Gardening is Easy

Sydney Garden Talk 2RRR 88.5fm Sat-12midday, Wed -5pm
Feature Interview:winning team leader of Easy Care Gardening at Volunteers Award Ceremony in Ryde, Ian Norman, and interviewed by guest 2RRR trainee, Rosalind Horton. Why not ring today on 9983 1644 or go to the easy care gardening website. http://www.easycaregardening.org.au/ You’ll find the contact number there as well as the address and the little bit difficult email address as well. Or ring me here at the station and I’ll pass it on. Email: ecg2074@easycaregardening.org.au
Vegetable Hero-Asparagus officinalis-Common Asparagus. Grow it now-buy the Asparagus crowns from you supermarket, garden nursery or online.Plant in winter or early spring, while the crowns are still dormant. Plant in furrows about 20 cm deep and 30 cm wide. Place the crowns onto a small mound in the centre of the furrow, so that the roots point down at about 45°, spread the roots out carefully. Backfill with compost to a depth of 7.5 cm. Space the plants 45cm apart, with 1.2 m between rows. Fill in the trench gradually as growth progresses. The next Spring (that is, the first season) light cutting of spears can be done for the first month of the growing season, with normal cutting taking place each following year until late December.
Design Elements: Reviewing trees-why not go for Port Wine Magnolias?Some suggestions for hardier trees-. good doers-Michelia spp, port wine Magnolia.eg Figo, small purple flowers, Coco-slightly largere cream flowers, Mixed Up Miss, bigger cream flowers. Feature glossy green leaves and perfume flowers that are not that big really, but big on perfume. 3 metres-but can be clipped into a 2 metre hedge or less. Hardy and drought tolerant once established.
c. Bauhinia variegate-Orchid Tree-small tree suits most gardens. Evergreen with variegated pale magenta flowers. Heart shaped grey-green leaves.
d. Arbutus unedo-Irish Strawberry tree-glossy dark green foliage, bunches of lilly of the valley type flowers, red berries that can me made into jams and liquers. e,i. Eucalyptus cladocalyx “Vintage Red.” Is a red form of Sugar Gum. This eucalypt has deep coloured bark that looks quite black when young. The leaves are a deep dark red. Grows to only between 2-4metres. Can prune it back by 1/3 every 12 months if you want to keep it small. This is a grafted plant so any green shoots coming from the bottom of the trunk should be pruned off straight away.
Plant of the Week: Tagetes patula and Tagetes lemonii.Tagetes Lemmonii sometimes known as Lemmon’s marigold is a large ornamental shrub with a lemony smell and lots of single yellow marigold flowers. A profuse bloomer over a long season it is commonly used in warm climates as an addition to the perennial border or as an accent shrub along hot sunny walls. It’s bright green fern like foliage, wispy and soft, is not what it seems.
What's On-Camellia show at Ravenswood school hall Sat10th July 1.30-5pm and Sunday 11th July, 11am-4pm. Check out details at http://www.camelliasnsw.org.au/