It has been a while since my last newsletter! Lately I have had my head down working on the farm preparing for the warmer growing months of the year. This is particularly important down here in Tasmania where the seasons are so much more distinct. Another thing I have been working on is a new seed range of some of my favourite Australian plants.
Creating wildflower meadows in your garden – bring biodiversity to your patch with the new Gardening With Angus (GWA) Seed Range
Created in collaboration with Western Australian company Wildflora Factory, the new GWA seed range is a mix of species that are either wild sourced from licensed harvesters or superior species selections grown in cultivation. The seeds are thoroughly tested for quality, viability & germination. They are meticulously cleaned followed by oxygen deprivation storage, before being sealed for freshness within a heat sealed seed sachet.
I have used my life time of experience in breeding and selecting Australian plants to come up with a range that has something for every Australian gardener. Clearly, not every species will be a fit for every Australian region, so use my plant database to research which species might be good if you are one of those keen gardeners who like to raise plants from the ground up. There is a particularly good collection of everlasting daisies and other low growing herbaceous plants like Billy Buttons to enable the creation of your very own wildflower meadow.
The new collection will be up on the GWA website shop in the very near future so keep an eye on my instagram and facebook pages for when they are available later this month. I am also hoping that a number of my wonderful sponsor nurseries will stock them as well.
Futureproof Your Garden – A new book!
During the pandemic my daughter Emma and I took on the challenge of writing a book about adapting our gardening practices to a rapidly changing climate and environmental situation. Emma was looking at the issues and practical solutions from her city rental in Sydney, while I was road testing and researching different horticultural practices down on the farm in Tasmania. In particular we have spent a lot of time looking at how we can actually store carbon in the soil that also stimulates better plant growth at the same time. The question of water and how to manage it at a very practical level, either too little or too much, is also one of the central themes of the book. We also enjoyed coming up with a comprehensive plant guide, focusing particularly on plants that can cope with climatic extremes.
Kangaroo paw breeding
Anigozanthos ‘Bush Blitz’
I have also been very busy this year ramping up my 40 year passion for breeding kangaroo paws. Most of you will have seen the Celebrations series bred at Kings Park in Perth by my clever colleague Digby Growns. Digby and I have been collaborating on breeding kangaroo paws for a number of years so that we can explore different avenues to bring the best new varieties of all different sorts to gardeners across the world. The blue variety ‘Masquerade’ is an absolute show stopper but I would strongly suggest growing it in pots for best results if you don’t have very good drainage or dryish summers. ‘Bush Blitz’, pictured above, is one of older dwarf kangaroo paw varieties of mine that has stood the test of time. Watch this space for more exciting developments in kangaroo paw breeding.
More Native Plants Please!
Spring! This is a great time to get along to your favourite native plant nursery and get some inspiration, there is a wonderful variety of beautiful spring flowering natives to browse!