Real World Gardener-Horticulture, Gardening, Learning to Grow

Flowers and Allergies

The reasons behind the allergies

Allergyware.com reports one of the main reasons certain plants and flowers effect people with allergies stems from the plant's gender.

Monoecious plants are ones that have separate male and female flowers living on the same plant, such as a corn plant.

Because the male and female flowers are separated, the males, which contain the pollen, must send the pollen through the air to fertilize the female flowers.

Pollen grains travel through the air in their thousands and even millions, which is why people who are sensitive to this pollen get hay fever.

Plants that are dioecious ( different house), that have either all male flowers only or all female flowers only also rely on wind travel to pollinate these flowers.

Allergy sufferers may want to instead look for what is referred to as "perfect flowers," or ones that contain both female and male parts, like the rose.

This is the best option as these flowers don't need to use air travel to pollinate.

However, some people are sensitive to the perfume of flowers, in which case, the roses is a no-no unless it has little perfume.

What to Avoid

• Most plants in Asteraceae family and that includes Daisies, Gerberas, Sunflowers and Dahlias.

I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini

Sound in Five Senses Gardeneing

Ever wondered how to add drama to your garden with plants?

It’s easier than you think and won’t necessarily hurt the pocket.

You don’t need fancy whirling mobiles or wind sculptures at all.

Certain plants make sound when the wind whistles through them

Let’s find out about what, why and how.

Phormium tenax; NZ Flax makes a rustling sound.

I'm talking with Chris Poulton, Sydney Convenor for the Australian Institute of Horticulture and an experienced horticultural lecturer and consultant.

PLAY: Five Senses in Garden Design Sound_5th September 2018 

Chris says even the leaves of Gingko tree can make a sound when they fall onto a concrete path if it's been raining.

Gingko leaves photo M. Cannon

Yes, you can just pick out plants that will make a sound.

If you have got room for an oak tree or a swathe of Casuarinas.

Tall grasses are definitely ones to choose like Kangaroo grass, fountain grass, or carex .

Then there’s NZ flax and Nandina.

If you have any questions about five senses gardening or have a suggestion either for me or for Chris why not write in or email me at www.realworldgardener.com 

Garlic

Do you remember a time when you refused to eat anything that contained garlic?

How things change as we grow older and as our taste buds develop.

Most of us would probably say now that apart from sweet dishes, we wouldn’t dream of not using garlic all the time.

But which is the best and can you grow your own?

Let’s find out . I'm talking with Ian Hemphill from www.herbies.com.au

PLAY: Garlic_5th September_ 2018

Garlic's been around for thousands of years; even found in the Valley of the Kinfs in Egyptian pyramids.

Grow your own garlic, it's better quality. photo M Cannon

Fact or Fiction?

Garlic was known as "clown's treacle" or "poor man's treace."

It is a fact because "treacle" is an ancient word used to describe something that is used as remedy for all manner of things, including snake bites.!

Garlic has strong anti-microbial properties and is used as a food preservative along with food acids in manufactured food. 

Adding a little extra garlic in some products means that the manufacturer can use less food acid.

Sprouted Garlic?

No worries, you can use it but take out the green strip in the middle of the clove because this tastes bitter.

Did you know that the best way to release the health-happy power of garlic is to cut it, smash or crush it which then turns garlic’s thio-sulfinite compounds into allicin.

Allicin is an antibiotic and antifungal that is believed to reduce “bad” cholesterol, as it inhibits enzymes from growing in liver cells. 

Garlic Powder: Is It any good?

Yes it's good to use but only buy granulated garlic powder. If you do buy other garlic powder, check that rice flour hasn't been added to it.

Of course you can grow your own but stick to the cooler months of the year.

If you have any questions about growing or cooking with garlic either for me or for Ian why not email [email protected] or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Five Senses Gardening: Touch

These days, many people live in high rises and so do their children.

Days, weeks and months can go by when these high rise dwellers don’t make contact with any living plant.

So instead of missing out on the nurturing effect of plants, why not be inspired to bring them into your life?

Let’s find out about what, why and how.

I'm talking with Chris Poulton, Sydney Convenor for the Australian Institute of Horticulture and an experienced horticultural lecturer and consultant.

Mimosa pudica : Nerve Plant

Get your kids involved with plants like Mimosa pudica, or nerve plant whether in a pot on the balcony or on your back doorstep or patio.

Let them touch the plant and see how it reacts by closing up.

Or if you’re an advanced gardener, perhaps a venus fly trap would suit your sunny windowsill in your house or apartment?

There are numerous sensory plants that invite you to feel or just touch them.

Try the felty leaves of Lamb's Ears, or rub the leaves scented geraniums or pelragoniums, 

Feel the rough bark of Casuarinas or Birches, perhaps even an Ironbark Eucalypt.

All of these sensations will awaken our sense of touch.

If you have any questions about five senses gardening or have a suggestion either for me or for Chris why not write in or email me at [email protected]

Gardening in Dry Soil: How to Make Your Soil Healthy

Is your soil healthy and full of earthworms or is it dry, degraded with no sign of anything living?

