Happenings in the Garden

Watering on Holidays

2012-02-22T21:48:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
If you are going away over summer and you don't want your plants to die below are some suggestions to help them survive.

Water in liquid wetta soil products - good for exsisting pots, hanging baskets and garden beds
Dig into the soil water crystals - good when potting up new plants
Make sure you mulch well
Put all pots into the shade and mulch
For your very precious pots, ask a friend to look after them (at their house)
Pay one of the responsible young kids of the neighbourhood to come in and water
If you can't move your pots and there are precious plants in the garden bed, put shade cloth over them but only for a couple of weeks.
Check the water system is working properly

I find plastic bottles cut in half, don't work, but there are other gadgets that do. You will need to look in your local nursery and talk to the staff and see what they recommend.
Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

How to Grow Tomatoes, Brassicas and Peas and Beans

2012-02-22T20:26:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone
Just thought I would refresh you memory about my fantastic ebooks on growing tomatoes in all different climatic zones, my book on growing brassica's and my new one on growing peas and beans.

If you would like to check the out log onto my website
The price includes a free ebook on understanding soils and a Companion Planting guide.
www.gardenpatch.com.au

They are full of detailed information and helpful hints

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Around My Neighbourhood

2012-02-22T12:46:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Walking home the other day, I discovered this very sick gum tree. I have never seen gummosis which is what is wrong with this tree, so bad. The gum was oozing onto the footpath.

There are several types of gummosis fungal and a physiological type, both responses to wounds. A wound can be something like a branch breaking off, a badly pruned branch, a lightening strike, anything that damages the bark and penetrates into the wood.

Fruit trees are very suspectible to gummosis, especially apricots. I had an aprictot, that I drove home hanging out the window of my car, yes it was very young, which got gummosis from my cat sharpening his claws on the bark.

There are no cures for gummosis. If it is the fungal type, is that it is infectious. Either remove the tree, or just leave it there.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Succulents in an old Grape Picking Basket!

2012-02-21T12:28:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
This gorgeous old grape picking basket is now full of succulents. The little plant flowering is I think a Sempervivum tectorum and I was surprised at how delicate the flower was. I hadn't seen sempervivum's flower before.

All I did, was line the basket with some newspaper to stop the potting mix falling out and filled it up with ordinary potting mix. I used the ones that have some sand mixed in. I don't think the Debco ordinary potting mix would be suitable because it is made from large pieces of whatever...

I the put the plants in and then spread little white stones over the top. Whla. My basket has thrived and is so easy to look after. Every now and again I give it a drink and nothing much more.

When it gets over crowed, I will either replant the whole basket or remove some carefully and give the little pups to friends.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Up date in my garden

2012-02-18T12:54:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone
Well, my Dahlia Bishop of Llandaff is flowering brilliantly. All that pelleted fertiliser I gave it has paid off. I even picked some flowers to put in a vase on Friday. Nothing I like better than picking flowers for the inside.

My frangipani still has no leaves..... and I am still waiting for the flowers to open. It is a red frangipanii and my friend said his red one hasn't flowered yet, so crossing my fingers. Can't say the weather is helping! Had an amazing storm on Thursday afternoon and the temperature keeps going up and down. Frangipaniis like it warm.

Other news is I think my Eucalyptus 'Silver Princess' is dying. Another friend came around and noticed the flowers buds were shrivelled which I hadn't noticed. He did the old trunk test, which is to see if the trunks moves in the ground. Now, Eucalyptus 'Silver Princess' is notorious for being weak in the ground. He said that in Western Australia where they grow, they grow in between rocks and that helps anchor the roots. So we put some beautiful old hand made bricks on top of them.

I don't think I am distined to have a Silver Princess in my garden, this is the second one going off the tracks. It was fine until I mulched and I think perhaps the strong winds on Thursday may have done some damage. I think the mulch kept it too wet as in WA they are in shallow dry soil with hot temperatures.

My After 4 0'Clock plant I discovered as a delightful perfume. Very delicate but it is become a bit too big. It needs a gentle cull as it is suffocating a couple of plants.

Well that is about all at the moment.
Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Citrus Leaf Miner

2012-02-16T13:43:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Citrus Leaf miner is a pest that causes the wiggly silvery lines on your lemon tree leaves and can be difficult to control. It causes the new leaves to curl and prevents photosynthesis functioning properly. It is the lavrae of a small flying night month and usually occurs with the second flush of new immature growth at the end of summer beginner of autumn.

Good observation is the key to controlling this pest as contact sprays such as white oil, don't work once the lavrae starts burrowing into the leaves. White oil only works on the eggs of the pest. But the hard thing is recognising the what are eggs. It is a really good idea to have an hand held magnifying glass to see the eggs on the leaves. The eggs are slightly oval and about 0.3mm long. The yare are translucent but appear light green. This is the time to spray the white oil. Eggs can be laid on the upper and lower side of the leaves, so both sides need to be sprayed.

For the home gardener, there are several practical things you can do.
1. prune off the damaged foliage and throw it away.
2. There are also parasitic wasps and predators such as lacewing bugs which eat the lavrae
3. Keep the tree as stress free as you possibly can, too much nitrogen can cause excess leaf growth which is very attractive to this night flying moth.

Unfortunately, there is not an easy fix to this pest.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

I am not sure where you can purchase the parasitic wasps, but I would make inquiries to your local government agriculture government department and website.

White Fly Alert

2012-02-14T15:07:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Warning Warning, damm white fly invasion. Yes, my air space is full of tiny white flying critters. Have got out the old 20 days Long Life Pyrethrum and given them a good blast. It is a contact spray which means with rain or watering it will wash off. If you want to use something stronger get one of the systemic sprays such as Confidor but remember it kills bees too. A systemic is one that is absorb into the plants vascular system and when the pests sucks the saps, it gets a dose of poison and dies. I have gone off Confidor because of the problem with the bees.

It is a must to control white flies, as they are sap sucking and can spread plant viruses around your garden. There are no chemical controls for viruses!

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Worm Farms

2012-02-13T13:20:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Worm farms are for small gardens, but you do need to have somewhere to put it and enough garden to incorporate the castings. In very tiny gardens like mine, there is no where for the castings to go, so I don't have one any more. I put it in the lane way, thinking, no one will steal worms..... and well they did.....

Now there can be some problems little flies, cockroaches and sometimes it is a bit smelly. You need to remember that for insects - good and bad ones - a worm is a feast being supplied, all that lovely rotting fruit and vegetables.

The little vinegar flies are very annoying and you can try and suppress them by putting hession or old carpet on top of the scraps. I don't like cockroaches, but again, because there is so much free food, they are attracted to this source. It is hard to keep them out but one way to annoy the pests is to turn the material regularly which destroys their home.

If you notice lots of ants, then that is a sign the worm farm is too dry. Wet it down and they will remove themselves. They don't like the damp.
If you notice the worms are on the lid of the worm farm box, then the castings could be too wet, so you need to fix that.

Also don't over fed the worms, too much food brings the pests. If you have alot of kitchen scraps you may need several worm farm boxes. Only fed them 3 times a week.

If it is smelly, then there are too much kitchen scraps and you need to put some pea straw, lucerne or sugar cane mulch in the mix and cut down on the amount of scraps you are putting in. Also turning the mix gently, will get more oxygen in and the better it will be.

Worm farms must be in a cool position over summer, as worms don't like the heat. So make sure they get afternoon shade.

If you want a healthy worm farm, you need to work at it. If you do nothing, you will need up with a smelly disgusting box of muck that you won't want to go near. But if you put effort into it, it will reward you with lovely castings, that your plants will appreciate.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Smellly Compost

2012-02-10T14:09:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
There is nothing worse than smelly compost and it usually occurs in the green jetty compost type bins. Slushy, smelly and sticky compost is horrible to work with. If you get any of it on yourself, you can wash it off, but you can smell it for the rest of the day.

There are several reasons for smelly compost:
1. Lack of oxygen
2. Too many kitchen scapes
3 Bin in the wrong position
4 Either too wet or too dry

Lack of oxygen preventst the bacteria breaking down the material and the way to solve this problem is literally to get in and turn the compost with your garden fork. This needs to be done at least once a week, 3 times a week is idea.

Too many vegetables and fruit from the kitchen, puts the balance out and you need to add more brown material such as pea straw, leaves, sugar cane mulch or lucern.

The bin is not getting enough warm. The best positions are morning sun afternoon shade. The warmth, gets the micro-organisms active.

The moisture level needs to be even, that is not soaking wet or bone dry. In either situation, the worms and micro-organisms can not survive and therefore can't break down the material in the heap.

To have successful compost, you need to work at it every week. If you don't turn it regularly then you won't have compost.

Hint: Don't put the bins on concrete or bricks as the worms can't escape if it is too hot or cold.

Add plants like comfrey and/or borage to heap quicken up the decompositing proccess.
Also beaware that food that is put into the compost and does not break down can become toxic to your pets if they can get too it.

DO NOT PUT MEAT, FISH, OIL, ONIONS OR CITRUS INTO THE HEAP.

Happy gardening
Cheers Sandi

Bean Leaves - Environmental Factors

2012-02-05T14:23:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
As you can see the some leaves of the beans aren't healthy. I think it is due to the weather. It has been cold, then very hot and I think what has happened is the leaves weren't able to with stand the huge flucuations in temperature and wind.

I don't think these dry crispy leaves are due to fungual diseases as the new leaves are healthy and don't seem to be showing the same symptoms.

I will keep you posted.
Cheers Sandi

Wire Cages to Keep Possums out of Vegie Patch

2012-02-04T13:07:00.000-08:00

Pic: Scarlet runner bean

Hi Everyone
Yesterday, I went and visited a vegetable garden in the Open Garden Scheme. This is an Australia wide scheme, where home owners open their gardens and you can go and have a sticky peak. You pay a small entrance fee and some of the gate takings is donated to a chariety the garden owner chooses.
So, off I went, down to Hampton, one of our beachside suburbs and sticky peaked. Being a professional and all, I still learn things and this helps to remind me I don't know everything.

