Gardening Australia 2024 Episode 30
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🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00Oh
00:30Hello and welcome to Gardening Australia. I'm here at the Roma Street Parklands in Brisbane
00:40and this place is absolutely poppin' with horticultural happiness. Speaking of, we've
00:46got plenty more of this coming your way. Here's what's in store.
00:52Are you gardening on heavy, wet clay soil? It's a challenging combination. I'm sharing
00:58some great Australian plants that'll thrive in these conditions.
01:03Geri shows us some new ways with ferns. I'm taking you down to earth on a deep dive
01:09into the rich and varied possibilities of poo.
01:13And join me as I meet two accomplished artists who've created an inner suburban oasis that
01:20nurtures and inspires their art. Our lives seem to get busier and busier and
01:32with all that busyness, it's really important to make time for activities that bring peace
01:38and calm. For me, of course, it's gardening. And Millie's found a busy professional who
01:44seems to share that same philosophy. Squid and I are here in the eastern suburbs
02:00of Melbourne. We're on our way to see the vet. Now, don't worry about her. We're of
02:04course here to see the vet's garden and explore his collection of orchids he's been working
02:09on since he was a boy. Come on, Squidda. Come on. Hey, Dan.
02:15Oh, hey, Millie. How are you going? Yeah, good. This is Squiddy.
02:18Hey, Squid. How are you? How old is she? About seven now.
02:22Seven? Yeah. Oh, she's gorgeous.
02:24She's got the salt and pepper pretty early. Meet Daniel Toole, vet, father of three, avid
02:32gardener, lifelong plant collector, and someone who's able to pack an awful lot of life into
02:37a small suburban block. I absolutely love this garden.
02:42Oh, thank you. And that you've managed to fit so many different
02:46kind of interests and a family into one little space.
02:51Yeah. I think it happened really organically. It was just a garden where we said, it's a
02:55small garden, and we said we just want to see green from every window in the house.
02:58And then combined with my love of plants and having to grow everything I wanted to grow,
03:02it just became this. It's really obvious to me. Like, it is quite
03:06beautiful, some of these surrounding plantings, but in all these nooks and crannies,
03:10you've got collections of all sorts of things. Yeah, there are. Yeah. And my wife was like,
03:14is that another plant you've squeezed in? I'm like, no, it's just, it was there already.
03:19Right. So she's not a gardener, but she's got a good eye for them.
03:21She's not a gardener. Dan's collections are many and varied.
03:25There's a collection of Ripsalis and another of Begonias.
03:30And tucked around the side of the house is a small collection of some truly incredible plants.
03:36Every single space, you've got another collection. Yeah, there is another collection.
03:42What's going on here? There's some little Haworthias.
03:44So in the winter, I take them around the corner where they get some, quite a lot of light.
03:48Amazing little plants, aren't they, with these windows on the top of the leaves to let the light in?
03:53Correct. Yeah, because they would grow, they kind of get buried with sand in between rocks.
03:57And so the only bits that get exposed are those tips with the clear windows,
04:00but the windows let the light into the plant. I think they're absolutely gorgeous.
04:05Elsewhere, there are collections of succulents and cacti,
04:09which include a golden ball cactus that he's cared for since he was eight years old.
04:14But his love of the plant world began when he was even younger.
04:18So mum recalls that even when I was four or five, I would come back from kinder
04:24and I would have drawings of plants and flowers and trees, and I would posh in the garden.
04:29I think the first thing I grew were petunias.
04:31One of our neighbours was loading some orchids into a car, and I said, where are you going with those?
04:35And Erwin said, to an Orchid Society meeting. I said, oh, that's awesome. Can I come along?
04:40He said, sure. And so the passion started from that.
04:43How old? Fifteen. Fifteen, and you joined the Orchid Society?
04:46An Orchid Society full of grandparents.
04:50Which is awesome, because I grew up without grandparents around,
04:53and so going to an Orchid Society where I had 60 grandparents was pretty cool.
04:56Yeah, amazing. When you attended that first Orchid Society, tell me about that experience.
05:00I was just so wowed. It was like benches of immaculately grown orchids,
05:04and I said, this is how I want to grow orchids, and I want to grow them well.
05:07You're still a member? I'm still a member now, yeah.
05:14Oh my, ah! This is incredible!
05:17Yeah, it's a good time to be in here. There's a bit to look at.
05:20How many plants would be in this space? I'm not sure, probably a couple of hundred.
05:23And all sorts of things. I can see, you know, cymbidiums that people would probably be quite familiar with,
05:28but what is happening here?
05:30Yeah, so these are sarcochilas, so these are my soft spot.
05:33I really like them, and their patterns and just how delicate they are.
05:37I also like that when people see them, they're not instantly recognisable as an orchid to a lot of people.
05:41They almost look like a hybrid between an orchid and a primula.
05:44Yeah, they do actually, yeah.
05:46And these are Australian native orchids?
05:48Correct, yeah.
05:49Right, so rarely grown. I've not seen collections of these.
05:53Yeah.
05:54Wow.
05:55And so in the wild, they grow on rocks, near streams. It's quite a moist environment, running water, lots of air.
06:00So, you know, for the home gardener, they grow really easily as a pot plant,
06:04and they just stay like a nice compact size.
06:06They don't get to the size of a cymbidium where they're sort of unmanageable.
06:09They're manageable for a long time in a very small pot.
06:13So it's not just sarks that you love. I mean, obviously there's a world of orchids in here.
06:17There are, yeah.
06:19What's this gorgeous thing?
06:20That's a Mazda Valia.
06:21So they grow in South America, again, you know, lower light, lots of humidity, lots of moisture.
06:27I love how orchids can be everything from the tiniest, tiniest little grassy looking thing right through to a flower that large.
06:38Yeah, I mean, yes.
06:40People look at that, they go, is that an orchid? Yeah, it is.
06:55Does this collection take a bit of effort?
06:57Look, they're pretty good. The watering system is automatic.
