December 31st, 2020
PLANT OF THE WEEK :
Blueberry Ash
Common Name:Blueberry Ash
Scientific name: Eleaocarpus reticulatus
Family:Elaeocarpacea
Etymology:Elaeocarpus - From the Greek elaia meaning 'olive' and karpos meaning 'fruit';
reticulatus - Latin word meaning 'net-like' referring to the leaf venation.
Tree Height: 6-15m (various cultivars Prima Donna 8-10m)
Flowering:April - October
Origin: Australian rainforests along the east coast.
This is a beautiful tree with sculptural leathery leaves that show off a 'bloom' much like you see on some eucalypt leaves.
Leaves are medium sized (12cm) with a drip tip apex and serrated edges.
Starting off as mid to dark green the leaves age to a bright red which contrasts well, being opposite on the colour wheel.
The flowers are also quite a feature resembling clutches of lily of the valley flowers in either pink or cream all over the tree.
The fruits are small blue berries, hence the common name. The fruits are liked by many birds including currawongs, parrots, cockatoos and native pigeons.
Fruits can persist on the tree until the next flowering.
Although the height can grow to 15m you can keep it to as small a height as you would like even 2-3m if preferred.
- Adrian says they shed foliage 12 months of the years so don't plant them near your gutters.
I'm talking with Adrian O'Malley, native plant expert.
October 31st, 2020
Warraburra Nura Native Garden
In Conversation with Alice McAuliffe Creative Producer
You may not know of garden in on the 6th floor of a building that you the public can visit.
From the website, “Waraburra Nura is a public medicinal plant garden at the University of Technoly (UTS) Sydney, developed by UTS ART in partnership with Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research (JIIER). Established in 2018, the garden is located on level 6 of the UTS Tower.
'Nura' is a local word meaning country or the place that you are from.
Let’s find out more.
I’ve being talking with Alice McAuliffe who is a creative producer .
- Alice recalled that Waraburra Nura didn't start so much as a garden but as a way of creating a third dimension for artworks by various aboriginal and torres strait islander artists.
- Alice put forward a proposal the idea to put in a few boxes with plants initially but the idea grew.
- The process to create the garden involved designer Nicole Monk. Garden boxes were sent up from Melbourne.
- Garden soil had to be light so that the weight would not be too heavy for the balcony plus a possible 100 people. Aunty Fran Bodkin (Dharawal Senior and botanist) advised that the soil should contain pumice.
- Plants were chosen because they had medicinal properties, and together created associations which increased their medicinal properties.
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This garden is open to the public on weekdays during student hours
'
About the garden' section on the website states that “Waraburra Nura (Happy Wanderer’s Place) is a space for visitors to connect to Country in an urban environment. The garden utilises combination planting, an Indigenous agricultural practice which enhances the rich medicinal value of each plant.
All of the plants in Waraburra Nura are native to Wa’ran (Sydney) and have been cultivated by Darug, D’harawal and Gadigal peoples for generations.
If you have any questions about Waraburra Nura, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write to 2rrr PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
October 31st, 2020
DOCKRILLIAS EP 4
I’m sad to say this is the final in the series about native orchids.
If by now your interest in growing native orchids hasn’t been piqued, I would be very surprised.
Like most avid gardeners, as soon as someone in the know starts spouting information about a particular plant that has fabulous attributes, you will want one.
So it is with dockrillias.?
Let’s find out more.
I’m talking with Adrian O’Malley, horticulturist and orchidophile
Adrian mentioned a primary hybrid between dockrillia schoenina x dockrillia teretifolia.
The most commonly available dockrillias are:
Dockrillia teretifolia,
Dockrillia fairfaxii,
Dockrillia linguiformis,
Dockrillia cucumerina,
Dockrillia striolata,
Dockrillia. pugioniformis, which are all cool-growing orchids.
Dockrillia rigida and Dockrillia calamiformis, grow in tropical Australia, but do well in intermediate conditions, that is somewhere between tropical and cool.
If you have any questions about native orchids, drop us a line to
realworldgardener@gmail.com or write to 2rrr PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
October 8th, 2020
Dendrobium sp. episode 2
Dendrobium hybrids
Australia has 50 native species of dendrobiums and dockrillias and most of these grow mainly somewhere along the east coast of Australia.
The ones that grow in Qld, in quite warm temperature to tropical areas, don’t grow so well further south and one might need a greenhouse to grow some of these.
But those that originate in Victoria or NSW don’t do so well in the tropics.
This is where hybrid dendrobiums of these native orchids come in
Let’s find out..
I'm talking to native plant expert and orchidophile, Adrian O’Malley
Hybrid dendrobiums are numerous and as an example can be crosses of Dendrobium speciosum and Dendrobium kingianum.
This particular cross gives you Dendrobium x delicatum which can have either with or pink flowers and even perfume.
A famous one that Adrian mentioned is Dendrobium Hilda Poxon (pictured above).