This garden owner grew vegies down along the side of the driveway, only one vegie deep, but that doesn't matter. It got lots of sun, so it was a good use of space. Every inch of this garden was either vegies or herbs.
Another great idea was they had built a wire walk in cage over the vegie patch. Too bad for the cockatoos (birds) and possums. No free snacks here. Would not of cost a fortune as it was built out of metal poles and chicken wire. The roof was also chicken wire and it was good for vegies like scarlet runner beans as they can grow over 2 meters high, it gave them something to climb on. They had tomatoes, sweet corn, chillies, zucchini's everything under the sun, literally.

Happy gardening
Cheers Sandi

Frangipani with no Leaves

2012-01-29T13:45:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Well, why has my frangipani got no leaves? My friends in the next street, have lovely leaves and 1 beautiful flower.

Mine gets lots of sun, regular water and I am flummoxed as to why it has no leaves. It is developing a flower head, so it isn't dead.

I have seen my friends in the next street like this, just a stick, so I hope mine is going to be okay.

I have no idea why it has sprouted any leaves, so I will give it another year and if it doesn't perform, it is out!

I have emailed a couple of frangipani growers but they haven't been able to tell me either.

If anyone has any suggestions, please email me.
Cheers Sandi

pelargonium echinatum

2012-01-27T16:20:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Not the best picture, but you can tell it only has two sick leaves left. It is a Geranium echinatum and it has spikes, quite pointy ones. Well, I thought it had been looking sick for about 4 months. The leaves were dying and where every I moved it too - sunny spots, shady spots - it wasn't getting any better.

Well the other day, I looked closely at the stem and thought, that doesn't look dead. So, finally I remember to google it and I found out it is summer deciduous wellllll of course - that is why it was dropping its leaves.

I realised that it is always a good idea, to read up on your plant especially if it is something unusal like this geranium.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

More on the Separation Tree

2012-01-26T11:16:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,
Met the curator of Arboriculture on Wednesday of the RGB to talk about the Separation Tree. I am writing an article for Vasili's Good Gardening Magazine, of which I am a contributor. I love people like Dan they are so on the ball. He explained what they have been doing to help the tree which was ringbark in 2010. They have had experts from all around Australia and are monitoring it daily, weekly, monthly and every year they climb it to have a closer look.
Dan, explained how the physiological functions work, - testing me on my biology and remembering how it all works and explained that the moisture is going up the tree from the roots as it is still alive but they don't know if the roots are receiving the carbohydrates they need from the leaves and the photosynthesis process. He showed me some of the cambion is still alive (the brown/red bits in the picture) and they are monitoring the soil moisture which is showing the tree is taking up moisture.
Long term prognosis is good but they don't really know. Trees can take years to show they are declining.
I also learnt how to read bark, yes, read the cells going up the bark from a particular root. If you notice on a lot of trees, the bark swirls up the trunk and that is showing you how the nutrients and moisture are being taken up capilllary action.
Fascinating. I had noticed the swirling bark, especially on gum trees, but never really thought what it was saying

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Growing Lettuce

2012-01-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
If you live in the Southern Hemisphere in temperate, hot, tropical or subtropical it is not a good idea to plant lettuce, spinach, corriander, dill or rocket. The heat causes them to bolt to seed and you can't stop it. The best time in the above zones is late autumn, winter and early spring, depending on whether you experience frosts. They don't like frosts.

If you live in a cool zone, then yes, you can plant it as temperatures rarely hit the extreme range. And as Australia is in a La Nina cycle, means we are having cool summers, with rain and storms.

In the northern hemisphere, it is winter and again it is the same. If you live in temperate, hot, tropical or subtropical it is a great time to grow the above vegetables. In cool zones or in temperate ones that experience frost, they need to be grown in a hot house/green house as they don't like frosts.

Happy gardening
Cheers Sandi

Growing Tomatoes Over a Cool Summer

2012-01-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Don't be disappointed if your tomatoes are not performing. They are very temperature sensitive and don't like flucuations, just like we are having this summer here in Melbourne. 10 days hot then another 10days cold and cloudy.

When the temperature goes about 28C, the plant shuts down it physiological functions and just sits. It waits until until conditions improve i.e. the temperature drops. And when the temperature goes the other way, down, it also stops. Constant cloud cover also causes low photosynthesis rate, thus slower growth i.e. slower development of flowers and fruit.

Storms and strong winds can also cause flower damage, thus preventing the development of fruit.

So it could be a bad tomato season this year, so don't despair as you won't be the only one.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Como Cows

2012-01-20T16:35:00.000-08:00

The Calf at Como

You will never believe me, when I tell you I was in the middle of a city about 7km for the central CBD. Isn't she gorgeous. It is so good to see the house paddock of Como have stock in it again. She and a friend are living in one of the most exclusive suburbs of Melbourne. I think gardens are so much better and enjoyable sharing with animals. You feel more connected.

Happy Gardening

Cheers Sandi

Carpinus betulus

2012-01-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Carpinus betulus is a good medium size tree for cold climate areas, like mountain areas, Tasmania and other areas with short cool summers. Unfortantely, in Melbourne during the drought, they became stressed as they are shallowed root like Silver birches and suffered terribly. Their leaves burn, and because we didn't get any summer rain, their root systems dried out and they suffered.

They seed prolifically, so be aware they can become weedy and should not be grown near state or national parks, because their seed is distributed by the wind and thus can land in these areas, causing a weed problem.

They make a great specimen and shade tree but I wouldn't be planting them in temperate climates if you get summers with lots of over 35C I think that is roughly 90F because they hate the heat.

They also need a lot of moisture to keep their leaves a beautiful green.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Latrobea Genus

2012-01-19T12:13:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Wondering if anyone knows where I can purchase plants of this genus. Having trouble locating it. Would like to put an example in La Trobe's Cottage garden.
Am looking for:

Latrobea abnormis (F. Muell.) Base name Daviesia abnormis (F. Muell.)

Latrobea tenella var. tenella

Thanks Sandi

An Update on the Update of Heritage Apples

2012-01-16T12:46:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone

Thought I would give an update on the update of the apples. Well thanks to Chris England, we have started the process of shaping them into an S shape like in the 1840s/50 picture by Edward La Trobe Bateman. Chris visited the cottage and put the bamboo stakes in.

The only pests I have found on the trees were EARWIGS, fancy that. It had curled up in a leaf, so I soon got rid of that. I will have to watch next season for coddling moth and learn how to manage it.

So, if you are walking by, drop in and have a look. There is always something new flowering.

Happy Gardening

Cheers Sandi

Beans seeds unfurling

2012-01-14T12:58:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
I am writing ebook on growing peas and beans and I planted some beans seeds so I could take photos. Well yesterday I spent the day watching the seed unfold. It was like very slow time capture photography. In the morning it was just poking out of the soil and by the end of the day, the bean had uncurled itself and was standing up straight. It was amazing. On Friday I looked and there was nothing happening in the what and I wondered what the seeds were doing. Obviously, getting ready to sprout on Saturday.

I am going over to a friends this afternoon for drinks and he has a new camera that hopefully can take good close ups. My camera just can't quite cut it and the close up photos are blurred. I am really looking forward to this and when I have a snap I will post it for you too see.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

P:S: This photo was taken by my camera, going over to my friends later. See if I can get a better picture

Hail Damage to Plants

2012-01-11T23:48:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Summer here in Melbourne is crazy! We have had snow in the mountains, heaps of rain and yes hail. Christmas day the hail was the size of golf balls. Hail that big, does a lot of damage to plants.

Can I suggest that you don't prune off the damaged foliage until mid March. We are still going to get hot days, probably raining and hailing days, so until the weather calms down, which it does in autumn, leave the damage foliage because it is protecting the new buds. Once the damage foliage is removed, the buds will sprout and give you new leaves.

I know it looks awful and so tempting to remove, but be patient and wait until March. You never know if we are going to get scorchers that will burn the new tender foliage.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Update on Guilfoyles Volcano

2012-01-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
As you can see the RBG has fixed the leaks and have put new pontoons in and planted them up with plants that can filter out any pollutants in the water and the volcano is back in business.

They are also working on stage two of becoming water self sufficient with the Working Wetlands project. I have attached a link, so you can find out more about it.

http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/horticulture/landscape-projects/working-wetlands

I only visited the Volcano the other day and didn't get round to the wetlands project, so not sure if it is finished yet.

Enjoy the pictures
Cheers Sandi

Hollyhocks at La Trobe's Cottage

2012-01-06T15:50:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Very excited, our hollyhocks have finally flowered and against all odds too. I planted them last year and a couple of them have been moved at least 2 times, partly due to the roof reno's. I didn't want roofers feet all over them. They don't really like being dug up and moved, they go backwards, before forwards. Luckily this one only moved once, but the other two next to it have at least twice and are now starting to grow.

We know La Trobe had hollyhocks and I can't wait to spread the seed around the garden.
Enjoy the picture
Cheers Sandi

Sun Burnt Leaves

2012-01-05T13:34:00.000-08:00

Rose Lorraine Lee - Sunburnt Leaves

Rose Lorraine Lee - Sugar Cane Mulch

Hi Everyone

At this time of year, many plants especially roses, camilleas and Rhododendrons get sunburnt leaves. It occurs because the sun is pulling out the water faster than the leaves can replace it from the roots in the soil.

As you can see I have mulched but that still didn't stop this process. I am not going to prune these burnt leaves off as they will protect the unopened buds from further sun damage. As roses are deciduous, they will eventually fall off, but with everygreens like camellias and rhododendrons, if you don't like the look, then prune them off in mid autumn. Sometimes on camellias and rhodies, fungus will grow on the sunburnt patches such as sooty mould. If it is really servere, I would prune it off as it interfers with photosythesis, but if it is only 1 or 2 leaves I wouldn't worry.

Sooty mould is also a secondary sign that you have sap sucking insects such as scale or aphips on your plants. They exude a sugary substance called honeydew and the fungi grows on this. If you spray with white oil for scale and pyrethrin for aphids, they will go and eventually the sooty mould will disappear.

Ants also farm scale and aphids as they harvest the honeydew. If you get rid of the pests then the ants will go to.

