Articles

General gardening

Tips For Adding Colour to You Garden

How can I add more colour to my garden?  It is possible to have wild flower colour in your garden all year with some of the fantastic new Australian plant varieties now on the market. And proven older long flowering varieties  such as '€˜Bush Pearl'€™ and 'Diamond'...

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Potted Presents You Can Make

How to make potted presents If your special person loves gardening why not create a unique gift that will give them months or hopefully years of pleasure. Choose a large container and fill it with a creative blend of colours and textures. And a good way to go is to...

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Plants to Enhance Summer Entertaining

Various essential oils derived from plants have been used for centuries to repel insects with the best known being citronella. Plants that have lemon scented leaves are supposed to be the best at repelling insects. In particular a pelargonium called '€˜Mozzie...

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Plants for Shady Spots in the Garden

Plants for Shady Spots in the Garden

What can I plant in a shady spot in the garden One planting problems in the garden is finding something that will grow in shady spots in the garden such as under trees or alongside south-facing walls. Many species grown for their floral displays will not perform well...

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Plant Breeding for the Home Gardener

Plant Breeding In The Home Garden Perhaps the most satisfying of all gardening pursuits is the propagation of plants from seed and then growing them through to maturity. Imagine taking that a step further and creating a new plant that is worthy of replicating and...

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Moving Plants- Transplanting

How do I transplant plants in the garden and minimize losses? Late autumn and late winter are terrific times to move established plants that you may want to reposition or give to a friend.  Moving plants in hot, dry or windy weather is to be avoided if possible. The...

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Growing Poinsettias

Poinsettias - potted Christmas decoration The fiery red flowers of the poinsettia have long been popular as a decorative plant for the festive period due to their long lasting qualities as a potted plant. Poinsettias originate from Mexico and can grow into a large...

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Magnolias

Magnolias are beloved by many, whether it is the striking appearance of a bare-branched magnolia breaking into flower at winters end when little else blooms, or the sheer impressiveness of a single Magnolia grandiflora blossom, the pure white contrasting with the rich...

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Rainwater tanks

Rainwater Tanks Have you ever observed how a fall of rain will green up the garden and spark new growth in your favourite plants? Rain water is a great garden tonic, and is especially good during a thunder storm, as it can change nitrogen gas to nitrogen compounds-...

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Repotting

Modern potting mixes often feature large amounts of organic materials such as composted pine bark. Such mixes can gradually break down and also run out of nutrients, particularly if they are required to last beyond 12 months. If you have a pot plant that is looking a...

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Growing Cyclamen in pots

Growing Cyclamen indoors Cyclamen is one of the best winter flowering pot plants suitable for indoor decoration. By purchasing a nice healthy plant in late autumn or early winter you can have blooms for months during the cooler time of year when not much is happening...

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