Hi Gardeners,
I have just enjoyed two wonderful weeks holiday. I haven’t taken school holidays since my son went to school; he is now 38. The Shingle Inn, a lovely English style teahouse and restaurant was established in 1936. I took the grandkids into the City Hall, where the Shingle Inn is located and then a look around the MOB (Museum of Brisbane), also located at the City Hall, with great history and an art gallery.
I also managed to relax and watch one of my favourite TV programs - Antiques Roadshow. One particular episode was at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, featuring a botanical illustrator. For centuries, illustrators have produced drawings to help identify and understand plant life. Wouldn’t it be a great gift to yourself or a friend for you to sit relaxing and inspired in your garden, putting pencil to paper and drawing one of your favourite flowering plants?
LAVENDER
These lovely plants should be flowering in your garden at present. French lavender (Lavandula dentata) has a strong perfume growing to one metre with soft grey-green leaves and thick stems with compact mauve flowers, great for our Queensland conditions. Varieties for growing in terracotta pots are Lavandula augustifolia ‘Hidcote’, low growing to 50cm with beautiful deep violet blue flowers and a soft lavender perfume. Lavandula augustifolia ‘Munstead’ is semi-prostrate with blue violet flowers. Prune back by one-third after flowering and watch the watering with grey foliage plants as they hate wet feet. Remember, any plant with silver or grey leaves are heat and drought tolerant.
FRANGIPANI
Thinking about bringing a tropical feel to your garden, there is nothing more perfect than a frangipani tree. The frangipani will grow in any soil type, however adding some organic matter to sandy soil helps. These plants are drought tolerant and when first planted benefit with a feed of Seasol. They hate wet feet, so watering once a week during spring and summer is advised, leaving them to their own devices in winter.
KOALA FOOD TREES
The retention or improvement of habitat is important for the present and future conservation of many species of wildlife, especially Koalas.
The Koala is strictly a leaf or foliage feeder, utilising a large number of Eucalyptus as well as other species. Koalas have strong regional preferences for certain Eucalypt species and in a particular district will feed almost entirely on one or two species. One of the most important food trees in Queensland is the Blue Gum, Eucalyptus tereticornis.
Koala food trees should be selected for soil type and landform involved. These trees will also provide other benefits such as protection from erosion and nesting sites for insect eating birds. As most of these trees grow between 20 to 45 metres, a large plot of land is advisable. Suggested trees: scribbly gum, brush box, narrow leaved red gum, tallowwood, narrow leaved ironbark, grey ironbark, swamp mahogany and red stringybark.
GUESSWORK
Soil needs conditioning and plants need food. Plants depend on the correct pH; therefore we need to balance our garden levels of nitrogen, phosphorous and potash. You should test the soil to make sure the correct amount of lime and fertiliser are applied. It is important to test your soil not just year-to-year, but season-to-season. In spring before sowing and then again in autumn. You will then have healthy lawns, vegetables, fruit, flowers and shrubs.
A pH test is easy to use, with the test showing whether the soil is acid or alkaline.
Our soil is not naturally rich and we can spend years building up layers of organic matter, ensuring the garden has the right texture. Whether you are starting a new garden or improving an established garden, we need to look at our soil.
Soil has three types: sand, loam and clay.
Our soil here on Bribie Island is sandy, therefore moisture drains away quickly, either after rain or watering by hand. We can help to correct this by adding compost and manure to help with water holding soil.
Loam soil needs little to no work, you just need to add some nutrients.
Clay soils are hard to work. It takes ages for the water to drain away, therefore you need to add compost, manure and washed sand. Adding Gypsum is also another way of improving the soil by allowing more air to penetrate.
So do yourself a favour and purchase a pH test kit. Alternatively, some nurseries will test your soil and advise on how to improve it.
SUMMER GARDEN MAINTENANCE
We are in for a very dry hot summer and with no rain, we may end up on water restrictions. After spending all that time, energy and money on your beautiful gardens and lawns, don’t lose them now. Water crystals, wetting agents and mulch are going to be your best friends during this time. If spreading sugar cane mulch on the garden run your hose through the bale, then it will go onto the garden moist and not blow away if the day is windy. One mulch to try is ‘Who Flung Dung’, which helps add beneficial microbes to your garden.
Make sure all your tall plants are staked and that the ties do not cut into the plants.
Happy Gardening!
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