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January 2022

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EDITOR’S LETTER

welco e O

S TAY I N

PHOTOS BRENT WILSON, ISTOCK

nce again, the crepe myrtles are saving the day in my summer garden. A number of other flowering plants have gone quiet, and the garden is looking monochromatically green in places (and, admittedly, a bit yellow, too). It doesn’t help that I may have gone a bit hard with the pruning shears lately, trying to make up time on what should have been done a couple of months ago… But those crepe myrtles are in full, glorious bloom, and standing up to the heat remarkably well, as always. They’re not just consummate show stoppers in summer, either – their sinuous trunks and limbs are a standout in winter, too. As Helen Young explains in her story on page 14, they’re superb trees for a suburban garden, with myriad varieties, large or small, to choose from. While summer might not be peak action time in the Aussie garden, it’s a time of year when the cuttings are easy. A lot of my favourite plants, such as gardenias, have produced good growth over spring that is now perfect for propagating. We’d be mad not to spend some time pottering in the shade with secateurs and seed-raising mix, producing some babies to plant up in autumn. You’ll find step-by-step instructions on page 35 for a range of popular plants. Mastering this fundamental skill won’t just save you money, it’s a great way to share plants with others, and it also makes you feel more like A Proper Gardener. And what’s not to love about getting something for nothing? Gardeners love a bargain!

In this spirit of self-sufficiency, I hope you’ve been as inspired as I am by Hannah Moloney’s permaculture series. This month, Hannah explains how to set up a productive food forest (page 46). And I’m definitely toying with the idea of growing grapes in pots (page 70). They might not produce enough for a case of Chateau Jenny, but there should be plenty for eating! As Michael McCoy so rightly says in his back-page column, now’s the season for kicking back, staying cool, and letting the garden do its thing. Enjoy the lazy, hazy days of summer, and may the mozzies choose someone sweeter than you to munch on…

TO U C H

SUBSCRIPTIONS 1300 361 146 EMAIL yoursay@gardeningaustralia.com.au MAGAZINE EDITORIAL (02) 9901 6325 TV SHOW (03) 8646 2875

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G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

J A N U A R Y 2 02 2

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JANUARY 2022

VER

COVER STORIES

14 18 22 35

N THE

PHOTOS ISTOCK, KIM WOODS RABBIDGE, LUKE SIMON, SHUTTERSTOCK

CONTENTS 26

42 46 56 Now spring growth has hardened up, take cuttings of plants that strike easily in warm conditions, such as geraniums. For more plants to propagate, see page 35. Photo: Pelargonium for Europe

66 68 69 70 72

Crepe myrtle Yellow buttons Pentas Strike while it’s hot, and take cuttings now Easy native bee hotels to build with your kids How to make a permaculture food garden Subtropical fruits you can gro in cool zon s Jabo Eggp Cabb Grap Thym

14 For all your top jobs in the garden this month, turn to page 74

COMPETITIONS + READER OFFERS 50 Win a copy of The Good Life, Hannah Moloney’s book, valued at $39.99 58 Subscribe for a chance to win a Collette travel voucher, worth $15,000 85 Win an Aquabag Portable Hose Reel, valued at $99 6 Solve the crossword and unscramble the word for a chance to win a Rake Broom pack, worth $79.90

JANUARY

42 54 35

FEATURES

14 Crepe expectations Colourful, long-flowering and tough, crepe myrtles last all summer long 18 Cute as a yellow button This low-maintenance native offers cheerful flowers for most of the year 22 Reach for the stars Pentas keep you coming back for more 26 Hillside haven One couple has realised their long-held desire for an abundant cottage garden 35 Summertime & the cuttings are easy Step-by-step instructions on taking and striking cuttings of five firm favourites

42 Good to bee home Bring native pollinators to your garden with a family-friendly bee hotel or two 46 Food, glorious food Hannah Moloney shows how to get the best yields while caring for the land 52 What’s the difference? From pruning techniques, to types of berries and climates, we clarify common gardening tools and terms 54 Plants that aren’t plants Lichens, fungi and other organisms 62 Meet the grower Growing upwards doubled the usable space in this small coastal garden

ABC Gardening Australia magazine acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and traditional custodians of the lands where we live and work. 8 J A N A U R Y 2 02 2

G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

REGULARS

10 Marketplace Plants and books 56 At home with Jackie Subtropical fruit trees to grow in cooler zones 60 TV & radio guide Your ABC 61 In the patch • Plant jaboticaba • Your problem solved: What’s eating my eggplants? • Sow & plant chart for January • What I’ve learnt about… cabbage • How to grow grapes in pots • Propagate thyme by layering 74 Action planner Jobs for this month 82 Mailbox Your letters, photos and questions 86 Crossword 89 The directory 96 Annual index 98 The big picture

PHOTOS ISTOCK, NATIVEPLANTPROJECT.COM.AU, ROBERT FRITH/ACORN PHOTO, PHIL DUDMAN, COURTESY OF LEE SULLIVAN, SHUTTERSTOCK

ABC TV HOST Costa Georgiadis PRESENTERS Josh Byrne, Tino Carnevale, Jerry Coleby-Williams, Jane Edmanson, Millie Ross, Clarence Slockee, Sophie Thomson

PLANTS

ON T

EDITOR Jenny Baldwin HORTICULTURAL EDITOR Phil Dudman ART DIRECTOR Rachel Henderson ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sally Feldman CHIEF SUBEDITOR Sofia Charalambous SUBEDITORS Gina Hetherington, Kirsten Wilkins HORTICULTURAL CONSULTANT AB Bishop EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Carole Gridley DIGITAL EDITOR Karen Burge

HELF ES

A selection of ornamentals and edible crops to plant now

CONTRIBUTORS Steve Ball, Tim Entwisle, Steve Falcioni, Jackie French, Robert Frith/Acorn Photo, Judy Horton, Anna Hutchcroft, Michael McCoy, Natalie Mendham, Hannah Moloney, Martyn Robinson, Luke Simon, Lee Sullivan, Deryn Thorpe, Fiona Walsh, Kim Woods Rabbidge, Helen Young ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Anabel Tweedale, atweedale@nextmedia.com.au Phone (02) 9901 6371 ADVERTISING SALES Donna McIlwaine, dmcilwaine@nextmedia.com.au Phone (02) 9901 6384 Iris McPherson, imcpherson@nextmedia.com.au Phone (02) 9901 6160 Annya Azzopardi, aazzopardi@nextmedia.com.au Phone (02) 9901 6320 PRODUCTION MANAGER Peter Ryman PRODUCTION AND DIGITAL SERVICES MANAGER Jonathan Bishop EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ABC TV Gill Lomas HEAD PUBLISHING AND LICENSING ABC COMMERCIAL Lisa Hunter BRAND MANAGER ABC MAGAZINES Jenni Powell SUBSCRIPTION SALES AND ENQUIRIES 1300 361 146, gardeningaustralia.com.au EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES yoursay@gardeningaustralia.com.au Phone (02) 9901 6325 NEXTMEDIA PTY LTD Locked Bag 5555, St Leonards NSW 1590 Phone (02) 9901 6100 GM CONSUMER PUBLISHING Carole Jones MANAGING DIRECTOR Arek Widawski ISSN: 1325-1465 ABC Gardening Australia magazine is published by nextmedia Pty Ltd (ACN 128 805 970) under licence from the publisher, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), and is subject to copyright in its entirety. ‘ABC’ and the ‘Wave’ and ‘Gardening Australia’ trademarks are used under licence from the ABC. The contents may not be reproduced in any form, either in whole or part, without written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved in material accepted for publication unless specified otherwise. All letters and other material forwarded to the magazine will be assumed intended for publication unless clearly labelled not for publication. nextmedia and the publisher do not accept responsibility for damage to, or loss of, submitted material. Opinions expressed in ABC Gardening Australia magazine are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of nextmedia or the publisher. No responsibility is accepted for unsolicited material. No liability is accepted by nextmedia, the publisher, nor the authors for any information contained herein. All endeavours are made to ensure accuracy and veracity of all content and advice herein, but neither ABC Gardening Australia magazine nor its publisher or contributors is responsible for damage or harm, of whatever description, resulting from persons undertaking any advice or using any product mentioned or advertised in ABC Gardening Australia magazine or its website. PRIVACY POLICY We value the integrity of your personal information. If you provide personal information through your participation in any competitions, surveys or offers featured in this issue of ABC Gardening Australia magazine, this will be used to provide the products or services that you have requested and to improve the content of our magazines. Your details may be provided to third parties who assist us in this purpose. In the event of organisations providing prizes or offers to our readers, we may pass your details on to them. From time to time, we may use the information you provide us to inform you of other products, services and events our company has to offer. We may also give your information to other organisations, which may use it to inform you about their products, services and events, unless you tell us not to do so. You are welcome to access the information we hold about you by getting in touch with our privacy officer, who can be contacted at nextmedia, Locked Bag 5555, St Leonards, NSW 1590.

Planting ice plants in midsummer isn’t as crazy as it seems – these dense succulents are actually heat-loving perennials. The common name refers to tiny hairs on the leaves and stems that sparkle like ice crystals in the sun. The plants in the Delosperma cooperi Delmara series are covered with vibrant flowers in summer and autumn. Pictured (clockwise from top left) are ‘Delmara Red’, ‘Orange’, ‘Pink’, ‘Fuchsia’ and ‘Yellow’. They are a pretty groundcover, but really come into their own cascading over retaining walls or containers (below). Growing to 5–10cm tall and 40–50cm wide, they need full sun and well-drained soil. Available in the Nature’s Decór and Simply Beautiful collections.

MARKETPLACE

TEXT AB BISHOP

Once autumn arrives, many ornamentals have delivered their colourful summer promises and are considering retirement, but autumn-flowering bulbs are starting to party. You can grow these varieties in full sun, and leave them in the ground. Belladonnas are the first choice for gardeners who are new to these plants. They suit all climates, except tropical, and are tough and reliable in the ground or in pots. The flower stalks of the fragrant Amaryllis belladonna ‘Cyclamen Pink’ (left) reach about 75cm, appearing before the strappy foliage that lasts until spring. The large, fragrant flowers of Colchicum speciosum var. bornmuelleri (right) look almost too big for their 15cm stems, but will impress in a roc front of a bed. Wide, strappy leaves appear onths after the flowers have died. No itable for a tropical climate. The elec ue spider lily (Lycoris sprengeri, righ n be shy to flower, but persevere, an rewarded with eye-catching, fragra umpet flowers on 30–40cm stems. roup for impact in garden beds or bi ntainers. Growing to 40–50cm tall, erine ‘Coral Queen’ (left) is a pretty ddition to a cottage-style garden, but t suitable for the tropics or subtropi o ensure a good flower display, don ater during November or Decembe onkinsbulbs.com.au

January is too late to plant many favourite vegies, and too early for others, but it’s the perfect time to sow corn direct in all climates. Impress your foodie friends by growing and grinding ‘Oaxacan Green’ to make delicious tamales or cornbread, or add the two-toned raw kernels of ‘Honey and Cream’ to autumn salads for a sweet, juicy crunch. Upgrade your movie-night snacks with ‘Ontos Oval White Popcorn’. This organic variety was brought to Australia from America in 1974 and bred to have less of the rough, fibrous matter, and more of the fluffy, white edible portion. Yielding a rich flavour, ‘True Gold’ is a popular heirloom variety that’s perfect for barbecuing or adding to soups. All these varieties grow to 150–170cm tall and require a full-sun position. diggers.com.au

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT ‘Oaxacan Green’; ‘Honey and Cream’; ‘Ontos Oval White Popcorn’; ‘True Gold’.

G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

J A N U A R Y 2 02 2 11

ON TH

MARKETPLACE

SHELF

BOOKS

BIRD: EXPLORING THE WINGED WORLD

Phaidon Editors Phaidon

This visually captivating book celebrates the beauty and popular appeal of birds throughout the areas of art, history, ornithology and culture. It contains more than 300 images, from richly painted medieval manuscripts through to high-speed photography, which all showcase how artists, illustrators, scientists and photographers – from the ancient world to the present – have captured the diversity, vibrancy and charm of birds. Each entry includes a large-format image and short explanatory text. A reference section with information on bird identification, spotting and classification is included, together with a glossary, illustrated timeline and select biographies. Bird lovers can enjoy the varied and beautiful imagery, while learning about the birds’ nesting, feeding and migration patterns, and humanity’s impact on their habitats and conservation.

THE ARBORNAUT

Meg Lowman Allen & Unwin

In a blend of memoir and fieldwork, American biologist and conservationist Meg Lowman provides a fascinating perspective on the world of trees, from the top down. Lowman pioneered the science of canopy ecology, and invented one of the first treetop walkways. Her stories as an ecologist and field scientist include climbing solo hundreds of metres up into Australia’s rainforests; measuring tree growth in the north-eastern US; searching the redwoods of the Pacific coast for new life; studying leaf-eaters in Scotland’s Highlands; conservation planning in India; and collaborating with priests in Ethiopia’s last forests. It’s an inspirational and informative read, especially for those interested in trees, our natural world and the need to conserve the world’s forests and ecosystems.

WILDLIFE OF THE BOX-IRONBARK COUNTRY

SCIENCE IN A GARDEN

Ross Mars Hawker Brownlow Education

This is the second book for primary school kids from permaculture expert and educator Ross Mars. His first book, Life in a Garden, introduced students to the basics of garden maintenance and design. In this one, he encourages them to observe, understand and contribute to a thriving garden ecosystem. Science in a Garden takes students on a journey from theory to final product, covering garden science, growth, changes, animals, human use, and products from the garden. Each activity is aligned with the Science and Technologies learning areas of the Australian Curriculum, as well as sustainability – a cross-curriculum priority. This illustrated book is for students, parents and teachers, and will help kids understand the environment, and how to use their knowledge in real-world scenarios. Available at hbe.com.au/hb1550.html

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the ecology, habitats and wildlife of the Box-Ironbark forest region in Victoria, and how climate change is having a major influence on one of the most important areas of animal diversity in southern Australia. This revised edition profiles all of the mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs found in the region, with each species’ listing comprising a high-quality colour photograph, description, status, ecology and identification, and a detailed distribution map. It also includes a list of 16 parks and reserves where people can visit to observe the wildlife of this endangered ecosystem.

