Real World Gardener-Horticulture, Gardening, Learning to Grow

TOOL TIME

Garden RakesGarden rakes have got to be one of the many of the must have tools in a garden shed. But like the old successful tv ad about engine oils where they said, oils aint oils, the same applies to garden rakes. There’s no one formula that suits all garden situations, but some are more flexible than others, Let’s find out more. 

I'm talking with Tony Mattson of www.cutabovetools.com.au Do you hate raking the leaves because your garden rake catches on everything aor is heavy so the job is tiring?

Believe me when I say, that once you find the right garden rake, one that is light, adjustable, with tines that seem to scoop up leaves without too much effort, then happy days.

The rake with the adjustable fan width and handle height seems to be the most versatile of rakes and would be a great addition to the tools in the garden shed. 

Tony mention that out of the plastic rakes, Polyamide nylon and high impact nylon will last a lot longer but of course will cost a bit more. 

There is also specific rakes for dethatching lawn, or raking up gravel or spreading soil.

These are all different to the rakes that are for raking leaves. 

Why is it that gardens seem to have lots of leaves?If you want to know more or if you have any questions about garden rakes, why not email [email protected] or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

TOOL TIME

Garden RakesGarden rakes have got to be one of the many of the must have tools in a garden shed. But like the old successful tv ad about engine oils where they said, oils aint oils, the same applies to garden rakes. There’s no one formula that suits all garden situations, but some are more flexible than others, Let’s find out more. 

I'm talking with Tony Mattson of www.cutabovetools.com.au Do you hate raking the leaves because your garden rake catches on everything aor is heavy so the job is tiring?

Believe me when I say, that once you find the right garden rake, one that is light, adjustable, with tines that seem to scoop up leaves without too much effort, then happy days.

The rake with the adjustable fan width and handle height seems to be the most versatile of rakes and would be a great addition to the tools in the garden shed. 

Tony mention that out of the plastic rakes, Polyamide nylon and high impact nylon will last a lot longer but of course will cost a bit more. 

There is also specific rakes for dethatching lawn, or raking up gravel or spreading soil.

These are all different to the rakes that are for raking leaves. 

Why is it that gardens seem to have lots of leaves?If you want to know more or if you have any questions about garden rakes, why not email [email protected] or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Assessing Fire Damaged Gardens Part 1

This series is about the task of assessing and rebuilding a garden after a fire event.

How to tell if the plant is viable, what to do with soil that’s been burnt and has a layer of ash, and what to think about when choosing plants to replant those that didn’t recover.

So let’s start off with assessing what plants remain.

I'm talking withWayne van Balen, immediate past president of the Institute of Horticulture.

PLAY: Assessing Fire Damaged Plants_5th February 2020

The recent bushfires in Australia has seen how fire can damage and even kill trees in your backyard. The extent of the damage depends on how hot and how long the fire burned. 

Many fires were out-of-control fire damaging trees in your garden in various ways. 

Some trees were completely or partially consumed, which leads to drying out or just plain scorching.

Some trees were simply just singed.

Many trees damaged by fire can recover, given your help.

This is particularly true of Australian native trees that have adaptations to recover from fire, when they were injured.

 But the first thing to do, even before you start helping fire damaged trees, is to determine the ones that need to be removed.

The big tip is to not rush out to cut everything down that looks scorched and burnt.

Plants, native or not, can regenerate but it may take some time.

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Assessing Fire Damaged Gardens Part 1

This series is about the task of assessing and rebuilding a garden after a fire event.

How to tell if the plant is viable, what to do with soil that’s been burnt and has a layer of ash, and what to think about when choosing plants to replant those that didn’t recover.

So let’s start off with assessing what plants remain.

I'm talking withWayne van Balen, immediate past president of the Institute of Horticulture.

PLAY: Assessing Fire Damaged Plants_5th February 2020

The recent bushfires in Australia has seen how fire can damage and even kill trees in your backyard. The extent of the damage depends on how hot and how long the fire burned. 

Many fires were out-of-control fire damaging trees in your garden in various ways. 

Some trees were completely or partially consumed, which leads to drying out or just plain scorching.

Some trees were simply just singed.

Many trees damaged by fire can recover, given your help.

This is particularly true of Australian native trees that have adaptations to recover from fire, when they were injured.

 But the first thing to do, even before you start helping fire damaged trees, is to determine the ones that need to be removed.

The big tip is to not rush out to cut everything down that looks scorched and burnt.

Plants, native or not, can regenerate but it may take some time.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Chamaedorea elegans: Parlour palm

Do you love or hate palm trees? The gardening community is divided into two groups, those that love the palm trees and those that hate them. Probably because people persist in growing the environment weed, the cocos palm, which although grows really fast, is particularly ugly.

Chamaedorea elegans: Parlour palm

There are many more well behaved palms and more lovely palms out there. So let’s find out. I'm talking with the plant panel were Jeremy Critchley of www.thegreengallery.com.au and Karen Smith, editor of www.hortjournal.com.au Chamaedorea elegans is in the class of smaller palm trees, that is also one of the most palms sold around the world.