07:00I will come in here and hand water from time to time because things do get missed even with an automatic watering system.
07:05What are some of the things that you think people get wrong with orchids?
07:09A lot of people, you know, get really caught up with feeding and how much they need to feed and what to feed.
07:13And in actual fact, the thing that will make, will get your cymbidium flowers just really good light, enough light.
07:18I think people put them in way too much shade.
07:22I can see, you know, they're on this sunnier side of the shade house.
07:26Correct, so this shade, the long side of the shade house is north facing.
07:29And, you know, they really, the cymbidium flower best when there's a very light yellow tint to the leaves.
07:35If they're really dark green, they're probably not getting enough light.
07:38Right, because they're just happy and healthy.
07:40Correct.
07:41They don't feel that need to flower and seed.
07:42That's right, yep.
07:43It's the age old thing, you've got to sort of stress a plant to get it to do its best.
07:46To get it to do what you want, yeah.
07:47Nice.
07:54I think I just love seeing stuff grow and seeing things change.
07:57And I've always enjoyed both plants and animals.
08:00And I think for me now, like the garden is such a big part of being able to cope and work well as a vet as well.
08:06I think that relaxation and downtime and just immersing myself in the garden and forgetting about work is really important.
08:15One of the things that I love so much about gardening is that you can carry it through your whole life.
08:21At different times, you're going to have more time or opportunity or even more space to indulge in your passion.
08:27But it'll always be there with you.
08:30And I reckon Dan's garden shows that there's always room to grow.
08:37Is the soil safe after a fire?
08:44Well, probably the best place to start is with ash.
08:48A small amount of ash is OK for plants.
08:51But when you get more than about 20 millimetres, it creates problems.
08:56It prevents moisture from penetrating down into the ground.
08:59It makes the ground quite alkaline.
09:02And that makes it then difficult for plants to grow.
09:06Also, the other things you've got to look out for is anywhere where there's been treated pine, old sleepers,
09:12any chemicals or any containers and plastics that have melted and are in the soil.
09:17That all needs to be removed.
09:20Why have I got peas that I didn't plant growing in my patch?
09:24Well, chances are you've mulched with pea straw in bales.
09:28And in these bales, there are some rogue pea seeds which germinate readily once they get a bit of moisture and sunshine.
09:35This is particularly good to be aware of if you're using pea straw in areas where you've deliberately planted peas
09:42because it will be very difficult to differentiate your crops.
09:46But in most situations, they're not a problem.
09:49You can either pull them out or let them grow as a free cover crop
09:53because they're a legume and they're improving your soil.
09:57What fruits are good in small spaces?
09:59Well, there are plenty.
10:01Strawberries, big trees, dwarf forms of citrus and apple trees, and even medium berries.
10:07My personal favourites are blueberries.
10:09They're self-pollinating, so you only need one in a decent-sized pot.
10:13Make sure you do use a potting mix that's specially formulated for acid-loving plants.
10:18Give them a spot in full sun with protection from the hot afternoon glare.
10:22And make sure you feed them regularly throughout the year.
10:28Let's face it, what's happening at your place doesn't always match up with your gardening aspirations.
10:36It could be too wet, too dry, too shady.
10:39Or maybe your soil isn't quite what you want it to be.
10:43Well, if you're struggling with clay soils, Clarence is here with some helpful suggestions.
10:57The Illawarra Grevillea Park Botanic Garden is a stunning 2.4 hectare garden space in Bulleye
11:04on the surf coast in the Illawarra region south of Sydney.
11:10This place originally came about with the need to find a home for a large collection of grevillias.
11:15But these days, it's also all about showcasing diverse Australian plants.
11:20And not only that, for years the Illawarra Grevillea Park Botanic Garden has been pioneering the way.
11:26Demonstrating how gardeners can grow native plants.
11:29And this place is a bit of an inspiration for gardeners all over the country growing in clay soils.
11:39The Illawarra gets a lot of rain.
11:41And at times, gets too much.
11:43Now the soil around here is heavy clay with areas of coal wash.
11:48Now it can be difficult to grow in because it's not free draining.
11:52And plants simply turn up their toes with wet feet.
11:55Now rather than go down the expensive route of importing new soil,
11:59the plants in this garden have been chosen to work with the local conditions.
12:04And in this case, it's clay soil that retains too much moisture in winter and dries out in the summer.
12:11Hairpin Banksia or Banksia spinulosa grows well in these heavier soils.
12:17Varieties range in flower colour and shrub height.
12:21Now this selected form is bush candles.
12:24And it's growing here underneath the gum trees.
12:27This part of the garden that loses the sun pretty early in the day.
12:30Yet it's tough as old boots. It's growing really well.
12:33And planted en masse, they look unbelievable.
12:38The myrtle family have some of the best species that have adapted to a wide range of challenging conditions.
12:44The pink cascading myrtle is one of my favourites.
12:47It's a charming small shrub that puts on a display of these dainty pink flowers.
12:52And it's thriving here in the clay.
12:54It grows well in dappled sunlight under trees or like this in full sun.
13:03Corkbark honey myrtle is from the south coast of Western Australia.
13:07And in its normal habitat in stony clay soils, it'll grow to about a metre.
13:12Here it's up around the two metre mark.
13:14But it's still got this amazingly crazy misshapen form that I absolutely love.
13:20The clusters of seed pods along the hard woody stems give it that cork-like appearance.
13:26And you can imagine this in full bloom.
13:28Those clusters of deep-mowed flowers all along the stems.
13:32Absolutely gorgeous. It's a sensation.
13:40If you're after a feature tree that'll give you plenty of love and make you feel good,
13:43then you can't go past the Queensland Bottle Tree.
13:46Brachycardium repestris.
13:48This beauty is about 40 years old.
13:50It'll grow in any climate, any soil, sound, shape.
13:54What a stunner.
14:01Grevilleas really are the signature plant of this garden.
14:04And take a look at all of these tropical grevilleas growing here.