TEXT CAROLE GRIDLEY

Chris Tzaros CSIRO Publishing

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PLANTS

crepe expectations

f I had to choose a tree that ticks all the boxes for a small garden, it would have to be a crepe myrtle. Offering four seasons of interest, rapid growth, a beautiful form, tolerance to heat and drought, and the ability to be pruned to shape, the crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is hard to beat – and there are dozens of beautiful flowers to choose from in a range of smaller sizes. The common name refers to the texture of the flowers – the crinkly petals are a bit like crepe paper or, originally, the crinkly textured fabric called crepe. Crepe myrtles bear their flowers in generous trusses during the heat of summer, and come in a wide range of colours, from white, soft pink and mauve, to vibrant deep pinks, crimson and reds, and some even have unusual purple-black leaves. One of their best features is their long flowering period, commonly 60–90 days, which far outstrips the brief show from spring blossom trees, such as ornamental plums and cherries. In autumn, the leaves of crepe myrtle change to gold, orange and crimson hues, even in subtropical and warmer regions. And in winter, the beauty of their sinuous trunks is revealed. Older trees, left unpruned, will develop a wonderfully sculptural form. In early spring, the fresh

14 J A N U A R Y 2 02 2 G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

foliage emerges, and growth is rapid, the shoots elongating by the day. Crepe myrtles flower on new growth, so by late spring or early summer, their flower buds start to form. They also shed their old bark to reveal smooth, glowing ‘skin’ underneath, which ranges from caramel to cinnamon to red, sometimes mottled in lovely patterns – another beautiful feature.

choices, choices

Crepe myrtles are native to east Asia, and they grow in most parts of Australia. In the coldest areas, they need a warm, sheltered microclimate; in the tropics, autumn leaf colour is reduced. Trees planted decades ago tended to be large and multi-trunked, and prone to powdery mildew on the leaves, but the trees of today are much improved. Hybrids of L. indica and L. fauriei have led to new ranges of small trees that have excellent powdery mildew resistance, along with improved autumn leaf colour. The trees in the Indian Summer series have a vase-shaped canopy, and grow from 3m to 8m tall. Widely available, they are all grown with a single straight trunk before branching, and in various sizes, from smaller specimens in containers to super-advanced trees for instant effect. White ‘Natchez’ is the largest (8m high and 6m wide); ‘Sioux’ (5m x 3m) is hot pink with a narrower canopy; ‘Biloxi’ (7m x 5m) is pale lavender pink; ‘Tonto’ (3m x 3m) is crimson; ‘Tuscarora’ (6m x 4m) is dark fuchsia pink; ‘Lipan’ and ‘Zuni’ (4m x 3m) are pinky lavender; and the multi-stemmed, semi-pendulous ‘Acoma’ (3m x 3m) is sometimes available as a grafted standard. For larger properties and street plantings,

there’s ‘Fantasy’, a 9m x 8m tree with white blooms and exceptional ornamental bark. Offering something quite different in the form of near black foliage is the Diamonds in The Dark range. At 3m tall and 2.5m wide, they can be grown either as a small feature tree – prune off the side branches to leave a clear, straight stem – or as a vibrant and colourful hedge. They need 6–8 hours of sun daily for the blackest foliage, becoming greener in more shade. The flowers, produced from summer until the first frost, contrast dramatically with

at a glance

common name crepe myrtle

botanic name Lagerstroemia spp. plant type small tree, shrub or groundcover

trees to 9m trees to 8m full sun winter, spring or autumn late spring to early autumn

suitable

PHOTOS ISTOCK, CHRIS L JONES

Colourful, long flowering, and tough, crepe myrtles certainly earn their keep in the summer garden, writes HELEN YOUNG

IN FLOWER NOW

The pink ‘Sioux’ and lilac ‘Lipan’ varieties both feature classic V shapes, sculptural trunks and generous canopies of colourful blooms.

THE ONE NATIVE SPECIES, LAGERSTROEMIA ARCHERIANA (ABOVE LEFT) HAILS FROM THE TOP END. IT HAS PINKY MAUVE FLOWERS AND GROWS 5–7M TALL.

PHOTOS ROGER FRYER, FLEMING’S NURSERIES, GAP PHOTOS/VISIONS PREMIUM, SHUTTERSTOCK, ISTOCK, CHRIS L JONES, DIAMONDS IN THE DARK CREPE MYRTLES

PLANTS

the dark foliage. The range includes ‘Red Hot’, ‘Best Red’, ‘Crimson Red’, pale pink ‘Blush’, ‘Pure White’, ‘Lavender Lace’, ‘Mystic Magenta’ and ‘Purely Purple’. The Magic series of semi-dwarf and multi-stemmed rounded shrubs about 1.8m wide and high includes a number of dark-foliaged varieties. ‘Coral Magic’ features red-tinged leaves and coral red flowers; ‘Midnight Magic’ has deep pink flowers teamed with maroon purple foliage; the white flowers of ‘Moonlight Magic’ are highlighted against almost black foliage; ‘Plum Magic’ features fuchsia pink flowers with yellow stamens and plum-tinged foliage; ‘Purple Magic’ is similar with dark purple blooms. ‘Red Magic’ has vibrant red blooms and red-tinged foliage, while ‘Ruffled Red Magic’ has dark green leaves that set off the ruffled, glowing red blooms. Two other multi-stemmed trees in the series that grow up to 4m high and 2.5m wide are ‘Twilight Magic’, with deep plum foliage and coral-pink flowers, and ‘Sunset Magic’, with cherry red flowers against almost black, lustrous foliage. Smaller again are some shrub-sized varieties, which are best in cool to warm temperate areas. ‘Enduring Summer Red’ grows to 1.5m high and wide, and bears bright red flowers from late November into autumn. Its new leaves are red in spring, green in summer. The Infinitini series are compact shrubs, reaching about 70cm high and 1.2m wide, and flowering continuously from early midsummer to late autumn. Colours include ‘Brite Pink’, ‘Magenta’, ‘Watermelon’ and pinky lavender ‘Orchid’. There are even some groundcover varieties. ‘Houston’ is watermelon red and grows to 60cm high and 1m wide. ‘New Orleans’ is low-growing (40cm high and 1.2m wide) with pinky purple flowers, and is useful as a massed groundcover, or in rock gardens or hanging baskets. It is sometimes sold grafted onto a 1m straight stem to create a short weeping standard.

problems & pruning

New, improved crepe myrtle cultivars are relatively free of pest problems and are resistant to powdery mildew disease. The main issue can be suckering from the rootstock, which is where unwanted shoots arise from the roots or at the base of the trunk. Rub these off as soon as they emerge, or cut them as low as possible. Continually doing this lessens the problem. Suckering is triggered by severe stress or damage to the roots or lower trunk, so mulch to prevent grass and weeds growing under the canopy, and avoid digging in the root zone. Finally, to prune or not to prune? Crepe myrtles don’t need to be pruned to flower well, and they tend to develop naturally into attractive shapes. However, it is perfectly fine to lightly prune any long stems after flowering to maintain a better shaped canopy. If you don’t want to keep pruning to maintain a certain size, then choose a variety that grows to the height and width you want. Trees can also be pruned heavily in winter to encourage lots of long, arching branches, but if they are pruned every year to the same spot, the main branches can develop ugly ‘knuckles’ and end up looking butchered. For shrub varieties, you can prune all over to one third of their size each winter. Crepe myrtles flower on new spring growth, and bare pruned branches will soon leaf up and produce flushes of gorgeous blooms. GA CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Lagerstroemia archeriana is an Australian native; L. ‘Sunset Magic’, from the Magic series, has red flowers and black foliage; L. ‘Natchez’, from the Indian Summer series; left unpruned, older crepe myrtle trees will develop a wonderfully sculptural form; L. ‘Purely Purple’, from the Diamonds in the Dark range; ‘Acoma’ produces bright white blooms on slightly pendulous branches; the beautiful bark of L. ‘Osage’; L. ‘With Love Eternal’; the foliage of crepe myrtles changes colour in autumn. G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

J A N U A R Y 2 02 2

PLANTS

te as a cuYELLOW

PLANT IT NOW

BUTTON

Offering clusters of cheerful flowers for most of the year, this low-maintenance native groundcover doesn’t mind being taken for granted, writes AB BISHOP

common names yellow buttons, common everlasting

botanic name Chrysocephalum apiculatum plant type perennial herb

30–60cm

40cm–3m

full sun, semi-shade any time year round

many forms & uses suitable MAIN AND INSET Bright and cheerful yellow buttons looks great spilling from a pot or basket; unlike many daisies, the flowers cluster on the stem. 18 J A N U A R Y 2 02 2 G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

Yellow buttons grows naturally from tropical Western Australia to Tasmania’s north coast, including most of the southern mainland. With such a broad geographic distribution, it’s not surprising that its habit and appearance vary considerably – a trait that gardeners can take advantage of when

designing a space. For example, the south Queensland form with small green-grey leaves, C. apiculatum (sometimes still sold as C. ramosissimum), spreads to about 3m and grows well in semi-shade, such as under established trees, where other plants sulk. Besides brightening up a dull spot and potentially reducing dust, groundcovers under large trees can also help to maintain an even soil moisture level and temperature, which encourages a healthy biota, and benefits the tree in the long run.

PHOTOS GAP PHOTOS/FRIEDRICH STRAUSS, ISTOCK

at a glance

henever I’m in my garden, I’m always appraising the plants, and I have to say that the yellow buttons receive more than their fair share of compliments. Also known as common everlasting (the flowers persist on the bush or in a vase) Chrysocephalum apiculatum isn’t scented or rare, but for various reasons, I love it to bits. Planted in the ground, it forms a relatively dense mat, essentially mulching itself and reducing germination of any wind-donated weed seeds. It flowers prolifically through the warmer months, with clusters of small daisy heads on every stem that butterflies, bees and the like will flock to. Even through Melbourne’s dreary winters it continues to flower (albeit less enthusiastically), which I’m sure cool-weather insects appreciate… I know I certainly do.

Other named forms, including ‘Desert Gold’ and ‘Yorke Peninsula’, have silver-grey leaves that are perfectly suited to a silver-themed bed, or can be used as an accent plant to contrast with other colours. The light grey leaves of Bridgewater Bay’ are large and velvety. This form hails from Cape Bridgewater in south-western Victoria, and, with a spread of up to 1m, it’s a handy plant for coastal gardens or any area with sandy soil, where it can be planted to reduce erosion.

With golden-yellow flowers reaching up to 30cm and grey foliage to 50cm wide, ‘Desert Flame’ (along with other clumping forms) is perfectly sized for containers and hanging baskets, alone or with other plants that prefer relatively dry conditions. Use a premium potting mix, and apply seaweed solution monthly to keep plants flourishing. To create an attractive, low-maintenance, bush-style garden bed, pair yellow buttons with a local native grass, such as common tussock grass (Poa labillardierei – yes, G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

J A N U A R Y 2 02 2

ABOVE AND LEFT Chrysocephalum apiculatum ‘Silver and Gold’ makes a beautiful groundcover; the classic yellow and purple colour combination loved by garden designers makes a statement here, thanks to C. ‘Desert Gold’ and an African daisy hybrid (Osteospermum ecklonis ‘Magenta’).

it’s a hard one to pronounce – I just call it Poa lab!). Finish the look with a couple of large rocks and logs for extra habitat points. In the ground or in a large container, such as a half wine barrel, the plant also lends itself well to the classic purple and yellow combination. Try cut-leafed daisy (Brachyscome multifida), native bluebell (Wahlenbergia spp.), fan-flower (Scaevola spp.), dampiera, or even African daisy (Osteospermum spp.).

mass-planting ideas

When planting it en masse to cover a large area, choose spreading forms, and position the plants with centres about 60–70cm apart. Low-flowering, clumping forms are 20 J A N U A R Y 2 02 2 G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

best used at the front of a bed (they won’t become a nuisance in the lawn), along a path, or in that tricky narrow strip between the driveway and the fence. Both clumping and spreading forms are effective alongside steps, in rockeries, or over retaining walls. Yellow buttons is perennial and should live for about eight years, with minimal input from you. However, with a smidge of TLC, it will go out of its way to impress. Grow it in any soil that isn’t boggy, and feed with a native fertiliser in spring. It responds well to a seasonal application of seaweed solution, and an occasional drink when it’s dry. In late winter, if your plant appears tatty, prune it to just above ground level. Come spring, it will quickly bounce back

with fresh leaves and plenty of flowers. Yellow buttons tolerates moderate frost. It’s worth seeking out local forms at indigenous nurseries, as they have adapted to the soil and climate of the area. The plant isn’t a magnet for diseases or pests, but it can occasionally be munched on by caterpillars and aphids, or become a daytime hangout for slugs and snails. Aphids can be squished, but habitat gardeners may wish to leave caterpillars alone if they’re not defoliating the plant, because various critters up the food chain feed on them or the moths they turn into. Yellow buttons is also a host plant for the Australian painted lady butterfly. When the caterpillars hatch, they curl the leaves around themselves to eat in relative safety. Yellow buttons hybridises and self-seeds readily, which is why there are so many forms available. Seedlings that appear in your garden can be potted up and gifted to friends, or moved elsewhere. If you’re fond of a particular form, then propagate it from cuttings at any time of the year, as seeds may not produce the same plant. While Chrysocephalum apiculatum is the most common species of the nine in this genus, it’s worth considering similar species, such as clustered everlasting (C. semipapposum), and a true desert plant, perennial sunray (C. pterochaetum). GA

