Gardening Australia episode 18 2020: Millie Ross visits a community growing plants for koalas, Sophie Thomson explores a heath land hideaway, Jerry Coleby-Williams shares his favourite protein packed plants and Costa Georgiadis gives old garden tools new life.
Gardening Australia has always provided practical, trustworthy and credible gardening advice to inspire and entertain. Inspiring, entertaining and full of practical advice, join Costa Georgiadis and the team as they unearth gardening ideas, meet avid gardeners and look at some of the most inspiring gardens from across the country.
Gardening Australia episode 18 2020
Winter Flowering Wittunga
Sophie visits Wittunga Botanic Gardens to explore their diverse collections of winter flowering heath-land plants. Sophie visits Wittunga Botanic Gardens, half an hour south of Adelaide, to explore the collections of water-wise plants that thrive in the harsh South Australian climate.
The 13-hectares were originally a private formal English-style garden, but after a fire in the 1930s, it was redesigned with Australian and South African water-wise plants. The garden was bequeathed to the state and turned into a botanic garden in 1975. Horticultural supervisor Mark Oborn says the team at the garden aims to show the subtle differences and similarities between plants from Australia and South Africa, which were originally joined as part of the Gondwana super-continent.
One area is planted to resemble the South African Fynbos – the diverse heath-lands in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces. The soil is poor and the summers are hot and dry with almost no rainfall, but a range of tough heath-land species has evolved to cope with the conditions. This includes many Erica species.
FAQs – Plant species | Un-pruned roses | Winter leaf loss
Gardening Australia presenters answer commonly asked gardening questions.
Rewarding Repairs
Costa visits a repair café in inner city Sydney to learn how to give his old garden tools a new life.
Shade Wars – Growing veggies in semi-shade
Tino is at The Patch proving that a shady garden is no hindrance to growing some of your favourite fruit and veg. A garden that receives between 6-8 hours of sun a day is perfect for growing fruiting favourites, but many smaller gardens don’t have this. An area that has sunlight on an off through the day, or persistent filtered light, will still allow you to grow some food plants.
The Great Indoors – Over watered plants
Jane shows you had to identify over-watered plants and then gives tips on how to salvage them. Confusingly, signs of over-watering can look quite similar to symptoms of under-watering. They include brown spots on the leaves, general wilting, mushy stems.
Koala Corridor
Millie visits a small coastal community who are working to protect their population of koalas, and the trees that they rely on. The tiny coastal town of Sandy Point on the south Gippsland Coast, is renowned for its sheltered inlet bay and great surf, but it is also renowned for its community of koalas!
The healthy local koala population is partly due to the hard work of local nurseryman, Rob O’Sullivan. In the early 1980s, the population grew too big for the small number of trees left in the area. Trees were getting eaten out because land clearing had reduced both the number of trees available and the habitat corridors that allowed koalas to move to other areas.
The Sandy Point Koala Action Group, co-ordinated by Caitlin Pilkington was formed. They have been working to restore and protect habitat.
The habitat area was mapped and assessed, as well as the health and numbers of the koala population. This informed an on-ground re-vegetation plan to shore up vegetation and replant food species, both for the koalas and other wildlife.
Mallees for the Home Garden
Josh explores Perth’s Kings Park to discover some of mallee eucalypt species that are perfect for home gardens.
DIY Rodent-free Chook Feeder
Guest Presenter Hannah Moloney makes a clever rodent free chicken feeder.
Protein Packed Produce
Jerry shows us a few of his favourite crops that punch above their weight class in the protein stakes.
My Garden Path – Matt Hansen
We meet a group of Dubbo fishers who are revitalising their local riverbank to improve the health of the waterway.