Real World Gardener-Horticulture, Gardening, Learning to Grow

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Gaillardia x grandiflora are commonly called Blanket flowers.

Gaillardia "Fanfare."Would

you like to grow dazzling daisy like flowers that get their common name from

the bright colours of blankets?

Gaillardia are a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower

family, Asteraceae, native to North and South America.

Apparently

North American Indians wove really bright blankets and the fields were

these grow look like they’re covered in these blankets.

These are easy to grow plants that have some frost tolerance and definitely can cope with neglect.I'm talking with the plant panel ;- Karen Smith

editor of Hort Journal and Jeremy Critchley, the owner of the Green Gallery Nursery,

which is a wholesale nursery by the way

The shades are red, yellow and orange and now some with pink in them. 

Look for Gaillardia Sunset Cutie and Gaillardia "Fanfare" that has tubular petals.

Gaillardia Sunset Cutie

Regarded as a mushrooming plant, meaning that it goes upwards then

outwards to give it a mushroom habit. Perhaps a low mounding habit might

be a better way to describe their growth.

To grow Gaillardia you need a full sun

position and very well-drained soil.

They prefer

loose, sandy soil that isn't overly fertile. Sounds like poor soils are good for them.

Established

plants are quite drought tolerant.

The petals of some are frilled,

while others have a unique, tubular shape.  Why not try some of these

varieties -Gaillardia 'Tokajer' With marmalade-orange flowers that shade subtly

to peach at the tips, this 60cm variety may need staking.

Gaillardia 'Burgundy' As its name

suggests, this variety bears large, 3 inch wide wine-red blossoms on a 60 – 75

cm tall plant.Gaillardia 'Oranges and Lemons' has

softer colours than other blanket flowers, with peach-colored, yellow-tipped

blossoms with gold central cones on a 60cm tall plant. Hardy.

REAL WORLD GARDENER Wed. 5pm 2RRR 88.5fm Sydney,

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DESIGN ELEMENTS

Shade for Outdoor dining.

This garden series with Garden

Designer Peter Nixon, is all about garden challenges thrown at us mostly by

nature but also due to a situation in your garden that you might need to fix.

So far we’ve been covering hail

damage, but will also cover sun scorch, garden loopers, and today’s garden

challenge is about you and your friend or family are sitting around the outdoor

dining table and then everyone runs indoors because there’s no shade.

Or you might have a fabulous perennial garden with a seating area, but where's the shade?

Shade for Outdoor Dining Needed photo M CannonSo what can you do? Let’s find out. I'm talking with Peter Nixon, garden designer.

You could go for the pergola with the ubiquitous Wisteria growing over it.

Or you could make yourself a shade hut or a dining canopy.

What you could make yourself is a shade hut or a dining canopy.

For

example Peter suggests that you could have 4 galvanised steel posts, 3

1/2 metres apart and over the top of that you could put a canopy such as

Nature Reed.Or if you want a pergola, grow a

deciduous climber on it that will drop it’s leaves in winter so that you can

enjoy some winter sun.

REAL WORLD GARDENER Wed. 5pm 2RRR 88.5fm Sydney,

streaming live at www.2rrr.org.au  and Across Australia on the Community Radio

Network. www.realworldgardener.comREALWORLD GARDENER NOW ON FACEBOOK

The complete CRN edition of RWG is available on http://www.cpod.org.au/ , just click on 2RRR to find this week’s edition

SOIL SAVVY

Phytophthera cinnamomi  or commonly called Dieback

If you’ve ever noticed some browning

off of branches or limbs on your trees and shrubs, chances are you don’t have a

pest but a fungal disease in your soil.

Phytophthera can be isolated if you notice it in one or more plants in your garden because it will affect plants individually.

Phytophthera in the landscape. photo M. Cannon

Although Phytophthera doesn't discriminate as to which plant it affects.

Let’s find out about you can do

about it. I'm talking with Penny Smith, Horticultural Scientist, specialising in soils.

Dieback in Arbutus unedo photo M Cannon

The scientific name of this fungal

dieback is phytophthora cinnamomi  and

this fungus was probably introduced into Australia through European settlement.

It has now spread to affect hundreds

of thousands of hectares of native vegetation, in just about every state in

Australia.

