Garden Clinic Digs Deeper

Sandra Ross gives us all the tips on growing lovely liliums.

Sandra and Graham talk about the veggie patch - a great thing to do while at home.

Sandra gives us three topics to get your autumn garden productive - Bulbs to plant now, Magic Mulch, and some tips about autumn roses.

Welcome to the podcast gardening souls! From my forest green heart, thank you for joining me. Today we travel to Tanzania, metaphorically, to chat about a forest groundcover that we in Australia grow inside -a plant you'll see at Nanna's house -the African Violet.

My friend Beverley Donsworth has been growing African Violets for forty years and is the President of the African Violet Association and joins me with all you need to know to reflower these frilly indoor beauties. They are one of the only indoor plants to actually flower.

Today Bev shares her insider secrets on feeding, pruning, propagation, watering wicks and pest and diseases. With this knowledge I hope your African Violet thrives on your kitchen bench and that impulse buy you grab on the way to the nursery cash register flowers again for you.

Connect with Beverley and the African Violet Association at their annual Flower Show. Facebook @African Violet Association of AustraliaConnect with Lindaon socials:@gardenclinicclub @linnie__ross

November 2: The African Violet Association of Australia One-Day Show

The Show will consist of over 60 classes of African Violets, the other Gesneriads, and some Artistic classes.There are generally about 200 entries so it will be a colourful display. Some of the show entries will be for sale as well as potting mix, pots and fertiliser. To be held at Burwood RSL Club, 96 Shaftesbury Road, Burwood, 10am to 4pm. Entry fee is $5 per person. More info at africanviolet.org.au/diary

For more info on growing African Violets go to gardenclinic.com.au/blog/how-to-grow-african-violets

The Garden Clinic heads off to Japan this week for a very special mauve-tinted expedition to see the wonderful wisteria.

Much of my love of gardening revolves around the anticipation of a single ephemeral event: winter's sweet lemon scented white daphne, spring's species tulips, streets fleetingly fringed with jacaranda; and wisteria's short-lived lilac lace.

•

To sit or stand underneath a flowering wisteria vine in full bloom, gazing through the mauve veil of flowers, inhaling the scent, and listening to the bees is bliss.

•

On the podcast today I revel in wisteria and particularly the Japanese species. I recorded the podcast recently in Japan whilst traveling to the best wisteria gardens on the planet. I touch on wisteria styles, varieties to look for, training, pruning techniques, feeding and finish by sharing my favourite wisteria wonderlands.

Article:

https://www.gardenclinic.com.au/how-to-grow-article/wisteria

Book reference:

Wisteria by Peter Valder

Travel:

To Japan's wisteria festivals with me

www.rossgardentours.com/japan-festivals

Connect with us on social media.

@gardenclinicclub

@linnie__ross

@lindakirinross

@rossgardentours

I have loved frangipanis as long as I can remember. They fragrance transports me back to simple summer days at the beach collecting flowers for float bowls and smelling like sunscreen.

Welcome to a new year, Green Souls! Good news: the podcast is back from a long summer break! From my forest green heart, thank you for joining me here for another series. I'm kicking things off with my favourite flower, the fabulous Frangipani

Collecting interesting cultivars has been a passion of mine for twenty years. It was a privilege to write the book with one of my mentors and uni lecturer John Stowar and photographer Lorna Rose. We travelled extensively through Bali, Hawaii, Australia and Mexico. Call it a junket, if you will, but we travelled far and wide, trekked up volcanic craters, to collate information for our book (Frangipani by New Holland).

Today I share my growing tips for success and the tips I've picked up along the way. Sharing my thoughts on feeding, pruning, propagation, crown lifting, the best varieties to grow and touching on pest and diseases. I hope your frangipani thrives in your patch as a sacred symbol of truth and immortality.

Connect with me on Facebook or Instagram.

@gardenclinicclub @linnie__ross @lindakirinross

More people grow tomatoes than any other fruit or vegetable. But results can be mixed. Set yourself up with the right advice for a bounty harvest in an Australian environment. There is much joy to be had in picking sun-ripened, richly flavoured sweet tomatoes from your own garden. But it's not easy - with summer temps set to soar into the forties - it's time to get serious about garden grown tomatoes.

