Gardening Australia episode 7 2020: Sophie Thomson visits a eucalyptus oil farm, Costa Georgiadis reworks a banana circle, Tino Carnevale explores a home-grown arboretum, and we visit the home of an interior stylist whose indoor plant collection will amaze you.
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 7 2020
Hillside Harvest
Costa visits a home-grown slice of sustainability in the suburbs to help a gardener take back her banana circle from a brush turkey that has taken up residence.
Nita has created a garden overflowing with life and abundance – wicking beds, raised beds, worm farms, composting bays, an upcycled garden shed, recycled and reclaimed pots, swales, food forest, native bee hive and verge garden, complete with a Street Library.
And then there is the banana circle – basically a circular swale that clever gardeners like Nita use to turn their green waste, organic matter and water runoff into delicious bananas, pawpaw’s and other incredible edibles. Sure, at first glance it might just look like a hole in the ground, and essentially it is – little more than a well-planned circular ring of soil surrounding a pile of compost, but for hungry, fast-growing edibles like bananas and paw paws, this is almost the perfect way to grow.
FAQs – Variegation | Picking Chilli | Grevillea allergy
Gardening Australia presenters answer commonly asked gardening questions.
Keeping Cuttings Moist
Millie Ross demonstrates an easy way to keep your cuttings from drying out. As all good gardeners know, propagating your own plants from cuttings is a cheap and cheerful way to get your garden going. Millie is propagating some Helichrysum petiolare, commonly known as the licorice plant, a beaut little shrub for tough, shady spots where its’ silver foliage can really light up a dark spot.
While it is easy to strike from cuttings, Millie has found that there is a bit of a trick to it, and something that all gardeners should learn to increase their success rate.
Oils Ain’t Oils
Sophie visits a Eucalyptus oil distillery on Kangaroo island that is making sustainable oil from the local Narrow Leaf Mallee. Sophie visits a Eucalyptus oil distillery on Kangaroo island making oil from Eucalyptus cneorifolia, the local Narrow Leaf Mallee.
Eucalyptus oil is famous the world over for its pungent aroma and antiseptic qualities. This iconic Australian tree is thought to have evolved oily leaves as foil against animal attack. Kangaroo Island was a thriving eucalyptus oil manufacturing centre peaking in the 1930’s with 48 stills employing over 600 people. But all production fell by the wayside as land was cleared and farming sheep became more profitable in the 1950s.
Plant Profile – Gnaingar
We profile the stunning Gnaingar (Eucalyptus phoenicea) – a native from the top end, also known as the Scarlet Gum.
DIY Compost Sink
Josh builds a DIY sink station that washes his vegie garden harvest whilst stopping his compost from drying out.
As an avid produce gardener, Josh knows that all harvested homegrown edibles need a good wash, not just to remove soil, but also to get rid of any hitch-hiking critters and soil-borne pathogens before they end up on your plate! So, to make the most of the gardens most precious resource – water – Josh has designed a compost sink, a portable washing station that not only allows him to wash his vegies, but also wet his compost down at the same time.
Curry Tree Control
Jerry shares a tip for stopping a curry tree becoming a weed.
Jerry planted a curry leaf tree, Murraya koenigii, in his Brisbane garden some years ago for privacy, and it has more than done its job! They are also a staple in Jerrys kitchen to make authentic curries but, given its rapid rate of growth, is it a weed in Australia? A native of India, the curry leaf tree has the propensity to develop masses of seeds each year, which birds love eating. This leads to their distribution into bushland areas, which has seen them become an issue in tropical and subtropical areas of Australia.
Crawleighwood Arboretum
Tino visits two rare plant enthusiasts to discover how they turned a paddock into an eclectic collection of rare and wonderful plants.
Divide and Conquer
Jane Edmanson turns one plant into many with simple division. Jane shows us how to divide and conquer the tough and terrific New Zealand Rock Lily, Arthropodium cirratum. Easy to grow, evergreen, and perfect for dry shade, borders, mid-level structure and even pots, there is really only one thing better than a New Zealand Rock Lily – TWO New Zealand Rock Lilies!
Skink Shelters
Guest presenter Emmaline Bowman shows us how to welcome native skinks into the garden.
Controlling Spider Mite
Jerry shares some useful tips on controlling spider mite.
My Garden Path – Craig Miller-Randle
We visit the Melbourne home of an interior stylist and furniture designer who has a stunning indoor plant collection.
