Gardening Australia 2024 Episode 29
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00Woo-hoo!
00:02CHIRPING
00:06Hey! Hi!
00:10GIGGLES
00:12Ooh!
00:16GIGGLES
00:20Hey, buddy!
00:22Yay!
00:24CHIRPING
00:27Ah!
00:30CHIRPING
00:34Hello, and welcome to Gardening Australia.
00:36I don't know about you,
00:38but spending time in the garden
00:40is essential to my mental health.
00:42Getting outside
00:44with my hands in the soil
00:46really grounds me.
00:48Now, this week is Mental Health Week,
00:50and later in the show,
00:52I'm catching up with a psychiatrist
00:54who's researching the connection
00:56between nature and our brains.
00:58It's fascinating stuff.
01:00But there's plenty of other goodies
01:02to inspire you this week.
01:04Here's what's in store.
01:06CHIME
01:08We all love flowers.
01:10They're great for us, but they're also great
01:12for all those wild visitors who come to our gardens.
01:14And I'm going to show you how you can serve
01:16a buffet of blooms all year long.
01:18CHIME
01:20Have you ever imagined what you'd grow
01:22if you lived in a tropical rainforest?
01:24I'm visiting a gardener in far north Queensland
01:26to see the garden of your dreams.
01:28Molly, I love how your garden
01:30is just dripping with plants.
01:32CHIME
01:34And we meet a plant breeder creating
01:36the most stunning flowers you've ever seen.
01:38CHIME
01:44Carving out space for the natural world
01:46in our cities isn't easy.
01:48But when we do, the results
01:50are so worth it.
01:52Not only do we invite biodiversity
01:54back into the places where we live and work,
01:56it's also an opportunity
01:58to build friendships and
02:00connection in the local community.
02:02Jane's found a project
02:04in Melbourne that's doing
02:06just that.
02:08CHIME
02:16Melbourne is famous for its laneways,
02:18but they're not just
02:20confined to the CBD.
02:22Just over
02:2410 kilometres away in the
02:26southeastern municipality of Glenira,
02:28the locals are busy
02:30transforming barren, disused
02:32spaces into thriving
02:34gardens and art galleries.
02:36And it all started
02:38in this laneway by two women.
02:40Ex-local cafe owner
02:42Rita Santucci and
02:44nearby neighbour Kirsten Brooks.
02:48So this is Lazar's Lane
02:50and it's the first of
02:52the laneway series of the Carnegie
02:54laneways through Carnegie and Glen Huntly.
02:56It was just a derelict
02:58space that's been beautified
03:00and it's just turned into this multifaceted
03:02space. It's a
03:04place of connection
03:06and community connection. I can
03:08just walk down here and have a chat to
03:10someone, do a bit of gardening
03:12and there's always someone coming past,
03:14walking their dogs or children going to school.
03:16It's a meeting place
03:18which is just what community
03:20is all about. So who
03:22is Laz? Who was
03:24Laz? Exactly, so Laz was one
03:26of our neighbours and when we were
03:28developing this he became ill
03:30and he passed away. So I think
03:32as part of the process of
03:34grieving we thought it was really important
03:36to have a memory of him.
03:38He was super kind, he helped all of the neighbours.
03:40Everything you'd want in a good neighbour
03:42and part of a community, that was Laz.
03:44So how did you go about transforming
03:46this area? Well talking
03:48to neighbours and met Kirsten
03:50and I said I'd like to
03:52make it look pretty.
03:54What did you do first? I just put down
03:56some compost and some mulch
03:58and then found some plants
04:00and it started from there.
04:02Starting very small we
04:04thought let's see how it goes, let's invite
04:06other people who live around to drop their
04:08plants and their propagations in.
04:10This is a no water zone
04:12and some things have worked and some things
04:14haven't but it has been very much about
04:16getting people in the community to
04:18put in a little bit of themselves
04:20into a garden that we can all share.
04:24And tell me about the artwork
04:26because you're really responsible for the
04:28ceramics and all of that sort of stuff.
04:30Yes, I'm a ceramic artist
04:32and I make garden art and
04:34I said I'll make the signage for
04:36Laz's Lane and that's where it first started
04:38and I've made signs
04:40for the other laneways as well.
04:42Are you responsible for the paintings
04:44of Alice in Wonderland or the
04:46Modigliani paintings? No, not the paintings.
04:48So who does that? We source
04:50big blue board sheets and
04:52we cut them down and prep them
04:54for members of the public to take home.
04:56So they paint them at their leisure
04:58and then they bring them back. Wonderful.
05:04So what do you think Laz would make of
05:06this place now? I think Laz would
05:08be absolutely delighted that
05:10his neighbours have continued
05:12his work
05:14in being kind and friendly and
05:16welcoming to the area and that
05:18we've enjoyed each other's company. He was
05:20about people, he was about community,
05:22he was about kindness and
05:24that's what this embodies.
05:28This isn't the only laneway in the
05:30community. Just under two
05:32kilometres away is Bird Lane.
05:34The 200 metre
05:36long lush habitat garden
05:38is one of seven in the area
05:40with more in development.
05:42Bird Lane is
05:44a different scenario. It's a blue stone
05:46drain. All of the properties
05:48on the side run their storm water
05:50into it and it was just
05:52full of rubbish, debris,
05:54waterlogged even because the channel
05:56didn't flow.
05:58Volunteer Tanya Spraver
06:00Neyman, with a background in
06:02sustainable design, has
06:04thrown herself into urban ecology.
06:08I've sort of come into this as a
06:10citizen scientist really and trying to
06:12learn about how we can enhance
06:14habitat and make things
06:16better for our struggling wildlife.
06:18So I've been growing indigenous plants
06:20myself in my own home garden
06:22and also propagating a lot of plants.
06:24So once I get them growing, you can take seeds,
06:26you can take cutting propagation material
06:28and it's sort of coincided quite nicely
06:30with getting excited about
06:32the potential of the lane and
06:34having some plants ready to be able
06:36to come and plant here.
