Gardening and growing great plants.

Mushroom kits are back.

 

This week we received our first batch of mushroom kits for the year. There is something weird about fungi. I can remember seeing shitake mushrooms growing in Vietnam. They were under a house and growing on hard wooden beams. The kits we have are a lot more practical than that !

Mycelium is the vegetative part of the fungi. It is like frosty white flattened cotton wool. This comes embedded in the organically certified compost which has been through a sterilisation and pastuerisation process. The trick is to suffocate the mycelium by covering it with the bag of coconut fibre peat. This peat has been PH adjusted with ground limestone, so the entire process is 100% natural and organic. So once the suffocant goes on, the mushroom thinks it's going to die and begins to flower, which is the bit we eat. Sometimes the mycelium creeps up the corners of the box, but scratch it with a fork. Swear at it ! We don't want it to be happy so treat it mean to keep it keen with mushrooms. It needs to be threatened to produce mushrooms and thats why we keep it in a dark place and give it nothing but misty water !

EREMOPHILA NIVEA “GUBBURRA BELLS”

By Jason Hilborn

A plant that really starts to catch my eye in the nursery this time of year, as well as my own garden, is a grafted plant called Eremophila “Gubburra Bells”.  As we move further into autumn the days get shorter and in many cases, a little more dull, but it is the distinctive foliage of the Eremophila that stands out.

      Eremophila “Gubburra Bells” is a very showy Australian Native garden shrub that bears massed clusters of vibrant lilac ‘Bells’ held on beautiful silvery white foliage.  They are at their very best from late winter through spring when their masses of flowers contrast against the soft, silvery white foliage.  In addition to this, they will also produce spot flower throughout the autumn months.  The Eremophila “Gubburra Bells” is grafted onto a hardy rootstock and grows and flowers in a sunny well-drained position. It will benefit from a position with ample air-movement and can tolerate moderate frost. 

Around The World In 80 Gardens

Last night I watched the first episode of  Around The World In 80 Gardens. (8.30pm Tuesday nights on ABC). As the BBC say: "In this stunning series, Monty Don set off on an enchanting journey to visit 80 of the world's most celebrated gardens, from ancient to modern, large to small, and grand to humble."

I must admit that I wasn't disappointed. Monty is a bit of a puncy pom, but he is rather dapper and presents the show with that initimable English charm. Last nights episode took in Mexico City's floating gardens, other Mexican delights and then colour and charm in Cuba. The scenery was sensational but also showed the simplicty of good garden design. Every gardener would have come away with at least one idea they could use.

Next week the show includes gardens from Australia and NZ and includes Dame Elizabeth Murdoch's Cruden farm, in Langwarrin, Melbourne and Alice Springs Desert Park in Northern Territory. Well worth a watch I would have thought

Links: Around The World In 80 Gardens

The 60 Minutes 'Backyard Revolution' Story

Last Sunday on Channel Nine's 60 minutes program, vegetable growing went primetime. Yep, there was the ever energetic Peter Cundall harvesting potatoes in front of disbelieving Liz Hayes eyes (although some of his spuds were gigantic). The reporter then went on to inform us that people are digging up tennis courts and replacing them with vegie patches although I don't believe Leyton Hewitt has done this yet! However give Peter Cundall 5 minutes with him and I am sure he would love to get his hands this dirty.

Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show 2009

By James Wall

It was with much anticipation that I entered the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show on Wednesday morning. I was seeing the show at its freshest, and the weather was perfect. I was not disappointed. This years show had a real edge to it. You could feel it in the air. The management have long ago worked out what people want and they have catered for it. There are just so many plants and so many garden ideas to see, it is almost overwhelming. There was just enough major displays and the quality of their work was simply outstanding. Many displays had also used the existing trees and incorporated them into their design. This gave the show a real classical look.

Another major change to the show was the moving of amenity buildings from the front of the exibition buildings. Deservedly, the garden beds their now play a much more prominent role and it seems to open up the whole show. The plants in the beds are still very young, but in years to come, these beds will only get better. It was so nice to see people sitting on the grass around them and just taking it all in.

I love the metal work here. Designer is Paal Grant and the metal art comes from ..........

The Avenue Of Achievable Gardens

One of the hits of the last few years at The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show has been the Avenue Of Achievable Gardens. What people like about it is that these are gardens that we can all achieve, unlike some of the showgardens which are only like dreams to the everday homeowner. The other thing I like about it is that the gardens are created by TAFE students who get the chance of a lifetime to show their designs to the world.

Thanks goes to Debco for sponsoring the Avenue Of Achievable Gardens.

Below are some photos I took of the particular gardens that I liked. I will try and chase up who did them and re-post it here - but for now, enjoy their hard work.

The Great Victorian Hanging Basket Competition.

Every year many participents take part in the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show hanging basket competiton. The competition is run by The Royal Horticultural Society Of Victoria and entrants can pick up their baskets from nurseries, including Gardenworld. Thanks also goes to Debco and Scotsburn Nurseries two of our nursery suppliers.

This year the competition was once again of a high standard and below is a few photos of some of the ones I liked.

Rodney Noonan's pansy & celosia combo