Hey Mr Frog – would you like flies with that?
Posted on | February 25, 2010 | 3 Comments
While digging up potatoes in the patch today, I dug up this little fella. While it is great that there are frogs in my patch, I’m always terrified that I’m going to skewer one and end up with frog – kebab.
Isn’t this little fella cute as the dickens. He’s a burrowing frog and I promptly put him under straw on soft ground where he could burrow down to get away from the heat of the day.
I did try to look up the local frog database to see if he might be endangered but there were too many frogs to work though and frankly a lot of them look the same. Anyway, he’s safe here. Hey mister frog – it’s dinner time, would you like flies with that??
Tags: dig it down under. frog > growing potatoes > veggie patch
Dragonfly on Giant Mushroom
Posted on | January 27, 2010 | 1 Comment
You never know what you’re going to find when you go walkabout. This giant mushroom measured about 22cm (9 inches) across! I don’t know what variety it was but it was not edible. As if this wasn’t enough there was a dragon fly laying eggs as it hung from the gills of the mushroom.
New Dig It Down Under Site Upgrade
Posted on | November 23, 2009 | No Comments
I’ve just upgraded the new Dig It Down Under web site. Check it out at http://digitdownunder.com.
Avocado trees, their kooky love lives & why to buy grafted trees.
Posted on | November 11, 2009 | 1 Comment
There comes a time in every child’s life when they ask mummy ‘ where do avocados come from?’ Well that’s pretty simple, they come from the supermarket unless you’re trying to grow them yourself, in which case you’ve got more chance of finding them in the cabbage patch than on the tree, unless they have the right mate.
It’s not uncommon for some fruit trees to need a different variety to cross pollinate but avocados have an interesting quirk in their pollination cycles. There are type A trees and type B trees. The type A tree has both male and female flowers but one set opens in the morning and the other opens in the evening, making self pollination pretty tricky although not impossible. The type B trees also have male and female flowers but have totally different times when the male and female flowers open and so cross pollination is highly likely when type A and B trees gets together.
This brings up a conundrum with self sown trees. As we all know, many an avocado pip has sprouted in the compost heap, but how do we know if we got a type A or type B tree? The only way to be sure is to buy grafted trees of known variety. Of course the other benefit of this is having a rootstock that suits your area. I live in a cool climate and the rootstock of my avocado tree is ‘Americana’, which suits my climate.
Do you grow an avocado tree successfully. What are your tips? Please feel free to click on the comments link and let us all know.
Tags: avocado tree no fruit > fruit set on avocado trees > fruiting avocado trees > growing avocado trees > how to get avocado trees to fruit > no fruit on avocado trees
The five Keys to success for under planting roses.
Posted on | November 6, 2009 | 1 Comment
In my last article about under planting roses, I dealt with the stark winter Rose patch, when roses are just pointy sticks sticking up out of the ground. A succession of well chosen daffodil varieties really hits the spot to fill the Rose patch over winter. Of course because the roses are dormant, there are no issues with various fungal diseases building up but come spring and summer this can become a major problem.
How to choose a suitable bedding plants for Rose beds and how to plan for succession flowering.
The five keys to success are;
1. Good ear circulation to reduce fungal attack.
2. Plants that will not compete too heavily in the root zone.
3. Plants that are rich in essential oils with antifungal properties are preferred. This includes catmint, dwarf lavender and many herbs.
4. Aesthetic considerations. If your rose blooms are white then you might go with an under planting of catmint which is a silvery leaf and a mauve flower. If your rose blooms are deep red and if the bushes are spaced with a reasonable width between them, then there are some lovely blue salvias that would send up tall spires of flowers to create a stunning effect. Remember to keep air circulation in mind.
5. Succession planting. If you would like a stunning effect year-round in your rose patch and let’s say you’ve planted daffodils for winter flowering, then you might want to consider annual spring/summer flowering plants such as salvias. Perrenial plants that would fill the gap would be yarrow, campanula, catmint and hyssop.
