Real World Gardener-Horticulture, Gardening, Learning to Grow

Herbal: Rosmarinus officinalis: Rosemary

Dew of the sea, what can that be?

Not a rhyme but a riddle about which herb that grows by the coast, and is used by herbalists and naturopaths.

Rosemary flowers

With a pretty little flower either white, pink or blue and needle like leaves, this herb grows easily and has a minty-sage or pine like flavour. 

No surprises that it belongs to the mint family. ( Lamiaceae).

Let’s find out more. I'm talking with Simone Jeffries, herbalist and naturopath. www.simonejeffriesnaturopath.com.au

LIVE: Rosemary_15th_ May 2019

The herb rosemary, is pretty hardy in any climate zone and most soils.

One thing it detests is wet feet being a herb originating from the Mediterranean.

Rosemary leaves contain many essential components and strictly speaking, the distilled oil isn't a real oil because it contains no fat.

The main chemical components of rosemary oil include a-pinene, borneol, b-pinene, camphor, bornyl acetate, camphene, 1,8-cineole, and limonene.

Rosemary is regarded as a memory herb, probably because it helps your blood to circulate.

Good for tension headaches and energises you if you drink it as a tea

Steep a large bunch in hot water for 10 minutes in this case.

In Cooking:

Use it scones and orange cake or saute rosemary and fresh mushrooms with some butter. 

In stuffing for chicken, combine rosemary with thyme and sage with either rice or breadcrumbs. Delicious!

If you have any questions either for me or for Simone drop us a line to [email protected] or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

Marigolds: Tagetes erect: Tagetes patula

Native to North and South America

• Sowing: They take off easily from seed, either grown indoors during the winter months or sown directly into the soil when it’s warmer out.

Did you know that one variety of the flower is even fed to chickens so that egg yolks have a more perfect yellow colour?

Myth or Fact?

Legend has it that Mother Mary of the Christian tradition was robbed by bandits, but when they cut open her purse all that fell out were yellow flowers, something that would one day by named “marigold” (Mary’s gold) in her honour.

Or was it because early Christians placed flowers instead of coins on Mary’s altar as offerings?

I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini of www.floralgossip.com.au

DESIGN ELEMENTS

5 Old Fashioned Shrubs Cool Sub-Tropical Part 1

Last week I mentioned that gone are the days when you had lots of variety in garden centres to choose from.

This series is all about what were those old fashioned shrubs.

But we’re not just doing a blanket five but going through each climate zone in Australia, including some of Peter Nixon’s zoning.

Aucuba japonica

Some of these other zones might suit your area as well even though they’re classified as say arid or sub-tropical.

It all depends on whether or not you’ve got a micro-climate in your garden that will suit.

Let’s find out what old fashioned shrubs suit cool temperate areas.

I'm talking with Peter Nixon, garden Designer & project Manager from Paradisus Garden design.

PLAY: Old Fashioned Shrubs cool sub-tropics part 1 8th May 2019

Cool sub-tropics is not a zone you would normally think of but there it is.

Peter mentioned for the south side: shady

• Platycodon homalocladium or bad hair day plant.

If you have any questions for Peter or for me, you know what to do..

Weed Tea

Have you ever though of weeds as messengers?

Probably not because like most gardeners, when we see weeds, we think of the work that’s needed to either pull them out or spray them with something or other.

Technically, weeds are classified as those plants which are growing in the wrong place as identified by the gardener. Weeds in paths and driveways are one example.

Weeds are plants that are not wanted

Either way, it often involves a bit of back breaking work which over the years doesn’t get any easier.

But is there a good side to the weed story?

Let’s find out. I'm talking with Diane Watkin, founder of Backyard Biodynamics Sydney,

Take heed of what weeds you have in the garden before you pull them out. 

Identifying weeds by soil type can help you determine what your soil may ultimately be lacking.

If you have poorly drained soil for example, you may find that chickweed, spurge, violet, moss, knotweed and sedge  likes to grow there.

Stellaria media-Chickweed

chickweed and Spurge are also indicators of alkaline soil.

Weeds can also help you pinpoint nutrient deficiencies.

Thistles indicate lack of Magnesium and Copper.

Both are trace elements which is easy enough to treat your soil for.

Clover in your lawn indicates lack of nitrogen too..Another easy fix. 

Weed Tea Brew For Your Garden

Weeds are also good accumulators of specific nutrients.

Put this back into your soil by making a weed tea: all you need to do is steep a bucket of weeds (not seeded) in water for several weeks.

The resulting brew, can be diluted and poured back into the garden.

If you have any questions either for me or for Dianne, drop us a line to [email protected] or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

Daphne 'Perfume Princess'

If you love fragrance, you’re probably going to buy plants that aren’t supposed to do well in your district.

Daphne Perfume Princess photo M Cannon

Plants like Luculia, or Lilac (Syringia vulgaris) which are for cool climates mostly.

There’s another plant that has a reputation of keeling over without warning, but gardeners still want to grow if because of its high fragrance.

Now, there’s a new variety with flowers double or triple the size of the old species (Daphne odora) and hopefully, a bit more resistant to some of the problems that plagued the predecessor.

So, what so good about it? 

Let’s find out.….

I'm talking with Karen Smith, editor of Hort Journal www.hortjournal.com.au and Jeremy Critchley, The Green Gallery wholesale nursery owner. www.thegreengallery.com.au

• Daphne Perfume Princess is apparently no ordinary Daphne and should be on every plant collector’s list.

Not only are the flowers bigger than the species Daphne, but it flowers longer, can grow anywhere in Australia and it has the strongest fragrance of any Daphne.

A definite must have.