Gardening Australia episode 21 2021: Costa Georgiadis learns how to make a kokedama, Sophie Thomson visits a flower farm in the Adelaide Hills, Jane Edmanson shows us around her own courtyard garden and Millie Ross makes a portable potting bench.
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 21 2021
No Drama Kokedama
Costa catches up with an inner-city garden guru, Tammy Huynh, to learn how the ancient art of kokedama can create a dynamic display of indoor plants. Today, Costa is taking a lesson from a professional horticulturist who’s mastered both the art of kokedama and giving beginner gardeners the confidence to level up their tricks and tools. Tammy Huynh teaches workshops on gardening outdoors and indoors, including really easy ways for anyone to get started with plants. Her favourite is kokedamas.
Kokedama (meaning “moss ball”) is a style of bonsai that “originates from Japan, and it involves binding a plant in moss and twine, transforming plants into mini works of art.” They are particularly good alternatives to pots for indoor and tropical plants.
FAQS – Waratahs | Ripe lemons | Composting hair
Gardening Australia presenters answer frequently asked gardening questions.
Bloomin’ Natives – Gardening Australia episode 21 2021
Sophie visits a spectacular flower farm in the Adelaide Hills, who specialise in growing Australian native cut flowers. The Adelaide Hills are picturesque at the best of times, but when you find yourself at a local flower farm, the views are to die for! But this farm isn’t just for looks. This is a working flower farm, which means everything blooming and beautiful is destined to be picked and shipped.
Ange’s 29-acre farm is planted for the business. She’s been growing flowers here with husband Des for the past 19 years. Before that, they were a potato farmers in the Mallee. “We bought a potato farm in the Mallee at Parilla included 60 trial acres of Geraldton wax, so I learnt about harvesting and exporting flowers. We soon discovered that we loved growing flowers and not potatoes, so we decided to move closer to Adelaide to farm flowers!”
The farm has about 100 species flowering plants. Two thirds of the space is currently African species (protea family) and the other third, Australia species.
Bugs off Brassicas – Gardening Australia episode 21 2021
Tino shares some tips for keeping bugs off your brassicas. With the ground warming as spring approaches, Tino has a few jobs to get everything in order, ready for a busy spring.
Tino says the secret to the stunning good looks of the sprouting broccoli at The Patch is the soil. He adds quite a bit of compost and a good amount of cow manure. Brassicas are very hungry plants, so he applies a good bit of lime prior to planting and then pelletised chicken manure after planting, and waters with fish emulsion every fortnight.
Spring also heralds the onset of pests, that aren’t active over the cooler months.
Home is Where the Heart Is
Jane shows us around her own courtyard garden and shares her tips for creating a personal, functional, and beautiful space.
For many of us, inner-city living has seen the once sprawling backyard, shrink considerably. Whether it be a patio, balcony, front yard or courtyard, small spaces can be just as functional, practical and beautiful as any bigger block. Jane’s rear courtyard in a leafy Melbourne suburb, is testament to this, and all it takes is some planning, patience….and a little persistence. Jane gives us some tips and hints on how to turn a small space into an urban oasis.
