Gardening Australia Season 36 Episode 11
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00:00Ha-ha!
00:06Hey! Hi!
00:13Ooh!
00:18Hey!
00:20Hey, buddy.
00:23Hey!
00:24Hello and welcome to Gardening Australia.
00:37It's Mother's Day this weekend
00:39and I hope you get to spend some time in the garden
00:42with the matriarchs in your life.
00:46We've been hard at work cultivating a curated crop
00:49of incredible stories for you this week
00:52and I know you're going to love them.
00:56I'm going to introduce you to some big, showy, tropical native blooms
01:00perfect for small gardens and courtyards.
01:04I reckon this is a lovely little fence
01:06and it's so easy to make
01:08by weaving hazelnut branches together.
01:12I'm going to show you how.
01:14I'm going to take a deep dive into shade in my garden
01:17to show you how to successfully grow plants
01:20even in the deepest, darkest recesses at your place.
01:25I'm visiting a garden in central Victoria.
01:28It's a gorgeous cottage style
01:30and it's been designed to celebrate every single one of the seasons.
01:34When 11-year-old Noah contacted Gardening Australia, you could say that the floodgates opened.
01:52We found a young man who avidly watches the show, has created his own edible and native garden,
02:00reads all the latest books on gardening and he's been doing it since he was seven years old.
02:07Noah lives in the New South Wales coastal village of Thoreal, south of Sydney.
02:17Noah lives in the New South Wales
02:27Hello.
02:29Costa, how are you?
02:34How are you?
02:35Good. How are you, Costa?
02:39I was not expecting this.
02:41And you did the floral beard.
02:43That is perfect.
02:45Rebecca.
02:47Hi.
02:48Hi, Lee.
02:50How's it going?
02:51Noah, what's the beard and hat all about?
02:53Well, we do this thing every year called Book Week at my school.
02:59And we have to dress up as our favourite character from our favourite book.
03:04And that year, it was you.
03:07Oh, that is really special.
03:10What was the response like at school?
03:12Well, everyone just kept looking at me.
03:15And I'm not used to that.
03:18And they were asking, what character are you?
03:20Then when I said Costa, they were like, oh, yes, I know him.
03:25Tell us, what's it like, Rebecca, to see Noah into gardening?
03:31Yeah, it's really special.
03:34It's so nice to know that he's, you know, he's not just inside on a device.
03:39I mean, I don't mind if his head's in a book reading gardening or whatever else.
03:43Yeah, it's just nice that he's got his hands in the soil and out in nature.
03:47It means a lot as a parent.
03:48Yeah.
03:50So can you remember when your interest in gardening began?
03:54When we walked up the road, I saw like lots of little verge gardens and stuff.
04:00And that sort of motivated me to make my own.
04:04Oh, wow.
04:06Verge gardens. That's my happy place.
04:08I love verge gardens.
04:10So shall we go and have a look?
04:12Sure, let's go.
04:19So, Costa, I would like to introduce you to some of my friends.
04:25That's Millie, Josh, Hannah and Costa.
04:28So you're friends talking about those four olive trees.
04:33Yes.
04:35I've been watching Gardening Australia for a few years now and I've been inspired most by those four presenters.
04:42So, yeah, that's why I named them.
04:46Wow. I mean, they're going to make a beautiful screen across there and then you get to learn about pickling and preserving olives.
04:53Yes.
04:54Now, you realise I haven't had a tree named after me, so can I go and give myself a hug?
04:59Of course.
05:04Hello, Costa.
05:07I reckon we're going to be really good buddies.
05:10I think he's going to produce a really good harvest.
05:14I can feel it.
05:15Definitely.
05:16What else can I have a look at?
05:20Where did the garden all begin?
05:23So this bed, we did this in 2022 and this was just as like an experimental bed.
05:31So we've got a verbena and a apple tree that we planted from a real apple, the seeds, and we just sowed them directly into the soil here.
05:40This has grown quite a lot since we first planted it, obviously because it was from seed.
05:48I think we're planning to probably pot it because it's lifting up the pavers here.
05:53These two raised beds look really healthy and happy.
05:59The first step was to remove all of the grass that was here and then we looked into building raised beds.
06:06So we looked into Hannah's book and learnt hugelkultur is a good method for nutrient rich soil.
06:18It's a German mounding method.
06:21We used like old wood lying around and we placed that at the bottom of the bed and then watered it in to make it nice and soggy to hold nutrients in the soil.
06:32So what was your planting plan for these beds once you did all that preparation?
06:39Well, we knew green manure crops were good from your book.
06:43So that was a crop of cost lettuce and marigolds that we tilled into the soil and then let it sit for maybe three to four weeks.
06:51And then we could get planting with stuff like rainbow chard, silver beets, cost lettuce, chives, leeks and then later on crop rotation.
07:04Now I can see the other raised bed over there has got plenty growing in it.
07:08So we've been saving the radishes for you to come and see.
07:15Whoa.
07:16Here's a big one here.
07:18Whoa.
07:19It's got a big split down the bottom.
07:21Look at that.
07:22That's a monster.
07:23How long has that been in for?
07:25I think about five weeks.
07:27Can I harvest this one?
07:28Sure.
07:29That one looks ready.
07:30Whoa.
07:31Look at it.
07:32Look at the colour.
07:33That's fantastic.
