Another beautiful warm and sunny weekend on the way for most of the eastern states.
Welcome rain to follow just in time to water our gardens parched by the recent dry, windy weather.
For all our orchid lovers we're excited to be offering the 2017 Awesome Orchids Pack this weekend. It's got everything you need to feed up and protect your orchids through the year.
You can join or renew your Garden Clinic Membership online at Platinum level this weekend and get your 2017 Awesome Orchids Pack online now.
Join today and make your orchids sing this spring.
Join or renew your membership today and get your orchids looking great this spring. Photo - Jeep2499 / Shutterstock
It's time to
Mulch
Take full advantage of the expected rain periods expected to follow this unseasonably warm weekend by liberally spreading good quality mulch all around
your garden. You may also like to water in a soil wetting agent like eco-hydrate.
Want more winter jobs to do in your garden? Check out the full articles here - It's time to: Temperate gardens, and In the Subtropical Garden
Make the most of expected rain by mulching.
Bugwatch
A Plant Care Reminder
If you're growing ornamental grasses like these foxtail grasses or the popular succulents, Sedum 'Autumn Joy' or any of its varieties, they need to be
pruned hard, to the ground, this weekend.
After the hard prune feed with Bush Tucker, Dynamic Lifter, Osmocote + Organics or Powerfeed by Seasol.
Water in with a seaweed solution and wetting agent. That's to stop fertiliser runoff.
They will soon make new growth in spring.
Graham Ross with a well-pruned garden of ornamental grasses
Bush Garden
Purple Hop Bush, Dodonea viscosa 'Purpurea'
Native to Australia and the Pacific Islands from NZ, PNG to Hawaii, with timber from the greenleaf species being used for housing construction, spears
and other weapons and for medicinal uses for centuries. It's extremely hard wood making it very durable for building.
A In the garden the purple leaf form more is popular as a quick growing ornamental accent plant, screen or hedge, especially by the coast or where extreme
or hot and windy conditions exist.
It is not only tolerant of salt spray and strong winds but also drought and pollution resistant.
Landscapers working on mining remediation and polluted or contaminated industrial sites find it useful.
It is very quick growing reaching its full height of 2-3m in 2-3 years. It can also be short lived, 5-6 years so shouldn't be depended on long term in
the garden. It's flowers and small fruit are also coloured purple like the leaves.
Purple Hop Bush, Dodonea viscosa 'Purpurea' Photo - Graham Ross
Come away with us
The Paradise of Sri Lanka
Discover a paradise island with incredible flavours, history and culture. Sri Lanka offers World Heritage sites, bustling cities, tea plantations, serene
gardens and elephants!
A tropical paradise of gardens to greet us in Sri Lanka
Passage to India
The opulent palaces, towering forts, beautiful gardens, vibrant colours and incredible bazaars of India have cast their spell on Libby Cameron. She invites
you to join her on a wonderfully luxurious adventure to Delhi, Agra, Ranthambore, Udaipur and Jaipur
Come along and join us on the subcontinent in 2018! The Passage to Northern India tour with Libby Cameron, and the Gardens of Sri Lanka tour with Paul Urquhart leaves late February, 2018. Seats are limited, so go to the Ross Tours website,
or call Royce or Roslyn at Ross Tours on 1300 233 200 before these amazing tours sell out.
Lake Palace Hotel, Udairpur. Yes, we're staying there on the Passage to Northern India tour in 2018.