14:07As the name suggests, these evergreens prefer a warm climate.
14:11And they don't mind clay-based soils.
14:14They range in size from shrubs to small trees.
14:18Moonlight is a very reliable cultivar,
14:21with finely dissected foliage and creamy white flowers that bloom regularly.
14:27Bulleye Beauty is a local classic, and it's used widely in the cut flower industry.
14:33And Miami Pink.
14:35It has hot pink flowers, grey-green foliage, and holds the flowers extremely well.
14:41Many grevillea varieties are low-fuss,
14:44and I've selected a cultivar that'll handle the climate and soil.
14:47Now there's a few things to do to get this little one off to a good start.
14:52I'm busting up clay chunks with the spade.
14:54And there's a good amount of organic matter in here too, which the plant will love.
15:00Now, when you're preparing your hole, you want it to be at least twice as big as the pot.
15:06That's about right.
15:09Add a slow-release native plant food to the hole.
15:13Now, depending on how much rain you've had will determine how much water you put in.
15:21And I'll wait for that water to drain away.
15:25This is grevillea green tips, a prostate version, perfect as a ground cover.
15:30A good idea when you're halfway through planting is to give it a drink
15:33so that the roots can actually take up some of the water before you finish planting.
15:39So, making a nice big saucer shape at the base of the plant,
15:43a miniature swale, if you will, so that it channels the water around that root zone
15:48and doesn't just send it off down the hill.
15:51This plant will get a drink every couple of weeks over the first six months,
15:54and after that, it's on its own.
15:59So don't let heavy clay soils put you off gardening or growing beautiful Australian natives.
16:04And good luck growing them in your own garden.
16:14When you're propagating ferns, it's normal to turn to two techniques.
16:18One is propagation by spores, which is a sexual means of reproduction,
16:23good for mass production, or by propagating cuttings.
16:27Now, that's done with ferns like this,
16:30rabbit's foot fern here, where they put out runners,
16:32and you cut off a section, press it into some potting mix,
16:35and it will form a new plant.
16:37All well and good until life throws you a curved ball.
16:41For example, this bird's nest fern has produced a mutant leaf,
16:46and if you look here at the end, it's forked.
16:49Now, if I want to perpetuate this and create an entirely new plant,
16:54which is a mutated leaf,
16:56if I want to perpetuate this and create an entirely new plant with just forked leaves,
17:01I can't use spores.
17:03They won't come true to type.
17:05And because it doesn't produce runners,
17:07I have to use a different old-fashioned technique,
17:10which is a leaf cutting.
17:12I'm using a propagating mix made of equal parts of vermiculite,
17:17coir fibre, and premium potting mix.
17:20It's light, moisture-attentive, and it encourages root development.
17:26So what I'm going to do is use a long, sharp knife
17:29because that allows me to get right in to the base of the frong
17:33so you can get the entire piece out, like that.
17:37Then I'm going to dip the wound into some manuka honey.
17:41Now, this prevents decay.
17:43At this stage, some people would use rooting hormone,
17:47but in my experience, it doesn't really seem to help,
17:50so I just don't use that.
17:52And then you press that into this propagating mix
17:56and firm it in like that.
17:58Now, I will be watering that,
18:00but first I'm going to put it into this little container here,
18:04place it inside,
18:06and that protects the plant while the rooting process is going on.
18:10And that may take three months to get a new plant,
18:14but the whole new plant will have entirely forked leaves.
18:18This little lid finishes the job
18:20and it keeps it nice and contained and humid inside a mini igloo.
18:24Now, the reason for recommending this particular technique
18:28is that on Norfolk Island,
18:30there is an endemic fern called the crispy bird's nest fern,
18:34and it's extinct in the wild.
18:36It only occurs in a few gardens.
18:39National Parks and Wildlife have been trying to propagate this
18:43and they've tried using spores, but they don't come true to type.
18:47So I've recommended using these leaf cuttings
18:50as a way of perpetuating this extremely rare and unusual endemic fern.
19:02You know how much I love to improve the soil.
19:05It's the foundation of any successful garden.
19:09Compost, leaf mould, worm castings, mulch,
19:12I can't get enough of the stuff.
19:14Well, prepare to roll up your sleeves
19:16because Hannah is about to take a deep dive
19:20into one of our favourite topics, manure.
19:25Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,
19:27and in my garden, the thing that constantly leaves me in awe and gratitude
19:32is the nutrient cycle in action.
19:35And I know that I'm not alone.
19:37Today, I'm going to take you
19:39where many Gardening Australia presenter has gone before.
19:44Have a look at that.
19:46Whoa!
19:47That is really, oh, juicy.
19:50Nearly good enough to put on your muesli.
19:53I make my own liquid feed from chook poo.
19:56And then we've got some cow manure.
19:59Manure, or as my granddad used to call it, dung.
20:03Now, I love chook manure.
20:05The smell of it is a real pong.
20:08But let's face it, anything that smells like that
20:11has got to be really good for your garden.
20:13Just ask the manufacturer.
20:17So much so that we've developed a bit of a reputation over the years.
20:21Look at this goat dropping.
20:23It's meaty and it's full of texture,
20:25and when you mix it with the cow and the horse dung
20:27and the chicken excrement, it really sticks.
20:30But the garden's looked, and so do I.
20:33And it's great on your roses, and it's great on your strawberries,
20:37especially with a little scoop of ice cream.
20:40But it's a stereotype we embrace.
20:43Manure is an almost magical ingredient for our soils.
20:47It improves structure and drainage
20:49and adds essential nutrients for our plants.
20:53So let's all take a big, deep breath and get on with it,
20:57because it's worth it.
20:59It can be helpful to divide manure into two groups,
21:03hot and cold,
21:05which generally relates to how strong and nitrogen-rich they are.
21:09Hot manures are high in nitrogen,
21:11which breaks down quickly in the compost pile
21:14and generates a lot of heat in the process.
21:17Cold manures are lower in nitrogen
21:20and are cooler as they break down.
