DFB's Gardening Thread

[DFB5.0]

Spring is always a treat for a horticulturalists and gardeners. There is a clear moment when a garden explodes in spring, a fleeting moment that is worth savoring. From flowers bursting open, the fresh foliage on deciduous trees, the kaleidoscope of colour, the lush green lawns. It's a true privilege to see this happening.

The thing is, most of what you see in a spring garden is the result of the hard work put in over winter. And so, the same applies to this garden. This past winter I'd put in a lot of hours stripping back, planting, mulching, feeding, and pruning to achieve what is now bursting from every corner of the garden.

The following plants are at their peak at the moment.....................

Lonicera japonica, or Japanese honeysuckle. I love this plant for its highly fragrant two-tone flowers. A true delight in the garden.

Not sure on the variety, but this rose certainly caught my eye.

This is a rose called "Cécile Brünner", a climbing/sprawling variety that is covered in blooms at this time of the year. The flowers are not classically scented, rather a pleasantly unique fragrance that reminds me of my grandmother's garden. I've seen this rose being labeled as thornless, but I can't say that I agree with that as I've been hooked many times over the years. This particular plant would be at least 50 years old.

Pelargonium crispum, or Lemon Scented Geranium. Yeah, a granny plant, but what's wrong with that? The flowers themselves don't smell like lemon, rather the foliage and stems exude a strong citrus-like aroma that is quite appealing. This variety is supposed to repel insects and mosquitos, although I'm not sure how valid that claim is.

Syringa vulgaris, or Common Lilac. I'm not completely sure what variety these are, both are very old and well-established specimens. The white one would most likely be a variety called "Cora Brandt", the purple one could be "Katherine Havemeyer". Slow growing and resentful of summer sun, these are very much a test of patience.

Yet another Geranium. This one is called "Big Red", which is prized for its huge flower clusters. I'd chosen this one to make a statement when approaching the front door.

Lavender Avon View backed by another Geranium. I had heavily pruned this Lavender during winter and its bounced back with great vigour. Anyone who has grown Lavenders will know, after a heavy prune they either respond with vigour or simply keel over and die. I got lucky on this one, and doesn't it look stunning.

As I've said in the past, gardening is all about planning and patience, and just a little hopeful thinking.

Sponsored

 

[DFB5.0]

Malus ioensis 'Plena' or The Bechtel Crab Apple

These are small growing trees that form a rounded canopy to about 6-metres heigh and 5 metres wide. This makes them ideal for smaller spaces, courtyards, a small feature tree, round-about and street plantings. Crab Apples tend to be a little slow growing, but I’ve found with sufficient moisture and feeding, I doubt you’d be displeased with their growth. If needed, they can be tolerant to dry conditions. In mid Spring, Ioensis ‘Plena’ produces fat pink buds that open to a semi-double blushed pink bloom. For the rest of the year, they are somewhat unremarkable and blend into the background, although the yellow-orange Autumn colour is quite nice.

These specimens have been planted on mass in a section of a local public garden. With an underplanting of Scaevola ‘Mauve Clusters’, the overall effect is quite impressive, especially at the moment when in full bloom.

 

[DFB5.0]

A little follow up work on the SuperCut Turbo Thrust today……………………….

First up, a little history lesson…………………..

Briggs used three different cold start assist methods over the life of the Quantum / 190cc L-Head series engines.

1. In the early years, from very late 80’s to the mid 90’s, they used a carburettor with a built in choke. My Rover Combat uses this method.

2. From the mid 90’s till mid 2000’s, they used a primer bulb system. This meant a move from a steel air filter base to plastic, which also integrated the primer bulb and delivery channel. Unlike the smaller Classic/Sprint/Quattro engines, this design was not connected to a fuel supply, instead it draws pressure across the carburettor jet to syphon fuel up and into the intake throat. This is why these primers have a hole in them, the Classic/Sprint/Quattro are sealed.

3. From the mid 2000’s, Briggs deleted the primer bulb and went to an automatic choke design. These used a temperature sensitive module to open and close the choke automatically. With the engine dead cold, the choke is held in the closed position. When the heat from the muffler melts the wax within the module, the choke is opened. Simple and effective, eliminating the need to engage a manual choke or pressing a primer bulb.

