DFB's Gardening Thread

[DFB5.0]

Read the following article and became aware of the topic this AM.

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...itish-bamboo-crisis-invaded-my-beautiful-home

In the US, we have certain plants considered invasive or hard to remove. I never considered bamboo as being one of those. In general, there are two broad groups: clumpers and runners. While clumpers are considered safe, runners can create extensive damage and problems over the long term.

I've always known Bamboo can be incredibly invasive, but not THAT invasive. Crazy!

For the most part, garden centers focus on clumping varieties of Bamboo to avoid this sort of problem. I don't usually recommend Bamboo anyway, while it can grow quite quickly and produce height without width, I find it heavily reliant on summer watering, then it tends to shed a lot of foliage during our cold winters where I live, making quite messy and then unattractive. There are better alternatives, but many like to tropical look, despite not living in the tropics.

As for invasive species, we have out fair share of those.

- English/Iris Ivy is despised by many, its terribly invasive and resilient, and it can drink weed killer for breakfast. A vile plant that also has a habit of playing host to a number of insect pests.

- Morning Glory. There is nothing glorious about this stuff, which can easily spread and set down roots to create new plants. I'm actually about to tackle a moderate infestation next week...............not looking forward to it.

- Acer Negundo (Box Elder) is a maple that produces millions of seeds that easily disperse with wind and germinate with appropriate moisture. Because of this, they have a habit of invading native bushland and water ways. This applies to the parent varieties, the modern versions have been bred to be sterile.

- Agapanthus, while beautiful when in flower, have a habit of seeding into bushland. Again, supremely tough and resilient. Modern versions are sterile though.

- Arum Lilly, another plant that thrives along waterways and is generally resilient to most removal methods.

- Blackberry, a vile and aggressive weed that ruins native bushland. Also extremely resilient to most removal attempts.

I could go on and on, but you get the gist.
Weeds Australia

Sponsored

 

[DFB5.0]

A couple of months ago, one our supplier reps left a display stand with the intention of showcasing in-season plants. The rep has then been supplying advanced potted specimens to give customers an idea of what they can expect each plant can do. This is all well and good, but my creative brain spotted the potential expand on the idea...................

This plant stand was made by a men's shed, presumably from reclaimed timber. Well, we have plenty of that on hand, with a stack of un-used pallets taking up space in the yard. Pulling them apart was going to be the challenge, so I bought a lever bar from eBay..................

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/355034833921

Before starting the project, I had measured up and drew out a layout plan mimicking the original, I then knew what amount of timber I was going to need.

It took me a bit to figure out the best way to use the lever bar without ruining the timber, but the tool made short work of stripping the pallets down. Following this, I removed all the nails and docked everything to length. Then the fun part of putting it together...............

Including the re-used timber, I also used up an assortment of odd-bod screws, so excluding the pry bar and my labour, I made something from nothing.

I plan to make more of these as time allows, which will be used around the nursery as needed. I was hoping to have a few of these made prior to the bare root roses arriving, they would display well in these.

 

[DFB5.0]

Vision achieved!

The goal wasn't to house all of them, rather to create some visual interest rather than a collection of black pots dumped on the ground. It also makes them more "shoppable".

I have had to shell out on some screws after raiding the odd-bod bucket, but even still, the outlay is minimal.................and I'm enjoying work again.

Those are "bare-root" roses by the way, a very old-school nursery practice. Roses are grown in fields before being dug up, bundled and sent out to retail nurseries throughout the winter months. We then unpack, label and group them together in holding pots. Because the plants are dormant, this means we can sell them without soil and a pot, each plant is simply pulled from the holding pot, which in turn saves the customer money. What we don't sell through the winter, we pot up and for sale through the rest of the year.

 

[DFB5.0]

Clivia Miniata doing their thing......................

The cultural information regarding Clivia suggests that these plants can be grown in full sun. However, in areas where I live, the summer sun would be too harsh, and without the cover provided by a tree or patio, they will burn with exposure to frost. A lot of people will have these potted so they can be moved to suit the weather conditions. They are otherwise best planted under established trees to provide the necessary cover during the cold months. Even so, you can see some burnt foliage after a frosty winter just gone.

The other thing to note with Clivia is their toxicity to animals. If ingested, the bulb in particular, Clivia is toxic to both cats and dogs, potentially causing symptoms such as vomiting, low blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmia.