Keep the moisture up to the plants, especially potted ones. As you will see it was my potted rose that suffered not the one planted into the ground. That is because potted plants have a contained root system and when the soil drys out, there is no more moisture to find.

Happy Gardening

Sandi

Look at My Garden!

2012-01-04T14:02:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Just noticed my front garden is looking fabulous. It is about 1 month since its big hair cut and this morning I noticed the fantastic combination of the ornamental tabacoo and the After 4.00 Clock plant Mirabilis jalap It is called this because the flowers open after 4.00 in the afternoon. Mine must be on another time zone as, they were opening. It can be quite a weedy plant but at the moment, it is in check.

My Mary Rose is blooming too, everything is lookin' good.
Enjoy your garden
Cheers Sandi

Separation Tree - Further Update 2012

2012-01-03T11:56:00.000-08:00

Separation Tree, 2012

Separation Tree 2012

Hi Everyone

Was visiting the Royal Botanic Gardens yesterday and dropped in to see how the Separation Tree was going. One way to see how healthy a tree is, is to look up into the canopy and see how dense it is. It was okay, I thought perhaps a bit thin. I could see about 1/3 of the sky.

Then I noticed something new and so I read the sign. Always helps and I learnt that the staff are trying to 2 different grafting techniques - 1. Approach grafting and Bridge grafting. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/propagation/approachgraft/approach.html

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/98-003.htm

I have included two web links which explain the techniques.

Lets hope that both or at least one of the techniques work.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Watering Systems

2012-01-01T22:25:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
DO NOT RELY ON YOUR WATERING SYSTEM to relieve you of watering. They are a help but you must monitor them to make sure everything is being watered properly.

I have just come home from La Trobe's Cottage and boy is ours stuffed! When they moved the cottage in 1998, they did a bodgie brothers job on connecting the watering system, consequently it does not work properly. It either floods the garden bed or it misses it completely. So I am not impressed! It is a dripper system and they are the best, because they don't waste water into the air. The water goes straight into the soil. But ours is flooding one bed and it hasn't stopped watering the bed since before christmas and now it is seeping into the neighbouring property.

Unless you know what you are doing with the watering system, DO NOT TOUCH IT. Get the experts in who know what they are doing to fix your problems. Luckily I have a Citywide to fall back on and they have a cheery emailing waiting for them tomorrow - the opening of business.

If I am sounding grizzly, yes I am because when watering systems don't work, they are more trouble than they are worth! I honestly think hand watering it much better because you can control where and how much water is being applied.

Not quite a happy gardener
Cheers Sandi

P:S: It is a good idea every now and again to flush them out, by removing the end stopper, turning them on and letting the water remove any dirt, spiders and whatever else is in the pipes.

Blue Pholx

2012-01-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
When I was visiting Rippon Lea, I discovered this beautiful blue pholx. It was stunning! I had never seen a blue pholx before and unfortunately the picture does not do justice to the intensity of the blue. It was near some pink hydrangers, so I feel that it likes similar positions, morning sun and afternoon shade. That is what is so good about visiting other gardens, there are always surprises.

Today is going to be 40C which is around 100F and my California poppy seeds have just germinated at La Trobe's Cottage. I am about to go off and water them because they are so hard to get. The seedling companies have stopped growing the old orange and yellow ones and have gone for the soft frilly pink ones. Grrrr. La Trobe in 1840s didn't have soft pink frilly ones! So I had to buy seeds and I am so excited some of the seeds germinated. I hope the heat doesn't knock them off.

Well off I go to do more watering, just finished my own garden.
Toodle pip
Cheers Sandi

Rippon Lea

2011-12-31T22:20:00.000-08:00

The House

The Conservatory

Looking down from the Terrace

Another view from the Terrace

The Terrace, towards the Pool

The Pool

Hi Everyone

This is Rippon Lea, isn't the house fantastic. It is a National Trust property and I was visiting to try and find a diary for 2012 which it is now. I didn't find one, but had a lovely walk around the grounds. I always seem to know when there is a "do" on and gate crashed the volunteers thank you morning tea by the National Trust. I also bumped into one of the volunteers from La Trobe's Cottage. Had a good chat and then continued my walk around the grounds.

The house is built in 1868 in the Lombardic Romanesque style is on about 7 acres. There is a huge lake, where you can boat, there is a rockery where you can climb up the tower and see across to Port Phillip Bay, a steel framed fernery and lots of lovely places to wander and explore. I went there on an excursion with Burnley and we got to see the man holes for the underground watering system. In its day, it was the latest technology and it harvested water from surrounding suburbs and stored it in the lake. The man holes were so old that in some of them the bricks were collasping. There were very strict Healthy and Safety rules about entering the red brick pipes. There had to be at least 3 people involved when maintenance was being carried out in the pipes. I love seeing the behind the scenes things....... they are always so interesting.

The wonderful thing about this garden is the space, you feel so free and have entered another world.....

Enjoy the pics.

Cheers Sandi

Australian Native Plants

2011-12-26T21:17:00.000-08:00

Dianella revoluta Flax Lily

Eucalyptus sp. and Dietes iridioides

Hi Everyone,
I was driving on Boxing Day up to Bunnings which is conglomerate hardware store which I call the Big B and due to the thunderous purple sky I noticed the starkness of the black trunks of these gum trees and the whiteness of the flowers of the dietes. It was fabulous. I love finding combinations of plants I hadn't thought of putting together. And I wouldn't of because I don't really like dietes. They just don't do it for me.
When I got to the car park - all concrete - I was in for another surprise, the Dianella which is another plant I don't really like looked fabulous, those blue berries were gorgeous. I felt like I was in the bush, you would never know I was in built up inner city Melbourne.

All three plants are natives, drought tolerant and need a sunny spot with good drainage and very little fertiliser. They need cuttting back once a year after they have flowered.
Enjoy the photos
Cheers Sandi

Thunder Bolts on Christmas Day!

2011-12-25T12:52:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Well christmas day went off with a bang, a thunder bang which was in fact a crack that nearly startled me out of my chair and then no power........ Luckily I had just finished watching the King's Speech literally about to change channel. Well the rain did come and so did the thunder and lighting Wowwwww. Some of the bolts were really frightening. Luckily it was about 6.00pm, so I grab my book, a glass of chardonay and sat outside reading, what else could I do?

I had been running my pot plants in and out of the rain all day, as rain is so good for them. It contains lots of nutrients, especially nitrogen, all of which is free! And they always look so much healthier after being out in the rain.

Help, The Pub's Flooding!

Water Flowing out my Front Gate!

My street floods, which I was a bit worried about, so I kept clearing the drain of leaves with my rake. Here are some pictures of previous floods.

It has calmed down now and the electricity came back on about 8.00pm, thank god. Of course I hadn't changed the flat battery in my torch!
Enjoy the pictures
Cheers Sandi

Flowering Gum

2011-12-22T12:36:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
I know I blogged earlier this year about Western Australian Flowering Gum, but they are starting to flowering again around Port Melbourne and I just adore them. They have such vibrant flowers and are so christmasie/summery. The colours of the flowers are amazing and they attract birds, bees and humans too.
If you want to grow one, get a grafted one which will guarantee the flower colour, they like loose sandy soils, don't like clay soil and love a full sun position. Not too much fertiliser as they don't need it.

Enjoy the pictures
Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Mulching

2011-12-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone

Just finished mulching my garden with sugar cane mulch. Urrrr. Don't know why I waited so long to do it as it cuts down my use of water. When there is no mulch, I notice I tend to water more, because I see the top of the soil is dry. But now I won't worry. I have also put it in my pots and hanging baskets.

It smells sweet, like sugar but is starting to become a bit sickly. The smell will disappear in a day or two. My other concern is last year after I mulched my nose became twitchy and I felt a little bit hay feverish, even though I don't suffer from hay fever. So this time after I applied it, I watered it down, hoping that will settle the dust and other nose iritants.

I am glad I have mulch, I just hope I don't start sneezing too much.

Next Day: Watering the mulch has helped. I haven't sneezed, my nose is not irritated and it isn't blowing around. The water helps hold it in place.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

BBC TV Monty Don's Italian Gardens

2011-12-17T14:28:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,
Last night (Saturday) on the ABC TV - the Australia version of the BBC we usually have Gardening Australia which is the best gardening show in Australia. On the commercial channels they are either advertising products or are rubbish. Anyway back to the topic, GA isn't on (christmas and a few other issues) so they put on the BBC's Don Monty's Italian Gardens. Well if you love gardening then you will adore these programs. He does brilliant places and this epidosed was all about the Italian garden. He visited some private (not usually open to the public) ones and not all formal. Some gardens were allowed to grow wild, but as he pointed out, they take just as much controlling as formal ones, even more, to get that natural look!!!! They were brilliant.

I also learnt several things, like the English Landscape started by William Kent, popped in Italian buildings deliberately built as ruins to create a romantic garden. They were situated in the garden and you are meant to stumble over them.

ABC also ran a program, where he (Don) and a team discovered a historical garden and reinstated some of it. It was fascinating. A little bit like Time Team, but they had 5 days and didn't always finish because it rained and the soil turned into a mud bath. I liked that because it showed that they were really about the garden, not producing the perfect TV product.

I am sure his programs are out on DVD or you can down load them. They are worth watching and dream!
Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Red Dahlia - Bishop of Llandaff

2011-12-17T12:09:00.000-08:00

Comos

Hi Everyone

Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff'

What I really wanted to blog about was my Dahlia Bishop of Llandaff. Buds are swelling and in a couple of weeks, it will look like the above picture. The plant is up to height of the fence now, about 1 meter. I mentioned earlier that I moved the tuber several years ago and it still hasn't recovered. It used to have about 4 - 5 stems, but still only has 1. I am fertilising it regularly, so the tuber increases and produces daughter tubers.

My ornamental tabacco (no you can't smoke it) is also flowering and doing so much better since the great pruning day. It is amazing what sunlight will do.

Also my dwarf cosmos are about to flower, so all in all, unless there is a major disaster, I am going to have a great display.

