Fact Sheets: 2002
December
Kniphofias
20 December 2002
Kniphofias bring colour and drama to the garden and have a special style with their sensational flowers and foliage.
November
Mulch
15 November 2002
In a hot dry climate like Adelaide's, the rate of evaporation is three times the amount of rainfall.
Flemington Roses
15 November 2002
What would a day at the races be without the champagne and roses for which Flemington is famous.
Plant Diary: Nolina recurvata
15 November 2002
The Pony Tail plant makes an ideal plant for a tub specimen.
Gloves, Boots & Masks
15 November 2002
John Patrick gives some good advice about protecting yourself in the garden.
Italian Garden
15 November 2002
Neville visits the garden of an Italian couple, Giorgio and Elena La Falce who migrated from Naples to Perth in 1971.
Rhodondendrons
1 November 2002
Rhododendrons are amongst the most beautiful of all flowering plants.
October
Hanging Baskets
4 October 2002
Gardening with hanging baskets can be one of the most difficult aspects of gardening, but it can be very rewarding.
September
Pebbles
20 September 2002
There is an innate attraction to rocks and pebbles.
June
Tufted Plants
28 June 2002
When choosing plants for our gardens, it is usually the flowers that catch our attention, but foliage is also a very attractive feature.
Lizards
28 June 2002
Australians are lucky because they have so many animals in their gardens.
Mountain Garden
28 June 2002
Many parts of Australia have a very cool climate, particularly mountainous regions.
Gene Bank
28 June 2002
Worldwide, 34,000 plants are currently threatened with extinction and many are becoming extinct every day.
Plant Data Bases
21 June 2002
Gardeners are very fortunate.
Natives & Exotics
21 June 2002
From European settlement, Australia has had a strong heritage in exotic horticulture, but in the last two decades we have come a long way in our understanding of our own flora.
DIY What is Rubbish?
21 June 2002
We have some amazing resources available if we take the time to find them from places like tip shops, junk yards and demolition sites.
Connoisseur Plants
14 June 2002
Stephen Ryan lives in Mt.
Garden Gates
14 June 2002
The garden gate can sometimes tell us quite a lot about the personality of its owner.
Roses
14 June 2002
The Rose Garden at the Sydney Botanic Gardens was originally designed to reveal the development of modern roses from their wild ancestors, and to display them according to colour groups.
PLANT DIARY: Billardiera longiflora
14 June 2002
The most striking feature of the Purple Apple-berry Billardiera longiflora is definitely the large fleshy electric-blue berries that hang pendulously amongst the shiny dark green foliage.
Seaweed
14 June 2002
Fertile soil is the most important and significant substance on earth.
Coping with Slopes
7 June 2002
When buying or building a home on a steeply sloping site it is usually to take advantage of an outstanding view.
Cymbidiums
7 June 2002
Orchids are the largest and most highly evolved family of all the flowering plants.
Garden Lighting
7 June 2002
There is now a huge variety of modern garden lighting possibilities with many design alternatives to suit all styles of houses.
Mint on Hand
7 June 2002
Mint is commonly used in our cooking, for sauces, drinks and teas.
Designing with Succulents
7 June 2002
In 19th century Europe and England succulents were collected as exotic plants, rare trophies from travels to far places.
Borer Control
7 June 2002
Observation is one of the skills a gardener needs to see the changes that naturally occur in the garden, whether it is influenced by the weather or by the different cycles of insect pests.
May
Creature Friendly Gardens
31 May 2002
When you roll over a log in the garden it is likely that you will find insects, crustaceans and other small creatures which are there breaking down organic matter and aerating the soil.
PLANT DIARY: Furcraea Foetida
31 May 2002
Furcraea foetida ‘Mediopicta’ is a plant not yet available in nurseries around Australia, but in the future could be one of the more popular foliage plants in tropical and sub tropical gardens.
Sleeper Weeds
31 May 2002
Environmental weeds pose one of the greatest threats to our native vegetation.
Winter Flowers
31 May 2002
The Wittunga Botanic Gardens at Blackwood in South Australia have an impressive collection of South African plants.
