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Wattles, also called acacias, are wonderful native plants. More than 850 species of wattle grow in Australia, ranging from ground covers and charming shrubs to giant trees that provide fine timber and screening. With this number of species and many cultivars there is...
The most often used name for the white magnolia is Magnolia denudata. Deciduous magnolias produce their spectacular winter and early spring blooms on naked branches (hence the name denudata – denuded of leaves). Although expensive plants to buy they are long-lived,...
Yellow patches in lawn are often caused by a desexed male or a female dog squatting on the lawn. If the diet is right you won’t get a die back problem but if a dog is getting too much dried food the end result can be urine that is very very concentrated. If...
Frost damage is a significant problem for gardens in winter. The damage doesn’t occur as a result of the frost settling on the plants it occurs as a result of the cells in the stems bursting as the sun warms them. To minimize damage, plant frost sensitive plants such...
Following the building of a DIY compost bin, Don’s recipe for compost is below: Wet ingredients; Garden weeds Grass clippings Kitchen scraps Dry ingredients Lucerne hay or just hay– pea straw in southern states is just as good Autumn leaves (if available) Horse stable...
HEDGES A hedge is a green wall and should be kept razor perfect. Don recommends keeping your head against the hedge so that you can see the bits that need to be cut off. When hedges are in active growth during the warmer months of the year, Don recommends...
One of the key requirements for successful pruning is to have clean and sharp pruning tools. An excellent implement for sharpening tools is the Swiss Istor. These are available from Bunnings stores in the tools section. To prevent transfer of disease from plant to...
‘Marge Miller’ was produced as a result of a pollination demonstration at Sydney University in 1978. It was taken home by the University’s gatekeeper who grew it, thought it was wonderful and named it after his wife. It is a magnificent weeping...
Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are native to southern Mexico. They have erect, succulent stems and large, scarlet floral leaves or bracts, which look like flamboyant flowers. In the centre of the bracts are the true flowers, an insignificant yellowish cluster....
A range of dwarf fruit trees are now available. These can be used to make a mini orchard. We showed a dwarf citrus but other dwarf fruit trees available are: These may not all be available all year due to seasonal changes. Kaffir lime Mandarin Tahitian Lime...