September 27th, 2020
PLANT OF THE WEEK
Thryptomene sp and Thryptomene saxicola F.C.Payne
There are some plants that can be forgiven for not doing much for most of the year, then, when they come into flower, they become the star of the garden.
In a way, they behave like a spring or summer bulbs, because they’re practically invisible until they pop out and flower their heads off.
So what is this Thryptomene which I have been alluding to?
Let’s find out more…
I'm talking with Adrian O’Mally, qualified horticulturist and native plant expert.
PLAY:Thryptomene NEW_26th August 2020
Rock thryptomene is as close to a common name as you'll get for this plant.
Growth is as for a sub-shrub 0.75 – 1.5m tall by 1 – 1.5 wide.
- Adrian came across seven thryptomene planted along a bank with a south-east aspect.
- They had grown leggy so to keep your shrub bushy, keep up the formative pruning in the early stages.
- Doing this you will able to keep the shrub to 60cm in height.
Thryptomene is evergreen with a slightly weeping habit and aromatic small leaves are small.
You may find it as a filler in bouquets because the tiny 5-petalled flowers blend well with larger flowers of any kind.
Thryptomene saxicola (pictured below)
Thryptomene paynei, then newly introduced to New Zealand was "raised by FC Payne of Adelaide".
F.C. Payne was the owner of "The Sanctuary" plant nursery in Ashton, in the Adelaide hills of South Australia who promoted the use of Australian native plants in local gardens.
By 1967 the cultivar had become a "garden favourite" in Australia and was featured in a gardening guide for native plants in The Australian Women's Weekly.
Bird and insect attracting plants always make a lovely addition to your garden.
Look out for the different cultivars of thryptomene in your nursery or big box store this spring, because there won’t be many, and they’ll be snapped up quick smart. If you have any questions about anything gardening, why not email us
realworldgardener@gmail.com
June 19th, 2020
VEGETABLE GARDENING: Growing Your Own
COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID & TIPS TO MAKE IT BETTER
I would imagine, most listeners to this show would have a vegetable garden, but perhaps there’s also some new listeners new to gardening?
This next interview will take you through some of the most common mistakes that gardeners make when starting out and what to do to avoid them.
- Amount of sun: plants need the sun to photosynthesise in order to grow into healthy plants
Veggies will take 6 hours of sun to grow really well. Whether it's morning or afternoon sun doesn't matter so much.
In cities and built up areas, sun may be insufficient to grow all of the range of vegetables.
Stick with leafy crops such as celery, cabbage family-broccoli, kale, lettuce.
Vegetables need to consume plenty of water because they're consuming a lot of nutrients as they are expanding lots of energy in growing.
Increase the amount of water holding capacity in your soil by adding compost, heaps and heaps of it.
Adding compost and worm castings will improve the structure of the soil which will also help with drainage.
I am talking with Toni Salter Toni Salter who is The Veggie Lady
June 16th, 2020
Orchid Cut Flowers
Potted plants:
Like other orchid species, humidity is important for the best growth.
- a small tray of rocks or pebbles should be used for potted plants
Water should be added to keep the pebbles covered at all times.
Damp soil is important during peak growing and blooming seasons.
A good orchid potting bark that retains some moisture should be used.
- Daily misting should be used to increase humidity.
- Several hours of indirect light is best for live plants. Direct light can cause leaves and flowers to scorch on the edges. A warm windowsill with lots of indirect light can be the best spot.
- Fertilizers may be used to produce better blooms for many species.Care should be taken to avoid overusing fertilizers for potted plants.Overuse can lead to stunted plant growth or scorching of the leaves.
Cut Flowers
- Dunk in a bucket of water for 15 minutes.
- Cut the stem straight across
- Mist the flowers daily with filtered or "burped water."
I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini of www.floralgossip.com.au
June 11th, 2020
TALKING FLOWERS
Perfumed and Non-Perfumed Flowers
Why do some flowers have scent and others not?
It's all about pollination because scent is a signal that directs pollinators to a particular flower whose nectar and/or pollen is the reward.
Volatile oils are emitted from flowers can have either slight scent or strong scent depending on how far away the plant needs to attract its visitors.
- Those plants that are pollinated by bees and flies have sweet scents, whereas those pollinated by beetles have strong musty, spicy, or fruity odours.
Perfumers have never been able to exactly match perfumed their scents to the complex scents that flowers exude.
But floral volatile oils are essential in allowing insects to discriminate among plant species and even among individual flowers of a single species.
For example, closely related plant species that rely on different types of insects for pollination produce different odours.
I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini from www.floralgossip.com.au
Mercede's list of favourite perfumed flowers are:
Ms Carnation:Ms Rose
Mr Hyacinth:Ms Lavender
Mr Freesia: Ms Lilac
Mr Tuber Rose: Mr Lily of the Valley
Ms Stock: Ms Jasmine: Mr Belladonna Lily
Ms Bouvardia
May 21st, 2020
How to Make Your Flowers Last Longer.
Basics: Mercedes' definition of cut flowers to help you with how to treat them.
Mercedes, classifies them not by their sexual reproduction organs by into two categories, seed grown or grown from a bulb, corm, rhizome or tuber.
- Male Cut flowers: grow from a bulb, corm, rhizome or tuber.
- Female cut flowers: grow from seed.
- Male cut flowers: stems are cut straight across.
- Female cut flowers: stems are cut on an angle.
