AN IMMERSIVE GROWING EXPERIENCE
Ryman Healthcare at
THE MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FLOWER & GARDEN SHOW 30 MARCH - 3 APRIL 2022 We’re growers too We’ve been creating vibrant retirement villages for over 35 years. Visitors say they can’t quite put their finger on it. It just feels different. It’s something to do with the energy of the people and the beautifully landscaped environment. Gardens that overflow with annuals and perennials are punctuated with shrubs and trees, both evergreen and deciduous. These are picturesque spaces where residents and visitors relax, have a laugh, and enjoy each other’s company.
An immersive growing experience Partnering with the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show (MIFGS) presented by Scotts Osmocote was a natural fit. We love gardens, they love gardens, you love gardens. Back in 2020, when the MIFGS was first interrupted, we had planned to bring you an immersive growing experience. We’re so excited to finally deliver that experience in 2022. Every visit to the Ryman stand is unique. We have created experiences that are designed to treat the senses. Taste, smell, and see your way around our interactive space - you’ll find us at the Royal Exhibition Building & Carlton Gardens at stand 38.
Kylie And the Ryman team
CONTENTS RYMAN HEALTHCARE BALCONY GARDEN COMPETITION Buckle up, competition entrants take this new show feature to great heights.
HEALTHY GARDENING We explore how getting our hands dirty benefits the body and mind.
MARKO AND HIS BEES This Ryman retirement village has taken another step toward sustainability.
GROW LUSCIOUS POTTED PLANTS Watch your temperamental pot plants thrive with these tips.
GROWING GARNISHES Here’s the down-low on garnish growing... and eating!
REFRESHING DRINKS RECIPES Join Ryman at stand 38 for a delicious Tea Drop experience.
LOOK UP! Jan’s balcony garden is dripping with colour and greenery.
INDOOR JUNGLES Your indoor plants are keeping a rather large secret...
in a W MELBOURNE
INTERNATIONAL FLOWER AND GARDEN SHOW VIP EXPERIENCE Share your top gardening tips with us for a chance to win! Win a VIP experience for you and three friends to the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show. Prize includes four VIP passes, four tickets to High Tea at the show, a Tea Drop tea maker, Fruits of Eden tea, a $50 Tea Drop gift voucher and goodie bags with much more! It’ll make your trip to MIFGS one to remember. Visit rymanhealthcare.com.au/melbflowershow to learn more. Terms and conditions apply Botanical | 3
A green-fingered PARTNERSHIP
Sponsoring the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show (MIFGS) is the perfect fit for Ryman. We’re excited to be part of an event that celebrates people who live their lives with passion. Those who push further to create better.
RYMAN HEALTHCARE
BALCONY GARDEN COMPETITION Entrants from throughout Australia have designed balcony gardens that are best described as botanical wonderlands. You'll find all the inspiration you need to greenscape your balcony at home. If you love plants but lack space, you’ll find plenty of creative solutions on show at the inaugural Ryman Healthcare Balcony Garden Competition. Visit stand 38 in the Carlton Gardens for small space gardening inspiration. 4 | Botanical
WHAT'S ON AT THE SHOW? To kick off our inaugural sponsorship year, we’ve collaborated with creators, thinkers, and trailblazers to deliver a range of experiential spaces for you to explore. WELLNESS WI T H TEA DROP Take a quiet moment to sip our refreshing range of iced tea in partnership with the Tea Drop team. Discover what it takes to make tea from leaf, petal or berry… to cup.
T H E A MB I A NC E O F T WI L I G H T Stay late on Friday evening for Gardens by Twilight. Browse the professionally designed Show Gardens and attend presentations and workshops with industry leaders.
LEA R N W I TH M AT T LEACY Attend a free workshop with Aussie landscaping legend Matt Leacy. Matt will be taking the main stage daily to hold practical presentations designed to help you grow, grow, grow.
Join us at the show!
Royal Exhibition Building & Carlton Gardens
30 MARCH - 3 APRIL
Ryman Healthcare - Stand 38
A N ELEVATE D C O M P ETI T ION Immerse yourself in our new show feature, the Ryman Healthcare Balcony Garden Competition. Here, talented landscapers and gardeners went head-to-head designing big little gardens packed with innovation.
