September in your Garden
September marks the official start to spring when days and nights are of equal length. On the Aboriginal calendar it is Poorneet or tadpole season, when it is warm enough for tadpoles, but it is raining still. The scent of flowers is in the air – bulbs are flowering madly,…
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…
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…
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…
Gallery Exhibition – ‘Connections’
Two local artists explore the idea of connection through clay and printmaking. Ceramicist Jo Davies and printmaker Kate Herd pay testimony to the interdependence of, and within, nature and community. The artists are neighbours and both enjoy a longstanding relationship with the Yarra River landscape.
Healthy Soil is Easy
Soil… most people just think of it as dirt, something to grow a few plants in, and maybe something to play in when you are young. However, (healthy) soil is a living, breathing organism, vital for the health and well-being of our precious plants out in the garden. And just…
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…
Codling Moth and Oriental Fruit Moth
The chemicals commonly used to control codling moth also kill beneficial insect species, which contribute to biological control of other pests. Consequently increased chemical sprays are required for control of other pests. The most successful way to avoid this problem is to use Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Using a combination…
Green Manure
Not enthralled by the tastes of autumn and winter vegies? Broccoli and Cabbage not your thing? Then give something back to your soil. Plant a green manure crop to prepare for your spring vegetable beds. Green manure is sown from seed usually in autumn and winter. It adds valuable organic…
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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