The Veggie Patch report:

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The Birthday Gift:::::

My number 1 Gal pal and I getting ready to plant.

Here we are again, planting the coral bark Maple for her birthday.

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Growing mushrooms at home – Details for sourcing supplies.

If you live in and around Melbourne (Australia), you can pick up small mushroom growing kits (April to October) and order supplies for larger scale mushroom growing from Mark and Helen at the markets listed below.

If you’re interested in growing mushrooms at home and you don’t live in Melbourne – you can purchase mushroom growing kits at most major hardware stores and gardening centres.  If you would like to grow your own on a larger scale, check your local phone book for a person nearest you, who produces compost for mushroom growing.  They usually also stock the other materials you’ll need such as the peat/lime casing etc..  (The kind of mushroom compost you’ll need is not to be confused with buying mushroom compost from a nursery. Nursery compost is the kind of mushroom compost that has come from mushroom growers after the crops have finished and is used as mulch for the garden.)

The ‘Mushroom Shed’ Market day details:

(Melbourne -Australia)

Saturdays:
1st Saturday/month – Bundoora Farmers Market, Bundoora Park, Bundoora
All other Saturdays – St Andrews market, St Andrews

Sundays:
1st Sunday/month – Hurstbridge Farmers market, Fergusons Paddock, Hurstbridge
2nd Sunday/month – Whitehorse Farmers market, 397 Whitehorse Rd Civic Centre, Nunawading
3rd & 5th Sunday/month – Latrobe Uni market, Latrobe Uni, Bundoora
4th Sunday/month – Templestowe Farmers market, 1 Thompsons Road, Templestowe

Weekdays:
Wednesday: Monash Uni market (during semester)
Thursday: Latrobe Uni market (during semester)

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Lovely Lichen – the living garden accessory…

Here are some pictures of Lichen  from my walks about the Dandenongs

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Dig It Down Under Community : In the members area this month there is a competition/givaway of Emma Cooper’s wonderful book ‘The Alternative Kitchen Garden an A to Z’.  Entries close 25th July 2010.   Also there is an article on collecting and growing Lichen in your garden, including recipes and instructions.

It’s simple to register to be a part of the Dig It Down Under Community, just REGISTER HERE It’s free to join and your privacy is respected.

• I get into the nitty-gritty of grafting with Tony from the Dig It Down Under community. We talk about getting started, techniques, grafting heirloom apples, fruit trees and more.
• Tony and I talk about favourite heritage apple varieties.
• I discover a mystery tomato disease when I pull up my plants and I go in search of answers
• There are plans afoot for a major upgrade in the Veggie Patch and work begins

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Grafting links:

Videos of grafting techniques (Including Gene Yale’s Amazing Garden of Heritage grafted fruit trees):

http://digitdownunder.com/vegetable-gardening/category/grafting/

Grove Nursery:
http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter-nsf/WebPages/LBUN-5NU7KK?open

Tony’s top picks for heritage apples:

• Granny Smith;
• Fuji;
• Freyburg;
• Splendour;
• Spartan;
• Cox’s Orange Pippin;
• Lord Lambourne;
• Kidds Orange Red

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Tomato Affliction:

Here is a picture of my mysterious tomato affliction – root systems were severely affected. This was not root knot nematode, which is relatively common but something more sinister again…
Notice how the vascular tissue which carries water and nutrients has rotted and fallen away.  The soil was kept on the dry side…this was no case of ‘wet feet’.

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Veg patch upgrade:

Here is a picture inside the first igloo with  crops of beetroot, mignonette lettuce and seedling dwarf variety peas  in the background. Current winter daytime temperatures in Melbourne are between 10 and 15 degrees celsius with heavy frosts overnight. Watering systems are installed under a very thin layer of mulch so the humidity is reduced in the igloo.  Veggies stay dry and cosy.

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Costa’s garden : The backyard revolution

Below is a link to a series of videos featuring a makeover of a suburban backyard. Costa installs an aquaponics system, self watering Veggie Patch, fruit trees, a chook run and much much more

Costa’s backyard revolution, please click here.
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Here is the address of the salvia garden:
Nobelius Heritage Park, Crighton Ave, Emerald Mel 127 G4
More information:
http://www.salvias.org.au/Collections.htm
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Dig It Down Under Community : In the members area this month there will be more links and information regarding grafting. The site is temporarily down for maintenance as of mid June 2010.

It’s simple to register to be a part of the Dig It Down Under Community, just REGISTER HERE It’s free to join and your privacy is respected.

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Guilfoyle’s Volcano

The View from the top of Guilfoyles Volcano

Newly planted Lava Flows

Queensland bottle trees around the Volcano base.

Photos reproduced with kind permission from the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/rbg-melbourne/landscape-projects/guilfoyles-volcano

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Going Bush – Seed Collecting – Further Information

The information in this episode is relevant to parts of Victoria Australia but the principles remain the same.  Depending of where you are collecting, check with your local conservation/park authorities, local councils, land owners and road authorities before collecting native seeds.  You may need one or more permits/permissions.  Remember that you will also need to consider OH&S and you may need some training before you can pack your lunch and thermos for a day out seed collecting.

Here is a link to Flora bank with a great .pdf download with guidelines to collecting native seeds.

http://www.florabank.org.au/default.asp?V_DOC_ID=878

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Sheoaks – up close and personal

Forest or Rose Sheoak – (the jury is still out on the variety).  The corky bark in the foreground and the whispy weeping foliage in the background.  As I mentioned on the podcast, this is the best photo I can get of the foliage as there is so much greenery in the background that the fine weeping branchlets are hard to see.