Ornamental Tabacco

Happy Gardening

Cheers Sandi

Pot Tomatoes- An Update on Red Robin

2011-12-17T11:58:00.000-08:00

Tomato 'Red Robin'

Hi Everyone
On the 11th Oct. I blogged about my dwarf tomato 'Red Robin'. I must say, it is a survivor. I have picked all the tomatoes that were on it when I brought it and now have noticed it has grown some new leaves and has some new flowers and fruit forming. I must say how great is that?

It is in a smallish pot, which does it hot if it is sunny. I have over fed it with potash and burnt the leaves - signs of potash poisoning are old leaves turning reddish/purple. See Picture

I thought it was on its last legs and I did not think it would send up any new shoots, so I am pleasantly surprised. See Picture

One thing I have done right is watered it regularly. Lemons, gardenias, tomatoes and all other vegetables hate that the feast and famine type watering regime. They tend to drop their fruit in protest! But I have kept up a regular watering regime.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Christmas Gifts

2011-12-16T18:08:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
If you are looking for a christmas gift, you don't have to leave home or your chair! You can purchase on line.

There are my ebooks on growning tomatoes in all different climatic zones around the world or an ebook on growing the brassicas - broccoli etc. They make excellent presents! You can purchase them from my website using Pay Pal gardenpatch.com.au.

Merry Christmas
Cheers Sandi

La Trobe's Cottage New Roof

2011-12-11T11:50:00.000-08:00

Our New Roof!

Hi Everyone
Our new roof is finished and looks fabulous. There wasn't much damage to the front garden, although there are a lot of old shingle bits lying in the garden.

I organised a working bee on Saturday morning and we picked up about 5 garbage bags of rubbish. We also pruned out quite a lot the elm suckers. If you have any tree suckers in your garden, all you can do is prune them off. Don't spray them with Round-up as you may kill the main tree. If the tree is no longer there, then that is okay.

If you are in King's Domain, come and have a look and the house is open on Sunday afternoons. The entire property looks fantastic.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Butterflies

2011-12-10T12:19:00.000-08:00

3 Butterflies on the Oak Tree Trunk

Hi Everyone
Was walking back to my car after a working bee at La Trobe's Cottage yesterday and noticed what I thought was 1 butterfly just sitting on this oak tree.

The air of Domain's Park, where the cottage is, is always full of brown butterflies and huge dragon flies. They buzz around and are gorgeous.

The butterflies in the picture, were just resting I guess, but I didn't realise it was 3 until after I had taken the pictures. I think they were feeding but am not sure on what.

If you look at the trunk of the oak, the bark doesn't look normal and it isn't. The tree has somesort of swelling called a gall. It could be due to insects and perhaps the butterflies are feeding on some sort of sticky substances the gall is oozing.

A better shot of the 3 Butterflies

Hope you enjoy the pictures
Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Bowls of Water for the Wild Life

2011-12-08T11:15:00.000-08:00

Two Bees drinking!

1 Bee drinking!

Hi Everyone

I hope you can spot the bees - they are on the left hand side of the photo's. It was hot yesterday and I noticed how important it was to have a bowl of water in the garden for the birds, insects and anybody else who flies by. I was enjoying watching the bees land on by bird bath lip and drink. At one time there were about 6 to 7 bees drinking. They have been flying in all day, it is like an airport. One leaves, another lands.

Sometimes wasps land and I do mind that but, I leave them bee. Whoops bad pun! I make sure it has water in it everyday and occassionally I clean it.

Sometimes birds fly by but not often because of a certain cat Ms. Fluff likes to sit in her chair and observe her domain. But it is there if they need it.

I know of one bird bath, where the sparrows line up on nexts doors TV aerial and take their turn for a dip - no cats at this address.

I also leave a bowl of water in the garden for any dogs who pass by and need a pit stop. After walking my neighbours dog Sashie, I learnt there isn't alot of water bowl for thristy dogs which used to worry me as they might be really thristy.

At La Trobe's Cottage, I have put down 2 huge pot saucers (kindly donated by Como) and filled them with water. We have a family of magpies who consider the cottage their home. They are gorgeous and eat lots of insects. I hope they are only eating bad insects, not the good ones.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Gardenias

2011-12-04T15:29:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Just been checking over my gardenia. They are a lot of work in Melbourne, but when they flower, you forgot all the problems. I was looking for grubs in the flower buds and I found two. So, I nipped the two flowers off as once the grubs bore into the flowers they don't open properly.

I also feed it last week as gardenias are what we call hungry. I use a complete fertiliser. Complete means that it contains all the nutrients needed from major N:P:K, to the trace elements, copper, zinc, iron, magnesium etc. These should be listed on the back of the bottle or bag of fertiliser.

Another trick is to make sure the watering is even. If it goes through a flood and famine regime, you will find the buds drop off.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Look What Landed in My Backyard!

2011-12-02T13:14:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Dragon Fly Resting

Still Resting!

Hi Everyone

Look what I found in my backyard yesterday. I hope you can see him, as the sun was shrining making it difficult to see him. But wowwwww, he was enormenous and his blue stripe was so vibrant!

I came outside again after about 10minutes and he was still there. When I got home yesterday afternoon, he had gone.

I was at a FOLC Guides christmas party at La Trobe's Cottage and there were heaps of dragon flies and butterflies zooming around the gardens. Gorgeous. Shows the micro-climate in these areas must be okay.

Happy Gardening

Cheers Sandi

Danger Danger - Using Old Chemicals out of Date

2011-12-01T13:05:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Danger Danger Will Robinson! Yes, I am a 60s child and watched Lost In Space.

I am using this as to remind gardening folk NOT TO USE CHEMICALS THAT ARE OUT OF THEIR USE-BY DATES.

I was at a clients yesterday and notice her plum tree had powdery mildew. I looked in the shed and found some fungicides from 2005 and 2008. It was very tempting to use them but as I didn't know how badly the chemicals had degraded, I decided not too. I don't know what happens to chemcials as they age, and they may have become poisonous and dangerous to use.

Now here is the tricky/annoying bit, it is really hard to get rid of old out-of- date chemicals safely. Pouring them down the drain is not the answer and pollutes our water systems.

First stop, try the local council, if they won't take them then in Melbourne there is a company called:

Chemsal Pty Ltd

83 Dohertys Road
Laverton North 3026
Ph: 9690-2714
Now here is the sting, you need to book in your delivery and there is a $$$$ charge! You have to pay to get rid of them........It really is not good enough, if companies produce them then they should have a free service to dispose of them safely......

So as you can see, it is not as easy as buying them.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Genus named after La Trobe

2011-11-29T12:46:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Was reading the letter of La Trobe and found an interesting reference to Ferdinand von Mueller, the first botanist in Melbourne in the 1850s. Didn't understand the reference, so I contacted Dr. Roger Spencer our botanist at the Herbarium, Melbourne and he confirmed that there is a genus named for La Trobe - Larobea. Originally, there were 12 plants in this genus but...... it has been wittled down to 6 still existing.

Also found a Correa latrobeana Mountain correa now known as Correa lawrenceana var. latrobeana and Tecoma latrobei then renamed Tecoma australis and turns out to be Pandorea pandorana which I know as the Wonga Wonga vine.

The reason for the many names changes is that plants take the name of the first registered person who names them and in the past when communications were very very slow, people would not know if they had already been named for quite a long time. Plants have to go through The International Code of Botanical Nonenclature for verification and they decided from evidence presented who was the first to name the plant. The other reason they change is that they study them with more powerful microscopes and find evidence that they don't belong in the genus they are in but belong to another genus. So they change and it does get confusing for us who have learnt the old plants name. The symbol syn. shows there has been a name change.

For example many trees in the Eucalyptus genus such as Eucalyptus citriodora is now known as Corymbia citriodora. It is the Lemon scented gum.

Solving plants names is like solving a good mystery.
Happy Gardening It is raining AGAIN!!!!!!
Cheers Sandi

Look What is Flowering in My Garden

2011-11-28T13:08:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone

Gardenia flowering

Blue Salvia sp.

English Lavender 'Hidcote'

Chrysocephalum apiculatum mixed with Wahlenbergia sp. (Aust. Natives)

Gladoli sp.

Cupid's dart Catanache caerulea

Found lots of surprises in my garden yesterday! My gladoli is beginning to flower as well as my Cupid's dart, and the first flower for my blue salvia.

I love the cupids' dart as it has a deep blue flower and when you touch them they sound like paper russeling.  Also to my surprise, it does really well in pots, this is its second year. I haven't repotted it, but fertilised it.

I also combined the wahlenbergia and chrysocephalum in a pot and they are doing well too. Although, I noted on Sunday morning after all the rain we have had, they had had enough. The stem were the roots initiate from was looking black and that is a sign that it is toooo wet.

Very happy my gardenia is flowering as you know I have had problems with them in the past. So far, I think I have had 5 flowers. Gorgeous perfume.

And finally the good old lavender. It is a dwarf one and the pot is a bit small. It needs the next size.  It wilts at the end of a hot sunny day. So I have popped it into a spot where it gets morning sun and afternoon shade. I will repot it soon. Don't really want to buy another pot, as I have quite a few. Need to look in my pile of old pots and see what I have.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi
P.S. The flower of the Cupid's dart is much darker than in this photo.

Update: The blasted rain and wind yesterday, knocked over my gladii. Poor thing it is now trussed up like a chook, so the stem doesn't break.   I love looking into the flower, it is so perfect and pure white.

Rain Shadows

2011-11-27T12:33:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Well, boy has it been raining this spring! But I want to remind you that you do still need to check the soil and see how well the rain is penertrating into the ground because there are some spots called rain shadows, where it doesn't get any moisture.

I have discovered a spot at La Trobe's Cottage. I planted an Erempholia latrobie without realising, in the shadow of a Pencil pine. It completely blocks out an rain...... drats...... and I have to water it when I visit. Another spot that doesn't get any rain is under the eaves of the roof. Many plants struggle in this position because the soil is bone dry.

Watering systems are good if they are drippers but you can't put it on and forget it. You need to check the water is getting to where it is needed and dicover the places it is missing.

It is really important to get into the garden, dig a hole and see how far down is the moisture. You might be surprised that it is only a few centimeters deep even it has been raining all night. I was moving a plant yesterday and was quite surprised to find that the soil was dry and I had only dug about 5cm down.

