May 30th, 2019
PLANT OF THE WEEK
Clerodendron Ugandense: Butterfly Bush
There are plenty of shrubs that are called by the common name of Butterfly Bush so it can be confusing if you want a particular one but don’t know the botanical name.
Some are called butterfly bush because they attract butterflies in that they have heaps of nectar and a landing pad for the butterflies to rest on while they’re having a drink.
Others are called butterfly bush because the flowers look like little butterflies.
But first, let’s find out about this plant.

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
We mentioned several different varieties namely
- Clerodendron thomsonii, the white flowered climber,
- Clerodendron schmidtii _white flowered shrub
- Clerodendron ugandense-the blue flowered shrub
If you have any questions about growing this particular butterfly bush either for me or for any of the plant panel, then why not write in to
May 30th, 2019
DESIGN ELEMENTS
Old Fashioned Plants for the Hot Sub-Tropics
What to plant in those parts of Australia which have no rain for months, and then never ending rain in others?
What if they don’t get rain for 12 months like in Madagascar?
You need plants that can store water but look good.
What is on offer for the hot dry sub-tropics. Let’s find out.
I'm talking with Peter Nixon, garden Designer & project Manager from Paradisus Garden design.
Cool sub-tropics is not a zone you would normally think of but there it is.

Peter mentioned these plants
- Cussonia paniculata-the Mountain Cabbage tree from Sth Africa
- Brachychiton bidwillii-exceeds 10m over a long time.
- Brachychiton rupestris-Qld Bottle tree
- Pachypodoium geayi or P lamerei -similar white flowers to Frangipani
- Gardenia aubreyi-white flower- a small gardenia like tree
- Adenium obesum-the Desert Rose- with a swollen base or caudex and fleuro coloured flowers.
- Zamiocalcus zamiifolia-ZZ plant, no water in winter for semi-shade.
- Ephipyllum oxypetalum-queen of the night.
- E. anguliger and Epiphyllum 'Curly Sue' Guatemalense Monstrose.
May 30th, 2019
THE GOOD EARTH
Brassicas are a large family of plants which include not just white cauliflowers and green broccoli, but all manner of purple caulis, purple sprouting broccoli and purple or green cabbages just to mention a few.

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Lovely cabbages Photo: Margaret Mossakowska
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There’s even a veg that’s a cross between brussel sprouts and kale, called Brukale. Whatever next?
So what’s needed to grow the best brassicas? Let’s find out more.
I'm talking with Margaret Mossakowska from Moss House.
LIVE: Growing Brassicas_22nd_ May 2019
TIPS: Don't overdo high nitrogen fertilisers for the heading brassicas such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflowers. That means blood 'n' bone, and chook poo pellets.
Too much nitrogen will result in smaller heads.
- Be careful what you use to control pests on your brassicas, so that you don’t kill ladybird, hoverfly and lacewing larvae which are all beneficial insects.
- Margaret's tip is to use upturned wire baskets that you may have seen in offices from days gone by.
- These may be obtained from recycle stores or from the $2 shop.
- When the cabbages or other brassicas have outgrown these baskets, you can then cover them with exclusion netting.

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Exclusion netting photo: Margaret Mossakowska www.mosshouse.com.au
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If you have any questions either for me or for Margaret, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
VEGETABLE HEROES
May 23rd, 2019
THE GOOD EARTH
Plastic is back in the media as being bad for the environment, so much so, that some countries have banned the use of plastic bags.
Soft plastics such as what you use for wrapping your sandwiches are just as much of a problem as the bags because, it doesn’t break down ever.
So what else can you wrap your sandwiches in other than putting it in a plastic container?
So let’s find out.

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Beeswax wraps for food storage
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I'm talking with Margaret Mossakowska, Director of www.mosshouse.com.au and course coordinator for Permaculture North in Sydney.
PLAY: Beeswax wraps_15th May 2019 (rpt 14th June 2017)
You can spend the dollars and buy the ready-made beeswax wraps, or you can do it yourself quite cheaply.
How to Make Beeswax wraps
40 x 40 cm piece of cotton. Quilting cotton density.
Jojoba oil in a spray bottle.
So go on, kick the plastic habit and make some beeswax wraps yourself
May 23rd, 2019
DESIGN ELEMENTS
Old Fashioned Shrubs for Cool Sub-tropical part 2
This series is all about what were those old fashioned shrubs that you may have some of in your garden.
Last week was part 1 of cool sub-tropics which is a zoning not mentioned before by any gardening book I know.

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Leopard plant
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Peter has added this zoning to cover parts of the east coast that are warm and humid but not as warm and humid as say Cairns or Townsville.
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 2 15th May 2019
Cool sub-tropics is not a zone you would normally think of but there it is.
Peter mentioned plants for shade:
Gerberas;
Barleria cristata -Lavendar lace
Lobelia laxiflora 1.2m height with orange/yellow flowers;
Ruellia mackoyana-groundcover
Plants for semi-shade:
Farfugia japonicum aureomaculatum-Leopard plant
Plectranthus ecklonii and P. grandis with blue flowers
If you have any questions for Peter or for me, you know what to do..
May 23rd, 2019
PLANT OF THE WEEK
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.

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Rosemary flowers
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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 realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
May 20th, 2019
TALKING PLANTS
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.
- Good companion plant because they attract pollinators and improve soil quality.
- Be mindful not to water marigolds from the top. If their blooms get too wet, they will often turn into a mushy brown mess.
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
May 20th, 2019
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.

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Aucuba japonica
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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.
- Aucuba japonica-gold dust plant ; Japanese Maple
- Selection of Fuchsias eg Tom Thumb.
- On the northern side: Hibiscus mutabilis; Rothmannia globosa-September Bells
- Thevetia peruviana-Yellow Oleander; Hibiscus schizopetalus
- Melastoma affine-Blue Tongue; Eriostemen_Philotheca myoporoides
If you have any questions for Peter or for me, you know what to do..
May 20th, 2019
BACKYARD BIODYNAMICS
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.

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Weeds are plants that are not wanted
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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.

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Stellaria media-Chickweed
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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 realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
May 15th, 2019
PLANT OF THE WEEK
Daphne 'Perfume Princess'
If you love fragrance, you’re probably going to buy plants that aren’t supposed to do well in your district.

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Daphne Perfume Princess photo M Cannon
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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.
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