Backyards are places for relaxation or entertainment. So what about some furniture to relax in. Check out wooden seats very carefully as many are not at all comfortable to sit on: comfort is essential. Fabric seats can also be a problem as the cushions may get wet...
Now is the time to rev up your lawn. Lawns need regular fertilising to achieve good results so use a slow release lawn food like Scotts Lawn Builder now. Buy a fertilizer spreader from the local plant shop or hardware store to ensure an even result. Now is the time to...
Gardens on balconies can brighten up your world and they can also produce lots of food as well. But you need to know how to do it. Most balconies are hot, windy areas where plants rapidly dry out. So try to avoid small pots – because they dry out rapidly and the...
Sometimes the dark areas around houses can look depressing and miserable: where the black dog lives. I always like to cheer up these areas. Obviously soft plants like maidenhair ferns and club mosses can do a lot, but have you ever thought of white flowering...
Most Australian native plants look better, live longer and flower much better if pruned each year… but when and how do you prune them? All natives, like grevilleas and bottlebrushes are best pruned immediately after the major spring flowering flush – i.e. in...
About now is a good time to take cuttings from plants to produce new baby plants. As soon as the new spring growth has opened up fully and the stems have become firm and mature, start taking cuttings. Azaleas, camellias, grevilleas, indeed most plants will strike...
Well troops, it’s time now to plant almost all vegies and edible plants. If you didn’t get them in in September, DO IT NOW. Plant beans, beetroots, carrots, capsicums, Chinese cabbages, cucumbers, eggplants, herbs, lettuces, pumpkins, rhubarb, silverbeet, sweet corn,...
To cheer up your home you can get some flowering plans that perform well indoors. Cyclamen come in colours from purple to pink & white. Often the flowers are perfumed too. These plants like cool weather and little water. So DO NOT put them in a heated room – put...
Are you looking for a superb centrepiece for your front yard? (or anywhere else for that matter). What about a magnolia? Sure there are the evergreen ones like ‘Little Gem’ and so on, but the deciduous magnolias are stunning too. The deciduous white flowering magnolia...
In my opinion limes are the best of the citrus varieties. The lime fruit flavor is superb with fish, in curries, in drinks, in cakes and in marmalade. Limes are a great substitute for lemons – a tastier alternative. I recommend 3 different limes for your place: 1. The...