06:40You've got three
06:42plants that are really important for this
06:44little area that you're planting in. What
06:46are they? Yeah, absolutely. So we have
06:48Microlinus dipoides, a common name is
06:50weeping grass. I can see why it's
06:52weeping grass. Yeah, it's got the gorgeous seed head
06:54on it there. So that's the one that's often
06:56suggested as an indigenous lawn
06:58grass, which can be mowed, but
07:00it is a fabulous plant for
07:02invertebrates, for a larval host
07:04plant. Common brown butterflies, for example,
07:06love laying their eggs on this and
07:08we want as much of it as we
07:10can in the local environment. Get the sun and they'll all come in
07:12here. Yeah. This is Wallenbergia,
07:14which is the native
07:16bluebell, and that's just a gorgeous
07:18plant. Also a really important larval
07:20host plant. Also pollinators, because we've
07:22seen tiny little wasps actually going
07:24for the flowers on these, which is amazing.
07:26And beautiful little blue flowers too, they're gorgeous.
07:28And this one is a lovely one,
07:30such commonly grown, but beautiful.
07:32Yeah, so the native violets, just a
07:34gorgeous ground cover, will do
07:36really well here because it's very moist.
07:38It's actually a drain. So that's going to
07:40take off, isn't it? That should really take off in these
07:42areas where the water's coming out from
07:44people's houses. How did you find
07:46planting in amongst the bluestone though?
07:48That's difficult. Yeah, well we're quite
07:50lucky here because we have
07:52unusually, I think for these types of lands,
07:54quite a large culvert, garden bed on the
07:56side, so weeding the
07:58bluestones has been quite challenging.
08:00A lot of drain sedge, which is a
08:02common weed, but really likes damp areas.
08:04Heaps of drain sedge in between
08:06the crux of the bluestone. That's a big
08:08project. It is. How many people
08:10have you got involved in this side of things?
08:12Most working bees, we've had roughly
08:1415 people. Very good.
08:16We certainly would welcome as many
08:18as wanted to come. It's great that people are so
08:20interested in what you're doing
08:22though, in a funny old lane way.
08:24It's wonderful. Yeah, absolutely.
08:26Long
08:28time working bee volunteer
08:30Chun Hin Ng
08:32loves the lane way so much
08:34he made sure his family has
08:36direct access to it from their
08:38backyard.
08:40We moved in a few years ago
08:42and then shortly after, maybe
08:44a year or two, we found out about this
08:46lane way. Someone actually knocked on our door and was like
08:48do you want to come join us? So that was, I think
08:50one of the first working bees and
08:52we were just like, this is an amazing space.
08:54Ben's was already slightly going and we were just like
08:56we've just got to put in something here with a gate.
08:58We have quite a small courtyard
09:00so having access
09:02to this lets my inner gardener come out
09:04and actually plant things into the ground
09:06so that's amazing. But there's also like a
09:08veggie patch that the kids can help throw stuff
09:10in and just having them exposed
09:12to that and being able to play in it as well.
09:14Also the
09:16wildlife, the insect life that comes around
09:18seeing the birds flit in and out, it's
09:20just really livened up all that connection to wildlife
09:22which you don't often get
09:24living in small units and dense places
09:26like this.
09:28It's incredible seeing these community
09:30led transformations of public
09:32places. They not only
09:34green an area, but
09:36bring people together.
09:38This is about anybody
09:40in the space being able to join in.
09:42There's no committee, there's no
09:44must be, must have.
09:46It's really very freelance
09:48so we never know really where it's going to
09:50end. So it's the beauty of the
09:52environment, but very much
09:54about the community.
09:56In the second half of the show
09:58we'll find out how this community
10:00enthusiasm has spread
10:02beyond the laneways.
10:04Keep up the great work. Those weeds
10:06don't give up do they?
10:12How should garlic be stored?
10:14One of my favourite ways
10:16is to plait and hang garlic up.
10:18You do this when the plant is still
10:20green, because once dry
10:22it's crunchy and it'll snap.
10:24But you can also store them in timber
10:26or cardboard boxes, or
10:28even an old pillowcase.
10:30And if you're feeling particularly crafty, you can make some
10:32garlic bunting.
10:34Whichever way you choose, the key things
10:36remember, are to cut off most of the roots,
10:38brush off the excess dirt
10:40but don't wash them, and then store
10:42them out of direct sunlight with plenty
10:44of good ventilation.
10:46What are trace elements?
10:48You'll often see trace elements sold as
10:50standalone products, or advertised
10:52on the labels of potting mix
10:54or fertiliser.
10:56It refers to a range of micronutrients
10:58that plants need to thrive,
11:00but only in very small
11:02amounts. The exact
11:04elements can differ, but things like
11:06zinc, manganese, magnesium,
11:08sulphur, iron,
11:10boron and copper
11:12often get grouped together under the name
11:14of trace elements, because
11:16plants need small amounts of all
11:18of them. How long does it
11:20take a bottle tree to develop a bottle
11:22shaped trunk?
11:24If you've purchased a young Queensland
11:26bottle tree, don't be disappointed
11:28if the bottle shape takes around five
11:30to eight years to develop.
11:32You can, however, speed things
11:34along by ensuring it's well watered
11:36and that the bark doesn't get damaged
11:38by mowers or cutters.
11:40The bottle tree also doesn't
11:42like mulch piling up around its base.
11:44The shape is called a
11:46pachycle, which is where a plant has
11:48a disproportionately large trunk
11:50compared to its height.
11:52This is an adaptation for storing
11:54water to survive droughts.
12:00Meet my
12:02strangler army, Ficus
12:04henniana, fruit
12:06and seedlings. In the wild,
12:08birds feed on the fruit,
12:10they leave the seed in the branches
12:12of trees and they develop into
12:14strangler figs. The roots grow down,
12:16envelop the host tree
12:18and kill it.
12:20I use that natural method
12:22to get rid of established
12:24weed trees, things like camphor
12:26laurels. I'm going to show you
12:28how to do it using my pandanus
12:30for display purposes
12:32only. Firstly, you can
12:34use the fruit and
12:36squeeze them somewhere where they
12:38will lodge. Just
12:40inside here is a perfect
12:42position to squeeze in the
12:44seed and with
12:46time and a bit of rain, that will develop
12:48into a fig. If you don't want
12:50to do that, then you can use one of these
12:52seedlings. You can see
12:54this is producing its first strangler
12:56root. Look for somewhere
12:58like a hollow
13:00and here you can see
13:02water has been draining down. From that
13:04position up there, a perfect place
13:06to plant your strangler fig.
13:08Of course, this isn't instant
13:10but it is a chemical
13:12free way of replacing an
13:14invasive bushland weed
13:16with something productive and native.
13:18That's a lovely way to work.
13:36Every week for the last
13:3835 years, we've met
13:40people on the show who tell
13:42us the impact they feel
13:44nature and gardening has
13:46on their lives and
13:48their sense of how they fit in
13:50the world.