Up close with the fine foliage.  These trees are sometimes thought to be conifers but they are true flowering plants.

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Book Review : The Alternative Kitchen Garden by Emma Cooper

For further information about our feature book review and ordering please see : http://coopette.com/books

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Dig It Down Under Community : In the members area this month there is a competition/givaway of Emma Cooper’s wonderful book ‘The Alternative Kitchen Garden an A to Z’.  There is also a list of the Top 10 plants used around Guilfoyle’s Volcano.

It’s simple to register to be a part of the Dig It Down Under Community, just REGISTER HERE It’s free to join and your privacy is respected.

In this episode of Dig It Down Under:

• The good dirt on Biodynamics – Interview with Anne Tillett from the Biodynamic Agriculture Association of Australia.
• The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show – Review and Highlights
• Strange Fruit  – I review Peruvian Ground Cherries and the Pepino with notes on how to grow them.

The Veggie Patch Report :

• I finally build my strawberry towers
• I finish my winter planting – just in time
• I follow up on a possible cure for the powdery mildew on my zucchini squash.

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Highlights of the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS)

The Rotating Globe from the ‘Yates Tree & Shrub Growers Victoria’ Stand.

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MALM – The Haggis Plant by Michael Strownix won the Gold for best floral feature.

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A box of the stunning Green Trick Dianthus.

More information can be found at carnations.com.au.

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Biodynamic Gardening:

More information about Biodynamic gardening and farming can be found at:

http://www.biodynamics.net.au/

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Peruvian Ground Cherries:

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Pepinos:

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My Strawberry Towers:

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Rock dust minerals can be purchased at:

http://rockminerals.com.au

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In the members area this month:

The free .pdf download this month is an introduction to Biodynamic gardening summary from our guest speaker this month – Anne Tillett of the Biodynamic Agriculture Association of Australia.

It’s simple to register to be a part of the Dig It Down Under Community, just REGISTER HERE It’s free to join and your privacy is respected.

Bumper seed saving special:

• Getting started with seed saving
• Interview : Michel and Jude Fanton, founders of the Seed SaversNetwork. How it all began and what they’re up to now, all over the world!
• The seed savers Network – I chat over the back fence with MargaretAngus from the Southern Cross Seed Savers group and I attend one of their livelymeetings.
• Sending seeds interstate – all you need to know about quarantine andcaring for our big sun tanned land. Interview with Rod Randall and Sandy Lloyd ofthe Dept of Agriculture and Food WA.

The Veggie Patch Report including:

• Strawberry strategy – increasing plants using runners
• Massive crop failure in the Dig It Down Under Veggie Patch
• The powdery mildew saga continues
• Winter planting and green manure
• Tassy Gals Patch – an update on the harvest.

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The Southern Cross Seeds Savers – Interview with Margaret Angus.

From left to right : Barry Revill, Len Evans, Margaret Angus and

a mystery woman, standing in front of a seed mandala.

Links mentioned during the interview:

New Gippsland Seeds:

http://www.newgipps.com.au/

Plant Aid:

http://www.plantaid.com.au/

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Seed Savers Network

Links to workshops (Michel and Jude are giving workshops in Melbourne in mid April

2010), seed savers handbook online, school gardens, and information regarding

purchasing books and the documentary can all be found at:

http://www.seedsavers.net/

Seeds Savers Video Channel :

http://www.youtube.com/seedsavers

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The results of ‘The Whipper Snipper’ Incident:

This button squash (Zucchini) was a huge plant of 3 metres in diameter. Then I improved’ the air circulation as the plant was heavily infested with powderymildew.

A few weeks later, there is healthy leaf growth and new button squash.  I did not treat the mildew in anyway, but if I had of (post hair cut) it might have helped to prolong plant vigour even longer. Sofar so good, looks pretty good to me.

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Some gardening shows and snippets of interest:

Costa’s Garden Odysey:

http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/costa/

Gardening Australia fact sheet on how to make self watering pots:

http://www.abc.net.au/g

ardening/stories/s2823571.htm

Radio National Bush Telegraph story about using sea water in a green house to

produce fresh water for growing veg: (mp3 podcast/download)

http://www.a

bc.net.au/rural/telegraph/content/2010/s2844166.htm

Go to the Friday 12th of March category, story number 1140.

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Here’s a story about what I brought at the rare plant expo:

http://digitdownunder.com/whatsup/?p=898

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Department of Agriculture Links:

Find all the information you need for sending seed and plant materials interstate

at the following links:

http://www.quarantinedomestic.gov.au/index.php

You will need to check all requirements are regulations for the state you are

sending plant material/seeds to. They will vary from state to state.

Here is a link to more information about the beautiful native butterfly mentioned

in the interview with Sandy Lloyd:

http://www.maroochycatchmentcentre.org.au/birdwing_butterfly_project.htm

If you’re not eating lunch, check out this gross picture of corn boil smut:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ustilago_maydis_de_2.jpg

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In the members area this month:

Four short videos relating to seed saving, including dealing with saving tomato

seed, pumpkin seed and beans/peas. It’s simple to register to be a part of the Dig

It Down Under Community, just REGISTER HERE It’s

free to join and your privacy is respected.

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Rock Minerals are now available in 20kg bags and can be purchased from My Fab

Store online. You can also email the store about having a bulk delivery (to one

address) for your gardening group.

http://rockdustminerals.myfabstore.com.au/

• The Secret Garden and the wonderful world of the Hoya.
• Tomato Blight and it’s control :  I go in search of the Tomato Dust of my youth and get the full story from Judy Horton from Yates.

