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
As the daily temperatures start to cool and the leaves on the deciduous trees start to change colour and begin to fall, nothing makes it feel more like autumn than the sudden appearance of fungi season. Looking around it is obvious where we have removed trees in the past as a flush of fungi has suddenly thrust up through the lawn where the remnant root systems below ground are being slowly devoured and … Read more »
by Mark Evans
Gardeners might like to imagine that they are immune to the vagaries of fashion, however plants go in and out of style, just like clothes, and often a garden can be dated by its components. Think of Cortaderia selloana (pampas grass) in the 1970s, Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cocos palm) in the 1980s, Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Frisia’ (golden robinia) in the 1990s and the Yucca spp. (yucca) craze from the 2000s. All these plants became incredibly … Read more »
by Mark Evans
Three of the most popular colours associated with Christmas are red, green and white. The origin of this colour combination is said to be derived from the appearance of Ilex aquifolium (English Holly) with its evergreen leaves and white flowers followed by bright red berries. Amidst the European snow, it symbolised hope in the depths of winter and played a role in winter solstice celebrations, predating the spread of Christmas. Unfortunately for us … Read more »
by Mark Evans
The soil is the most important part of any garden. Not only does it provide a place for the plants to anchor their roots and gain structural support, but it is also the plant’s source of water and nutrients. Ideally, a good soil will be deep and friable and loaded with organic matter and humus.
Organic matter is essentially the waste and remains of plants or animals. … Read more »