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 why when … 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
Plants are the primary source of fuel for a bushfire and, even though all plants burn, the location, arrangement and maintenance of vegetation within a garden has a bigger impact on how a bushfire will spread rather than the flammability of individual plants. The aim of bushfire gardening is to reduce radiant heat, prevent flame contact and minimise ember attack on the house. This can increase the likelihood of the house surviving a … Read more »
Growing your own vegetables is one of the most rewarding forms of gardening as it combines all the pleasures and benefits of gardening with the added satisfaction of producing fresh nutritious food, and October marks the beginning of that time of the year when the widest variety of produce becomes available for planting.
Anyone new to growing vegetables should start small. If you are already a gardener of ornamentals, then just leave aside a little space … 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 23rd day of the month, September brings us into the season that many consider the beginning of the gardening year, namely spring.
This is our favourite time of the year to get plants into the ground. Planting or re-potting this month means that plants will be ready to … Read more »
Keith Mundy
With the ever-increasing use of our outdoor spaces, the use of pots as a solution for growing plants is becoming far greater than in previous times, and the opportunity is right to offer some hints on how to successfully manage this form of gardening.
Probably the most important initial issue is to decide what do you want the pots and the plants to achieve? Are they to be used for … Read more »