13:52On me,
13:54you can see a
13:56tree that's been cut
13:58and a tree that's been cut
14:00and a tree that's been cut
14:02and a tree that's been cut
14:04I'm meeting
14:06with a prominent psychotherapist
14:08and psychiatrist
14:10whose work proves that what
14:12we feel intuitively about
14:14nature is backed up
14:16by neuroscience.
14:18So you've come
14:20all the way to Australia to talk
14:22to us about your research
14:24and for so many of us at
14:26home, we already
14:28know about how we feel in nature
14:30but your research is backing this
14:32up. It is, yeah,
14:34very much backing it up
14:36and more than that, I think
14:38I endeavoured to bring
14:40different kinds of research together
14:42so looking at the many different
14:44levels on which nature
14:46and gardens can really
14:48influence our health and our well-being
14:50both mental and physical.
14:52Gardening is a caring relationship
14:54fundamentally and
14:56that's what interested me, particularly
14:58as a psychiatrist and psychotherapist
15:00was looking at what
15:02that experience of attaching to
15:04a place, attaching to plants,
15:06attaching to trees, really means
15:08for people and how stabilising
15:10that can be. What does
15:12being in the garden do for
15:14your brain? Quite
15:16a lot of different things. If we start
15:18with the, let's say
15:20the most immediate effect
15:22when we enter into a green space
15:24like this, this wonderful
15:26beautiful fern gully, within
15:2830 seconds our heart rate
15:30and our blood pressure has
15:32eased a little, it's lowered a little
15:34so that's a very
15:36quick result.
15:38After about 30 minutes
15:40the levels of our stress hormone cortisol
15:42they will be
15:44also decreasing to a much more
15:46healthier level.
15:52What is it
15:54about the beauty of flowers
15:56and their impact on us?
15:58Well I think that's an essential
16:00ingredient of how gardens
16:02influence us.
16:04We get a concentrated dose
16:06of beauty in gardens, particularly at certain
16:08times of year when we have
16:10a beautiful experience
16:12it's the deep emotional centres in
16:14our brain that are activated
16:16and they're activated in a
16:18way that's very similar to romantic love.
16:20This is
16:22bound up with release of
16:24our endorphins
16:26dopamine, which is
16:28energising, motivating and also
16:30serotonin, our sort of background
16:32feel-good neurotransmitter.
16:34So beauty is
16:36I think a form of nourishment
16:38and I think it's
16:40underestimated actually, the power of that
16:42we don't realise it
16:44unless we're deprived of beauty
16:46I think.
16:50What most people don't realise
16:52is that our care system
16:54in the brain is bound up
16:56with our endorphin system
16:58and actually a garden is a cared for space
17:00so we get a little
17:02release of our
17:04natural opioids when we're
17:06engaged in these small
17:08acts of nurture and care
17:10because of course that brings with it
17:12a sense of calm
17:14a little bit of a mood boost
17:16and a sense of sort of wanting to go
17:18back and do more.
17:20But it's not just about that
17:22positive sharing, it's also those
17:24other actions of
17:26getting into the garden and
17:28removing and hacking and
17:30digging in and chopping.
17:32I call that destructiveness in the
17:34service of growth.
17:36Bringing in the big guns.
17:38Alright. Because I think it's very liberating
17:40you know sometimes we really need to
17:42let off some negative energy
17:44and in the garden
17:46you can get out those secateurs
17:48you can dig the earth
17:50you can rip up the weeds
17:52cut back the brambles.
17:54It's a perfectly good way
17:56a productive way of being
17:58destructive. Is gardening
18:00part of your personal life?
18:02Yes it is, that probably doesn't surprise
18:04you. I married my husband
18:06Tom when I was in my mid-twenties
18:08he was already a passionate gardener
18:10he was setting out on his career as
18:12a landscape designer and we
18:14started making a garden together.
18:16The garden is in Hertfordshire
18:18about 40 kilometres from
18:20London and after decades
18:22of work it's grown
18:24to be known in garden and landscape
18:26design circles all around
18:28the world. Sue and her
18:30husband are also in the process
18:32of building a nearby plant
18:34library and community space
18:36designed to bring people
18:38together through gardening.
18:40I
18:42think gardening can be a very good
18:44way of connecting people.
18:46There's quite a bit of research on
18:48outcomes in things like urban farms
18:50and community gardens and it's
18:52the social element, it's the sharing of
18:54food, the sharing of the joy and
18:56beauty and so on.
18:58Where's my red flower?
19:00Let's go find your red flower. Is it over by
19:02the fence over there Carly? Yes.
19:04This is what brings people together
19:06and people
19:08just do connect with each other
19:10better, they tend to be a bit more generous
19:12and open within natural
19:14settings and it's been shown
19:16in a whole series of different
19:18kinds of experiments.
19:20There's so many people doing good
19:22things out in communities
19:24in this broader space.
19:26How important is
19:28your research
19:30when it comes to bringing
19:32all of this together?
19:34Generally, across the world
19:36levels of anxiety and depression
19:38have been increasing. We've seen
19:40growing levels of disconnection from
19:42nature alongside this.
19:44There's not a linear
19:46relationship between them but they're not
19:48unconnected. The way I see it
19:50is that it all arises
19:52through a neglect of
19:54what people need to
19:56thrive as well as neglecting
19:58what the planet needs to thrive.
20:00So, you know, we are part of
20:02nature. That shouldn't
20:04surprise us. Yeah, we are
20:06nature, aren't we?
20:10I think
20:14the science is
20:16important. It's only part
20:18of the story.
20:20I hope what will convince
20:22our planners,
20:24you know, our departments
20:26of health and so on, without this
20:28quantitative evidence,
20:30it's not going to be taken seriously.
20:32You know, why we need gardens in hospitals
20:34for example. There's some great
20:36research showing people are
20:38discharged from hospital sometimes a day
20:40sooner than they would have been. They need
20:42less pain relief. If they
20:44have a view of a garden
20:46or trees or have plants around
20:48them. So we need this
20:50hard data. It's not the whole
20:52story. And I think
20:54also people's personal stories are very
20:56important in that. People's life journeys.
21:02There's many different
21:04ways that gardening has helped them.
21:06You know, we love stories. We love
21:08narrative. They often are what move us.
21:10So I think the science is only part of it.
21:12And that's exactly
21:14what we are as a show.