How Much Water Do I Put into the Vase?
Mr Tulip: Mr Hyacinth: Orchids: shallow water only.
Miss Sunflower: Miss Gerbera: shallow water only.
- Change the water daily-use only filtered water or water that has been standing for 4 hours.
Flower food:change the water on the third day.
Not all cut flowers like flower food-anything native, woody stem cut flowers.
- Mist your flowers daily for orchids with only filtered water.
- Cut your flowers when early morning or evening when starch is at it's highest within the stem.
March 5th, 2020
TALKING FLOWERS
All Flowers that are red
In the studio, we held the flowers of Tiger Bay dahlia, Red Pierre rose, red geraniums, red gladioli, buds of flowering gum and a leucodendron.
For all flowers that arise from tubers, cut the stems flush across the bottom. Mercedes calls these :male' flowers. Not to be confused with the male parts of flowers or male flowers on cucurbits.
This is simply a term to distinguish how to treat the stems of cut flowers.
Tip: Gladioli needs the top few cms removed so that the blooms sit up straight.
- List of red flowers available as cut flowers in February.
China aster, bouvardia, dahlia, gerbera, nerine, roses, water lily.
The colour red increases your heart rate and appetite, but is also a symbol of passion.
- Trees that have red flowers in February: Stenocarpus sinuatus: Firewheel tree. (pictured.)
November 21st, 2019
TALKING FLOWERS
Bluebells
There are English (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and spanish bluebells. (Hyacinthoides hispanica).
Flowering in Spring, the bluebell is blue. but, there are also bluebells that have a creamy colour or an off white hue and even pink.
It might not look like it but bluebells has six petals. These petals are all fused up together forming a narrow bell shape.
The main differences between a Spanish bluebell and English bluebell
English bluebells flower on one side, Spanish bluebells flower on both sides of the stem.
English bluebell is stronger scented. Spanish bluebell has only a very slight scent.
Spanish bluebell grows well in full sun but English bluebells prefers at least partial shade.
Spanish bluebell flowers lift their heads towards the sun. English bluebells never do.
Superstitions:
Bluebells is a tool used for calling fairies.
“Ring” the bluebells like you would a normal bell and the fairies would come. But the downside is - if you actually hear it ring, it’s a superstition that someone that holds dear to your heart will die.
Cut the bluebell stem straight across the base and place in shallow water in the vase. Any more water and the stems will soften and fall over.
Replace the water in the vase daily.
I'm talking with florist Mercedes Sarmini of www.floralgossip.com.au
October 12th, 2019
TALKING FLOWERS
Ranunculus:
Family:Ranunculaceae also includes anemones, clematis, delphiniums, nigella and hellebores.
Grow from claw-like tuber or corms but now referred to as thickened rhizomes.
Growing tips:
These plants are very hardy and will grow in a wide range of conditions.
If you missed planting them out in autumn for a spring show, treat yourself with a bunch of ranunculus from your favourite florist.
Mercedes Tips: www.floralgossip.com.au
- Cut the stems straight across before placing them in a vase.
- Place them in water that has been filtered or standing for 4 hours so that all the chlorine has evaporated off.
- Throw in a few ice cubes to perk up your ranunculus flowers
- Flowers have a vase life of 8 - 10 days.
As they prefer to have their roots kept cool and moist, plant Ranunculus species in a sunny or partly shaded position with moist well-drained soil.
Don’t like clay soils.
I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini florist, and floral therapist.
September 6th, 2019
TALKING FLOWERS
Wattles:Acacia species.
Family: Mimosaceae, 1, 000 species out of 1350 worldwide originate originate in Australia.
Australia's Acacias have a huge range of flower and leaf shape. Some have fern like foliage, others have leaves like they should belong on a gum tree.
Flower colour is mainly yellow, followed by cream, but one outstanding cultivar has red flowers.
Acacia leprosa "Scarlet Blaze." 
Most of the species flower during the end of winter or the beginning of spring. The most common Acacia, the Golden Wattle (Arcacias pycnantha) is found in the South Eastern parts of Australia, and the hotter and drier climates.
Acacia pycnantha or Golden Wattle tree, is a shrub of about 4-8 metres.
Vase life:4-6 days.
I'm talking with Floral therapist Mercedes Sarmini of www.floralgossip.com.au
August 8th, 2019
TALKING FLOWERS
Anemone coronaria: Wind Flower, Anemone.
This flower is a member of the Ranunculaceae family and is native to the Mediterranean region.
Etymology:
- The name Anemone comes from Greek and roughly means wind flower, which signifies that the wind that blows the petal open will also, eventually, blow the dead petals away.
- Coronaria means used for garlands.
Tubers, corns or bulbs?
- Bulbs have a tunic, corms have a basal plate, tubers have multiple growing points or eyes.
- Anemone tubers are usually planted in early autumn, March until May.
- Before planting, the tubers are recommended to be dipped in lukewarm water for 2-4 hours or overnight.
- Planting Depth: Plant Anemones with the pointy end facing down at a depth of 3 to 5cm. Soak well each week until shoots appear.
This windflower is an upright perennial that grows from rhizomatous tubers.
Leaves are medium green, with basal leaves being biternate and involucral (a whorl or rosette of bracts surrounding an inflorescence (especially a capitulum) or at the base of an umbel..) Leaves are deeply divided.
Flowering time: late winter, spring.
I'm talking with floral therapist, Mercedes Sarmini.
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