Parlour palm makes a fabulous indoor specimen because of its leaf fronds that emanate as a cluster from the base. It's also known to purify the air indoors (NASA list of top 50 plants) as well as tolerate low light levels.You can keep the parlour palm indoors for many years, but planted out in the garden under other leafy palms or larger leaved shrubs, it grows as a bushy alternative to the single trunks of most other palms. Plus, you don’t have dropping palm fronds like you do with cocos palms and a few others.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Chamaedorea elegans: Parlour palm

Do you love or hate palm trees? The gardening community is divided into two groups, those that love the palm trees and those that hate them. Probably because people persist in growing the environment weed, the cocos palm, which although grows really fast, is particularly ugly.

Chamaedorea elegans: Parlour palm

There are many more well behaved palms and more lovely palms out there. So let’s find out. I'm talking with the plant panel were Jeremy Critchley of www.thegreengallery.com.au and Karen Smith, editor of www.hortjournal.com.au Chamaedorea elegans is in the class of smaller palm trees, that is also one of the most palms sold around the world.

Parlour palm makes a fabulous indoor specimen because of its leaf fronds that emanate as a cluster from the base. It's also known to purify the air indoors (NASA list of top 50 plants) as well as tolerate low light levels.You can keep the parlour palm indoors for many years, but planted out in the garden under other leafy palms or larger leaved shrubs, it grows as a bushy alternative to the single trunks of most other palms. Plus, you don’t have dropping palm fronds like you do with cocos palms and a few others.

THE GOOD EARTH

Unusual Trees for Your GardenDo you have fruit or nut trees growing in your garden? Picking fresh fruits from your own tree, is a different experience altogether to buying the same produce from a shop.

Moringa oleifera with seed pods

However, not everyone has the space for an orchard, and growing fruits in a small space may seem like a daunting task. With the right selection of fruits for small spaces, though, you can enjoy picking fruits off the tree in your own backyard. 

I'm talking with Margaret Mossakowska director of www.mosshouse.com.au 

Jabuticaba

Margaret mentioned Moringa olifeira or drumstick tree, horseradish tree or just miracle tree, is best in subtropical  dry, hot areas. Think arid regions, and you have the right environment. All parts of the tree are edible not just for us but as fodder for animals as well.Jabuticaba or Brazilian grape tree is in the Myrtaceae family, along qith the allspice tree (Pimenta doica) and eucalypts.

The way the fruits grow is known as "cauliflory," in other words they grow up the trunk and branches of the tree.

 If you can grow Jacaranda you grow this tree. Acer saccharum or sugar maple for cooler districts. If you want to know more or if you have any questions about these unusual trees, why not email [email protected] or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

THE GOOD EARTH

Unusual Trees for Your GardenDo you have fruit or nut trees growing in your garden? Picking fresh fruits from your own tree, is a different experience altogether to buying the same produce from a shop.

Moringa oleifera with seed pods

However, not everyone has the space for an orchard, and growing fruits in a small space may seem like a daunting task. With the right selection of fruits for small spaces, though, you can enjoy picking fruits off the tree in your own backyard. 

I'm talking with Margaret Mossakowska director of www.mosshouse.com.au 

Jabuticaba

Margaret mentioned Moringa olifeira or drumstick tree, horseradish tree or just miracle tree, is best in subtropical  dry, hot areas. Think arid regions, and you have the right environment. All parts of the tree are edible not just for us but as fodder for animals as well.Jabuticaba or Brazilian grape tree is in the Myrtaceae family, along qith the allspice tree (Pimenta doica) and eucalypts.

The way the fruits grow is known as "cauliflory," in other words they grow up the trunk and branches of the tree.

 If you can grow Jacaranda you grow this tree. Acer saccharum or sugar maple for cooler districts. If you want to know more or if you have any questions about these unusual trees, why not email [email protected] or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Pycnosurus globusus: Billy Buttons

Do you like the sound of a plant that has flowers like buttons the size of your thumb but on stalks, with grey strappy leaves?

What if I tell you it’s an Australian native, a perennial and loves dry weather, would you be interested then?

I'm talking with Adrian O’Malley native plant expert and horticulturist. 

Let’s find out about it

Billy buttons is a dense groundcover that spreads around 50cm in width.

Supported by an underground rhizome which allows it spread.

Grow it from seed, grow it from division, but just grow this sturdy groundcover like plant with yellow buttons made up of thousands of tiny flowers on tall stalks.

Botanical Bite: The flower is a pseudanthium consisting of between three and eight florets surrounded by bracts.

The petals are joined to form a small tube and the florets with their surrounding bracts are yellow or golden-yellow.

each flower head may contain over a thousand individual flowers.

Best is less humid climates, although it can be grown in temperate regions of the east coast.

Short lived perennial, 3-4 years.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Pycnosurus globusus: Billy Buttons

Do you like the sound of a plant that has flowers like buttons the size of your thumb but on stalks, with grey strappy leaves?

What if I tell you it’s an Australian native, a perennial and loves dry weather, would you be interested then?

I'm talking with Adrian O’Malley native plant expert and horticulturist. 

Let’s find out about it

Billy buttons is a dense groundcover that spreads around 50cm in width.

Supported by an underground rhizome which allows it spread.

Grow it from seed, grow it from division, but just grow this sturdy groundcover like plant with yellow buttons made up of thousands of tiny flowers on tall stalks.

Botanical Bite: The flower is a pseudanthium consisting of between three and eight florets surrounded by bracts.

The petals are joined to form a small tube and the florets with their surrounding bracts are yellow or golden-yellow.

each flower head may contain over a thousand individual flowers.

Best is less humid climates, although it can be grown in temperate regions of the east coast.

Short lived perennial, 3-4 years.