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Compiled and edited by Tammy 7th May 2023 You've heard of fairy rings? As a little girl you were told when you see a ring of toadstools in the lawn that fairies had danced there; it was something magical. Some might think they are a jolly nuisance as they ruin the visual appearance of the lawn, others believe in all thing's fairies and folk laws but either way, they are not harmful to your lawn at all. Toadstools in your lawn are actually a good sign, an indication that everything beneath the lawn is thriving and healthy. You don't see them in the Summer when everything is hot and dry. Perhaps the only time they are an issue is when our pets decide to try them. If you think your beloved pooch or kitty has curiously added toadstools to their daily menu, don't hesitate to take them to your local veterinarian to have them seen to. Watch my short video to see what to look out for and learn a few tips on how you can possibly prevent them. Hoping your week gets off to a good start, Happy gardening!😘🪴🍄

Written and edited by Tammy 25th April 2023 What is Black Spot, why does it happen and how do we treat it? Black Spot Quite simply, Black Spot is a highly infectious fungal disease that most roses will suffer at some stage. As soon as the climatic conditions are favourable, there's enough moisture, humidity, and there's a lack of air circulation in the canopy of a plant, you have the perfect environment for fungal diseases such as black spot to take hold. Like anything, prevention is better than cure. Try to keep your roses in optimum health. Mulch around them to maintain moisture throughout the dryer months and feed them regularly with a quality rose fertiliser like Richgro Black Marvel or Neutrog Sudden Impact. Give them a 'pick me up' with a health tonic like Seasol to keep them robust and powering on and, dead head them as each flush of flowers finishes. Be vigilant for the first signs of disease or pest infestations and, treat them before they impact the health of the plant. Watch the little video I've included to see how I treated my standard Icebergs today that have succumbed to a bout of black spot. Admittedly, we're at the tail end of the growing season now in Autumn and my roses have (as always) put on the most amazing continuous display of blooms all Summer long. Despite the black spot getting the better of them, the foliage was still a healthy, lush green colour indicating that they weren't malnourished or lacking in nutrition. There was no sign of an insect infestations, I'd just been too preoccupied with life as we all get, and missed the window of opportunity to treat them when I should have. Don't be like me! Happy Gardening!😘🪴 Leat we forget.

Saturday 29th April 2023 Get a little bit creative, fill your pots with other annuals to surround and compliment your bulbs. Read my earlier post "Autumn is here" to learn more..

Written and edited by Tammy 15th May 2023 If a splash of colour was a requirement for the Adelaide side entrance to our town, then planting a row of Chinese Pistachios has definitely ticked that box. You can't help but slow down to admire the gorgeous display of Autumn colour from oranges through to flame red as you drive past them. Chinese Pistachio Chinese Pistachio pistacia chinensis-native to Western China, are deciduous ornamentals. The leaves comprise around half a dozen pairs of opposing long slender smaller leaves that start out a lush, lime green in Spring then go out in a blaze of glory in Autumn. Female trees also produce brightly coloured clusters of inedible berries that create another point of interest. They are relatively quick to establish, reaching heights of up-to 8-10 meters tall and equally as wide. You will need to prune them as they're establishing to achieve symmetry and ultimately a lovely, rounded shade tree. Make sure you give them a full sun aspect, and water them regularly as they're establishing in the first season. They like to send their roots down nice and deep and once they do so you'll find them to be relatively drought hardly needing next to no supplementary watering. Chinese Pistachios are not fussy with their soil preferences providing it's relatively moist and free draining. All in all, a lovely small to medium feature tree or perfect for lining an avenue. Claret Ash Now I can't not mention the Claret Ash trees fraxinus oxycarpa 'raywood ' that you would've noticed establishing well in the same location beside the pistachios. Their cool claret red through to mauve shades in Autumn are equally as eye catching. They are large trees though reaching heights of in excess of 15 meters tall and 10 meters wide, so you will need to allow them plenty of space and of course keep them a good distance away from buildings and structures. Similarly, to the pistachios, the ash tree also has multiples of soft fine small leaves. They don't bare berries, but they do produce, then go on to shed thousands of little seed pods. Tolerative of most soil types providing it's free draining, they're relatively low maintenance and like the pistachios, are drought tolerant once established. The Chinese Pistachios and Claret Ash are just two of many many beautiful deciduous ornamental trees that grow well here in our region. Give them plenty of room to grow in full sun and, water them thoroughly and regularly while they are establishing, and you shouldn't have any troubles. If these two don't tickle your fancy you could consider a few of these. Golden Elm Ulmus glabra lutescens Crepe Myrtles Largerstroemia indica Ornamental plums Prunus cerasifera Ornamental pears Pyrus Crab apples Malus sylvestris Silver birch Betula pendula London Planes Platanus Honestly these are only a few other that you will see growing well here everywhere around our town and throughout our region. That in itself tells you something, clearly, they'd be good options to consider. It's going to come down to the space and location you're wanting to fill, and your own personal preference for styles and colours. Don't hesitate to contact me if you'd like to know a little more about any of these trees I've mentioned or even anything else you might have heard of or seen. Have a wonderful Monday, and as always Happy Gardening! 😘🌸🌼🌸🌼