Happy gardening
Cheers Sandi

Fruit bats and Possums

2011-11-26T12:29:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
I have a theory why we can't grow climbing roses well in Melbourne and for that Australia. Possums! In England they have squirrels and as far as I know, they eat nuts, although let me know if I am wrong. Possums can climb and jump and if there is a tasty rose they will find it. So, if you are growing roses on a fence or a wall or a house wall, you are going to have problems. Possums love the new growth and consequently, the poor plant never gets a go on as they eat it!

The only time I have seen climbing roses work, is on an arbour out in the middle of the garden, where the possums can't jump onto it. They are not keen on going down to the ground to scamper to the arbours.

I have heard Dingos (native dog) urine, yes, that right, if you spray it will deter them, as dingoes are possums natural enemies. But it is almost impossible to get, so that one goes out the window. If you don't believe me, I heard it on Red Symonds ( yes very reputible station) 774 ABC radio breakfast show one morning.

The bats fly over from Kew, they used to be in the Botanical Gardens but were relocated because they were damaging the fern gully. They fly silently over Melbourne at night looking for food, and they have found our big Morton Bay Fig trees and are having a ball eating the fruit. They are only a problem if you have fruit trees and as I don't, I don't have a problem.

My problem is possums as they like to get my Silver Princess gum tree leaves, but luckily this new one is growing away from the fence, although it is only time before it is strong enough for them to land in it.

Gardening is full of challenges everywhere. I think England has burrowing creatures like moles which in Melbourne we don't have, but in the outer suburbs and some country golf course we have kangaroos!

Happy Gardening, don't give up
Cheers Sandi

Raining! Raining! Raining!

2011-11-26T12:10:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Well for as long as I can remember, the rain hasn't started at about 6.00pm and bucketed down for most of the night. I can't remember going to bed and hearing rain on the roof for so long. I think the drought in Melbourne is definitely over and we are experiencing our second year of La Nina.

At present we have some friendly fruit bats - who didn't mind the rain - who visit and make a screaming noise while eating the fig tree fruit. Then we have the possums - furry creatures like squirrels, but they eat leaves off ALL your plants and they can scream too. So sleeping at present, in Port Melbourne is very noisy. Thank god, the drunks from the pub across the road, don't start singing, although they do at Christmas.

I must admit, looking out my lounge room window last night, with the rain pouring down, the bark of my ash tree looked nearly black with the water running down it and it made the dark green foliage against the dark sky stand out even more. It looked fabulous. The intensity of the colours was stunning. Reminded me of being at Falls Creek (mountains) in winter with the water running down the snow gum trees. Snow gums have silvery red, green trunks when it rains. It is stunning!

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

My Garden

2011-11-25T13:09:00.000-08:00

Very Bare Front Garden

More Bare Garden

Hi Everyone
You will be shocked if you walk past my front garden. As you can see, I gave it a serve prune and boy has it changed - from a jungle (you could not see the fence) to a very neat and tidy garden, with hardly any foliage. Yes, it was out of control and it was time for a good cut back.

It will do it the world of good, it actually has let a lot more sunlight into the garden. My nictotina and delphinium are going to benefit which is actually what I want. Big healthy flowering plants.

It will also cut down on the black spot developing on my David Austin - Mary Rose - name after King Henry VIII, ship that sanked, gives the snails no where to hide...... yehhhh and I will get more healthy flowers in about 1 months time.

It is raining again..... but the rain contains nutrients and that will help my plants regrow.

So while it looks bare, I am enjoying the miminalist look and will enjoy it again when it bushes up.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

La Trobe's Cottage Roof

2011-11-24T11:49:00.000-08:00

The Boys removing the Old Shringles

The New Shringles

Hi Everyone
Well, finally we are getting a new shringle roof on the cottage. When I arrive at the cottage, I was amazed to see how thin and how quickly the guys removed the old shringles. They just ripped them off.

I dropped back in later that day, to see some of the new shringles in place. They smell gorgeous. They do the roof in sections, they rip off one part and on the same day replace it. The wood is Canadian Cedar and the shringles are machine cut.

So if you are walking past, stop and have a look, it is not finished yet, but it is fascinating to watch the guys at work.
Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

What is happening in my Garden?

2011-11-18T21:31:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Well, quite a lot actually. My dahlia Bishop of Llandoff is powering ahead and is now about 40cm high, I have picked about 7 cherry tomatoes from my dwarf plant and there are about 5-7 left, ripening as we speak. Well perhaps not today, it is raining again! God, it is going to be a wet summer, I think. I hate being shut inside all day. Yes, it was boiling hot 35C yesterday which I think is about 90F and the north wind was wild. Today it is freezing, Melbourne is truly living up to it psychotic spring and I only have 3 cosmos left.... those bloody snails...... The petunias are looking good and my Cone flower is coming along nicely. Am going to have lots of Love-in-the-Mist seed, which is great, cause I adore the blues.

I think it is time the front had a clean up which I was going to do today, but no it didn't happen. Everything is over-grown, especially the Balm of Gilad and the Chinese lattern. If I sit on the verandah chairs, I can't see outside the fence and I can't walk alone my tiny verandah without being blopped by a plant stem. Starting to get sick of that. The nasturiums are starting to look scrappy and cause there is lots of seed, I think I might put it out and let the new seeds sprout.

Happy Gardening ... for those in the sun.
Cheers Sandi

P:S: It Sunday morning. The bloody cat........ has broken one of my cosmos. Grrrr. Only two left, not happy Janet, I think I am destined not to have any!

P:S:S My first gardenia is out - it is delicous and there are more ready to open. Also pruned the front garden yesterday (Sunday) and gosh it is bare. And guess what I found - more bloody snails.

La Trobe's Cottage - New Succulent Bed

2011-11-16T16:05:00.000-08:00

Succulent Bed, La Trobe's Cottage

The New Succulent Bed
Hello Everyone
LOOK ..... at our beautiful succulent bed. There were some already there the but the new silver foliage plants have given it an uplift and made it LOOK fabulous. Yes, I am modest!
I reasearched early succulents and Citywide ordered them and helped me plant them.
We planted Echeveria 'Big Red', Crassula falcata and Cotyledon orbiculata. Yes, I know a cultivar has snuck in, but you wouldn't believe how hard it is to source the original plants sometimes.

Succulents are great for bed with giant old pine trees in them. They survive!

So, next time you are wandering by, drop in and enjoy the garden.
Cheers
Happy Gardening
Sandi

Burnley Gardens

2011-11-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Last night, the Friends of Burnley Gardens had their Christmas Party. It was a beautiful night and we played a very rough game of Boules. Sometimes I couldn't see the jack as it was hidden in the grass.

The above pictues are of Luffmans's Lily Pond, it was looking so good. There is a family of young ducklings and I don't think we have had baby ducks for a few years. They were so cute and having a lovely time too (trying to avoid us).

The Rainbow Loreets were in the Flame tree which at present is covered with flame red flowers. They were having a wow of a time making lots of noise and eating the flowers.

The gardens at Burnley are looking lovely at the moment, November is its best time, so if you are passing by, zoom in and have a look.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

White Flies and Snails

2011-11-12T19:57:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone
The white flies and snails are driving me mad. I have been spraying pyrethrum and white oil to no avail - my front garden is covered in white fly and seems to be getting worse rather than better.

They can transfer virus and bacteria and I don't want them in my garden, but it seems I have no say. I have been trying to user safer and more environmentally friendly sprays but am starting to think I might get some Confidor which is a systemic and effective. But I have gone off Confidor because it gets the bees - they eat the nectare from the flowers and it contains Confidor, so they die.

I also tried the new Confidor tablets, put three in the front around certain plants and well they have not worked either.

Also am over snails - as fast as I get rid of them, more pop in - they are like possums, remove one and another one takes its place - pointless. I have been trying not to buy more snail bait, but gave in this afternoon. I planted some cosmos on Friday and somebody came past in the night and eat one of them. Ahhhh

So I got the one that is safer for the environment, it stops the slugs and snails eating and they starve. The pellets also break down and become fertiliser which is good.

So gardening today is frustrating.
Cheers Sandi

Look at This - Interesting Garden in My Neighbourhood

2011-11-09T20:12:00.000-08:00

Look for the Mushrooms in th corner!

Hi Everyone
Gosh it is amazing what you discover when you wander around your neighbourhood. This is such an unusual garden, almost Japanese. It has a minimlist feel but is a very sculptured garden, using a cupressus variety which have been trimmed into these simple shapes. It is so effective, using only 4 colours green, grey, white and a blue door.

So good to see something individual as there are so many gardens that show no imagination.
Hope you enjoy the pictures
Cheers Sandi

Tomatoes Tips for Controlling Fungal Diseases due to Humid Weather

2011-11-08T13:50:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone
Oh Melbourne is fickle. 10 years of drought and now this is the second spring of tremendous amounts of rain. Today's cheery forecast is for violent storms.
As we know, tomatoes hate unstable weather, because they get diseases such as mildews. The humid air encourages the mildews to grow, but there are a few tricks you can try to prevent it.

1. Pick varieties that are mildew resistant
2. Do not plant the tomato in the same place as last year
3. Place the tomato is a full sun position/with good air circulation
4. Stake the branches to prevent them dragging on the ground and picking up fungal spores
5. Open up the middle of the plant by pruning out some of the branches
6. Water at ground level, helps to prevent fungal spores being bounced up into the foliage
7. Mulch thickly but not right up to the stem, as is supresses the fungal spores
8. Only water in the morning, giving the leaves all day to dry

If you try all this and still get mildew, which is quite possible, trying spraying with a bi-carb of soda mixture which you make yourself. There are lots of recipes on the net. It is a contact spray and it will wash off.
Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Tomatoes - keeping them warm!

2011-11-06T12:21:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone
Spring in Melbourne has been rather cool this year and this is not good for growing tomatoes. They are really temperature sensitive and are retarded by the cool weather, especially cool nights.

