Posts by henrietta
The Pleasures of Spring
The colours, energy and sheer vitality of plants in spring always take me by surprise. Roses flower magnificently, fruit trees and ornamentals are covered in blossom and the birds and the bees are constantly busy. Rose ‘Abraham Darby’ Don’t forget that now is a busy time in the garden for humans too. An application of compost and organic fertiliser will be appreciated in the garden, followed by a layer of mulch, preferably organic. Make sure you wet the soil well before and after adding anything to the garden bed. Also, if you have an automatic irrigation system in place, now is the time to run through each station checking for leaks etc. Both the plants...
Read MoreHedges for all occasions.
Hedges are often a very important part of a garden design, whether your style is contemporary, traditional or native. A tall hedge can form a lush, green screen at the back of a garden border, can hide an unsightly fence and can help to provide a sense of enclosure and privacy. Small hedges, if used selectively, can provide a sense of structure to a garden, without imposing too much formality. In my experience, some of the best medium to tall hedges are as follows: Escallonia iveyi. This tough evergreen hedging plant has dark-green glossy leaves and an abundance of white flowers in spring. It can be grown as a hedge to between 1.5 and 2 metres by about 1 metre wide....
Read MoreDesigning a garden with native Australian plants
Designing a garden with native Australian plants Native plants got a bad name in the minds of many Australians after some spectacular mistakes in suburban gardens in the 1970’s. At that time, little thought was given to the suitability of a particular plant to the chosen site, whether in terms of climate, soil or size. As a result, large ghost gums were planted in small suburban gardens, resulting, some years down the track, in cracking of walls and paving, as well as endless disputes with neighbours. In other cases, native plants were simply planted in the ground and then totally forgotten about, the idea being that they were ‘maintenance free’. A few years later,...
Read MoreBuilding a vegetable garden
Many people would like to grow their own produce and raised vegetable beds are the ideal way to do so. • Raised vegetable beds can be constructed of wood, bricks, stone, or Colourbond. If you choose wood as your material, make sure you use ACQ treated pine rather than the old arsenic-impregnated variety. It is also best to use H6 grade pine, which will last longer. (Note that if you have to cut the treated pine, you will need to seal the ends again to ensure the H6 rating. The easiest thing to do, therefore, is to tailor your vegie bed to the length and width of the available sizes of timber) • There are many DIY kits available if you do not want to build your own...
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