21:16We're collating these stories
21:18of our viewers and
21:20we all relate to
21:22what you're talking about. It's been
21:24such a joy to hear
21:26what you're doing and to know that
21:28you're working on our side.
21:30Sure am.
21:32Thanks so much. It's been a
21:34huge pleasure, Costa.
21:52As gardeners, we're so often
21:54drawn to particular plant species
21:56or even a particular
21:58garden style. But when it comes to
22:00habitat, it doesn't matter what
22:02sort of garden you have.
22:04Your place is part of that bigger picture
22:06that provides for all of those wild visitors.
22:10To ensure you have a diverse offering,
22:12it's best to include a diverse
22:14range of plants.
22:16For general habitat, the habit of a plant
22:18really counts.
22:20Some animals need shelter, like a
22:22prickly shrub. Others
22:24like a bare branch to perch on.
22:26Others still
22:28need grass to lay their eggs on
22:30or to use as a nesting material.
22:32But you can
22:34also provide fantastic diversity
22:36in bloom.
22:38Having a diversity of flowers
22:40in the garden is great for the gardener.
22:42They're beautiful. But they also provide
22:44nectar and pollen for so many
22:46animal species. Birds
22:48and insects, of course that's obvious.
22:50But many reptile,
22:52marsupial and even mammal
22:54species will also use them.
22:56And while it's easy to have a buffet
22:58of flowers and blooms for the wildlife
23:00in those main flowering seasons,
23:02to do it all year round takes
23:04a little bit of planting and planting.
23:08I'm not going to give you a botany lesson,
23:10but I would encourage you to check these
23:12off your list.
23:18Tubular flowers are always
23:20such a hit with honey-eating birds
23:22because they're literally designed to stick a beak
23:24down to get that nectar.
23:26And honeybees, of course,
23:28are a wonderful example.
23:30But even things like corriers and some
23:32climbers will provide a great
23:34feeder nectar for the birds.
23:42Pea flowers are an absolute
23:44powerhouse for so many insect
23:46species. Lots of native bees love
23:48them. There are so many
23:50peas to choose from, from beautiful
23:52ephemeral things to, of course,
23:54shrubs, but it's always worth
23:56including some in the garden.
24:04Planting open flowers
24:06is like setting an open table
24:08to welcome insect visitors into
24:10the garden. Daisies are
24:12an obvious choice, with that
24:14simple centre being comprised
24:16of lots of tiny individual
24:18flowers. They're an absolute
24:20magnet for insects.
24:22But you can also include things like
24:24leptospermum, guinea flowers.
24:26There are stacks to choose from.
24:34The power of
24:36puffy flower forms should never
24:38be underestimated, and they're those wonderful
24:40brush-shaped flowers and things like
24:42bottle brush, grevilleas,
24:44and banksias. And they have this profusion
24:46of stamens,
24:48and that is an irresistible meal
24:50of pollen and nectar for so
24:52many different species. And lucky
24:54for us, well, Australia has
24:56heaps of plants to choose from.
25:04And while they might
25:06not be as obvious, grasses
25:08flower too. And their pollen
25:10and resulting seed
25:12is really important for everything
25:14from moths to marsupials.
25:16So where you've got a spot, pop
25:18in a bit of grass.
25:20Our gardens
25:22are such havens for us.
25:24But with a little bit of planting and
25:26planting, you can also offer something
25:28for all of those animal visitors
25:30all year round. And I reckon
25:32that is the perfect excuse
25:34to get planting.
25:42Who doesn't love a blueberry?
25:44Juicy, sweet, portable,
25:46and good for you.
25:48But not all blueberries are created
25:50equal, and Sophie's here to help
25:52you pick a winner for your area.
25:56There are over 20 cultivars
25:58of blueberries available in Australia.
26:00All of the cultivars can be
26:02divided into three varieties,
26:04and where you live will determine
26:06the best for you.
26:08Cool climates will best suit northern
26:10highbush varieties, because they
26:12need a long, cold winter to
26:14produce fruit. As you'd
26:16expect, they're frost tolerant,
26:18as well as deciduous, so will be
26:20dormant through winter.
26:22Rabbiteye and southern highbush
26:24are best for warmer climates, as they don't
26:26need winter to be quite as long.
26:28Unlike northern highbush,
26:30these varieties are mostly evergreen.
26:32There are even cultivars
26:34of southern highbush and rabbiteye
26:36bred for tropical and dry areas
26:38too. Don't let
26:40the north and the south in the names confuse
26:42you, because northern varieties
26:44are best suited to southern Australia.
26:46Blueberries are from the
26:48northern hemisphere, so their names
26:50can seem a bit upside down.
26:52Before choosing a blueberry
26:54cultivar, do your homework about
26:56its growing habit. While some
26:58are compact and will grow in a pot,
27:00others are large bushes and
27:02can get over two metres tall.
27:04Some varieties need multiple
27:06plants nearby for pollination,
27:08whereas others are self-fertile
27:10and you only need the one.
27:12Either way, it will help your blueberries
27:14if you surround them with other
27:16flowering plants to encourage lots
27:18of pollinators. If you
27:20want to extend your harvest period,
27:22plant a mix of at least two
27:24different cultivars that produce fruit
27:26early, mid or late
27:28in the season. These
27:30two cultivars are both great choices
27:32for warmer climates. Biloxi
27:34ripens very early, at the
27:36end of winter or early spring.
27:38It's best planted alongside
27:40other varieties for better crops.
27:42Sunshine Blue, on the other
27:44hand, is a productive self-pollinator.
27:46It's nice and compact,
27:48so a good choice for pots
27:50and ripens over summer.
27:52If you can buy your blueberries
27:54from a good local nursery or
27:56a local berry grower, it can
27:58cut down on a lot of your research
28:00because they're likely to stop varieties
28:02that grow best in your area.
28:04And to find more info
28:06on the right blueberry for your area,
28:08head to the Gardening Australia website.
28:12Still to come on Gardening Australia,
28:14Josh plants out
28:16some veggie patch favourites.
28:18Here I've got a mix of tomato,
28:20eggplant and capsicum
28:22ready to go into this bed.
28:24Jane is taking
28:26it to the streets.
28:28And we meet a
28:30hibiscus breeder par excellence.
28:37Tammy's
28:39been out and about and on the road
28:41and she's uncovered an artist
28:43in far north Queensland
28:45whose home garden is going to
28:47knock your socks off.