This is a cross between Dendrobium speciosum x Dendrobium tetragonum
August 6th, 2020
DESIGN ELEMENTS
How to Create a Sense of Enclosure.
In the middle of winter, the only sun you can see may be outside.
So it would be nice to venture outdoors into the winter sun but what if you're overlooked?
May not feel so welcoming.
Magnolia grandiflora 'Teddy Bear.' 4-5m height (pictured)
I talk with garden designer Peter Nixon of Paradisus Garden Design.
What you want is some sort of screening hedge or planting that not only hides that fence, but hides it well enough so you don't see any fence.
That would mean you need that the 'bole length' or the gap between ground level and the first branch, is at a minimum.
So what can you choose?
Here are Peter's best tips:
- Choose things that stay dense and non transparent from the ground.
- Choose useful heights, especially if it's the northern boundary because you don't want to cut the winter sun.
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Magnolia hybrid "Fairy." ht 3m
Heliconia 'Hot Rio Nights.' for northern sub-tropical zones.(norther rivers and up). height 3m, lush paddle leaf.
Hibiscus boryanus- plant in areas where temperatures are above 5 Deg C
Drepanostachyus falcatum -Blue Bamboo is a clumping bamboo height 4m
You can underplant with smaller shrubs but you need to do this at the same time as you plant the larger shrubs otherwise the soil underneath will be compacted with the roots.
July 25th, 2020
PLANT OF THE WEEK X 3
Common Name:Golden Guinea Flower: Snake vine
Latin Name: Hibbertia scandens
Family: Dilleniaceae
Etymology: Hibbertia...after George Hibbert, a patron of botany; scandens.... "climbing", because of the climbing habit of the species.
Flowering:spring, summer but spot flowers throughout the year
Description: a scrambling climber or vine anywhere between 2 to 4 metres. Glossy mid green leaves with buttercup yellow flowers with prominent golden stamens.
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| Hibbertia scandens |
What else?
Let’s find out…
That was Adrian O’Malley, qualified horticulturist and native plant expert.
Hibbertias are sometimes called Guinea Flowers because the flower shape and colour looks like the ancient Golden Guinea coin.
When Adrian has seen it in the bush, it's mostly in open forest or gullies.
The flowers shape and colour is a dead give-away for the hibbertia species.
The "snakes" are the tendrils that twine themselves together and climb up.
Perfect specimen for sloping sites where it can scramble freely.
If you have any questions of course, why not email
realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.
May 21st, 2020
DESIGN ELEMENTS
Edible Garden series part 1
During the last month or more, seeds, and seedlings have been flying off the shelves.
Seed companies and nurseries, normally would expect that at the start of spring, but in these current times, people are turning to good old fashioned growing your own veggies.
That’s a good thing, but what should beginner and advanced gardeners really need to know to be successful.
Over the coming weeks, Glenice will be bringing to you a comprehensive guide to growing your own edible garden. Whether you have a large vegetable garden, a group of planters on a verandah or a few spaces within existing garden beds, you can at least grow some of your own food.
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| Lynn Woods garden Ulverstone Tasmania. |
So how do you start?
Glenice says "Pick the spot that provides the most ideal conditions."
I'm talking with Glenice Buck, landscape designer and consulting arborist.
So if you haven’t started a veggie garden yet think on this.
According to “sustainability Victoria” they reckon that if you grow your own food you
- save money and supplement your household food supply
- save water – home grown food uses less water relative to the amount of food harvested
- reduce your shopping miles
- reduce packaging
- reduce food waste
- enjoy fresher, more nutritious and more delicious food
- know exactly what you're eating (e.g. no pesticides)
- get some exercise and reduce your stress levels.
Top Tips
Finding the right spot for your edible plants can sometimes be a bit of trial and error, however in general most vegetables will require about six hours of good direct sunlight for them to crop well. There are a few exceptions to this rule but in general six hours is the key. You can modify nearly everything else in gardening but you can’t modify or increase the amount of sunshine an area will receive unless you get into grow lights etc which is a whole other topic.
Ideally if you are going to grow vegetables in the ground, in pots or planters, you will need to also have a fairly flat area with no great slopes. If you are going to construct your own above ground beds, you will have a little bit more flexibility as you can build the beds to adapt to a slope. The other issue to think about is that you will be spending a fair amount of time in this space, so you need to ask yourself:
Things to consider:
- Is it easy to bend over the beds and weed?
- Is the ground surface cover easy to walk and stand on?
- Can you access the areas easily with a wheel barrow?
- You also need to ask yourself:
- Can you get water in the area?
- Is there a tap close by?
- Do I need to get a longer hose?
- Do I need another water tank?
If you have any questions of course, why not email realworldgardener@gmail.com or glenice@glenicebuckdesigns.com.au
or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.
May 1st, 2020
DESIGN ELEMENTS
Assessing Trees for Failure ( following on from blog on "Why Trees Fail"
https://realworldgardener.blogspot.com/2020/04/why-trees-fail-and-celery.html
Trees are so beneficial in a garden that I can’t imagine having a garden without them.