The above relates to the Intek as well. Intek’s didn’t enter production until the mid-90’s, so only methods 2 and 3 apply. Only very late Intek’s got the auto-choke before Briggs went to the new 850-Series engines. Being a 1999 engine, mine has the primer bulb.

Primer Bulb & Gasket Replacement -

When I had the airbox backing plate off the engine a few weeks ago, the gasket between it and the carburettor was pretty suspect. For those that don’t know, the gasket plays a role in how well the primer functions, the circuit needs to be airtight to deliver enough pressure to lift the fuel into the intake tract. You also need to ensure the delivery channel is free and clear. Considering the replacement would require removal of the backing plate, I decided to replace the bulb while I was at it.

Removal this time did in fact tear the gasket, which needed to be lightly scraped off both the plastic backing plate and aluminium carburettor. The removal of the primer bulb is a fiddly operation using two flat head screw drivers to release the two plastic locking tabs. Once free, clean behind where it was seated and blow compressed air through the passage. The new primer bulb is then driven into place using a deep socket until the tabs click into place.

Gasket – 692667 (Briggs) or 485-220 (Stens)
Primer Bulb – 694395 (Briggs) or 120-174 (Stens)

Briggs actually makes special tools for this job to make the process easier and reduce the likelihood of causing damage. The removal pliers are part no. 19461, but no one sells them in Australia, and having them sent from the US takes the price from $54.99 to $154.99. The same applies to the install tool, part no. 19462, the price goes from $37.99 to $101.99. Yey for Australia!

NOTE – While Quantum and Intek shared a similar air filter backing plate, the backing plate and gaskets are different part numbers, the primer is the same though. In particular, the location of the carburettor mounting -

Intek –

Quantum –

Wheel Bearing Replacement –

I’d noticed the mower was quite shaky on its feet. Originally, I thought it might have been the axle bushings. However, I had already replaced the fronts, so they were good and tight. The rears I haven’t touched but appear to be fine. So, it had to be the wheels.

There was excessive movement from each wheel, both side to side and up and down on the axle. With the hub caps removed, the retaining washers were tight enough, but each wheel wobbled and rattled. So, the bearings were stuffed.

Now, you can still get these wheels new from several places. They are also quite reasonably priced at about $35 each, but that works out at $140, more than I paid for this mower. If or when I sell this mower, I wouldn’t get that money in return. So, I went looking for replacement bearings. Again, these are still available, either OEM or aftermarket. I ordered the Rover bearings but didn’t buy enough. (More on that shortly)

Replacing the bearings involves removing the wheels. That involves getting those stupid retaining washers off the axle, which I’ve always hated. I’ve found a sharp blow from the top with a flat punch opens them up on the base, which then allows you to get a large flat screwdriver underneath to lever it off the axle. Sounds simple, and sometimes it is, sometimes they are a right pain in the ar.e!

Apart from one that was stuck on the axle, the old bearings didn’t put up much of a fight. And boy, were they super sloppy and noisy!

There’s your problem!

With the wheel and bearings removed, I scuffed up the axles with a scotch pad, cleaned with WD-40, then applied some Stihl branded gearhead grease. The rear dust cap was also cleaned.

As mentioned earlier, I had to go out and buy two additional bearings. For whatever reason, I didn’t think about each wheel having two bearings, so I ordered six, four replacements, two for spare parts. Thankfully, the local bearing shop had exactly what I needed, I didn't bother wasting time with the useless mower shops in town. That actually made my day, the guy took one look at them, then went and grabbed them off the shelf. He literally saved the day!

So, I took ten of them, two to complete this job, then eight for spares. Cost wise, the list price of the OEM Rover parts was actually cheaper, but then I had to pay shipping on top of that, so the price would have been lineball.

With the bearings installed and the wheel slid back onto the axle, the hard part is re-installing the new retaining washer. For this, you need to have the wheel off the ground, I then drive them down with an old ½-inch socket extension that fits over the axle.