Written and edited by Tammy 19th May 2023 With June just around the corner our attention turns to a few different things.... stock take, tax time and bare root season. And well I'm more interested in talking about the later of the three😝 So, what is bare root season, what's it all about? Maybe I first need to clarify what deciduous means. Deciduous Deciduous as opposed to Evergreen are any trees and plants that loose their leaves and shut down over the Winter months. Plants continuously produce a chemical compound called Chlorophyll, and its chlorophyll that's responsible for leaves being green. A combination of shorter day lengths and cooler temperatures tells the plant to slow down its production of chlorophyll and stop directing nutrients and energy into the leaves. The absence of chlorophyll lets us see the true colour of the leaves (the beautiful Autumn colours) and gradually the plant drops it leaves becoming dormant. Right, now that we understand what deciduous means, what relevance does that have to bare root season? In bare root season growers lift the dormant young trees from the ground, the process doesn't shock stress or upset the trees in any way as they're asleep, they're not actively growing. The trimmed root systems are then wrapped in sawdust in plastic to keep them damp, and at that point they're distributed to retail nurseries for you to buy. Bare root Pros They're cheaper than potted trees. Can be forward ordered and plentiful in supply. Convenient to transport a large quantity of trees in a small amount of space. Can be settled into their new location whilst the tree is still dormant avoiding transplant shock. Bare root Cons There's always going to be an element of gamble if the tree will be viable or not. The root system will be trimmed, diminished and void of any fine feeding roots. There's no knowing how long the roots have been exposed to the air potentially becoming too dry and hard. They are going to need to be planted as soon as possible, they can't stay in sawdust in bags long term. Potted trees Pros The tree can be selected for its healthy full foliage appearance. It has a healthy active growing root system within the pot. If disease is present, it would be evident. They can potentially stay in the pots for a while until you're prepared and have time to plant them. Potted trees Cons They will be more expensive. Potentially less stock available. Can take up a lot of space or cost more to freight potted trees. Always a chance of the plant succumbing to transplant shock or not settling into its new environment. These are some of the things you'll need to take into consideration when deciding whether to buy bare root trees over the winter months or buy actively growing potted tree throughout the growing season. Either way there are some good valid points for both options, it's just going to come down to what your priorities are. Consider your budget, the cost of freight if applicable, or practicality of transporting them, your time frame for getting them planted and of course how much of a gamble you're willing to take on the potential viability of the tree. As always if you're wanting to know a little more, please reach out, send me a message, an email or our local folk reading this will know where to find me. Rug up, keep warm, enjoy your Friday and happy gardening!😘🪴🍂