A Bumper Veggie Patch Report including:

• What to plant now in cool temperate areas
• The final results of the ”No dig’ experiment
• Keeping the patch going while harvesting over summer and seeding for winter at the same time.
• I calculate what I’ve spent in the patch and the worth of the harvest so far and reveal the total.

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The Secret Garden and the wonderful world of The Hoya

Hoya Carnosa in the Dig It Down Under Garden

This cluster of flowers is half in bloom.  Even the buds are interesting.

Below is the link to the fabulous page with lots of pictures of stunning Hoya varieties:

(Give it time to load as it’s a long page!)

http://www.rare-hoyas.com/Catalog.htm

Here are some more worthy Hoya links:

http://www.succulent-plant.com/families/asclepiadaceae/hoya2.html#fhoya

http://asgap.org.au/h-aus.html

http://members.tripod.com/asia_flora/hoyas__iv.htm

http://www.international-hoya.org/

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The Veggie patch report :  Harvest Pictures

This heirloom pumpkin has grown through the kafir lime tree and hangs from the vine in amongst the chives.

There are more pictures of what’s up in the veggie patch here:

http://digitdownunder.com/vegetable-gardening/

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Woods Sherbrooke Kitchen Garden:

Follow Woods Sherbrooke Kitchen Garden Progress here:

http://digitdownunder.com/vegetable-gardening/?cat=172

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The Veggie Patch Ledger sheet:

Here is the link to the page with the ledge sheet for the harvest of the Dig It Down Under – Veggie Patch fiscal Year – 21 June 2009 to 21 June 2010.  This keeps a tally of what is spent on the patch and the estimate of what is consumed from the harvest.

http://digitdownunder.com/vegetable-gardening/?p=812

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What I did on my holidays:

Check out Riley’s new songs here:

http://rileyjordan.com.au/music-artists/

Listen/rate on itunes HERE

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Members Area : This months extras

• An article on striking cutting with thanks to Yates.
• The ultimate trellis for your peas!!!!  How to build it.
• Garden additives : A summary of additives such as lime, rock dust, dolomite etc…
• Video : A simple technique to layer straw into the soil.

Not a member?  It’s free to join – come and be a part of the Dig It Down Under community.  Register HERE.

Welcome to the special edition of Dig It Down Under.  I’m taking a break over the summer and so I’ve put together some garden related stories for this month.

Featured are:

• A book reading by author Sara Hardy from ‘The unusual life of Edna Walling’
• Monika’s Story – The woman who lived in her garden
• The Bird from Berwick – Running out of space to plant veggies?  Front lawn??  Now you see it, now you don’t!

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There is no download this month but next month I’ll be back in full swing with a jam packed new episode and new downloads.

• Gardening in Bushfire Zones – Interview with Dr Kevin Tolhurst from the University of Melbourne – Dept. of Forest and Ecosystem Science.
• My day at the Yarra River in Warburton and how I went over for a duck
• Work begins at Woods Sherbrooke – Rejuvenating and old kitchen garden
• Pest Control with Predator Bugs Pt II – Interview with Russell Fox
• Riley makes up her garden wishlist for Santa – but has she been naughty or nice??
• The Veggie Patch Report
• Free Gift for members of the Dig It Down Under Community – A download of the 5 top flowering plants for balcony, rooftop garden or that hot spot in the garden including top tips for keeping out door potted plants alive though summer.

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Gardening in Bushfire Zones

You can find out more about Dr Tolhurst Here

Here’s more information about fires, gardens and fire retardant plants.

Fires, gardens and fire retardant plants
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Woods Sherbrooke Kitchen Garden

Follow Woods Garden Story Here

http://digitdownunder.com/vegetable-gardening/?cat=172

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The day I went over for a duck…..

You’d never guess from this serene picture of a duck, on the Yarra River at Warburton,  that intrigue and and attempted murder were just around the corner!!!!

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Free Gift for members of the Dig It Down Under Community – A pdf download of the 5 top flowering plants for balcony, rooftop garden or that hot spot in the garden including top tips for keeping out door potted plants alive though summer.  It’s easy and free to become a member, simply register to join and you’re in!  You’ll not only be able to download free articles but you can also get a discount on garden related goodies from the shop.

• Edna Walling : Landscape gardener and Queen of Green. Interview with Sara Hardy, author of ‘The Unusual life of Edna Walling’.
• I chat over the back fence with Russel Fox, Agronomist and consultant to the Stone Fruit Industry of Northern Victoria, about pest control in the home garden using predator insects.  Part 1 of 2.
• I visit Cruden Farm, Dame Elizabeth Murdock’s garden at Langwarren, and the unusual circumstances that lead me there.
• I report on my big day out at the Tulip Festival and how I lost my heart.
• Veggie Patch Report : The weather warms up quick smart and the veggie patch goes off like a rocket.
• Free Download of the month for Members of the Dig It Down Under Community : A feature report identifying the main predator insects in the home garden – learn about them and what they look like. Courtesy of Russel Fox.

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Here is a fine example of the stone work, layers of green and tranquil water features that Edna Walling was renowned for.  This garden is in Sherbrooke Victoria and is one of the most complete examples of Edna’s work that remains.

If you wish to purchase the book from the following web site, nationally or internationally, just go to the ‘shopping basket’ at the top right hand corner of the site.

http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=311&author=485

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My Big Day out at the Tulip Festival

How I fell in love with Tulips – The rows of Tulips lay down before me in rows of color reminiscent of an open packet of enourmous color pencils!

