Hi gardeners,
Hope you are all keeping well. I’ve been gallivanting around the countryside. First stop was Hervey Bay, then northward to Bundaberg, Rockhampton and Yeppoon, before heading south again to Tin Can Bay and Rainbow Beach and then home. Of course, I checked out all the botanic gardens in the local areas. Hervey Bay has a beautiful orchid house and just out of town is Bamboo Land. As Molly Meldrum used to say, “do yourself a favour and go for a visit”, it is spectacular. Bundaberg boasts Bert Hinkler House set in the lovely Bundaberg Botanic Gardens. Rockhampton Botanic Gardens are not only massive and also include a small zoo. Lots of walking and so much fun.
LIME
I often write about pH in your soil and correcting the soil by using lime or Dolomite to sweeten it up or sulphur to bring down the pH. As you are probably aware the soil on Bribie Island is very sandy, therefore the soil needs to be sweetened. During my holidays I watched an interesting program on the Dudley Canal Trust in England - the history of lime. About 420 million years ago, tiny fossils took steps to create the earth. The Dudley Canals were completed in 1791, with lime and coal mined in the area.
Interesting fact if you have a fireplace. The ash from your fire contains calcium which has similar properties to agricultural lime. The ash also contains potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. All these nutrients help plant growth. Waste not want not!
EPSOM SALTS (Magnesium sulphate)
Although famous for the Epsom Derby horse race, Epsom was also the place where Epsom salts were discovered. One of my favourite chemical compounds to be used in the garden, especially in acidic conditions. This does come with a warning - only to be used when there is a magnesium deficiency. This can be seen by yellowing between the leaf veins and sometimes a reddish tint. Most nurseries carry magnesium sulphate. However, if you are buying from the supermarket, use it at a rate of two (2) teaspoons of Epsom salts to five (5) litres of water. Add a little bit of warm water to dissolve the crystals and then add the cold water.
WINTER WONDERS – SORREL, SPINACH, FENNEL AND THYME
SORREL
Sorrel is a great herb and is pleasant, lemony and astringent. It is particularly beneficial if you have acidic soil and a companion plant for thyme and strawberries. This self-seeding plant can be grown in the garden or a pot and likes to be kept on the moist side. The leaves have an acidic taste so bugs keep well away. It can be used in salads and soups. As spinach and spring onions are now available, here is a recipe for you to enjoy.
SORREL AND SPINACH SALAD
100g sorrel leaves
100g spinach leaves
6 spring onions
Lemon juice
Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
4 hardboiled eggs – cut into quarters lengthways.
Pick and wash sorrel and spinach, discarding the stems.
Shred or tear the leaves into small pieces.
Clean and chop spring onions.
Mix together in a bowl.
Mix 15ml (1 tablespoon) of vegetable oil and a little lemon juice, salt and pepper, pour over salad and mix with shelled hardboiled eggs.
Serve as a starter with bread and butter.
DRYING HERBS
Make sure you pick your herbs on a fine morning when the plants are dry. They are at their best just before they flower. Hang in bunches in a warm dry place, but do not hang in full sun. They need not be covered; however you can make bags of cheese cloth or CHUX to protect from flies and dust.
Seed heads like fennel should be picked when seeds are ripe and dried upside down. Shake off the seeds when completely dry and store in opaque jars, clearly labelled.
When your herb leaves are dry, rub or crush them lightly and store. It is important not to keep herbs in clear glass bottles or jars, as the flavour will deteriorate.
Flower heads can be dried in the same way. Pick at their peak when the scent is really heady. Hang upside down and when dry, gently rub the flowers from the stems.
Fennel is an attractive and showy plant putting up heads of flowers held on stems covered with feathery foliage. Traditionally used with fish, the leaves, stem and seeds can all be used for cooking. Fennel also plays a part in the nine-herbs charm:
Thyme and fennel, a pair great in power,
The Wise Lord, holy in heaven,
Wrought these herbs while he hung on the cross,
He placed and put them in the seven worlds to aid all, poor and rich.
My passion for plants came from a very special lady called Edna Walling, a horticulturalist and landscape designer. Edna Walling finished up living in Buderim, Queensland with a memorial garden dedicated to her. She is particularly famous for her thyme lawns and her use of thyme in her garden designs.
There are many varieties of thyme, which is a low-growing plant with pretty lilac and pink flowers. It likes a sunny position in the garden and has a delicious scent. It has been used for embalming and to fumigate clothes and rooms. Bees absolutely love it. Thyme is also a great herb to be used in cooking.
Happy Gardening,
Jill
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