Interviews  

Marcelle Nankervis          
Author: ‘Smart Gardening – Grow your own fruit and vegetables’
Exile Publishing, RRP $ 34.99

Sophie Adamson
The Rosarie, The Briars, Mt Martha
Tel. 03-59744833
Her display garden, $5.00 entry, filled with masses of roses in particular David Austin roses. Another highlight is  a creamy white rose called R. ‘Martine Guillot’

Blaise Vinot
National Sales Manager - Felco
www.felco.com.au

John Warner
Warner’s Nursery  - shrubs
www.warners.com.au


Plant of the Week

Plants for Christmas, have a look out for fragrant white Christmas lilies, red poinsettias and hydrangeas, perfect for gifts. Have a look out for the oak leaf hydrangea, H. quericifolia, looking beautiful at the moment

Book Reviews for Christmas

‘Waterwise Plants” by Kevin Walsh
The “companion volume” to the bestselling Waterwise Gardening by Kevin Walsh sets out six vital principles to create beautiful waterside gardens. Contains  200 drought-tolerant plants that need little or no additional water.     
RRP $24.95 Published by New Holland

‘Best Australian Gardens and Landscapes’ edited by Gary Takle
If you have an eye for gardens that have been landscaped by designers and construction people this book will appeal. It is a collection of recent by landscapers Australian wide including Rick Eckersley, Jenny Smith Designs, Rolling Stone Landscapes etc. full colour photos of very contemporary gardens and descriptions of the gardens.
RRP $39.95, Think Publishing

What to do in the rose garden: Check roses for black spot – spray with Triforine and you need to spray every 2 weeks. You could try bi-carb soda mixed with a dash of detergent into 5 litres of water. To have any  effect this needs to be applied every time it rains.

Check that standard roses are not getting too top heavy with growth and spent flowers. They are liable to split or topple over.

Prune heavily once the flush of flowers has finished and feed again for a strong autumn flush of flowers.