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The predator traps as mentioned on the podcast will be available shortly at this site:

https://myfabstore.com.au/garden-gifts/

Members of the Dig It Down Under  Community:  Simply log into the members area to purchase products with a membership discount. This new membership area will be up and running shortly.

https://myfabstore.com.au/DDUmembers/

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Free Download of the month for Members of the Dig It Down Under Community : A feature report identifying the main predator insects in the home garden – learn about them and what they look like. Courtesy of Russel Fox.

To become a member of the Dig It Down Under Community, simply subscribe to the newsletter.  The subscription form is in the right hand column.  Your privacy is respected.

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• Romancing the Rhododendron – Joseph Hooker – The Indiana Jones of plant hunting.
• Exotic Toad Lilies – A touch of paradise in cool climate shade.
• Rosebud Community Garden – Their Story from the beginning and thoughts on starting a community garden.
• My Bamboo Odyssey begins – Will my tropical Java Black Bamboo seeds sprout??
• I visit the National Rhododendron Gardens.  The garden jewel of the Dandenong Ranges.
• My Number One Gal Pal, takes me on a birthday trip to the St Kilda Community Gardens.
• The Veggie Patch report including:

-The growing of 1000 water chestnuts starts with just one – growing my first water chestnuts.
-Tassy Gal’s garden update

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Romancing the Rhododendron

Sir Joseph Hooker was an intrepid plant hunter, trekking the Himalayas and risking life and limb to discover 45 Rhododendron Species circa mid 1800s.

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Toad Lily – Trycyrtis

Exotic herbaceous plant which apart from needing a little moisture,

offers easy care pretty flowers in part to full shade.

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National Rhododendron Gardens

The Rhododendron Gardens are like a jewel in the Dandenongs.

Here is a picture of one of the sweeping vistas from the gardens.

If you’d like to see more pictures, here is the link to the Walkabout page.

http://digitdownunder.com/walkabout/?p=235

Information on how to get there and the official site can be found at:

http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm?park=162

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Rosebud Community Gardens

Lawsons Park, Leon Ave, Rosebud. Victoria

Melway K17 486

Visitors Welcome – If the gardens are locked simply go to the organization “Connections” on the other side of Lawsons Park and they will give you a key.  If a member is working in the garden then it will be open.

For further information about the Rosebud Community Garden or to enquire about becoming a member contact Amalia Sintihinki from the Rosebud Community Garden on (03) 5986 3467.

http://www.peninsulahealth.org.au/news/Callingallgreenthumbs

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St Kilda Community Gardens

Here is a one of many pictures taken on my birthday trip to the St Kilda community gardens.

Luna Park is in the back ground.

More pictures here:

http://digitdownunder.com/walkabout/?p=212

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Pictures and updates of  Tassy Gal’s garden can be found at:

http://digitdownunder.com/vegetable-gardening/?p=783

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The ‘no dig’ garden bed begins:

Now this is what I call crop circles.  The outside pads of hay form the walls and the inside of the doughnut has pads at the bottom and loose straw on top.  Time to fill the middle with compost, rock dust and organic fertilizer pellets.  Then the zucchini can be planted.  More information is available on the Vegetable Garden page.
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Free Download for the month:

Last month the download was a guide to setting up a Veggie Patch in a weekend .   Now we need to sprout some seeds and nurture them in the patch to get them going .  The free download for this month, for people who are members of the Dig It Down Under community, is a four page PDF guide to simple effective and inexpensive propagation tips.  This includes hand making your own biodegradable propagation pots which is a quick process and it makes planting out a breeze.  The second part of the guide shows how to make simple effective mini cloches with built in heat regulators or thermal mass as it is known.   The third free download for the month is a guide to various potato varieties, their origin, shape, skin colour, flesh colour and their best use.  I.e. they mashers, bakers, friars or potato salad potatoes this is with the compliments of the VICSPA and Seed Potatoes Victoria.

To become a member of the Dig It Down Under Community, simply subscribe to the newsletter.  The subscription form is in the right hand column.  Your privacy is respected.

• I visit the Orchid show and learn about growing Australian Native Orchids
• Permaculture – A view from the outside looking in.
• The Dirt on Rock Dust – a chat over the back fence with Tim Bratton from FCRD.
• Luculia vs Hydrangea
• Fukuoka Revolutionary Gardener
• Quick Start Veg Patch in a weekend

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Masanobu Fukuoka : more information

http://fukuokafarmingol.info/

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Rock dust is available to purchase Australia wide at:
https://myfabstore.com.au/garden-gifts/

Dig It Down Under Members can purchase (from 22 Nov 2009) at:

https://myfabstore.com.au/DDUmembers/?

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Quick start veg patch cheat sheet is available for download from the members area.  It’s free to join and you will have access to all the information sheets and any special offers in the future.  Simply sign up for the newsletter.

I respect your privacy and will not pass on your details to third parties.
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.

• Review : Beleura house on the Mornington Peninsula with its grand garden.
• Weird & Spooky plants -  Gympie Gympie and Colletia.
• Day Lilies – more than meets the eye.
• Helleborus -   Heirloom favourite back in fashion
• Book review : Growing Chinese Vegetables by Geri Harrington
• Inspirational gardener : Peter Andrews, bringing life to barren land.
• The veggie patch report including a look in the latest Diggers Seed Annual.
• An chat over the back fence with my friend Annie.  We chat about her unusual garden, her love of ferns, her mosaic mermaids and we have a bit of a laugh.

