Oh My Garden! Summer 22/23

As the heat rises and fills long summer days, it’s time to create that cooling oasis you dream of. Juicy fruits, scented natives and abundant vegetables will make your garden the perfect summer refuge.

With splashes of colour and beautiful bush tucker, your place will attract native birds, bees, frogs, and hungry mates looking for a barbie.

What does your garden grow?

Oh My Garden! is for all gardeners, from first-time seed sewer to experienced landscaper.

If you have a gardening question or an idea you’d like to share, let us know Subscribe for more

GARDEN INSPIRATION

NATIVES

Hardy and efficient on water and your time, these natives deliver big on looks too. What’s not to love?

ANIGOZANTHOS | KANGAROO PAW

Colourful paw-like blooms rise above strappy leaves to make this a dramatic landscape plant for low water gardens. These south-west Western Australians have pest and disease resistant flowers from spring until early summer. King’s Park and Botanic Garden, Western Australia developed Kings Park Federation Flame (pictured) to celebrate the Centenary of Federation of Australian States.

CERATOPETALUM GUMMIFERUM | CHRISTMAS BUSH

Keep Christmas around in your garden long after the holidays with a Christmas Bush. In warm regions, early flowering varieties like Albery’s Red will give you masses of small white star-shaped flowers. As the holiday season approaches, they put on a timely red display. To give its best floral performance, Christmas Bush likes full sun with moist soil and good drainage. But pick a wind-protected position or you’ll quickly lose your pretty stars to the elements.

What do you nose?

ARTHROPODIUM FIMBRIATUM | NODDING CHOCOLATE LILY

Surround yourself with the scent of chocolate with these native purple flowers. Your neighbours will think you’ve gone all Willy Wonka from the start of spring to late summer. It’s ideal for planting in rockeries or small spaces. Best of all, it’s not fussy and doesn’t need much care once it’s established. Is it a flower? Is it a dessert? Actually, it’s in the asparagus family and First Nations people ate it as a root vegetable. What a clever little lily.

Kangaroo paw flowers come in many colours, but the flowers have no scent.

ORNAMENTALS

When planning the pretty plants in your garden, there’s a lot to consider. Climate zone, space, sunlight, soil and water can build or break the ornamental features you select.

BROMELIADS

Broms are ideal for warm climate gardens. They’re a generous plant, helping the frogs and insects which breed in the plants’ little water tank centres. And they shoot off ‘pups’ which you can remove and replant once they reach two-thirds of the adult plant size. Given they grow well in the ground, on rock and even on other plants, the only thing left to do is choose which of the vast range you’ll enjoy in your summer garden.

NEOREGELIA COMPACTA | BLUSHING BROMELIADS

This tropical South American grows well in pots and in warm conditions with plenty of moisture and air circulation. Their colours become more intense when grown in bright light so pop them in a brightly lit spot to get their full effect.

AECHMEA | SILVER VASE PLANT

Also known as the Urn Plant, Aechmea are native to Central and South America and have diverse foliage, flower colour and growth habits. This is a great plant for gardens in tropical and subtropical areas. It’s happy to be in outdoor container gardens and hanging baskets – wherever is well-drained and lightly shaded.

GUZMANIA

Guzmanias have brightly coloured flowers that spike above strappy leaves. They cleverly catch water in their tiny ‘tanks’. Flowers can last for months, producing pups that grow even after the parent plant dies.

TILLANDSIA USNEOIDES | SPANISH MOSS

Spanish Moss, aka ‘Barba de Palo’ or ‘Old Man’s Beard’ is a pretty silver cascade that loves humidity. Take care as it can spread and become weedy. It isn’t parasitic but its tiny scales absorb water and nutrients from its host.

TOP TIP

Generally Bromeliads with thicker, tougher leaves tolerate more sun, and their colours will intensify with more light.

EDIBLES

Is there anything more satisfying than visiting your patio or yard to pick fresh ingredients for your meals? These summertime edibles won’t disappoint.