07:34I've also got some cucumbers that I wanted to show you over here.
07:40Oh, okay.
07:41Oh, yeah, I can see them.
07:43Have you been holding off on harvesting these as well?
07:46Yes.
07:47When did you plant these cucumbers?
07:49Well, about six weeks ago.
07:51So they're definitely ready to be harvested.
07:54Yeah, I think if you left them for another week, we'd be able to use them as a canoe.
07:57Yes.
08:00That's a beauty.
08:01Do you like cucumbers, Noah?
08:03Yeah, I love cucumbers in salads and stuff.
08:07Yeah.
08:08Which variety is this one?
08:09This is a bush crop cucumber.
08:12Looking at all the flowers here, you're going to get a lot of cucumbers.
08:15Can you eat them all?
08:16What do you do with them?
08:17We usually share them with friends and neighbours.
08:21How do you feel when you get to share your produce?
08:24Well, it makes people lighten up quite a lot and they seem to love how it tastes.
08:33Noah, one of the best things about gardening is the give and take.
08:38And so I thought, I can't come to your garden without giving you something.
08:42So I've got some plants I want to share, which I think will help with pollination.
08:46Yes.
08:52Now, I don't know about you, Noah, but when I go to a nursery, I can't help myself.
08:57And I thought, what, I'll buy you one or two plants?
09:00Yes.
09:01That's not enough.
09:02So I decided I'd buy you one plant for every year of your life.
09:06So is 11 correct?
09:08Yes.
09:09All right.
09:10Well, we've got 11 plants here.
09:11There's plenty to choose from.
09:13And for this area, I wanted to get lots of wildflowers.
09:18So I thought we could start here and put in this beautiful pink spider grevillea.
09:25The native bees love this.
09:27Yes.
09:28It's actually almost purple, isn't it?
09:29Yeah.
09:34Oh, this is nice and sandy.
09:36Yeah, we spent a lot of time and effort trying to get good native soil.
09:47Also, this heart-leafed shaggy pea.
09:51And it'll spread all around and we can put other things in between.
09:56Well, Noah, thanks so much for showing me around your garden.
09:59I can't wait to see it continue to grow and develop over the years ahead.
10:03Thank you, yes.
10:05I'm quite excited as well.
10:07Noah's achievements grow on and on.
10:08He recently entered his garden into the Illawarra Edible Garden Trail and he's been asked to
10:18speak at Sydney's South Permaculture Group.
10:22This garden is his happy place.
10:25He loves getting his hands in the soil and who knows where gardening and growing will take him.
10:31Can I prune conifers?
10:32Absolutely.
10:33But it's best to do it lightly and a little.
10:46Most conifers don't respond well to a hard prune.
10:50If you cut too deep, it will reveal this dark brown wood where there is no fresh growth.
10:56Most conifers don't re-sprout from this old wood.
10:59So if you cut back to that layer, you can accidentally create dark dead spots.
11:04Many will actually tell you how big they'll grow in 10 or 20 years on the label.
11:10So the best thing you can do is to choose the size and shape that suits your eventual requirements
11:16and then you don't have to do anything.
11:18Are Epsom salts good for plants?
11:21Epsom salts are often talked about as the miracle garden ingredient and they do cure magnesium
11:26deficiencies in plants, which shows itself as yellowing between leaf veins.
11:31However, steer clear of Epsom salts if the plant is healthy, because it can cause leaf scorching
11:36and a buildup of unused salts in the soil.
11:39So, treat your plants with a complete feed suited to their needs and save your Epsom salts for bath time.
11:46What's the white stuff on the interior of my terrarium?
11:49Well, it's most likely white mould or fungus mycelium.
11:54And it's caused because the terrarium has been over-watered.
11:58Very often a terrarium becomes very humid and crowded with lots of leaves that die off,
12:04creating sort of decomposing matter.
12:06And hence you get that excessive condensation, especially around the glass.
12:11And that leads to the white mould.
12:13And so if you cut out the watering, just let it dry out, give it good air circulation,
12:18you'll find your terrarium will grow again.
12:21If you find that the whole terrarium is really massed with white mould,
12:26well you'll have to start again.
12:27Take the plants out, get new plants, new soil, clean the glass really thoroughly,
12:32and hopefully your terrarium will be fungus-free.
12:35While the hibiscus with big showy tropical blooms you usually see are from the Pacific Islands or China,
12:49we have about 40 species that are native to Australia.
12:52Native hibiscus are not only gorgeous, they're a useful flowering plant for any small garden or courtyard.
12:59They're low maintenance, yet brimming with fabulous multicoloured flowers for most of the year.
13:05There are plenty of options for your garden design,
13:08and the great thing about them is they adore our climate.
13:12Here are some of my favourites.
13:14If you're looking for a small tree for a courtyard,
13:17hibiscus insularis is an excellent choice.
13:20It features dense growth, stunning flowers,
13:23and its resilience makes it a top contender for warm coastal gardens,
13:27as it can handle strong winds.
13:29Jerry loves his compact hibiscus hedge for the privacy it provides,
13:33whilst also adding a structural boundary to his Brisbane garden.
13:37The extraordinary feature of this hibiscus is its eye-popping multicoloured flowers.
13:42These unique blooms appear from spring through to autumn,
13:45and its long flowering season provides months of visual delight
13:49and attracts pollinators such as bees and butterflies,
13:52enhancing the garden's biodiversity.