21:22No gas.
21:27My cold manure heroes are my goats.
21:29Because they chew their cud,
21:31which basically means they regurgitate their food
21:34then chew it again,
21:36and they digest most of the nitrogen
21:38before it comes out the other end.
21:44Now, I actually compost the goat poo twice.
21:47The first stage is in their run,
21:49where I've dumped loads of carbon, like wood chips,
21:52up to around 30cm deep,
21:54and that forms what we call their deep litter.
21:57Over months, all their poo drops, the rain,
22:00the chickens join in with their manure too,
22:02and it breaks down to some pretty nice mulchy, composty stuff,
22:06but not quite ready.
22:08So the second stage, come on, get out of it,
22:10happens outside in the compost bays,
22:12where it matures for up to another six months.
22:15So twice a year, I might scrape the whole lot out
22:18and off it goes to become this gorgeous, mature compost.
22:27At my place, it's the chickens and ducks that bring the heat.
22:31I like to think of hot manure as strong manure.
22:35My chicken coop has an open wire mesh floor
22:38with a poo catcher underneath for easy collection.
22:41It then goes into a compost system along with some carbon.
22:45Because it's so high in nitrogen,
22:47it can burn plants if you don't compost it first.
22:55Duck poo is also super potent.
22:58My ducks love to poo in their pond, which is an old bathtub.
23:02Every couple of days, I empty it
23:04and the pipe runs underground to my feijoa shrubs downhill.
23:08So basically, I'm fertigating them,
23:10which means fertilising and irrigating at the same time.
23:14As a result, I've got some pretty good feijoa crops.
23:17Importantly, though,
23:19you would never run it onto non-edible trees or shrubs
23:22because it's just too strong for them.
23:24So choose carefully which plants you apply this stuff to
23:28and share the love around.
23:32Another strong manure is horse,
23:34but be prepared to compost it and be patient.
23:37It can contain harmful, long-acting pesticides and insecticides
23:41that take two to three years to break down
23:44before the manure can be safely used in the garden.
23:47And look, if you're lucky enough to have some unicorn poo,
23:50I reckon that would be pretty magical for your garden as well.
23:54There's another group of manure that's worth mentioning.
23:57I'll call it proceed with caution poo.
24:00Pig, dog, cat,
24:02and of course, even human manure can be composted.
24:06Lots of my friends use composting toilets
24:09where they use really simple systems to save all the water.
24:13So basically, any poo in this category
24:15may contain unwanted traces of medicines or pathogens.
24:19And because of this, we compost it separately
24:22and always return it to non-edible gardens.
24:26And despite the fact you do need to handle it more carefully,
24:29there are plenty of environmental reasons to start.
24:32Composting dog poo does still return nutrients to the soil,
24:36but this one for me is more about keeping it out of landfill.
24:40Anything high in nitrogen, like food waste or manure,
24:44releases methane gases when it breaks down in landfill.
24:47So compost it if you can.
24:51I compost Ollie's poo in a separate compost bin
24:54with plenty of carbon material.
24:56But deworming medication can kill the worms in your soil too.
25:01So put dog poo in the rubbish bin for the first week
25:04after your dog has had a treatment.
25:06A few very important safety reminders for handling manure.
25:10Wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly.
25:13If the manure is dry and dusty, wear a mask and wet it down.
25:18Always give your veggies a good wash when you bring them inside.
25:23OK, for a little palate cleanser,
25:26I'm going to finish off with one last type of manure.
25:29Green manure is a process of feeding the soil and not yourself.
25:34Here I've got a blend of seeds, including raw beans, lupins,
25:39mustard seeds and annual crimson clover.
25:42I'm going to sow the whole lot really thickly across the bed
25:45and it's going to grow quite nicely,
25:47but I'm going to chop it down and return it to the soil before it flowers.
25:53Just like animal manures,
25:55green manure can help improve soil structure and increase nutrients.
25:59Use a garden rake or your hands to scuff the seeds in.
26:03Don't worry if some seeds are still exposed,
26:05as plenty will still germinate.
26:08So if you've got an empty bed or are in between crops,
26:12pop in the green manure.
26:14You can do it, yeah.
26:16Try to shake off any stigma,
26:18because the process of collecting and composting manures
26:21and then putting them back into the garden
26:23to nourish my soils, my family and my extended family
26:28is as wholesome and earthy as you can get.
26:31You want a good scotch?
26:35Still to come on Gardening Australia,
26:38Josh cuts back on the florals.
26:42Guest presenter Jack Semler shows us how to pick plants that pack a punch.
26:48And we visit a co-op rooftop focused on food crops.
26:59There's something special about gardening with a partner or friend.
27:03Pulling weeds, chewing the fat, getting your hands dirty,
27:07enjoying the weather.
27:09It's a bonding experience.
27:11Our next story showcases what can be achieved
27:14when you work together over a lifetime.
27:25You can almost feel the hum of creativity
27:29in this lush inner city haven
27:31that's home to two very creative spirits.
27:36Children's book publisher and artist Erica Wagner
27:40and acclaimed children's book illustrator Craig Smith
27:44have transformed their garden in Melbourne's inner north
27:47into a place that both calms and inspires.
27:52This is a splendid native frangipani.
27:55I can smell it.
27:56Yes, yes.
27:58It makes coming out here in the morning very aromatic.
28:02In flower, it is magnificent.
28:04And the scent is just amazing.
28:06Yeah, I love the smell of it. It's beautiful.
28:08I really do like your front garden.
28:10It's very packed and you haven't even got a fence.
28:12That was about the first thing that went.
28:14We love it being open because all the kids come past here in the morning.
28:18There's a school at the end of the street and the kindergarten
28:21and we just love the idea of sharing the garden.
28:24We just really love having people enjoying it.
28:27Because of the school community and the kindergarten community
28:30at the back there, it's full of life.
