Mina lobata
An audience member asked about the availability of a creeper called Mina lobata. Seeds are available from Kings Seeds, PO Box 975, Penrith 2751. They can be contacted on (02) 4776 1493.
Mina lobata, also known as Ipomoea lobata, is a perennial twining climber native to Mexico and Central America. Commonly known as ‘Firecracker Vine’, it belongs to the Morning Glory family (Convolvulaceae). It has red tubular flowers fading to orange-yellow and then cream. Soaking the seeds before sowing is said to aid germination.
Moving a liquidambar
Don was asked if it was possible to move a 2m (7′) high liquidambar (Liquidambar styraciflua). Don said yes, no problem. The best time to move large evergreen or deciduous plants is in the middle of winter (July, August). He advised digging out a rootball around 600mm (2′) in diameter and 250mm (10″) deep.
Figs
Don was asked about the best growing conditions for figs. Figs (Ficus carica) come from Mediterranean areas, where they grow in nutrient poor, limestone rich soils. They like good drainage, lots of lime in the soil, very little fertiliser and they don’t like wet feet.
Don also came up with some interesting biblical trivia. Adam didn’t wear a fig leaf. The only real fig in the Holy Land was the sandpaper fig (Ficus opposita), which has leaves that are so rough they can actually be used to sand timber. Also, there were no apples in the Holy Land, so the ‘apple’ Adam ate in the Garden of Eden was probably an apricot.