Gardening Australia episode 38 2020: Jane Edmanson gives a fertiliser masterclass, Jerry Coleby-Williams shares seed saving advice, Josh Byrne finds a superb verge garden, Costa Georgiadis visits a nursery growing opportunities for people of all abilities.
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 38 2020
Secret Garden
For International Day of People with Disability, Costa visits a community hub growing plants and opportunities for people of all abilities to connect. Costa visits a community hub growing plants and opportunities for people of all abilities to connect. Costa is at the University of Western Sydney’s Hawkesbury campus, which is home to the Secret Garden – a not-for-profit garden and nursery across 15 acres.
Secret Garden is also a hub for the local community and run by North West Disability Services. Nursery Manager Marianne Farrar says their aim is to “provide skills, fun and learning activities for people of all abilities. From horticultural therapy programs right through to the kitchen and café, and the candle making and Mate’s Shed – there’s just so much for people to choose from. It’s a really special place and I just love seeing the smiles on everybody’s faces that come here, they just gain so much.”
The garden has been thoughtfully designed to be accessible to all, from the hard, flat paths to raised garden beds. The garden is self-funded, so the nursery sales are vital to continued success.
FAQs – Stopping blackbirds | Leaves on bulbs | Proteas
Tino shares a tip to stop blackbirds digging up seedlings, Sophie explains when to cut leaves off bulbs, and Clarence explores planting proteas with natives.
Fertiliser 101
Jane clears up fertiliser confusion with a masterclass on feeding your garden the right diet. We all need food to stay happy and healthy, and plants are no different! They rely on us to provide most of the nutrients they need but selecting the right fertiliser from so many products available can be overwhelming.
Soil conditioners are necessary to improve soil quality including water holding capacity, compaction and to alter pH. They are things like compost, manures, worm poo, and liquid seaweed.
Fertilisers are different as they deliver essential nutrients to the plants. They will always have a breakdown of NPK content – that is Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium, key elements most plants require to survive and thrive.
The Great Indoors – Plant Styling
Guest presenter Craig Miller-Randle shares his styling secrets to make your indoor plants into works of art! As a furniture and homewares designer, Craig uses shape, texture, and colour to make a place look and feel a certain way, and you can apply the same principles to plant styling.
Craig’s plants are all growing in lightweight plastic pots so that he can give them “great drainage, customise their potting media and change their look anytime I like.” Planting directly into heavier decorative pots makes it harder to move them around and you’re stuck with one look.
Grouping plants in odd numbers creates a balanced effect that makes it more pleasing to the eye. You can also use the ‘pyramid principle’ to group plants – imagine a triangular shape and put tall plants at the back and smaller plants to the side and front to create height and depth. Another way to group plants is by colour, such as those with tones of purple, to create cohesion among plants with different leaf shapes and textures.
Plant Profile – Basil – Gardening Australia episode 38 2020
Sophie discovers a range of sensational basil varieties for every taste and space.
Advanced Seed Saving
Jerry takes seed saving to the next level with tips to create your own hybrid vegies. On his average-sized Brisbane block, on Yuggera Country, Jerry never has fewer than 100 different plants to eat, and much of that variety is due to his habit of saving seed for future harvests. He shares some tips for ramping up your seed-saving techniques at home.
Simply save seed from the healthiest plants in your garden, and eat the rest. This speeds up the natural selection that happens in the wild – where the healthiest plants are the dominant breeders.
In his garden Jerry has done this with Mitsuba (Cryptotaenia japonica), a type of Japanese parsley. At first it struggled to survive in his garden but finally he found a position it liked and started saving seed from the strongest plants. After 5 years he has a crop that survives all year round and is suited to the subtropics and Jerry’s soil.
Preserving the Prom
Millie meets a team working to restore and protect the unique vegetation of Victoria’s iconic Wilson’s Promontory.
Waterwise Verge – Gardening Australia episode 38 2020
Josh visits an urban verge transformed into a flourishing and drought tolerant native garden.
My Garden Path – Ada Hodgson
We meet jewellery designer Ada Hodgson who creates delightful pieces inspired by her own garden.