28:35The garden's come a long way since it was started 25 years ago,
28:39with plants laid out around the base of a gum
28:42that's actually next door,
28:44but its canopy and roots are part of the household.
28:48This is like being in the bush, Craig.
28:50Oh, thank you so much for saying that.
28:52That's plainly the feel that I hoped to get.
28:56Good. Well, it's a little airy, but you've got lovely things.
28:59That's a senna, isn't it?
29:01Yes, Senna Artemisioides.
29:03And why do you like it?
29:05First of all, the flowers.
29:07These few that are around us here flower profusely
29:10and all the way through winter.
29:13So in winter, this is a very colourful space.
29:16And that's the feel that we wanted,
29:18to feel as if we were in one of those beautiful bushy places
29:21that we love so much.
29:23And living in the city to surround ourselves with that makes us happy
29:27because our most favourite thing to do is to go camping in the bush.
29:31And so to create that environment in the home is really important to us.
29:35And I love the colour, the yellow, and the sounds of the garden as well,
29:40not just things like birds, but the sounds of the leaves in the wind.
29:44And, for example, the she-oaks are something that we both absolutely love.
29:54The garden has a steady variety of birds moving through.
29:58The smaller plants are things like the Eremophilus, the emu bushes.
30:02That attracts the honey eaters and that type of bird.
30:05They jump around from one thing to another.
30:08It is delightful.
30:10We love doing bird watching.
30:12We love incorporating birds into our artwork.
30:23Craig is the main gardener here,
30:26and I've learnt a lot from him in terms of shapes and colours and form and texture
30:32is really prevalent in this garden.
30:34If you look at all the different leaves and all the millions of different greens.
30:39And greys.
30:40Greys.
30:41Look at that one.
30:42Yeah, exactly.
30:43And just then those bright spots of colour.
30:45Well, that Grevillea is a good example, isn't it?
30:47Yes.
30:48It sure is.
30:49It's one of my favourites.
30:50It just makes it such a beautiful place to be and quite inspiring
30:53thinking about your paintings and so on.
30:56I love growing the veggies.
30:58Very simple, not as extensive as I would like because it's quite a shady garden.
31:03So the most sun that we get is in the front and that's where Craig's built these raised beds
31:08and we have lettuces and we have silverbeet and herbs and tomatoes
31:13and it's just really satisfying.
31:15And even when I get a mini broccoli or something, it just makes me really, really happy.
31:24In the backyard, there's also been a huge transformation over the years
31:29but an old peppercorn tree is still going strong.
31:34Nowadays, it's a cool, shady oasis.
31:38There's a treehouse for the grandkids and studios where Craig and Erica work.
31:45This is a lovely backyard and you've got two enormous trees there.
31:49Yes, the peppercorn, which is shaded out by the eucalyptus citradora.
31:54I feel as if these two trees are the companions to Erica and my place on this property.
32:01It feels as if their roots are probably intermingled in the soil, under the house,
32:08making the decking move.
32:14How would you describe the garden?
32:16Well, as a shield from the urban environment, from the hubbub.
32:21We wanted this sense of a cloister, this sort of protective environment.
32:26The fact that we're all enclosed by greenery, that it's dynamic,
32:31that it's constantly changing, that there's a lot of colour in it.
32:37It's calming but it's also enlivening and it's a habitat.
32:42It's a habitat for us but it's also the creatures and the birds that are here.
32:45Does it give you inspiration for your work, Erica?
32:48Yeah, very much.
32:51Both the studios are in the garden and just by looking out the window,
32:55I just get inspired by the shapes and the colours.
33:01I just love coming out into the studio. I love being surrounded by the garden.
33:06It's funny, the house is just there, the studio's here,
33:09and sometimes it's hard to go out of your normal life and come into here
33:14but the minute I do, I feel happy.
33:17And having the windows, it's almost like a painting.
33:21So it's already framed.
33:23So you come out here and I just feel peaceful.
33:27I listen to the wind in the trees and it's just my own little world
33:32and I think that's what we've tried to create with the garden
33:35and I feel really grateful to Craig because he's the one
33:39who does the lion's share of the work in the garden
33:43and I get to have the benefit of that and I'm really grateful to him for that.
33:49As it's grown, the beautiful garden has slowly spilled over
33:53into the parkland next door.
33:55It's a pretty neat little garden right next door to your own garden.
33:59Well, the garden jumped the fence.
34:01The council allowed me to plant along the fence line.
34:04I was just curious to see if I could make a garden go
34:08with very, very little water
34:10and I was also curious to see how it would go under this huge citadora.
34:16Well, they're doing very well, I must say.
34:19A few plants get pinched every now and then
34:22and there is a little bit of wear and tear
34:24but I get a real buzz out of hearing the kids and the dogs use the park.
34:32Craig inherited an aversion to water waste from his mother
34:36who hailed from South Australia's dry mid-north.
34:40He's devised an extensive grey water irrigation system
34:44so not a drop goes to waste.
34:47I'm very passionate about not wasting any water.
34:51I'm recycling from the washing machine, from the laundry tub
34:54and most importantly from the shower.
34:57So the plants in the front garden are all using this recycled water?
35:02Yes.
35:03Successfully?
35:04Yes, successfully and they have so for 20-odd years.
35:08Craig's practical bent in the garden also often veers towards the artistic.
35:13He's made a number of whimsical sculptures and jigsaw puzzles.
35:18Nature is very inspiring to me.
35:20It's always been important to me in my work as a children's book illustrator
35:26to make my illustrations as identifiably Australian as I possibly can
35:32and plainly to incorporate the trees, the shrubs.
35:36If I'm not in the garden or in the shed, this is a really nice space to be in.
35:42Plenty of room for books, plenty of room for music.
35:48There's balance of creative spaces really.
35:52The garden, the shed, the drawing board.
35:57I'm a very lucky man.
36:01How does it make you feel?
36:02It makes me breathe out.
36:05Any tension that I'm holding in my body just dissipates.
36:09The garden for me is somewhat spiritual.