13:55Jerry also uses them to make a delicious jam.
14:01Another stunning native hibiscus that never stops flowering
14:04is the lilac hibiscus, Aligine hujellii.
14:07This is the purple variety, but it also comes in pure white, pink,
14:11and a dwarf ground cover form.
14:14This native hibiscus is also drought-tolerant
14:16and has become really popular in recent years for its silky mowed flowers.
14:20Now, I love these so much I've got one in my own backyard.
14:24It's native to South Australia and Western Australia
14:27and enjoys full sun and is happy in a range of soils and locations.
14:31Make sure you prune them back hard each year
14:33because the leggy growth tends to break off in windy conditions.
14:37So keeping the plant compact
14:39and choosing its location carefully will pay off.
14:42This plant grows between one and two metres
14:45and the funnel-shaped flowers are open during the day,
14:48encouraging pollinators to venture deep inside in search of nectar.
14:52The flowers close up at night to deter critters
14:54from destroying their pretty purple blooms.
14:57The petals are edible and have a lovely floral flavour
15:00when added to salads.
15:02Native hibiscus benefits from an annual application
15:05of organic poultry manure or organic pellets specifically for natives
15:09to support the plant's health, promoting lush foliage
15:12and abundant flowering.
15:14Light pruning after flowering will keep the plant shapely and compact.
15:18So if you're looking for something a little different in the hibiscus family,
15:21why not try one of these native beauties at your place?
15:24I'm a big fan of plants that can do more than one thing.
15:39I grow hazelnuts for their delicious and nutritious nuts,
15:43but I also grow them because they produce these great water shoots
15:46which I can do fun projects with like weave this cool fence with.
15:49I reckon it looks pretty good.
15:51I reckon this guy looks pretty good too.
15:57The fence helps define our garden edges
16:00and it also stops our little dog from running through parts of the garden
16:04that I don't want him to.
16:06When you're getting started, the first step for a simple fence like this
16:10is the posts that will anchor the woven stems,
16:13something that you can drive easily into the ground with a mallet.
16:17Next, time to do some pruning.
16:23My hazelnut shrubs grow these water shoots every year,
16:26also known as water sprouts.
16:28I come and harvest them every winter,
16:30unless I want to have them bigger and thicker,
16:32in which case I prune them every second year.
16:35When you first prune them, they're really nice and supple and bendy.
16:40I like to go for a width approximately close to my thumb,
16:44because they're great to weave with.
16:45When you first prune them, they're really nice and supple and bendy.
16:56I like to go for a width approximately close to my thumb,
17:00because they're great to weave with.
17:03Prepare your stems.
17:05Just rip off any leaves and twigs.
17:19Prepare your stems.
17:30Just rip off any leaves and twigs and they're really good for mulching or composting.
17:45Once you've prepped your stems, you can get weaving.
17:51These hazelnut branches are extra flexible, but if yours are a bit stiff, then you can
17:55actually soak them in water to make them nice and supple.
17:59And of course, if they're really dead and dry, don't bother using them because they'll
18:02just snap when you try weaving.
18:05Look, now obviously this fence is pretty rustic, but I'm cool with that because once I get all
18:12the different lengths and the thicknesses woven together, I reckon it looks pretty good.
18:19One of the great things about a fence like this is that you can always undo it and start
18:24again if you don't like the look.
18:27As these water shoots are quite young, I'm using every single bit of them, which involves
18:31weaving their little tails back into the fence to keep it nice and secure.
18:37The other reason why I love this style of fence making is that it's so easy and needs minimal
18:42tools.
18:43All you need is your stems, your stakes, something to bang them in with like a mallet, and off
18:48you go.
18:49The simple solutions are often the best.
18:52If you don't have hazelnut stems at hand, you can also use twigs and branches that are
18:57nice and flexible and easy to bend, like birches and wattles.
19:01In fact, this style of fence is known as a wattle fence, and the technique's been around
19:06for centuries.
19:08Now obviously this fence will not last forever, but luckily my hazelnut shrubs have many years
19:18of life left in them, which means each winter I'll keep harvesting these shoots to keep this
19:22fence going strong.
19:24Are you struggling with some of those darker spots in your garden?
19:41What you need in your life are some shady characters, and Gerry's here with some surefire, subtropical
19:49shady stunners.
19:56Most plants need sunlight to perform photosynthesis to create the energy they need to grow, but
20:03not all light falls equally.
20:05At one end of the scale is full sun, where light is abundant, easy to capture and convert
20:12into food.
20:13At the other end of the scale, where light is filtered, weakened or obscured, and it's difficult
20:18for plants to access it, that is also known as full shade.
20:24There are various free smartphone apps which can chart the passage of the sun with a given
20:30location and season.
20:32And I'm going to show you how I tackle shade in my garden, where square meterage is definitely
20:38at a premium.
20:43What will work in dappled light?
20:46The signature planting I chose for my backyard is my Pandanus tectorius.
20:52This is textbook dappled shade.
20:55It's not full sun for six to eight hours a day, nor is it full shade.
21:00This tree has given me the opportunity to grow plants that I otherwise wouldn't have.
21:05And it's more hail resistant than a shade house.
21:10As it's matured, I've pruned and shaped it to preserve the morning light it allows in.
21:15The result is the base of the tree is now a perfect microclimate of bright light.
