Wild Pollinator Count
If you love interesting insects at work, this is your chance to get amongst them and also help the cause of science and our environment. This annual event runs this year from the 13th to the 20th of November 2016, and is a wonderful community involvement project…..many eyes and minds at work to create a useful database of our helpful little pollinating insects. A healthy population of pollinators ensures a good crop of seeds to populate the next generation of bushland, as well as helping our food crops.
It is so simple to do, just watch any flowering plant for ten minutes sometime in the count week. Then you submit your observations on the pollinator insects you may see to The Wild Pollinator Count Project. Information on identifying insects and how to submit here >>>>>>
Get involved!
Event With Angus
The Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne great big Kangaroo Paw Celebration will be happening until the end of November. Come along and meet my newest tall kangaroo paw, ‘Landscape Violet’.
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Anigozanthos flavidus 'Landscape Violet' showing its darkest colour while in bud
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Anigozanthos flavidus - Landscape Violet
What to do in the garden- dead heading old flowers
Late spring is a nice time of year, before the heat of summer kicks in and the busy happenings of Christmas. It’s a good time to go for a quiet wander around the garden to see what finished flowers need pruning off, what shrubs need a bit of shaping, what plants are looking hungry and in need of a feed after spring flowering.
Beginner gardeners may hear the term dead heading, and wonder if it refers to something about zombies. Well, if you see zombies in your garden, you probably should go after them first. But in the absence of them, look for those browning old flowers that are hanging on to your plants after the spring flush- they make the garden look untidy and they also use the energy of a plant to make seeds, rather than to grow healthy foliage, root system, etc. So, out with your secateurs and get set to nip off anything that is past it’s use by date.
Dead heading finished flowers is a great opportunity to also shape a plant, so before you cut the flowers, stand back and look at your plant to see if a harder prune will help it to develop a nice shape. Once you have finished your plant sculpting, you can give the plant a boost with some fertiliser and a good watering, or my old favourite worm tea. But if there is going to be a heat wave that day, it’s best to leave fertiliser till the weather is a little bit cooler.
And speaking of Christmas, head to my shop for ideas for the gardener in your life. Or for yourself! December will see a couple of new things in the shop, and my next newsletter will have some good Australian Christmas inspiration.