All but one of the hub caps were cracked, so I gifted the mower a set of NOS items I picked up a few weeks ago. This should help keep the dust out of the bearings, or at least reduce it.

OEM Bearings - A03353
NBR Bearings – UGB0818F
Retaining Washer - 726-04052
Hub Caps - A03414 (which came from the NOS parts haul)

Below is what I’ve spent on this machine so far. Now, if you were doing this to make a profit, realistically you wouldn’t be spending that much money on an old mower. I do it because I enjoy the thrill of the chase, and the fact I can see value in a well built and strong older Rover like this. If you were doing this to make money, you’d probably skip the wheel bearings and hub caps, primer bulb and two oil changes.

Another way to look at, where would $300 take you on a new mower? Shopping Rover, nope, you need at least $729 for a re-branded MTD Hi-Wheeler piece of junk. The cheapest Masport is the Lawn Martial, complete with a 123cc China-motor and a 16-inch cut. The cheapest Victa is the horrid Corvette V127 for $369, complete with a bar blade, 16-inch cut, a 127cc Chinese engine and a terrible catcher. The lowest price Bushranger at least comes with an ex-Rover 18-inch chassis, catcher, and blade system...........but costs $459 and comes with a crappy 139cc Loncin engine. Bunning's will happily sell you a $199 Sprinter with a 16-inch cut, 123cc engine, a bar blade and a chassis made from the thinnest Chinese steel going. Same applies to the 127cc Cheetah for $264.

None of those mowers will cut with ease, in fact they will make the job as hard as possible. None will last as long as this 26-year-old Rover that's cost me less than $300, and it's got another 26-years left in it.

After the wheel bearing replacement, the mower feels extremely solid, tight as a drum. Those bearings were totally shot, so it now rolls smoothly with no slop………………….like new!

 

[DFB5.0]

This is a classic case of a $0.50c part closing the show.....................

I noticed earlier in the week my hedge trimmer wasn't cutting very well, it also sounded louder than normal. No problem, it's probably ready for a another sharpen.

On Wednesday, I got around to taking a closer look. I normally sharpen the blades with a Dremel stone while still attached to the unit, but its a little cumbersome. So, this time I wanted to take them apart to make sharpening easier, but also to properly clean them and repack the gearbox with grease while I was at it. When I flipped the unit over, I found the source of the added noise and crappy cutting performance, missing hardware................

No problem, I'll find something in the parts crypt. So, off I went with the sharpening, cleaning, and re-greasing. I put it all back together and went looking for some hardware. The T27 bolt was easy, I have a case full of replacement Stihl hardware, I even found a suitable washer. But, I wasn't so lucky finding the tiny little piece that sits below the washer in the blade groove. This tiny part is crucial because it allows the fastener to be tight, yet prevents the bolt and washer clamping down too tight and locking up the blade movement.

Knowing how this stuff works, and being a battery powered tool, I was certain this missing piece would mean buying a whole blade assembly, valued at around $130 - $150. I've had colleagues scrap otherwise functioning hedge trimmers because of a missing piece like this that is not available as a spare part. As a long shot, I went and found the parts manual, then landed on the required parts within 2 minutes! This availability of parts is reassuring as Stihl is now fully invested in battery tools. In the past, battery or electric powered would have meant non-serviceable.

Outside of the basics, Stihl spare parts are normally only available through the dealer network, which generally means visiting a dealer. In the past, I've found this to be hit and miss, I'm still waiting for a fuel line I asked for 9 months ago! :nothappy I can't wait indefinitely for a part on this machine, especially with all of the spring growth. I suppose I could have driven all over town trying to find something similar from a hardware store or specialty bolt place, but frankly, I don't have the patience for that crap anymore. In this case, I found the parts at an online Stihl dealer and had them shipped in less than two days.

The part in question is what Stihl calls a "slider". This is basically a small piece of tube that retails for $6.00 each. While I was at it, I ordered the correct bolt and washer, two of each. I would have ordered more, but they only had two of the sliders in stock.