28:49Tropical weather, beautiful gardens,
28:51what else do you need?
28:53I think I'm going green with envy.
28:59I'm in far north Queensland
29:01in the hinterland behind Cairns
29:03where mountains and lush rainforests
29:05climb away from the coast.
29:11Many people try to grow
29:13tropical plants in climate controlled
29:15greenhouses all around the country.
29:17But here, towards the northernmost
29:19part of Australia, warmth,
29:21rainfall and humidity set the stage
29:23for some jaw-dropping plants to shine.
29:27Today I'm visiting
29:29a half hectare garden completely
29:31surrounded by rainforests.
29:33This large, densely planted
29:35garden is the 27 year
29:37passion project of ceramic artist
29:39Molly Bosworth.
29:41Her timber bungalow and purpose built
29:43artist studio overlook the garden.
29:47Right from when I first came here
29:49I really wanted to get rid
29:51of lots of lawn
29:53and start crowding in
29:55and getting a lot of plants and building
29:57garden beds. Crowding in
29:59quite a few plants
30:01kind of keeps the garden
30:03low maintenance.
30:05This is low maintenance.
30:09There's an extraordinary mix
30:11of rare and unusual tropical species.
30:13Some thriving in the shady
30:15understory, others scrambling
30:17upwards towards the light.
30:21This is an
30:23Anthurium deliciostachium.
30:25I've always struggled with saying
30:27this name.
30:29But this one's impressive. Look at the size
30:31of it. Yes, and it's had
30:33a few offshoots there.
30:35It's really thickening up.
30:39And this is one of
30:41my oldest Anthurium
30:43creanums. She's
30:45huge!
30:47Wow.
30:49Molly's garden has a feel
30:51of a jungle with rare collectible
30:53plants encouraged to grow on and
30:55around each other in harmony.
30:59Molly, I love how your garden
31:01is just dripping with plants.
31:03All these epiphytes look like
31:05they've been here for ages.
31:07Yes, some of them have been here
31:09for quite a while, so
31:11they've had a lot of years
31:13to grow up. Some trees
31:15there's heavy traffic on.
31:17I've gradually added
31:19more and more over time
31:21and now I've really got into
31:23the philodendrons, the shingling
31:25plants, really
31:27enjoying the way they grow.
31:29I mean, I've only seen them maybe shingle
31:31to about here at my home, but here
31:33they're way up the canopy.
31:35And what are some of your favourite ones?
31:37Well, the Cryptanther
31:39is looking quite amazing at the moment.
31:41And the Australian version
31:43Hayi, which is
31:45somewhat similar, and
31:47Cortelsii, as well
31:49as some of the Monsteras
31:51do that as well. Yeah, the Monstera
31:53Juvia? Yes, that's a favourite
31:55because it's got such a lovely pattern.
31:57But yeah, I enjoy watching
31:59them all. And it's not just, I mean
32:01there's other epiphytic plants you've got here, like
32:03the ant plant. Yes, I'm just
32:05starting on my journey with ant
32:07plants, but I really enjoy them
32:09and the story that they have
32:11an ant colony inside.
32:13I've just got a few attached to
32:15a tree and they seem to be doing really well.
32:17So how do you get them to attach?
32:19Oh, I use
32:21a system that I've developed with
32:23little pieces of
32:25plastic mesh, and I just
32:27staple the mesh like a band-aid
32:29to the tree. And so you just remove
32:31the mesh once the roots have taken?
32:33Yes, you can, and it's
32:35easy to take it off and reuse it.
32:39Molly's love of plants
32:41is woven through her life,
32:43particularly in her work as an artist.
32:45I'm a ceramic
32:47artist in mostly
32:49porcelain, and
32:51sometimes I do cyanotype
32:53prints, which is an old photographic
32:55process.
32:57Light is a big aspect in
32:59my garden. It's also a big
33:01aspect in my ceramics
33:03because I use
33:05translucent porcelain, and
33:07I like to work with the
33:09translucency of the porcelain.
33:11So there's quite a bit of
33:13inspiration you do take from the garden.
33:15Yes, I've taken inspiration
33:17from the North Queensland green
33:19ants. Anyone
33:21who's ever gardened in North Queensland
33:23has been bitten by
33:25swarms of green ants.
33:27They make nests
33:29in trees, and they're a tree ant.
33:31And I like to
33:33do all the patterns on these
33:35ceramics individually, and I've got
33:37hand-drawn ants, and
33:39I can place them in different stories
33:41on each particular piece.
33:43Skeleton leaves have been
33:45a big focus in recent
33:47times because I find
33:49beautiful skeleton leaves from the
33:51anthuriums on the forest floor,
33:53and I can scan
33:55those and make
33:57designs to print onto
33:59my clay. I also
34:01use them in the cyanotype
34:03artwork as well.
34:05A fascination with
34:07plants runs deep in Molly's family.
34:09Both her parents were collectors.
34:11She inherited a collection of rare
34:13cycads from her mother, which grow
34:15happily in a raised bed with good drainage.
34:19And from her father
34:21came this absolutely enormous
34:23collection of anthuriums.
34:27These anthuriums, like, I typically see them
34:29in pots growing indoors,
34:31and yet here you've got them growing
34:33en masse in garden beds.
34:35Yes, these have been planted for quite a while.
34:37These were the first garden beds I
34:39planted more than 20 years ago.
34:41And I inherited
34:43so many from my father that I've
34:45just mass planted.
34:47And as they grow tall, I'm just
34:49propping them up so I've got them
34:51at rather a
34:53tall height now.
34:55And, I mean, same with this one.
34:57That's quite an impressive specimen.
34:59Yes, so that's a spectable,
35:01an anthurium spectable.
35:03And this one's also been
35:05inherited? Yes, it's one of my
35:07father's collection.
35:09So it's quite special to you then. Yes, it
35:11is. I had that
35:13growing on a tree stump
35:15earlier, and
35:17the leaves were dragging on the ground.
35:19And as I didn't know what to expect or whether
35:21I could get the leaves a bit longer,
35:23I have planted it on
35:25here at the suggestion
35:27of a couple of friends who helped me
35:29make this big tower.
35:31What's the longest leaf you've got now?
35:33It's around about 1.8 metres.
35:35Sometimes I get the tape measure out
35:37and have a look to see how it's going.
35:39It's quite spectacular,
35:41yes.
35:43You've been a practising ceramicist
35:45for 30 years, and gardening
35:47probably just as long.