Wondakiah Apartment Gardens
31 May 2002
The new Wondakiah apartments are built in northern Sydney, just over the Harbour bridge.
Watering Gear
24 May 2002
Most gardens have spots that are difficult to water.
DIY Water Feature
24 May 2002
Water features don’t need to be expensive or difficult to build and these can be made from recycled materials that will keep the cost down.
Water Plants
24 May 2002
Water gardening is increasingly popular, and the range of plants that you can grow in water and moist soils has increased dramatically in recent years.
DIY Ponds
24 May 2002
Bringing water to the garden can be as simple as making your own pond.
How to handwater
24 May 2002
Water restrictions often occur over most of Australia during the summer months and it sometimes becomes compulsory to turn off the automatic watering system and water our gardens by hand.
Roleystone Garden
24 May 2002
Roleystone is in the foothills of the Darling Ranges, east of Perth.
Flora for Fauna
17 May 2002
Australian plants are becoming more popular because they encourage local inhabitants like birds, insects and frogs to live in our garden.
Fresh and Healthy
17 May 2002
The rural town of Beaudesert is just an hour’s drive south of Brisbane.
PLANT DIARY: Metrosiderous excelsa
17 May 2002
The New Zealand ChristmasTree, Metrosideros excelsa is a spectacular evergreen tree with an attractive umbrella shaped canopy of dark green foliage.
Nindooinbah
17 May 2002
one of Queensland’s grand old country homes and gardens and is steeped in history.
PLANT DIARY: Sarracenia sp.
10 May 2002
These carnivorous plants with their ability to capture prey and gain nourishment from it are among the most intriguing organisms on the earth.
Containers
10 May 2002
There is something special, almost ancient about container gardens.
PLANT DIARY: Brachyscome multifida
10 May 2002
The delightful Australian perennial, Brachyscome multifida or Cut-leaf Daisy, comes in a range of colours such as yellow, pink, mauve, pale and deep blue as well as a range of compact cultivars.
Fire Regeneration
10 May 2002
Our first thoughts of bush fires are about their speed, and how they cause loss of life and damage to property.
Silver-Leafed Plants
10 May 2002
Grey and silver foliaged plants are some of the toughest plants we can choose to grow in our gardens.
PLANT DIARY: Mandevilla laxa
3 May 2002
The heavily scented, clusters of white trumpet-shaped flowers of Chilean Jasmine or Mandevilla laxa are a perfect substitute for frangipani in cooler climates.
Salinity
3 May 2002
Extracting salt is a big industry in some parts of Australia as a great deal of Australia's landscape is naturally saline.
Vegie Patch
3 May 2002
After having wonderful crops, now is the time to prepare for winter in the vegetable patch.
April
Planting Local Species
26 April 2002
Gardening is often about changing our environment, but by planting indigenous plants you are bringing back the environment.
Sweet Potato
26 April 2002
Indoor plants bring life, colour and oxygen into your house.
DIY Arch
26 April 2002
Garden arches have been used throughout history.
Climbing Roses
26 April 2002
Every two years the Adelaide Botanic Gardens stages the International Rose Festival in its International Rose Garden.
Troppo Fruit
26 April 2002
There is a huge variety of tropical fruit that can be grown in warmer climates, that those gardens in temperate climates are unable to grow.
Autumn/Winter Plants
19 April 2002
Kiloren, designed by Edna Walling, sits at almost 1000m above sea level in Crookwell in the Southern Tablelands of NSW.
Pruning Australian Plants
19 April 2002
Decent pruning tools can be expensive, but, as with all tools, you get what you pay for.
Well Connected
19 April 2002
With gardening becoming an increasingly popular leisure pursuit and lifestyles becoming busier, it is important to have an efficient and effective watering system.
Vireya Rhododendrons
19 April 2002
Rhododendrons are large evergreen shrubs with leathery leaves and big trusses of colourful flowers.
Bonsai
12 April 2002
Plants grow in some very hostile places, on mountain tops, rock faces, coastal dunes and cliff faces.
Raspberry Canes
12 April 2002
Raspberry canes produce one of the most delicious fruit but they can be one of the most untidy plants in the vegetable garden.
Mini Weather Station
12 April 2002
Like farmers, gardeners are at the mercy of the weather.