AUSTROMYRTUS DULCIS | MIDGEN BERRY

This sweet bush tucker grows easily in gardens, containers or as a small shrub on balconies or in courtyards. You’ll have flowers in spring and summer then yummy fruit from spring to autumn. Pick and eat the blue spotted white berries straight from the plant for a treat that tastes a bit like cinnamon.

ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS | OKRA

Okra, aka ‘lady’s finger’, is a drought tolerant, pest and disease resistant veg that’s great for growing in the back of the garden with summer flowers or other veggies. Plant lettuce in early spring then as the lettuce fades in the summer heat, plant okra in its place. For a nice colour combo, plant okra with eggplant so the yellow blooms of okra contrast with eggplant’s purple flowers and fruit.

Family matters Okra’s actually in the hibiscus family and comes in red and green varieties.

ALLIUM TUBEROSUM | GARLIC CHIVES

Tasty, high in vitamins and versatile across stir fries, stews, and salads, summer’s the time to start Asian greens in your patch. Garlic chives will add a subtle garlic taste to any meal, all year round if you’re in a subtropical climate. Their white flowers are pretty, but do soften the flavour when they’re about.

TOP TIP Plant in a permanent location as these hardy plants can thrive for a long and continual harvest with minimal care.

6 TIPS TO HELP YOUR TOMATOES

It’s a fact that tomatoes always taste better straight from the vine. For the best odds of harvesting a bumper crop of plump little juice bombs, choose disease resistant varieties like Roma, Green Zebra and Jaune Flamme.

TOUGHEN UP YOUR TOMATOES

Most diseases are in the soil. To help your tomatoes survive and thrive, follow these tips:

1.CROP ROTATION

Use crop rotation to control disease. Leave garden beds for at least 4 years before growing any other nightshades (Solanaceae), in the same area. Nightshade plants include tomatoes, chillies, eggplants, capsicum and potatoes.

2.RAISED BEDS

Grow your tomatoes in raised beds for better drainage.

3.PRUNING & SPACE

Keep air flowing around your plant by pruning or giving extra space between plants.

4.STERILISE WELL

Avoid spreading disease with tools, stakes, boots, clothing, gloves and hands. Sterilise equipment and wash your clothes and hands regularly when handling tomatoes.

5.WEED CONTROL

Control weeds – they can often spread infection. A thick layer of organic mulch will help prevent weeds. Hoe in weeds before they seed; hand weed any that have seeded.

6.WATERING TIP

Water directly to the roots rather than from above, to prevent spreading spores. Mulch will also help keep water where it’s needed.

NATIVE HOUSEPLANTS

Undemanding, grateful for attention and nice to be around, these Aussies pretty much make the perfect housemates.

NATIVES TO TRY INDOOR

HOYA AUSTRALIA | NATIVE HOYA OR WAX FLOWER

From tropical and subtropical areas of Australia, this twisting vine pops white flowers with red in the middle. They might look like wax but they feel and smell amazing. Native Hoya works for hanging baskets, but you’ll need to find a place with semi shade.

SCHEFFLERA ACTINOPHYLLA | UMBRELLA TREE

In the forests of Australia, New Guinea and Java, Umbrella Tree can reach 15 m high outdoors, but you can keep them shorter in a pot indoors.

Variegated varieties with yellow, gold, or white leaves thrive in sunny spots.

PEPEROMIA CAPERATA ‘LILIAN’

Like many peperomia varieties, Lilian is native to subtropical regions. Its crinkly, heart-shaped leaves complement long, cream-coloured flowers. Place them in pots on a shaded patio or indoors in low to medium light. Lilian loves warm humid air and regular light watering.

MICROSORUM CROCODYLLUS | CROCODILE FERN

With crocodile-like fronds, this fern makes a great feature plant in a pot or hanging basket. Crocodile fern likes free-draining soil in shade to semi shade. It’ll be happy in humid weather, protected from frost.

WATERING TIPS

Most plants actually benefit from a bit of drying out between watering. If roots are too wet, plants can suffer.

To help your houseplants love you as much as you love them:

• Keep plants in a nursery pot inside your outer decorative pot. To water, remove nursery pot from outer pot. Drench with tepid water in a sink, then leave to drain.

