Search Results for: wattle

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Staking Plants

...ound about 30cm (1′) away from the trunk, to avoid damaging the roots. The wattle was tied to the stake using hessian webbing, again leaving plenty of room for the plant to move. Hessian is excellent for tying larger plants. It’s a soft material which won’t abrade the stems, and it rots through fairly quickly. The wattle was no longer hanging over the walkway, so Don decided not to attach a second tie higher up the trunk. Stakes and ties do weaken... read more

Pheasants

...er back. Central tail feathers are white and he has crimson legs. The face wattles comprise four red lobes and he has a short white crest merging with a blue-black crown. The hen is mostly black and brown, with brown eyes, a brown grey face and red wattle and crimson legs. Siamese Fireback: The cock is mostly grey with a narrow, blue blacktail with a downward curve. The upper back is gold and the head is black, carrying a long, loose crest of stee... read more

Imperial Blue Butterfly

...erfly lays white or pale green spiky eggs on a food plant such as a silver wattle (Acacia dealbata), black wattle (A. mearnsii) or blackwood (A. melanoxylon). When the black caterpillars emerge from the eggs, they are tended by ants belonging to the genus Iridomyrmex. The ants protect the caterpillars and the pupae from predators and parasites. In return, the caterpillars secrete food for the ants through a number of specialised organs: a nectar p... read more

Gall gallery

...do about them here are some of the galls most commonly seen in the garden. Wattle tree Wattle trees sometimes produce something that looks like some sort of seed capsule. Well it isn’t. It’s a problem known as acacia flower gall and is caused by a tiny wasp. What to do: Don’t worry about it because it doesn’t do any harm to the plant. If the lumps offend, you can always cut them off and put them in the garbage. Gum trees Gum trees seem to produce... read more

Fabulous Food

...to always phone before you drop in to find individual products. NSW Black Wattle Deli Sydney Fish Markets Pyrmont 2009 Phone: (02) 9552 3591 Essential Ingredient 4 Australia Street Camperdown 2050 Phone: (02) 9550 5477 5 Star Gourmet 13-19 Willoughby Road Crows Nest 2065 Phone: (02) 9438 5666 Jones the Grocer 68 Moncur Street Woollahra 2025 Phone: (02) 9362 1222 Simon Johnson 181 Harris Street Pyrmont 2009 Phone: (02) 9552 2522 Phone 1800 655 522... read more

Flannel Flowers

...ricaea) TAS – St Helens wax flower (Phebalium daviesii) VIC – red-flowered wattle ‘Scarlet Flame’ (Acacia leprosa) WA – kangaroo paw ‘Kings Park Federation Flame’ (Anigozanthos rufus) Federation Stars The floral emblem chosen for New South Wales is the flannel flower (Actinotus helianthi), which was pictured on the official invitation to the original Federation celebrations held in 1901 in Sydney’s Centennial Park. Don looked at two new flannel fl... read more

Australian Emblems

The Australian floral emblem is the golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha), but we don’t have any national animal emblems. It’s generally accepted that they are the kangaroo and emu, although they’ve never been officially proclaimed as such. What many people don’t realise though, is that each state of Australia has its own floral and faunal emblems. Western Australia Flower: Red and Green Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos manglesii) Anigozanthos manglesii gro... read more

Spaceship Garden

...ding his house in 1985. At that time the garden was bare, except for a few wattle trees growing on the property. Inspired by his love of tropical gardens and several trips to South-East Asia, Dallas began collecting plants and transforming the site into a fabulous, tropical hideaway. Today he grows over 250 species of rare and exotic palms, including Wanga palm (Pigafetta filaris), Bismarck palm (Bismarckia nobilis), Raffia palm (Raphia farinifera... read more

Budget Courtyard Makeover

...ont and sides. An outdoor furniture stain was applied to the timber bench (Wattle Outdoor Stain ‘Dark Walnut’). The inside of the boxes was waterproofed using a sealer (Durabit waterproof membrane) applied with a broad paint brush (Tip: Scott’s application method was unorthodox but quick – he tipped the sealer into the bottom of the box and used a paint brush to splash it up the sides.) Finally the planter boxes and the wall were painted with 2 co... read more

Turkey Roadtest

...called poults. The male carries a large skin flap down its neck called a ‘wattle’ whilst below that are small, wart-like structures called the ‘caruncle’. These reflect the bird’s mood; turning bright red to attract females and pale blue to cream when he’s not in the mood. The conical flap of skin above the beak is called a ‘snood’. This is an organ used to attract females during mating rituals. It will become elongated and distend when the gobbl... read more

Insect Art and Spiny Leaf Insects

...the one shown cost about $100). Most stick insects eat eucalypt or acacia (wattle) leaves. Just gather a few leafy twigs every few days and stand them in a jar of water to keep them fresh. Without water stick insects will die. In the wild, they get enough water from dew, but in captivity it is necessary to spray the insects and the leaves a few times every day, using a spray atomiser. Further reading Jane Davenport’s article on stick insects is in... read more

Don’s Tips: Processionary Caterpillars

Thaumetopoea processionea
...es and goats accidentally eat these stinging caterpillars as they consume grasses. The processionary caterpillars have hairy bristles all over them that can cause severe skin rashes in humans. The caterpillars feed on white cedar leaves or gumtree or wattle leaves. If you are on a country property remove horses and goats from paddocks where you notice these caterpillars and especially from paddocks adjacent to white cedar trees. If you are in resi... read more