Written and edited by Tammy 2nd July 2023. Winter is finally here and with it comes an abundance of annual weeds! It can be a little confusing at times identifying plants and knowing what's a weed and what's not. Something new randomly pops up in your garden with a pretty little flower, and you hesitate before rushing to pull it out...you think to yourself that's pretty, it might be worth keeping. That's a gardener prerogative, isn't it?😜 Fumaria Capreolata Let me introduce you to this one, Fumaria. Fumaria capreolata a member of the poppy family. If you've got some poppies in as I have, run out and look at their foliage right now and you might see some similarities. Take a look at the pictures here below, kinda cool hey! Often referred to as climbing or ramping fumitory due to its growth habit, it climbs, scrambles and rambles everywhere and almost overnight you've gone from nothing more than one or two random plants to having it choking out and taking over an entire garden bed. Fumitory is a herbaceous annual that pops up this time every year once the ground is cool and damp, it needs the sub soil moisture to trigger germination. Delicate lime green fern-like foliage, and the give-way for this particular species is the purple tipped white flower. How much of an issue it is and how to deal with it will come down to the individual. In my yard, I have a small amount of it that comes up between the edge of the lawn and the base of my Pittosporum hedge amongst the mulch on the ground. It tends to come up anywhere there's enough light and bare soil and nothing to compete with it. It's a manageable amount that in all honesty, when the sun is shining with a coffee in hand, I'm happy to do some stretching and pull it out. The roots of the plant are fine and shallow making it easy to remove by hand. As with any weeds, removing them entirely and regularly, preferably before they have a chance to flower and set seed, replenishing the seed bank is a no brainer. I could also put down a thick layer of newspaper, cardboard and or fresh mulch to smother and suffocate, them. This is a 'win win' approach because not only does it deal with the weeds, but as it breaks down carbon is added back into the soil feeding all the microorganisms. If pulling it out or smothering it really aren't options for you, let's say it's taking over your garden bed you could perhaps try spraying it out. I would still pull up as much as possible, and then perhaps try Richgro Beat-A-Weed. Always opt for a natural alternative where possible. For optimum results, wait for a calm, still, sunny day. The active ingredients in beat-a-weed are acetic acid and sodium chloride, essentially, salt and vinegar. Glyphosate free, nothing harmful. Be sure to read the instructions prior and use the product as per the directions on the label. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has winter weeds going crazy everywhere right now, it's a case of trying to manage and prevent them multiplying in the best way we can, in a way that is kind to our environment. For now, put another log on the fire, keep warm and enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Happy Gardening😘🌸🪴

Written and edited by Tammy 20th August 2023 There are lots of reasons we might want to identify a plant. It might be something you found growing in your garden and you're concerned is it a weed, or something worth keeping. You may have seen something you fell in love with in someone else's yard, or perhaps you're looking for plants based on their characteristics for a sandy, sunny hot spot in your yard. Whether it's one of these reasons or something else, there are a few different options, so lets delve in and look at how to identify a plant. Tip number 1 Try taking a small cutting of foliage, maybe even a flower, or a few different pics into your local garden centre for them to identify for you. Tip number 2 Buy yourself a botanical field guide. You can pick one up from most leading bookstores or online for under $15. It's a simple pamphlet style reference tool complete with images and labels of every type of plant, correct foliage description terminology, and more, that will give you the knowledge to be able to correctly describe and narrow down what it is you're wanting to identify. Tip number 3 Armed with your new botanical vocabulary, try searching the internet, or perhaps borrow some plant related books from your local library. Tip number 4 Reach out to a plant group in your local area through social media, chances are someone might have either seen the plant too or may even have it growing in their own yard. Tip number 5 There are some really helpful plant identification apps you can put on your phone too. My favourite is 'Picturethis'. The app utilises an internet data base to match up your image (the photo of the plant you've just taken) with the most likely match for the same plant. All the details will be there for the botanical name and common names for that plant, its origins, growing preferences, characteristics and more. It can also be used as a diagnostic tool for identifying what might be wrong with your plant, so it's a really handy app that I myself love and use. Tip number 6 And if it's still proving to be a tricky one, there's the Australian National Botanical Gardens Herbarium. It's a wonderful resource jam packed full of information about almost every plant imaginable that just might help you identify what you're looking for. For a small fee you can even send them a sample. You'll find details and instructions on their website for the requirements for submitting a sample. In time you'll begin to recognise similarities in the foliage or flowers of plants within the same family. That same type of flower of anything in the daisy (Asteraceae) family, or the seed pods and cute little hooded flowers of anything in the pea/bean (Faberaceae) family. Perhaps you'll notice the aromatics of the foliage of any plant in the Lamiaceae family, which includes your Salvia's, Sages, mints and lavenders. Next time you're out for a walk or exploring, rub the leaves of a plant and see what it smells like, do you think there's a possibility it's in the pea/bean family or do you recognise the flower straight away and have a good idea that it's in the daisy family. Armed with these few ideas, you'll be identifying plants left right and centre, like an expert in no time. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday, happy gardening! 😘🌸🌼