• If you have a saucer under your pot, lift the pot up a little with some pebbles or gravel to keep the roots away from water.

• Water your plant when the top 2cm of soil is dry - use a finger to test.

Read our six tips for thriving indoor plants.

I hang out around backyards in South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and southeast NSW. I heard it’s not easy being green, so I also come in cream, brown, and yellow-brown. And I’ve got a dark brown stripe and reddish-orange thighs. My favourite snack is insects, which I can catch mid-air!

HABITAT GARDENS FOR FROGS

A frog-friendly garden can give a home to one of Australia’s 240+ frog species (that we know about). Their happy croaks are a good sign of a healthy environment.

HIDE AND SEEK

Too much wide space can put a frog off. Create hideaways with bushes, grasses and undergrowth – Lilly Pilly (Acmenasmithii), Mat Rush (Lomandralongifolia), Native flax lilies (Dianella species) and Native violet (Violahederacea) work well. And add a few hideaway logs. Involve plants that like water for some frog-skin loving moisture, such as Water ribbons (Triglochin species) and Nardoo (Marsilea drummondii). Banksias and grevilleas also give good cover and food for insects. For more frog friendliness, use natural fertilisers in your garden, like blood and bone or compost.

ARE THOSE EGGS FRIEND OR FOE?

If you find toad eggs, bury them somewhere dry so they don’t hatch. How do you know? Frog eggs are in clumps, spread out like a mat over the water and usually in a foam substance. Toad eggs are in long strings and look like small black pearls in a clear jelly tube.

YOUR OWN FROG HOTEL

Who doesn’t love a relaxing resort on the water? Frog hotels come in all shapes and sizes, and it’s great to use recycled bits and bobs if you can. Here’s how to make your frog hotel: You’ll need

• Pipes in a range of diameters

• A pot without holes (or a similar upcycled item)

• Rocks and pebbles

• Rainwater

• Aquatic/marsh plants (optional)

• Solar powered light (optional)

SOGGY FROGGIES

Frogs lay eggs in creeks and dams, so help them out with a calm, safe water source. Use rainwater if possible or let tap water stand in a bucket for a week before adding to a pond. To deter mozzies from stagnant water, add a small water pump to gently break the water surface. Keep toads out by raising your water source off the ground or making a barrier with plastic garden edging.

Build it

• Cut the pipes into different lengths.

• Stand pipes up in your pot and stabilise them by filling around the bases with rocks and pebbles.

• Plant aquatic plants around the pipes.

• Add the rainwater.

• Place your hotel in a safe, cool and moist environment.

Light it up: Putting a solar-powered light nearby will help attract flying insects for frogs at night. Watch how to make your frog hotel here.

•

BUSH TUCKER BACKYARD

WARRIGAL GREENS | TETRAGONIA TETRAGONIOIDES

You’ll see this sprawling shrub often growing along coastal areas, being tolerant to salt. Its leaves are fleshy and covered with tiny hairs that give it an iridescent glow in the sunlight.

The edible leaves make a creative substitute for spinach or leafy greens. But before you eat Warrigal Greens, blanch them in boiling water for 1 minute then refresh under cold water. This removes oxalates, which can make you sick if you eat lots.

GROW IT

Warrigal Greens are short-lived perennials that self-seed. Plant seeds or cuttings in spring or summer. Once established, they’ll grow with little care. To keep the plant looking healthy, water occasionally throughout summer. It can take over a veggie patch so cut it back when needed.

TRY IT – WARRIGAL GREENS AND MACADAMIA PESTO Method

Pulse the greens and nuts in a food processor. Add cheese, garlic and pulse again. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while processing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve your pesto on sourdough, toss it through pasta or partner it with roasted veggies.

•

•

•

•

•

GARDEN HACKS: MEADOWS

Meadow gardens are like a sweet dream that’s come to life when bees, moths and butterflies flit around your field of colours.

PREP YOUR AREA

There are a couple of ways to rid your proposed area of weed and grass seeds:

• Hand remove larger weeds, or spray out grass once or twice with an organic weedkiller.