21:22Littered at the base, enjoying this light is a motley crew of various potted plants and hanging
21:26baskets bulging with orchids, cacti, ferns and bromeliads strung up with wires into the branches.
21:34Now, if you don't have a feature Pandanus at home, think Jacaranda.
21:39They're a classic example of dappled shade.
21:43And then there's other more challenging areas where there's no direct sunlight.
21:51That's full shade.
21:53Shade adapted plants have evolved various methods to eke out a living on the darker end of available light.
22:00Things like growing huge ornate leaves to capture every tiny bit of light they can.
22:06Or using windows in their leaves to refract and amplify light.
22:11Or using particular colourful pigments to expand the type of light they can capture.
22:17Take this begonia for example, beautiful plant grown for its foliage.
22:23But begonias are forest floor dwellers and at the bottom of the forest there's not much light.
22:31Begonias are one of a group of plants which exploit a purple pigment on the undersides of their leaves.
22:38And that makes them extra efficient at capturing sunlight which is bounced off the forest floor.
22:45I have a range of plants that thrive in the darkened corners of my garden.
22:50Everything from backscratter gingers to mattress buttons.
22:54But there's one that's got my begrudging vote for Miss Congeniality.
22:59I've become what I most wanted to avoid, a hoarder of bromeliads.
23:05Because now I fully understand their irresistibility.
23:10They have such practical value.
23:13They're colourful and have a predictable growth habit.
23:17They don't go crazy with growth and they don't sell seed.
23:22My garden is a testament to their adaptability and resilience.
23:28These rosette forming plants are available in every shade under the subtropical sun.
23:33And their internal water well means they can store their own water.
23:38They're adapted to growing under the canopy of subtropical forests.
23:42So they're an ideal fit for a dark corner that needs some visual interest.
23:47So if you've got a shady bed or border or pot, slip in a bromeliad or two.
23:54But be warned, it is a slippery slope and you may become a hoarder just like me.
24:00An even bigger challenge is gardening in dry shade, where you're dealing with two factors.
24:09A lack of water and a lack of sunshine, which are really important for healthy plant growth.
24:15But fortunately, there's a couple of picks here which I can highly recommend.
24:19This plant is the crown of thorns and it's not a plant I would have expected to enjoy these conditions.
24:27But as the pandanus has grown, it's adapted and it's now 20 years old.
24:33It's neighbour is this basket fern and it's a plant that I've loved ever since I was a child.
24:39And you can see, it's very happy growing here under the dry shade of this pandanus cookii.
24:45It grows on rocks, trees and in soil and this fern can weather drought.
24:51It gets by on local rainfall and the stingiest of sunlight rations.
24:57Don't let shade hamper your attempts to garden.
25:01There is something for everywhere.
25:04With the right plants and a little bit of planning,
25:07you can have a stunning display even in the deepest, darkest corner of your garden.
25:18Still to come on Gardening Australia,
25:21Josh adapts his garden to the changing needs of his growing family.
25:27We meet a pair of Pelargonium pals.
25:30And we get you sorted out for the weekend ahead.
25:42Partnerships in the garden are always fruitful.
25:45And when a gardener and a garden designer set their sights on a country cottage,
25:50you know the fruits are going to be worth a look.
25:53Millie's taking the tour.
25:57I'm just over an hour's drive north-west of Melbourne,
26:04in the beaut little town of Trentham.
26:08Not far from these historic shopfronts is a gorgeous country cottage garden.
26:13It's home to Rhonda Watson, who's gardened here for the past four years after arriving in Trentham nearly a decade ago.
26:28In the morning, I usually come out with a cup of coffee and do a bit of a twirl.
26:33Have a look at everything, all the colours and see what the weather's doing, look at the trees, especially the big trees.
26:40I just love the way it moves and the colours and how it changes and the seasons.
26:46The garden was created by family friend, horticulturist and designer, Tim Pilgrim.
27:06I remember when Tim first came, I said, I can picture a winding path and I can picture mounds of soil and I'd like some grasses.
27:20That's all I said, really.
27:22Yeah, I think she put a lot of trust in kind of the aesthetic that, you know, I'd, you know, previous gardens I'd built.
27:29We'd talk about how wide we wanted the path and we'd walk down and just see.
27:33I said, I want it wide enough for two people and we're always doing something together, aren't we?
27:38Yeah, I mean, it's just as well that we made the paths that wide because you can barely get through them now.
27:43Yeah, yeah, yeah.
27:47But Rhonda's grandchildren always find a way through.
27:54The site did throw up some challenges when designing the gardens.
27:58And so tell me about this long, narrow block.
28:03The house is taking up the southern boundary.
28:06It runs east-west and takes in all of the northern light.
28:10So we had this, you know, relatively short pocket, thin strip, eight metres wide in the kind of narrowest part.
28:17I think it was important from the narrowness of the block to insert those winding paths because it kind of gave us some depth.
28:23It allowed us to kind of hill up some soil and add a bit more height and depth to the planting and it blends in really well now.
28:29I think the garden and the house sit nicely together.
28:32You've got not a great deal of depth here, but looking over at that beautiful maple, it feels like it's part of this garden.
28:45Yeah, absolutely.
28:46And we tried to borrow some of that in the garden.
28:49So we injected some small trees and kind of play on the tree lines in the distance as well as some topiary form to kind of bring that formality and play with informality down to the ground.
