Gardening on steep blocks, caring for mail-order plants + loads more gardening tips and advice!

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Welcome to the Gardening Australia Newsletter: 23/10/2015

Coming Up This Week

Coming Up This Week

A Steep Learning Curve - You've Got Mail - A Kaleidoscope of Colour - FAQs - Bringing Your Work Home - Chinese Flowering Plum - Kale Storm - Productive Pots


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ABC TV: Saturday 24 October 2015, 6:30pm and Sunday 25 October 2015, 1:00pm

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A Steep Learning Curve

A Steep Learning Curve
24/10/2015
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You've Got Mail

You've Got Mail
Presenter: Tino Carnevale, 24/10/2015
Tino shows how to keep mail-order plants healthy and thriving once they arrive on the doorstep
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Weekly Gardening Action Plan

Weekly Gardening Action Plan

We've been inundated with questions about strawberries, so we're answering your requests!

Tropical Zone
Whilst you can grow strawberries in the tropics, it's best to wait until April or May to plant them, but this time of year you'll also need to be very careful of fungal diseases, especially powdery mildew: Organic Fungicides Fact Sheet

Subtropical Zone
Yes, you can grow strawberries from seed! Here's how: Strawberries From Seeds and Runners Fact Sheet

Temperate Zone
The very best climate for growing strawberries! Here are a few tips to get the best out of your berries: Growing Strawberries

Arid Zone
Why limit yourself to the common strawberry varieties that you buy at the shops? Many cultivars bred in Japan over the last ten years have excellent flavour, so try some of these instead: Sumptuous Strawberries Fact Sheet

Cool Zone
Growing strawberries in raised containers is a great option because it keeps the fruit off the ground, lessening the chance it rotting. Here's a terrific weekend project - a strawberry table to add to your garden: Strawberry Table Fact Sheet


And if you want some ideas of what to plant in the vegie patch, don't forget to visit The Vegie Guide or Download the App

Plant Picks

Plant Picks

NATIVE GRASSES
On the show this week, Jane visits a garden on a very challenging steep block. Some plants can be really useful to help avoid erosion in hilly locations - including the Aussie native grasses! Here are some you might like to try in your garden:

  • Lomandra 'Nyalla' has has a slightly blue tone compared to other Lomandras. It looks just like a large grass tree - in fact they used to be part of the same family. The plants add an upright texture to the garden.
  • Lomandra longifolia is commonly known as the spiny-headed mat-rush because of the little spikes on the flowers. There is also a fine-leaf form called Lomandra 'Tanika'.
  • Dianella 'Cassa Blue' has a blue foliage and produces baby blue coloured flowers. It's a tough plant, can handle 45 degree days and is great in subdivisions and around houses.
  • Poa labillardieri 'Eskdale' is a blue Poa. ItÂ's drought tolerant and can handle more humidity than other Poas. It's a lot tougher. It originated from the Cumberland Plain of Sydney and can cope with the northern areas of Australia.
  • Dianella 'Little Jess' and 'Breeze', cope well with poor drainage and are planted on roadsides.

There is an almost endless array of strappy-leafed native plants available. Not only do they look good in an informal bush garden but use them to create a more formal look. ItÂ's hard to underestimate the potential of this versatile group of Australian plants!



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