Walking together, growing together, gardening together!

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Next on: Tonight 7.30pm, Rpt Sunday 1.30pm on ABC + iview   Coming up   Gardening Australia celebrates National Reconciliation Week with a special #WalkingTogether2020 episode that embraces the rich culture of Australia’s First Peoples and highlights our shared history and our shared future. Costa Georgiadis meets fellow Gardening Australia presenter Clarence Slockee at a native plant rooftop farm, we meet Yindjibarndi artist Katie West to explore her plant-based art practice and Josh gives some tips on native plant alternatives for the home garden.   WATCH NOW     Video preview   Tonight 7.30pm on ABC + iview   Josh provides some easy native plant choice alternatives to environmental weeds that are hiding in everyday gardens.   Find out more       Factsheet highlight   Fact Sheet   Sophie visits the Adelaide Botanic Gardens to see flora from the Ikara-Flinders Ranges and learn about the crucial work conserving some of South Australia’s rarest plants.     Watch more         Gardening Australia Weekly Quiz A main way to spot the difference between the native Murnong (Microseris sp.) and the Flatweed (Hypochaeris sp.) is that the Murnong? A) Have flowers that smell different     B) Have leaves covered in stingers    C) Develop new flower buds on stems that arch over See tonight's show or next week’s newsletter for the answer! Answer to last week’s quiz question: Q) Perlite (often used as a growing medium in hydroponic systems and seed raising mixes) comes from? A) - a) Volcanic glass that is expanded under extreme heat     DIY Project   Looking for a fun gardening project to do this weekend? Why not try making a terrarium! These amazing mini-gardens are the perfect way to bring the outdoors inside and are a great project for gardeners of all ages! And if you’re inspired by all the native plants on tonight’s show, why not try a native plant terrarium!   CHECK IT OUT   What to plant this weekend   Tropical Climate Zone Coriander Endive Parsley Tomatoes Subtropical Climate Zone Broad beans Kale/Collards Rocket Turnips/Swedes Arid Climate Zone Brussels sprouts Lettuce Peas/Snow peas Sweet potato Temperate Climate Zone Burdock Carrots Radish Silverbeet Cool Climate Zone Cabbage Mitzuna Silverbeet Spinach   Jobs for the weekend   COOL  This weekend is Botanic Gardens Day, so why not pack a picnic, grab your family and friends and spend some time exploring your local botanic garden. If your camellias are all bud and no bloom, they may feel the need for a feed. A splash of liquid potash, or a generous dusting of fireplace ash will see them put on a show in no time. Winter grass is starting to takeover turf, so it’s time to act. As soon as you see the bright green leaves, dig the clumps out and feed to the chooks or make into a weed tea for the garden. TEMPERATE  Winter rains are on the way, so get into your gutters and give them good clean out. Keep the leaf litter for your compost, or stockpile for lovely leaf mould. Now that dahlia foliage is failing, it’s time to cut any remaining leaves off at ground level. If soil is well drained, leave tubers in the ground, otherwise lift and store in sawdust. Take your patch from drab to fab and plant out some purple vegies. Purple broccoli and cauliflower, red Russian kale, purple carrots and peas and coloured cabbages are good to grow now. SUBTROPICAL  Spice up your garden this weekend and plant out garlic. Day length neutral varieties are best in this climate, and are should be harvested before the December rains. If your foliage is looking funky, fuzzy and seriously splotchy, you’ve likely got powdery mildew. A mix of one-part milk to ten parts water sprayed on foliage weekly will fix this fungi. Add some ghoulish goodness to your garden and some intrigue to your indoors with a Bat Plant (Tacca chantrieri). A shade-lover, this tropical has lush foliage and bizarre bat-like flowers. TROPICAL It’s time to put in a dragon fruit. These spectacular, night-flowering cacti are climbers, and grow best on tall, strong supports – plus the fruit is refreshing and delicious The silk floss tree, Ceiba speciosa, is a large, fast-growing shade tree worth considering. Related to the boab, the spiny trunk and flamingo pink flowers make this one a showstopper. This is the start of Dinidjanggama - season of heavy dew - for the Gulumoerrgin people of the Darwin region, when sugarbag honey, Dadbinggwa, is collected from tree hollows.  ARID Pumpkins are ready to harvest as their vines begin to die back, and the stalks dry. To store, leave 10cm of stalk attached, and store in a cool, dark, dry place. If you’re heading bush, remember that plant materials, including seeds, cannot be removed from bushland areas without a permit. It deprives wildlife of food, and can damage biodiversity. Textural, trendy, tough and terrific winter flowers, get to know the aloe. Perfect for arid gardens, there are hundreds of these stunning succulent cultivars perfect for pots and plots!   Catch up on ABC iview   Never miss a gardening moment!   Watch more     Subscribe     Follow Us     The ABC sent this message to garden336.tool@blogger.com these details are included to help provide assurance that this is a genuine email from ABC. Any personal details and data acquired by the ABC from your participation in any ABC Online Services will be used only in accordance with the ABC's Privacy Policy.     © 2020 Australian Broadcasting Corporation ABC, ABN 52 429 278 345. 700 Harris St Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia.   Unsubscribe from this eNewsletter | Discover other email newsletters | Privacy

Crop rotation demonstrated, make a Kokedama and more!

