Garden Clubs

SYDNEY GARDEN TALK 2RRR 88.5 FM Saturdays 12 noon-1pm & Wednesdays 5-6 pm
Feature interview: Eastwood Garden Club Secretary:ailsa Wareham.
The club meets every 2nd Tuesday at 7pm at the Dundas Baptist Church,154 Marsden Road, Dundas (cnr Carson str.) opposite Brush Farm House.
Vegetable Hero: Chives-Allium Schoenoprasum.
Chives are a very easy plant to grow. A couple of seeds planted in a pot or a corner of an herb garden make a great source of a flavourful herb for soups, dips, omelettes and garnish for just about anything.. Chives like sunny spots, but they will cope with a bit of light shade.
They like well-drained soil, loaded with organic nutrients, and they like to be kept moist. That’s the tip. People think that chives are a dry climate plant because of their appearance-grey, narrow leaves, pretty much what dry climate plants look like.
So if you’re wondering why your Chives are looking poorly or not growing that much, give them so more water than you’ve been doing especially around the root zone.
Even so, chives will tolerate dry conditions for reasonable periods of time. Sprinkle chive seed on top of the soil and tamp down lightly. (Chive seeds lose their viability quickly; so try to plant them within the year they have been purchased.)
If you’re not having any luck with seeds, try propagating some by division.
That is, planting rooted clumps in spring,
Established or more mature plants usually need to be divided every 3-4 years. Design Elements: Ornaments in your courtyard garden.
Design Elements:Ornaments for your Courtyard
Choose large pots to make a statement. Steer clear of itty bitty pots-too much to care for, will need constant watering.
Plant of the Week: Hibiscus-Hibiscus rosa-chinensis
POSITION: In order to obtain the best results from your hibiscus, make sure you choose an open sunny situation, preferably sheltered from cold prevailing winds. Full sun is essential, although hibiscus will grow and survive in shaded positions, they will not bloom as prolifically as if planted in full sun. Hibiscus do well on northern walls, particularly the modern varieties.
Hibiscus will grow with other shrubs, but they prefer to be planted on their own, and to obtain optimum results prepare a special bed for them alone, so that they do not have to compete for food, light, water and sun. Half a day's sun is the minimum requirement Remember also that hibiscus grow happily in pots, given an open potting mix and kept moist
The best time to prune hibiscus is just before the new season's growth, usually about September
What's On:
Sunday 28 Feb, Permapatch Community Garden Lane Cove is open from 2 to 5pm if you’d like to find out more about community gardening. There’ll be a working bee, children’s activities and afternoon tea. It’s located behind Chatswood West Uniting Church at the corner of Pacific Highway and Mowbray Road. There’s parking on site. Call Jono on 0401 890 256