35:49What are some of the biggest takeaways?
35:51I just think that it
35:53gives me a reason to live, and
35:55it's just something that I look out
35:57on when I wake up in the morning.
35:59I do little garden
36:01tours to see what's new, what's
36:03happening next, and
36:05it's just full of life.
36:09MUSIC
36:15I'm all about the
36:17backyard staples this year.
36:19Those things you rely on in the kitchen
36:21like tomatoes, chillies,
36:23capsicum and eggplant.
36:25Now, Josh knows his way
36:27around a tomato stake, and he's
36:29here to give us his tips on how to
36:31get things off to a flying start.
36:33MUSIC
36:37Solanaceae is a big family of
36:39flowering plants that include
36:41tomatoes, capsicums,
36:43chillies and eggplants.
36:45With summer on the way
36:47and the soil warming up,
36:49now is the right time to plant them.
36:51For gardeners in cooler climates,
36:53timing is critical
36:55because the seeds will only
36:57germinate when the soil is the right
36:59temperature. For capsicums,
37:01it needs to be a minimum
37:03of 20 degrees. For eggplants,
37:05a minimum of 24 degrees.
37:07A heat mat under your
37:09seedling tray will also raise
37:11the soil temperature as needed.
37:13But I'm in Perth, so there's no
37:15shortage of warmth at the moment.
37:17It's one of these chilli seeds
37:19per cell. A fine layer
37:21of seed raising mix over the top,
37:23a week or two in the greenhouse,
37:25or a north-facing windowsill
37:27should see them germinating
37:29and they'll be ready
37:31for planting out once they've developed
37:33a couple of sets of leaves.
37:39You can also buy established
37:41veggie seedlings like these ones.
37:43Here I've got a mix of tomato,
37:45eggplant and capsicum
37:47ready to go into this bed.
37:51I'm working in some compost,
37:53some cow manure
37:55and some
37:57pelletised chook manure.
38:01Tomatoes, eggplants and
38:03capsicums all like similar conditions.
38:05Free-draining soil
38:07with plenty of organic matter
38:09and full sun.
38:11They are also susceptible to similar
38:13pests and diseases, so whilst it's fine to
38:15plant them in the same spot,
38:17make sure you rotate
38:19between beds each season to avoid
38:21problems.
38:24These plants all have
38:26slightly different growth habits.
38:28At one end of the bed, the black cherry
38:30tomatoes will need tall stakes
38:32to climb up.
38:34Next,
38:36two eggplants. These get quite
38:38bushy, so I'm planting them
38:40about 70cm apart.
38:42They need a sturdy stake
38:44to support the plant under
38:46the weight of the fruit.
38:48These ones are bonnakers,
38:50which are the classic large oval
38:52shaped dark purple fruit.
38:54This one's starting to flower and
38:56when it's ready to harvest in a couple of months,
38:58pick them when they're full,
39:00firm and glossy.
39:02Next, I've got three types
39:04of capsicum to be planted at
39:0640-50cm intervals
39:08and state.
39:10There's Big Mama, which is crisp
39:12and sweet when green.
39:14Red Beauty,
39:16which will take a bit longer to ripen
39:18and develop its colour.
39:20And Dragon Roll,
39:22which are a long, mildly spicy
39:24capsicum that get hotter
39:26the redder they get.
39:28These also need staking, then mulch
39:30across the bed and a good watering
39:32in.
39:34Going forward, they'll need
39:36regular watering, plus an
39:38occasional feed with a flower
39:40and fruit fertiliser to get
39:42them cropping like crazy.
39:44When it comes to chillies,
39:46I like to grow them in pots,
39:48close to the kitchen, so they're
39:50easy to pick when I need them.
39:52They're also highly ornamental
39:54plants, so why not put them
39:56somewhere really visible?
39:58This is a cayenne type,
40:00which is more than hot enough for me,
40:02especially when they redden up.
40:04Now, these need very
40:06similar conditions to the plants that I've
40:08just put in the ground.
40:10Plenty of sun, good soil,
40:12or potting mix in this instance,
40:14regular watering, occasional
40:16fertilising, staking,
40:18and they're good to go.
40:20Couldn't be easier.
40:28Earlier in the program, we saw
40:30how committed locals in Melbourne's
40:32southeastern suburbs transformed
40:34their neglected laneways
40:36into colourful havens.
40:38This goodwill and enthusiasm
40:40has spread beyond the laneways.
40:42Not far away, John McKenna
40:44has created a small public
40:46garden right opposite his house.
40:48It's called Reflection Garden,
40:50and it's a memorial to four
40:52Victorian police officers who were
40:54tragically killed in a motor
40:56accident in 2020.
40:58Now, I've known John
41:00for many years, and I can't
41:02wait to see what he's been up to
41:04over the years.
41:06I can't wait to see what he's been up to.
41:10The Glenhoney Reflection
41:12Garden is absolutely amazing.
41:14I'm loving it. First of all, it started
41:16with a little bit of a memorial,
41:18so I thought I'd put a couple of pot plants up
41:20with some ribbons. The rest is history.
41:22It's now over 50 metres long.
41:24People keep coming back and watering it,
41:26and we've got a great team of volunteers.
41:28So what's the garden all
41:30about? Jane, for me,
41:32as a wheelchair user,
41:34I get a lot of pleasure out of looking at plants.
41:36I don't get to put dirt under
41:38my fingernails like you do. But you know
41:40what? It's beautiful how I can have a shared
41:42purpose, a shared vision with
41:44other neighbours who believe
41:46in what a nice place to sit
41:48and to get in and get involved.
41:50And these are the sorts of conversations I've been
41:52having for about four years as this
41:54has evolved. How much pleasure it
41:56gives children, senior people,
41:58people with disabilities, all people in the
42:00community that don't have their own garden.
42:02And isn't that the thing about gardening?
42:04That's what draws them all together?
42:06Two things, food and gardening.
42:08It brings us all together.
42:10It's true.
42:16And how do you manage to get so
42:18many volunteers? It's organic.
42:20It's word of mouth. People walk past
42:22and talk and stop.
42:24We're in between a couple of train
42:26stations, so people often
42:28say, OK, might have a rest right now,
42:30you know, have something to drink.
42:32I'm often saying, hi, how are you going? Isn't this
42:34beautiful? They all go, yep, love, how did it start?
42:36And I go, alright, I did.
42:38But that was years ago. I reckon
42:40it's because you're bossy, that's why.