When you pick up a handful of soil, what colour is it and does it run through your fingers like sand, or stay in a big clump?

All of these things are important to know but here are some ideas to help improve your dry soil so your plants will be more vigorous and healthy. 

Let’s find out .

That was Diane Watkin, co-founder of Biodynamics Sydney.

PLAY: Gardening in Dry Soil_29th August 2018

Neglected soil, degraded soil, sandy soil, all of these possibilities add up to "lifeless dirt."

It's no good putting in a bagful of earthworms because they will surely perish as there is no food for the worms.

To encourage life back into your soil you need to add liquid in the form of compost eat, worm tea, seaweed tea or fish-head tea.

Chelsea Physic Garden photo M Cannon

Also you need to add organic matter in the form of organic or biodynamic compost.

All these things will bring back the microbial life and encourage earthworms to return.

For those gardeners not able to access bio-dynamic compost and any of the preparations Diane talked about, the second best alternative is to use organic compost, especially home-made compost and some sort of seaweed tea, weed tea, or similar.

If you have any questions about improving your soil, either for me or for Diane, why not email [email protected] or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

Fragrance in the garden.

Perfume adds atmosphere and a wonderful feeling of romance to any garden.

The smell of any flower is never really just one single chemical compound. 

Flowers give off a complex mix of volatile organic chemicals, although not all of these will add to the aroma or perfume, a significant number will impact it to varying degrees.

Some scentuous suggestions:

Star Jasmine, Tuberoses, Hyacinth, Daffodil, Roses, Carnations, Hydrangeas, Stephanotis, Honeysuckle.

Violets: Their scent is primarily caused by the presence of compounds called ionones.

Interesting fact: We become used to most persistent smells, our brain registers them as constants and phases them out.

This is why you can get used to the smell of a perfume, so that you no longer notice it.

TIP : Change your perfume every few days so that you can refresh your sense of smell.

But for Violets something else is at play.

The ionones in violets’ are different to every other flower because they are able to somehow bypass our sense of smell, binding to the receptors and temporarily desensitising them.

As this shut-down is only temporary, the ionones can soon be detected again, and are registered as a new smell.

Consequently, the scent of the violet appears to disappear — then reappear!

No wonder Napolean chose violets as his favourite flower.

My favourites: Frangipanis, Angel Trumpet, Stephanotis,  Osmanthus, Gardenia, Cherry pie, Buddleia,  native frangipani, Magnolia champaca.

Some of these fill the garden with their scent, particularly at night, others you have to sniff to get the full scent.

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

Introduction to 5 Sense Gardening

Have you ever thought about the five senses when you think about your garden?

Probably not, but the best way to enjoy your garden is to engage all the senses.

Today we are going to talk about these senses and how to recognise and use them on a daily basis in small and large gardens.

Touch, Smell, Sight, Hearing, Taste are of course the 5 sense, so how do we incorporate these into garden design so each particular sense is invigorated.

Let’s find out about what, why and how.

I'm talking with Chris Poulton, Convener for the Australian Institute of Horticulture, and experienced Horticultural Lecture and Consultant.

Most gardens just have visual appeal, but you’ll enjoy your garden more if there are other

If you have any questions about five senses gardening or have a suggestion either for me or for Chris why not write in or email me at www.realworldgardener.com

Luculia gratissima

The shrub featured this week is an old fashioned shrubs but with outstanding features.

And just like undersized potatoes or oversized apples, they who make decision in the big stores that sell plants, have decided that they won’t be available to the home gardener.

So if you’re looking for a winter flower shrub or small tree with masses of pink fragrant flowers, this one’s for you?

Luculia gratissima

Let’s find out more…

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

While the flowers make an impressive display, the leaves not so much.

The foliage shall we say get’s a little untidy, but gardeners grow it for the flowers not the leaves.

You can prune mature Luculias quite hard to tidy them up, should you be lucky enough to have one growing in your garden.

Tools for the Advanced and Mature Gardener

Over the years, gardeners accumulate quite a number of tools that they regard as essential and wouldn’t be without.

Last week we talked about what you might need if you were a beginner or slightly more advanced gardener.

Cut Above Tools

So now we’re going for tools with more oomph and powered by more than your muscle power.

The reason is that it’s the experienced and the mature gardener that’s getting a look in.

Let’s find out what the experts recommend.

I'm talking with Tony Mattson General Manager of www.cutabovetools.com.au

PLAY: Toolbox part 2-18th July 2018

What do you think, do you agree with Tony’s advanced gardener’s tool kit or would you have chosen something else? 

If you haven’t already, it’s probably time to buy a pair of ratchet secateurs (sek-a terrs) to add to your toolbox. Ratchet secateurs are great for pruning shrubs.

Mature gardeners might want gear action loppers

If you have any questions either for me or Tony, you can email us [email protected] or write in to 2rrr, PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.