RYM AN H EALT H CA R E BALC ONY GA R DE N CO MPE T I T I O N
SAM PLE S PECI A L LY-B R E WE D ICED TEA FROM T E A DRO P
FREE ONE- ON- O N E WO R KSH O P S W ITH M AT T L E ACY Wednesday 30 March at 9.45 - 11.15am Thursday 31 March at 1.30 - 3.00pm Friday 1 April at 12.45 - 1.15pm Saturday 2 April at 10.30 - 12.00pm Sunday 3 April at 12.15 - 1.45pm Book your slot so you don't miss out rymanhealthcare.com.au/melbflowershow
M IFGS M AINSTAG E PRES ENTATIO N S BY MAT T L E ACY • •
The BIG Potential of Small Outdoor Spaces Can Gardening Positively Impact Your health?
Say hello to
MATT LEACY While the show could not go on in 2020, our partnership with landscaping superstar Matt Leacy did. We’ve been working with Matt for the past two years, sharing his gardening wisdom with our Ryman community – and beyond – at every opportunity. And we’re excited to bring Matt to MIFGS in 2022.
Botanical | 5
GARDENING FOR
the body and mind
Lifting, squatting, bending, digging, stepping, and stretching. Name an exercise and gardening task will likely require the same effort. Digging holes, turning compost, and staking plants are sure to raise the heart rate. But in partnership with fresh air and sunlight, gardening tends to feel less like work and more like relaxation. Gardening quickly translates to a cardio workout and strength training in one. It’s cheeky that way. Under the guise of relaxed enjoyment, time in the garden delivers both health and wellbeing.
Cardio A few drops of perspiration are the tell-tale signs of a cardio session in the garden. And heat from the sun helps make a gardening session particularly taxing.
Stretching Those of you with wide planters will already know, stretching is everpresent in the garden. Simply reach toward those plants in the back row and your body will enjoy a gentle (or not so gentle) stretch.
Relaxation Breathing fresh air, listening to the birds, and soaking up some vitamin D are all positive contributors to mental health.
Diet A regular intake of fresh fruit and vegetables is easy when you grow your own. Simply plant varieties with complementary nutritional value to enjoy a balanced diet.
Satisfaction Gardening puts you in charge. You choose when to water, feed, and tend your garden. And a garden filled with healthy plants can offer a deep sense of satisfaction every day. 6 | Botanical
THE VILLAGE IS ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF… BEES? A chef with a passion for sustainability has brought bees to his Ryman retirement village. Marko’s journey with bees began as a child. “There was a man in Austria during my early childhood who had built a hut using beehives. In winter, they kept him warm. In summer, I would visit with my great grandfather and a jar to get honey.” Fast-forward to today and Marko is bringing bees to Ryman. He has installed two village hives and populated them with bees from his hive at home. While they’re largely inactive over winter his bee numbers grew rapidly in spring, providing plenty of bees to start the village hives.
residents and visitors. “The first season will be quiet, but the honey will grow season after season.” A handful of residents who are former beekeepers have even talked Marko into running a market day. The trick to producing good quality honey is healthy bees. Thankfully, like all Ryman retirement villages, Marko’s village is filled with trees, shrubs, and flowers. The village bees won’t have to travel far for an abundance of food and water.
The bees live in a central spot where everyone can enjoy them. And Marko’s excited to share his knowledge about bees and their honey with both
“ There’s plenty of food in the village garden and they’ll fly a radius of 3.5km if they need more.”
Save the bees It’s as easy as planting a few bee-loving plants in your garden.
Feed the bees by planting: •
Lavendar
•
Fruit Trees
Every flower makes a difference for hungry neighbourhood bees. In turn, they pollinate our gardens and public spaces while creating delicious honey.
•
Rosemary
•
Lilly Pilly
•
Kangaroo Paw
•
Flowering Gum
•
Bird of Paradise
•
Sunflowers Botanical | 7
GRAB YOUR
gardening gloves Let’s pot plants and grow garnishes
POTTING UP A STORM Big things come in small… pots? Explore what it takes to grow a thriving pot plant outdoors. We’ve all failed an outdoor pot plant or ten. Water may be the culprit – too much or too little, take your pick. Being root bound is another common plant finisher. Here’s a list of easy tips to keep handy. Simply schedule a weekly check-in with your potted plants and run through the list.