29:00As much as I love the frothy, free-flowing perennials, I also like form.
29:09I think it almost makes the loose, free-flowing stuff pop a bit more when there's contrast.
29:14Because you need something to kind of ground it, don't you?
29:16Yeah.
29:17This is an absolutely bomb-proof plant.
29:19This is Tucrium fruticans from the Mediterranean region.
29:22Loves the wet soils here and the short seasons.
29:25But, yeah, equally they like it down in the gold fields.
29:28And I can see that you've almost repeated the shape of these gorgeous grey spheres with the clipping of the pears.
29:35Yeah.
29:36They're quite formal by themselves if they were, you know, framing entrance.
29:40But as repetition, there's kind of some whimsy playfulness about them, kind of floating down the line.
29:45It's a garden that feels really emotive and, like, it moves around a lot.
29:49But is there really a descriptive style to what you do?
29:53Well, it's naturalistic, I suppose, if we wanted one word.
29:56But it's all site-dependent here.
29:58I got to use perennial plants that suited the climate.
30:01We're not planning for one scene for one time of the year.
30:06We're trying to balance it out through the year.
30:08So even when the herbaceous perennials come down, there's that restful period when there's not much happening.
30:13But we've got this evergreen form and structure in the topiary balls and shrubs and trees
30:18that kind of hold that until spring comes again.
30:34Not often when we say, when's the garden at its best, do people respond,
30:39why don't you come when it's falling apart?
30:41Yeah.
30:42But that's exactly what you celebrate here.
30:44Absolutely.
30:45It's the longest scene that we have.
30:48Long after colour has gone, we rely on the form of seed heads.
30:53This one's an Oreganum, so it's an ornamental Oregano.
30:57This is Rosencuppel, this one.
30:58There's a few different forms, but this is a really kind of nice high one.
31:02You can use it for culinary purposes as well.
31:04And it smells quite nice as you walk past or brush past it when it's like this.
31:08And the sea hollies are always...
31:10They're gorgeous in bloom.
31:11I can see a few hanging on there.
31:13But then this fantastic thistley form.
31:16Oh, it's so great.
31:17It's a real light catcher.
31:18It looks excellent next to grasses.
31:20And you only need one or two.
31:21It's almost like the European teasel.
31:24Where did your interest in gardens come from?
31:34You're a central Victorian from birth, yeah?
31:36Yeah, yeah.
31:37My grandparents were avid gardeners.
31:39My father's a gardener.
31:40I don't know.
31:41I dropped out of school when I was in year 11.
31:44You know, I wasn't enjoying it.
31:45And I jumped straight into a horticultural course at the TAFE there and didn't look back really.
31:51My love is in plant composition.
31:53I hope that my design is considered.
31:55But for me, it's really about the plants and the picture they create.
32:01In amongst the plants, Rhonda has added her own special touch.
32:05I love this area, Rhonda.
32:09It feels like a little secret look.
32:11Actually, it is one of my favourite parts.
32:14Because for the first 12 months, it laid dormant, just grass.
32:18And then when Tim came back to cut down for the winter, we said,
32:22let's bring some of that garden up here.
32:24Right, so it was left as an empty space.
32:27Yeah, but I had already bought the bath and had organised an arbour.
32:32So, yeah, it just all came together very simply.
32:35And do you actually use this bath?
32:37We do.
32:38And the grandkids love it on a hot day.
32:40And we've bathed a dog in it.
32:42So, yeah, it gets used.
32:44And what happens around the back?
32:45I mean, again, there's only a narrow space there.
32:47But it looks like it's really heavily planted.
32:50Yes, and worked really well.
32:52Does it feel nice to have created this home and garden that everyone comes to?
32:56Yeah, it really does.
32:58It surprises me every day.
33:08Tim comes, well, once a year to cut it all back in the winter.
33:12And before we know it, spring will start popping.
33:15But I get to come back and, you know, swan in and take photos and,
33:19you know, still be a part of it.
33:22Get my hands dirty and cut things back.
33:24And if gaps need filling, we can talk about that together.
33:28So I feel like it's, obviously it's Rhonda's garden,
33:30but I get to feel like it's mine as well.
33:32I'm not very good at letting go of gardens either,
33:34so she probably won't get rid of me.
33:36That's good.
33:54Growing your own homegrown veggies is always really rewarding.
33:58And even as the temperatures start to fall,
34:00there are still plenty of things that you can grow.
34:03And if you're looking for something easy to grow, versatile,
34:07well, look no further than the mighty kale.
34:12It's been around for a very long time,
34:14but came into vogue about a decade ago.
34:17With kale, it's all about the edible leaves,
34:20which can be eaten raw, sautéed in soups and stews,
34:24and even baked into crispy kale chips.
34:27Unlike most members of the brassica family, like this broccoli,
34:32kale doesn't form heads or florets,
34:35but it can be used as a cut-and-come-again vegetable.
34:39For something different in the garden,
34:41kale really adds that difference of colour and texture.
34:45This is a beauty.
34:47Grey leaves and I just love that purple of the stem.
34:51A little bit bohemian, if you like.
34:53The green kale is equally lovely.
34:56Just got nice structure to it and a lovely green for winter.
34:59And this one is terrific.
35:01The purple burgundy kale, very curly.