PHOTOS GAP PHOTOS/FRIEDRICH STRAUSS, NATIVEPLANTPROJECT.COM.AU

PLANTS

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PLANTS

Easy to grow, and loved by beneficial insects and gardeners alike, pentas is a plant that keeps you coming back for more, writes STEVE FALCIONI

y first pentas plant was an impulse buy. This turned into an infatuation, and I’ve loved them ever since. With their generous flowers and no-fuss attitude, pentas are easy to love and easy to grow. Pentas are perennials native to the tropical regions of Africa, and across to the Middle East. While there are more

than 30 different species, it’s only Pentas lanceolata that is commonly grown in gardens, along with its many cultivars. While pentas plants have rich, green foliage, it’s the flowers that steal the show. They’re produced at the ends of new growth, in clusters of star-shaped blooms. Each flower is small (about 1cm), but the clusters are large and unmissable, and

EASY-CARE COLOUR

are produced in profusion. They come in white, pink, purple and red, and a few cultivars feature white centres, which contrast nicely with the coloured petals. I’m not the only one who loves pentas. The nectar-rich flowers are total magnets for butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects. If we had hummingbirds in Australia, they’d be dropping by as well!

at a glance common names pentas, Egyptian star botanic names Pentas lanceolata (syn. P. carnea) plant type evergreen perennial

30cm–1m 30cm–1.5m full sun, semi-shade

PHOTOS GAP PHOTOS/NOVA PHOTO GRAPHIK, ISTOCK, PHIL DUDMAN

spring, summer and autumn; all year in warm areas spring to autumn; all year in warm areas

suitable

TOP TO BOTTOM Pentas produce eye-catching clusters of tiny star-shaped blooms; mixing varieties makes a colourful border. OPPOSITE Pentas blending nicely with begonia, impatiens, cleome and salvia. G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

J A N U A R Y 2 02 2

care & maintenance

In warmer regions, such as my Sydney garden, pentas grow as perennials and flower year round. However, they don’t like the frost, so in cooler areas, they can be treated as annuals. Plant them at any time during the warmer months and they’ll quickly burst into flower. Grow pentas in any sunny spot where you want a pop of continuous colour. They can tolerate light shade, but flowering will be reduced. Pentas work well in mixed flower beds, planter boxes and pots, and if you become a pentas tragic like me, you can even grow them indoors, as long as they’re placed in a bright position. Mine have been growing happily in large troughs for several years. There are dwarf varieties, which only reach 30–40cm, and taller types that grow to about 1m. Whether you plant them in a garden bed or a pot, it’s important to give them good drainage. In heavy soils where drainage is poor, they can be susceptible to root rot. In sandy soils, root-knot nematodes may be a problem. In both situations, adding compost and manure will help improve your soil and reduce the issue. Alternatively, grow them in a pot. As new plants grow, pinch out their tips to encourage dense growth. Regularly remove spent flower heads to keep the

plants looking their best. You can do this daintily one by one, or use hedging shears to rapidly take off the top 5cm all over. The plant will soon be back in bloom. If you don’t get around to deadheading (no judgement here), and your plant starts to get a bit leggy, you can do a harder prune at the beginning of spring, when the plant has just started producing new growth. Take about a third off. If you miss this window, a hard prune can be done any time during the warmer months. Any blooms trimmed off along the way can be popped into a vase and enjoyed indoors. Propagate more plants using softwood cuttings taken in summer – the strike rate is pretty high. Alternatively, sow seeds in spring. Once established, pentas aren’t thirsty, but I still mulch around their base to minimise water loss. Of course, potted plants will need more frequent watering during dry periods. Give your new plants fortnightly doses of an organic liquid fertiliser to encourage fast growth. Keep this up to maximise flowering if you’re growing them in pots or treating them as annuals. Established taller varieties that are grown as perennials can just be fertilised with a handful of organic pellets every three months from spring to autumn. Scale, aphids, whitefly, mites and mealy may attack pentas, but they can be rolled organically with a botanical pray. And, despite that long list of s, in my experience, pentas are ally pretty trouble free. GA CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT Clusters of blooms form at the tips of new growth; pentas blooms come in hues of pink, purple, red and white; the nectar of the pentas flower attracts lots of beneficial insects, such as this Cairns birdwing butterfly; colourful blooms contrast nicely with deep green foliage; a harmonious display of pentas, petunia and angelonia; dwarf forms are great for pots; a pure white form.

PHOTOS ISTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK, ALAMY, GAP PHOTOS/FRIEDRICH STRAUSS

PLANTS

GARDEN

hillside

haven

PHOTO KIM WOODS RABBIDGE

After years of gardening in the unforgiving climate of the Western Australian Wheatbelt, one couple has realised their long-held desire for an abundant cottage garden, writes DERYN THORPE

a multitude of roses

Roses are Leslie’s other passion – there are 200 in the garden. She’s especially fond of the romantic David Austin varieties, her standouts being the very fragrant ‘Golden Celebration’, ‘Jubilee Celebration’ and ‘LD Braithwaite’. Heritage Roses also feature heavily, including the deep red ‘Francis Dubreuil’, a tea rose with velvety red flowers and a strong fragrance; CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Clematis x jackmanii ‘Alice Fisk’ climbs this archway; potted lavender, kalanchoe and pelargoniums flourish on the back verandah; Angus and Leslie Richardson next to a ‘Eureka’ lemon; a recycled brick path winds through beds bordered with double peony poppies and roses, including ‘Crepuscule’ rose. PREVIOUS PAGE In the rear garden, the path from the house cuts through densely planted beds filled with a mix of natives and exotics, including colourful, self-sown cottage favourites.

PHOTOS KIM WOODS RABBIDGE, COURTESY OF LESLIE RICHARDSON

hen Leslie and Angus Richardson retired to Perth 18 years ago, finding a property with sufficient groundwater that could sustain an English-style cottage garden was Leslie’s top priority. The couple had spent most of their married life in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt, where Leslie grew native gardens that could cope with both severe frost and baking summers, even while she dreamt of a soft, ‘exotic’ landscape. Gardening in the Perth Hills was a new adventure for Leslie, who enrolled in garden history courses and joined the Hills Garden Group, an offshoot of the Gardeners’ Circle, Perth’s biggest garden club. There, the enthusiastic members took her under their wing, and shared cuttings and advice. “I’d always wanted a cottage garden, and my wishlist of plants quickly became a collection,” says Leslie. “I set out to find as many things that grew together, as I have a desire to have a garden without bare earth showing. It’s probably the result of living in the country, where things don’t survive without mulch.” Leslie mulches everything with pea hay and recycled leaf litter as soon as it’s planted, as well as planting groundcovers to create a living mulch. She and Angus also build up the soil with bulk fertiliser from saleyards, which is aged, then added, along with lots of blood and bone, worm tea and chook manure. There have been a few disappointments, such as an azalea and gardenia bed that Leslie suspects failed due to lime cement being used during the house build. But these setbacks created opportunity, and the area is now a sea of beautiful hydrangeas.

GARDEN

the apricot-flowered ‘Crepuscule’, which scrambles over walls; and once-flowering climbers – ‘Albertine’, with fragrant pink double blooms, and the white Macartney rose (Rosa bracteata).

The couple chose their site to build their home and garden because it was surrounded by State forest on three sides, and also had access to good supplies of underground water. Bore water is pumped to a concrete tank at the top of the block, then gravity-fed to the reticulation system – a combination of overhead sprinklers, sprayers and drippers. A pump provides additional pressure to water the garden around the house. The very stony ground, and a 16m slope upwards from the front of the block, presented ample challenges. After the house was constructed, Angus used a pneumatic drill to break up the rock around it, using it to build retaining walls. Rather fortuitously, road workers were widening the nearby highway, and transported truckloads of loamy soil to the site, which Angus mixed with compost to use in the newly created garden beds. He also completely wore out a crowbar preparing rocky spots to plant hundreds of ornamental trees. Today, the Richardsons’ 2ha property in Sawyers Valley is shaded by 300 deciduous trees, and filled with fragrant roses and swathes of flowering annuals and perennials. In spring, the garden is a kaleidoscope of colour, thanks to penstemon, mass plantings of bearded iris, perennial foxgloves, and lots of self-seeded annuals, which are magnets for bees, butterflies and other the pollinating insects. Double peony poppies in coral, red, purples and mauves, the purple-black flowered honeywort (Cerinthe major), and bishop’s lace (Ammi majus) are dotted throughout, and flourish among the roses. While Leslie enjoys spring, her favourite time of the year is autumn, when the weather cools, the roses and salvia are in flower, and the deciduous trees change to myriad brilliant tones. She especially enjoys the butter-coloured leaves of CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT French lavender and self-sown flowers grow out of a drystone wall, one of many made from rocks excavated when the house was built – nearby is a flowering crabapple (Malus ioensis ‘Plena’); this quintessential cottage planting contains foxgloves, the David Austin Shrub rose ‘Munstead Wood’, a wagon wheel mounted on a post, and a standard ‘Pink Iceberg’ rose; the David Austin rose ‘Tradescant’; naturalised hellebores do well here in the shade, by the path leading to the sitting area beneath a ginkgo biloba tree.

PHOTOS KIM WOODS RABBIDGE, COURTESY OF LESLIE RICHARDSON

a rocky start

GARDEN

Ginkgo biloba, and the brilliant red leaves of several ‘Lipstick’ maples and crabapples, which also delight with their delicate spring blossom. Leslie appreciates all types of trees, and her collection includes ash, crepe myrtle, magnolia, honey locust (Gleditsia spp.), Chinese tallow, ornamental pear, jacaranda and elm. Spring bulbs, including tulips, daffodils and jonquils, have naturalised beneath them.

working together

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Leslie’s collection of succulents is showcased in pots that sit on shelves attached to the wall of the house’s pump shed, and in a planter box below; planted for its lovely canopy, this beautiful weeping pagoda tree (Sophora japonica ‘Pendula’) is now 6m tall; the Heritage Rose ‘Mutabilis’; the vigorous climbing Heritage Rose ‘Mme Alfred Carrière’ provides shade and a carpet of pretty petals, while, down the path, you’ll discover camellias and numerous self-sown flowering plants.

PHOTOS KIM WOODS RABBIDGE

Leslie gardens about a quarter of the site intensively, and works in the ornamental garden most days, while Angus keeps the reticulation flowing, grows vegetables, and looks after the dwarf fruit trees and blueberries. These are enclosed in a walk-in netted cage to protect them from birds, then netted against fruit fly after pollination. The couple’s chooks wander freely through the trees to provide insect and weed control. The many pots in the garden are filled mostly with pelargoniums and undemanding succulents. One of Leslie’s most loved areas is a low-maintenance swathe of hellebores, which have naturalised beneath three mature Chinese tallows. She’s also proud of her 8m-long dwarf lemon hedge, which she keeps contained to about 2m tall. The plantings that edge the property are mostly unirrigated. On the southern boundary, the couple are developing an oak tree walk and have planted 17 trees that will be magnificent in years to come. Adjacent are 300 jam wattle trees (Acacia acuminata), hosts for Australian sandalwood trees (Santalum spicatum), which were planted from seed. Densely planted native species on the northern boundary provide bird habitat, and, along with a grove of Manzanilla olives, which are harvested for their oil, suppress the noise from the highway. “The garden is my therapy and solace,” says Leslie. “When I spend time there, it lifts my day. I love nothing more than nurturing a seed into a plant – thinking about the before and after gives me a great sense of satisfaction.” GA

GARDEN

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PRACTICAL

cutting are easy

PHOTO COURTESY OF PELARGONIUM FOR EUROPE

AND THE

Grab your secateurs, seek out some shade, and start snipping… Now’s a good time to take cuttings of several garden favourites

PRACTICAL

GOLDEN RULES

Make sure you take cuttings in the coolest part of the day. Choose young, firm, healthy growth, and drop the cut pieces immediately into a bucket of water or a moistened plastic bag. Move into a shaded working spot as quickly as you can. If you have to wait any length of time to process the cuttings, keep them in a plastic bag in the fridge.

STEP-BY-STEP

2 4

PROPAGATE A GARDENIA CUTTING Gardenia can be propagated from material that is semi-ripe – growth that developed in spring that has had time to harden up.

36 J A N U A R Y 2 02 2 G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

azalea (Azalea spp.) lavender (Lavandula spp.) hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) coastal rosemary (Westringia spp.) orange jessamine (Murraya spp.) camellia (Camellia spp.) box (Buxus spp.) rose (Rosa spp.)

1 CUT off a generous length of firm, healthy material that grew this season. 2 TRIM the base of the cutting at the point just below a node (a leaf joint). 3 REMOVE the soft, floppy growth at the top, cutting just above a node. 4 TAKE off all of the lower leaves to reduce moisture loss from the cutting. 5 CUT the remaining leaves in half to further reduce moisture loss. 6 SCRAPE one side of the shoot near the base. This exposes more of the green cambium layer, where roots will form. 7 DIP the base of the cuttings in water, shake off the excess, then dip them into rooting hormone powder or gel.

5 8 USE a pencil or stick to make vertical holes in a pot filled with moistened propagation mix. Insert the cuttings, one per hole. Water well and allow to drain. 9 PUSH bamboo sticks or skewers into opposite sides of the pot. 10 COVER with a plastic bag, which will be supported by the sticks – this helps to keep the mix and the cuttings moist. Place the container in a warm, shaded position, and check it regularly to see if the mix needs more moisture. In a couple of months, give each cutting a light tug to determine if the roots have formed – they will resist if they have.

TEXT JUDY HORTON PHOTOS PHIL DUDMAN, SHUTTERSTOCK, ISTOCK

or a lot of us, summer represents a bit of downtime in the garden. It’s hot out there, and we’re not thinking about doing too much. However, the new growth that formed in spring has hardened up nicely, and there are a heap of plants that strike readily when conditions are warm. Taking plant cuttings is a pleasant and productive way to spend a few hours in the shade, and the result – if all goes well – is a stack of new plants ready to plant out come autumn. Think of it as an investment! So, grab your secateurs, some pots and potting mix, and let’s get started.

