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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

Real World Gardener is funded by the Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF).

The complete CRN edition of RWG is available on http://www.cpod.org.au/ , just click on 2RRR to find this week’s edition. The new theme is sung by Harry Hughes from his album Songs of the Garden. You can hear samples of the album from the website www.songsofthegarden.com

DESIGN ELEMENTS

with Louise McDaid landscape designer.

So you’ve decided to go ahead with the vertical garden anyway. We’ve mentioned the pitfalls over the last two weeks and today, we’re giving a more positive outlook because we’re assuming you, the gardener still wants the ambiance and presence of a vertical garden.

Vertical Garden photo M Cannon

Vertical gardens can be custom built to suit any area.

You can buy a simple bracket system that supports individual pots. Each panel houses five click-in pots, and can be hung vertically or horizontally.

There are even vertical garden modules you can buy that are made out of bamboo and self- watering. These systems are small enough to fit on any balcony.

Vertical gardens add a natural beauty to any room, courtyard or building and also reduce the urban heat island effect.

Plus plants create a sense of well being so it can’t hurt to squeeze in some more.

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<?xml:namespace prefix = "o" />

REALWORLD GARDENER NOW ON FACEBOOK

Real World Gardener is funded by the Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF).

The complete CRN edition of RWG is available on http://www.cpod.org.au/ , just click on 2RRR to find this week’s edition. The new theme is sung by Harry Hughes from his album Songs of the Garden. You can hear samples of the album from the website www.songsofthegarden.com

TOOL TIME

with general manager Cut Above Tools-Tony Mattson

Bypass secateurs needing cleaning

How many times have you left your secateurs somewhere in the garden and have forgotten where you put them?

Forgetting that you left your garden tools outside is a pretty common problem amongst gardeners, because us gardens can be pretty busy multi-tasking between pruning, weeding and planting.

But if you look after your tools properly they’ll last a lot longer and work better.

Anvil secateurs

When you buy new garden tools, you’ll probably have to decide whether you’re going to get low price/low quality or high price/high quality tools.

But no matter which one you get, they’ll last a bit longer if you look after them by at least wiping them down at the end of the day with the methylated spirits or bleach solution.

We can’t do much about where you left them last except maybe to say, put them down in the same place each time where you’ll notice them.

If you have any questions about cleaning your garden tools or a photo of some tools that you want help with, send it in to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. 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<?xml:namespace prefix = "o" />

REALWORLD GARDENER NOW ON FACEBOOK

Real World Gardener is funded by the Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF).

The complete CRN edition of RWG is available on http://www.cpod.org.au/ , just click on 2RRR to find this week’s edition. The new theme is sung by Harry Hughes from his album Songs of the Garden. You can hear samples of the album from the website www.songsofthegarden.com

TOOL TIME

with general manager Cut Above Tools-Tony Mattson

Bypass secateurs needing cleaning

How many times have you left your secateurs somewhere in the garden and have forgotten where you put them?

Forgetting that you left your garden tools outside is a pretty common problem amongst gardeners, because us gardens can be pretty busy multi-tasking between pruning, weeding and planting.

But if you look after your tools properly they’ll last a lot longer and work better.

Anvil secateurs

When you buy new garden tools, you’ll probably have to decide whether you’re going to get low price/low quality or high price/high quality tools.

But no matter which one you get, they’ll last a bit longer if you look after them by at least wiping them down at the end of the day with the methylated spirits or bleach solution.

We can’t do much about where you left them last except maybe to say, put them down in the same place each time where you’ll notice them.

If you have any questions about cleaning your garden tools or a photo of some tools that you want help with, send it in to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. 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<?xml:namespace prefix = "o" />

REALWORLD GARDENER NOW ON FACEBOOK

Real World Gardener is funded by the Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF).

