Articles
Tetragonia- a useful and hardy Australian native food plant Tetragonia tetragonioides has the common name of Warrigal greens or New Zealand spinach, and is one of the better known Australian native edible plants. It is common at seaside locations as well as inland,...
Traditionally Australian gardens were on quarter acre blocks or larger, but with more people in cities, garden spaces are getting smaller. But this should not deter keen Aussie gardeners who are interested in growing their own native food, as there is a wealth of...
I took the shortbread recipe from 1977 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook, and added a generous pinch of dried and powdered lemon myrtle to the dough. I mixed it in thoroughly, and baked according to the recipe. Very nice with a good cup of tea....
Ingredients- 225grams of good quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces 175 mls of double cream 1 teaspoon of ground aniseed myrtle Icing sugar to dust Cocoa powder or chocolate sprinkles Place chocolate pieces into a bowl. Pour the cream into a saucepan and bring to...
DECEMBER Australian Native Plant Job List •Cut back spent flower stems of kangaroo paws ensuring that the old leaves associated with it are also removed at the same time. This old foliage is usually starting to blacken by this time anyway and its removal will hasten...
NOVEMBER Australian Native Plant Job List •Many of the Melaleucas are tough, adaptable plants. A number of species such as M. hypericifolia will also tolerate poor drainage as well as dry conditions. Have a look at the selection available to you at your local retailer...
OCTOBER Australian Native Plant Job List •Climbers such as the wonga wonga vine (Pandorea pandorana) and happy wanderer (Hardenbergia violacea) have finished flowering and will benefit from a vigorous trim to keep them in shape but avoid cutting into older wood. A...
SEPTEMBER Australian Native Plant Job List •This is a great time to establish specimens of the pea family such as happy wanderer (Hardenbergia violacea) or the spectacular flame pea (Chorizema cordatum). They can be either planted from seed or from pot specimens....
AUGUST Australian Native Plant Job List •Time to begin fertilising native plants in frost free districts. While many natives are now being shown to be less sensitive to phosphorus than has been thought in the past it is still worthwhile using low phosphorus...
JULY Australian Native Plant Job List •If you are experiencing frost damage to tender specimens such as native rainforest species it is best to leave the damaged shoots in place until spring as cutting them back now may lead to further burning of tender new shoots....
JUNE Australian Native Plant Job List •Go to a nursery and select one of the interesting compact Correa varieties such as ‘Canberra Bells’ and put it in a pot near an outdoor living area where you will be able to enjoy the nectar feeding birds it attracts. •Be on the...
MAY Australian Native Plant Job List •Native rock orchids such as Dendrobium speciosum can be fed with a liberal helping of well rotted animal manure around the base of the plant followed by a thorough soaking to wash it in. •Autumn flowering shrubs such as the...
APRIL Australian Native Plant Job List • Many species of everlasting daisy can be planted now for spring flower displays. Seedlings can be raised in punnets or simply scatter seed into a cultivated bed of soil and rake over to create a more random 'wildflower...
MARCH Australian Native Plant Job List • Curl grubs can play havoc by eating the roots of a wide range of species. Check for them by scratching around the roots of any sick plants. Treat with beneficial nematodes or a registered insecticide. • Watch for the larvae of...
FEBRUARY Australian Native Plant Job List • A burst of flowering can sometimes be induced in bottlebrush by giving them a feed of native plant fertilizer and a deep watering if natural rainfall has been absent. •Spring and summer flowering climbers such as Pandorea...
JANUARY Australian Native Plant Job List Feed banksias with a low phosphorus fertiliser to encourage new growth and extra flowers in the coming winter. Prune off spent flowers, seed heads and dead leaves from flax lilies (Dianella species) and mat rushes (Lomandra...
There are lots of really great Australian organisations, and Landcare and Bushcare are two that love the Australian environment. A National movement that began in the 1980's, it is devoted to caring for mainly public areas of bushland, wetlands and land surrounding...
Is there such a thing as a distinctively Australian garden style? I would certainly argue the case, and if there is such a thing as a distinctively Australian garden design concept, it would be best described as the ‘Bush Garden’. The hallmark of this design idea is...
Gardeners often look to exotic plants when they consider putting in a hedge. There are plenty of natives which will perform equally well, and often even better. Australian plant breeders have been working to breed and select new varieties of old favourite tough...
by Kath Gadd from Mallee Design A large part of planning and designing a garden is how the inhabitants and visitor will view the garden. Garden beds will need to be planned out for optimal viewing from different angles and even the smallest garden needs to have routes...