AM - Rodger & Gwen Elliot
12 April 2002
When the first settlers arrived in Australia, most people were a little trepidatious about Australian plants.
Corinda
5 April 2002
Every city has a collection of gardens and a selection of these are special and original.
Snail Control
5 April 2002
Snails can be a real pest in the garden, especially if you have soft leaved plants or tender seedlings, which they love to eat.
Hoyas
5 April 2002
Hoyas make excellent climbing house plants and are attractive to collectors because of their unusual foliage and vast array of flower forms.
DIY Compost Seat
5 April 2002
BEN HUR COMPOST SEAT: This amazing multi-functional seat around a tree was designed a few years ago by an enthusiastic permaculturalist.
Troppo Vegies
5 April 2002
While the southern states are preparing for winter, for the northern ones such as Queensland, there is heaps to do in the vegetable garden.
March
Ancient Food Tree
29 March 2002
The Carob Bean (Ceratonia siliqua) is a Mediterranean tree that has a fascinating history spanning over 4 thousand years.
Picking Lemons
29 March 2002
Citrus can be grown in virtually any part of Australia, including Tasmania and lemons will grow well as long the area is not susceptible to more than light frost.
PLANT DIARY: Actinotus
29 March 2002
The Sydney Flannel Flower (Actinotus helianthi) is an Australian plant well known for its beautiful white star-like flowers that appear mainly in spring and summer.
Artist's Garden
29 March 2002
Throughout history there has been a strong link between artists and gardens.
Manual vs Power
29 March 2002
There are advantages to using both manual and power tools and manual tools are definitely more environmentally friendly, but sometimes the task is just too big for manual and requires electric or petrol powered equipment.
Brays Bay Reclamation
29 March 2002
Industrial sites are increasingly being reclaimed and with great sensitivity for the environment.
Hydrangeas
22 March 2002
Hydrangeas are very easy and rewarding to grow and have many desirable features including good showing ability, lots of colour, toughness and unlike most shrubs they tolerate shade and moist conditions.
Vegie Patch - Organic Principles
22 March 2002
Organic fruit and vegetable gardens contain no disruptive chemicals or artificial fertilisers.
Pond Maintenance
22 March 2002
Ponds require a little bit of work to keep them looking good.
Designer: Michael Cooke
15 March 2002
We visit the garden of landscape designer, Michael Cooke who lives just north of Sydney.
Designer: Kate Culity
15 March 2002
Kate Cullity is a botanist, landscape designer and artist from Adelaide.
Designer: Greg Chapman
15 March 2002
Contemporary Australian gardener designers find themselves designing for all types of clients, but there is still the opportunity to create contemporary gardens for the traditional family unit.
Designer: Laurence Blyton
15 March 2002
Contemporary garden designers face a series of challenges due to reducing space associated with changing real estate values, our changing lifestyles and the rapidly changing architectural styles.
Mountain Garden
8 March 2002
Many parts of Australia have a very cool climate, particularly mountainous regions.
Conservation Trust
8 March 2002
John and Bev Hanson live in the gold mining town of Warrandyte, about an hour east of Melbourne and their garden is a mix of natives and exotics in a natural bush setting.
DIY Birdbath
8 March 2002
Birds are wonderful to have in the garden because they not only add colour and life, but they help control insect pests.
Street Jungle
1 March 2002
People in cities such as Sydney are beginning to reject the traditional idea of having a house and garden.
Recycling
1 March 2002
How important is recycling to you?
Dragon Tree
1 March 2002
The Dragon’s Blood Tree (Dracaena draco) is a fantastic long-lived perennial originating in the Canary and surrounding islands in the North Atlantic.
Unusual Tropical Leaves
1 March 2002
Lush tropical foliage serves to highlight some principles in the garden.
Pineapple Top
1 March 2002
This is a great garden activity for kids who love pineapple and who live in a warm climate.
Tree Problems
1 March 2002
Trees in both urban and rural areas are invaluable.
February
Tree Fern Culture
22 February 2002
We meet Keith Rogers, international tree fern expert renowned his extensive collection of tree ferns and cultivation of their spores.