35:04It looks like it's had a perm.
35:06It's best to plant through the cooler months,
35:09find a spot that gets full sun and use a rich soil
35:12or potting mix when planting.
35:14Throw in some compost and slow-release fertiliser,
35:17like you would with other leafy vegetables.
35:19Kale needs a good supply of nutrients, especially nitrogen.
35:23And of course, keep up the moisture in the soil.
35:27As the temperature warms up,
35:29you'll find that the kale may go to flower.
35:31And that means that the leaves can become bitter and rather tough.
35:35So just eat them beforehand.
35:37And as the seasons do change,
35:39keep a watch out for cabbage white butterfly and aphids.
35:43Just check it all over.
35:46So why not be cool and grow some crazy colourful kale?
35:52Gardens are never static.
35:59They grow and change as our lives change.
36:02Whether that's due to a growing family
36:05or a newfound interest in different plants,
36:08gardens evolve with time.
36:10And Josh's garden, well, it's no exception.
36:13When a garden is home to a young family,
36:23it will change over time, according to how the space is used.
36:28My family has clocked up 11 years in this garden now.
36:31So we've certainly experienced some of that change,
36:34particularly how the kids interact with the garden.
36:37Well, the next chapter is about to get underway.
36:41With the kids being older now,
36:43we're finding that we need more living space and less trampoline space.
36:48So we're going to extend the footprint of the house just a little bit.
36:51Now that will mean losing a few square metres of garden.
36:55But don't worry,
36:56the new structures will incorporate plenty of greenery.
37:00And in the meantime,
37:01I need to set about moving some plants to get ready for the build.
37:07When you think about it,
37:08the process of relocating can be quite stressful.
37:12Cutting the roots reduces the plant's ability to access water and nutrients.
37:18There are measures that can take some of the edge off transplant shop,
37:22like preparing a new home before the plant leaves the old one.
37:26A quick move is a good move.
37:31Timing is really important.
37:34For example, with evergreen plants like citrus,
37:38it's best to move them when conditions are mild,
37:41such as late autumn or early spring.
37:44Now, it's also a good idea to give the plants a hard prune before you move them.
37:50This kumquat is the first candidate for relocation.
37:53I'm going to cut about half of the material off
37:55to reduce the transpiration load on the plant
37:58in preparation for when I cut the roots.
38:00And I've also given the root ball a really good soak before the move.
38:04When digging out the plant,
38:14you want to take as much of the root ball as practical.
38:17A sharp shovel should cut cleanly through the outer roots,
38:21although you may need secateurs or loppers for thicker ones.
38:25Lift it out gently,
38:27keeping as much soil around the roots as possible.
38:33And put it straight into the new hole.
38:39Backfill with free-draining soil
38:41and water in well to flush out any air pockets as you go.
38:45I'm giving the roots a drench with diluted liquid kelp,
38:57which helps to reduce transplant shock.
39:00I'll also give it a regular water
39:02until it starts to reshoot and settles in.
39:05Now, the process looks a little bit brutal,
39:08but trust me, it will do just fine.
39:10These viburnums are compact enough to buy me some time.
39:17I don't have to make a decision
39:19on which garden bed they'll move into just yet.
39:22After pruning them back,
39:24I'm digging them out
39:25and transplanting them into pots for now.
39:28They can be planted out later.
39:30The trick is to use free-draining potting mix.
39:34Keep them well-watered
39:36and put them in a sheltered position
39:38until they've re-established.
39:43Grasses are easy to move
39:45and will re-establish quickly,
39:47so I can do the same with these small lomanderas.
39:50Trim them back, dig them out
39:53and pop them in quality potting mix.
39:56A short-stay accommodation,
39:58these pots will do nicely for now.
40:03Friends have already put their hands up
40:05for these large lomanderas,
40:06and next weekend they'll be coming over
40:08to help dig them up and divide up the clumps.
40:11For now, I'm cutting them back hard in preparation.
40:16But the Dianellas, they are coming out today.
40:20I've got just the spot for them along the driveway.
40:25Now, you might be wondering about the two bigger trees nearby,
40:28the crape myrtle and the quince.
40:32Being deciduous,
40:33now is not the right time to relocate them.
40:35I'll have to wait until the cooler months,
40:38when they're closer to being dormant.
40:42These will also go to friends,
40:44but for now I'll give them a preparatory prune.
40:47Taking cuttings is another way to salvage plants,
40:53especially from quick-growing soft shrubs like this corrier.
40:58The result being the cuttings become clones of the parent plant.
41:02Now, I could also transplant a small corrier like this,
41:06but I won't bother
41:07because I'll have so many plants from the cuttings.
41:12This is one of the less strenuous methods
41:14of keeping a plant going in your garden,
41:17not a shovel in sight.
41:20You want each cutting to measure about 10 centimetres
41:23and, again, take off most of the leaves to reduce moisture loss.
41:29Dip the bottom end in rooting hormone.
41:32Pop it into a pot filled with propagation mix
41:35and keep them moist in a sheltered position
41:37until they start to shoot
41:39and then pop them on until you're ready to plant them out.
41:45Sometimes gardens go through change
41:49and sometimes you'll just put something in the wrong spot.
41:53Don't be afraid to move plants if you need to.
41:56With the right preparation and aftercare,
41:58they're likely to handle the change just fine.
42:01And be ready for the next chapter.
