Next on: Tonight 7.30pm, Rpt Sunday 1.30pm on ABC + iview | | | | | |
| | | | | As a part of our 30th Birthday celebrations, we are looking back on some of the most popular ‘My Garden Path’ stories, where people tell why plants and gardening are important to them. | | | | | | | | |
 | | | | | | | | Tonight 7.30pm on ABC + iview | | | | We visit Adelaide’s Museum of Economic Botany to discover an intriguing botanical collection | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | Fact Sheet | | | | Follow the extraordinary journey of Gwen and Rodger Elliot - two passionate Australian native plant specialists who have dedicated their lives to discovering, growing and writing about Australian plants. | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | It’s our 30th birthday year and we're delving into the archives to look back at some early Gardening Australia episodes!
Take a look at this Gardening Australia special on permaculture from 15th January 1999! | | | | | | | | |
What to plant this weekend | | | Tropical Climate Zone - Asparagus
- Lettuce
- Onion
- Shallots
Subtropical Climate Zone - Florence Fennel
- Pak Choy / Bok Choy
- Peas / Snow Peas
- Spinach
Arid Climate Zone - Beetroot
- Capsicum
- Cauliflower
- Sweet Potato
Temperate Climate Zone - Chives
- Mustard Greens
- Oregano
- Turnips / Swedes
Cool Climate Zone - Broad Beans
- Chicory
- Radish
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Jobs for the weekend | | | Cool - It’s time to raise your mower blades. Cut lawns on the highest mower setting, and don’t take off any more than a third at each cut until the weather warms.
- Keep Jack Frosts’ fingers off your foliage by installing and securing plastic, shadecloth or cardboard over plants during evenings of predicted frost. Remove these covers in the morning.
- Add some colour and movement to your garden with annuals like dianthus, pansy, viola and verbena. They’re great around the patch and fantastic beneficial insect attractors.
Temperate - Why not plant a patch of chamomile lawn? Find a sunny spot with free-draining soil and sow some seeds – you’ll be skipping through sweetly scented chamomile in no time.
- It’s time to harvest the last of your pumpkins. You’ll know they’re ready if they sound hollow when knocked on the side, and the vine at the top of the pumpkin is brown.
- Warm up in this weather and rake up fallen leaves. Just pop them in your compost – job done!
Subtropical - Give your Tibouchinas’ a hard prune now that the final flowers have fallen. This will see them rocket away and put on a great show next season.
- It’s the perfect time to top up your mulch to protect roots from extreme temperatures, minimise water loss and reduce competition. Mulch to a depth of between 5-7cm.
- Ease up on watering of indoor plants during the cooler months to avoid issues – there is no harm in allowing the plants to dry out completely between waterings.
Tropical - It’s potato planting time in the tropics, so track down some certified seed potatoes and get growing. Spuds can be grown in deep pots, bags, garden beds and bins – have a crack.
- There’s nothing more tropical than the fragrant Frangipani, and now is the perfect time to propagate from hardwood cuttings, up to 1m long! Allow to harden off and then plant out.
- Collect and remove any fallen or spoiled fruit from under trees. Bag up and dispose of in the bin if pests or diseases are present to prevent re-infection next season.
Arid - Find a space at your place to plant an asparagus. Grown from seed or crown, they take both time and space, but will reward you with 20 years’ worth of crops.
- Paw Paw fruits are starting to develop so protect them from pests with a poncho – wrap geotextile around the fruit with a bow at the bottom. They’ll still ripen well but won’t get eaten early!
- Aerate your lawn and garden beds with a good forking this weekend – this opens it up, allowing oxygen and water to penetrate to the root zone.
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Catch up on ABC iview | | | | Never miss a gardening moment! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