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Beleura house and garden on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, is open to the public on set open days.

For more information or to book in for a tour :

http://www.beleura.org.au/ or call (03) 5975 2027.

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Helleborus :

Here are links to gallery pages showing some of the different ranges of flower types found in Helleborus.

http://digitdownunder.com/flowers/?p=407

http://www.hellebores.org/gallery.html

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Colletia : beauty from the beast.  The vanilla scent is quite divine.

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Day lilies (Hemerocalllis fulva) :

Some species of day lily have edible flowers (don’t eat the leaves or stems).   The Chinese use them in stirfries, soup and more.  It’s best to make sure you have the right variety as some lily species are poisonous.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylily

http://www.missouriplants.com/Redalt/Hemerocallis_fulva_page.html

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Peter Andrews is an inspiration to all gardeners.  Here is a link to the ABC TV website which has video footage of a show that featured his story and how he brought dead and barren soil back to life :

http://www.abc.net.au/austory/content/2005/s1383562.htm

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Book review : Growing Chinese Vegetables in your own backyard by Geri  Harrington

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Gympie Gympie – A spooky Australian native plant.

http://asgap.org.au/APOL2007/sep07-s2.html

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Here’s a picture of the Wallaby who prunes number one gal pals garden.  Cute and rather well fed wouldn’t you say?

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Download of the month :

They said my avocado tree would never hold up to the wind, especially the way I was planting it.  But five years later its going strong and has withstood winds up to 130 km/h.  Find out how I staked the sapling to help it anchor in the wind.  Simply download the two-page PDF from the Dig It Down Under community members area.

To access the download page and all the downloads from previous episodes, simply sign up for the newsletter. It’s free.

In Episode 12 – Australian Native Special Edition

• Interview over the back fence with John Arnott from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne
• Interview over the back fence with with Heino Lepp about Australian Native Fungi and the Fungi Map Project
• Feature Plant – Pink Mulla Mulla, this pretty plant was a favourite at the recent Flower and Garden show in Melbourne
• I ponder the possibilities of a bush tucker veg patch and I go hunting for plant ideas
• The Veg patch report and much more…

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Royal Botanic Gardens – Cranbourne

Interview with John Arnott – Horticultural Manager RBG Cranbourne

The dry creek bed comes alive after rain and the red soil representing the heart of Australia sets off this stunning feature bed.

Information about the garden including visitor information can be found at:

http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/rbg_cranbourne

Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens – Cranbourne

http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/support_us/RBG_support_groups/friends_cranbourne

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Interview with Heino Lepp, honorary scientific associate at the Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG).

Fungi Map web site :  http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/fungimap_/welcome

Heino Lepp has written articles about Australian Fungi on the fascinating ‘Fungi of Australia’ Web site at:

http://www.anbg.gov.au/fungi/index.html

You’ll find Episode 20 of Gardening Australia and the segment on growing Shitake mushrooms here:

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/video/download.htm

The first 5 photos are taken by my friend Lorraine on her Fungi Map walks.  The last picture (fluffy white) is taken by my friend Andi Crosser on one of her many bush walks.

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Jon & Janet’s Herb Spiral :

Following up from Episode 11, Jon & Janet built this spiral a while back and were kind enough to send photos and information to share.  For the full story please follow this link:

http://digitdownunder.com/vegetable-gardening/?p=470

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Some ideas for bush tucker for my garden:

Vic/NSW:

Tree Orchid (Cymbidium Canaliculatum)

Climbing Fringe Lily (Thysanotus Patersonii)

Milkmaids (Burchardia Umbellata)

Dodder Laurel (Cassytha Filiformis)

New Zealand Spinach aka Warrigul Greens

Northern Australia:

Macadamia Tree

Quandong (Santalum Lanceolatum)

Apricot Fig (Ficus Leptodada)

Pandanus (spp)

Bush Tucker resources :

Bush Tucker Field Guide by Les Hiddens – Published by ABC Books

Useful Bush Plants by Peter Bindon – Published by Western Australian Museum

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You can find my music site here : rileyjordan.com.au

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The download gifts for this month are part II of the Fungi interview with HeinoLepp and a mini podcast where I talk through my veg patch set up for spring 2009.  It’s free to join, simply sign up for the newsletter on the contact page.

Herbalicious & Spicy Special

• Vanilla Beans – Deep in the jungle
• Saffron Crocus – Exploring herbal gold
• Edible Chrysanthemum - Fragrant greens
• Build a herb spiral
• Herbs to ‘dye’  for – Henna and Indigo – a chat over the back fence.
• Raspberry & Strawberry Revelations – I am such  a gardening tragic.
• Veggie Patch Report – Spring planting 2009, planning starts now!!

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Saffron comes from the Stigmas of the Crocus Sativa

Chrysanthemum Coronarium – A herb or an edible green when young.

Vanilla pods on the vine

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Visit the Home of Annie and her Henna Art at : http://www.goddesscafe.com.au/

Here is the address for the interesting blog article about growing indigo in cooler climates :  http://www.sheeptoshawl.com/indigo.html

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This Months Gifts :

The gift for episode 11 is an article about making your own herbal tea blends written by Philip Moore.

Many thanks to Renaissance herbs for the use of the tea article.  Renaissance herbs are available at all good nursery outlets.  They are in the mustard coloured pots.

Also available is a schematic for building a herb spiral.

For access to this and other articles that are a part of the ‘Dig It Down Under’ episodes please sign up for the newsletter.  It’s free and your privacy is respected.  Please scroll down to the bottom right hand corner to sign up.