Have been thinking about ways to keep them warm at night and I have come up with a couple of suggestions:

Make sure the soil is moist as moist soil is warmer than dry soil
For seedlings plants up to about 75cm high, put a plastic tree guard around it, as this will help to keep it warmer. You can get ones that can be filled with water, they are good too!
If in pots (and you can) move them into a warmer spot for the night - perhaps under the verandah.
Choose cool tolerant varieties - my eBook on growing tomatoes in cool/temperate zones, lists several suitable varieties which can be purchased from gardenpatch.com.au

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Gardening Adventure by the Railway Line

2011-11-02T21:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone
Have no photo's of this but I had heard that there were some wild succulents up by the East Melbourne Station, where La Trobe's Cottage originally came from. So I was on my way home from Kew and decided to go via East Melbourne.

Well! Yes there were some, the Agave america, Aloe arborescens and Aeonium arborerum and we think they may have come from the original plants in La Trob'es rockery and they are were available in the 1840s. So who knows, but it is nice to think they may have come from the rockery at the entrance to his Jolimont.

They were along the railway line, which of course was fenced off. Luckily the aeonium was poking through the fence, so I pulled some off, there was some agave poking under the fence, so I pulled it out and the aloe I had to scale the railway fence and nick some. Haven't climbed a wire fence for ages. But I got them.

The great thing with succulents is that they so easy to propagate. Just leave them outside for 3 days to dry off the end, then pot them up and they will strike. On the way home, I stopped at the cottage and planted some of the aeonium because it had roots. It is near the Saving the Cottage sign (Shrine side). So if you are walking past stop, look it up and enjoy the garden.

So I had a great morning of sourcing some original stock. May be!

Cheers Sandi

Growing Tomatoes

2011-10-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone
It is tomato growing time, but if you are having problems such as with all this cold weather we are having in Melbourne which tomatoes hate, you need my The Secrets of Growing Tomatoes Successfully which you can purchase from my website: gardenpatch.com.au It will explain what temperatures tomatoes thrive in. Also gives lots of hints how to produce lots of fruit.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

La Trobe's Cottage - Rose 'Louise Odier'

2011-10-29T22:37:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

I was at La Trobe's Cottage this afternoon. It was wild and woolly and not many people came through. But there is lots happening in the garden and I thought you might like to see our roses. This is Rosa 'Louise Odier' and it is just beautiful. This is it in its new spot where it is thriving. I also discovered nearby in the lawn that the viola's had self seeded. Groovie, so I dug them up and popped them back into the garden bed. I love plants that self seed.

We are getting a new roof starting next week, so I shall keep you up-dated. It will be made of shingles coming from Canada and once that is finished all the major repairs will be done. Yes, we will probably have to do some remedial work on the front garden beds, but nothing to major.

Next time you are walking in the Domain, come past and enjoy the garden.
Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

My Red Dahlia is growing

2011-10-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff'

Hi Everyone
I am very excited, my red dahlia is finally poking its head up. I was beginning to worry. Above is a picture of it last summer. It is only about 5cm tall at the moment. But at least it is growing. I moved it two years ago and last years flowering wasn't so spectacular and I am hoping the bulb will of accumulated more carbohydrate and thus be a stronger plant this year. I am also going to put lots of cow manure around it. I am not going to use blood and bone because every time I do that in summer, I kill the plant, so am going to go easy this year. I think though I will put a very small amount of organic pellet fertliser. I do not want to kill this plant. The pink plant in the back ground is Salvia 'Wendy Wish' and I am going to keep this in check too so it does not over crowd the dahlia.

Happy gardening
Cheers Sandi

Iron Deficiency? I am Stumped!

2011-10-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone
I have a Murraya paniculata Orange jasmimium which is showing a slight iron deficiency symptoms which are the green veins and yellow blotches in between. So I thought I would put some sulphur on the soil to lower the pH and then I thought before I do this I had better test the soil's pH. Well blow me down it came up on the acid side which surprised me as the plant is next to a brick wall which still could be leaching lime from the concrete - but it seems not.

It stumped me, I didn't know what to think. Glad I listened to myself and tested the soil first before wasting putting on the sulphur. But blogging this has helped me sort it out. I don't need to put sulphur on to lower the pH and make the iron available to the plant's roots, it just needs some extra iron. So that is what I think I will do.

Working out what plants are saying to us is fraught will difficulties, even the professionals can be stumped.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Como House and Garden - National Trust

2011-10-24T19:20:00.000-07:00

Rhododenderon "Pink Pearl'

Main focual point of the garden and view from front door

The House Como

Hi Everyone
Had a lovely morning at Como in South Yarra. It is a National Trust property and with all the rain Melbourne has had, the garden looked lovely. Unfortunately, the colour of my photo of the Rhododenderon is washed out a bit but it looked fabulous. Duncan the head gardener today explained to me it is one of the original plants planted by William Sangster the head gardener in the early 1850s.

I was there digging up some arum lilies for La Trobe's Cottage. It is a great connection because La Trobe would of known Como, may have even visited the property and may have even swapped plants with Sangster.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Magnificient Trees - Brachychiton rupestris

2011-10-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

Brachychiton rupestris - Bottle tree

Hi Everyone
Aren't these fabulous trees, they are just so cool. Definitely hugable. This one is in the Williamstown Botanic Gardens and I know of another one at Burnley Gardens in Richmond. They are a native of Queensland and are a magnificient species for gardens. They make a great focal point in your design. They are slow growing and they don't begin to show their unusal shape until they are quite old. The trunk is this unusual shape because they store water in it. It is a swelling. They like a full sun position and with standing temperatures as low as - 8C up to 50C+ . They also like a slightly acid soil.

They are best planted into the garden.
Enjoy the picture
Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Yellow Leaves on Gardenias

2011-10-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone
My gardenia is covered in yellow leaves at the moment and that is completely normal. You can see from the pictures that it is the older leaves that are yellow. It has withdrawn the chlorolphyll and is preparing to shed them in the next couple of weeks. There is nothing wrong with it.

If your gardenia is doing this don't panic, it is just getting rid of its old leaves.

P.S. It a couple of days since I posted this and I have just noticed many of the yellow are falling off. This is perfectly normal.

If you leaves are showing green veins and yellow in between the veins, then you may have a iron deficiency and it would be wise to test the soil pH and then if it is 6 or more add some sulphur and then some chelate of Iron. If you add the iron without lowering the pH, the gardenia won't be able to access the iron.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Water properly - Is Important

2011-10-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone
I learnt something very valuable yesterday and discovered I am never to old to learn. Sometimes I think I know everything about gardening and then I remember I don't.

I learnt that potting mix is made up of mostly pine bark and has huge pore space (gaps between the pine bark) and therefore drains quickly. When you plant a species grown in potting mix, it is very important to hand water it for the first couple of months until the roots have grown out into the soil. You need to water the potting mix that the plant is growing in, to keep it moist. Because of the large pore spaces, it drains very quickly and if it drys out then the plant will most likely die. Once the roots have grown out into the soil, you can stop hand watering and start using your dripper system.

Once your plants are established, they will be tough and have a well established root system.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

I have worked out how to post comments!

2011-10-14T23:28:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone, Especially everyone who has commented and I haven't been able to work out how to reply. I have finally worked it out.

Thanks for all your great comments.
Cheers Sandi

The Botanical Beeeeees!

2011-10-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone
Thought you might to see how the bees at the Royal Botanic Gardens are going. They have a very good address and as you can see the Erythrina crista-galli which has be pollarded, is just starting to grow back its foliage. Pollarding is cutting back to the same spot each winter and this is a traditional method of managing this tree. In about 1-2 months time you won't be able to see the hive so easily and it will be protected from the harsh summer sun. The bees seem quite happy that the home looses it roof each year, if they weren't they would move.

You very rarely see a hive in the city and it is very special. It is in the Magnolia bed if you are wanting to find it. The dark colour at the bottom of the hive is bees!

Happy gardening
Cheers Sandi

Spring up-date of the Separation Tree

2011-10-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

Eucalyptus camaldulensis - Separation Tree - River Red Gum

Hi Everyone, thought you might like an up-date on the Separation tree. There is lots of new growth, which is good, but it still has lerp - a sap sucking pest and sooty mould. Also when you look up into the foliage, there is a more foliage and you can't see very much of the sky which is a good thing. But the gardens still don't know if it is going to survive as trees can take years to show signs of stress and dying. But the signs look good, so cross your fingers.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

A Spring Jaunt in the Royal Botanical Gardens

2011-10-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

Blue Iris

More beautiful blue iris

Azealea flowering

Californian poppy flowering in a rockery

Roses flowering

Hi Everyone
Gosh the Botanic gardens in Melbourne look good. I adore blue irises and look at these - fabulous. There is always something flowering in the iris bed near the childrens garden entrance.
There were lots of azaleas still flowering, and because of all the rain we have had this year the gardens look FANTASTIC. Everything is green and I spoke to one of the gardeners who said everything keeps growing.

I saw beautifu ducks asleep in Guilfoyles volcano, saw gorgeous little birds hoping about and some black crows flying above me squawking. I like black crows, they are intelligent and so cheeky

Enjoy the pictures
Cheers Sandi

Growing Tomatoes in Pots

2011-10-11T22:34:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

My new tomato!

I have just bought a mini tomato called 'Red Robin'. It is a compact grower and has fruit the size of tommy toe, and it is only 11cm high. It will get a bit higher but it is perfect for me because my garden is tiny and I have no room for any more plants in the garden beds.

Now it isn't graft so it was very cheap, but that is okay because I know this and I next time I use the pot, I will wash it in hot soapy water, rinse it and then dip it in metho (or bleach) for 15 minutes. This will kill all the bad pathogens.

It would also be a perfect tomato for people who live in flats and apartments, but I really do feel you need a balcony because if it is inside, it will just wilt, get sick and probably get mites, or mealy bugs (sap sucking insects).

I will be liquid feeding it every two weeks or when I think it needs it.

The only problem with it will be I will have to check the moisture levels in the soil in the morning and evening, because the pot is so small it will dry out really quickly. I might even have to move the pot out of the hot afternoon sun.

Happy gardening
Cheers Sandi

Heritage Apples Story continues

2011-10-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

Heritage apple tree has started growing

Our apples at last have started growing and no longer just look like sticks in the ground. There is a picture drawn by Edward La Trobe Bateman (La Trobe's cousin) of the Kitchen Block 1840s C, See Above picture and that is what we are trying to copy. The drawing shows the apples loosely espaliered, not the traditional formal style. So keep tuned and watch as I learn the intricacies of espaliering.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Snails!