Phytophthera also affects parklands and even Botanic Gardens.

So the big tip was if you think you

have it in your garden when you’re watering your plants that have compost

around it, the phytophthora fungus is less likely to spread through your garden

because the organic matter is an inhibitor to that fungus.

If you have any questions about phytophthora

or any other fungal disease, drop us a line to [email protected] or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW

1675

REAL WORLD GARDENER Wed. 5pm 2RRR 88.5fm Sydney,

streaming live at www.2rrr.org.au  and Across Australia on the Community Radio

Network. www.realworldgardener.com

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The complete CRN edition of RWG is available on http://www.cpod.org.au/ , just click on 2RRR to find this week’s edition.

PLANT OF THE WEEKBrugmansia sp. Angel Trumpets.

Want

to grow a showstopper that stops people in their tracks and even gets them out

of their cars taking photos?Well

this tree is one of those, because when it’s in full flower, it’s spectacular. Plus

in the evening there’s a sweetly scented perfume that wafts through your

bedroom window.Let’s find out more.Angel Trumpet. Brugmansia versicolour photo M Cannon

I'm talking with the plant panel:-Karen Smith

editor of Hort Journal, www.hortjournal.com.au  and

Jeremy Critchley, the owner of the Green Gallery Nursery www.thegreengallery.com.au 

Most

Brugmansia

are fragrant in the evenings which is an adaptation to attract

pollinating moths in the country of origin being the tropical regions of

South America.

Brugmansia

are mostly woody trees or shrubs growing to 3-5 metres, with pendulous, trumpet like,

flowers.

They come

in shades of white, yellow, pink, orange, green, or red.

Flowers may be

single, double, or more.

Brugmansia

are easily grown in a moist, fertile, well-drained soil, in sun to part shade,

in frost-free climates. 

Morning sun is an ideal position for your Angel Trumpet. 

Fertilise with an organic fertiliser during the warm months.

Until recently only a few pale

coloured common varieties were available in Australia.

Now plant breeders have dreamed up

a whole new range. 

Here’s some to get you started;

Aztec Gold with strong lemon yellow flowers and Hot Pink with deep lolly or hot

pink flowers and My Clementine with deep golden yellow frilly double flowers.

Mmmm, must get that one.  

For lovers of gardening books, Alistair Hay's book "Huanduj" has all the new cultivars.

DESIGN ELEMENTS

This garden series with Garden

Designer Peter Nixon, is all about garden challenges thrown at us mostly by

nature but also due to a situation in your garden that you might need to fix.Today’s garden challenge is twofold.Living Fence with Murraya paniculata

 Firstly white cabbage moths can lead

to big troubles not just in your veggie patch and secondly; you may have

inherited a few things that you don’t necessarily like, in particular that

front boundary fence. 

You can change that without it costing too much. 

What about a front living fence:Let’s find out. I'm talking with Peter Nixon, garden

designer.

 Living fence-Muehlenbeckia and Plumbago. photo M Cannon

For a living fence some of the plant

suggestions were Solanum longiflora, Plumbago and Muehlenbeckia, Hibbertia

scandens,

REAL WORLD GARDENER Wed. 5pm 2RRR 88.5fm Sydney,

streaming live at www.2rrr.org.au  and Across Australia on the Community Radio

Network. www.realworldgardener.com

REALWORLD GARDENER NOW ON FACEBOOK

The complete CRN edition of RWG is available on http://www.cpod.org.au/ , just click on 2RRR to find this week’s edition.

PLANT DOCTOR

Tomatoes are almost the number one

plant to grow in the vegetable garden.

Shall we say, botanically a fruit,

but we call it a vegetable?Home grown tomatoes. photo M. Cannon

Last week Plant Doctor looked at the

pests that are attracted to your tomatoes, but today we’re looking at the

diseases that your tomatoes can succumb to.

Not that you can’t grow healthy

plants but in case you’ve had problems and are on the point of giving up,

here’s how to deal with some of these diseases.

I'm talking with Steve Falcioni, General Manager of www.ecoorganicgarden.com.au

Some of the disease problems we talked about are the wilts:-Verticillium wilt which prefers cooler conditions and has a dark brown centre if you cut the stem; Fusarium wilt which occurs more in warmer conditions and has a pinky brown centre when you cut through the stem.