I have this trick whereby I plant bluebells and late flowering bulbs around the border of the Rose patch. When the bluebells are flowering, the daffodil foliage (within the patch) is still lush even though the flowers have gone. This makes for a wonderful effect with the first flush of roses. As the daffodil foliage starts to fail, I plant in annual salvias which then grow quickly to hide the daffodil foliage and the Rose patch fills out in blooms once again. The other strategy that I plan to use it to scatter some yarrow through the patch as it is hardy and drought tolerant and will come up in late summer. I will also plant some catmint as a border so that when my late spring flowering bulbs die down the catmint will take over.
What are your favourite plants for growing under roses? Please feel free to click on the comments link and leave your thoughts.
Tags: companion planting roses > growing roses > how to make a rose garden > under planting roses
Growing, planting and living among the gum trees.
Posted on | October 30, 2009 | 1 Comment
I am the self appointed Queen of planting, growing and cursing under the gum trees. I share my half acre with about 35 x 30 meter tall messmate gum trees. On a windy night when a gale force blast hits the ridge like a thousand hammers, the sound is terrifying.
Growing any plant that is not native to this area can be tricky, particularly with heavy clay soil.
I’ve had a veggie patch here for the last 18 years and while yields are probably down from the optimum, I haven’t gone hungry. Just to clarify, the veg patch is not near the gum trees, it’s right under about 4! Two have been removed recently but it still counts.
The good side of having these trees, is that the sun comes in underneath as they don’t have much of a canopy, so I get the bonus of a good micro climate and frost protection. The bad side is that I need lots of ‘inputs’ into the soil but probably not a lot more than the usual. I break up the surface roots with a fork before planting (every year) and add lots of mulch and compost. I’ve built up the beds at least 20cm above the ground, using sleepers to hold back the compost mix. A no dig garden would also work.
In high summer I have been known to put a fork in the soil at the periphery of plant roots, to open the soil up and I’ve shoved a hose in deep into the soil – about 20cm down. Since the water restrictions imposed by the drought conditions, I can do the same with a bucket of water but a bit of water pressure helps here.
Some other plants that grow well in my garden (apart from the appropriate natives which live with gum trees anyway) are:
- Camellias
- Rhododendrons
- Roses (with lots of compost if clay soil)
- Geraniums
- Pelargoniums
- Azaleas
- Magnolia
- Salvias
- Clematis
- Daffodils
- Fushias
- Luculia
- Tree Ferns
- Wisteria
- Penstemons
- Lavender
- Winter Sweet
- Loquat tree
These are all pretty hardy and as long as they have some compost dug in, surface mulch and water, there’s no worries.
What do you grow amongst the gum trees? Please feel free to leave a comment.
Tags: Azaleas > Camellias > clematis > daffodils > Fushias > Geraniums > growing under gum trees > growing vegetables under the gum trees > Lavender > Loquat tree > Luculia > Magnolia > Pelargoniums > Penstemons > Rhododendrons > Roses > Salvias > Tree Ferns > winter sweet > Wisteria
Mini Fields – Growing tributes for those affected by breast cancer.
Posted on | October 28, 2009 | 1 Comment
I was lucky enough to be asked to sing, along with my good friends Lee and Cheryl, at Cruden Farm. This was all in aid of supporting those people who have been touched by breast cancer. As if this was not joy enough, the venue was at one of the best gardens in Australia – Cruden Farm – home of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch.
Upon arrival, I was confused as to which of the three entrances to use to get to the backstage area. In the process of exploring all options, I found myself driving through the famous Lemon Scented Gum Avenue. So beautiful.
During the morning morning tea break, I was able to wander the serene and a lush garden-scape, discovering borders full of freshly blooming roses and peony poppies to name but a few.
The walled garden was a favourite with visitors and was rather reminiscent of a monastery garden. Yet again, I walked among the footsteps of Edna Walling, who was involved in the early setup of the garden (and the lemon scented gum drive).