6 STEP-BY-STEP

PROPAGATE A GERANIUM CUTTING

4 PULL off all the lower leaves, keeping one or two at the top. 5 PUSH the stem into pre-moistened potting mix and gently firm it in place. These cuttings will grow quickly, so it’s best to have only one in each pot (unless the container is quite large). Water well, and place the pot in a bright but shaded position. Cover the pot with a plastic bag to help keep the cuttings moist. Roots should form in about a month or so.

Cuttings taken from tough plants, such as geranium (Pelargonium spp.), will sprout roots just about any time through the warmer months. 1 CUT off a piece of stem that is firm, about 15cm long, and pencil thickness. 2 TRIM the base of the cutting just below a node – this is the point where the new roots will develop. 3 REMOVE any flowers, and snip off the soft growth at the tip of the stem.

9 5

stemmed succulents (such as Kalanchoe blossfeldiana) coleus (Coleus scutellarioides) New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri) cane-stemmed begonia (Begonia coccinea) herbs, such as mint, oregano and basil salvia and other herbaceous perennials

STEP-BY-STEP

PROPAGATE A CORDYLINE CUTTING

2 PULL off some of the tatty lower foliage with a sharp tug, so it comes away cleanly and completely. 3 REMOVE more of the lower foliage by cutting it off, leaving behind just a small bunch of leaves at the top. 4 PUSH the cane-like stem into some pre-moistened potting mix, making sure the leaves are above the level of the mix. 5 WATER well, and move the pot into a warm, shaded spot, ideally with a few other pots nearby. Water every few days. Roots should form in a month or two, and the leaves will start growing.

Tropical and subtropical plants with cane-like stems, such as cordyline, sprout new roots readily in warm and humid weather.

1 CUT a strong, healthy, leafy stem off the growing tip, about 10–15mm thick.

2 4

tr this with

yucca (Yucca spp.) happy plants and other dracaenas (Dracaena spp.) pandan (Pandanus spp.) dumb cane (Dieffenbachia spp.) aglaonema (Aglaonema spp.) blue ginger (Dichorisandra thyrsiflora)

PRACTICAL

STEP-BY-STEP

PROPAGATE A PENSTEMON LAYER

strawberry dianthus lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina) catmint (Nepeta spp.) groundcover petunia bacopa (Chaenostoma cordatum) Japanese anemone (Anemone x hybrida) laurentia (Isotoma axillaris) lavender herbs, such as oregano, thyme and Vietnamese mint

In summer, one of the easiest ways to multiply herbaceous perennials, such as penstemon, is by seeking out rooted sections (layers) that have developed where parts of the plant have come into contact with the soil. 1 LOOK for a sprawling plant with sections that have flopped onto the soil. 2 GO on a hunt to find pieces that have made roots where they’ve been in contact with the soil. Some, like the one pictured, will have formed aerial roots. 3 CUT the stem close to the ground, capturing a cutting that has as many roots as possible. 4 LOOK for more layers. This one has its roots well established in the soil. Water it well, then carefully dig it out with a hand trowel. 5 SHORTEN the stems to reduce moisture loss from the leaves and encourage a bushy plant. Trim any long or torn roots, too. 6 SIT the rooted base in a smallish pot, and fill with potting mix. Water well. 7 POT up some more, water well, and place the pots in a bright, shaded spot for a week or so, before gradually introducing them to more direct sun. Keep moist.

6 7

PHOTOS PHIL DUDMAN

G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

J A N U A R Y 2 02 2

PRACTICAL

STEP-BY-STEP

grevillea (Grevillea sp .) rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) eriostemon (Philotheca spp.) emu bush (Eremophila spp.) native fuchsia (Correa spp.) viburnum (Viburnum spp.)

PROPAGATE A FUCHSIA HEEL CUTTING Heel cuttings are so named because they have a ‘heel’ at the base – a thin sliver of the firmer, older wood. This exposes more of the root-forming cambium layer that lies between the bark and the woody plant centre. 1 CUT some firm material off the tip of a stem. Grab a short, strong, healthy shoot and pull it downwards, so that it

comes away with a thin piece the older stem attached. 2 TRIM off any jagged ends and remove some of the lower leaves so that there are just a few left at the top of the cutting. 3 DIP the base in honey, or hormone gel or powder to promote root formation. 4 USE a pencil or stick to push a hole in the top of a pot of pre-moistened potting mix. Insert the shoot to a depth of 5–7cm. Water well, and cover the pot with a plastic bag supported on sticks or wire. Place the pot in a lightly shaded spot, and re-wet if the mix dries out. These cuttings can take a while to root, so wait at least a couple of months before giving the cutting a little wiggle to see if it feels firm, which would indicate that roots have formed. GA

3 4

PHOTOS FIONA WALSH, ISTOCK

40 J A N U A R Y 2 02 2 G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

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PRACTICAL

good to BEE

HOME

Ramp up the number of helpful native pollinators in your garden with a bee hotel, writes JOSH BYRNE

e all know how important bees are for pollinating plants, ensuring bountiful crops and the production of seed, but all too often the spotlight is on the European honeybee. Native bees are also important pollinators, and with there being about 2000 native bees

in Australia, there’s plenty of opportunity to encourage native bees in your garden. Unlike the European honeybee, native bees are mostly solitary. Most of them don’t swarm, build large hives or produce honey (with some exceptions). Nonetheless, they are hard workers and have co-evolved with locally occurring native plants, for

which they rely on pollen for protein and nectar for energy. Planting flowering species that naturally occur in your area, such as local species of callistemon, eucalypt and melaleuca, is a good way to provide food for native bees, but they also need a place to nest. Many native bees nest in above-ground cavities, such as old borer holes in trees. You can make similar structures and turn them into bee hotels. As Ollie, Caitlin and I discovered, they make a terrific project.

We made two types of bee hotels:

BEE HOTEL #2 100mm-diameter PVC pipe, 20cm long (minimum) saw (to cut PVC pipe, if required) measuring tape bamboo stakes secateurs cable ties safety glasses and gloves

42 J A N U A R Y 2 02 2 G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

PHOTOS ROBERT FRITH/ACORN PHOTO

BEE HOTEL #1 block of untreated hardwood (we used a piece of jarrah) drill and drill bits (3–12mm) safety glasses and gloves

SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN

STEP-BY-STEP BEE HOTEL

1 DRILL a series of holes into the block of wood – the deeper the better. Use a range of drill bit sizes, from 3mm to 12mm, to cater for large and small bees. 2 POSITION the bee hotel in a spot that gets morning sun, but is protected from hot sun later in the day.

PRACTICAL

STEP-BY-STEP BEE HOTEL

1 SAW off a piece of PVC pipe about 20cm long (or longer). 2 CUT the bamboo stakes to the same length, using secateurs. The hole sizes vary with the diameter of the bamboo. 3 PLACE the cut bamboo inside the pipe, packing them in until they fit snugly. 4 HANG the bee hotel in a spot that’s warm but not too hot. We used cable ties to attach it to a horizontal trellis rail. GA

PHOTOS ROBERT FRITH/ACORN PHOTO

2 3

tip

Position your bee hotels 1–2m off the ground, in a spot that doesn’t get too much traffic, so the bees won’t be disturbed.

PERMACULTURE

part three R

gl s FOOD,

Ready to take your food growing to the next level? This month, HANNAH MOLONEY shows how using permaculture principles can help get the best produce yields while minimising damage to the land

PHOTOS NATALIE MENDHAM

e have a delightfully large and full permaculture food garden, including orchards, berries, food forests and annual and perennial vegies. It’s all perched on a steep hillside of strategically shaped terraces and banks, supported by passive water management and good nutrient cycling, and protected by living windbreaks. A permaculture garden is not just an organic garden; instead, it’s designed to suit people and place, with appropriate plants chosen for the site and climate. It’s about being efficient and ethical with any inputs, sourcing local, sustainable materials where possible, and having a positive, creative attitude to make it happen.

When choosing which crops to grow, we had three key criteria. First, we had to like eating them – obvious, perhaps, but important. When planting large amounts of food, you need to be prepared for large harvests, and be able to eat or preserve crops, rather than let them go to waste. Second, many of the plants had to play a key role in stabilising our hillside, hold water in the soil or improve soil health. Every good garden needs to foster healthy soil and water systems! Third, the crops had to be suited to our climate. While it can be fun and interesting to try growing plants that aren’t naturally suited to your climate, it requires more effort, time and, sometimes, infrastructure

to pamper them. We avoid this, and only choose plants that will thrive naturally. This reduces the amount of inputs needed, and ensures we get reliable yields from the plants we’ve chosen.

perennials vs annuals

Of the edible crops we grow, 70–80 per cent of them are perennial. This was an intentional choice, as perennial crops require less inputs and can provide a greater yield in the long term. Perennial crops are also better for the soil, because there is no (or minimal) soil disturbance, meaning the soil life can flourish, carbon stays in the ground and the water-holding capacity improves. In comparison, beds of annuals need regular planting, weeding, watering and feeding. OPPOSITE AND ABOVE Hannah harvests zucchini and tomatoes in summer; next to the main annual garden, a young food forest planted on a steep bank does double duty, providing produce for the family, while also stabilising the hillside. G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

J A N U A R Y 2 02 1 2 47

PERMACULTURE

myrtle wattle fixes nitrogen and attracts pollinators salvias attract small birds and pollinators

comfrey stabilises the bank with its deep taproot, is used to feed the animals and compost systems, and has medicinal properties

young globe artichokes provide food and animal fodder, plus leaves for mulching

48 J A N U A R Y 2 02 2

G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

Other common perennial low-growing plants you might find in a permaculture garden include hops, and rambling groundcovers, such as warrigal greens, white clover and pigface. For the warmer climates, popular choices include taro, sweet potato, pigeon pea, lemongrass, cassava, ginger and perennial peanut. The annual crops we grow each year include carrots (I’m their biggest fan) and other root crops, such as beetroot, radishes, swedes and potatoes, as well as garlic, leeks, pumpkins, tomatoes, peas, beans and lots of salad greens. This is the foundation of our garden diet. We usually grow garlic, pumpkin and potatoes in bulk, so we can store them

for many months, and eat them well into the next seasons. We also have several ‘treat’ annual crops, including eggplants, corn, cool-tolerant melons and capsicums. These are less essential, but they’re an absolute joy when we do manage to make room for them. CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Jilly Love Face looks on from her yard, which borders another food forest that’s planted on a steep bank, and features almond trees and a multifunctional understorey; calendula and young espaliered peach trees grow above a section of the annual garden that’s currently under a silage tarp to solarise weeds; Salvia leucantha grows on top of the cold frame, which houses heat-loving crops, next to an annual vegie bed; more summer harvest.

PHOTOS NATALIE MENDHAM

Some of our favourite perennials include fruit and nut trees, comfrey, berries, globe artichokes, currants, hardenbergia and native indigo (Indigofera australis). The globe artichoke deserves a special mention because, in addition to its edible flower buds, it produces prolific leaf matter that we feed to our goats every day. Plus, its large leaves can be used as mulch. Comfrey is another multifunctional superstar. We use the leaves to make a liquid fertiliser, add it to worm farms and compost piles, feed it to our animals, and use it for medicinal purposes. Both the hardenbergia and indigo fix atmospheric nitrogen into our soils, improving its fertility, and can be used to nurse young fruit trees.

Running across our hillside are a number of steep earth banks, varying from 30 to 45 degrees. They stabilise the flat terraces above and below the banks, and were our creative design response to not having the budget to build stone retaining walls. It’s also where we grow all our food forests. Food forests are diverse polycultures, with multiple layers of strategically chosen plants – from trees to groundcovers – that can all grow well together above and below ground. It’s a tough spot, so it was critical to choose plants that would thrive there. In contrast, the flat terraces are full of annual vegetables, and large enough to allow for easy access. They also passively slow and sink huge amounts of water into the soil, which benefits the more needy plants and the nearby perennials. We call this passive water management, which means designing at the start to slow, sink and store water in the soil OPPOSITE A food forest grows on the steep hillside between the shed and office at the top, and the goats’ shed (complete with their own rooftop sunbaking deck!) at the bottom.

– the best rain tank around. Importantly, you need to direct surplus water safely away from your property. In our case, it’s the stormwater drain, but before it gets there, it travels slowly through our garden – only the surplus leaves the site. We’ve used mostly terraces on our steep hillside of heavy clay soil, but we also use swales and off-contour swales for clients’ designs. Swales are simply ditches and mounds formed along the contour of a slope, sized to suit your annual rainfall and soil type. Interestingly, in our cool temperate climate in lutruwita (Tasmania), they’re not always the best option. Our wet season is over winter and spring, when the sun is at its weakest and evaporation at its lowest. In areas with heavy clay soils, swales can cause waterlogging, so we may recommend off-contour swales, which have a slight fall on them to keep the water moving slowly. Growing food has long been one of the greatest joys in my life. By drawing on the principles of permaculture design, we’ve been able to shape our landscape to maximise its potential, at the same time regenerating it into the diverse, healthy and abundant garden it is today. GA

WIN HANNAH’S BOOK

We have five copies of Hannah Moloney’s book, The Good Life: How to Grow a Better World, published by Affirm Press and each valued at $39.99, to be won. To enter the competition, tell us in 25 words or less how working in your garden helps you live the good life. Write your name, address, daytime contact number and entry on the back of an envelope, and send to Hannah’s Book, Gardening Australia, nextmedia, Locked Bag 5555, St Leonards, NSW 1590, or email comp@gardeningaustralia.com.au with ‘Hannah’s Book’ in the subject line, by January 16, 2022. The most creative entries win. 50 J A N U A R Y 2 02 2

G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

PHOTOS NATALIE MENDHAM COMPETITION OPEN TO AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS ONLY. STARTS 13/12/21 AT 00:01 (AEDT) AND CLOSES 16/01/22 AT 23:59 (AEDT). FIVE WINNERS WILL EACH RECEIVE A COPY OF THE GOOD LIFE, BY HANNAH MOLONEY (AFFIRM PRESS), VALUED AT $39.99. TOTAL PRIZE VALUE IS $199.95. ENTRIES JUDGED ON 18/01/22 AT 14:00 (AEDT) AT NEXTMEDIA, LEVEL 8, 205 PACIFIC HWY, ST LEONARDS NSW 2065. THE JUDGES’ DECISION IS FINAL AND NO CORRESPONDENCE WILL BE ENTERED INTO. PRIZE SENT TO THE ADDRESS PROVIDED ON THE ENTRY. FULL TERMS AND CONDITIONS AT GARDENINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU. PRIVACY POLICY AVAILABLE AT NEXTMEDIA.COM.AU. PROMOTER IS NEXTMEDIA PTY LTD; ABN 84 128 805 970; 205 PACIFIC HIGHWAY, ST LEONARDS NSW 2065.

slopes, terraces & swales

PERMACULTURE

G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

J A N U A R Y 2 02 1 2 51

BACK TO BASICS

WHAT’S THE

difference?

