Gardenworld

Some trees are less dangerous in bushfire zones.

It seems this Poplar 'Veronese' tree from Flemings is better suited to planting in bushfire proned areas than eucalypts. This is probably not a surprise to many, as eucalypts contain a 4% of oil in their leaves. According to an article in todays Age by Jeremy Francis who owns Cloudehill Nursery and Gardens a row of poplar trees can act as a shield and prevent radiant heat, as well as the leaves soaking up and extinguishing flying embers.

Conifers were also cited as dangerous as they contain 2% resinous oil and have lots of dead or dry branches that act as great kindling type fuel, while wattles were considered relatively safe.

This article has certainly created some debate judging by the comments people have made on it, and I think it is great people are looking beyond the square. Councils too often are taking the indigenous views and making them law when in these densely populated regional areas, that could be contributing to a higher fire risk for those citizens.

And as for protecting from erosion, which will happen if we strip the earth of foliage, this Poplar is stated on Flemings website as being shown to have good potential for erosion control by the New Zealand Forest Research Institute (NZFRI).

I love my natives, but if we get more 45 degree days in Melbourne this summer then you would have to suppose the world is warming and therefore bushfires will be more dangerous and that we must consider that our actions may need to change in order to better protect ourselves from avoiding further tragedy.

This inciteful article I am referring to is on The Age website HERE.

Japanese Maple finds a new home.

 A couple of weekends ago Judy from Mordialloc (one of our regular customers) came in and bought a 4 ft standard japanese maple which another staff member and I had to duly stuff into the front passenger seat of her car. The next week she came in and bought another. These things are quite brittle, and it was equally challenging to also get this one in the car. The next week Judy decided to buy the biggest one we had, and there was no way this was getting into her car. We struggled to get it in the truck. We also agreed to plant this one and so its epic journey to its final resting place began.

Baring It All ..... by Wes Fleming

Our special guest blogger is Wes Fleming who will be speaking live down at Gardenworld on Sunday July 12th 2009 from 1.00 pm. More info

Bare root trees are simply that. Trees that are not placed in a pot and spoiled with lovely rich potting mix, but shaken from their growing paddocks and sent off to store with roots exposed.

Many people are concerned about the process of buying and planting these skeletal looking plants - so foreign without their little pots hugging their base, but they needn't be, bare root trees are in their prime with weather conditions ideal to plant and grow now.

Bare root season is also the ideal time to get the widest Fleming's selection of trees - making this another great reason to look for our bare root trees down at Gardenworld or in your local garden centre.

Here are a few simple steps to getting bare root trees planted and established in your garden.

Step 1: Pruning

At Fleming's we often hear of people that are fearful of pruning in case they get it wrong. The best thing to remember is that it's almost impossible to get it wrong. Pruning a bare root tree is easy and all you need is a good sharp pair secateurs.

We estimate that about 50% of the roots from bare root trees remain in the soil after they are removed from their original growing ground. So that means about 50% of the top part of the tree will need to be pruned to return balance to the tree.

Look for the central leader - that is the most dominant branch of the tree and usually follows the line of the trunk. Cut about half that branch off and follow suit with the rest of the branches of the tree.

Jaboticaba - also known as the Brazilian Tree Grape

Jaboticaba or Brazilian Tree Grape 

By Dennis Ting  Gardenworld Nursery

 

A Jabo... what??? you may ask or grapes that grow on trees???  Yes Jaboticaba is the common name for the plant "Myrciara cauliflora" which itself is no easier to say.  

But such a name is befitting of a plant that has some unusual characteristics and produces fruit that are truly delicious and not just merely edible.

June in a Melbourne garden - shallots, bare-root trees, camellias...

 

Winter wonders - a liriope intertwined with fallen leaves of a silver birch

We have just finished building a little herb garden in front of the café. Now the staff can simply walk out and pick some Italian parsley, mint, rosemary and dill. In a few weeks the thyme and oregano will also be big enough to harvest. Of course it is too cold for basil now, but coriander will grow well in the cooler weather and it is less likely to set seed. It is a great feeling to have built something so useful, and the food has never tasted so good.

More than just good looks.

By James Wall

Am at Mount Coolum in SE Queensland and driving down the road towards my accommodation I see this good looking thing. It is tall with a shady appearance and has the most vivid orange flowers I have ever seen. It's like a lighthouse every time I drive past. After checking with a local I find it is in fact a tree called the African Tulip tree (Spathodea campanulata). Well, I was pretty impressed, until he told me it was a weed and that when the flowers fall on wet concrete, it is dangerously slippery - yes, this trees even got OH&S issues! A quick check with the QLD Dept of Primary Industries and yes, it is a Class 3 declared plant under Queensland legislation. "It infests gullies, vegetation around waterways and disturbed rainforest". It is an even bigger problem in Nth Qld and is also a problem in Hawaii. So much for good looks.