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Australian plants for shady spotsOne of the perennial gardening problems (if you’ll pardon the awful pun) is finding plants that will thrive in shady spots next to fences or underneath established trees. Even more difficult is to find ones that also flower well in these conditions. As a lover of Australian plants I want to share a few of my favourites. Continue reading
Keep your worm farm cool on hot daysMake your worm farm the coolest one in the neighbourhood! After twenty years of running a worm farm at home I can honestly say it is one of the easiest ways to compost your kitchen scraps. The worms are very good at looking after themselves, even if left to their own devices for several weeks at a time they will happily survive and then thrive once you are back to feed them again. However, I did have one incident early in my vermiculture career many years ago where I lost all my worms in a single day when the mercury tipped over the 40 degrees C (104 F) mark on a blistering summer’s afternoon. Continue reading
Top 5 edible bush tucker plantsWith the current interest in growing all things edible I want to share with you my favourite, easy to grow edible Australian bush tucker plants. I have grown all of these for a number of years and have eaten them all with no ill effects. However, I would caution that not everyone reacts the same way to different foods. With the current rise in allergies to common foods such as peanuts it is important to ensure that you do not have any bad reactions to any of the plants listed in this article. I have never heard of any issues with any of these plants but there is always a first time for everything! Continue reading
Westringia ‘Flat n Fruity’Westringia ‘Flat n Fruity’ is a new prostrate form of the Australian coast rosemary, Westringia fruticosa, a ubiquitous plant down Australia’s east coast which you can find even out on windswept rocky coastal headlands. ‘Flat n Fruity’ is a totally prostrate form growing to only about 30cm high and spreading several metres wide. Continue reading
Western Australian wildflowersThe southwest corner of Western Australia is without doubt one of the world’s greatest spots for wildflowers, with visitors flocking from around the globe to see them. However, I’ve got to say that the picture postcard view of vast expanses of everlasting daisies or kangaroo paws can be rather an elusive one for the uninitiated. Carpets of wildflowers do exist but the tend to occur only in the couple of years after there’s been a fire through a suitable area of bushland. Continue reading
Free liquid fertilisersIt requires surprisingly little effort to make your own organic fertilisers from various waste materials we generate every day around the house. Not only does this help the environment, it also saves money in fertiliser and potting mix costs. It can also be done effectively in very small spaces, so even if you are a high density dweller, it is still very practical to make your own fertiliser. Continue reading
Creating a native courtyard gardenAn exciting thing has happened in the world of Australian plants over the last twenty years. In response to shrinking gardens, plant breeders such as yours truly have been working hard to create dwarf varieties of many popular types of native plants from kangaroo paws to banksias and bottlebrush. So if you are one of those who are saying “Honey I shrunk the garden” then there are some vibrant bird attracting native plants that you really need to know about. Continue reading
Jerusalem artichoke and yaconI have been fascinated in recent years with two very useful edible herbaceous perennials that are close relatives of the sunflower. Continue reading