Epimedium,shade garden, garden advice Overview Epimedium is a genus of woodland perennials in the family Berberidaceae.They have a number of common names including barren wort, horny goat weed, bishops hat and yin yang huo. Some of the names refer to their use in treating erectile disfunction. They have a long history of usage in traditional […]
Category Archives: Advice
23
Jul
Jul
A short description of Pacific Coast Iris group. This is a group of evergreen Iris whose parents are indigenous to the Pacific north west of the USA. They come in a sumptuous array of colours and flower mid to late spring. The principal species used for the hybridisation of this group is Iris innominata whose […]
20
Jul
Jul
How to water your garden is a complex and variable topic because each garden will have different requirements. However there are many elements that apply across the board regardless of the conditions under which you are gardening. Water is without a doubt one of our most if not our most precious resource, it should be […]
09
Mar
Mar
In this article we will look at how to water pot plants. Some time ago a client phoned me, he was having trouble with a Casuarina bonsai. Almost all problems with potted plants are related to watering techniques so this was my first question to him “has it dried out?”. His response was “my trees […]
29
Jan
Jan
In this article we will look at how to feed plants. Many years ago I was with the Vicar of St Mary’s in North Melbourne, the church yard was dominated by a huge Moreton bay fig that had been unwell for a few years. Sparse yellowing foliage and significant die back. An Arborist was coming […]
14
Dec
Dec
In this article we will look at how to create a rock garden by choosing suitable plant species and creating the right conditions. In the age of mass planting rock gardens have become deeply unfashionable. For those of us with no interest in swathes of Lomandra a rock garden will provide the ideal environment in […]
14
Dec
Dec
In this article we will look at how to regenerate geranium in late spring. By late spring many of the cranesbills have past their spring best. The leaves are large, soft and tall. Sometimes the whole clump has fallen open. This is the time to cut the whole clump right to the ground. It’s better […]
05
Oct
Oct
It was never my intention to accumulate Hosta as one of my collections and I have not deliberately sought them out but rather they have come to me. A great friend who had collected Hosta for many years suddenly decided she had enough of them and that I was to be the recipient of her […]
30
Sep
Sep
Its quite common these days for a customer to go around my nursery phone in hand and google the plants they’re interested in. I find google useful for correct spelling of botanic names but with regards to cultivation, height, spread etc its hit and miss. Hardy is such a subjective term. If the post you’re […]
30
Sep
Sep
When to use mulch / mulching is a much misunderstood practice, the amount of misinformation out there is astonishing and the many forms available confusing. There are not many gardeners out there who fully understand the importance of a good thick many layered mulch. This is a process that is continuous spreading layer on top […]