Written and edited by Tammy 19th December 2023 There's nothing more frustrating than finding the mulch you've tediously spread around your garden beds flicked out all over the lawns and quite simply, everywhere it shouldn't be! The culprit.....Blackbirds. Trust me, they've made a mess of my yard too, the better part of a bag of Who Flung Dung is now spread all over my pavers instead of around the base of my fruit trees where I put it. Coconut fibre pot insert -If you've got plants in pots this will work for you too. you'll need........ A roll of coconut fibre. Sharp pair of scissors. Measuring tape. Roll the coconut fibre out flat on the ground, measure the dimesions of your container and mark them out on the coconut fibre. Cut a piece to fit and cover the entire top of your container. Measure the distance from the outer edge of your container to the centre where you plant is, then cut a slit to that point to create an opening to be able to place it around your plant. Obviously this wouldn't be practical for a large area. Other options you could try are.. Install a physical barrier . Jute twine laced between hardwood or bamboo cane stakes to create a weblike barrier. The idea being that the birds can't land and walk around without getting tangled. Bird netting. Pending on the size of your garden, install bird netting over a polypipe frame. Blackbird Deterrent . Strategically place rubber fake snakes throughout the garden, birds are always cautious of snakes. Fake larger predatory birds such as owls and magpies moved around regularly might just outsmart them. Cats and dogs. Their presence is often enough. My little Jack Russell terrier loves to run out and give chase when she sees them near my plants. I always praise her for scaring the birds away! Brightly coloured or shiny bird scarers. Solar or battery powered ultra sonic animal deterrents. For larger areas electric devices come in a range of sizes and prices according to their features. Motion sensors within the device detect movement activating the untra sonic deterrent. Try this company Pestrol in NSW https://www.pestrol.com.au/ they offer a range options. Prickle spikes also available through Pestrol are another simple solution. I don't think I'd like to tread on one of those either. Despite the frustration of blackbirds messing up my mulch, I'm not entirely against them. Waking in the mornings would not be the same without the familiar melody of these little songbirds. And what about the earwigs, bugs and grubs who sneak out from beneath the mulch under the cover of darkness to munch, crunch and decimate the strawberries and seedlings? Well that's exactly what the blackbirds are foraging for, their lunch. So in actual fact they are doing us a favour, chemical free pest control. There's reasons and solutions for everything, you've just got to find what's right for you. Happy Gardening!😘🐦