The complete CRN edition of RWG is available on http://www.cpod.org.au/ , just click on 2RRR to find this week’s edition. The new theme is sung by Harry Hughes from his album Songs of the Garden. You can hear samples of the album from the website www.songsofthegarden.com

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Ivory Curl Tree. Buckinghamia celsissima

Do you need a fast growing tree?

If you do, then you can’t go past this one then because it’s a robust native tree, you can keep it low by pruning, it’s evergreen and has creamy fragrant spires of flowers in summer and autumn.

A native of northern <?xml:namespace prefix = "st1" />Queensland coastal rainforests, where it grows on deep well-drained volcanic soils.

Rainforest plants can be grown in most gardens provided they are given protection from the extremes of heat, cold and the drying winds.

Buckinghamia celsissima is a hardy reliable flowering tree which is often used as a street tree in many areas because of its adaptability.

It can either be grown as a tree, or be kept pruned as a shrub.

Ideally, ivory curl tree prefers full sun and deep well-drained soil, where it will develop a dense, compact, rounded crown of deep green leaves.

New growth is flushed bronze/red. Moderately fast growth can be expected if well-watered and fertilized in summer.

Although watering is necessary initially, once established, rainforest plants require no more water than other garden plants.

Ivory curl tree flowers, sort of look like those of Grevilleas, and native birds just love them as do bees because they’re a good food source.

Bushy foliage is made up of slender, shiny green leaves that have a velvety underside. New growth often has a pinkish red tinge.   Worth a try.

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<?xml:namespace prefix = "o" />

REALWORLD GARDENER NOW ON FACEBOOK

Real World Gardener is funded by the Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF).

The complete CRN edition of RWG is available on http://www.cpod.org.au/ , just click on 2RRR to find this week’s edition. The new theme is sung by Harry Hughes from his album Songs of the Garden. You can hear samples of the album from the website www.songsofthegarden.com

DESIGN ELEMENTS

with Jason Cornish landscape designer.

You might’ve seen green walls on gardening programs on television, in magazines or in situ inside a building or even on the outside.

You might’ve even though of building one to hide an ugly view but were put off by the cost and well, do the plants last in green walls?

Today’s landscape designer doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to describing the pitfalls that greenwalls or vertical gardens have.

Jason also describes a simple method he thinks is a simple but foolproof design for a DIY vertical garden

There are lots of things to consider if planning a green wall, and I think you have to be really handy to build one yourself.

Otherwise buy one of those vertical garden modules that are easy to install and don’t require attaching to a fence.

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<?xml:namespace prefix = "o" />

REALWORLD GARDENER NOW ON FACEBOOK

Real World Gardener is funded by the Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF).

The complete CRN edition of RWG is available on http://www.cpod.org.au/ , just click on 2RRR to find this week’s edition. The new theme is sung by Harry Hughes from his album Songs of the Garden. You can hear samples of the album from the website www.songsofthegarden.com

WILDLIFE IN FOCUS



Greater Crested Tern



with ecologist sue Stevens

The Greater Crested Tern is the second largest of 18 different terns found in Australia.

Like most terns, the Greater Crested Tern catches its prey by plunge-diving.

They first locate their prey by hovering above the surface of the water, before swooping down and either picking food from the surface or diving below to catch its prey.

They even try to steal food from others in the same family.

The Greater Crested Tern is found around sandy beaches with fish and safe breeding sites that includes sand dunes with spinifex.

The Crested tern is an adaptable species that has learned to follow fishing boats for jettisoned bycatch, and to use unusual nest sites such as the roofs of buildings and artificial islands in salt pans and sewage works.

The greater crested tern is vulnerable because they nest on the ground so dogs let loose on the beach can scare them off leaving in the eggs to chicks exposed.

Also the tern's eggs and young are taken by gulls and ibises, and human activities such as fishing, shooting and egg harvesting have caused local population declines.

You can help protect the Greater Crested Tern by:

organising a day to pick-up litter on your local beach

 not getting too close to tern nests as disturbance can distract them from caring for their young.

If you have any questions about Crested Terns or a photo send it in to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.