When Is A Park Not A Park?

Sydney Garden Talk Wed 5-6pm. Sat 12-1pm 2RRR 88.5fm
Feature Interview: Friends of Cudal Reserve-Tonia Amy and Andrew Wilson talk about fighting to keep this Reserve as open space instead of being sold by Sydney Water and houses being built on it. A park is not a reserve it seems. A reserve is land put aside for use yet to be determined even if it has been open space for more than 50 years. To support Tonia and Andrew email cudalreserve@yahoo.com
Vegetable Heroes:Garlic-Allium sativum-In Sydney we would normally plant after about the 20th March, and during April, but it was really warm still then and even into May, so you still could do it now. The crop might have smaller cloves though.
When you plant the cloves, don’t plant too deeply otherwise they will rot off. Plant them so the tops of the bulbs are just below the surface. Plant them about 8 cm apart with the point end facing up.
Garlic usually takes about • 17-25 weeks. 4-6 months to mature. You can tell because the leaves or stalks have flopped over and turned brown.
Design Elements:Reviewing Shrubbery. The shrubbery of older gardens from the 20’s through to the 60’s were a green backdrop to border plants. These were often hardy plants that could cope with drought and floods, but are now hard to find.You can find a list on http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/ (navigate via About Heritage/ Landscape & Gardens/Heritage Gardens) Let’s look at spicing up boring scenery with some mixed shrubbery. That are good doers as well and only need a once a year prune.

i. Abelia “Frances Mason-golden foliage and only grows to 1 metre. Easily clipped into a ball or standard if you like.
ii. Loropetaum chinense-chinese Fringe Flower-tough, good doer with dark plum coloured foliage and pink fringe flowers that aren’t that intrusive if you don’t like pink. Grown more for the foliage and can be trimmed into a hedge. Very drought hardy and landscapers are using them more in designs.
iii. Rondeletia amoena-Rondeletia. 3m dense glossy leaves with pale pink clusters of waxy perfumed flowers. Bird and butterfly attracting. Used in Federation gardens together with Viburnum tinus or Laurustinus. Hard to get now but available from the Botanic Gardens nursery. Grow it from semi-hardwood cuttings taken in October/November.
iv. Spiraea cantoniensis or May bush grows on roadsides in Austria. Tough plant with mass of white flowers in spring. Deciduous.
v. Justicea carnea & J. carnea “Alba.” Known as Brazilian Plume flower. Flowers are dark pink or white for the Alba variety. Grows to 1.5-2m. sun, part shade. Large dark green leaves.
ix. Babingtonia virgata, syn Beackia virgata. Replaces the ubiquitous Diosma. Similar leaf to Diosma and larger habit. Addition of very small white flowers-suit native bees and small mouthparts of beneficial insects such as predatory wasps and lacewings.
x. Leptospermum flavescens “Cardwell” great small shrub with hundreds of white tea tree flowers-like miniature daisies. Grows to 2m. has a weeping habit. There’s a smaller version growing to 0.5m called L. “White Wave.” Tea trees are often overlooked, but have very showy flowers and respond well to clipping. Great for a fast growing screen or hedge-can even get burgundy coloured foliage > morrisonii “Burgundy.” 3 x 1.5m Full sun.
xii. Callistemon-very hardy and cope with sandy soils easily.
Plant of the Week:Zygocactus-Schlumbergera spp.Zygocactus respond to light feedings with diluted liquid fertilizer during spring and summer growing seasons. If you’re growing them indoors,use any good houseplant fertilizer or African Violet food every two to three weeks. But I don’t think people of Sydney do that as they grow quite well outside. Give them a potassium food such as tomato food or something for flowers. Stop fertilizing in early March to allow buds to set. Do not transplant or move the plant once buds have set. Resume fertilizing after flowering. Use a general potting mix but added loads of coarse sand, or perlite.. Propagation-this is really dead easy. Just break off a small piece of branch with 2-3 segments and strike it in some sandy mix, like seed raising mix.
Whats On:Saturday 12, 19 and 26 June, Bushcare Training Workshop. Council's Bushcare program, an introduction to weeds and a practical session on the hand removal of non-woody weeds in the field. The course is free but you must book your place with Liz Powell on 9777 7871
Monday 14 June, Free Guided Walk on Plants and People of the Lane Cove River from 1.30-3.30 pm. Start at Magdala Park in North Ryde, . the City of Ryde on 9952 8222.
Friday 18 June, Moonlight Meander with Sugar Gliders, 7pm to 8.30pm. This is a free event from Willoughby City Council  Explosives Reserve, Opposite 42 Cammeray Road, Castle Cove. Bookings essential, phone Di Eva on 9777 7755