42:42You do need a little bit of bossiness. Oh, I was only
42:44joking. No, no, no, no.
42:46It's about being friendly but assertive
42:48with regards to, go back
42:50to the word, shared vision.
42:52Hey neighbours, those weeds
42:54keep coming, thanks for your support.
42:56What does this garden actually mean to you, deep
42:58down? Well, I can be selfish to say
43:00I live close, so I get to see it every day.
43:02It is about me being able
43:04to escape those nasty computers,
43:06the screens, to smell
43:08and watch and hear
43:10the sounds. Because yes, it's on
43:12a train line, but there are plenty of times
43:14where it's very quiet. It's in the heart of
43:16Melbourne, but it still sends out
43:18calming, relaxation,
43:20reflection energy, which I love.
43:24Well, I do congratulate you, because from one
43:26or two pots, it's developed into quite
43:28something. It certainly has, and
43:30it is quite a space where
43:32people can relax, hence the word
43:34reflection garden.
43:36From railway gardens to laneways,
43:38these once unloved public
43:40spaces have had new
43:42life breathed into them, all
43:44thanks to passionate community
43:46volunteers.
43:48One thing
43:56I love about Gardening Australia
43:58is the way we get to meet people
44:00who are so passionate
44:02about one particular thing.
44:04Could be the spotted pardalote,
44:06a banksia, a butterfly,
44:08even native grasses.
44:10Well, today
44:12we meet someone who's
44:14breeding one particular plant
44:16that's well known and
44:18loved for its flowers.
44:20Let me tell you, these
44:22need to be seen to be believed.
44:32Some people really like
44:34single hibiscus, and some people like
44:36doubles, and then
44:38they now have a category called rainbows,
44:40and then there's ones with splashes
44:42and spots, and then there are
44:44ones that are called cup and saucer.
44:46My preference would be to
44:48breed a rainbow, which has
44:50got four or five colours on a flower,
44:52and possibly have some
44:54splashes and spots,
44:56and for the colours to be
44:58really eye-catching,
45:00and someone walks past and goes,
45:02I've got to have that.
45:06I'm Tony Murdock, and I
45:08breed hibiscus
45:10for collectors.
45:12I'm really interested in hibiscus
45:14because you get such a beautiful array
45:16of flowers, and I
45:18learnt, as I have been doing
45:20this for a number of years now,
45:22you can breed
45:24incredibly
45:26unusual flowers
45:28and colours.
45:30I live in Perth, Western Australia.
45:32This is inner urban
45:34city living, and most
45:36of the plants grow in pots.
45:38The first criteria we looked for
45:40when we wanted somewhere to live
45:42was to have a north-facing garden.
45:44That would be my number one
45:46suggestion.
45:48An apartment,
45:50courtyard, north-facing,
45:52you'll be able to produce something really good
45:54because you get all the summer sun, and you get all the
45:56winter sun. They're a
45:58great plant to grow in
46:00WA because of our
46:02sandy, loamy soils,
46:04and they
46:06love our long
46:08Mediterranean summers.
46:10You'll get flowers constantly
46:12for five or six months of the year,
46:14possibly even longer depending
46:16on how well you look after them.
46:18Hibiscus
46:20are thought to have originated from China,
46:22and
46:24they are indigenous to
46:26many locations, including
46:28the South Pacific. In Australia
46:30they grow from Queensland
46:32up to the top of
46:34New South Wales. Some even
46:36grow in Melbourne.
46:42When I retired, I got really
46:44interested in hibiscus, and I went to
46:46the enthusiasts and
46:48bought plants from them. I joined
46:50the local hibiscus society
46:52and
46:54was then able to access more of the
46:56really beautiful plants, and that was the
46:58foundation for my collection.
47:00I've been breeding hibiscus
47:02plants for about seven or
47:04eight years, full-time.
47:06I was a little bit disappointed
47:08with the availability
47:10of really interesting and
47:12unusual coloured flowers,
47:14and thought,
47:16I think I could have a go at this
47:18and see if I could breed something better for
47:20the people that live in WA.
47:22And that's how I started.
47:28This is a new cultivar
47:30that I've bred. It's flowered within the
47:32last year, and it's a really
47:34good plant because it's got really good
47:36growth habit. It's got loads
47:38of flowers, and the flower is
47:40really outstanding, and I'm hoping to
47:42use it to hybridise.
47:46So I've chosen a cultivar
47:48that I particularly like. It's got
47:50really good characteristics and an outstanding
47:52flower. I take the
47:54pollen, which is the yellow, and
47:56put it onto the stigma, which is the top.
47:58If I'm lucky,
48:00this will set
48:02a seed. Then I wait for
48:04the seed pod to
48:06expand. I will put a gauze
48:08container over the seed
48:10pod to collect the seeds.
48:12When a hibiscus seed pod opens,
48:14it explodes,
48:16and the seeds get thrown everywhere.
48:20It's a luck
48:22game on how many seeds you get.
48:24Sometimes you might get one, sometimes
48:26you might get 20 or 30.
48:28Then out of those seeds,
48:30you would then try and germinate
48:32them, and then obviously
48:34grow them on to see what the flowers are going to be
48:36like. For me to be able to
48:38propagate my plants, I've set
48:40up a room where I have a heat mat
48:42and lighting, and then I can
48:44control the environment, how much light they
48:46have, what the temperature is in the room,
48:48what the water is. So usually
48:50in August, September, when it's
48:52cold, I can start to germinate
48:54all my seeds that I want to
48:56germinate for that year, and then
48:58have them by
49:00early summer out
49:02growing in the garden somewhere in a semi-shaded
49:04position.
49:08You would potentially
49:10within 12 to 24
49:12months want the new seedling
49:14to have flowered, and then you
49:16would decide, is it going to
49:18genetically contribute anything new
49:20to what we already
49:22have? If it's something
49:24you want, then I'll keep it and put aside
49:26and nurture it and try and breed from it.
49:30This is a new cultivar
49:32that I really like and would like
49:34to propagate. It's got great form,
49:36texture, and it has a beautiful
49:38flower and it changes colour over the summer.
49:40So then I would select
49:42some wood that I would like to propagate.
49:44To replicate that flower,
49:46you actually have to take
49:48cuttings to get an exact copy,
49:50and that's how you would then
49:52produce more of that flower
49:54to share.