Ever wondered if there’s a difference between two garden terms, products or ways of doing something? Here are three to wrap your head around…

POLLARDING

vs COPPICING

Pollarding and coppicing are two useful pruning techniques that produce a similar effect, but focus on different parts of the tree. Pollarding involves the initial removal of upper branches, triggering epicormic buds that lie dormant under the bark to shoot and create a dense head of thin branches from the pruned area. The technique has been around for thousands of years, with the regrowth being used as fodder for livestock or for firewood. These days, pollarding is mostly carried out for aesthetics or to reduce the natural size of a tree (think street trees under powerlines). When a tree is coppiced, it’s cut off very close to ground level, once again activating the dormant epicormic buds that are in the trunk, or in a swelling at the base of the trunk known as a lignotuber. Coppicing is a traditional method of producing sustainable timber. The fast regrowth (relative to planting a new tree) is left for several years and then harvested. Australian essential oil and florist industries use coppicing on a variety of eucalyptus trees.

MAIN AND INSET These London plane trees (Platanus x hispanica) are growing near a road, so they have been pollarded to keep them small; coppicing hazel trees allows timber to be produced sustainably, and the dense regrowth also forms an attractive habit. 52 J A N U A R Y 2 02 2 G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

COMM BERRIE BOTANICAL

Celebrating

IES

TEXT AB BISHOP PHOTOS ALAMY, GAP PHOTOS, ISTOCK

Sorry to turn your world upside down, but strawberry, raspberry and blackberry aren’t true berries. However, banana, grape, kiwifruit and even citrus are. Confused? How fruit is classified depends on various features, including the arrangement of the seeds and pulp. Botanical berries have small or insignificant pips encased within a soft and juicy pulp (although in capsicum, also a botanical berry, the seeds are encased in air). True botanical berries are produced from a single flower containing one ovary. Strawberry, raspberry and blackberry are called aggregate fruits because they develop from the merger of several ovaries held within a single flower.

CLIMATE

vs MICROCLIMATE

Climate refers to the long-term weather of a large area, such as a country or region, taking into account temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, rainfall and wind. Australia’s climates are equatorial, tropical, subtropical, desert, grassland and temperate. Microclimate refers to the climatic conditions of a relatively small area, such as the side of a steep hill, or under the canopy of tall forest trees. Our gardens usually contain numerous microclimates that allow us to grow various types of plants. Vegies, for example, generally grow best in full sun, but ferns need a cool, moist microclimate, such as that found in a south-facing bed, against a building. GA Got a question for the ‘What’s the difference’ page? Email your query to experts@gardeningaustralia.com.au

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that L

Some living organisms are neither plant nor animal. TIM ENTWISLE looks at lichens, fungi and other outliers that may be creeping around your garden

CURIOSITIES

ot every living thing in your garden is a plant. There are animals, of course, but we don’t usually confuse them with plants – unless they are one of those fancy mantises or a stick insect. Mushrooms and toadstools are often called plants, but they are the fruiting bodies of fungi, organisms more closely related to you and me than to the rest of the garden. Flowering plants, ferns and conifers all cluster together in the Tree of Life, but fungi pop out on an entirely different branch – a side shoot of which is the animal kingdom. If you think about it, that makes sense. Fungi are, mostly, not green. And they don’t use the sun’s energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars and oxygen – they don’t photosynthesise. Instead, fungi feed on decaying material (saprophytes) or freeload off other organisms (parasites). Importantly for forests and garden plants, they also establish special relationships with the roots of many plants to provide nutrients in exchange for sugars (symbioses).

PHOTO SHUTTERSTOCK

underworld connections

The intimate connections between plants and fungi have been publicised in recent years through concepts such as the Wood Wide Web, an underground network connecting trees of the same and different species. These so-called mycorrhizal filaments (called hyphae) allow plants and fungi to not only share resources, but also communicate. Fungal hyphae are often seen in the compost bin or rotting tree stumps. Take care with their fruiting bodies (they can be extremely toxic). Some, such as honey fungus (Armillaria mellea), are pathogens. Generally, though, you can encourage a diverse range of fungi.

wondrous lichens

You may not recognise the fungus in its alter ego, the lichen. Lichens are often considered a troublesome pest, but they are one of evolution’s truly wondrous achievements. They consist of an alga and a fungus living together in places where neither could survive alone. When inside a lichen, an alga can survive in hot, dry places. The fungus, with access to its algal cuisine, gets to live on rocks and other non-decaying surfaces where it normally couldn’t exist. How the two organisms get about and re-form is still a mystery, but many release small packages that contain both fungal and algal cells. So the fungus is not a plant, but what about the alga? That depends. Most lichenised algae are ‘green algae’, which means they are related to things such as sea lettuce and pond scum. These green algae are to plants as fungi are to animals: an offshoot on the same larger branch of life. Less commonly, you find yellow-green or blue-green algae, more distantly related to green plants and animals than fungi. No matter what the alga or fungus, you can leave and even encourage lichen to grow on tree trunks, and even your roof – any damage to your tiles will be relatively minor and only become an issue after a century or two. Calling a lichen a plant is a bit of a stretch. You are on safer ground with mosses or liverworts, which you can encourage to grow by smearing a damp surface with a mix of yoghurt and fragments of these tiny plants. Taxonomically, bryophytes – mosses, liverworts and their close relatives – are tucked in close to ferns, conifers and flowering plants, and grouped into what are helpfully called the ‘green plants’.

The difference here, as you may know, is the lack of flowers and then seeds. Mosses and their kin produce tiny spores.

strange slime moulds

As a phycologist (algal expert) by training, I could rave for pages about the intricate lives of various algal groups, but the most fascinating plant that is not a plant is, perhaps, the slime mould. In the first instance, you might identify a slime mould as the rejected stomach contents of an animal (one’s called ‘dog’s vomit’). Slime moulds (myxomycetes) are neither plant, alga, animal nor fungus, but a group of unrelated organisms clustered together for convenience. There are two main kinds: the cellular slime moulds that spend most of their lives as unobserved single cells, but every now and then coagulate into a slug-like form; and the ones that live their entire lives in this creeping slug form, called a plasmodium. As the plasmodium moves around slowly, it lives off decaying material or other micro-organisms, and produces spores in a few different ways, including in foamy masses given the common names of ‘dog’s vomit’ and ‘wolf’s milk’. Others are more cheery and brightly coloured, resembling small coral. Again, you want these in your garden as part of a diverse and healthy ecosystem. It often takes a fine eye, or a hand lens, to see the beauty of all these plant-like organisms. Most of them – here, I must give a shout-out to my algae, with their vibrant colours and eccentric shapes – are spectacular under a microscope. But even if you all you see is a small green cushion on the path, or a glaucous crusty coating on a downpipe, you can welcome most of them in to share your garden with the real plants. GA

G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

J A N U A R Y 2 02 2

l coo BANANAS A

Growing subtropical plants out of their comfort zone is tricky, but not impossible, says JACKIE FRENCH

few years ago, we almost had a banana crop. This was a triumph in a climate that goes down to –9˚C. I’d planted the banana sucker in a pile of heat-retaining rocks, wrapped it in an insulated guard, and fed and watered it well for two years. I watched it come back after turning brown each winter, and I was finally rewarded with a great big (well, okay, quite small) bunch of bananas. They even ripened, sort of – soft, banana-coloured and entirely tasteless. There are some subtropical plants that simply aren’t worth growing in a cool climate, unless you have a heated greenhouse. They just won’t have much flavour. On the other hand, a surprising number of subtropical fruits and spices will thrive away from their preferred habitats, if you’re prepared to cosset them.

potted subtropicals

I didn’t recognise the full-grown lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) when I met it at the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens. It was massive! My own was

about 60cm high, in a pot by the sunny living room window, where I could pick its fragrant, lemon-scented leaves. It sat next to my potted dwarf coffee plant, and my potted cinnamon ‘tree’, which will never grow big enough to strip the fragrant bark, but has delicious leaf petioles that can be cut off and used to richly flavour sugar. Allspice grows excellently on a sunny windowsill, and its spiced leaves can be used whole and fresh, or dried and crumbled. And avocados can also make excellent indoor plants, though if you want fruit, you’ll need to act like a bee, using a delicate paintbrush to pollinate its flowers. I’ve been told of avid gardeners who’ve managed to grow vanilla orchids indoors, though my attempts have failed. Maybe they have warmer rooms than our house can provide. These potted plants can become quite large if they have a suitably large pot, plenty of feeding, and a trolley that can be used to take them outside after the frosts are over. That way, they can get a good dose of sunlight, as well as pest control from birds and other predators.

AT HOME WITH JACKIE

cosseted subtropicals

Like many trees, avocados become more tolerant of cold, drought and heat once their root system is well established, especially if they have been well fed, watered and mulched to produce the healthiest possible plant. We grow every variety of avocado I can source, as well as several I have bred myself. All of them need to be well protected for about five years – they grow far more slowly in a cool climate. Our first were protected by hessian shelters filled with bracken. Later ones were surrounded by commercial water-filled grow bags. Now, the older ones shelter the babies. The same technique works for custard apple, cherimoya, lychee, babaco and green sapote. (Sadly, no amount of protection has kept our chocolate sapote alive.) One friend wraps her subtropicals (and early season tomatoes) in the waste clippings from her alpacas. Another uses old pillows and blankets on a wire frame.

PHOTOS GAP PHOTOS/HOWARD RICE, ALAMY

surprise subtropicals

Our first potted date tree was a gift – and it survived. We planted it when it grew too large for the pot – and it still survived, and grew. I’ve planted several others since. Last summer, we somehow achieved a crop of dates, and a tree that’s heading for the sky. I didn’t expect our makrut lime to thrive, either, or the passionfruit that grows and fruits on one wall of our house. For me, that is one of the great joys of gardening – seeing the infinite generosity of our planet, when we least expect it. As for my banana, it has produced suckers, which live for a few years before flowering, instead of cropping each year like bananas do in better climates. One day, we may even get more fruit. This time, I’ll leave them for the flying foxes. GA

G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

J A N U A R Y 2 02 2

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GARDENING ON YOUR

radio December 17

Gardening Australia resumes Friday, February 18, 2022 at 7.30pm on ABC TV

After a bumper year in the garden, Gardening Austra brings you a very special final episode to cap off the year and take us into the holiday season. Costa Georgiadis visits the first family of rock ’n’ roll, Jimmy and Jane Barnes, to see their beautiful country garden; Hannah Moloney makes delicious home-grown snacks from nasturtium leaves; Sophie Thomson joins a community program working to restore habitat for endangered butterflies; Clarence Slockee turns a problem damp area into a plant-filled rain garden; Jerry Coleby-Williams explores an incredible collection of fragrant frangipani; Millie Ross constructs a window box from salvaged timber; and we meet a specialist bulb grower, who responded to lockdowns by gifting flowering bulbs to strangers.

NSW

ABC Radio Sydney

ABC North West Qld; ABC Western Qld

ABC Radio Central Coast

ABC Far North

Saturday 9am

Friday 10am

Saturday 9am

ABC Central West

Friday 10am, Saturday 8.30am

Saturday 8.30am

ABC Illawarra

ACT

Saturday 8.30am

ABC Mid North Coast; ABC Coffs Coast

Saturday 9.30am, Thursday 9.30am

60 J A N U A R Y 2 02 2

G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

Saturday 8.30am

Saturday 8.30am, Thursday 9.30am

ABC Radio Adelaide; ABC North & West; ABC Eyre Peninsula; ABC South East SA

Saturday 8.30am

ABC Riverland

Saturday 8.30am

ABC Broken Hill

Wednesday 10am, Saturday 9am

Statewide; ABC Radio Adelaide; ABC North & West; ABC Eyre Peninsula; ABC South East; ABC Riverland; ABC Broken Hill

ABC Newcastle Saturday 8.30am

ABC New England North West ABC North Coast

Saturday 8.30am Saturday 7am

ABC Riverina

Saturday 9am

ABC South East

ABC Western Plains

Thursday 9.35am fortnightly, Saturday 8.30am

Sunday 11am

ABC Darwin & ABC Katherine

TAS

ABC Alice Springs; ABC Tennant Creek

Saturday 9am

Saturday 9am Gardening Australia TV will be back in February, but until then, there are plenty of ways to keep digging! Check out the Gardening Australia summer collection on ABC iview for a selection of seasonally curated content from past episodes. iview.abc.net.au The Gardening Australia YouTube channel is loaded with a range of inspiring and informative videos. youtube.com/gardeningaustralia Keep in touch with the Gardening Australia community by tagging #ABCMyGarden on social media. And don’t forget, our Facebook and Instagram accounts are always a source of gardening inspiration! facebook.com/gardeningaustralia instagram.com/gardeningaustralia

ABC Radio Canberra

Saturday 8.30am

ABC Radio Hobart; ABC Northern Tasmania

VIC

QLD

ABC Radio Brisbane

ABC Radio Melbourne; ABC Victoria

ABC Gold Coast

ABC Southwest Victoria

ABC Sunshine Coast

Saturday 6am

Saturday 9.30am

Saturday 6am

Thursday 7.20am fortnightly

Thursday 10.30am, Saturday 8.30am

ABC Southern Queensland Saturday 9am

ABC North Queensland Friday 10am

ABC Tropical North; ABC Capricornia; ABC Wide Bay;

ABC Radio Perth; ABC Great Southern; ABC South West; ABC Goldfields Esperance; ABC Kimberley; ABC Pilbara; ABC Midwest and Wheatbelt Tuesday 2.15pm, Saturday 9.05am

Download the ABC listen app and listen to live radio streams of gardening programs across Australia.

