by Mark Evans
Humans have been growing plants indoors for millennia. It likely began when the first ancient Egyptian plucked a lotus stem from the Nile River and placed it in a clay pot. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon – one of the seven wonders of the ancient world – may well have been the first true ‘urban jungle’.
Meanwhile, the Chinese were perfecting the art of bonsai, while the Greeks … Read more »
by Mark Evans
Red, green and white are among the most popular colours associated with Christmas. This iconic combination is believed to originate from the English Holly (Ilex aquifolium) with its evergreen leaves and bright red berries. Amidst the European snow, holly symbolised hope during the depths of winter and was integral to ancient winter solstice celebrations, long before the advent of Christmas.
In Australia, however, holly berries ripen between May and August, … Read more »
by Mark Evans
Propagating plants from cuttings is one of the easiest and most common methods of plant reproduction. It’s also the quickest way to produce an exact clone of the parent plant.
Cuttings rely on the fact that plant cells are totipotent, meaning each cell has the potential to develop into a complete plant. A single plant cell can become either a root or a shoot, which is … Read more »
By Mark Evans
I’m no liquid luddite. Our thin boundary border beds and double arms-length wide vegetable rows all have a central snake of plastic dripper line to slowly soak the soil and if I was the lawn-watering kind I would naturally choose the efficiency of a sprinkler to cast a wide, even drink. But of all the forms of home irrigation, I find hand-watering the most satisfying.
Rain is the best way to water your … Read more »
by Mark Evans
Whether you subscribe to the meteorological view that it begins on the first day of the month or to the astronomical view that it begins on the vernal equinox on the twenty-third day of the month, September brings us into the season that many consider the beginning of the gardening year – … Read more »
by Mark Evans
As we move into August and pass the cross-quarter day, halfway between the winter solstice and the coming vernal equinox, the days are getting longer and brighter and the first signs of spring are beginning to appear in the garden – a reminder that it is time for some green spring cleaning.
Although we usually associate spring cleaning with housework, the same concept can be applied to the … Read more »