8 | Botanical
The pot
The water
Know your pot material. Terracotta is porous while glazed pots are less porous and hold more moisture. Wooden planters offer moisture with breathability and plastic pots keep plants moist longest. Whichever pot you choose, make sure it has drainage holes.
Potted plants are thirsty. They don’t have earth beneath their roots to help them retain moisture and keep cool. They’re up against the elements solo and need our help. When watering, make sure that you spray past the foliage and into the soil.
The plant
The food
If your pot lives in the shade, choose a shade-loving plant. If it enjoys full sun throughout the day, opt for a sun-loving plant. Most roses perform well in the sun while fuchsias like to keep cool under cover.
If your pot plants are looking a little lacklustre and you can’t figure out why, they might be overdue a feed. A nutritious organic fertiliser will have them looking luscious and healthy before you can say ‘nitrogen’!
A SPRIG OF THIS,
a sprinkle of that
TRY THES E POPULAR PAIRIN GS :
Thyme
Could your risotto use a sprig of parsley? Are your homemade cocktails looking plain? There are plenty of benefits to growing garnishes at home.
Sprinkle over venison dishes
Parsley
Perfect in pastas
Nothing completes a dish or drink quite like a garnish. Fruit, berries, herbs, take your pick. Every dish and cocktail has an ideal accompaniment in the plant world. Balconies, windowsills, and benchtops are tailormade for growing garnishes. They’re generally sunny but sheltered, giving your little sprouts the best chance. And they’re often close to the kitchen. Which is right where we want them because garnishes easily become an afterthought when positioned out of sight.
Plant garnishes near the kitchen so they’re easy to pick while you’re entertaining. Not only do garnishes look and taste delicious, they also smell divine. The trick is to brush them every time you walk past. Thyme offers a beautiful aroma when rubbed, and a lazy hand brushing through lavender as you pass will release a calming scented cloud. When planting your garnishes, note that most potted plants prefer soil that drains well to avoid root rot. This means that they dry out quickly, so be prepared to water your pot plants regularly. They also prefer a nutrient-rich potting mix. You pay for quality when it comes to potting mix, so research the ingredients before settling for a bargain.
Spring Onions Create flavour-filled fish
Microgreens Mix in a salad
Rosemary
Add flavour to rum
Basil
Great with roast tomatoes
Lime
For zesty margaritas
Lemon
A staple for gin lovers
Mint
Strawberry
Fruity fun champagne
Magic in a mojito
Botanical | 9
Enjoy a f esh b ew
AT THE SHOW?
We're serving up iced tea at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show. We’ve collaborated with tea specialists Tea Drop to bring you iced teas that are freshly brewed and refreshingly cold. Tea Drop’s team of passionate artisans scour the world to create memorable blends and will be on hand in the Ryman area at stand 38 to answer all your questions.* Learn more about Tea Drop by visitng teadrop.com.au and enjoy 15% percent off your online order by using discount code “RYMAN15” at checkout.
If your interest is brewing, here are a handful of tea recipes to try at home.
Sweet Lemon Iced Tea
A refreshing burst of lemon, mint, and black tea. This sweet lemon infusion delivers minty freshness and zesty lemon flavours with a healthy dose of vitamin C. Serves 8 – great for storing in the fridge IN GREDIENTS
ME T H O D
8 cups boiling water 1/2 cup low GI sugar 5 black tea bags 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice 1 lemon, thinly sliced Ice cubes and fresh mint leaves, to serve
1.
Combine the boiling water and sugar. Stir until dissolved.
3.
2.
Add the tea bags, then swirl. Set aside for 15 minutes to steep. Squeeze the tea bags into the water to extract the remaining flavour, then discard.
4. Add the lemon slices and refrigerate for 5 hours.
10 | Botanical
5.
Add the lemon juice, stir, and set aside for 1 hour to cool.
Pour the iced tea over a glass filled with ice cubes and add a few fresh mint leaves. Enjoy!
