One of the great miracles happens at this time of the year. Nursery people dig up plants, shake ALL of the soil off them and send them all over Australia. Isn’t it amazing that plants can tolerate this much abuse! Fruiting plants such as apples, peaches, nectarines,...
Sooner or later most of us will need to set a post in the ground. To hold up a gate or a letter box or a cubby house or set of swings for the kids. It is so easy to do these days. First, dig a hole about 60cm (2 ft.) deep. Get 2 or 3 bits of scrap timber about 1-2...
Have you ever wondered why we often use reinforced concrete? Well concrete is brittle and can break apart when it settles or even expands. So metal reinforcing is placed in the area to be concreted prior to pouring the concrete. The reinforcing may not always stop...
For small gardens and balconies, garden designer Jim Fogarty shows how to delve deep into the designer’s bag of tricks to come up with a result that’s sheer magic. As land size is gradually being squeezed in city areas, and apartment living is becoming more popular,...
Megg Miller says chooks make fantastic pets for children. All mum and dad need to do is choose the right chook breed and the love affair can begin! Featherbrained or not, chooks make great pets for children. They’ll endure being carried around, taken for rides on the...
From Robin, Yreka, Siskiyou, California, USA Q: Hello–I live in Yreka, California. The USDA lists my area as zone 7 but in the actual town of Yreka we stay milder than the surrounding areas. Due to the climate change we have virtually no snow and the time we...
We get many emails about fruit that split open – from oranges and lemons to tomatoes. The cause is almost always due to erratic watering. If you let the soil around fruiting plants dry out, when it rains or when you water it really well, the fruit will rapidly engorge...
Winter is a good time to grow carrots. There are many varieties of carrots that you can grow at home. Some are round like golf balls, but the best in my opinion are the various different coloured carrots. These are sold in seed packets usually with the name Rainbow...
Are you troubled with a damp spot? Well worry no more. Almost all gardens have a damp spot or a full-blown wet spot. These are areas that create superb opportunities for adventurous gardeners. You can put a fish pond into damp areas and plant around it with...
Today’s Old Husbands’ Tale is a cracker! We are told to meticulously prune your roses in winter each year. Cut to an open vase shape with all of the top buds facing outwards. Cut back to 3 or 4 vigorous stems etc. etc. Roses do need annual pruning in winter, but all...