For me they provide, an element of height, but often the ones I choose have flowers with sumptuous scent, and in summer, they provide much needed shade.
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| Arbutus unedo: Strawberry Tree photo: M Cannon |
But how to prevent them from failing is the question in this week’s segment.
Let’s find out .
I'm talking with Glenice Buck, consulting arborist and landscape designer
www.glenicebuckdesigns.com.au PLAY: Assessing Why Trees Fall_1st April 2020
Trees fall from time to time and believe it or not, sometimes it’s not predictable, and sometimes it is.
Glenice says "it's totally impossible to predict if and when a tree will fail"
BUT you can seek professional advice from a consulting arborist to relieve any worry that you have about that particular tree.
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| Champion tree in Stowe, England. |
- The consulting arborist can make recommendation as to how to mitigate and potential problems.
Remember, a tree expert will cut out limbs correctly if they need cutting so the tree will be less likely to get insect attack or decay forming.
Consideration is given to remaining trees, if one needs to be taken out because it exposes them to more natural elements such as wind and changes in hydrology of the soil.
- Trees will overtime adapt if they lose a surrounding buffer.
A qualified arborist will use methods as outlined by QTRA and TRAQ are methods of tree risk assessment.
QTRA-Quantitive Tree Risk Assessment
TRAQ-Tree Risk Assessment Qualification.
"The terms ‘hazard’ and ‘risk are not interchangeable.... A tree-failure hazard is present when a tree has potential to cause harm to people or property. ‘Risk’ is the probability of something adverse happening; the likelihood that the hazard will cause harm.
Assessment of tree-failure hazards requires consideration of the mechanical integrity of the tree and the likelihood that the tree or part of it will fail within a given period."
If you have any questions of course, why not email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.
April 23rd, 2020
DESIGN ELEMENTS
Building A Bird Friendly Garden
Wildlife in Australia has taken a massive hit with bushfires, then torrential rain that in some cases resulted in flooding.
Are you wondering where have all the birds gone in your garden ?
Or perhaps you have some of the more aggressive birds like Indian Mynah or Currawongs and want to know how to attract those smaller birds.
How can you help the birdlife in your garden?
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| Superb Fairy Wren |
Perhaps start by thinking about creating an oasis, but there’s some essential steps that need to be observed first.
Let’s find out .
I'm talking with Glenice Buck, consulting arborist and landscape designer www.glenicebuckdesigns.com.au
PLAY: Building a bird friendly garden_8th April 2020
If you provide your birds in your local area with a source of food, shelter and water, and that should help with not only supporting them, but letting you enjoy more of their presence.
- Glenice points out that you need to plant in layers.
- This includes the canopy layer or larger trees, the shrub layer, then groundcovers and finally the leaf litter layer.
You may have noticed when you are walking in your district, where the smaller birds congregate.
This will give you some idea of the kind of habitat that they prefer.
You don't necessarily have to plant the same as in the bushland are nature reserves, because some might be weeds.
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| Grevillea Scarlet Sprite |
For example, fairy wrens love to dart in and out of lantana bushes that are growing along a path under the Gladesville bridge in Sydney.
Instead, plant the type of style of bushes that these birds prefer; a shrub with dense foliage to the ground, such as Grevillea 'Scarlet Sprite,' or "Firesprite.' There's also a range of Callistemons or bottlebrushes that attract a variety including fairy wrens.
- Think about plants that flower at different times of the year so that you've got a food source all year round in your garden.
If you have any questions of course, why not email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.
April 8th, 2020
DESIGN ELEMENTS
Planting to Deter Mosquitos
The warmer months of the year can become the bane of a gardeners life, or in fact anyone who likes the outdoors, if hordes of insects invade your personal space.
I’m talking mainly mosquitos, because they bite, but flies can just be just as annoying if your relaxing in your garden, or having friends and family over for a bbq.
So what can we do to deter them?
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| Pelargonium graveolens: scented geranium |
I'm talking with Glenice Buck, consulting arborist and landscape designer www.glenicebuckdesigns.com.au
There are plenty of foliage plants that have a particular fragrance which deter insects, but you have to plant a lot of them, not just one or two.
Brushing the foliage releases the scents, so plant them close to where you entertain.
Most successful plants are what you think of as herbs: mint, basil, lemon scented verbena, sage.
Catnip, lavenders, scented geraniums, bee balm (Monarda spp.)
The biggest tip is not to expect the lone rosemary shrub or Tea tree Mozzie Blocker (Leptospermum liversidgei) , to do that heavy lifting in terms of fragrance.
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| Mozzie Blocker tea tree. |
Plant them right around the area where you sit and enjoy your garden so they act as a buffer zone between you and the insects.
- You need an armarment of plants between you and the invading hordes.
If you want to know more or if you have any questions about plants to deter mosquitos, why not email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.
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