Garden Clinic Blog
Keep in touch with what we're doing, there's always something going on. Our team has been busy gathering interesting, helpful and exciting stories for you to enjoy. Seasonal inspiration from our garden to yours.
Recipe: Triple Ginger Loaf
17 September 2019 | Jo WrightJo Wright is a keen baker (she’s notched up several wins the Royal Easter Show for her cakes!) an avid gardener, a treasured member of Garden Clinic, and for the last three years, has been the trusted baker of goodies for our garden classes. She wowed attendees at our recent Bees and Butterflies workshop with this delicious ginger cake. As we said our goodbyes everyone begged for the recipe. So here it is. Thanks for sharing it Jo!
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Know your: Ferns
17 September 2019 | Linda RossMany ferns have a soft feathery quality that makes a great contrast with other plants - in the garden or indoors.
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Meet Tahnee Carroll, Stylist and plant-lover
17 September 2019 | Lauren Camilleri and Sophia KaplanTahnee Carroll has never seen a room that can’t be made more appealing with a plant or two, as she explains in this extract from a new book on indoor plants, ‘Leaf Supply’.
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How to: brew compost tea
10 September 2019 | Arno KingWhen I was a child all our neighbours and friends had a large tub - generally an old enamel washing machine tub - buried close to the vegetable garden. This was the ‘brew’ tub. Ingredients for the brew - compost, manures and seaweed - were widely discussed and benefits widely acclaimed. And it turns out these gardeners were onto something!
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In the garden: Retford Park
10 September 2019 | Robin Powell and Rick ShepherdRick Shepherd, head gardener at Bowral’s grand Retford Park, dishes the dirt on what goes on in the garden in spring.
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Star of the Season: Jasmine
10 September 2019 | Linda Ross and Mez WoodwardThe jasmine moment is a brief celebration. Grab hold, cut armfuls of it and drape it all over the house, because in a flash it’s all over til next year.
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Recipe: Curried Carrot and Coconut Soup
09 September 2019 | Robin PowellPerfect for spring’s changeable weather, this soup is delicious eaten piping hot and comforting on cold days, or refreshingly chilled when the sun is shining and the garden is calling.
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Grow Carrots
09 September 2019 | Justin RussellThe difference in flavour between supermarket and homegrown is most pronounced in the humblest of vegetables- potatoes, onions and carrots. Trust us, homegrown carrots are a revelation: sweet, spicy or earthy depending on the cultivar, but never bland.
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Meet: Anita Rayner
09 September 2019 | ROBIN POWELLThe gardens at Vaucluse House are one of Sydney’s historic horticultural treasures. Anita Rayner fell in love with them at first sight; now she runs them.
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Our Kitchen Garden
09 September 2019 | Linda RossThere’s inspiration here to help expand your vegetable repertoire- in the garden and on the plate.
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Recipe: Pasta with asparagus and peas
03 September 2019 | Robin PowellQuite simply this is spring's freshest flavours on a plate!
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Meet Peter Hey, clivia breeder and grower of rare plants
03 September 2019 | Linda RossPeter is presently President of the Clivia Society of New South Wales, helping to organise the upcoming Spring Show Sept 14-15. You can also find him and his amazing clivias at The Plant Lovers Fair and Collectors’ Plant Fair each year with his specialist nursery Cliveas and Rare Things.
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How to: garden under trees
03 September 2019 | Shane NeillGrowing plants beneath established trees can be challenging. There’s no direct light, roots take up space and water, the soil becomes dry and compacted, and to compound the problem, the tree roots sucks up the available nutrition, leaving precious little behind.
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In the Garden: Cruden Farm
03 September 2019 | Mitch BurnsDame Elisabeth Murdoch’s much-loved garden is on the brink of its big show as spring begins.Head gardener Mitch Burns takes us behind the scenes.
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Star of the season: Clivia
03 September 2019 | Linda RossThe trumpet flowers of this indestructible plant put them top of the list for dry areas, dry pots and under trees. Let’s take a closer look.