Basically

you have to pull out and destroy the plants and not put them into the

compost because they will the disease will spread.

Then there's the spotty problems like Septoria or Target Spot which are a combination of fungal and bacterial disease. This can cause spotting on both the leaves and the fruit.

You might be starting to think that

there’s too many pests and diseases that go for your tomatoes, but don’t let

that stop you from growing them, because they are enjoyable to grow.

Prevention where possible is always best and fortnightly sprays of seaweed solution strengthens the cell walls of the plant. 

Blossom end rot is not a disease but a calcium deficiency. Sometimes caused by lack of sufficient water or irregular watering during dry times.

Adding a sprinkle of Dolomite around the plant when first putting them in will help solve this problem.

Blossom end rot. photo M Cannon

Another tip is to not have the plants flopping around but staked up and remove the lower leaves.

The biggest tip is to rotate where

you grow your tomato plants rather than planting them in the same spot year

after year.

If you’ve only got one dedicated

spot for your veggie bed, then you may have to rethink where you put these

tomatoes, say in the front garden amongst your perennial flowers.If you have any questions about pests

of tomatoes or have some information to share, drop us a line to [email protected] or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644

Gladesville NSW 1675

REAL WORLD GARDENER Wed. 5pm 2RRR 88.5fm Sydney,

streaming live at www.2rrr.org.au  and Across Australia on the Community Radio

Network. www.realworldgardener.comREALWORLD GARDENER NOW ON FACEBOOK

The complete CRN edition of RWG is available on http://www.cpod.org.au/ , just click on 2RRR to find this week’s editionPLANT OF THE WEEK

NEW FUCHSIAS

As gardeners, we know that flowers have a season.

Some flowers bloom in Spring, like tulips, daffodils and other spring bulbs.

Some flowers bloom in winter, such as Camellias, and Luculia, French Lavender.Fuchsias photo M CannonBut then it’s all over for another year.

Would you like a shrubs, even though it’s relatively small, that flowers all year long?

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 owner of the Green Gallery Nursery www.thegreengallery.com.auJollies Nantes

One of the big tips for any type of Fuchsia, is don't have them sitting around in water because they'll rot; especially young plants.

Two varieties mentioned was Fuchsia ‘electric lights which is a Fuchsia that can be grown in full sun.

 

 

It never gets to more than 30cm so it’s perfect for container planting or front of garden borders.

 

 

 Jollies TarbiesJollies MentonJollies Fuchsia Line is from the German breeder Brandkamp  who have modernized the familiar range of the famous bedding and balcony plant Fuchsia in the last few years.

The Jollies series are named after French towns: Nantes, Menton and Tarbes.

 

 

 

REAL WORLD GARDENER Wed. 5pm 2RRR 88.5fm Sydney,

streaming live at www.2rrr.org.au  and Across Australia on the Community Radio

Network. www.realworldgardener.com

REALWORLD GARDENER NOW ON FACEBOOK

The complete CRN edition of RWG is available on http://www.cpod.org.au/ , just click on 2RRR to find this week’s edition.

DESIGN ELEMENTS

This garden series with Garden Designer Peter Nixon, is all about garden challenges thrown at us mostly by nature but also due to a situation in your garden that you might need to fix.

Today’s garden challenge is for those gardeners that are gardening on alluvial or riparian soil. Alocasia brisbaniensisThat’s soil that’s a big boggy and occasionally gets inundated with water or even might get flooded.

The soil is without much structure and sometimes when you dig into it, it has a sour smell.

If that’ sounds like your type of garden then listen to what you can do to help your soil and your plants to grow better.

Let’s find out… I'm talking with Peter Nixon, garden designer www.peternixon.com.au

The soil develops that sour smell if it's anaerobic, meaning there's no oxygen in the soil.

You can help by incorporating lots of organic matter.

Find yourself a good local source of organic material to

 Ornamental Banana - Ensete ventricosum improve that soil surface.

Even if you build raised beds that are 30cm high, unless they’re shallow rooted, your plants will eventually have to deal with that not so good soil.

If you want to select plants to suit these growing conditions, planting clump forming bamboo, anything from the Aroid family-Calocasia, Alocasia brisbaneiensis, the Taro group and Musa species or banana plants are suitable to grow in this soil.