PHOTO LUKE SIMON THIS INFORMATION IS CORRECT AT THE TIME OF PRINTING BUT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

For more details about coverage in your area, phone 139 994 or visit reception.abc.net.au

IN THE

side... inO

PATCH

ew South ee Sullivan L r e n e d r a g s Wale oticaba 66 GROW Jab S Eggplant M E L B O R P 8 6 chart + sow & plant bage E Tips for cab

eet N 62 PEOPLE M

69 ADVIC grapes 70 POTS Grow L Propagate A IC T C A R P 2 7

PHOTO ISTOCK

ing thyme by layer

G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

J A N U A R Y 2 02 2 61

he first thing that strikes you on entering Lee Sullivan’s garden is the series of trellises and arches that form lush, green cascades above raised beds. Here, in the suburb of Blacksmiths, south of Newcastle on the New South Wales coast, Lee has made the most of her 650m2 corner block by making these vertical planes a feature. “They’re a big thing for me, because they can double your growing space – especially in a small garden,” she says. “I also think they add a nice dynamic.” Lee started out gardening in her previous home – a townhouse with a small concrete backyard. “I’d always toyed with the idea of growing my own food, but didn’t think it would be possible with our limited space,” she says. “But after my first son was born, knowing about the food he ate and where it came from became a priority for me. I realised the only way to know was to grow my own, so we started out by putting in a raised bed.”

meet the grower

LEE SULLIVAN For this avid home gardener, the only way is up, writes SALLY FELDMAN

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G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

Starting a food garden was a life changer in other ways, too. “At that time, I was feeling a little lost – only discovering later that I’d had mild postpartum depression,” Lee explains. “As I was gardening, I realised ‘Wow – I feel great’. My garden gave me back a sense of self when I felt a little overwhelmed by my role as a new mum. It became a place of calm and quiet for me, a place I could go to refocus and recharge. It wasn’t something I was seeking out, but I started making that connection. I have a psychology degree, so I should have worked it out sooner! And, while it wasn’t the reason I’d started, growing our food played a huge role CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Lee and her Japanese heirloom Manpukuji carrots, which were so big they had to be dug out of the ground; this partly shaded garden is the perfect place to grow winter greens; Lee’s favourite way to eat Chioggia beetroot is roasted with olive oil, salt and thyme.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LEE SULLIVAN

lost & found

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in my healing, and has become something I do, not only for our physical health, but for my mental health.”

LEE’S TIPS FOR VERTICAL GARDENING

The most important thing is to use good-quality arches and trellises. It’s tempting to buy cheap ones, but they never last. Mine are all metal, and they’ve been going strong for a couple of years now. After about six years, I’m just starting to understand about spacing out your plantings. This year I was so restrained – I was determined to give everything a good amount of space. When you have limited space, you get creative. If you’re trellising

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zucchini, for example – make sure you tie them regularly, because the stem is likely to snap if it’s not really secure on the stake. At one point, I had to re-tie them every few days because they grew so quickly. Harvesting your fruit regularly is another good trick as well. I always train my cucumbers over an arch. They need some guidance, so I tie them. They look so pretty, too. Adding that height dimension to your garden looks amazing – it’s an ornamental garden that’s also edible.

G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

Lee, her husband, Tim, and their two sons have been in their current home for about two years now. The first thing the couple did when they moved in was to get cracking on the garden. “When I fell pregnant with our second child, it was time to move to a bigger place. A good-sized backyard, with was a must-have for me,” says ee, who likes the wild garden ok, with certain constraints... “I’d probably describe my rdening style as ordered chaos,” e laughs. “I do like to keep my rden neat and aesthetically autiful, but also love having a gely productive ‘jungle garden’. rune my tomatoes, often gle-stemming them. I don’t ‘let garden go’ completely, because n’t have the space. It’s about ing the balance. I also need to p things pruned because powdery ew and airflow are an issue, due e high humidity in this area.” mong the first gardening lessons learnt was to “feed the soil, not plants”. At the beginning of each on, she adds compost, sheep ure and organic slow-release ser to her soil. Her worm farm des liquid fertiliser and castings. Fruit fly can be particularly bad here during summer and, as I’m committed to using no sprays or chemicals, I use organza bags on my tomatoes to protect them, and it’s worked wonders. Once a truss has set fruit, I put a large organza bag around it and tie it with ribbon at the top. It completely protects the fruit from any pest attacks and has meant an abundance of summer tomatoes. I also use them on strawberries, and anything that looks like it may be under attack.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LEE SULLIVAN

room to grow

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AVVY SEED STORAGE

Lee grows everything from ed, she’s discovered a crafty y to store them. “My seeds are ored in a photo storage case, hich I keep in a dark cupboard der the stairs. You can keep pes of seeds together in their ckets, and it’s super-organised. ntil I discovered this method, ey were a chaotic mess! You ccumulate so many as a gardener it becomes a bit of an addiction.”

Follow Lee on Instagram @urbanveggiepatch

CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE Lee’s fi rst potato harvest was a big success; beans grow up bamboo stakes; pea seedlings ready to climb a teepee; organza bags protect Lee’s tomatoes from pests; this loofah vine on a metal arch has produced almost 50 fruit; delicious and prolific Tatume squash.

“In the end, it’s finding out what suits you, your lifestyle and your garden,” says Lee. “My best recommendation would be to enjoy the journey and don’t expect perfection. I look at failures as a good thing, because they’re part of learning how to be successful. I also think it’s vital to understand the process of planting seasonally, and make an effort to learn what works best in your space. I also recommend planting what you like to eat rather than a bunch of random crops! “I’m a big believer that anyone can grow their own food. I would’ve called myself a ‘black thumb’ before I started gardening. My windowsill was a place where supermarket-bought potted herbs came to die. So if I can do it, anyone can!” GA

PATCH GROW

PLANT IT NOW

ooking for a tropical fruit tree with a bit of wow factor? How about jaboticaba? The purple-skinned, grape-like fruit hug the trunk and inner branches of the tree in an unusual and arresting fashion. It’s equally exciting in flower, with white, fluffy, honey-scented blooms that buzz with pollinating insects. It’s quite the show stopper! The botanical term for plants that flower and fruit in this way is cauliflory, and it

occurs in a handful of other plants that you may also have seen, including coffee, jackfruit, Davidson’s plum, pawpaw and coolamon (Syzygium moorei). The fruit form and mature very quickly after flowering, and in some cases, you can get three crops a year – this plant is incredibly prolific. Eaten fresh, the fruit are deliciously sweet and juicy, with a rich and fragrant flavour. They make a lovely jam, that, in my opinion, may even rival rosella! The tree itself has a lovely bushy habit with a full canopy of leaves (there are fine and large leaf forms), and being evergreen, it makes a useful screen and shade tree. The new leaves have a coppery tone, which is quite pleasing. Over time, the tree will naturally form a single trunk with an intricate branch structure, exposing lots of the tree’s attractive bark. It will eventually reach a height of 5–10m, but is easy to maintain at a smaller size with occasional pruning. The only frustrating thing you might find about this tree is that ut as ways s come it. The tor can

also offer an advantage: jaboticaba makes a fabulous fruiting tree for a big pot, where it will be happy for years.

planting & care

Jaboticaba is native to Brazil, so it grows best in tropical and subtropical zones. It’s also worth a try in warm temperate areas that are frost-free, although it will tolerate light frost once established. It likes a sunny position with well-drained soil. In cooler, marginal areas, give it a warm spot in front of a north-facing wall. Seed-grown plants can take eight years to bear fruit. If you can’t wait that long, buy a grafted tree, which will fruit much earlier. Before planting, add plenty of compost, and create a mound to improve drainage. Gently tease crowded roots, and plant so the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil. Water deeply and keep moist for the first two months, then water regularly in dry periods. Maintain a 5–10cm layer of mulch over the root zone to hold moisture in, and feed with organic fertiliser every six weeks from spring to autumn. Don’t worry about pests, as this tree is rarely troubled. GA

LOCKWISE FROM LEFT The purplish-black fruit is fragrant, sweet and juicy; branch lined with fluff y, white flowers; coppery new rowth on the large leaf form; the fruit grows closely ong the trunk and inner branches of the tree.

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PHOTOS ISTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK

A good-looking tree with delicious fruit, jaboticaba is a winner, says PHIL DUDMAN

PATCH PROBLEMS

what’s eating m

here are plenty of chewing insects doing the rounds over summer, and some of them have their eyes on eggplants. What’s the problem with that? A few nibbles are okay, but when there are more holes than leaf, the leaves will fail and the plants will struggle, so you’ll get fewer eggplants. If your leaves are dotted with small holes, this species of flea beetle (below) is the likely cause. Look closely to find these tiny insects which have a dark blue met

Don’t be fooled by their size; they have a voracious appetite, and breed like fleas. They also jump like fleas when you try to catch and squash them. And what about those cute ladybirds? If they are orange with 28 black spots (a rough count will do), they are also leaf chewers. Under the leaf, you’re likely to see their creamy-coloured larvae having a feast as well. That’s when you know you’re in real trouble. Squash what you can, or flick them into a small container of water to drown. sshoppers, which appear numbers in summer, have a taste for eggplant age, too. There’s nothing ubtle about the way they eed either: they chew big hunks out of the leaves. The best time to catch hem is in the morning hen they are sleepy. the thought of catching uashing insects makes mish, cover your plants with a finely woven pest-exclusion net. It’ll keep all these critters out. Of course, the bees will be excluded, too. While bees do assist with pollination, eggplants are self-pollinating, so you should still get fruit. If production is poor, lift the net every few days and dab the centre of the flowers with a soft artist’s brush to pollinate them. Problems in your patch? Write to Phil at experts@gardeningaustralia.com.au

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asian greens basil beans (french, climbing) beans (snake) beetroot broccoli brussels sprouts cabbage capsicum/chilli carrot cauliflower chives cucumber eggplant kale kohlrabi leek lettuce melon okra parsnip pumpkin radish silverbeet spring onion swede sweetcorn sweet potato tomato turnip zucchini/squash

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PHOTOS ISTOCK, PHIL DUDMAN

EGGPLAN

PATCH ADVICE

what I’ve out... CABBAGE Time your harvest right if you want large, tasty heads… these brassicas are hardwired to self-destruct, says MICHAEL McCOY t was something of a light-bulb moment when I realised cabbages are biennials. That is, they spread their growth over two ‘growing seasons’. In my cold climate, they germinate and bulk up as a rosette over one summer and autumn, and enter a kind of dormancy over winter. Either the cold, or the short day length (through a mechanism no-one quite understands) triggers a phase change. It’s a bit like the caterpillar to butterfly thing, with winter being the cocoon stage. Before it, they’re emphatically juveniles, no matter how huge they get. But as winter draws to an end, biennials enter the flowering stage, and nothing, but nothing, will stop them bolting up to bloom so they can set seed. I came to understand these phases best through perfecting the growing of foxgloves, which are classic biennials. To attain those fabulous tall spires of bloom in mid-spring, you need to achieve the

biggest, fattest possible rosettes of foliage by the previous autumn. In my cool climate, with a short growing season, that means germinating the seed by early January. But the trick, once they have germinated, is to feed them up into great big domes of foliage before they enter the phase change. Their bulk as juveniles in the leafy stage will determine the height and strength of the ultimate flowering. Now, back to cabbages. The point is that we eat them just before that phase change. Once they hit that, they’re useless to us. The great, domed head ‘splits’ open in the push up to flowering. We, as growers, have done nothing wrong. There is no way we can prevent this ultimate outcome. The cabbage, as a classic biennial, is genetically hardwired to bloom after winter. Our challenge is to achieve the biggest, fattest, fullest heads before they’re triggered by the seasons into the next stage. GA

NUTS & BOLTS POSITION Full sun WHAT & WHEN TO PLANT? Autumn for seeds (late summer in cool areas); winter for seedlings (autumn in cool areas) SOIL PREP Add aged manure or compost; add lime or dolomite if pH is less than 6.5 WATER NEEDS Medium FOOD Apply a complete liquid fertiliser every two weeks GROWING TIPS Ensure soil is well drained WHEN TO PICK Harvest in 10–14 weeks, depending on variety

suitable

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PATCH POTS

rapes are vigorous vines that grow effortlessly when planted in the ground. With regular care and maintenance, they’ll grow well in containers, too, and provide you with your first crop within 2–3 years. It’s unlikely they’ll give you enough grapes to produce your own vintage, but you’ll still enjoy a harvest of sweet, juicy fruit. A grapevine is also ideal to train over a balcony railing for screening, or a trellis to soften a wall with greenery. With a couple of potted grapes, you could establish a leafy shade cover for a pergola in summer, and, being deciduous, they will lose their leaves in winter, allowing the warming sun to come through. With a couple of stakes or a piece of trellis inserted into the container, BELOW & OPPOSITE Grapevines are perfect for training over a pergola; a freestanding potted grape display.

ining

With the right pot and a few tricks, you can grow your own boutique bunches of grapes at home, writes PHIL DUDMAN

a grapevine can also make an attractive, freestanding potted garden feature. Grapes grow best in temperate and arid areas. Generally, they don’t like humidity, which causes foliage diseases. In humid areas, go for a disease-resistant variety, such as Isabella, or a tropical muscadine grape variety (Vitis rotundifolia).

growing and training

A vigorous plant needs a big container – 50–60cm wide and deep. If you plan to keep your vine small, you could get away with a 40cm container, which will stunt the plant somewhat. Choose a light-coloured pot, so the root ball doesn’t get too hot. Grapevines are usually available to buy in plastic grow bags at this time of year. When you’re ready to plant, water well, cut the bag along the side and carefully remove the root ball. If the roots appear crowded, gently tease to loosen hem, and if they’re circled or

tangled, free them up by doing some judicious snipping with sharp secateurs. Before you fill it, place your container where the vine can access lots of sun as it grows. Part-fill with premium potting mix, position the plant, then backfill, with the top of the root ball at the same level it was in its previous container. Water well twice a week – more in hot times, less in cool. Feed once a month from spring to early autumn with pelletised chicken manure, or a synthetic slow-release fertiliser. In the first year or two, focus on training and establishing the framework to which you’ll prune back each year. Aim to create a single stem or trunk, then, if you like, cut off the tip at the point where you want two or more branches to form. Loosely tie your main branch to the support. After that, for most varieties, every winter, simply cut the previous season’s growth back to two buds. The new growth that will shoot from these buds in spring will produce the fruit. GA

TRICKS FOR RE-POTTING GRAPEVINES

After a few years, your container will be full of roots. The plant will start to suffer and need re-potting with root pruning. It’s difficult to re-pot a vine that’s permanently trained to a support, because you can’t tip the container to remove the root ball. To get around this, prune the roots while the root ball is in the pot. In winter, when the plant is dormant, choose two opposing sides, and dig out the soil with a trowel to expose the roots. Prune them back by about a third, then backfill with fresh mix. The following winter, do the same to the other sides.