The picture below represents the people who are remembered, supported and honoured on the day. During the ceremony, we all took these pink symbols of women to the lake and planted them. Each figurine had the name of a loved one who had or has been touched by breast cancer.
Mini fields, breast Cancer support and awareness Day. Above is the planting of memories for those who have been touched by breast cancer. In the background, is one of the lakes at Cruden Farm in Langwarrin – Victoria – Australia.
More pix from the day here:
http://rileyjordan.com.au/biography_gigs/?p=80
Tags: breast cancer > cruden farm > Dame Elisabeth Murdoch > mini fields > open Garden scheme > raising the awareness of breast cancer
Edna Walling – Landscaping in layers of green
Posted on | October 21, 2009 | 1 Comment
French artist, François Boucher, is known for his famous artistic analysis of nature, insisting that there is “too much green and poorly lit” however, in the hands of a landscape artist such as Edna Walling, the result of ‘layers of green’ and ’subtle lighting’ make for genius.
I was recently bewitched by the wonderful account of Edna Walling’s life written by Sara Hardy. It is one of those books that makes you want to curl up in front of an open fire, take the phone off the hook and pretend you’ve got the flu so that everyone will leave you alone (and will wait on you hand and foot).
The account of her life is inspirational, so much so, that at times I felt completely lazy and wondered what I had been up to all of these years. What Edna Walling achieved in her lifetime I could only dream of achieving in two lifetimes.
By sheer coincidence, I was able to visit one of the most complete of her garden legacy, just this weekend past. Mawarra, in Sherbrooke ( in the Dandenong Ranges) was opened to the public via the open Garden scheme.
The garden was deeply peaceful and restful, with its dry stone walls and Italianate axes giving purpose to layers of green. I also felt privileged to see a framed original plan of the garden layout, sketched by Edna Walling’s own hand.
It would be easy to describe the garden in terms of structure and plants but it would not do it justice.
I have become fascinated by Edna Walling’s life and legacy and to that end I am on a mission to prepare a story about her life for the next pocast – Episode 16 of Dig It Down Under.
Tags: Edna Walling > Edna Walling Garden > landscape gardeners > landscape gardening > mawarra > Sara Hardy > the grove
My Best Mulch Pick – choose wisely or pay later.
Posted on | October 8, 2009 | 1 Comment
It’s pretty well agreed in the gardening world that mulch is a beautiful thing. Unlike global warming there are no ‘mulch skeptics’ that I know of. Sure there is debate amongst mulch depth, frequency and types of mulch but it’s pretty much just the details.
When it comes to straw type mulches, particularly for the veg patch or flower beds, there’s a bit of a problem with them seeding internally. If you buy pea straw you get peas coming up etc.. In some cases, you can get thistles and other weeds springing up from bales as well.
I see red when this happens and as Buggs Bunny says : Dis means war!!
The best strategy for dealing with this is to composts it or dampen down the bale and pop it into a garbage bag for a while until the seeds germinate and die – but what a pain this is. The idea of mulch is to feed and retain water in the garden, not to create a whole other set of tasks.
Last summer, in the intense heat, I needed some mulch that would not seed so I decided to bite the bullet and pay top dollar for sugar cane mulch.
Well I was delighted with the outcome, no weeding, the mulch held water beautifully and compacted gently on the surface to block weeds and evaporation.
It was then that I realized that I could pay more now and have no fuss or pay more later (if I brought a bale) and have to waste time and energy.
The only other comparison is lawn clippings with dry leaves in them, left for a couple of weeks. If you mow your own then you know it’s clean.
For small scale mulching and if money is not too much of a concern, I would go with sugar cane mulch every time. (PS I have tried coconut fiber and it’s a bit acidic plus there is the process of reconstituting it with water, which is just more fuss again).
Do you have any mulch time saving tricks or ideas? Please feel free to leave a comment on the comments link.