Written and edited by Tammy 29th November 2023 Growing plants in pots or containers is a fantastic alternative if you haven't got a lot of space or perhaps your soil conditions are less than ideal. Maybe you live in a rental property and there's no option to plant things in the ground, and additionally to that, you don't want to leave your plants behind when you go. Let's face it, gardening can be very rewarding but it's not a cheap hobby!! Either way, with so many beautiful pots and containers to choose from now days, you're only limited by your own imagination! You've heard of the concept 'Thrill, fill 'n' spill'? The idea is that within the pot or container you have a larger, tall feature plant, it's the 'icing on the cake'. The filler is exactly that, something or multiple things to fill in the rest of the pot surrounding or beside your feature plant, and finally the spiller is something cascading, spilling out over the edges and completing the look. Take a look at the wine barrel that's on my front veranda. The feature plant, (the thrill) is the standard Weeping Cherry tree. At the base of the weeping cherry, I've got some burgundy pansies and chrysanthemums for a pop of colour, these are my fillers that serve to fill in the container and make it look full. The spiller element would be the Lobelia that tends to overflow out over the edges of the wine barrel (when I'm not rimming it back). Tip #1 -Container selection Look around for a pot or container that inspires and 'calls' to you. When you find that right pot, you'll begin to envisage what will suit it. Think will it compliment the style of my existing garden? Perhaps you have a rustic inspired cottage garden, an old vintage laundry trough or cast iron bath-tub might look the part filled with herbs and a few cascading annuals. You could utilise a large upright hollow log, a bird bath, or almost anything you can get your hands on really. Tip #2 - Location location Where you plan to locate your pot will have a baring on the type of plants you can select. If it's to go in a shady spot that receives shade most of the time you'll need to choose shade loving plants. Tip #3 -Styling Consider groupings. You wouldn't place just one cushion on your bed or couch, you would have multiple in contrasting but complimentive colours shapes and sizes. A collection of three identical pots in three different sizes will have more impact than just one pot on its own. Perhaps a row of large rectangular or square planters along a fenceline in a pool area. Tip #4 -Drainage Drainage is cruicial. Without adequate drainage you could risk all your time and money going down the drain with your plants potentially drowing or suffering root rot. Particularly if you're seting up large pots or containers, make sure your pot is up on pot feet or even a plant caddy so it can drain freely. Tip #5 -Plant requirements Try to choose and plant together plants with similar water requirements. Planting succulents amongst ferns and shade loving plants will see the succulent potentially rot from too much water and similarly, a Helichrysum would quite possibly struggle with the little amount of water required for a planter of full sun succulent type plants. Tip #6 -Plant sizes & dimentions Take note of the suggested height and width on the description labels when selecting plants. Plant your tallest plant towards the back of your container, with your mid sized plants in the mid ground with your smallest ground cover type plants out towards the edges to be seen and not hidden by the taller selections. Tip #7 - Mix it up Whilst trying to keep plants with similar requirents together, still try to be a little adventurous. Play with contasting colours and textures of foliage. Mix it up a little. Have some tall slender dark green strappy foliage, something soft grey and feathey and then a splash of something bold and colourful. Tip #8 - Sometimes 'less is more' The old saying 'Sometimes less is more' has some credability. If it starts to become a little confusing or overwhelming to select the varieties of plants or how many to display in your collection just take a step back for a moment and remember the saying 'sometimes less is more'. Having too much for your eye to be drawn to can then sometimes loose it's wow factor. Simplicity is often the winner. There's still a few weeks left to go to jazz up things in the garden before the Christmas guests arrive. Why not find yourself a new pot or container, or maybe a few, and set yourself the challenge of creating a loving container garden. Happy gardening!😘🎄🌸