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PHOTOS ISTOCK, GAP PHOTOS/FRIEDRICH STRAUSS

fin

STEP-BY-STEP

LAYERING THYME

As they age, perennial herbs, such as thyme, become tired-looking, bare and woody. Before that happens, it’s a good idea to routinely propagate new plants so you always have young, vigorous herbs on hand. The layering technique offers a simple, no-fuss way to do this. It’s like striking a cutting while it’s still attached to the mother plant. PHIL DUDMAN demonstrates how to go about it.

YOU WILL NEED an established thyme plant small, shallow plastic container compost or potting mix bamboo skewer, or similar

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PHOTOS ANNA HUTCHCROFT

1 FIND some long, healthy stems on the edges of the plant to use for propagating. 2 HALF-FILL your container with mix, place it near the plant, and lay some stems on the surface of the mix. (You can also set up a second pot to keep your options open.) 3 CUT off a short piece of skewer and snap it in half, so it’s bent, but not broken. 4 GATHER the stems and insert the bent skewer into the mix to ‘peg’ the stems. 5 BACKFILL with more mix to cover the pegged stems, but leave 5cm or more of the leafy tips uncovered. 6 WATER the pot well and keep moist. In the coming weeks, roots will begin to form on the buried stems. 7 SLIP a saucer under the pot when the mix gets dry and hard to wet, so the plant can soak up the run-off. 8 CUT the new plant away from the mother plant after a month or two when you can see it has put on some growth. 9 PLANT it into a decorative pot or directly into the ground. You can see this one has developed a nice root system and is ready to grow independently. 10 WATER it in well, and give it a little shade for a few days before gradually introducing it to full sun.

PATCH PRACTICAL

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G ARDENING AUS TR ALIA

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JAN

month in the

ARDEN

50 seasonal jobs to do in your action planner

words JUDY HORTON

YOUR PLANNER

TOP JOB

look after your BIRDS

Like us, birds get thirsty in summer, so this is the time to ensure they have access to a clean, safe water supply. A raised birdbath with a shallow dish is the best choice, because it allows birds to drink or bathe safely, up out of the reach of cats. Sit the birdbath near some overhanging branches so frightened birds can make a quick escape. Keep the water clean and regularly topped up.

Be ies FREEZE YOUR

Don’t let an ab e of summer berries, such as loganberries, raspberries and strawberries, go to waste. It’s easy to freeze your excess to enjoy later. Wash and dry the berries, then spread them over a sheet of paper towel on a tray. Pop the tray into the freezer and, once the berries are frozen, tip them into a plastic container and store in the freezer for up to six months. Defrosted berries won’t keep their shape, but they’re ideal to use in baking, or for making smoothies, ice creams and berry sauces.

PHOTOS ALAMY, ISTOCK

POLLINATE YOUR EGGPLANTS

Top tip

Eggplant pollination is a chancy business if left to nature. Sometimes the flowers need a bit of help to get things going. Wait until the eggplant flowers are fully open, then gently push a small paintbrush into the middle section of each bloom. Twirl the brush around to move the pollen onto the centre. Then move onto the next flower. The best time to do this job is early to mid-morning, before th na flies, plant insect-attracting flow alyssum, cosmos and zinnia, ne

It’s time to...

Stop summer weeds going to seed – dig them up (above) or chop and drop Spray plants with seaweed solution, which strengthens their cell walls, reducing heat stress Cut back the central shoots on dahlia plants to encourage side shoots and more flowers Prune roses by one third, then feed and water to set up a super show of blooms in six to seven weeks Work in the garden in the morning or the evening to avoid the hottest part of the day and keep on top of jobs Spike all over the lawn using a garden fork so that any rain that falls will penetrate easily Arrange for someone to water the garden if you are going away for more than a few days Move cymbidium orchids into a spot with early morning sun and give them a once-yearly application of diluted Epsom salts Give lavender foliage a light sprinkling with lime or dolomite after periods of wet and humid weather Trim camellias this month before they start setting flower buds, and ensure you keep them well watered

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Do it now

Look for mini lotus (above), dwarf waterlilies, or other pond plants to grow in a water-holding container Trim emu bushes (Eremophila spp.) and save a few 10cm cuttings to strike Prune dead flower stems on grafted eucalypts, and remove any suckers that are growing below the graft Deadhead liliums (left) after they finish blooming, and liquid-fertilise every fortnight until the plants yellow and go dormant Check potted plants and hanging baskets regularly, as they will need more frequent watering during hot weather Give untidy conifers a trim all over with hedge shears, but avoid cutting back into leafless or woody parts Place pots filled with coleus into shaded areas, where their colourful leaves will add instant colour Move soft-leafed indoor plants away from sunny windows to avoid the leaves from getting burnt by the sun’s rays Dunk potted plants that are easy to lift into a larger container of water to ensure the root ball is well hydrated Carry out a New Year’s stocktake of your garden, making note of areas that need rejuvenating in the future

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TOP JOB

tend our tomatoes

Here are some routine tasks to keep your tomato plants in top shape while they are busy producing fruit. In dry times, water plants well at the base every 2–3 days, and maintain a good layer of mulch over the roots. On extra hot days, rig up temporary shade to protect the plants and fruit from sunburn. Fertilise plants with a dose of organic-based, high-potash tomato food once every six weeks. Pluck off and bin any damaged or discoloured foliage. Leave tomatoes on the bush until their bases are pinkish-red, then bring them indoors to ripen.

Set up sticky yellow traps to catch sap-sucking pests, including whitefly and thrips. In fruit fly areas, cover individual trusses of fruit with protective bags – the bags also help to control fruit-burrowing caterpillars.

YOUR PLANNER

st ake TALL FLOWERS

PHOTOS ISTOCK, RACHEL HENDERSON, PIA SCANLON (DPIRD)

Warm summer days mean maximum plant growth, so don’t run the risk of seeing your plants fall over just as they’re coming into bloom. Set up support stakes next to top-heavy growers, such as delphiniums (below), hollyhocks and sunflowers. Stake tall dahlias, too, if you haven’t already done so, but try to avoid putting the stake too close to the plant, as you might spear through and damage the tubers (which is why it’s always better to stake at planting time).

SOW & PLANT NOW ageratum amaranthus alyssum aster bedding begonia carnation celosia coleus cosmos dahlia forget-me-not gerbera globe amaranth gypsophila hollyhock impatiens marigold nasturtium pansy portulaca salvia stock sunflower sweet william torenia viola wallflower

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KEY

WA PEST ALERT

Watch out

Tomato-potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli) is a new pest on the sce in Western Australia. If y tomato plants are showing signs of wilting, yellowing or curling, check under the leaves for the adult insects (they're about 3mm long) and the smaller, pale-coloured nymphs or eggs. This is a potentially serious pest to horticultural industries. Report any suspicious sightings to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.

tropical subtropical arid/semi-arid warm temperate cold temperate

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LOOKING FOR THE VEGIE SOW & PLANT CHART? Turn to page 68

Edibles

Encourage top-quality passionfruit by spreading fertiliser around plants Prune plums and peaches straight after harvesting to control tree size and reduce watering requirements Destroy fruit fly maggots by placing affected fruit in a plastic bag in the sun for a week, then bury the contents of the bag in the ground or the compost pile Pick watermelons (below) when the curly tendril closest to the fruit has turned brown and the melon makes a hollow sound when tapped

Top tip

Give NEW PLANTS a chance Summer’s a tough time to get plants started, and the extra care they need should start from the moment of purchase. Try to avoid buying plants on super-hot days, and don’t let new plants ‘cook’ before they even get home. Put the plants on the floor of the car – out of the sun – and leave the windows slightly open to ensure that there’s a little bit of air movement. Head straight home – don’t pop into other shops along the way and leave the car sitting in the heat. That’s a sure-fire recipe for heartache! As soon as you get home, place the plants in a shaded spot and give them a good soaking. Plant them out on the next coolish day, and keep them watered through the summer establishment period. Water daily for the first week or two, then twice a week until the heat starts to ease off. Direct the water at the root ball and surrounding area, and cover the soil with mulch to reduce evaporation. If there are sudden heatwaves in the first month, be sure to rig up some temporary shade.

Cut spent raspberry, loganberry and youngberry canes to the ground after the fruit has been harvested Keep crops coming on blueberries by picking ripe fruit every few days Make another sowing of dwarf beans this month, so the crops keep coming well into autumn Fertilise capsicum, eggplant and chilli with a side dressing of blood and bone, and a good pinch of potash Revitalise bare spots in vegetable beds by digging in aged manure or compost and leaving it to do its work Spray citrus with an oil-based spray in the cool of the day to reduce the risk of damage by citrus leafminer

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G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

BE AWARE OF SPIDERS

Summer is spider season, and, while there are thousands of native spiders in Australia, none of them is the slightest bit interested in people. They’re busy building webs to catch their prey, many of which are insect pests. Redback and funnel-web spiders can give humans a nasty, venom-filled bite when disturbed, so always wear gloves when working in the garden, shake out footwear, and take care when handling old pots or heaps of rubbish. Garden orb weaving spiders (right) make the most spectacular night-time webs. If you have one in your garden, build a temporary barrier to keep the web safe, and admire the spider’s handiwork in the morning.

YOUR PLANNER

THE INTELLIGENT Robotic Lawnmower PHOTOS ISTOCK, JESSIE PRINCE, SHUTTERSTOCK, GAP PHOTOS/ROBERT MABIC

SUMMER FERTILISING

dos & don,ts

Some plants need regular feeding during the warm weather, but it’s important to do this with care. Here are some guidelines for summer fertilising. Do: fertilise on a cool day, or in the evening use organic-based fertilisers to feed shrubs and garden beds feed fast-growing leafy vegetables and herbs fortnightly with a liquid plant food make sure there is moisture in the soil before feeding, and water well afterwards

apply seaweed solution to help plants stand up to heat stress Don’t: use salt-based synthetic fertilisers during the hot weather fertilise on very hot days (over 30˚C) or during a heatwave feed plants that are showing signs of stress or have been burnt

Packed with premium features, the award-winning, battery-driven, SILENO Minimo Robotic Lawnmower, mows the lawn without human intervention, reliably, evenly and quietly. It knows where to mow and when to return to its charging station. The Minimo whilst compact in size, is big in power, and can handle your lawn care with ease. Wide or narrow. Rain or shine.

With Bluetooth® connectivity, you can set and adjust mowing programs directly from your smart phone or tablet. The future is here. Enjoy it!

Plant a lady slipper vine (Thunbergia mysorensis) to cover a pergola, where its dramatic cascades of orange and yellow flowers can hang freely (above) Check ponds every day for the long, spaghetti-like strands of black cane toad eggs, and remove them to the compost Dig up, divide and replant rhizomes of crowded clumps of heliconias and ornamental gingers, making sure each piece has at least two buds Prune excess torch ginger (Etlingera elatior) leaves, allowing more space for the spectacular blooms to show off Harvest snake beans while the pods are still young and tender Turn saucers under pots upside down during the wet season to prevent water collecting and causing root rot Try growing new ferns by sprinkling spores on top of moist potting mix, then covering the pot with a plastic bag and placing it in a shaded spot. Be patient! Remove mildewed leaves from any plants in your garden as soon as they appear to help prevent disease spread Grow microgreens on indoor windowsills, using seed of lettuce, cabbage, peas and rocket Protect clusters of acai palm fruit (below) with wildlife-friendly netting to protect ripening berries from animals

PHOTOS ISTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK, LUKE SIMON

In the tropics

1 STEP-BY-STEP

PRUNE EUPHORBIA

Mediterranean spurge (Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii) looks good for months, and is a fabulous plant to grow. It needs pruning at this time of year to tidy it up and remove spent flowers before they set seed and spread (they germinate too readily in the garden). SOPHIE THOMSON demonstrates how to go about it. Warning: The plant’s sap can stain and irritate the skin and eyes. Wear gloves and long clothing, and avoid touching your eyes and face while pruning. ASSESS the bush, identifying the ms that have finished flowering. FOLLOW spent flowering stems wn to the base of the bush, and them off near ground level. GATHER the seed heads and pose of them in the bin. Don’t put m in the compost, or you’ll spread plants around the garden.

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G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

2 4 AVOID pruning any of the stems that haven’t flowered. They’ll keep the bush looking good with their lovely blue-green foliage, and will produce blooms next winter to spring.