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Garden Road Trip: Southern Highlands
29 August 2019 | Carolyn DwyerSome of the best Australian gardens lie in the rolling hills of the Southern Highlands. Rolling green fields, white picket fences, smoking chimneys and trees bursting into new leave as spring colours the landscape; many of the gardens here open regularly through the spring and autumn seasons. We spoke to horticulturist and local Carolyn Dwyer to share her favourites.
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How to: Grow summer annuals
29 August 2019 | Linda RossFor decorating fun in the garden nothing beats a few punnets of annuals. These plants only last a season, but they generously colour gardens, courtyards and balconies during their brief life. Whether it’s a patchwork of blossom you want, or a ribbon of colour along a border, something to fill a gap, a dramatic hanging basket, a fringe of trim in front of shrubs, or simply a pot brimming with flowers, annuals offer the answer.
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Meet Keith and Maureene Smith
28 August 2019 | Robin PowellCancer fundraisers and plant propagators
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How to: Attract butterflies
28 August 2019 | Linda Ross
When I think about things that spark joy I think butterflies. The singular most joyous event in my garden is the appearance of a butterfly:fluttering wings of the prettiest colours; a quick flit across the garden, up and down, looping the loops, surfing the air like a wave of light. Each sighting makes me feel so good I often ponder how I can attract more butterflies into my garden at Frog Hollow. This is what I’ve learnt so far.
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Delicious: Strawberry and rhubarb jam
28 August 2019 | Robin PowellRhubarb and strawberries are perfect partners – in pies, crumbles, and in this jam. Here Robin Powell shares her Strawberry and rhubarb jam recipe with us.
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Star of the season: Agastache
28 August 2019 | Linda RossThese easy-care, minty-fresh flowery fillers offer reliable and long-lasting summer colour.
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Thinking Gardens
28 August 2019 | Robin PowellBetty Maloney was a pioneer of bush gardening whose advice on finding serenity in the garden is as relevant now as it was half a century ago.
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Eat Your Greens
22 August 2019 | Linda RossWe are in love with this simple mixed greens dish. A quick and tasty weekday meal to up our green intake - best when picked fresh from the veggie patch. It’s a taste sensation.
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Garden Road Trip: Rydal
22 August 2019 | Robin PowellHosts of golden daffodils dance in the wind when the tiny village of Rydal, just east of Lithgow, celebrates the Daffodils at Rydal festival. Robin
Powell takes you there.
In our garden: Wildwood
22 August 2019 | Sue Tapping and Robin PowellA cool-climate garden of five acres gives Sue and Wayne Tapping room to grow the beauties they love. Here they share what’s keeping them busy this spring
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Know your: Spring Blossom
22 August 2019 | Linda and Sandra RossGet to know your spring blossoms now before they disappear for another year.
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Garden Pea Risotto
14 August 2019 | Robin Powell, Recipe: Marian Somes Photos: Sue StubbsOne of my favourite gardens in Victoria is Picardy, a romantic French provincial style garden in the picturesque hills of Neerim. Marian and Bryce Somes had always been Francophiles - mad for French food, in love with the language - but it was a trip to France to celebrate a significant birthday year in 1986 that confirmed a passion for French style.
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Visit Boongala Native Gardens
14 August 2019 | Linda RossAn inspiring native garden rings bells for Linda Ross and to the sound of birdsong she changes her tune about the best plants to create pretty gardens.
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Know your: Wildflowers
09 August 2019 | Nola ParryGet to know our small native flowering plants, says native plant expert Nola Parry, and you’ll have a pretty new palette with which to paint romantic native gardens that are full of flower. Australia is blessed with an amazing range of small flowering plants. Yet some gardeners never get beyond a familiarity with gum trees, bottlebrush, paper barks, grevilleas and a few other large plants.
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Zap My Pests & Weeds OCP Pack
08 August 2019 | Kristi BertolloJoin or renew your membership this week and you will receive ECO Oil, Hydrate & Fungicide and OCP Slasher. And to celebrate upcoming Springtime, included is a gorgeous potted Garvinea courtesy of Majestic Young Plants.
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Make a broad bean custard
08 August 2019 | Lucio Galletto & Robin PowellThe broad bean’s short and sweet season is celebrated by Italian home cooks and chefs. In this recipe, Sydney restaurateur, Lucio Galletto turns the humble bean into something really special - a broad bean custard.