I said this was a $0.50c failure...................more like a $11.40 + shipping failure. That's one piece of tube, one bolt, one washer for $12. :doh

https://mcmwarrnambool.com.au/produ...8-6700?_pos=1&_psq=4521+648+6700&_ss=e&_v=1.0
https://mcmwarrnambool.com.au/produ...81057&pr_ref_pid=8731932819681&pr_seq=uniform
https://mcmwarrnambool.com.au/produ...87905&pr_ref_pid=8731932819681&pr_seq=uniform

Having complained about the cost, I will say that $12 is better than $150 for a new blade set. And the parts were easy to find and fit.

As you can see, the "slider" fits into the grove created by the two blades, the washer sits on top and the bolt drives through and into the blade support guide. This arrangement provides just enough torque to keep the blades firm for crisp cutting, but not too tight that the blades won't oscillate.

You can probably see the blades are covered in a sticky residue. That is not plant sap, but rather a coating of WD-40 Specialist No Drip, formally Spray & Stay. I stumbled across this when trying to find a substitute for Valco Cincinnati Gel Lube that Mr. Dactel uses, which as usual, isn't sold in Australia. The concept being that rather than drying, evaporating or dripping away, the sticky consistency stays adhered to the treated surface. The WD-40 product is not a total substitute for Gel Lube though, which can also be used as an engine assembly lube.

https://sydneytools.com.au/product/wd40-21027-360g-specialist-spray-stay-gel-lube
https://valco-cp.com/products/aeros...aH7XR3_o35swn19u2jq_f6ZFtDnsh7U7irWEuaeNyLITc

Sharp, greased, lubricated...............ready to CUT some bush(es)................

I bought this HSA 56 hedge trimmer in November 2018, my first battery powered garden tool. I paid a neat $500 for it, which included the AL 101 charger and AK10 battery. With how far Stihl have come with battery power, in 2025 you can actually buy the equivalent HSA 50 kit for $459. Considering how much work this thing has done over a 7-year period, today's $12 repair is a drop in the ocean. Amazingly, the batteries that power it are of a similar age, and touch wood, are still performing very well. Can't ask for more.

Comparing that to the petrol-powered Stihl HS 45 it replaced, well that's a completely different story. In addition to the $629 purchase price in 2010, between November 2014 and when it was retired in November 2018, I spent $280 keeping it in service via repairs (fuel lines ect) and blade sharpening. And that's before you add fuel costs, which with how you run a hedger at WOT all of the time, you end up burning through a lot of it! Plus, it was heavier, noisier, smellier. Also, the layout of them makes it awkwardly hard to start, balancing the machine in one hand and pulling the rope in the other, all the while not cutting yourself or a plant.

I love petrol power, but not when it comes to hedge trimmers! After sitting at the back of the shed for 6 years, I cleaned it up, replaced a broken primer bulb and moved it on.

 

[DFB5.0]

Man! This thing has some power!! Even with the throttle in the "idle" position (which isn't really an idle), nothing really phases it.

As I finished cutting the grass, the neighbour fired up his 161cc Briggs DOV powered Husqvarna (I'm a Briggs guy, but I hate that engine). Listening to it as he mowed, the engine didn't really hold speed when under load, it would bog down too readily. And his grass wasn't all that tall either. At the risk succumbing to "they don't make them like they used to" syndrome, lawn mowers haven't necessarily improved in the last 30 years.

 

[DFB5.0]

Felt like going vintage today! In the 60's, 70's and 80's, this was the soundtrack to Aussie Saturday afternoons across the country. Not to mention the blue haze of 2-stroke drifting across the suburbs.



You can hear the engine revs fluctuate, that is me feathering the throttle and not an issue with the carburettor or ignition. These old girls use a very primitive carburettor and have NO governor, so it's up to the user to control the engine speed................or just run it wide open and all the time. Considering the age of it, I don't like running it at wipe open throttle without a load, even Victa recommended against doing that.

 

[Journey GT 435]

Sounds like a Mazada RX7.

 

[DFB5.0]

Sounds like a Mazada RX7.

Speaking of rotary Mazda's, would you believe there is such a thing as a rotary powered chainsaw?

