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.
April 3rd, 2020
DESIGN ELEMENTS
Why Trees Fail/Fall?
When a large, mature falls in your garden, it can be very disheartening, especially if it’s a special or favourite tree.
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| Kurrajong tree photo Glenice Buck |
You may be left wondering what happened to cause it to fail after 20 or 30 years.
Sometimes it’s obvious why a tree may fall in your garden, but what are the underlying factors?
I'm talking with Glenice Buck, consulting arborist and landscape designer.
- Trees need to be growing in well drained soil.
- If the soil holds onto too much moisture, this results in no oxygen in the soil, leading to tree roots rotting, making the tree unstable.
Trees will also fail or fall over in extreme weather events if they're susceptible.
Heavy rain inundation together with strong winds undermine the soil that the tree is growing in, particularly if the soil is shallow.
Glenice talks about the force of the wind, where the canopy of the tree acts like a lever, causing it to topple.
Sometimes the tree can be rescued by giving it a hard prune and winching it up, but that is the exception rather than the rule.
- Trees not planted correctly is another factor.
- The planting hole needs to be wide enough so there there is enough room for the roots to spread . The hole should have more of vase shape, and loosen the soil so there is no soil 'glazing.'
- Don't plant the tree too low in the ground.
- If the tree is planted into a tight narrow space, not giving it enough room for the roots to develop to support the canopy.
If you want to know more or if you have any questions about why trees, fail, next week’s episode is about assessing trees for failure with Glenice.
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.
March 27th, 2020
THE GOOD EARTH
Rain Gardens or Flood Mitigation.
Rain isn’t always reliable so rather than letting it flow into the stormwater especially when there’s a deluge, there are ways to let slow the water. 
Of course there’s rainwater tanks, but you may need more than what they can hold.
You need to change your thinking and work out a way to keep water in your garden longer.
Let’s find out more.
I'm talking with Margaret Mossakowska, director of www.mosshouse.com.au
Slowing the rush of water when there’s a deluge, will prevent your drains from backing up and possibly flooding your house.
- You can create rain gardens, wetlands or bog gardens.
If you have a spot in your garden where water likes to gather after rain, that's a good spot to create a bog garden. It doesn't have to be any deeper than 10cm.
There are many Australian natives that would suit to grow in a bog garden.
Plants that suit for this situation are
Marsh Flower (Villarsia exaltata),
Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria),
Tassel Sedge (Carex fascicularis),
Jointed Twig-rush (Baumea articulata) and Water Ribbons (Triglochin procerum).
Rain gardens are a filtering garden and aim to slow water from leaving your property.
Think of all that water gushing out of your downpipe going to the storm water, when instead, it could be passing through a rain garden.
Choose any container, such as half a rainwater tank, or any sort of large plastic container.
Have an overlow at least half way up rather than letting the soil at the top float away.
Put in lots of sand at the bottom with soil/compost on top. The rain should just percolate through this soil rather than rushing down the drain.
Reed and native grasses suit to be planted in this type of garden.
There’s a choice of rain gardens or bog gardens, it’s up to you.
If you want to know more or if you have any questions about reed beds, rain gardens or flood gardens, why not email
realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.
March 3rd, 2020
DESIGN ELEMENTS
What Next After Fire?
This series is about the task of assessing and rebuilding a garden after a fire event.
There may be burnt trees and shrubs on your property, but can you just get out the chainsaw, axe or other pruning tools and chop them down?
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Yep, burnt ground and trees after fire
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Should you seek advice first?
Let’s find out.
That was Wayne van Balen, immediate past president of the Institute of Horticulture and Manager of the registered horticulturist program.
A fire event is not open slather to remove trees and shrubs from your property unless there’s a risk of person or property damage.
Assessment has to be done first.
March 3rd, 2020
DESIGN ELEMENTS
Assessing Fire Damaged Gardens Part 1
This series is about the task of assessing and rebuilding a garden after a fire event.
How to tell if the plant is viable, what to do with soil that’s been burnt and has a layer of ash, and what to think about when choosing plants to replant those that didn’t recover.
So let’s start off with assessing what plants remain.
I'm talking withWayne van Balen, immediate past president of the Institute of Horticulture.
PLAY: Assessing Fire Damaged Plants_5th February 2020
The recent bushfires in Australia has seen how fire can damage and even kill trees in your backyard. The extent of the damage depends on how hot and how long the fire burned.
Many fires were out-of-control fire damaging trees in your garden in various ways.
Some trees were completely or partially consumed, which leads to drying out or just plain scorching.
Some trees were simply just singed.
Many trees damaged by fire can recover, given your help.
This is particularly true of Australian native trees that have adaptations to recover from fire, when they were injured.
But the first thing to do, even before you start helping fire damaged trees, is to determine the ones that need to be removed.
- The big tip is to not rush out to cut everything down that looks scorched and burnt.
Plants, native or not, can regenerate but it may take some time.
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