2011-10-08T13:30:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone
The snails are driving me mad! It has been raining over the last week and I am discovering snails everywhere, especially hiding under foliage. The wet weather has brought them out but where from? As fast as I get rid of them, more appear. I am becoming quite good at spotting them. They sit between the fence pickets, behind my tin cow and down the aggie pipes the council put in the street tree beds

I try really hard not to use snail bait, because it is so dangerous to other animals. I worry that if the birds eat the snails that have eaten snail bait, then the birds may die too. So instead I squash them and I must admit, I am getting sick of that.

So be vigilant because they can do a lot of damage, especially to small seedlings.

I am off to see what is lurking on my fence this morning.

Cheers Sandi

Williamstown Botanic Gardens

2011-10-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

The focal point of the main path

The Ponds filled with water!

Another View

And Another View

A Beautiful bed of Cinararias

Hi Everyone
Was working in Williamstown this morning and thought I would drop into the Williamstown Botanic Gardens. I um and rd about whether to visit and boy am I glad I did.

Firstly, the ponds haven't had water in them for at least 10 years maybe 15 and they were filled! Finally the council has fixed the leak and they look tremendous. Shelly is the Head Gardener and she is also replanting around the ponds.

I then walked around and found this fabulous bed of cinararias - from a distance it just looked stunning. I always feel really refreshed after vising heritage gardens. There is just something about them that appeals to me.

And in old historic gardens, there is always a fabulous old statue of some old local bloke. So, if you are in Williamstown, drop in and enjoy walking around them.

Shelly is doing a brilliant job!
Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

My Garden has become a Jungle

2011-10-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

My Front Fence

My First Ornamental Tabacco Flower

Nasturium envloping the front fence

David Austin's Mary Rose First Flower

Hi Everyone
Where is my front fence? The nasturium is slowly taking over and turning my garden into a jungle! I like junglie gardens but there gets a point where I can't stand it. It is getting to that stage, it needs a tidy up.

I noticed for the first time this morning my ornamental nictoriana is flowering - I love this plant, it can become weedy, so you just have to keep tabs on it.

Also you will be shocked that I didn't prune my Mary Rose in winter and I reckon it has produced flowers a month early. Why didn't I prune it, I wanted to see what happens if you don't. It also worked because most of it is twined into the pickets of the fence and the laterals had been pruned in about March/April. There are a couple of houses near me and their Iceberg roses hadn't been pruned for about 3 years and even though they looked scrappy, they continued to bloom.

Enjoy the pictures
Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

La Trobe's Cottage - New Garden - Planted!

2011-10-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

Placing out our plants

Planting our new plants

More Planting Going on!

Planting continued

Finished!

Hi Everyone
There has been a hive of activity at the cottage. The Citywide teamed turned up bright and early this morning, I arrived with plants that I had propagated with the help of the Royal Botanic Gardens and plants donated from the Pelargonium Society in Geelong and we all started planting. This project has been about 18 months in the planning and sourcing of plants.

I tried really hard to only use plants that were available in the 1840s (La Trobe's time) and discovered it is very difficult to get the old species!
If you are in Melbourne come and visit and enjoy the garden. It looks brilliant!

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

White Fly Alert!

2011-10-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

Look out for white fly! They are a little sap sucking insect that is white, sits under the leaves, flies about when the plant is disturbed and are complete pest! Sap sucking pests are a problem because they can transfer viruses which there are no cures for. Yes, even plants if they have a virus, have no cure! They are tiny little critters and the best way to get rid of them is to spray with long life pyrethrin. Spray it up under the leaves as it is a contact spray and does not absorb into the plant.

Also keep the moisture up to the plants as stressed plants attract pests. Even though we have had a bucket of rain over the last week, I checked one of my garden beds and found that the topsoil was bone dry, after all that rain!

If you don't control them, they will breed and they suck the sap from the leaves, causing them to buckle and overtime reduce the vigour of the plants.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

A new Daphne to plant

2011-09-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

Daphne x transatlantica 'Eternal Fragrance'

Hi Everyone
Was looking around my local nursery on Sunday and discovered a new daphne species to plant into the garden. Reading the label it says that it is drought tolerant once established, likes sun, will flower through the year and is frost tolerant. Sounds too good to be true but I have bought two for a client and am going to give them ago. I am going to put one in dappled light and the other in a sunny position and will see how they go.

I will keep you updated and see if it lives up to its label.

P:S The X means it is a hybrid and the single inverted commas means that it is a cultivar. It can be both.
Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Ash tree has leaves

2011-09-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

Claret Ash
Hi Everyone
My ash tree is in leaf. I have posted over the last few weeks, it journey to leaves and I noticed last night, how much they had developed. Other trees in the neighbourhood such as the elms and oaks are still bare, but their buds are swelling. They open in October and create a lovely lime green tinge to world.
Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Heritage Apple Buds Swelling at La Trobe's Cottage

2011-09-25T23:29:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

Was at the cottage yesterday and noticed the apples buds have started swelling and beginning to open. This is fantastic because as soon as the branches are long enough, we will be able to start training them like in painting of the kitchen block by Edward Bateman Latrobe Kitchen and store interior courtyard. We are hoping to train them into a S shape.

Happy gardening

Cheers Sandi

What do Dragon Flies Eat?

2011-09-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone
Just googled what dragon flies eat..... just about anything ...... even bees. Honey producers consider dragon flies a pest. I do love dragon flies but they are carnivors which means they eat bugs including flies, mosquitoes which is good but bees is not so good. The dragon fly larvae also eat mosquitoe larvae which is excellent but how do you tell the difference? Google doesn't mention aphids, but it says they eat anything they can catch... so they probably do. They have these amazing back legs that catch their dinner.

So even though they eat bees, I do love having them in the garden and it shows my garden is healthy and there is a balance between predators and pests.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Swinging in the Wind - Dragon flies in MY Garden!

2011-09-22T23:04:00.000-07:00

Left hand side of the flower is a dragon fly!

Hi Everyone
Oh it is very exciting, I was just looking at my wild wilderness front garden and I saw a dragon fly swaying in the wind on my nasturium. God I wish I had a better camera. He was so gorgeous just sitting there. I have just popped out and he is still there. He has been there for about 15 minutes.
The weather has warmed up and I have noticed over the last few days lots of lovely dragon flies. Hopefully they eat aphids as there are some on my roses.

And then while I was up loading the files, a wattle bird dropped in and was eating the nectare of the flowers. Gawd it is all happening here.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

It is very Exciting - Weeping Elm Bed Begins at La Trobe's Cottage

2011-09-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

The New Weeping Elm Bed

Hi Everyone
It is very exciting, the weeping elm bed has finally begun. As you can see from the picture, the boys from Citywide were there yesterday removing the lawn and creating a garden bed. I have been researching what plants were available in the 1840s and I guesss you wouldn't be surprised at how hard it is to find the original species - that means no modern cultivars. It is almost impossible to get the old species which is quite annoying. I wanted to create as authentic garden as possible and distinguish it from the later Victorian period gardens.

I will be putting a plant list up on the Friends of La Trobe's Cottage website in a few weeks time for those who are interested.
We are planting next Thursday and I will definitely have some shots of the day. We have been planning this day for about 1 year and so we are very happy that things are starting to roll.

Another exciting development is we are getting a new roof on the cottage (not the kitchen block). I think the shingles are coming from Canada and once that is done, the major repairs will be completed.

Enjoy the photo
Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

My Ash tree has burst with Spring Growth

2011-09-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

New Leaves

I hope you can see that my ash tree leave's are beginning to burst. The green tinge is all the new leaves bursting. I was sitting watching telly last night, when I looked out the window and noticed this green fuzz. It is so great to see new leaves unfolding. In a couple of weeks time, it will be completely covered and you never know it had not leaves a few months back.

I call Melbourne in October lime green month because the oaks and elms burst and there is just this beautiful limey green colour along the streets.

This ash is a tough old tree, it gets no extra water, it is surrounded by asphalt, probably gets beer split on it, because as you can see it is by the pub yet, I love it. It just keeps on growing.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

What is happening in my spring garden?

2011-09-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

Last years impatien

Arum lillies flowering in backyard

Daphne struggling through the growth (Centre of picture)

My Lorraine Lee Rose doing her thing

My Cinararias looking good

Hi Everyone
Haven't blogged for a while. Spring is my favourite season, as all my favourite plants are starting to grow. My cone flower Echinacea purpurea is growing, I just planted my two self seeded comos into their summer spot and of course I squashed in some more flowering plants - larkspurs. I have grown them before and from memory they self seed. I like plants that self seed - if they become a bother, just pull them out. I have also planted up my pots and hanging baskets with their summer annuals. Yes, petunia (bit like admitting in the 1970s you liked ABBA) and impatiens. The one I nurserd over winter is looking fabulous.

Jobs in the garden I have done are spreading cow manure around, plants love it and most importantly putting in water saving crystals into many of my pots. Firstly, I re-hydrated it, then dug little holes in the pots and put it in. No good just putting it on the top of the potting mix, it doesn't work that way! You can also water in some liquid wetta soil which will help improve water holding capacity of the pottting mix. And I put my saucers under my pots over summer and the water that they catch is drawn back up by capillery action into the mix. Yes, capillery actions is stronger than gravity I learnt yesterday.

Enjoy the garden
Happy gardening
Cheers Sandi

A Gorgeous Flowering Australian Plants

2011-09-11T23:54:00.000-07:00

Geraldton Wax Flower, Chamelaucium auncinatum

This is a gorgeous bush I learnt in Plant id at Burnley. It is from the Western Australian Coast line of Geraldton, hence the name. I just love the pink colour of the flowers. They only flower in spring and the bush the rest of the year is dull but gosh when it flowers...... Likes really good drainage and not much fertiliser. A prune after it has flowered will help keep in shape.

Drought tolerant and salt tolerant perfect for Port Melbourne. I discovered on my walk this morning so of course raced back with my camera.