 

[Journey GT 435]

Yes, LOL. If man can put a motor on it, he will and we don't care what motor. I used a car air conditioning pump and mounted it to a homemade cart with a Briggs & Statton gas motor to make an air compressor and it worked. Just parts I had laying around the garage. I needed air and was too cheap to go buy the air compressor. 50 years ago, I think there was pot involved in the thought process.

 

[DFB5.0]

As the first flush of flowers fade, several other plants come into their own..................

Abutilon or Chinese Lantern, this white specimen is covered in blooms at the moment. These thrive in full to partial shade, ideal for planting under trees like this established Gleditsia 'Sunburst'. I like how the white flowers brighten up this dark area of the garden.

This next plant is quite the mouthful, Hymenosporum Flavum, pronounced Hi-Men-Nos-Spore-Um. Termed the "Native Frangipani", this would often cause confusion with customers thinking they were buying a Frangipani. In actuality, these plants are of no relation to a Frangipani, nor are they prone to frost. Instead, the scent of these golden-yellow to white blooms are not unlike a tropical Frangipani. While there are now dwarf shrub-like varieties, this is the traditional tree type version. Fast growing, they can be heavily pruned if needed and will shoot back with much vigour. Despite their native statis, I've found them to be one of the first to wilt in hot summer conditions.

Alcea or Hollyhock, these cerise coloured ones have self-seeded all through the garden. These plants germinate easily from seed and are considered biennial or short-lived perennials. On occasion, I've cut these down to ground level and have had them re-shoot again. At maturity, these ones can grow up to 2-metres tall and garner much interest from the gardens beehive.

Acanthus Mollis, or Railway Plant, or Bear's Breeches, or Sea Dock, or Bear's Foot Plant, or Gator Plant or Oyster Plant, or Sea Holly. This plant can be quite weedy, the property owner isn't mad on them for that reason. However, I quite like the lush foliage and unique flower spikes.

Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'. I have a love-hate relationship with these. On one hand, the early spring flowers are pretty, and the rich burgundy foliage that follows is highly attractive and an effective colour contrast. However, these small trees are quite the Diva. I've had them up and die for absolutely no reason multiple times now, to the point where I stopped recommending them to customers. They are also ultra pricey to buy...............and replace. This specimen nearly joined the casualty list, but for whatever reason, it bounced back after a severe prune.

I'm not sure of the variety of this rose, but it always bounces back after its winter prune with vigour, creating a wall of pink blooms. It's also one of the thorniest roses I've come across, I've been stabbed countless times over the years dealing with this Diva.

This rose is called 'Queen Elizabeth', a variety that features soft pink long stem blooms with virtually no fragrance. The perfectly shaped buds and long stems make it a great cut flower, just a shame it doesn't have the perfume to make it a 3 from 3.

In the background, you can see several White Iceberg roses, which also look amazing at the moment. While these lack a scent and are not ideal for cutting, they are reliable repeat flowerers.

 

[Journey GT 435]

I am too far north for most roses to grow. When I lived in the twin cities I made a rose garden for my wife. The blooms were stunning. The plants grew to be three feet tall. My wife loved it. The soil is heavy, and a lot of plants don't like the clay. I do have wildflowers in the marshy areas and that is very nice to see.

 

[DFB5.0]

Just re-discovered these images taken in October 2010.

This was during my bulb growing phase, which was very much influenced by my grandmother. We would sit down and fill out our Tesselaar mail order forms (remember those), then split the postage. When Pa died, I took over the planting duties. Tulips, Ranunculus, Anemone, Dutch Iris, Daffodils, Gladiolus................Most guys that age would have been spending money on cars, booze and partying, I spent it on flowering bulbs. Insert insult here, but I don't care, my grandmother was my mentor.

 

[DFB5.0]

These shots were taken in mid-May 2025.........................

These were taken today, 6.5-months later.

The overall feature has lost some of its definition, but that will be rectified after the flowers have done their thing.