42:03Let's go.
42:04Let's go.
42:05Let's go.
42:06Let's go.
42:07Let's go.
42:08Let's go.
42:09Let's go.
42:10Let's go.
42:11Let's go.
42:12Let's go.
42:13Let's go.
42:14Let's go.
42:15Let's go.
42:16Let's go.
42:17Let's go.
42:18Let's go.
42:19Let's go.
42:20Let's go.
42:21Let's go.
42:22Let's go.
42:23Let's go.
42:24Let's go.
42:25Let's go.
43:45Collecting plants is one thing, but when you start joining plant groups and meeting like-minded
43:50people, you realise that what really matters is the friends you collect along the way.
43:56Our next story is with a duo who are dedicated to a plant that's a garden classic, but they're
44:04taking things up a notch.
44:14Sometimes I drive long distances because of my love of plants, but today it's just a short
44:20drive.
44:21I'm visiting a friend who loves plants as much as I do.
44:27Hi, Janet.
44:33Look what I got.
44:35How are you?
44:36I'm fine, thank you.
44:37Look what I got at the sale.
44:38I brought you some cuttings, but that's another one to add to our collection.
44:42I'm Janet Martin.
44:43And I'm Jenny Brennan.
44:45And together we love pelargoniums.
44:48She's a beautiful flower.
44:50I think the variety of pelargoniums available to us to grow is just breathtaking and the flowers
44:58are so different from each type of pelargoniums.
45:01Yeah.
45:02First of all, I fell in love with them because they have many different colours.
45:08That's why I collect them and then, yeah, from them I just fell in love with them.
45:15The pelargonium family stretches from what people call geranium, which really isn't a
45:22geranium that everybody has in their garden, to ivies.
45:26And then we have species and perfume flowers and perfume plants.
45:33We have different types of colours of leaves and it just goes on and on and on.
45:3920 years ago, I bought 10 plants.
45:42Those 10 just started an obsession that I've never recovered from and I have loved them ever
45:49since.
45:50You could never be bored with them.
45:51The problem is stopping because you just want to collect them all.
45:55Yeah.
45:56When I started collecting them, I found there were background stories behind many of these
46:05plants, which is really interesting and I loved finding out about the people who had
46:11bred the plants or collected the plants and brought them here.
46:15Jenny has a different role entirely.
46:17She does all the growing.
46:18She grows from seeds, she propagates, she grows them on and then she sells them.
46:23Sell them all around WI.
46:26Which is great because I just want to collect them really.
46:29Dip it in there, yes.
46:30I have a Facebook page, Perth Pelargoniums and Geraniums.
46:35On that page, I've invited experts from all over the world who also contribute information.
46:42And now you can put it into the pot.
46:46I do small tutorials to show people how to do cuttings.
46:50It doesn't matter if it goes on the outside, just so long as it gets wet.
46:56That's it.
46:57Talk to people about the best ways to grow, how to keep their plants alive, what will
47:02make them flower more than any other way.
47:05We take it at an order...
47:07I have made amazing friends through that group.
47:10It's been wonderful.
47:11One day, I posted a sale in the page, Janet's page.
47:16And then he said,
47:18Oh, coming to my house, I have lots and lots, hundreds of them, different colour if you like.
47:24He gave me all many, lots of cutting.
47:27And from then, I bought all my collection from Janet.
47:30That's the start of the friendship with Janet.
47:34One of my favourite called Rainbow Hannah Jane.
47:37Yes, I love that one too.
47:38It's the nicest flower.
47:40You're wanting to have a flower on your plant, you need to have it in a good potting mix.
47:46You need to have it six hours minimum in the sun for it to flower.
47:51And you need to not overwater it.
47:53It's what kills most of them.
47:55The seeds are all coming off.
47:56Yeah.
47:57They will go without water for a long time.
48:00For Perth, they're a perfect plant, because they are actually South African plants,
48:05so they're used to the heat and our conditions.
48:08That's why I want to bring them back to be more popular again.
48:12Because they are very beautiful and easy to grow.
48:14And then you just stick them in the floor and then just, yeah, that's why I love them,
48:19because they are drought-toral.
48:21The real name for them is Pelargonium.
48:26But now, people call them as Geranium.
48:30And then, I don't know why, but maybe Janet can explain it.
48:34He know about this one, because I don't really know about the history.
48:38I just...
48:39She just likes to grow them?
48:40Yeah.
48:41Yeah.
48:42I just love to grow them, but I'm not really know about the history.
48:44Okay.
48:45So, the Pelargonium is the species that covers the umbrella of all these different plants.
48:54We have Geranium as part of it, but a true Geranium does not look like a Pelargonium,
49:00and it has a different style of leaf altogether.
49:03The Geranaceae family is vast, and we've even got some succulent members of the family.
49:11I think about 100 years ago, they decided to split it into Pelargonium and true Geraniums.
49:17Most people don't know the difference, so all of the plants we are growing here,
49:22with a few exceptions, are Pelargoniums and not Geraniums.
49:29The main one that most people will know is the Zonal Pelargonium,
49:33and that's the one people put in their gardens.
49:36It has a leaf like this with a dark zone round it.
49:39But nowadays, you can buy them with all sorts of differences,
49:44like a variegation like this one, which has a cream on it.
49:48And then we can move on to this one, which is a species,
49:52and they will grow in your garden just as well.