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ail
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Visit us at stand 38 during the show for an interactive tea experience.* *S e
e p ag
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Creamy Thai Iced Tea
A must-try for you milky tea lovers. Serves 2
Mint Blackberry Iced Tea Rich in nutrients and packing a vitamin C punch. Serves 2 INGREDIENTS 2 bags of green tea 6 fresh mint leaves 1/2 cup fresh blackberries 3 cups boiling water Honey, to taste 2 mason jars, to store and serve Fresh mint leaves, to serve
I N G R ED I EN TS 2 tbsp loose-leaf black tea (alternative, caffeine-free rooibos tea) 2 cardamom pods 1 star anise Tamarind powder, to taste 1/8 vanilla bean 1/2 cinnamon stick 1/4 tsp almond extract 1 cup boiling water 1 tbsp cream of coconut 1 tbsp sugar (alternative, honey) 2 tsp coconut milk Ice cubes, to serve
Loaded with antioxidants and… more antioxidants! Serves 2
ME THO D
I N GR ED I EN TS 2 green tea bags (alternative, caffeine-free rooibos tea) 1 peach, pitted and sliced 4 ginger slices, peeled 3 cups hot water 2 mason jars, to store and serve Grated ginger, to serve
1.
M ETHO D
M ETH OD
Add the tea, cardamom, star anise, tamarind powder, vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, and almond extract to the boiling water. Let it steep for 15 minutes. Strain the liquid.
Divide the tea bags, mint leaves, and blackberries between the jars.
2.
2.
Add the hot water and let steep for 15 minutes before removing the tea bags. Stir in the honey until dissolved.
3.
3.
Store in the fridge for 3-4 hours until chilled. Serve with fresh mint leaves.
4. Split the coconut milk between the two glasses, filling the remaining space.
1.
Peachy Ginger Iced Tea
Add the cream of coconut and sugar or honey to the liquid. Stir until completely dissolved. Let the tea cool then pour it between two glasses filled with ice cubes. Leave 2-3 cms free at the top.
1.
Split the tea bags, peach, ginger, and hot water between the jars.
2.
Let steep for 15 minutes then remove the tea bags.
3.
Refrigerate the jars for 4 hours then strain the liquid.
4. Sprinkle with grated ginger to serve.
Botanical | 11
A lofty oasis Jan’s balcony garden is set in the heart of Ryman’s Nellie Melba Retirement Village. It’s filled with blooms and greenery soaking in the hot afternoon sun. But her mandevillas are the star of the show.
12 | Botanical
It’s common to see neighbours and retirement village visitors craning their necks to gaze at Jan’s balcony. “Dark blue and white lobelias cascade from the pots along the railing. And the pansies are just finishing up.” Jan’s petunias are another favourite. “They make a lovely show in the pots, especially the pale blue ones and the ones with faces.” Her portulacas are also healthy and bright. “The self-sown ones were a lovely surprise recently.”
But it’s the mandevilla that has stolen Jan’s heart. “I first saw mandevillas on the cover of ABC Gardening magazine and was immediately determined to get some. My daughter got me a pink one and a white one.” Jan says they climb very well and have been easy to train along her balustrade. She treats them to daily water, the occasional fertilizer, and water or rose spray for pests. “I’ll need to cut them back quite a lot soon.”
Q&A WITH MATT LEACY Matt Leacy, owner of Landart - landscape garden design and construction company - offers some hot gardening tips. M Y BA LC O NY I S S M A LL , BUT I LOV E P LA NTS. HOW CA N I FIT M O R E I N W I T H OUT C LU T TER I N G TH E S PAC E?
“ I love looking out my huge windows, through my mandevillas, to the western view in the background.” It’s their colour and trumpetshaped flower that has Jan hooked. “The contrast of the bright pink and white flowers with the glossy green leaves is lovely.” And as her pansies battle the afternoon heat, she admires how resilient the mandevilla plants are. “They are tough!” Gardening is nothing new for Jan. Swinging from the pepper tree in her mother’s large country garden was the perfect introduction. “I would pop the flowers on the snapdragons and smell the roses and sweet peas.” And an enormous Cyprus tree shaded the front lawn. “It was a good place to relax outdoors on a hot day.”
Jan’s first garden was in Surrey Hills. “It was steep and sandy – not an easy combination.” Followed by rich clay soil in Mitcham where “everything grew well”. And finally, “a villa in Wheeler’s Hill that overlooked the Dandenongs and was alive with birdsong”. Now, she’s applying her wealth of experience to create a stunning balcony garden. “I love to see things growing and new flowers appearing, especially ones I didn’t expect.” And word around the village is that everyone else is enjoying her flowers too.
