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 DOCTOR

with Steve Falcioni, general manager of www.ecoorganicgarden.com.au

Lawn Armyworm

Blenheim Palace, England photo M Cannon

Did you know that the word for a patch of grass or managed grass space was called "lawn", from only about the 16^th century, but not before?

Do you love your lawn but something seems to always attack it?

Sometimes it’s those pesky hard to get rid of weeds, like onion weed, creeping oxalis and nutgrass.

Or sometimes it’s strange round spots that are either yellow, or white or just brown bare patches that seem to appear overnight.

These bare patches are the first thing you'll notice with this particular lawn problem.

Listen to the podcast to find out more

These caterpillars or lawn armyworm is different from fungal diseases of leaves because  bare one leaves bare patches and the latter leaves brown patches.

The lawn armyworm eats blades of grass right down to the roots and doesn't prefer any particular type of grass.

If you have these caterpillars they are a dull grey-green often with black markings on the sides of their bodies and about 4 1/2 cm long.

Looking out for the moth laying eggs seems to be out of the question unless you’re a night owl.

But there’s a pretty easy organic solution to control lawn armyworm as long as you act as soon as you soon your lawn dying back.

To test you lawn for lawn armyworm, throw on a bucket of soapy water at the places where the bare patches meet the still living grass.

If they're there, the armyworm will come up for air.

You can rake them up  but you may miss the new hatchlings. Alternatively, use the one treatment with Neem Oil.

Organic solutions are quick, easy and effective so there’s no need to reach for anything for anything more toxic.

If you have any questions about lawn armyworm or a photo of a lawn problem in your garden you want to share, 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

with Jeremy Critchley owner www.thegreengallery.com.au

and Karen Smith, editor of www.hortjournal.com.au

Why is rosemary used for remembrance?

Is it because the smell of rosemary is thought to improve the memory?

Greek scholars apparently wore rosemary in their hair to help them while they studied.

For Australians rosemary has a direct link with Gallipoli, where our troops fought in 1915, and here, rosemary can be found growing wild all over the peninsula.

Listen to the podcast to find out more about Gallipoli Rosemary.

Find out more about the Avenue of Honors project

http://www.avenuesofhonour.org/leafy-legends/gallipoli-rosemary/

As early as 1584, rosemary has been used for remembrance and an emblem for particular occasions such as funerals and weddings or as a decoration for brides dating from 1601.

Rosemary is a tough evergreen shrub grown for aromatic foliage and pretty flowers.  

Very compact variety with pale blue flowers growing to 1m

Like all rosemarys, full sun is best, and they are also frost tolerant, suit coastal planting and windy positions.  Prefer well drained soils.

Landscape Ideas-Makes a great low hedge.

 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 Glenice Buck landscape designer

DESIGN PROCESS Part1

Whether or not you already have a nice garden doesn’t mean it can’t be updated.

But does it mean you do the updating yourself or do you get in one of those professional landscape designers?

Listen to the podcast to find out more about the design process.





You probably wouldn’t update your house without consulting a builder or architect, so updating your garden might be on the ‘to do’ list too.

Choosing someone to give you a “go to” or concept plan that will see your garden develop into the future sounds like a good idea.

 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 Glenice Buck landscape designer

DESIGN PROCESS Part1

Whether or not you already have a nice garden doesn’t mean it can’t be updated.

But does it mean you do the updating yourself or do you get in one of those professional landscape designers?

Listen to the podcast to find out more about the design process.





You probably wouldn’t update your house without consulting a builder or architect, so updating your garden might be on the ‘to do’ list too.

Choosing someone to give you a “go to” or concept plan that will see your garden develop into the future sounds like a good idea.

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, Tony Mattson from www.cutabovetools.com.au

Do you know what type of secateurs you have?

What about the blades? What are they made of?

Bypass secateurs and snips

If you’re hands get tired easily when you use your secatuers, maybe they’re not right for you and you need to change either the size or type.

Choosing different handles for perfect grip

Just to remind you bypass secateurs have two blades and work like a pair of scissors with the blades passing each other to make the cut.

They are suitable for cutting delicate stems as the action is less likely to cause bruising to the stem.

Anvil secateurs have one blade which closes on to a flat surface. They are better for cutting hard woody stems as the blade is less likely to stick to the stem as it cuts.

Choosing the right blade.

Blades aren't made from 100% stainless steel for general gardening use.

Some nurseries to have all steel blades if they're being used to cut acidic plants like eggplants.

These quality blades need to be sharpened more regularly.

Good blades have 10% carbon in them so that they're not overly brittle but still hard and can be sharpened regularly.

Some blades are made from recycled metal.

Always ask what the blades are made of but cost is reflected in the quality of the blades and in fact the whole secateurs.

One other thing; don’t try to cut stems that are thicker than your thumb, that’s what loppers are for.

If you try and cut stems that are too thick you’ll damage the blade and your secateurs won’t last as long as they should.

If you have any questions about secateurs or any other garden tools or a photo of some tools that you want help with, write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.