One of the situations I'd dread at the nursery was customers giving me an almost impossible task of recommending a plant that could give height but with little to no width. Almost always this plant was to go in a garden bed up a driveway, a situation created the homeowner or the building contractor creating a garden bed no more than 100 - 150mm wide. Then they want something to grow tall to cover the fence, but not any wider than the garden bed so as to not encroach on the driveway. Quite often an irrigation line wasn't run under the concrete either, and most customers wanted something "low maintenance" (read: I'm lazy).

So to recap, tall but not wide, combined with low water use and no need to prune because the customer didn't want to put in the effort. Said customer was almost always someone in their early 30's, usually coming off the back of having a house built, a situation where the options were virtually limitless. Then they'd come to me with this question and wonder why I couldn't give them 100 options to choose from.

The usual hedging shrubs would be ruled out because the lack of garden bed width and the requirement of low maintenance. Even some of the modern slim growing Lilly Pilly such as 'Straight & Narrow' would still require pruning to reduce width, you also need more of them because they don't necessarily fan out like a hedging shrub. Clumping Bamboo is an option, but too messy, so not actually low maintenance, and they require a lot of water, so not tolerant of a lack of irrigation. Tall pencil conifers get ruled out for the certain look they create and the fact they grow much taller and wider than people would expect. So, one by one, I would run out of things to show the customer, and suddenly that's my fault, not the idiot who created the problem in the first place.

Star Jasmine would always be my preference in this situation. It creates a lush, rich, dark green wall of foliage without being too wide. The only downside is needing some wires to be strung on the fence to get things started, either just horizontal lines, or in a pattern as above. Once again, this would get dismissed by most customers as installing those wires required effort. At which point, I would have loved to question why they are bothering, just concrete it and paint it green, job done! I guess they'd complain about having to pick up a paint brush too.

Top Tip - Unless you are realistic and create an appropriately sized garden bed, and/or are willing to put in the work, DO NOT bother with a driveway garden bed. It's much cleaner to just run concrete right up to the fence and call it good.

 

[DFB5.0]

A surprise late Hydrangea bloom.

For those who don't know, soil pH typically determines the colour of Hydrangea blooms. A pH above neutral 7.5 will produce pink flowers, in other words alkalinity. For blue flowers, you need to go the other way, acidic soil of around pH 5.5 or lower.

So, if you have blue and want pink, add lime generously to the soil in spring to raise the pH and lock out soluble aluminium (Alum). If you have pink and want blue, add aluminum sulfate (Alum) in spring to lower the pH. Be careful with Alum as it can create toxic soil conditions if overdone.

To be honest, I've never bothered changing Hydrangea colours, either blue or pink is a blessing.

 

[DFB5.0]

Had to cancel the job list today due to the rain, which meant a little tool and equipment maintenance instead.

A few weeks ago, I trimmed back a star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) wall feature. If you've dealt with this plant before you'll know they bleed copious amounts of sticky white latex with every cut stem. In addition to wearing most of it, the stuff coats your cutting implements with sap. To get this off your skin, you need isopropyl alcohol and a sacrificial towel. Getting it off tools is even harder.

Despite soaking them in a bath of mineral spirits, which would normally dissolve this sort of thing, I had to break them down and buff with a wire wheel. I then sharpened the cutting blade, smoothed off the bur on the reverse side, then reassembled with lithium paste.

I then grabbed the hedger to sharpen the blades, which had been cutting poorly of late. I hate doing this job, but it pays in the long run. I like to sharpen these with a grinding stone on my Milwaukee M12 Rotary Tool, which gives more control and better access over a grinding wheel. It doesn't take much to put the edge back on a tooth, but there are 68 edges that need to be sharpened on this 18-inch bar. Can you see why I hate doing this? I'm probably going to replace these blades soon, they are the originals from 2018 and have done a power of work.

That hedge trimmer is the only battery tool where I'd never contemplate going back to petrol power. Blowers suck battery power at an alarming rate, so for my setup I still rely on petrol. Grass trimmers, I feel like I get better control with a petrol engine, and mowers aren't there yet for the size and thickness of lawns I cut. Chainsaws? I like the grab-and-go convenience and lack of noise from battery. But you'll have to prise petrol saws out of my cold dead hands, absolutely nothing sounds a nasty high revving 2-stroker.

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