This website has a good listing of plants known to be toxic to animals -
Poisonous Plants For Pets & Signs Something Isn't Right (2024) (bloominghaus.com)

 

[Skye]

https://apnews.com/article/japan-leaf-art-ukiyoe-adhd-lito-1050a215cb11ffdf45ad19e1ec2ea02a

Scene opens.

Gardener, crouched on hands-and-knees, loupe in-place, is working in silence. Homeowner approaches...

"I thought you were going to be clearing things out and getting the yard in order?"

"I am. I'm cutting your leaf."

"Leafs?!"

"Leaf."

Edit,

This is a video, showing him at work.

 

[DFB5.0]

https://apnews.com/article/japan-leaf-art-ukiyoe-adhd-lito-1050a215cb11ffdf45ad19e1ec2ea02a

Scene opens.

Gardener, crouched on hands-and-knees, loupe in-place, is working in silence. Homeowner approaches...

"I thought you were going to be clearing things out and getting the yard in order?"

"I am. I'm cutting your leaf."

"Leafs?!"

"Leaf."

Geez, he would have a heart attack watching what I did to a bunch of leaves with a hedge trimmer this afternoon!

 

[DFB5.0]

These stunning Hydrangea's are at peak beauty.......................

These plants have had a nice ride so far, the summer heat has taken a while to arrive this year, with plenty of mild warmth to promote vigorous growth. With 44 degrees expected tomorrow, I doubt they will survive unscathed as the afternoon sun whips around and fries those delicate leaves and petals. I think the owner is going to cover them with a sheet, but if the wind whips up, that won't last long.

 

[DFB5.0]

Ordered Tuesday evening, delivered Thursday morning..........................

No, not a bag of potatoes, instead 100 bulbs which will soon be planted into pots. It's been a number of years since I've planted bulbs, something I once did yearly. This started in my mid-teens sitting with my grandmother thumbing through the Tesselaar mail order catalog. We would then place an order together and split the postage, with a high focus on Tulips and Daffodils. Funnily, Tesselaar still send out mail order catalogs where you send a money order or cheque.............remember those. I however went with the convenience of online ordering.

And for those wondering, no its not pronounced Tesla like the car, rather Tess-sell-lar.

In the name of tradition, I ordered Tulips and Daffodils. With a limitless list of Tulip varieties, I decided to keep it simple and went with a mixture. I over ordered because I want to mass plant them in pots, in this situation having complimentary or matching tones doesn't matter, it's all about COLOUR! These mix packs are also cheaper, especially when on sale.

https://www.tesselaar.net.au/product/738-tulips-mega-mix

Just like Tulips, there is a huge selection of Daffodils available now, but I like the classic King Alfred variety for the size of bloom. Despite the lack of colour variation, when planted on mass you create a high impact display. Oh, and they were also on sale. :wink2

https://www.tesselaar.net.au/product/503-daffodil-king-alfred

There is something so hopeful about planting bulbs, what look like dead onions get planted out and forgotten about for several months, before bursting into life and rewarding your patience with a spectacular bloom.

Fun Fact - Daffodils and Jonquils go under the genus Narcissus..................

"The botanical name for the daffodil is Narcissus, named after a young man known for his beauty in Greek mythology who was tricked into falling in love with his own reflection. The drooping flowers that characterize most daffodils are said to represent Narcissus bending over to catch his reflection in a pool of water."

Back when I was studying, plant name etymology was something I took an interest in. Often, Latin botanical names point clues to the characteristics of the plant itself, so becoming familiar with this side of horticulture helps with identification, indicates colour or explains how a plant grows.

For example, vulgaris means common, so when you see this listed as the second name it means the plant is widely grown or most prevalent in the wild. Thymus vulgaris = Common Thyme.

Plants with the second name paniculata refer to a cluster of branched induvial blooms, or a "panicle". For example, Murraya Paniculata, which references the clusters of highly perfumed white blooms. One of my favorite plants.

Or, Betula Pendula Alba, the second and third names reference the draping/weeping branch work (pendula) and the white trunk (alba).

This was my bible at the time -
https://www.amazon.com.au/Gardeners-Handbook-Plant-Names-Meanings/dp/0486297152

 

[DFB5.0]

A little before and after.............................

I've started and looked after many of these over the years. Not only do they look fantastic, I love how they give height without taking up too much width, making them ideal for narrow driveways and walkways. A typical hedging plant such as a Lily Pily or Pitosporum wouldn't tolerate being trimmed so narrow. I also find the pruning them back into shape DEEPLY satisfying.