Enjoy the pictures
Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

La Trobe's Cottage - Flowering native Acacia

2011-09-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

Acacia acinacea syn. Acacia latrobei Golden fields wattle

Hi Everyone,
Very excited, noticed last Friday that the Acacia acinacea alla latrobei was flowering for the first time and thought you might like to see. The flowers are little round yellow balls and gorgeous. It has been growing well in this tough bed. The bed is full of tree roots and gets alot of sun and it is thriving. The Eremophila latrobei is okay, it isn't thriving as strongly but it is okay. I am actually getting a couple more as an insurance policy incase it claps out.

Happy gardening
Cheers Sandi

La Trobe's Cottage - Weeping Elm Bed

2011-09-08T23:25:00.000-07:00

New Weeping Elm Bed

Hi Everyone
It is very exciting, as this corner of the garden where the weeping elms sits (all by itself) is getting a make over thanks to Citywide and the Melbourne City Council. I have worked hard on identifying plants that were able to La Trobe in the 1840s. Yes, that is right the 1840s so to make the garden authentic. Well we marked out the shape of the garden bed today, yes, in the rain, but luckily no hail.
It is interesting alot of the species aren't available, there are only cultivars and I don't really want to use them. I like being authentic as possible. So in a couple of weeks when the work is finished, come by and have a look, especially on Sunday afternoon when the cottage is open (starting in October)

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Gardening with a friendly Magpie

2011-09-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

Ms Magpie looking out for curl grubs

Found One!

Hi Everyone
I had the most amazing experience gardening today. I was weeding a clients garden when Ms or Mr. Maggie dropped in, walked right past me and wasn't afraid at all. She gathered in her beak about 3 grubs and was not going to eat them straight away. I found one and called her and she came and I gave her the curl grub.

The lady next door to my client used to feed them and that is why they weren't scared of people. But unfortunately, the lady moved. I know you are not meant to feed wild birds. They were finding them, themselves.

Anyway it was so great, I told them if they helped I would find curl grubs for them. They flew off. Work?

Gardening can be extra special sometimes.
Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Sad news - 1926 Cabbage Seedlings

2011-09-07T01:25:00.000-07:00

The 1926 Cabbage Seeds in a hot house at Burnley

Hi Everyone
Dropped into Burnley today, to see how the 1926 Cabbage seedlings were going. Found Sasha and she had sad news. None of them had germinated, gosh they were only 85 years old, what was the seeds problem? We both felt sad, it was like a death. They were only tiny seeds, so perhaps not surprising. Sasha suggested sowing the all the seeds that were still in the packet and I said go for it. You never know!

So we both felt sad and it was because if one had germinated there would have been life. Unfortunately, it didn't happen.

Cheers Sandi

Finally did it - pruned La Trobe's Cottage Heritage Apples

2011-09-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone
Yep, I finally got the courage to prune the heritage apples so we can start espailling them like in Edward La Trobe's painting of the Kitchen Block (1839-1854). They aren't traditionally espailled along the wire. Instead they are grown in the shape of an 'S' and we are going to have a go at copying this.

I have never espailled before and I asked heaps of questions to Chris England from Merrywood nursery as he is an expert on this style of pruning. He was very patient, answered my queries and whallla I think I have done it correctly. Gosh I hope so.

Enjoy and watch our progess
Happy gardening
Cheers Sandi

Whats happening in my Garden?

2011-09-03T00:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone
Well I did it again, I over fertilised and killed the tomatoes, I was nursing through winter. Yes, even professionals make mistakes. I get carried away when I fertilise sometimes and the number of plants I have killed is sad. To much love.....

It is Saturday and about 21C (I love the warmer weather) and I decided it was time to put my gardenia in the pot in to its summer position. The leaves were yellowing because of too much sun. Yes, some plants can get too much sun. So it is sitting on the west side of the garden and it doesn't get the afternoon sun because the wall on my side creates a shadow. On the other side of the fencel, my neighbour, yes, she gets western sun on her side of the wall.

I have also popped my stag horn fern into its summer position as it to was also getting to much sun. My primulas are coming to their end. The north wind is drying them out and soon it will be time to put in petunias and impatiens. Yes, I admit it I like petunias and I discovered on a companion planting website they are suppose to repel aphids. Well I have never noticed this but.......

Echinacea purpurea

My Cone flower - Echinacea purpurea has broken its winter dorminacy and is starting to grow. It is one of my favourite plants. The above picture is one I grew several years ago. Aren't they brilliant!.

My dahlia - Bishop of Llandaff is still sleeping - last year because I moved it it didn't flower as well. I hope this year it is better. Dahlias do need to lifted and divided every two or three years. It has lovely black foliage and red flowers - fantastic.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Everyone
Sandi

Nitrogen Deficiency

2011-09-01T23:17:00.000-07:00

Eupatorium megalophylum

I planted this shrub about 1 month ago and last time I visited noticed that the new leaves where white. So I did some reasearch and found it could be a nitrogen. What I think is happening is the soil micro-organisms are busy breaking down the leaf litter and there isn't enough for the plant to start growing.
So today, I added some synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, watered it in well and then some cow manure around it. I put the cow manure around the plant, hoping the micro-organisms would digest the cow manure nitrogen rather than taking nitrogen out of the soil.

But then I checked again and discovered, it could also be a sulphur deficiency. Usually in nitrogen deficiency the older leaves show the signs where as sulphur shows up in the younger leaves which is what is happening here.

Well in 2 weeks, when I go back I will see if the nitrogen it has worked. If it hasn't I will try some sulphur.

Identifying nutrient deficiencies is difficult!
Happy Garden
Cheers Sandi

Update of my Fornt Garden - Spring

2011-08-31T15:10:00.000-07:00

Front Garden with Clance - my corrugated iron cow

Front Fence

Dendrobium sp. looking fantastic!

Eucalyptus 'Silver Princess'

Hi Everyone
Thought you might like to see how beautiful my cinerarias are looking. They have just come into their own this week. The tin cow is my intrepretension of the fantastic tin cows at Heidi Art Gallery in Heidelberg (Melbourne).

Cinerarias are great for spots in the garden that get no direct sunlight. They do really well.

The orchid on the fence is looking the best it has for a few years. The trick, popping it into the sun about 2 months ago. And my little Eucalyptus tree is coming along. It won't look fantastic until is it about 4 years old. It is only 2 years at the moment. If it was in a full sun position, it would be better developed.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Box Hedge - Bronze leaves

2011-08-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

Box hedge are notorious for their leaves turning bronze and there are several reasons for this:
1. The cold weather
2. A strongly acid soil - usually clay
3. Lack of water and
4. Lack of potassium

Many plants leaves turn red or coppery in autumn, but usually green up when the weather improves. But if they don't then do a pH test and if you get a result of below 5 then fertilise with some lime. Box hedge likes a pH between 6 and 7.

The last reason is lack of water. You may think you are watering well, but actually when you dig down a bit you find the soil is bone dry. There are several things you can do.

1. Water in some liquid wetta agent every three months which will disolve the waxy coating around the soil particle and allow the water to penetrate
2. Dig in some compost or animal manure to hold the water or
3. Dig in some water holding granules

Bronze leaves are also a sign of a potassium deficiency and can be caused by the soil being too dry. Apply some potash and water it in well. Also increase the watering.

If you try any of the above, slowly the leaves will green up.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Gardenias - It is time to feed them

2011-08-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

Spring has arrived in Melbourne and it is time to feed your gardenias. I use Harry Gardenia food because it has all the nutrients gardenias need. They have got the magnesium balance right and since I have been using it, my gardenia has thrived.

I am also thinking it is time to move out from its winter position to its summer position. I haven't yet, because it is so early, but it is looking like it is getting too much sun. The summer position is morning sun and afternoon shade and this will allow the leaves to become a lovely glossy green colour.

The branches are getting a bit lanky and I am thinking of giving it a light prune to tidy and thicken it up. Must admit, I haven't done it yet, but I think I will.

Gardenias need feeding regular and once every two months is ideal. Don't forget to water in the fertiliser.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

La Trobe's Cottage - Fence is Painted and Finished!

2011-08-28T00:18:00.000-07:00

The fence is finished.

Doesn't it look good!

Setting off the Cottage.

Hi Everyone
Thought you might like to see our fence painted and finished. Isn't it a beauty!!!! The white really sets it off and makes it look like an early colonial garden.

We are going to work on developing the weeping elm garden bed. The Friends of the Elms donated it to us and at present it is just sitting out in the lawn all by itself. We are working on developing bed around it, using plants that were available in La Trobe's time 1839-1854.

The daffodils are flowering and the anemones are just starting too. If you are walking past, take a moment and just enjoy all the spring growth.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Update on my Self Seeded Tomatoes

2011-08-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

Tomato in the azalea pot

Follow the stick down towards the lip of the pot and there is the little tomato

Hi Everyone
Thought you may like to know what is happening with the tomatoes that self seeded last summer in the azalea pot which I have been nursing over winter. They are in the sunniest spot in the garden and they are looking cold affected. One has died (I got carried away with fertiliser for the other plants) and gave the tomato too much. The other one is just hanging in there.

I have left all the creeper around it, to create a micro-climate to help and keep it warmer over night. It is stunted and not a healthy green, but it is still alive. It will be interesting to see what happens when the weather warms up.

If if lives I am planning to transplant it to a proper garden bed and it will be interesting to see how well it fruits. The cold weather reduces tomatoes cropping ability.

So don't plant them yet, even though they are in the shops, wait until at least October. The old garden saying is plant your Tomatoes and basil on Melbourne Cup Day - famous horse race, public holliday, 1st Tuesday in November and after the frosts have finished. If you have a green house, yes, you can start them now, but you need to get the temperatures right. My ebooks can help with the temperatures tomatoes thrive in.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi

Re-Gigged my Web Page

2011-08-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone
My webpage was getting a bit messy and hard to see what was what. SO I have improved it and made it simplier to find my ebooks and my services. I have also ironed out some of the bugs.

Don't forget my ebooks are good value and contain lots of helpful information on growing vegetables. Buy now you also get a free ebook on understanding soils.

Happy Gardening
Cheers Sandi