Sep 242018
Aug 302018
Bulleen Art & Garden is under serious threat from the proposed construction of the North-East Link. We are now asking our community help us to survive. BAAG is an innovative garden centre which provides a visitor experience not found anywhere else in Melbourne. Some people in the garden industry even say we are unique in the world with our focus on art, environment and a wide range of rare and unusual plants.
The planned path of the North East Link threatens the existence of not only Bulleen Art & Garden, but that of over 100 other local businesses… everything from pie makers to mechanics. Approximately 1000 jobs are at risk. Thanks to all who have signed our petition (It is below if you haven’t), but if you would still like to help there is more you can do.
Please help us by sending an email to NELA!
We are asking as many people as possible to send an email to the North East Link Authority and let them know why you think these businesses are vital to the local community. We know we don’t have to say this as all of our customers are wonderful… but please be nice when emailing! Reasoned and calm arguments always go further than anger!
You can email the North East Link Authority on this address: community@northeastlink.vic.gov.au
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Sep 112018
An Exhibition by the Eastern Studio Potters and Artists
The members of the Eastern Studio Potters & Artists are once again exhibiting in our gallery. This group has been exhibiting at Bulleen Art & Garden for many years with a diverse, but unified body of work. The weather and nature will be the subject of this year’s exhibition. The different artists will interpret this in their own way.
More pictures and info at http://gallery.baag.com.au/?p=3899
Aug 302018
September is a magnificent month to be out in the garden. You can smell spring in the air and the soil is starting to warm up, just like us. Spring is the turning point for planting options… the variety of plants that are happy to hit the soil in spring is huge, no matter what type of garden you like. After a cold winter there is nothing better than waking up to a sunny Saturday, throwing on a T-shirt and getting stuck into some gardening. We all have loads of jobs that have been neglected all winter, get started today!
Aug 202018
Nothing compares to the taste of homegrown strawberries, and those monster things you buy in punnets at the shops are generally a poor (and expensive) imitation. So, why not grow some strawberries at home! Good position and good soil are the keys to successful strawberries. Strawberries are a European cool-climate plant, and need to be treated with a bit of love in our part of Australia. For those of you growing strawberries during the warmer periods of the year, we suggest growing under a little shade cloth cover. This is ‘slip, slop, slap’ for your strawberries to stop the sunburn… they’ll thank you for it! In the cooler months, a nice, warm, full-sun to part-shade spot is perfect.
Aug 162018
Worms are fabulous little creatures. By eating their way through refuse and detritus, they manage to make the most nutritious and enriching fertiliser suitable for all your garden and potted plants, which won’t harm your plants because it is so gentle and natural. Worms can eat up to their weight each day in organic waste scraps, which can add up to a bit if you have the right conditions. Even better than finished compost, the worm ‘poo’, known as vermicast, is safe to use on all plants. Keeping a worm farm is ideal for householders who do not have the space outside for a traditional compost bin, yet still want to get rid of household scraps and peelings organically. Worm farms can even be kept inside! Read on for more great worm tips.
Aug 162018
These long lived deciduous or evergreen shrubs can be grown purely for their ornamental value. With their lovely pink brushed white bell shaped flowers and brilliant yellow, orange and red autumn foliage on a 1 to 2.4m high thornless shrub, they add value to any garden.
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Aug 012018
Well, the last weeks of winter are finally here, with the scent of Wattle signalling the promise of spring just around the corner. The first Magnolias are in flower and the gold and purple of Acacias and Hardenbergias create a dramatic floral display. The cold, frosty mornings are a prelude to the burst of new growth that heralds the coming new season of life. We have already had our fair share of frosty mornings and more are likely, so continue on with those frost damage prevention measures for a few more weeks yet.
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Jul 092018
An exhibition of sculpture by Christen Jo Stone of Stringybark Studio
Christen Jo Stone (Jo) has developed diverse arts skills and enjoys combining these, expressed in 3D forms. Having worked in many media including Jewellery, Textiles, letterpress Printing, and Basketry, Jo’s current work in Sculpture narrates the story of endangered species threatened by the destruction of their precious forest environment
July 6th – August 19th 2018
Demonstration in the gallery:
12-3pm 5th August 2018
Come and see Jo at work
More pictures and info at http://gallery.baag.com.au/?p=3874
Jun 282018
Winter can be a challenge, but it sure puts a rosy hue in your cheeks when you rug up, brave the elements and go about doing some of those winter gardening tasks which have been beckoning from outside. Enjoy a warm drink – and the satisfaction – when you come inside.
Jun 192018
English, Korean, Japanese and Dutch Box can all turn an annoying orangey bronze colour in winter. This bronzing is a natural response of this genus to cold and bright winter sun (cold winds don’t help either). It is not uncommon after a series of frosts (cold nights, sunny days) to get calls to the nursery from distressed gardeners about their bronzy box. This is more common in younger plants, but can also happen in mature plants. The plants are still healthy and will put fresh new green foliage on in spring. However, if your aim is to prevent this happening in the first place:
• In autumn, sweeten the soil with dolomite lime and feed well with all purpose fertiliser.
• Try to shield young Box plants from severe winds and strong winter sun, a temporary wind break is helpful.
If despite your best efforts your young box hedge goes bronze – don’t despair. Feed well in early spring and good new growth will soon emerge and your box will once again be a brilliant green. As they mature, the problem is less likely to occur.
Jun 132018
An exhibition by Jo Garner, Julie Walker and Nicola Hoyle.
Jo, Julie and Nicola work in a variety of mediums, but one of their common threads is their desire to find beauty in what others often discard. They find great joy in re purposing and re fashioning items that are often considered junk. Their arts practices are diverse; including mosaic, collage, steel fabrication, jewellery and print making. This exhibition will be an eclectic mix of colour, texture and pattern that showcases their sense of humour and love of making!
18th May to 1st July 2018
More pictures and info at http://gallery.baag.com.au/?p=3818
Jun 072018
Apium graveolens
Recently I have been on a soup making blitz and using loads of celery, but in my mind it is a summer salad vegie, clearly I am mistaken… Here in Melbourne you can plant celery as soon as the last frost has passed, and/or in late summer, to have ready for soups in late autumn!
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Jun 072018
Agave geminiflora
Very popular in the nursery, this one always attracts comments from customers. Agave geminiflora is a symmetrical and architectural succulent with long narrow leaves tipped with a spine and edged with fine white curling filaments. Tough and drought tolerant. Will cope with full sun to half shade, but it needs good drainage. After 10 years or so it reaches around 80cm in diameter and will then send up twin flower spikes – sometimes up to 2.5m tall. They are very dramatic, but signal the end of the life of that plant – however, often the plant will set small pups around the edges, and these can be used to replace the original plant.
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Jun 072018
It is the larval stage of these small flying insects that create the most havoc, but their numbers can build up to such a level that the flying gnat itself creates an unpleasant nuisance in the house. Small dark bodies with long legs and a single pair of wings, these small flying insects commonly live around a week before dying en masse, usually on your sunny windowsill just before your mother in law comes to visit.
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