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Best crops for small pots
08 August 2019 | Linda RossEven the smallest balcony plots can produce crops from an interesting range of small-fruited, ‘patio’-sized vegetables. Linda Ross shares tips on making it work.
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Small space: big ideas
08 August 2019 | Robin PowellCourtyard and balcony gardens are less forgiving than suburban gardens. A big garden can ramble a bit, drawing you past a bit of a dead patch with the lure of the something great glimpsed just around the corner. But in a small garden everything is on show, all the time.
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How to: declutter your balcony
07 August 2019 | Linda RossAs obsessive plant collectors we can’t help bringing home interesting plants from friends and fellow plant-lovers. Our enthusiasm had resulted in an unlovely clutter of pots. Something had to be done. Here are our tips for turning Plant Lovers’ Clutter into a pleasing display.
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Know your:Balcony flowers
07 August 2019 | Linda RossAdd some summer dazzle to a sunny balcony with these pot-loving beauties.
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Brussels sprouts: 3 ways
01 August 2019 | Robin PowellNeed new delicious ways to serve Brussels sprouts? We’ve got 3 simple ways that will wow the crowd.
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Handy guide: Magnolias
01 August 2019 | Linda RossDeciduous magnolias thrill us in winter with cup-shaped blooms on bare grey stems.
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How to: arrange flowers
01 August 2019 | Annabelle HicksonIf I could print Constance Spry's 1953 book How to Do the Flowers here in full, I would. It is not a big book, but it is a thoughtful one, and full of very good information. It is this book that first got me thinking about ‘arranging’ flowers, as opposed to simply plonking them in a vase.
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Meet Mark Jury, magnolia breeder
01 August 2019 | Robin PowellIf there’s a stunning deciduous magnolia in your garden with enormous cup-shaped blooms and rich colour, chances are it was bred by New Zealand plantsman, Mark Jury.
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Magic Magnolia Mulch
01 August 2019 | Sandra RossMagnolia not happy? Try a Magic Magnolia Mulch. Sandra's special recipe does magical things to sulking magnolias!
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I love a star magnolia
01 August 2019 | Graham RossMagnolias can languish in their formative years, but perseverance will be rewarded. Here Graham discusses his favourite magnolia's story.
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Roasted cauliflower salad
25 July 2019 | Robin PowellMatch our cauliflower salad with roast chicken or barbecued lamb. My Nanna never served cauliflower that wasn’t boiled and drowned in a thick white sauce.
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Cauliflower soup
25 July 2019 | Robin PowellGot an abundance of cauliflower?Give this delicious soup a go. Perfect for a cool winter's night
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Know your: Roses for warm areas
25 July 2019 | Robin PowellSome of the best performing roses for warm climates are old favourites -and we mean old. Search out these hardy centurions for fragrance, generosity and trouble-free beauty.
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Relaxed style: Marcia Hosking
25 July 2019 | Chris PearsonSydney-based designer Marcia Hosking gave a holiday vibe to this compact garden.
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Meet: Pat and Bill Rhodin, Tulip Tops gardeners
25 July 2019 | Robin PowellMeet Pat and Bill Rhodin, Tulip Tops gardeners. They work hard all year to make this garden's spring display something memorable
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Red Earth Bulb's Lilium 2019 Collection
18 July 2019 | Linda RossAdd a splash of summer colour to your garden with Garden and Oriental Lilies. Each bulb produces 30-40 flowers per stem and just keeps on giving every single year. Our friend Tim Drewitt from Red Earth Bulbs has Liliums going at unbelievable prices. Drum roll please.
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Lemon and yoghurt cake
17 July 2019 | Robin PowellBack in 2015 we declared it the Year of the Cake with this mouth-watering recipe.
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It's time to plant Liliums
17 July 2019 | Linda RossFor wow factor in the summer garden it’s hard to go past lilies, and a new bunch of liliums is now opening bold big blooms across the country.
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How to: divide upside down orchids
12 July 2019 | Graham RossGraham’s upside-down orchid (Stanhopea tigrina) has grown old and unproductive, and this year treated us all with only five flower spikes, instead of the usual 30!
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