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Next on: Tonight 7.30pm, Rpt Sunday 1.30pm on ABC + iview   Coming up   Costa meets the gardener behind a movement encouraging community to share home grown produce; Jerry visits a successful project that’s literally bridging an ecological gap; Tino is at The Patch, showing just how easy crop rotation can be and Jane gets stuck into an easy weekend project - making Kokedama balls   WATCH MORE     Video preview   Tonight 7.30pm on ABC + iview   Jane gets stuck into an easy weekend project - making Kokedama – Japanese moss balls   Find out more       Factsheet highlight   Fact Sheet   Tino is at The Patch proving just how easy crop rotation can be     Watch more     Costa's Corner   The Food is Free Laneway Project in Ballarat is a community initiative that has been growing and gaining recognition locally since 2014. Starting as a simple table/shelf on the laneway outside founder Lou Ridsdale’s corner home, the idea was that people could leave their excess produce for others to take what they need and in the spirit of things, leave what they can if they can. A simple idea that resonated immediately with people leaving not just produce but cuttings and seedlings, worm juice, compost, egg containers and jars to name a few. You’ll see what I mean in the story this week but I want to share with you just how much the project grew..   READ MORE       Gardening Australia Weekly Quiz Perlite (often used as a growing medium in hydroponic systems and seed raising mixes) comes from…. A) Volcanic glass that is expanded under extreme heat      B) Shredded pieces of polystyrene foam    C) Purified corn starch  See next week’s newsletter for the answer!  Answer to last week's quiz: Q) How many species of moths are there in Australia? A) C - Around 11,000     What to plant this weekend   Tropical Climate Zone Broccoli Celery Kale/Collards Mustard Greens Subtropical Climate Zone Cabbage (Loose and tight-headed types) Pak choy/Bok choy Parsley Shallots Arid Climate Zone Beans (Climbing and Bush) Carrots Leeks Rocket Temperate Climate Zone Mitzuna Peas/Snow peas Shallots Spinach Cool Climate Zone Broad Beans Kale/Collards Endive Radish   Jobs for the weekend   COOL  Today is Biological Diversity Day, so to celebrate, plant some native grasses and groundcovers to encourage the smallest garden visitors – the insects.  Before the winter pruning season hits, spend some time cleaning, sharpening, oiling and disinfecting your favourite pruning tools – a great shed job for a chilly, or rainy, day. If edible zing is your thing, it’s the perfect time to sow some seeds for mustard greens. These fast-growing brassicas add heat to a salad, and leaves can be harvested in about 6 weeks. TEMPERATE  Attractive, vigorous and brilliant for brewing beer, hops can be planted now in warm temperate gardens. Plant crowns in a sunny spot, ensuring they have a strong climbing frame As Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ comes to the end of their flowering period, prune these tough succulents back, leaving around 5cm of stem. Don’t forget to propagate the cuttings! Bring some biodiversity to your backyard and find a spot for a nesting box. Many bats and birds rely on tree hollows, so a well-placed nest box can make a huge difference in urban areas. SUBTROPICAL  Keep an eye out for white or brown scale on citrus. Often transported by ants, these sap suckers can quickly kill trees, so regular treatment with white oil is ideal.  There’s still time for tomatoes, and the tiny cherry varieties are the pick of the patch. Plant seedlings at a spacing of 30cm and give them a climbing support as they develop. Every garden is an ecosystem, and while it’s important to recognise pests and problems, track down a relevant garden ID book, and get to know the good guys as well.  TROPICAL In the tropics, the best time to grow a watermelon is the dry season, so get those seeds planted. Treat them to a rich, friable soil, and leave plenty of space for these rambling vines. Don’t have the space to grow a pandanus at your place? Why not pop one in a pot? These slow-growing stunners make great potted feature plants – just make sure they’re in full sun. For a tough turf, try Zoysia macrantha. This ace Australian native grass loves the tropics, is drought, salt and heat tolerant, has low water needs and looks great. What’s not to love? ARID Atriplex nummularia, the Saltbush, is a must have in any arid garden. These small native shrubs are tough, attractive and their foliage and seed is edible – fresh, dried or pickled. If you like sustainable and local fish and fresh produce, have a go at aquaponics - a method of growing plants in water using the fish waste to provide nutrients. Celebrate biological biodiversity, and plant a Jingymia Mallee, Eucalyptus synandra. These small, graceful trees bare white to pink flowers in summer, and are increasingly rare in the wild.   Catch up on ABC iview   Never miss a gardening moment!   Watch more     Subscribe     Follow Us     The ABC sent this message to garden336.tool@blogger.com these details are included to help provide assurance that this is a genuine email from ABC. Any personal details and data acquired by the ABC from your participation in any ABC Online Services will be used only in accordance with the ABC's Privacy Policy.     © 2020 Australian Broadcasting Corporation ABC, ABN 52 429 278 345. 700 Harris St Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia.   Unsubscribe from this eNewsletter | Discover other email newsletters | Privacy