© Vanilla Image from Mary Lane. Image from BigStockPhoto.com  Thank You

©Crocus image from Elina Gareeva. Image from BigStockPhoto.com  Thank You

• Fantasy Gardening : Tree Shaping with Becky from Pooktre.
• Growing Tomatoes – Bumper Bonza Special.
• Over the back fence : One listeners ‘No Dig’ Story – ‘No Dig’ Success on a terrible site.
• TV garden gems to watch out for.
• Veg Patch Report.

Pooktre : Glorious Living Designs

You can buy these for your garden.  There is a book coming out on how to grow your own.

Me thinks I need to try this!

For more information on tree shaping the Web Site is :  http://www.pooktre.com/

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Landline – ABC TV Show – Link to transcripts for April 2009

http://www.abc.net.au/landline/archives/landline_200904.htm

Around the world in 80 gardens can currently be views on the ABC’s iView internet service.    You’ll need broadband internet.  You’ll be taken to a test page and then to a page with a choice of shows. Choose  ‘ABC Catchup’  or if you follow the link below you’re already there, just choose Around the world in 80 gardens. There are two episodes on offer at the moment.

ABC TV iView Service

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Links to Tomato Diseases and Pests Information :

Tomato Diseases

Tomato Pests

Il Tomatina Tomato Festival  : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Tomatina

Gordon Graham’s World Largest Tomato : http://www.bdb.co.za/shackle/articles/gordon_graham.htm

Tomato Tree growing in Walt Disney’s Experimental Greenhouse in Lake Buena Vista USA

http://www.wdwnews.com/ViewImage.aspx?ImageID=101932

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Links to other pages of this site mentioned in Episode 10:

Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens Pictures:  http://digitdownunder.com/walkabout/?p=146

My dream orchard for the pie maker in the family:  Check out the What’s Up Page from the 15th of May

In the meantime the web site for the Heritage Fruit Trees is : http://www.yalcafruittrees.com.au/

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The current gift for those on or joining the mailing list is:

A follow up article for the Bumper Tomato special featuring a sketch of Riley’s special trellis set up, a list of the top tomatoes for fresh eating and cooking and how to tell the difference.  PLUS   Instructions for setting up Riley’s own seedling protection system.  Thwart the birds and cats, keep your mulch in place and it’s all hidden from the eye.

• ‘No Dig’ Garden Special – The Ultimate Guide
• Nobelius – Nurseryman to a nation & Puffing Billy; the Garden connection.
• Reviews : Alfred Nicholas Memorial Garden, Pirianda Gardens & The Melbourne International Flower and Garden show
• What’s up in the Dig It Garden
• Vegetable Garden Report
• This months gift for mailing list subscribers : How to put together the Dig It Down Under worm farm using common garden bits and pieces.

Carl Axel Nobelius
(1851 – 1921)
and the Nobelius Nursey

Nobelius Nursery originally used the business name of Gembrook Nurseries, chosen because it was in the parish of Gembrook.
All photos reproduced courtesy the “Emerald Museum Collection”.

Nobelius Heritage Museum is located at Nobelius Heritage Park, Crichton Road. Emerald VIC 3782

Opening hours Wednesday 10am to 12pm, Sundays 1.30pm to 4pm

Closed July and August and on days of total fire ban.

You can purchase Jo Jenkinson’s book at the Museum.

Puffing Billy also known as Gemmy was a hard working train in the days when it was transporting logs, fruit, passengers and Nobelius nursery produce to Ferntree Gully where it was then taken to Melbourne city for export to other Australian states and to many parts of the world.

Reproduced with the permission of Puffing Billy Railway.

Website:  www.puffingbilly.com.au

No Dig Gardening Sources:

Esther Deans’ Gardening Book – Growing without Digging – Harper and Row

No Dig Gardening by Allen Gilbert – ABC Books

Step one of my no dig garden http://digitdownunder.com/vegetable-gardening/?cat=4

Links mentioned in the podcast:

Stawberry Wall http://digitdownunder.com/whatsup/?p=193

Pirianda Garden  http://digitdownunder.com/walkabout/?cat=22

Alfred Nicholas Memorial Garden http://digitdownunder.com/walkabout/?cat=15

Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show  http://digitdownunder.com/walkabout/?p=108

Daffodil Catalogue : J H Hancock  http://www.daffodilbulbs.com.au/

Rock Dust http://digitdownunder.com/whatsup/?p=174

The Bloke picks my Godzilla Zucchini by mistake  http://digitdownunder.com/whatsup/?p=158

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-53b889babf8e6c870bd85ce6d808c950}

• Lovely Lilies : Cuban Lily, Belladonna Lily and Vallota
• My Tasmanian Trip and the Designing of Tassy Gals Vege Patch
• Autumns Bounty : seeds and leaves
• What’s Up in the Dig It Garden : Vegies and flowers

Gardening podcast with a twist : http://www.rockgardentour.com/

>

Cuban Lily – These flower in spring and are dormant now so it ‘s a good time to plant a couple!

Available at :  http://www.gardenexpress.com.au/search.php?mode=search&page=1

Vallota or Scarborough Lily

A total champion in my garden.

It gets no direct sun, fertilizer or water (apart from meager rains).  No kidding!

Belladonna Lilies

These are common but aren’t they beautiful?  These need the sun, no question.

Cerinthe

My first year of growing these.  The bluish foliage around the flower bell is to die for.

David Austin rose William Shakespeare – Unfortunately, this photo does nothing to capture the true vibrant color.

