Darling Dahlias

SYDNEYGARDENTALK 2RRR Saturdays 12-1pm, Wednesdays 5-6pm 88.5 FM
Feature Interview: President of Eastwood Evening Garden Club-Arthur Mc Cullagh.
Next meeting on Tuesday 13th April, 7.30 pm at Dundas Baptist Church Hall.
Dahlias are easy, just dig a hole and plant the tuber with some Blood 'n' Bone.
Divide Dahlias when they start to shoot next Spring.
Use Eco Rose for powdery mildew -contains Potassium Bi Carbonate.
Use Dipel or Success (contains Spinosad) for caterpillars.
Vegetable Hero: Salvia officinalis or Sage. Sage prefers a warm, sunny location, although it does not enjoy extreme heat. It is not particular about soil, except that it be well-drained.
Pruning after flowering will keep plants attractive and prevent them from getting too woody and leggy. Fertilize in early spring.
The health benefits of growing sage have been handed down to us from ancient wisdom.
Herb tea made with sage is a stimulant used to treat all sorts of ailment and disorders. It is also good for clean teeth and promotes healthy gums.
Sage is a mild tonic great for the nervous system. This mild tonic quietens the nerves, relieves spasms, helps induce sleep and combats depression, mental exhaustion.
Design Elements: Problem Dry Shady Garden. For dry shade under a tree-try Vinca major or Periwinkle-green leaves and violet blue flowers from spring to Autumn.
Cliveas do well in dry shade-orange through to creamy yellow flowers with dark green strappy leaves.
Grassy types-Liriope muscari or Lilly turf-purple flower spikes. Mondo grass-black through to variegations of green and white, yellow and green.
Lamium 'Beacon Silver'-has silvery foliage for lightening an area.
Ivy-Hedera helix, has variegated cultivars also to lighten an area.
Raise beds to increase growth of planting underneath or grow in pots. Hellebores do well in shadey areas as to hydrangeas, especially in raised beds.
Plant of the Week. Begonias.Begonias are desert plants, that is they are succulents so they don’t like overwater.
Originating in the shaded protection of tropical and subtropical forests, begonias will not tolerate frost, and most dislike direct sunlight except for some morning sun. This means that in frost-prone areas they should be grown under the shelter of shrubs or trees, under verandahs and pergolas or in containers which can be moved to protected spots, while bedding begonias should be treated as annuals.
The succulent nature of begonias means that they are able to store moisture and need less frequent watering. However, they prefer a humid environment with adequate ventilation to avoid diseases, and getting this balance of moisture and ventilation just right is the key to success.
Whats On:Wednesday 31 March, Royal Botanic Gardens. Native Fruit & Nuts walk and talk, 10.30am – 12.30pm Join volunteer guides David Chandler, Jenny Pattison and Lisle Brown to explore the incredible diversity of native plant seeds. Find out when a berry is not a berry, and a gumnut not a nut. On this ‘hands-on’ tour you will have the opportunity to discover the vast array of interesting and unique ways Australian plants package their seeds. Where: Maiden Theatre, Royal Botanic Gardens
Cost: Friends $12,non-members $18, includes morning tea at 10.30 am
Enquiries: 9231 8182