• Cook out weed seeds: lay black plastic over the site, peg down or place bricks, leave for about 8 weeks before sowing. Remove weeds and grasses once yellowed.

Add 10 to 20 cm of compost to create nutritious soil for your new seeds. This will also shade out any weed seeds not cooked.

SOW

Sow annual mixes July to August for best results. They’ll flower from October to June.

You’ll need 2 to 3 g of seed to cover 1 m2:

• Mix well with half a bucket of coir and soil to help cover and protect the seeds.

• Throw mix in a downward motion to evenly distribute and avoid seeds gathering in clumps.

• Apply sugarcane and water.

• Roll your bed with a garden roller so seeds have good soil contact.

• Apply sugarcane and water.

SMALL SPACE? Pop wildflower mixes in pots and planters, around the bases of trees, or turn your front garden strip into a cheery meadow.

GROW

CHOOSE A MIX

Buy premixed meadow seeds or make your own blend.

These are some meadow faves:

• Centaureacyanus (Corn flower)

• Cosmosbipinnatus(Mexican aster)

• Lobulariamaritima(Sweet alyssum)

• Zinniaelegans(Zinnia double)

• Gaillardiapulchella(Blanket flower)

Pick seeds to suit your area, noting your sunny and shady spots. For a changing palette, mix plants that flower slowly and quickly.

Mixes with both annual and perennials mean:

• annuals grow in the first year

• perennials grow, take root, and perform their best next year.

2 to 3 weeks: As soil warms up seeds will start to germinate. Keep moist during this time.

3 to 8 weeks: Early annuals will bloom first. If you’ve sown an even coverage, your growing plants will help to reduce any weeds poking through.

8 to 12 weeks: Later-flowering annuals and perennials will start to bloom. Spray out grass if there’s too much. Liquid feed to maintain every 2 weeks.

Sad to see you mow! When your meadow’s at the end of its annual life cycle, it will look dry and collapsed. Now is the time to slash or mow it. This will add organic matter, rejuvenate perennials and help form your meadow’s seedbank. Seeds will naturally pop up the following year.

Read more about the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney’s wildflower meadow.

LAST SNIPPETS!

PLANT POSTIE

Question: What’s the best way to propagate waratahs?

Answer: The easiest way is from seed, but the plant quality is a lottery. You can also strike them from cuttings. Seedling plants take about 5 years to flower. Cuttings may take only 2 years.

BRANCH OUT

Subscribe to our award-winning Branch Out podcast to discover the surprising world of plants and learn from passionate scientists and plant experts from around the world.

In Branch Out #38: Solving the Waratah’s Genetic Puzzle, scientist Stephanie Chen describes her world-first research assembling the complete genome of the iconic waratah species

Listen Listen

HAVE A PLANT QUESTION?

Have a garden or houseplant pic to share? Send it in to be featured in our next issue! online@botanicgardens.nsw.gov.au

FROM CUTTINGS

Follow this method with cuttings (15 to 20 cm long) which have several sets of leaves:

• In spring or early summer, plant into an extremely free draining mix.

• Keep cuttings lightly watered until roots form about 4 to 6 weeks later.

• Keep growing conditions sterile to avoid fungal attack.

• Place your pot on a warm concrete pad to help root growth.

After 6 months you should have a successful batch of cuttings to plant out in autumn. Keep wild waratahs safe: If you see waratahs in the bush, leave them alone for everyone to enjoy. Picking wild waratahs depletes natural seed reserves and threatens the species’ survival.

FROM SEEDS

A waratah’s winged seeds take about 6 months to mature. They’ll turn brown and split open. Sow seeds in a pot filled with a well-drained seed raising mix.

• Cover with a fine layer of mix and water well.

• Transplant seedlings into a freely draining potting mix that doesn’t have any added nutrients. Add some slow-release low phosphorus fertiliser a few weeks later.

• Keep potted waratahs in partial shade, off the ground, for at least one year. Keep roots moist but not wet. Waratahs are powerful producers. One flower head can have more than 250 seeds in a good year!

TheformalgardenattheBlueMountainsBotanicGardenMountTomahisalwaysapopularspot.