October in your Garden
Optimism is in the air, and plants are loving the warming soil. It is still tadpole and orchid season (Pareip) in Naarm, Melbourne. The Japanese maples are looking extra special, clothed in their delicate new leaves. Kangaroo paws are starting their wonderful displays of exuberant colour. The winter vegetables are…
Strawberries
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…
Tomatoes
Who doesn’t love a tomato? Delicious home grown tomatoes are easy to grow, taste great, and you control what gets sprayed on them, if anything at all. Many different varieties are available including heritage varieties, from which you can collect your own seed to sow next season, and dwarf varieties…
Acer – Japanese Maples
Acer palmatum and Acer japonicum Of all the ornamental trees, the Japanese Maples are easily my personal favourites. Light, airy, layered. You will see from the slide-show above (which features multiple pictures of a few cultivars) how radically different Acers can look depending on the season. The Acer palmatum is…
Gallery Exhibition – ‘Parallel’
This new exhibition is a collaboration of two artists Giuseppe Raneri and Pietro Giordano who’ve known each other for a long time, their friendship and appreciation for art has finally brought them together.
Grevilleas
Grevilleas are ever flowering, ever popular and there is an ever-increasing number of new cultivars released each season. This genus ranges from groundcovers to trees and can have some widely different requirements and tolerances, so check the individual labels. Important note about plant availability.There are hundreds of factsheets on our…
Mulching for a Healthy Garden
Sick of plants dying or being lost between the weeds? Mulching is something that we often don’t consider until the sun is beating down and all the moisture has been stripped from the soil or the weeds have taken over. Don’t wait until the height of summer to get started!…
Mushrooms
Eating mushrooms gives us lots of health benefits. You can easily grow them at home with a kit and the kids love to see them grow. All you need is a dark cupboard and a spray bottle. The kit includes instructions and the growing media which contains the mushroom spores.…
Proteas, Leucadendrons and Leucospermums
Proteas are native to southern Africa and belong to the same family of plants (the Proteaceae) as the Australian Banksias, Grevilleas and Teleopa. The name ‘Protea’ is commonly used to refer to not only plants in the genus Protea, but also to two other genera – Leucadendron and Leucospermum, also…
Grapes
Edible grapes (Vitis vinifera) are vigorous deciduous woody vines native to Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. They climb by means of tendrils, which wrap around objects to support the weight of the vine. Grapes are well suited to hot, dry conditions and full sun. Cultivated grapes have hermaphrodite flowers…
Queensland Fruit Fly
Queensland fruit fly is a significant pest that has been found in areas of Victoria for a few years now. Recently there is evidence the fly is establishing itself in Melbourne and surrounds. It feeds on a wide range of fruits and vegetables, and is understandably causing a great deal…
Why Your Garden Matters
Every garden is its own (or is a unique but connected) ecosystem containing an extraordinary array of living organisms including plants, fungi, bacteria, microbes, insects and animals that all impact on the health and resilience of the living network. We are each the stewards of our gardens, the actions that…
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