Aberdeen garden packed with goodies
The Hunter Valley group visited the lovely garden of Margaret Mitchell in Aberdeen.
Grevilleas for pots and small gardens – talk by Peter Olde
On Sat 21st May, 2022 at the APS NSW quarterly gathering, Peter Olde gave a talk titled: Grevilleas for pots and small gardens.
Get propagating! Tips and insights from Harbour Georges River members
During the Harbour Georges River March 2022 meeting, there was some discussion of mini greenhouses and other ways to look after cuttings and seedlings
Study Group Updates: Feb – May 2022
Study group updates from the following groups: Australian Plants for Containers, Ferns, Garden Design, Grevillea, Hakea, Isopogon and Petrophile and Wallum and Coastal Heathland.
Native plants for suburban gardens
I recently gave a talk to the Eastwood Garden Club on native plants for small or suburban gardens.
Gardening tip: Planting under gum trees
To maximize your success establishing new plants to grow under gum trees, plant them as close to the trunk as possible. The reasons you do this are: there are very few tree feeder roots to rob your plant of nutrients and moisture.
Gardening tip: Shady gardens
Using a variety of ‘semi’ rainforest plants as screen plants as they are hardy, have attractive colourful new leaves. Their flowers are also attractive as is their fruit. They can be pruned hard if needed.
What plant, where? A talk by Professor Michelle Leishman
At the Parramatta and Hills February meeting, the speaker was Prof. Michelle Leishman from the School of Biological Sciences at Macquarie University.
Dividing Pterostylis, an easy native orchid to grow
The easiest terrestrial orchids to grow and propagate are those in the genus Pterostylis. These orchids produce abundant underground tubers (white and about the size of a pea) and after a couple of years in a pot they need division…
Garden advice – mistletoe, grevillea allergies, hedges and daisy seeds
Garden advice from our experts on mistletoe, grevillea allergies, hedges and daisy seeds.
Growing native ferns in a shaded garden
Our garden is located on the south side of a steep hill overlooking the Woronora River at Bonnet Bay, just south of Sydney. When we bought the land, it was a beautiful, relatively undisturbed bush block, with wonderful stands of macrozamia cycads and gum trees.
Garden advice Q&As – more from our experts
Our group of experts responds to recent queries about gardening with natives.
Spring garden at Westleigh
Enjoy photos from Brian Roach’s garden at Westleigh
Garden advice Q&As – answers from our experts
Our group of experts responds to recent queries about gardening with natives.
Queries about trees – answers from experts
Glenda Browne summarises recent queries about trees: natural or human modified shapes, trees in trees and the long stem planting method for natives.
Australian native plants for pots, courtyards and small gardens
Over the past 20 years, I’ve been richly rewarded speaking with over 100 gardening groups and clubs about our wonderful and unique Australian flora.
Water in the garden
Water in the garden has a long history, as long as gardens themselves. Any history of gardens and gardening will show that the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Chinese…
Gordon Rowland – promoter of native plants in garden design
Gordon Rowland was a very active advocate for Australian plants in garden design for many years, writing numerous articles and giving many talks promoting indigenous plants.
A walk around Corymbia
John Elton shares some of the plants flowering in his garden in autumn. I always think that autumn is the best time in the garden. One of the great things about having a native garden is that we have colour 12 months of the year.
Spectacular flowers at the Easter Show 2021
Enjoy another spectacular display by APS groups in the Australian plants competition at the Royal Easter Show 2021.
Propagation of native plants
There are a range of different ways to propagate native plants. Here’s a run down on each system.
Plants for clay soils or clay loams
The following plants generally tolerate (or in some cases prefer) clay soils that are poorly drained but not boggy in winter, and that tend to dry out in summer. Of course, other factors can play a part in a plant’s success, so this list is a guideline only.
Growing plants in clay soils
Much of western and north western Sydney is based on clay soils. Quite often these soils are wet in winter and much dryer in summer. While clay has the advantages of holding water well especially at deeper levels and can be rich in nutrients, there are some problems
How to grow Acacia (wattles) and other native plants which require treatment of the seed before sowing
Seed of acacias which occurs in pods, has a tough outer shell that does not allow water to enter the seed easily. Other plants with a similar type of seed include the many pea flowers such as Chorizema, Clianthus, Daviesia, Hardenbergia, Hovea, Indigofera, Kennedia, Oxylobium, Pultenaea and Sphaerolobium to name just some of them
Creating a cottage garden style with Australian native plants
The idea of a cosy cottage garden, with herbaceous borders of annuals and perennials against a backdrop of shrubs and (maybe) a small tree or two, is becoming popular again. This is especially so with the reduction in size of modern gardens.
Reliable native daisies for the Sydney region
Some people think that native plants are straggly and boring. You only need to look at the beautiful variety of Australia daisies to see that this is just not so . They grow quickly and flower over a long period of time and there is a place for them in every garden.
Propagation: answers from our experts group
We regularly receive emails with queries about Australian native plants. Glenda Browne summarises recent responses on propagation from our experts group.
Time, time, time
Time is an interesting concept and is all relative to one’s perspective. If you are one of the average Australian that change houses every 5 years then your perspective of creating a garden with that time frame will be very different to an old bloke like me that has been gardening on the same 800sq m block for 40 plus years.
Graft-chimeras on eremophilas
Grafting is often the only option to grow plants in soils and climates outside the normal habit, including for eremophilas. Russell Wait reports on graft-chimeras, which can arise in grafted plants. A growth, known as ‘graft-chimera’, can form within callus tissue at the graft union.
Magic on the roof
Imagine a roof top covered with stunning native plants from around Australia, blowing in the breeze! A few of us visited the first indigenous rooftop farm and other cultural gardens at the newly developed South Eveleigh precinct. (https://southeveleigh.mirvac.com/)
Banksia book now available from APS NSW
Banksias are Australia’s most iconic plants after the Eucalypts, known for thousands of years to indigenous Australians and, through writing and art, to many more who have never visited this land.
Growing indigenous plants: answers from our experts group
Many people who grow Australian plants also want to select those that are indigenous – that is, those that naturally grow in their local area. Here are answers to two recent questions on indigenous plants.
Propagating kurrajong trees – answers from our experts group
We received a request for detailed instructions on propagating kurrajong trees from someone who had just harvested almost 50,000 seeds. Glenda Browne summarises responses from our experts group.
Daisy, daisy: how to grow native daisies for maximum impact – Story #3
In our first two articles, we shared with you the different kinds of daisies in Western Australia. Now we explore how to get maximum impact in your garden using stunning WA daisies!
Daisy, daisy: growing everlasting daisies and a ray floret daisy – Story #2
Daisies provide a delicate, multi-coloured and spectacular impression on the seemingly harsh and dry looking bush areas of Western Australia (WA). Growing everlastings and other colourful daisies for your own spring show is guaranteed to bring great pleasure and satisfaction.
Daisy, daisy – growing colourful WA flowers – – Story #1
Daisies provide a delicate, multi-coloured and spectacular impression on the seemingly harsh and dry looking bush areas of Western Australia (WA). Growing everlastings and other colourful daisies for your own spring show is guaranteed to bring great pleasure and satisfaction.