YOUR PLANNER

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Roll-Up The GARDENA Retractable Hose Reel is built to last, and easy to install and use. Available in 15, 20 and 30 metre lengths, it features our premium quality 10/10 kink resistant hose. With a short pull on the hose after use, the springloaded withdrawal system and integrated hose-guide provide a smooth, slow and safe retraction. Covered by a 5-year warranty. Now that’s clever watering!

gardena.com

AILBOX

I am wondering if you can tell me what’s wrong with the potted mandevilla vines on my north-facing deck, and how I can treat them? They are five years old and have been very healthy until recently. I give them plant food every couple weeks or so, water them weekly,

and spray with white oil when I see mealy bugs and sooty mould. Over the last couple of months, one by one, they have started dying, a stem at a time. We re-potted two of them, but they haven’t improved yet. We did notice nodules on the roots when we re-potted them. I was not aware they had nodules, so I'm not sure if that’s part of the problem.

Janet Butt, Saratoga, NSW

AB BISHOP SAYS My first thought

was that they’ll all need to be re-potted. After about two years, potting mix becomes depleted of anything useful, and collapses, making it impossible for the plant to take

Q IN 40 YEARS OF WORKING WITH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES IN RETAIL, I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS PINK LADY APPLE. DO YOU KNOW HOW THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED?

Steve McNally, Bittern, Vic

ROB PELLETIER, OF HERITAGE FRUIT TREES, SAYS

Congratulations! You’ve discovered a chimera, a one in a million (or billion) natural mutation. A mutation is the result of a sudden change during cell division, resulting in altered DNA in one of the daughter cells, instead of an exact copy of the original. The resulting organism, or part of an organism – animal or plant – will be genetically different to the norm for that species. A chimera occurs when a mutation takes place as the initial cell – in this case, of a single apple – divides. As a result, the piece of fruit is ‘split’ down the

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G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

middle. Half of all the cells are genetically different from the original first cell of the fruit, and therefore look and probably taste different to the other half, whic are true to type your Pink Lady

up water and nutrients. It’s also possible that the pots may be too small; ideally, they should be 40–50cm in diameter. I’d prune the stems back to about 30cm and re-pot using a premium potting mix. Check roots for rotting or the presence of lots of galls. Although root-knot nematode can certainly affect ornamentals, that is unlikely to be the problem unless you’ve unknowingly added infected garden soil to the pots. These parasites induce both wilting and stunted growth, which your mandevillas don’t appear to have. I think you’ll find they’ll recover, once you’ve re-potted and removed dead or dying material. Hopefully, you’ll soon see improvement in them, and those you’ve already re-potted.

TWO-TONED ROSE

I saw this in my garden today. It’s a red rose grafted onto the trunk of a white rose. I think another one is popping up. It’s fascinating to see this, so I thought I would share it with your readers.

Alice Tsang, Perth, WA

write and win!

PHOTOS ISTOCK

TROPICAL LAVENDER

We are very proud of our French lavender! We live in North Queensland and this plant has flourished from a cutting my daughter and I propagated. We have more than a dozen plants, in pots and in the ground, all propagated from cuttings. It’s not common up our way, so I thought I’d share some tips. I propagate cuttings in June, July and August, using honey instead of rooting hormone. I start them in pots, as it’s too risky to start them in the ground due to our wet season. Use a good quality potting mix. When they’re flourishing, I pot up into the next size, trying not to disturb the roots, and place the pots where they get morning sun but are sheltered from the hot summer sun. When we plant into the ground, we plant onto mounds. We’re on a sloping block with sandy soil. Prune with clean secateurs after flowering, or when the heat starts to knock the plant around. Big plants won’t sustain themselves during our peak summers. Prune so there is plenty of airflow through the plant. I use a seaweed solution every month or so. Plants like a deep drink when they’re established. Use the finger test to see if they’re dry, and look for wilting, as this is also a good i dicator that they need a drink. Beware of strikes, ants are after the water in ots. I’ve lost a couple of plants from estruction they cause to roots.

dice, Hervey Range, Qld

Got something to say? Share your thoughts, ask a question, slip us a tip and show us your best shots. The pick of the crop each month wins a six-month subscription to ABC Gardening Australia magazine (current subscriptions will be extended). yoursay@gardeningaustralia.com.au (letters) experts@gardeningaustralia.com.au (questions) Your Say, Gardening Australia, nextmedia, Locked Bag 5555, St Leonards NSW 1590 FACEBOOK facebook.com/ABCGardeningAustraliamagazine INSTAGRAM @gardeningaustraliamag #gardeningaustraliamag

Candice, from Hervey Range, Qld, has won a six-month subscription to ABC Gardening Australia magazine for her letter packed with helpful tips on how to grow French lavender successfully in the tropics (left).

G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

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SWEET GIFT FOR GARDENERS

I save my empty 1kg honey pots for a cheap and bright alternative use. Simply paint them with leftover water-based paints in different colours, then use them for double potting your succulents or whatever you find suitable. It’s a great and colourful gift idea for friends or fellow gardeners.

Peter Bayliss, Atkinson Dam, Qld

What’s causing this problem with our lemons? They look good in the early stage, but develop white spots that turn brown and spread. There’s abundant fruit, but all are marked and spoilt. Elaine Keats, Sulphur Creek, Tas

JUDY HORTON SAYS These lemons look to have

been attacked by a chewing pest, which has broken through the protective outer skin and allowed the entry of a fungal disease that’s eventually created the dark lesions. The little white sections on the surface look like they’ve been nibbled by snails or slugs, and, especially when the weather is moist and humid, such incursions allow disease to get a toehold. In warmer climates, pests, such as stink bugs and fruit fly, can make holes in the fruit that, similarly, allow disease to enter. Next season, I’d suggest you go on a snail and slug hunt early in the morning, and pick off any you can find in your lemon tree. When it’s cool and wet, tiny snails can stay up in the canopy for months, only coming down to ground level when it gets hotter and drier. Stop more snails from arriving by setting up snail traps at ground level, or consider wrapping a band of copper tape (available from garden centres and hardware stores) around the trunk to deter climbing snails. You might find that some of the lemons can still be juiced, but many will completely rot and should be binned. A copper fungicide that’s registered for citrus will help to slow down the spread of any fungal diseases, and, as a bonus, will also deter snails and slugs – they hate copper. Make sure you follow the recommended withholding period, which is the time you must wait after spraying before picking the fruit. 84 J A N U A R Y 2 02 2

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Your Insta posts

Clockwise from top left roys_little_greenpatch was celebrating the arrival of this frilly, purple peony poppy, while gardenwithconnie was planning roasted artichoke hearts for dinner with this haul. On the Apple Isle, the tasmaniawhyweloveit family picked this glorious bunch of waratahs and protea from their garden in the foothills of Mt Wellington, and in Sydney, garden.licious was thrilled to spot this large spotted ladybird doing its bit to combat an aphid invasion.

MAILBOX

For every kind o of gardener

COMPETITION OPEN TO AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS ONLY. STARTS 13/12/21 AT 00:01 (AEDT) AND CLOSES 16/01/22 AT 23:59 (AEDT). FIVE WINNERS WILL RECEIVE ONE AQUABAG PORTABLE HOSE REEL, VALUED AT $99. TOTAL PRIZE VALUE IS $495. ENTRIES JUDGED ON 18/01/22 AT 2PM AT NEXTMEDIA, LEVEL 8, 205 PACIFIC HWY, ST LEONARDS NSW 2065. THE JUDGES’ DECISION IS FINAL AND NO CORRESPONDENCE WILL BE ENTERED INTO. PRIZE SENT TO THE ADDRESS PROVIDED ON THE ENTRY. FULL TERMS AND CONDITIONS AT GARDENINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU. PRIVACY POLICY AVAILABLE AT NEXTMEDIA.COM.AU. PROMOTER IS NEXTMEDIA PTY LTD; ABN 84 128 805 970; 205 PACIFIC HIGHWAY, ST LEONARDS NSW 2065.

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AQUABAG PORTABLE HOSE REELS

each valued at the reel deal

The lightweight Aquabag Portable Hose Reel is ideal to use when strolling around outdoor living areas, balconies, terraces, decks and medium-sized gardens, or you can place it on the ground. It has 16.5m of braided, flexible hose (15m of which winds back into the reel), tap and hose connectors, and an eight-pattern variable flow nozzle. This product is designed and made in Italy. For more details, call 0403 128 500 or visit cutabovetools.com.au

connect with us

NOW TH ZINIO & GOOGLE PLAY We have five Aquabag Portable Hose Reels, valued at $99 each, to give away. To enter, tell us in 25 words or less your best tips for water retention when you give your garden a soaking. Write your name, address, phone number and entry on the back of an envelope and send to Aquabag Hose Reel competition, Gardening Australia, nextmedia, Locked Bag 5555, St Leonards NSW 1590, or email your entry (with ‘Aquabag Hose Reel’ in the subject line) to comp@gardeningaustralia.com.au by January 16.

@gardeningaustraliamag

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CROSSWORD

take a break!

Put the kettle on – it’s time to relax! Solve our puzzle to be in the running to win a Rake Broom prize pack 1

36 across A 10

11 12

14 15

WIN

19 20

a Rake Broom pack

24 down B

SEE OPPOSITE

25 26

27 31

across

1. Juicy stone fruit (5) 4. H2O (5) 7. Translucent fossilised resin (5) 10. Cold, hard-hearted (7) 11. Things that develop from something else (9) 12. Australian bird related to the ostrich (3) 13. Small nuts (7) 14. Lattice used to support creepers or vines (7) 16. Genus of maple and others (4) 17. The warmest season (6) 20. Starchy tuber eaten cooked (6) 21. The highly poisonous American weed Datura stramonium (6) 23. Topmost layer of branches and foliage in a forest (6) 25. Leg joint (4) 86 J A N U A R Y 2 02 2

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29. Floral wreath (7) 32. Branch of biology dealing with organisms and their environment (7) 35. Sprint or jog (3) 36. This marigold, … officinalis (9) (Picture A) 37. Sacred bamboo or … (7) 38. Delete, clear (5) 39. Happening, occurrence (5) 40. The edible part of an artichoke (5)

down

1. Hickory nut (5) 2. Block of land (9) 3. Johnsonia lupulina or … lily (6) 4. Most sensible (6) 5. Game and food fish (5) 6. Roof beam (6)

28 down C 7. The noxious weed Tamarix aphylla or … pine (5) 8. Flower (7) 9. Fungal plant disease (4) 15. Periphery (6) 16. Outlook, view (6) 18. Single thing or person (4) 19. Rung, stair (4) 22. Dried flower heads of Artemisia cina (9) 24. This plant (7) (Picture B) 26. Ripen, mellow (6) 27. Geum urbanum or herb … (6) 28. The Australian shrub Melaleuca lanceolata (6) (Picture C) 30. Variety, assortment (5) 31. Male duck (5) 33. Fermenting agent (5) 34. Imperial unit of land measurement (4)

CROSSWORD COMPILED BY STEVE BALL PHOTOS ISTOCK, JULIE BURGHER

144 SOLUTION NEXT MONTH

raking it in

RAKE BROOM PRIZE PACKS

Made in Germany, the unique rake-shaped bristles of the Outdoor and Indoor Rake Brooms make sweeping and raking a breeze. The 45cm Outdoor Rake Broom is perfect for all surfaces. The 30cm Indoo Rake Broom is suited for use on tiles, floorboards and carpets, an can even remove fine dust and pet air.

each worth

79.90

Each prize pack includes: ● 45cm Outdoor Rake Broom ● 30cm Indoor Rake Broom For more information about Rake Broom, visit rakebroom.com.au

how to enter

We have seven Rake Broom prize packs, each valued at $79.90, to give away. To enter the competition, unscramble the highlighted letters in the crossword (opposite), and email your answer to comp@gardeningaustralia.com.au by January 9, 2022. Put ‘Rake Broom prize pack’ in the subject line, and include your name, street address, email and daytime phone number.

WINNERS

Costa’s World book (October 21) N Arns, Katoomba, NSW; J Hooper, Daisy Hill, Vic; J McGuinness, Churchlands, WA. Shields Weed Burner (October 21) P Kalyvas, Weetangera, ACT; M Logan, Millthorpe, NSW; G Marshall, Araluen, Qld; D Reid, Linden Park, SA; J Taylor, Mount Helena, WA; C Watson, Torquay, Vic; Z Wyatt, Chermside West, Qld.

solution H O L L Y A A A L U C E R N L T R S E A S O N T W C O I R O N I L E G U M E O M U P R O O T R O R S W E E T B D E S E E D L I A E L G O R S E

December 2021 crossword

S A T I N M H R E I E E V E R G O E D N A L F L O O K E N R E T S T E T A Y J N A N G S I T N A I A

H S O N Q T U B R A E S D H

O P E R E L R I N D G

U P E E N

N G U U M L R I K E N A C A L F N U I L S M T V A D O T M Y E N A

December’s unscrambled word: organic G A R D E N I N G AU S T R A L I A

J A N U A R Y 2 02 2

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COMPETITION OPEN TO AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS ONLY. STARTS 13/12/21 AT 00:01 (AEDT) AND CLOSES 09/01/22 AT 23:59 (AEDT). SEVEN LUCKY WINNERS WILL EACH RECEIVE A RAKE BROOM PRIZE PACK VALUED AT $79.90. TOTAL PRIZE POOL VALUE IS $559.30. WINNERS WILL BE DRAWN ON 11/01/22 AT 14:00 (AEDT) AT NEXTMEDIA, LEVEL 8, 205 PACIFIC HWY, ST LEONARDS NSW 2065. THE JUDGES’ DECISION IS FINAL AND NO CORRESPONDENCE WILL BE ENTERED INTO. PRIZE SENT TO THE ADDRESS PROVIDED IN THE ENTRY. FULL TERMS AND CONDITIONS AT GARDENINGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU. PRIVACY POLICY AVAILABLE AT NEXTMEDIA.COM.AU. PROMOTER IS NEXTMEDIA PTY LTD; ABN 84 128 805 970; 205 PACIFIC HIGHWAY, ST LEONARDS NSW 2065.

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