Green gage plum trees are in the latest catalogue of the Diggers Seed Club:

http://diggers.com.au/

You can follow Tassy Gal’s Veg Patch in the big cage here.

http://digitdownunder.com/vegetable-gardening/?cat=9

If you want to get full details of the whole plan and process for Tassy Gal’s Patch, simply sign up for the new newsletter.

More information on wettable sulphur:

http://www.thewaterwisegarden.com/sulphur.htm

Geraniums

For more information and pictures. Please see:
http://wapedia.mobi/en/Geranium
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plantprofile_geranium.shtml

Geranium Maderense

Vegetable Garden Harvest:

One zucchini and a big bunch of beans will go into 2 stirfrys for two people.

These are only babies and they are about 30cm long.

At this stage they have little or no pith.

They are pretty much solid zucchini.

The poor desicated rose is the variety Arizona.  This was after a windy day of 44 deg celsius.

In this Episode:
*Geraniums – showy, sassy and drought tolerant. The low down on pelargoniums and geraniums, the first of a two part series.
*Growing raspberries : Fuzzy Fruit. Fresh fruit, pie, jam..where will it end!!!
*Garden Technique : Air layering. When you want to propagate those beloved shrubs and when cuttings just wont cut it.
*The latest on the Dig It Down Under Garden. Flower beds, vegie patch and more…

Here are some pictures of the Pelargoniums in the dig it down under garden:

These Regals have pansy type flowers:

These zonals have interesting foliage and ‘birds foot’ type flowers:

These have scented or interesting folliage:

Trailing Variety: This is a vigorous plant, even in poor soil. I trained in over an arch that was a couple of metres high and it still got out of hand.

Rasberries: I purchased my canes in winter from http://www.kinglake-raspberries.com.au/ This is a great resource site for all things raspberry!!!

Variety : Williamette

Now is the time to start preparing your soil for your raspberry patch. If you work full time then a little time every week to prepare the soil will make the whole process easy and seamless. Come winter, you just order the canes and pop them in!

There is a great article on air layering called AIR LAYERING FOR DIFFICULT-TO-ROOT PLANTS by Everett E. Janne. For some reason I cannot link to it directly but if you would like to cut and paste the title into google search, it should come up first on the list. Appologies for the inconvenience.

In the flower garden I have planted some Cerinthe plants. It’s the first time I’ve grown these and I have never seen them in real life. Here is a link to some information: http://theseedsite.co.uk/profile408.html

The vegie patch is powering along and you can see some pictures on the new vegie patch page on the web site at: http://digitdownunder.com/vegpatch.html

A gardening podcast that I highly recommend is at coopette.com. I’ve been listening for about a year now and even though it’s based in Brittan, a lot still applies to the land down under.

The Voodoo Lilly – Picture taken at Herronswood, Home of the Diggers Seed Club.

Echium Wildpretti – Picture taken at Herronswood, Home of the Diggers Seed Club.

The D Bed of the vegie patch planted with Potatoes at the rear, Zucchini next in & leeks in the foreground. The lettuce that is being harvested is to the left of the stump.

In this episode:
* Sweet Hokowase Japanese Strawberrys
* Mint Bush – Drought tolerant and beautiful.
* Oxalis – Weeds of our lives
* Apple Blossom Time – Takes my breath away
* Lettuce Pray – The first seedlings hit the dirt & the Vegie Patch Report.

Strawberries – History of Cultivation
http://www.nal.usda.gov/pgdic/Strawberry/book/bokeight.htm

Here is a picture of the protective Strawberry Cone. Just dangle the fruit inside it, with the stalk still connected to the main bush.

Mint Bush
http://www.rainyside.com/features/plant_gallery/herbs/Prostanthera_rotundifolia.html

Oxalis

Here is a picture of a particular weedy variety of oxalis. There is a larger leaf variety that’s a bit of a problem too. There are some ornamental oxalis that aren’t invasive and they must not die!

The apple blossom knocked me off my feet this year. Photo’s never do justice to the real thing.

Would love to hear from you. Please click on the ‘feedback’ link below. You can find a copy of the comments policy at : http://www.digitdownunder.com/commentspolicy.html

mp3 file approx 36 Minutes & 33 mb:

In this episode:
* Whats good eating in the vegie patch now
* Diggers Seed Club Catalogue – What’s hot in heirloom vegies.
* My personal potato famine.
* Come with me on my trip to Herronswood – beautiful garden by the bay.
* The seeds of content – I boost my seed stash with new varieties.
* What I’m planting in the patch this year.
* My vegie patch renovation.

Diggers Seed Club

http://www.diggers.com.au/

Herronswood:

http://www.diggers.com.au/gardenHerons.shtm

Here’s a picture of the parterre garden with the decorative purple mustard and artichoke foliage.

Here’s a picture of the front garden on the way up to the shop.

Here’s a link to the caged potato method that I was going to use this year

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s2336819.htm

Instead, I decided to put them along side an edge of the garden bed where I could pull the bricks away and harvest them. I plan to lay the stalks down and then parallel to the edge of the bed and put straw on them. The variety is Dutch Cream. Here they are before being covered with about 6 inches (15cm) of soil.

Here’s the garlic, planted ready to be covered with up to 2 inches (5 cm) of soil.

List of planting in this years vegie patch:

Potato, tomatoes, beans, cucumber, rock melon, basil, parsley, leeks, lettuce, spinach, strawberries, raspberries, celery, chillies, zucchini, pepino & cucumber.

Here are some sketches of the different vegie patches and some proposed plantings.