36:12It is a place where I feel connected to climate.
36:16And it also reflects your personality and I feel like in our case
36:21it does reflect this perhaps eclectic way that we see the world.
36:26I guess it's not fancy, it's not so formal
36:29and yet it evokes the sense of being in those environments
36:34that we love to camp in and to travel in and to be with our families in
36:38and the garden is a tiny microcosm of that which is really beautiful.
36:54As you develop your skills and knowledge in the garden
36:57one area of care and maintenance that may seem like a complete mystery at first
37:02is pruning.
37:04When do you cut?
37:06Where on the plant do you cut?
37:09At first glance when to prune a flowering plant seems simple enough
37:13after it's flowered.
37:15But the when is actually tied to what the plant is.
37:19For example, plants that flower off last season's wood
37:23like camellias and rhododendrons
37:26actually flower off buds that were produced up to a year ago.
37:30So it's best to prune these straight after flowering
37:33so the plants have plenty of time to produce new buds
37:36which will lead to next season's flowers.
37:39Flower development occurs over a much shorter time frame
37:43for plants that flower on new wood like roses and crepe myrtles.
37:48So pruning early in the season to encourage that new growth
37:52will result in a flush of flowers later in the season.
37:56Hibiscus also flower off new growth
37:58and I'll use this small potted specimen to explain the processes at play.
38:03Hormones are produced up here at the plant tip
38:07and those hormones slow the development of shoots further down the stem.
38:12If we remove that tip we remove the hormones
38:16and those shoots will kick into action.
38:19Now the shoots develop from buds that form at the node, just like that.
38:25When we prune we want to prune just above the node
38:28so we don't damage those buds.
38:30From each cut you'll find that several buds will develop shoots
38:34which will then produce flowers resulting in a much stronger display.
38:44Great gardens are all about making the right choices
38:48and a big part of that is plant selection.
38:51Our guest presenter Jack Semler is going to show us
38:55how to choose the right plants for maximum visual impact.
38:59Take it away Jack.
39:06When designing a garden it's like creating a beautiful painting
39:10with colours and textures.
39:13I love using a broad palette of plants,
39:16different kinds of succulents and annuals,
39:20different flowering perennials, small native shrubs
39:23to have beauty and diversity and wonder all year round.
39:28Now I'm a bit agnostic when it comes to selecting plants.
39:32I like to use a broad range of plants from all different kinds of countries
39:37including Australia.
39:39Especially as our climate is changing it's important to have
39:43a broad mix of things to use so that we have resilience
39:47as well as having a lot of beauty and wonder.
39:50So today I'm going to give you some wonderful tips
39:53on how to select plants from three main groups.
39:56Structural plants, beautiful plants that have floating flowers
40:00and some flower fillers and there's no better place to start
40:04than your local nursery.
40:07When selecting plants I'm looking for diversity,
40:11different kinds of shapes of plants, different forms
40:15but also different flower colours and different flowering times.
40:20The flower to foliage ratio is something that I use
40:23to really ensure I get full flower power.
40:26I'm looking for plants that have a lot of flowers
40:30to the amount of foliage that they have.
40:34Now it's not just about looks.
40:36We want the plants to be really resilient and also to really be
40:40feeding those pollinators with flowers throughout the year.
40:47When we want to cultivate a year of wonder it's great to think
40:50about the phenology of the plants.
40:53So when plants are actively growing, when they're dormant
40:56and when they're flowering.
40:58So this incredible day lily it will flower at particular points
41:02of time and we can think about what else will flower
41:05through the rest of the year.
41:07It's also great to embrace the life cycles of a plant too.
41:11So this sea holly it looks fabulous as it flowers
41:14but as it finishes that seed head is going to look incredible too.
41:19And as much as I love them it's not all about the flowers.
41:23These incredible grasses bring so much texture
41:26and so much beauty to a garden too.
41:30Don't forget to choose plants that are going to be suitable
41:33for the conditions in your garden.
41:35We want them to be climate compatible.
41:37So when I look around the globe and when I look throughout Australia
41:41I'm going to choose plants that have similar origins,
41:44similar conditions that are going to suit my temperate coastal garden.
41:50I love using larger structural plants within a planting
41:54because they really fill out the space.
41:57They create wonderful density and moments of height in a garden.
42:02There are so many salvias that are great for this.
42:05Salvia lucanth is a special favourite.
42:08It's got this glorious form to it.
42:10It's really bright with these beautiful purple flowers
42:14and it's got a velour-like texture to the flowers too
42:17which is a real treat and it's so long flowering.
42:23I love kangaroo paws.
42:25They're so iconic and they have this incredible strappy foliage
42:30and these amazing sculptural flowers.
42:32They're really a must grow in my garden.
42:37I love this yellow.
42:39It's got a beautiful blush to it
42:41but kangaroo paws come in an incredible range of colours.
42:45When you're choosing plants in a nursery
42:47it's important that you select ones that are healthy.
42:50So I always look for signs of new growth in these tips.
42:54I give the pot a bit of a squeeze
42:56to make sure it's not too tight and root-bound
42:59and also I check and see if there's any pests and diseases
43:03because I don't want to take them home with me.
43:08To contrast with all the sculptural plants,
43:11the structural plants we've got in the garden,
43:13I also want to add a group of plants that I call floating flowers.
43:18They've got these incredible long stems
43:21and flowers that sit well above the foliage
43:24and they create a really immersive experience in the garden
43:28like you're surrounded by a sea of flowers.
43:31I love this Scabiosa columbaria
43:34because it's got these beautiful blue flowers, almost mauve,
43:38and then these really pretty little pink cushion-like buds
43:41that they start with.
43:42And there's also another coastal favourite,
43:44which is the armeria that have these long, fine stems
43:48and these beautiful little floating flower on top.
43:51They're really wonderful to add to the garden.
43:56Another fantastic floating flower are Thai lotus.
44:00They've got these long stems
44:02and they have this beautiful kind of fluffy flower
44:05that sits above the foliage.