Tags: bales of hay for mulch > coconut fiber mulch > hay > mulch > oat straw > pea straw > sugar cane mulch
Heritage potatoes, woodchop and gourmet show bags at The Royal Melbourne Show
Posted on | October 1, 2009 | No Comments
Melbourne is renowned for having four seasons in one day which can be very annoying to say the least but the weather for this year’s Royal Melbourne agricultural show was nothing less than completely dismal. Freezing cold, driving rain and the odd spot of hail just to rub it in. I was considering staying home this year but I relented at the last minute and I was not disappointed.
I love the wood chop and was lucky enough to catch the final of a triple event. I don’t know the technical terms but the first one was cutting a log on its side, the second was cutting a log from above (standing on the log) and the third one was cutting indents into a pole, placing planks in those indents (to stand on) and climbing the pole to chop the top off. My favourite family from previous years, the O’Toole’s from Victoria, did not fare so well this year. Nonetheless, I remain loyal and look forward to seeing them next year.
Once again, the slow food movement had a colourful table full of heritage potatoes all labeled neatly. I was able to score a chart of the various varieties and how they all fared in regards to boiling, mashing, baking and chipping. They also had an heirloom potato hunt for the kiddies with long bays of potting mix for little hands to search through for potatoes.
The main pavilion, which is designed to look like a huge circus tent, housed row after row of delectable produce from mainly small growers and manufacturers. Chillie flavored nuts, organic doughnuts, all manner of lavender soaps, lotions and teas, handmade ice cream, organic wines, specialty jams, rare coffee beans, sun dried local fruit and the list goes on. The show bags were to die for.
I finished up with a quick tour of the baby animals and a gentle stroll through the craft displays, featuring the ever popular decorated cakes, knitting exhibition and photo gallery. Every time I marvel at those meticulously crafted wedding cakes I am taken back to my childhood and I am back there with my mother, both smiling and laughing at the quirky, the weird and wonderful.
Do you have fond memories of attending the Royal Melbourne show? Please feel free to leave a comment via the add comments link.
Tags: the Melbourne show > the Royal Melbourne agricultural show
Dig It Sites
About this Site
This page is part of the site for the Dig It Down Under Gardening Podcast. Riley Jordan is the host of the show.
Every month there is a new free mp3 audio episode which features gardening stories, interviews and garden reviews.
© 2008-2009 Sun50 Pty Ltd All Rights Reserved
The contents of this site are copyright. Please email Riley for permission to reproduce any of the content from the Dig It Down Under site.
Join our Community
Register to join the Dig It Down Under Community here and receive all the benefits of membership as well as the newsletter.Click here to register.
Benefits include free downloads every month as mentioned in each episode and discounts on products sold in the My Fab Store - Gifts for Garden Lovers.
Categories
- Bulbs
- container gardening
- drought
- Fire, Floods and Famine
- flowers
- Forests
- Fragrance
- fruit trees
- Fungi & Mushrooms
- Garden walks
- gardeners
- Giant Pumpkins
- Gum Trees
- Herbs and Spices
- History
- Lemon Trees
- Little critters
- Musings
- pets
- Roses
- Seeds
- Shade Tolerant Plants
- soil preparation
- trees
- Uncategorized
- Vegetables
- watering
- Weather
- Winter Vegetable Garden
Subscribe
Search
What I'm Doing...
- DDU Veg Patch Post: Storms, seeds and dividing artichokes. http://digitdownunder.com/vegetable-gardening/?p=1042 3 days ago
- The veggie patch is drying out big time. I thinks I've lost my beautiful crop of leeks. Looks like cornflakes for winter again. 1 week ago
- DDU-Flowerscape: Leucadendron - Flower shaped folliage http://digitdownunder.com/flowers/?p=420 1 week ago
- More updates...
Posting tweet...
Powered by Twitter Tools
Translator
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| By N2H | |||||