The plant used here is one of my favorites, Trachelospermum jasminoides or Chinese Star Jasmine. That is pronounced Tracky-elo-sperm-mum, quite the mouthful and often simply referred to in the trade as Trackies. I love how versatile this plant is, able to be used a rambling climber across a fence, as thick weed supressing groundcover, trained into topiaries, and in this case, pruned into a wall feature. The early summer flowers are delightfully scented, no where near as pungent as regular winter-flowering jasmine.

One of the key benefits of this plant is the moderate growth rate compared to other, usually rampant, climbers. It also produces firmer basal growth, making it ideally suited to holding a shape as pictured above. You can also prune hard pack to this growth and have it re-shoot nicely.

The only drawback to this plant.....................the milky white latex that bleeds from cut steps. So, absolutely wear eye protection, and ideally, long sleeve clothing. Being quite warm today, long sleeves were not present, so I got sticky latex all over my arms and legs that won't wash off with soap. To remove, try hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

 

[DFB5.0]

It's all about timing when it comes to horticulture! Yesterday I started on a job that I had earmarked for months but had to time correctly due to scrutiny (more on that shortly). Instead, I had been concentrating on cleaning up fallen leaves from four established Maples, two of didn't start dropping until well into June. This is a commercial garden that was originally constructed by one of my old bosses, and I've subcontracted the maintenance of it ever since. Looking at my records, it's a job I've been doing since September 2014.

Originally, I'd spend an hour a fortnight there weeding, pruning, cleaning ect. But then the site owner decided to buy the property next door, demolish the existing units to add additional office spaces and create a larger carpark. The garden expanded in tandem. A bigger garden means more time needed to maintain that bigger space. My hours spent in that garden each month increased. I think you can guess where this ended up going...................

The property owner is extremely wealthy. That's what happens when you are a workaholic and a medical specialist. In the time I've been there, I've seen a revolving fleet of high-end BMW's and Mercedes, even an AMG GT S, which was amusing as he such a small man in his 80's. Well, at one point he decided that my services were too expensive and that I was no longer required. (Keep in mind that I'm the middleman on this job, all communication is via my boss, which is a long story but trust me, it's easier this way). Of course, I took it personally. I remember telling another client of mine who knows this guy professionally. He was not at all surprised but also told me to be patient...................

Three months later, I was informed that I was needed again, which my other client told me "was always going to happen". However, that garden I had tendered for so long was a complete mess after three months. It would seem there is more to garden maintenance than some lacky spraying weeds with Roundup. I had to go back in and spend considerable time bringing the garden back into shape. It cost him more doing that than me just maintaining. In addition to that, I also had to re-plant two large sections of the carpark garden. Which leads me to the present day.

Those plants that were replaced have now reached the end of their useful life. Hebe Pretty-n-Pink, a fast low growing plant that produces an amazing display of deep purple foliage. But, like all Hebe's, they reach a point of no return relatively quickly. These ones have been pruned and reshaped many, many times. While Hebe's are often receptive to a very HEAVY reformative prune, it can go two ways from here. They will either bounce back with vigour................ or simply die. Considering how lanky and sparse they had become, I made the call to simply replace them.

In addition to the age factor, in summer I was also having issues with patrons of this business reversing into parks, leaving the engine running and the hot exhaust gases burning MY plants to smithereens. Dorks. What is it with people reversing into car parks, just drive into the park and be done with it, PLEASE.

Anyway, yesterday I made a start by docking the old plants back to stubs and lifting the roots out with a shovel..................all without piercing the existing irrigation system. Well, the first 13 went ok until I destroyed my 25-year-old spade....................

Who would have thought such a small plant would put up such a giant fight! Anyway, I won in the end with the help of a 50-year-old crow bar! They don't make em like that anymore. I ended up filling my Ranger tray to the brim with green waste before tidying up and leaving the replanting for the following day.

This morning, I got started on replanting. I've decided to give Nandina Moonbay a go in this location. While they are slower growing, they require little to no pruning and should withstand heat better as the foliage is not as fleshy as the Hebe's. Because I was going from three to two plants per bay, I also had to reconfigure the irrigation drippers..................and fix a couple of pieced sections from yesterday, it happens.

New shovel was broken in nicely on this job. I also added handfuls of bagged compost to the backfill for each plant. Although, its important to not simply fill the hole in completely with new soil as the plant will not settle into that happy space and be less inclined to venture out into the surrounding soil, creating a weaker and more irrigation dependant plant.