The main vegie patch with the D Bed and the J Bed attached:

Here is the sketch for the bed near the circle:

Here is the Sketch for the bed near the Apricot tree:

Here is a link to some pictures of the main bed as it stands now, post renovation.

http://www.digitdownunder.com/digitmygarden.html

Would love to hear from you. Please click on the ‘feedback’ link below. You can find a copy of the comments policy at : http://www.digitdownunder.com/commentspolicy.html

mp3 file approx 54 Minutes & 36 mb:

In this episode:
* From mud pies to dirt queen – My journey from clay to loam.
* There’s a disco in my nursery – My new grow lights
* PH stands for Phun.
*Interview with Kerry Dawborn from the community harvest project.
*Tribute to Kevin Heinze, passionate gardener and tv presenter of “Sow What”.
*Setting up the vegie patches for spring planting.

Grow Lights:

Here is some general information I found while surfing the web. I didn’t buy my lights from this site. If you’re looking to buy from this site, I don’t know where these sellers are based. They maybe overseas sellers. http://www.homegrownlights.com/WhyLED.html

I purchased my grow lights on ebay from a person based in Australia.
Here is a page with information about how NASA is using LED lights to grow food in space for astronauts. There’s a brief history of grow lights here as well.

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/light_farming_010926.html

My personal plant disco:

The four phases of soil in my garden.

This is the natural clay. This was the starting point in the main vegie patch 17 years ago.

This is the soil in the small veg patch near the apricot tree. It is still heavy but it’s on the way. It has had a couple of loads of compost over the last couple of years and small amounts of mulch. I never used to grow much here until I realized that it’s a natural plant haven in high summer. I need to add quite a bit to it this year to get it ready for spring planting. I’m looking to plant parsley, lettuce, greens, leeks, basil and cucumber to ramble over the lawn.

This is the soil in the small vegie bed near the circle. The soil in this plot has had some tending over the years. Daffodils were planted there, until they became so crowded, that I moved them out. This photo shows the soil to be more developed again, but as you can see bits of tree roots holding it together. These broken roots will break down much like internal mulch. There are tree roots invading the soil all over the block. If they are regularly broken up, in the various patches, there’s no problems. This bed will have tomatoes, zucchini and cucumbers.

This is the soil in the original patch which is now beautiful and crumbly and deep. In the early years, I brought in 120 bales of spoiled hay to this site, not to mention yearly additions of compost and anything else I could get my hands on. There are three sections in this area. The main section will get its first rest in 17 years. I’ll sow a nutritious green crop and slash and leave it to mulch. The other smaller sections need compost and will grow beans, red onions, garlic and button squash.

More information about soil ph at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_pH

‘No dig garden method’ fact sheet from the Gardening Australia show:

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s867068.htm

Kevin Heinze passes away at 81 years of age.

Story from the Australian news paper

You can find the Community Harvest Project at:

http://www.communityharvestproject.org.au/

Here is a link with some information on the use of grey water in the garden. It is interesting to note that the use of grey water to grow vegetables is not advised.

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/BHCV2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Grey_water_-_recycling_water_at_home?OpenDocument

Would love to hear from you. Please click on the ‘feedback’ link below. You can find a copy of the comments policy at : http://www.digitdownunder.com/commentspolicy.html

Welcome to Dig It Down Under podcast series show notes.

In this episode:

• Welcome to my garden – Half an acre in the mountains near Melbourne.
• My beautiful azalea – A love story
• Attack of the killer ivy – I lived to tell.
• David Austin Rose – William Shakespeare – Heaven on prickly sticks.
• Review- Gardening Australia vodcast and goodbye to Peter Cundal.

Have a look at what is happening in the garden:

http://www.rileyjordan.com.au/digitblog/blogs/index.php?blog=3

Click here for feeds:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/DigItDownUnder

Here is a picture of some of my front garden taken from the front door. As you can see, I’m in the process of redoing a couple of the beds after losing plants due to the drought. The trees in the distance are a part of ‘The Circle’. This was once a circle of conifers and gum trees but a couple died and were taken out. It still is a circle ‘room’ as I have planted some mint bushes in the front to keep the shape.

Operation Azalea:

My beautiful Azalea plant was run over by a 4 Wheel Drive. After scooping up the pieces it was time to operate. Cuttings were taken and I’ll keep you posted on progress.

Here are some pictures so you can see how beautiful the flowers are. This is an old variety and I doubt it would be available to buy today.

Here are the links to sites containing information and/or photo’s mentioned in the episode.

Weed of the moment: Ivy http://www.blitzworld.com/Ivy_Hedra_helix/index.htm

Feature plant: David Austin Rose – William Shakespeare http://www.davidaustinroses.com/english/showrose.asp?showr=3651

New plants in my garden: Liriope Royal Purple.  Here is a picture of what, hopefully, my liriope will look like one day.

http://www.americanmeadows.com/Images/Product/med/Prod_LiriopeRoyalPurple.jpg

Gardening Australia: Peter Cundals last show.

Vodcast: http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/video/download.htm

This first episode of Dig It Down Under is dedicated to the memory of my pet cat Sophie who died 3 years ago today. She was unique in the sense that she would roll up Camelia leaves in her mouth (by herself) and deliver them to me. She did this at least 3 times a day, every day. In her 16 years of life I estimate that she brought me at least 16,000 leaves. Miss you girl.

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-53b889babf8e6c870bd85ce6d808c950}

Would love to hear from you. Please click on the ‘comments’ link below. You can find a copy of the comments policy at : http://www.digitdownunder.com/commentspolicy.html