44:07I really love this Macrocephalus
44:10because it has these beautiful muted green tones
44:13in that fluffy flower, but you can get them in pinks,
44:17you can get them in little purple colours as well.
44:20Thai lotus really thrive in the dry parts of Australia
44:24and so they're going to be really good for my coastal temperate garden.
44:28When you get these home from a nursery,
44:31I like to snip off all these flowers
44:34and make a pretty arrangement on my kitchen table.
44:37It allows the plants to really put all of their energy
44:41into the root system rather than putting them into the flowers
44:45and it helps them get a good establishment.
44:51Xerocrysombracticum is a fabulous Australian plant
44:55that will really fill that role as a flower filler.
44:58It's got lots of beautiful foliage,
45:00it's got beautiful everlasting flowers
45:03and it really fills up those gaps in the garden.
45:06Another favourite of mine
45:08is this beautiful Chrysocephalon apiculatum.
45:12It's this wonderful mounding ground cover,
45:15it's got these gorgeous everlasting flowers as well
45:18and it's so good at covering those little gaps you've got in your garden
45:22between the structure and the floating flowers.
45:26These plants have this stunning silver foliage
45:29so even when they're not in flower, they still look spectacular.
45:33Now if you need a bit more colour,
45:35these Geassia come in a range of colours
45:38but I love this coral variety.
45:41They have lovely flowers that sit above the foliage
45:44but I really love them because they're so prolific
45:47and easy to make cuttings from.
45:50Your local nursery is a great source of inspiration
45:53and when you come to select plants,
45:55think about all those principles,
45:57about selecting plants for diversity, flower colour,
46:01flower time, the beautiful shapes
46:04and remember, always think about plants
46:07that are suitable for your local conditions.
46:12While you can pick up lots of plants at the nursery,
46:16you don't have to break the bank
46:18to fill out your maximalist planting design.
46:21Next time, I'll show you tips and tricks
46:24for multiplying plants through propagation,
46:26dividing and direct seeding.
46:36There's so much space in our urban environment
46:39for growing food and when it happens,
46:42the benefits can be huge.
46:44Better access to fresh food,
46:46reconnection to the food system
46:49and reduced food miles.
46:51But it also means building a community around those spaces
46:55and that's exactly what's happening in our next story.
47:00MUSIC
47:08Gardens and nature can enhance our lives
47:11and especially when it's done together in community.
47:14It reconnects us with what's truly important in life
47:18which is being together and being able to grow real food
47:22and nurturing the soil is nurturing our own souls.
47:26The Food Co-operative here in Canberra
47:28is apparently Australia's oldest food co-op.
47:31It was established in 1976.
47:34I'm Naomi Lacey, I'm the operations manager here.
47:38So a food co-operative is started by members
47:41to provide access to lower waste food,
47:44bulk foods, usually organic.
47:46We are certainly majority organic,
47:48all of our produce in the co-op
47:50and members become a part of that organisation,
47:53they run it collectively.
47:55So helping out with any of the numerous volunteer roles
47:58we have here, you can get really extensive discounts,
48:01you can get store credits to use.
48:03With the rising cost of living,
48:05you can actually save yourself a lot of money
48:07as well as doing some really good things for the planet.
48:10So when the food co-op moved to this building about 10 years ago,
48:14we were also given access to this wonderful rooftop garden.
48:17We have a wonderful garden club that comes here on the weekends
48:21and grows food that we then use in our shop.
48:24Every Saturday, a group of volunteers of varying skills,
48:29we would do the normal watering, pruning, weeding, fertilising
48:36and then after harvesting,
48:38then we'll put it in the harvest basket,
48:41leave it in the cool room
48:43and then from Monday onwards,
48:46the kitchen staff will check what's in that basket
48:49and utilise them in the lunch prep.
48:53The co-op's really passionate about trying to provide opportunities
48:56for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
48:59and in particular women,
49:01so that's who we employ as the chefs in our kitchen,
49:04which is really wonderful.
49:06We get to celebrate all of the beautiful food
49:08from the places that they've come from.
49:10We're providing good quality healthy meals at a cheap price
49:14and we do approximately 50 to 150 meals a day.
49:20Let me just show you my little baby pumpkins here.
49:24Ah yeah, look at that.
49:26There's this one and then there's another one down here.
49:29Ah, look at it.
49:31People don't really realise nowadays
49:33that we really live in very individual lives,
49:35but then this rooftop garden really gives us an opportunity
49:38to all come together and share that
49:40and I think that's really important nowadays.
49:42I'm not so sure whether we can actually have really big ones
49:45before the winter comes.
49:46Maybe one pot of pumpkin soup.
49:48Yeah.
49:49Have you got a favourite pumpkin recipe?
49:51I just use pumpkin and garlic and that's it.
49:53Also love it with some other caraway seed or fennel.
49:57Such a great tomato season.
49:59My name's Angus Dunn.
50:00I used to coordinate the community garden along with Eliza.
50:03We were the core team in regenerating the garden.
50:06Coming from Hong Kong, living in an apartment,
50:10having a backyard is such a joy for us.
50:15I had full-time work.
50:18I was caring with elderly parents
50:21and I also have a Down syndrome sister.
50:26My experience of gardening started then.
50:29It's a way for me to de-stress.
50:36Having a rooftop garden is really amazing
50:38and it's also really challenging.
50:40One of the amazing parts is you get the wonderful view.
50:42We're higher up so we don't get as big an impact from frost,
50:46which can be a big benefit.
50:47Some of the challenges that that presents
50:49means we have a lot more wind coming up over the garden.
50:51It can dry out the soil a lot more.
50:53The olive trees provide us a bit of shelter and protection
50:56and they're a really wonderful thing to look at.
50:58It also means they put some shade back on the other garden beds.
51:01On the rooftop, it has a much intense sun
51:05than a normal garden
51:07because it gets sun from all directions.