Because this is the older section of garden, the small pink north gravel had broken down and needed to be refreshed. I would ideally have gone with the same size aggregate here as its easier to chip weeds out with a hoe. However, they have since stopped making this size with the fines shifted out, it would otherwise turn to mud. So, I had to top with 14mm pink north, which matches the newer sections anyway.

Being a carpark, I could simply drive alongside the garden with the side gate removed and shovel directly into place. This eliminated the need for a wheelbarrow, in turn eliminates the double handling. The tarp? Well, you of course know why, but in my defence, it also makes it easier to gather up the dregs towards the end of the job. And for probably the first time ever, I managed to have the exact amount of stone for this job! That meant no second trip or having to find somewhere to dump the remains.

Meanwhile, I'm not sure if others have noticed this, but why is it every landscape supply yard employee is a right arrogant bastard? They all look the same, all talk the same, all have the same attitude problem, all think they are doing YOU a favor by selling some of their dirt, bark or stone supply. This isn't just one company, but ALL I have dealt with over the decades. Here's a tip boys, you aren't selling precious metals or making nuclear submarines here. It's rocks, sand, gravel and dirt. That's it. Same as me digging holes and cutting grass.

Mulching is my favourite part of jobs like this! Probably because its the finishing touch, much like tyre dressing after washing a car. It just makes everything come together.

A job well done! Now I have to do the same thing on the other side next week! The new plants are a little lost, but they will settle over the next few weeks and be in prime position to take off once the warmth of spring arrives. Here's hoping some geriatric dork doesn't reverse over them.

I also managed to salvage the remains of my old spade. With the old handle removed, it was donated to an ancient (read: made properly) Cyclone shovel head. I looked at new handles in Bunnings, but they were complete junk. So, a few wacks with a steel rod, some fresh screws and a few grazed knuckles, I have a usable spade again.

 

[DFB5.0]

This Autumn, I planted spring flowering bulbs for the first time in many years.

From this in March.........................

To the very first Daffodil in August...................

This variety is called King Alfred, which is prized for its classic colouring and exceptionally large bloom, an oldie but a goodie.

 

[Balr14]

Your work is excellent, as always. We have been having problems with vegetable gardens around here this summer. Lots of smoke and air quality issues, due to wild fires that really seems to bother the plants, especially tomatoes.

 

[DFB5.0]

Your work is excellent, as always. We have been having problems with vegetable gardens around here this summer. Lots of smoke and air quality issues, due to wild fires that really seems to bother the plants, especially tomatoes.

With tomatoes, I've always found that some years are better than others. As in one year you get a bounty crop, while others you'd get nothing much at all. And that's even with crop rotation to prevent pest and disease build up.

 

[Balr14]

With tomatoes, I've always found that some years are better than others. As in one year you get a bounty crop, while others you'd get nothing much at all. And that's even with crop rotation to prevent pest and disease build up.

I have lots of tomatoes, they just refuse to ripen, except for the cherry tomatoes. I grow in Earth Box containers so they always have fresh dirt and plenty of water. This is from last year, before any fruit has set.

 

[DFB5.0]

I completed the second stage of this carpark garden reno today, which is nice to have it done and off my brain.

Like last week, I worked bay to bay cutting the old Hebe’s down to a stub and loading the material into the tray of the Ranger. I then dug down and lifted the stub and root system out of the ground, doing my best to avoid severing the irrigation line. Then, I raked out all of the leaves and debris that had accumulated. Because this section is longer and therefore had more plants, I had to make two trips to the tip, thankfully not far from this job.

After the cleanup, I then replanted with the same variety of Nandina’s that were used in the previous section, all measured for uniform spacing. I then made sure each plant had a dripper, going from three to two plants per section meant I had to reconfigure the layout. After a test run, thankfully I didn’t spear the feed line this week, but I did shear off a couple of drippers, but they needed to be plugged anyway.

I hadn’t planned on refreshing gravel mulch in this section, mainly because there was plenty of it left and already the larger aggregate. But my OCD prompted me to go ahead and do it anyway, mainly so it would uniformly match last week’s effort. Once again, 14mm pink north.

My return after finishing the job, this does my head in, tools scattered all over the place……………………..

Next up on this job, a HEAVY prune of the Magnolia 'Cleopatra' planted along the other side of the carpark. Magnolias have a reputation for being slow, and these certainly took time to establish. But once they have found their feet, this variety has proven extremely aggressive in bouncing back from a heavy prune. Again, I will time this job for a weekend to have full access of the carpark.

Sponsored