With a small balcony it's best to choose a striking feature plant (like a Dracaena draco or fiddle leaf fig) for impact, rather than trying to squeeze in too much. As an alternative to this approach a long thin planter, trellis or green wall will give your balcony greenery without looking messy.
W HAT CA N I D O W I TH TH E HER B S I ’ V E GROW N ? Herbs are great fresh or in cooking. Roughly chop a handful of fresh herbs to give any salad a refreshing kick or sprinkle them whole on top of dishes as a garnish. They can be used in cocktails or herbal teas. There really isn’t a meal that doesn’t benefit from some herbs, and home grown plants taste a lot better than supermarket varieties.
I LOV E F RU I T TR EES BU T O N LY HAV E A S M A LL O U TD O O R S PAC E . W HAT F RU I T CA N I GROW ? Strawberry and blueberry plants grow well in containers and are happy to be pruned regularly. There are also enough miniature fruit tree varieties around (like lemon, lime, cumquats) to plant a patio orchard! Botanical | 13
GROW YOUR
own leafy friends
Indoor plants soak up all the love and attention you have to give. And in return, they’ll grow quietly as you kick off your shoes, grab a cool drink, and tell them about your day. The ultimate live-in friend, here are a few favourites to get you started.
Dragon tree Snake plant
Zanzibar gem 14 | Botanical
Spider plant Philodendron Xanadu
Monsera deliciosa
Peace lily
Devil's ivy
OVERGROWN INDOOR PLANTS Your favourite ‘indoor’ plant may be a jungle giant in disguise.
Moth orchid
Many indoor plants hail from tropical regions where they grow outdoors. And some reach lofty heights. The ever-popular fiddle leaf fig taps out at three metres when grown indoors but can reach 15 metres outdoors in its natural habitat. Olive trees look stunning potted indoors and can tolerate small pots but reach 10 metres in the wild. Rubber trees are common ‘fill a corner’ plants at home. They grow slowly and their stunning large leaves give the plant a bold but soft presence. Outdoors they grow 10 metres high and 3 metres wide, but as with most
indoor plants, they don’t reach their full potential indoors. While plants are smaller when grown indoors, not everyone has three-metrehigh ceilings! If you find your indoor plants are growing too big, it might be time to propagate. Propagation is the act of growing new plants from parts of an existing source plant. Propagation uses roots, new shoots, or established stems. Different methods suit different plants. Get started with this fiddle leaf fig propagation guide.
HOW TO PROPAGATE YOUR FIDDLE LEAF FIG
Cut
It’s possible to use a single leaf, but for a higher likelihood of success take a cutting at a node with 3 nodes above the cut line. A node is a slight thickening of the trunk between the leaves, often identified by crispy brown leaf casings or rings.
Grow Check your cutting weekly for root growth. This can take 6+ weeks. And don’t give up! Some plants simply grow roots faster than others.
Fiddle leaf fig
Kick-start To boost your chances of success, dip the end of your cutting in rooting hormone before placing it in a jar of fresh water in indirect bright light.
Pot
Once you have several long roots it’s time to pot your cutting. Choose a small pot to avoid overwhelming the new roots and a nutritious, free-draining potting mix.
Pot size is not the only factor when it comes to the growth potential of indoor plants. In their natural habitat, plants have unbound roots, their ideal quantity of bright sunlight, and live in free-draining soil. When we bring them indoors, their small pots are packed with soil, we provide a few drainage holes but keep them moist for longer, and the light is dimmer. Botanical | 15
WE ARE RYMAN PIONEERS We’re committed to pioneering retirement living for one simple reason. To better serve a generation of Australians. That’s why Ryman retirement villages are named after Aussie trailblazers. Charles Brownlow, Dame Nellie Melba, John Flynn. They lived with passion and purpose, they pushed further, they went beyond the ordinary. Which is exactly what we strive to do, every day, at Ryman. Our friendly, inclusive villages offer independent living with comprehensive care options. Simply dial up your care if you need it. From assisted living in a serviced apartment to residential aged care (low care and high care) and specialist dementia care. We’ve put everything in one place so you can embrace life today without having to worry about the future. More than 12,000 pioneers call Ryman retirement villages home. We always have, and always will, challenge the status quo and adapt to better serve our residents. Because there’s a new generation of Aussies who are not retiring from life, they’re looking for a new way to live.
For more information on our 7 retirement villages and 7 proposed villages, visit: rymanhealthcare.com.au