Tag Archives: drainage

Design Sandra Heggen Sustainability in garden design

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This is a subject that is very dear to my heart. I get quite passionate about the subject so do apologise if I offend any readers. I have been a sustainable garden advocate now for at least 20 years – well before most people even considered what sustainable gardens really meant. So I have put a lot of mental energy into working out why I think the way that I do about how we design gardens and how we manage them into the future. I was also the only owner/designer of a garden that was accredited with Ecotourism Australia for its sustainability credentials. Continue reading →

rotovator-rotavator-279860-4735049_dia Renting a rotavator, or rotary hoe

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If you’ve got a new garden bed to dig especially in very heavy soil, or an existing bed that needs extra cultivating or new soil additives incorporated into the soil, then using a rotavator, also called a rotary hoe or tiller can do a week’s back-breaking work in a few hours. Continue reading →

BBQ sweet corn How to grow sweet corn

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Fanatical food growers like me are always raving on about the superior flavour of home-grown produce… and we’re not joking… all of it is true… and it’s especially the case when it comes to sweet corn. When you eat corn freshly picked from the garden… it’s incredibly sweet, crisp and juicy. Continue reading →

Year round colour provided by this red flowered Euphorbiia. 09.10080 Poysean euphorbias

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Many years ago I was asked by a keen gardener if I could tell her the name of the plants that she could see on apartment balconies throughout South East Asia. She said that from a distance they looked like azaleas and they flowered all year round. Continue reading →

c_canberrabells_04 Plants for shade in temperate Australia

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Before considering what plants to grow, we need to look at the growing conditions. You need to ask yourself a few questions, like is the area shady all year or is the shade caused by a deciduous tree? If you answer when the tree is dormant, will there be access to winter sun for the north [southern hemishpere]. This significantly opens the range of plants that can be used. I personally find that if the shade from the tree is dappled or less during summer, then most plants will manage in this aspect, except of course those plants that demand full sun. Continue reading →

Photo by avlxyz Bring a buzz to your avocados

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I guess you could describe avocado as one of the least economical fruits in the vegies section of the supermarket. But it sure is a healthy meal all in one nicely rolled inside a swag of leathery peel with such a large seed that dominates the fruit and leaves us feeling we have all been robbed by Coles et al. Continue reading →

Raingarden by Landscape Charlie (www.landscapecharlie.com) Make a rain garden

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It hasn’t rained here for weeks, but when it does, it’s likely to pour, as we have lots of storm event rain, where long dry spells are followed by a real drenching. According to climate change predictions, this episodic rainfall pattern is likely to become even more pronounced in the future. Continue reading →

Acacia 'Fettucini' (photo PMA) Acacia cognata and cultivars

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As a dedicated plant lover, what I look for first with any plant is its foliage and how it would work in the garden. The plant Acacia cognata is one that seems to fit in well almost anywhere – as either a formal plant or in mixed planting. Continue reading →