3AW ‘THE BIG BACKYARD, SATURDAY, 6.11.10

Interviews    Paul Bangay
        Rotary Garden Design Fest. 13, 14 November 2010
        Over 25 gardens to visit
        www.gardendesignfest.com    

        Bev Lewis, Botanical Artist
        Friends Royal Botanic Gardens Botanical Art Exhibition
        6 – 21 November
        Open daily: week days 10am - 4pm, weekends 10am - 6pm
        Domain House Gallery, Dallas Brookes Drive
        South Yarra (opposite the Herbarium)
        www.rbg.vic.gov.au/rbg-melbourne/friends-melbourne

        Attila Kapitany
        Cactus & Succulent Society of Australia Show, 13 & 14
        November 2010. Waverley Comm. Centre, Cnr Miller Cres &
        Stephoensons Rd Mt Waverley. Show hours: Sat 10 – 5pm
        Sun 10 – 3pm

        James Wall
        Tomatoes
        Gardenworld Nursery, 810 Springvale Road, Braeside
        www.gardenworld.com.au

Plant of the Week
Wallflowers (Erysimum), very hardy winter/spring flowering perennials available in apricot, mauve, gold or pastel pinks colour range. Grow to about 60cm high and are a winter favourite in any garden.
        

Just ask Jane

Rhubarb:    divide crowns every 4-5 years. Must be well watered over summer and a bucket of animal manure to feed will help with a good harvest.

Dolomite lime for peonies:    half a bucket of dolimite lime and half a bucket of well rooted chook manure. Apply in autumn for better flowering next spring.

Prune Ficus pumila:  To contain this very vigorous creeper, prune it right back to the fence or wall or else it will get out of hand very quickly

What to do:

Artichokes        cut off side shoots (suckers_ from parent plants, and put them into a pot as a cutting. Feed established plants with old chook manure.
        
Sow beans        dig 2 handfuls of lime in prior to planting. Plant seeds at base of wigwam of bamboo canes.

Prune correas, echiums and euphorbias, with the sap from the euphorbia stems, take care as it is hazardous to the eyes.

Avocadoes        need as much sun and heat as possible, plus a very well drained soil as they are susceptible to root rot.

Big Backyard, Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th October

This week Jane and Darren spoke to Donna Smith & Tina Clayton from Triffid Park Nursery; Dr Hugh Millar about the apparent locust plague; and Garden Designer Andrew Stark about Australia’s Open Garden Scheme.