This week Linda Ross is in her kitchen garden, sharing her tried and trusted tips and techniques from a misspent decade growing all types of tomatoes.

From the essential soil prep ingredients to frameworks, companion plants, feeding, sun protection and seed saving. It's all here in a handy podcast.

More information:

https://www.gardenclinic.com.au/blog/getting-ready-for-tomato-time

https://www.gardenclinic.com.au/blog/tomato-tragics-3-golden-rules

https://www.gardenclinic.com.au/how-to-grow-article/tomato

https://www.gardenclinic.com.au/how-to-grow-article/how-to-fix-your-tomatoes

#gardeningpodcast #podcast #tomatoes #growingtomatoes #howtogrowtomatoes #therapeuticgardening #gardeningastherapy #gardenlife #lindaross #gardeningforlife #itallcomesdowntoplants #greentherapy #tomatotime

Geraniums are an excellent choice for our changing, warming climate. They thrive in bright sunny gardens, hanging out of window-boxes and adorning pots on balconies. And scented varieties are wonderful when picked and placed in a soothing hot bath!

Linda visits Riva Dale's gorgeous and very popular Geranium Cottage in the north west of sydney. It's a hub of activity with a wonderful selection of hybrids, a delicious cafe and homemade jams and jellies.

Linda and Riva discuss how to grow geraniums, the secrets of pinching out, the different varieties from zonal, ivy and scented. We discuss what was Queen Victoria's favourite geranium and give information on pruning and feeding.

Geranium Cottage

Where: 828 Old Northern Rd, Middle Dural

Phone: 02 96520475

Website: www.geraniumcottage.com.au

open 7 days a week from 8am - 4pm. Serve breakfast until 11am and lunch from 12pm. Morning and afternoon teas are available in between times. 50 minute drive from the city, so hop in the car and take Mum or Nanna for a spin.

Facebook

@geraniumcottagenurseryandcafe

Connect with Linda -

@gardenclinicclub

@linda_kirin ross

#gardeningpodcast #geranium #geraniums #geraniumcottage #pelargonium #pelargoniums #scented #rivadale #gardeningastherapy #womaninplants #gardenlife #lindaross #gardeningforlife #itallcomesdowntoplants #greentherapy

Linda chats to Milkwood co-founder Nick Ritar about harvesting seaweed for the garden, starting a summer tomato patch and growing your own mushrooms.

These helpful topics are featured in an inspiring new book ~ Milkwood - Real Skills for Down to Earth Living. Which I'm sure will get you on the right road for growing, making, foraging, keeping, creating, cooking and baking.

As the Milkwood crew says,

"The skills that we learn bind our lives together. Do you want to learn how to grow your own vegetables? Or how to keep bees? How to forage for edible seaweed along the shoreline, or wild greens down by the stream? Maybe you're curious about growing mushrooms or how to grow the perfect tomato.

We invite you to make these skills your own. Designed to be read with a pot of tea by your elbow and a notebook beside you, Milkwood draws on rich seams of knowledge and experience to bring the essence of these five subjects to you in a friendly, let's-get-going format."

Buy the book here

https://www.milkwood.net/book/

Connect on insta -

@milkwood_nick

@milkwood_permaculture

Connect with Linda -

@gardenclinicclub

@linda_kirin ross

In their new book 'The Village', Matt and Lentil describe connecting to your village may just bring the good health, happiness and longevity you seek. Connecting to a simpler way of life where we rely on each other is one of the secrets to the world's blue zones - areas where health, happiness and longevity are at their highest points on the planet. It's about nurturing and being nurtured, it's for everyone who wants to share with the ones you love.

Through their insta page and books Matt and Lentil inspire a new generation to start fermenting, baking sourdough, grow a veggie garden from scratch and cook nourishing wholesome recipes from delicious seasonal ingredients.

Connect with Matt and Lentil through Instagram @grownandgathered And do grab the book. I loved 'all the Nonna's Stale Cake' recipe and my kids loved the eggplant and chickpea lasagne! Linda x