49:55In fact, they're really happy in the garden, and they come in all different colours.
49:59So this is a scented variety.
50:02The oils are distilled and used in almost every perfume that you'll have ever bought before.
50:08And then we have the ivies, which are the ones that I have collected in the past.
50:14And they just go on and on.
50:16Even within one type of Pelargonium, you have different types of flowers.
50:22So this is a rosebud flower on an ivy, but this one isn't.
50:26It's a double.
50:27And this one is a veined variety.
50:29Now what happens with this, it has a benign virus introduced into the stem,
50:34and that causes the veins to go light-coloured in the winter.
50:38A lot of people love having regals.
50:44They are called regals because their flower is the biggest of all of the Pelargonium family.
50:50In the springtime, they grow in a mass on the top of the plant.
50:55There's even miniature ones of these called angels.
50:58I grew up in Glasgow.
51:02My mum was a very keen gardener.
51:04She loved her garden.
51:05She liked her roses.
51:07When I came to Australia, I felt I'd come to the other side of the moon
51:11because the plants were so foreign to me.
51:14It was like looking at something I'd never experienced in my life before.
51:18So it's been a big learning curve for me being here.
51:22And I've loved every minute of it because I think the plants here are just fantastic.
51:31I grew up in Sumba, Indonesia, called Sumba Timur.
51:35My parents, they are farmers.
51:37I grow mostly the ivy one, and I grow sonal and regalus.
51:43I bred my own as well.
51:45And this one I have bred for myself is called Madame Lorraine Brennan.
51:51I named her after my beloved mother-in-law who passed away just one and a half a year.
51:58So I named after her.
52:03I have two boys.
52:08I think the first one is mostly interesting in what I'm doing.
52:13He loves gardening as well.
52:17I love the fact that we play different parts, but we work very closely together as a partnership.
52:23I always have something new from her.
52:26Every time she got new ones, she always give it to me to grow.
52:31That's why I build a collection.
52:37My partner in crime is definitely Jenny.
52:40I talk to people about my partner and I mean Jenny and not my husband.
52:45She's generous and she's very willing to help no matter what is going on.
52:50She'll say to me, if you're too busy, I'll come and look after your plants.
52:54It's flowered.
52:55Oh really?
52:56Yes, it's beautiful.
52:57And I know I can rely on her to have looked after the plants I've given her so that we can have them to share with as many people as possible.
53:06I love your loading shovels, Alex.
53:17Oh they're great.
53:18Nice and light.
53:19Good for some winter mulching.
53:21Yeah.
53:22So load up everyone.
53:24Here comes your list of jobs for the weekend.
53:27In cool areas, persimmons are starting to ripen.
53:37Remember, astringent varieties can only be eaten when fully ripe.
53:42The skin will be translucent and the flesh like jelly.
53:46Flowering now are native prostanthra.
53:49With heaps of species and cultivars available,
53:52why not find room for these adaptable showy cottage perennials at your place?
53:58If the rain has your garden paths turning into mud,
54:01lay down some wood chip mulch to stop the slip and save the soil underneath.
54:07In warm temperate areas, if your dahlias are finishing flowering,
54:11cut off their heads to stop energy being spent on producing seed.
54:16Try growing warm season herbs like basil on a sunny kitchen windowsill
54:21to extend the season.
54:23Looking to keep aphids out of your veggie patch?
54:26Plant out trachymean incisor.
54:28Their large flat white flowers will bring in the predatory beneficials.
54:33In the subtropics, Musayenda hybrids are putting on a lurid show of autumn colour.
54:39They can suffer from nutrient deficiency.
54:42So apply liquid fertiliser at half strength to keep them glowing.
54:47As we head into drier weather, top up mulch around plantings
54:51and throw down some pelletised manure to stop nitrogen drawdown.
54:56Now's a good time to take cuttings from begonias.
55:00Put cuttings into equal parts of coconut fibre, potting mix and sand,
55:05and expect new plants by spring.
55:08In the tropics, catlias are putting on a jaw-dropping show.
55:13Fertilised with a weak dilution of specialty orchid fertiliser every week to keep them going.
55:20Also flowering is lemon myrtle.
55:23Its fragrant, creamy white flower is a beacon for butterflies and bees.
55:28Dip prune after flowering to prevent seed setting.
55:32Hoyas are a tropical must-have.
55:34They're tough climbers that don't need much space
55:37and are well suited to your veranda or keeping your company indoors.
55:43In arid zones, if you're looking for some shade and a sweet crop,
55:47plant a grapevine.
55:49Seek out heat-tolerant cultivars which will do better in your climate.
55:55In the flower garden, annual flowers like violas, poppies and delphinium
56:00can all be planted now.
56:02Lettuce can continue to be planted now.
56:05Plant every fortnight for a staggered harvest.
56:09It's go time in the garden, so let's get to it.
56:13And remember, if you ever get stuck,
56:15you can always head to our website for all the how-to you need.
56:19Well, that's all we have time for this week.
56:28But the next crop is well and truly on its way.
56:31Take a look.
56:34I've got some great tips for making the grass greener
56:36on your side of the fence.
56:38I'm meeting a group of volunteers
56:41whose weekly social catch-up is helping to rebuild ecosystems.
56:47And I'm going to show you how to create your own little piece
56:50of high country in your backyard.