51:10On very hot days,
51:12then evaporation rates are much higher.
51:16The soil doesn't have too much absorbent quality.
51:20We're trying to be as zero waste as we can here in the co-op.
51:24Some of our waste from the shop downstairs
51:26comes up to be recycled up here,
51:28turned into beautiful soil and used in the garden.
51:31We have tried using open composting,
51:35which didn't seem to work.
51:37We have also done in-ground composting.
51:40That works, but it needs dedication doing it all the time.
51:44So what I suggest the team do
51:48is dig a hole in their own plot
51:51and do composting then.
51:54Underneath, the earthworms are doing the work.
51:57When it's ready, the plant will then have nutrients underneath
52:02and the plants, when they grow,
52:04they become a cover to the compost column.
52:07Community gardens are a wonderful place
52:10where you get a diversity of knowledge, a diversity of ideas,
52:13and it brings people together.
52:15So for myself, my really big learning through this process
52:18has been not coming up to just focus on working on the garden.
52:21It's coming up and focusing on the people,
52:23knowing that they're going to look after the garden.
52:26I've always sort of been quite interested in plants and gardening,
52:29and, yeah, I live, like, in an apartment,
52:31so it was really nice to come to a community
52:34with experienced gardeners so I could learn more
52:37and also work in a bigger, better sort of garden.
52:41I look at the young gardeners
52:45as either my niece or nephews.
52:49Being able to nurture their interest in the garden
52:53and also love for growing things
52:57gives me tremendous joy.
53:00The co-op's a real community hub for the Canberra region.
53:04We have lots of different events happening here all the time,
53:07so go and join your local food co-op.
53:10It's a really great way.
53:12Go and join your local community garden.
53:14Get out there in community and be with others.
53:18The girl's twinkling.
53:29I know that's got your inspiration juices flowing,
53:32and not a moment too soon.
53:34Your list of jobs for the weekend is here.
53:42Cool-tempered gardeners pretty up your patch
53:45with some stunning summer flowering annuals
53:47like phlox, alyssum and cornflowers.
53:50Plant around the garden or add some colour to containers.
53:54If you've got a bit of room free at your place,
53:57why not plant out a globe artichoke?
53:59Spreading to about 1.5 metres,
54:02this incredible edible is as tough as it is tasty
54:06and very ornamental to boot.
54:09Maximise your garden greenery and start growing up.
54:13There are loads of plants that can be grown over arches,
54:17pergolas, climbing frames and fences.
54:20See what you can create.
54:22In warm-temperate gardens, improve a dormant bed
54:25and your health as well
54:27by sowing a green manure crop of wheatgrass.
54:30Incorporate wheatgrass into the soil
54:33or into a smoothie before they set seed.
54:36Swamp lily, Crinum pedunculatum,
54:39is a tough, showy-scented native
54:42that thrives in damp, shady spots.
54:45Growing to an impressive 3m by 3m,
54:48this strappy perennial is practically perfect.
54:52If your garden soil is repelling water,
54:55it's time to fight hydrophobia.
54:58Mix one cap each of organic soil wetter,
55:01fish emulsion and seaweed extract
55:03and apply to affected soils.
55:06In subtropical areas,
55:08it's time to drop dahlia tubers into the ground.
55:11Dig a nice big hole for each tuber,
55:14ensure growing tips are facing upwards
55:17and pop them in place, staking larger varieties.
55:21Grow something you'll go nuts for
55:23and plant a macadamia tree.
55:25An excellent backyard shade tree or dwarf specimen,
55:29a grafted plant will take around five years to produce nuts.
55:34Plant some marigolds and mustard greens
55:36with your tomatoes this weekend,
55:38especially if you've suffered with root-knot nematode before.
55:42These classic companions will keep the pests at bay.
55:46Tropical gardeners,
55:48bling up your benchtop with a string of turtles,
55:51Peperomia rotundifolia.
55:53These semi-succulent trailing plants
55:56have small, heart-shaped leaves,
55:58love good light,
56:00and if you water sparingly, you'll be in turtle control.
56:04In the veggie patch,
56:06whack in a wet-season cover crop of mung bean, lab lab or cowpea.
56:10Cover crops will help the soil retain nutrients
56:13and minimise erosion during storms.
56:16Want more birds in your burbs?
56:18Then Melicope rubra, Euodia, is a must.
56:22This fast-growing native shrub bears clusters
56:25of gorgeous nectar-rich pink-red flowers
56:28that butterflies and birds adore.
56:32In arid gardens, it's citrus harvest time,
56:35so make sure you nab your navels,
56:37manage your mandarins,
56:39and collect a volume of Valencias
56:41before they drop to the ground or become mouldy and spoil.
56:45Composters.
56:47Next time your oven is cooling down,
56:49whack your used eggshells in for five minutes.
56:52This dries the shells and means they can be easily crushed
56:56and added to the compost bin or worm farm.
56:59Indoors or outdoors, hanging basket or pot,
57:02the old-fashioned beefsteak begonia is a gorgeous go-to,
57:07with its large glossy leaves,
57:09with a deep red underside and a tremendous trailing habit.
57:14Get out there and have a go this weekend, gardeners,
57:17and let us know what you've been up to
57:20on our Gardening Australia Facebook page.
57:28Well, that's all we've got time for this week,
57:31but there's plenty in the bag for next time.
57:34Here's what's coming up.
57:38I'm in Bow Morris in Melbourne's southern sandbelt
57:40to meet up with an architect
57:42who's brought his newfound love of local native coastal plants
57:46to the garden of his mid-century modern home.
57:50Here in Perth, a biosecurity threat has materialised
57:54with the potential to dramatically alter the landscape.
57:58I'll be in conversation with experts on polyphagous shot-hole borer.
58:03How are you feeling today?
58:05Extrovert and a bit showy?
58:07What about strong, hot and feisty?
58:10Perhaps relaxed, warm and sultry?
58:13Cool, breezy and airy?
58:16Either way, have I got a roto for you.