastic bag with holes cut in the bottom. This prevents water being lost through the side of the pot. In addition, you could experiment with mixing your potting media 50:50 with a good quality, bagged compost such as ‘Black Gold’. This is particularly good when growing fast growing plants such as herbs, annuals and vegetables.
Q. Kevin
My gardenias keep getting yellow leaves, and don’t really flower very much. My mother’s are much more successful – and she always fed hers with Epsom Salts – is this an old wives’ tale or is it really a useful way to get more blooms?
A. Many people have success with applying Epsom Salts to gardenias. For me, gardenias like moisture and food throughout the warm months of the year when they are actively growing. I feed my gardenias regularly with complete fertiliser from mid-September to end of April and keep them watered well. I live in Melbourne.
Q. Theresa
I don’t have a huge budget for gardening, but love old-fashioned roses. I would like to try using cuttings to grow some of these beauties but don’t know how to find people who might share their cuttings with me. I also don’t know the best part of the plant to take them from, and how to get the best results. Any information you can share would be much appreciated.
A. I would suggest joining the local garden club where they take a caring and encouraging approach to their members. From my experience, they are frequently swapping and sharing plant material. Also, your local library would have a selection of gardening books, plus internet access, to learn more about growing roses.
Ask Teena
Whether it’s tips on drought-tolerant back yards, creating a winter garden, or the best plants for pots, Teena Crawford has the answers. Teena is the “gardeners’ gardener” who has inspired a generation of horticulturalists to create their own masterpieces. She combines radio broadcasting, writing and lecturing about gardening with managing a nursery and running her own garden consultancy business. Her own garden with shared with the public as part of the Australian Open Garden Scheme saw more than 3000 people streaming through the gates.
@boutSeniors is privileged to share her knowledge with our garden-loving visitors. Read her answers to your Q&A here.
Teenas Q&A
Your Life magazine’s resident garden guru, Teena Crawford, answers the questions green-thumbs need to know.
Buffalo Lawn
Q. Betty: I have a buffalo lawn, which is watered with washing machine water (low phosphorus powder). Now it is brown and yukky. I have watered it well and given it a dose of Seasol but not used a fertiliser. Would a dose of Aquasol help? Anything you can suggest to rejuvenate it would be appreciated.
A. The first thing to do is to put the spade into the soil to see if the soil under the buffalo lawn is wet or dry. Even after watering you may find it is still dry where the root system is. Fertiliser like Aquasol will not help. If a buffalo lawn is in need of a feed in summer it tends to be ‘yellow’ not ‘brown’.
Not being sure in what part of Australia your inquiry is coming from makes it a little hard to advise you. Applying Seasol is good because it acts like a ‘tonic’ to plants. The other thing I would recommend is applying a wetting agent such as ‘Saturaid’. This will ensure the water applied to the buffalo lawn soaks into the root zone area.
Tree Plantin’
Q. Antinino: How can I make it easier to establish trees?
A. When planting, insert a length of black, agricultural pipe vertically into the planting hole. This facilitates getting the water down to the root zone of the tree as it establishes. Add some slow release fertiliser or tree pellets in the hole at planting. Keep lawn away from the trunk for the first five years of the tree’s life; this reduces competition for nutrients and water.
Good Looking Pot Plants
Q. Olivia How can I keep my plants in pots looking better throughout summer?
A. To help plants in pots survive in dry weather:
- apply mulch to the soil surface as you would the garden
- apply a water sealant paint to the inside of pots made with porous material such as concrete or terracott
- incorporate water-storing granules into the potting medium. These act as water reservoirs which the plant can utilise when the potting medium dries out.
North Facing Herbs
Q. Brad: What herbs can I grow in pots on a north-facing balcony?
A. Mediterranean herbs such as lavender, rosemary, sage, rue and thyme originate from a hot, dry climate. This means they will tolerate heat from the north-facing position and the drier soil conditions.
Basil
Q. Birgette: Why do I not have much success growing basil?
A.Basil is a summer-growing annual which is easy to grow with the right conditions. Plant basil seedlings in a sunny position after the cold weather has passed. Water and liquid feed regularly to ensure the plants grow quickly therefore producing the sweetest, young leaves. Pick the young tips when harvesting to prevent the plants from flowering.
Low Maintenance Pot Plants
Q. Dylan: What can I grow in pots by the sea? I also travel frequently.
A. Low maintenance pot plants that tolerate extended periods of dryness include:
Agave attenuata (century plant)
Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’
Aloe arborescens (aloe)
Cotyledon orbiculata (pig’s ear)
Draceana draco (dragon’s tree)
Echeveria imbricata (hen and chickens)
Phormium species (flax)
Yucca filamentosa (yucca)
Camellias by the sea
Q. Daniel: Living by the sea, can I still grow camellias in the garden?
A.Camellias need regular watering and protection from sea spray. Position your camellias on the sheltered side of your house, away from prevailing winds. Other sentimental favourites such as daphne, azaleas and gardenias can be grouped here with your camellias. To counteract the sandy soils that are common in coastal areas, nurture this area of your garden by watering and fertilising regularly and mulching well.
Seaside Garden
Q. Kelly: I would like to plant a tree for shade in my seaside garden. What do you suggest?
A. First consider whether you would like an evergreen or deciduous tree. Deciduous trees allow the winter sun to penetrate the garden and are no messier than evergreen trees (contrary to popular belief!). The other point to consider is whether you are looking for a large single specimen tree or a copse (a group) of smaller trees that would achieve the same result?
Some suggestions are:
Specimen trees:
Ceratonia siliqua (carob tree)
Eucalyptus ficifolia (flowering gum)
Lagunaria patersonii (pyramid tree)
Melia azederach (white cedar)
Vitex lucens (puriri)
Specimen or copse trees:
Acacia podalyriifolia (Mount Morgan wattle)
Banksia integrifolia (coastal banksia)
Lagerstroemia indica (crepe myrtle)
Olea europaea (olive)
Quercus ilex (holm oak)