Written and edited by Tammy January 4th 2023 What exactly is mulching and why is it so important? Mulch itself is any organic material, hay, straw, leaf litter, compost, bark chips, and act of mulching is to spread a layer of any one of them over the ground to cover your soil for a multitude of reasons. The type of mulch that will be most suitable for you will be determined by the circumstances in which you want to use it. For new vegetable seedlings, use something like pea straw or sugarcane. These types of products are nice and light weight, quite chopped up and chaffy making them easy to pack in and around plants that are small and fragile. A denser product like bark chips would be ideal for around a large native garden, and for a more modern simplistic garden, you might like to use white marble chips or riverbed stones, that would stand out and contrast well against your plants making a real impact. Stones are also great for drainage as they catch water between gaps and help to prevent excessive run off. These are all perfectly suitable examples of mulch. If smothering out weeds is what you want to achieve, consider laying down a thick layer of newspaper or old cardboard. Not only will it suffocate and smother the weeds, but it will break down in time adding nutrition to the soil. Why should we mulch? Mulching prevents moisture loss and aids in retention. It acts as an insulation keeping the moisture in your soil longer, preventing it drying out. It's a fantastic source of nutrition for you soil critters, microbes and plants as it breaks down. It helps to supress and keep the weeds under control. Aesthetics- Not only is it purposeful but visually it can finish off the look of a garden design taking it from drab to fab! Mulching can also help prevent erosion by holding down the top layer of soil so it can't be carried away in strong winds or washed away in torrential down falls. Coincidentally my own garden has kept me busy this weekend, you guessed it...mulching! Bragging rights.... One of my favourite fruit trees I just have to share with you is my Dwarf Mulberry ( Morus Nigra). 7 years old now and over 7 foot tall, it's growing beautifully in a large terracotta pot. The fruit bearing ability of these trees is amazing, and so prolific, more often than not I have fruit on mine twice per season. As you can see above, I've added a good generous layer of Who Flung Dung around the base of my tree and I apply a fresh dressing of it every year in early Spring. Neutrogs' Who Flung Dung is a two in one mulch and fertiliser derived of Chicken manure and straw, making it high Nitrogen. It's Ideal for any high yielding cropping plants, fruit trees and roses. You'll find it available through most leading major outlets. Another great product I like to use throughout my yard each season before it warms up is Amgrow Wetta Soil (also pictured above). It helps dry sandy soils (common here in our local area) to absorb and retain moisture and has the added bonus of being enriched with seaweed extracts. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for rates on the label, a small amount goes a long way! Significance of Mulching Mulching really does play a vital role in our gardens by offering the advantages of retaining moisture, suppressing weeds, regulating soil temperature, and improving soil fertility. By adding mulching to your seasonal check list, you'll encourage healthier plants and maintain a sustainable garden. Happy gardening!😘🪴

Watch my short video to find out what to look out for and how to treat Pear and Cherry Slugs on your fruit trees. Yates Success Ultra Insect control should be available from most leading outlets and should be applied as per the rates and directions on the label. Yates 200mL Success Ultra Insect Control | Yates Gardening Australia

Written and edited by Tammy Dec 22 Scale are a small sap sucking insect that feed on the sugars of a plant. Like any other creature on our planet...'what goes in, must come out', in terms of scale secretion, you may hear it referred to as Honeydew'. like when you leave honey or jam on the kitchen bench...ants miraculously appear, the same thing happens when the plant is covered in sticky sweet honeydew, thus the ants will come marching! Not only can an infestation of scale look unsightly on your plant as the honeydew becomes covered in a sooty mould, but it can actually advance quickly to the point of making your plant very sick even potentially killing it left untreated. Be on the lookout for it on your indoor plants too, as scale isn't just a problem outside in the garden, unfortunately they are known to be a pest associated with indoor plants too. If the plant is small enough and the infestation is minor, as always, try to physically remove it before resorting to any chemical. The little black mounds will scrape off easily enough with your fingernail of a blunt object. If the infestation is larger or more advanced there are numerous products out there on the market, they're predominantly oil-based products that will successfully get it under control. They work by means of suffocation, with the oil coating the scales breathing pores. A few reputable products you can try are the Yates Scale Gun, comes in a 750ml RTU. For treating a larger infestation Yates also do a 500ml concentrate White Oil, or finally another one I like personally like is the Eco-Neem Oil, comes in a handy little 100ml concentrate that mixes up to 50Litres. You'll be able to find these products through most leading major outlets. Always follow and apply them as per the manufacturer's instructions and rates on the labels. I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas and enjoying time with family friends and loved ones. Happy Gardening!😘🪴