With winter well and truly with us, it is opportune to mention once again the care needed for our birds and bees through these colder months. Apart from supplying a reliable water source for them in a shallow birdbath or dish, another important thing is to provide them with food during winter. Food can be provided by either artificially feeding them with purchased seed and the like or, more naturally, with seed and flowers on plants. Birds have a diverse range of diets – from those … Read more »
As the days are now cooling and with winter having commenced, I thought it was time to remind gardeners that the time is now right to look at the pruning of winter-dormant roses, trees, shrubs and fruit trees. Pruning of these plants needs to be done to form new wood for future flowering and fruiting.
If your garden is a bit closer to the coast pruning can be put off until July when the plants will be even more dormant. It is important to remember that pruning … Read more »
Heading into winter, I thought it timely to again talk about the genus of native plants that is probably the most widely grown in Australian gardens and that is Grevillea. The plants in this amazing group come in many forms, from genuine species to varieties that have been developed by hybridisation where, usually, several plants have been crossed to select a plant that has all the good attributes of its parents. This hybridisation can … Read more »
As a nurseryman, and one who is addicted to plants, I thought I’d share with you some of the plants I consider to be an absolute necessity in any garden – whether a garden of natives or introduced plants.
One of my all-time favourites is the genus of Cotinus (smoke bush). These beautiful deciduous plants come in a range of foliage colours from lime green through to reddish purple and all with an amazing plume-like panicle of flowers … Read more »
With the cooler months of the year here again, our gardens can become somewhat drab and uninteresting after a long summer so consideration should be given to adding some colour to the garden. Autumn is the ideal time to do this as transpiration rates are lower and, with the recent good rain, there is less stress on the plants through the planting process. Colour can be added with the use of flowering plants or by plants … Read more »
This is a story about the birds and the bees. No, not that one, but one about our fine feathered friends and those helpful little pollinators and collectors of nectar that we often forget about in our gardens.
We, as gardeners, tend to overlook one of the most crucial elements of gardening when designing a space, and that is to provide food and habitat for birds and bees. In attracting bees to your garden, we must understand they do … Read more »
Food for our garden visitors
/in Gardens, Winter /by Debbie WorganWith winter well and truly with us, it is opportune to mention once again the care needed for our birds and bees through these colder months. Apart from supplying a reliable water source for them in a shallow birdbath or dish, another important thing is to provide them with food during winter. Food can be provided by either artificially feeding them with purchased seed and the like or, more naturally, with seed and flowers on plants. Birds have a diverse range of diets – from those … Read more »
Winter pruning
/in Gardens, Winter /by Debbie WorganAs the days are now cooling and with winter having commenced, I thought it was time to remind gardeners that the time is now right to look at the pruning of winter-dormant roses, trees, shrubs and fruit trees. Pruning of these plants needs to be done to form new wood for future flowering and fruiting.
If your garden is a bit closer to the coast pruning can be put off until July when the plants will be even more dormant. It is important to remember that pruning … Read more »
Great Grevillea
/in Autumn, Gardens /by BhagyaKeith Mundy
Heading into winter, I thought it timely to again talk about the genus of native plants that is probably the most widely grown in Australian gardens and that is Grevillea.
The plants in this amazing group come in many forms, from genuine species to varieties that have been developed by hybridisation where, usually, several plants have been crossed to select a plant that has all the good attributes of its parents. This hybridisation can … Read more »
Amazing Autumn
/in Autumn, Gardens /by Debbie WorganAs a nurseryman, and one who is addicted to plants, I thought I’d share with you some of the plants I consider to be an absolute necessity in any garden – whether a garden of natives or introduced plants.
One of my all-time favourites is the genus of Cotinus (smoke bush). These beautiful deciduous plants come in a range of foliage colours from lime green through to reddish purple and all with an amazing plume-like panicle of flowers … Read more »
The gardener’s palette
/in Autumn /by BhagyaWith the cooler months of the year here again, our gardens can become somewhat drab and uninteresting after a long summer so consideration should be given to adding some colour to the garden. Autumn is the ideal time to do this as transpiration rates are lower and, with the recent good rain, there is less stress on the plants through the planting process.
Colour can be added with the use of flowering plants or by plants … Read more »
Birds and bees
/in Gardens, Summer /by Debbie WorganWe, as gardeners, tend to overlook one of the most crucial elements of gardening when designing a space, and that is to provide food and habitat for birds and bees. In attracting bees to your garden, we must understand they do … Read more »