49:58When I realised I needed to have really good
50:00record-keeping, I set up an Excel
50:02database, which has
50:04a year-by-year list
50:06of all the plants that I've crossed and bred
50:08and pictures of the outcome
50:10of the progeny, and then I can decide
50:12if it's worth reusing
50:14again or not reusing.
50:16We need to fertilise them.
50:18The golden rule is a little
50:20and often, because hibiscus are quite
50:22heavy feeders. I prefer
50:24to liquid feed the roots
50:26one week, and the following week
50:28I would provide a foliar spray
50:30for the plants, and they seem to really
50:32like that, and grow really well,
50:34lusciously, and produce lots of
50:36flowers.
50:38I've probably
50:40registered somewhere between
50:42a year and a half
50:44and I've registered somewhere between
50:4625 and 35.
50:48I've got better and better
50:50at my selection of the
50:52colours and the plants and the
50:54characteristics I'm looking for.
50:56One that I've recently registered
50:58called Lavender Diamonds.
51:00It's quite a spectacular flower.
51:02It's got a lovely
51:04pale blue
51:06lavender colour with white spots all the
51:08way around the edges, so it's quite striking.
51:10When I get up in the morning
51:12and I can see a new flower that's flowered
51:14for the first time, and I can go,
51:16that's great, that's fantastic, I'm going to use
51:18that for breeding, or I come out and
51:20see one that's been flowering for quite a while
51:22and decide, that's got really good genetics,
51:24I'm going to use that to breed.
51:26I don't actually have an ultimate end game
51:28in mind, but I just
51:30like being able to produce
51:32new colours and variations
51:34that we don't already have available.
51:36And the more striking and the more
51:38unusual, the better.
51:50Now it's time to put your plans
51:52into practice. Here comes
51:54your jobs for the weekend.
52:00In cool temperate gardens,
52:02plant some borage.
52:04This hearty annual herb bears
52:06electric blue flowers,
52:08which get the bees buzzing,
52:10and can also be used to flavour
52:12cocktails and cakes.
52:14Codling moth is in and around
52:16apples, pears and quinces.
52:18Mulch trees deeply
52:20with cardboard and straw,
52:22and wrap hessian around trunks
52:24to trap larvae. Remove
52:26bin and replace the hessian
52:28every few weeks.
52:30Stout, silver and super interesting,
52:32Leucophyta brownii
52:34is a tough shrub
52:36for tricky spots.
52:38Resembling crumpled balls of silver wire,
52:40it tolerates frost,
52:42drought, poor soils
52:44and even salt spray.
52:46It's earned a spot on the plant podium.
52:48Warm temperate
52:50gardeners, it's time to divide
52:52and re-pot cymbidium orchids.
52:54Remove plants from pots,
52:56tickle out roots,
52:58pull clumps apart where they naturally
53:00separate, and re-pot into
53:02a fresh orchid mix, three clumps
53:04per pot. Christmas
53:06is coming, so it's time
53:08to plan and plant out some
53:10living gifts. Sowing seedlings
53:12of mixed herbs, veggies
53:14and annual flowers into planters
53:16make perfect presents,
53:18which will be looking their best by
53:20the festive season.
53:22Sow another round of kale and lettuce,
53:24remembering that leafy greens
53:26will appreciate a little shade
53:28when the weather warms.
53:30Aim for morning sun or
53:32underplant more vigorous veggies.
53:34Snails and slugs
53:36are seedling-smashing
53:38thugs, and they're out and about
53:40in subtropical gardens right
53:42now. A container or two
53:44of beer placed in the patch each
53:46night will make short work of these
53:48pests. It's a ripper
53:50time to do a general feed
53:52of your entire garden, but be
53:54aware of water. Fertiliser
53:56must be watered in and soil
53:58moisture maintained to ensure
54:00perky plants and healthy
54:02harvests. Speaking
54:04of harvests, just as we
54:06deadhead annuals to encourage more
54:08flowers, try to keep up
54:10picking of peas, beans,
54:12broccoli and herbs to
54:14stretch out their season for as
54:16long as possible.
54:18In the tropics, turmeric,
54:20galangal and ginger can be planted
54:22now. Don't fret if
54:24those already in the ground aren't
54:26sprouting yet. As the heat and humidity
54:28rises, you'll start to see
54:30the shoots. Storm
54:32season is coming, so it's time
54:34to clear gutters, prune back
54:36trees near houses or power lines
54:38and remove anything that might
54:40become a projectile during
54:42wild weather. Remember
54:44there can be a multitude of uses
54:46for prunings. Plant stakes
54:48and totems, climbing
54:50frames, plant protectors
54:52or weave flexible branches
54:54into an attractive,
54:56sustainable fence.
54:58Arid gardeners, find an old
55:00bucket, bin or bath and have a
55:02grow at some edible aquatic
55:04plants like Kangkong,
55:06Lebanese Cress, Japanese
55:08Parsley or even Sweet Potato.
55:10Grab a shovel,
55:12a pH test kit and get
55:14into some soil science.
55:16Understanding the pH of your soil
55:18across your garden can help you
55:20understand plant health, pests
55:22and plan your patch. You'll
55:24dig it. Have a go
55:26at a Honeydew Melon, just perfect
55:28for arid gardens and
55:30summer fruit salads. Sow seeds
55:32direct into compost rich soils
55:34and give them a bit of room.
55:36These melons like to roam.
55:38Wherever you are,
55:40make sure you have a fantastic, fun
55:42and productive weekend.
55:44For even more outdoor inspo,
55:46visit our website and subscribe
55:48to our regular Gardening
55:50Australia newsletter.
55:56Well,
55:58that's all we've got time for, but we've got
56:00plenty more coming your way.
56:02Until then,
56:04make time to get out there,
56:06take a breath and reconnect
56:08with nature. Here's
56:10what's coming your way next week.
56:14Join me as I meet
56:16two accomplished artists
56:18who've created an inner suburban
56:20oasis that nurtures
56:22and inspires their art.
56:24You come out here and I
56:26just feel peaceful
56:28and it's just my own little world.
56:30I'm taking you down to earth
56:32on a deep dive into the
56:34rich and varied possibilities
56:36of poo. So, let's all
56:38take a big, deep breath and
56:40get on with it, because it's
56:42worth it.
56:44And are you gardening on heavy, wet
56:46clay soil? It's a challenging
56:48combination. I'm sharing
56:50some great Australian plants that'll thrive
56:52in these conditions. It's tough
56:54as old boots. It's growing really well.
56:56Planted en masse, they look
56:58unbelievable.