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.
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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How to: create an orchid tree
11 July 2019 | Graham RossInspired by a trip to Singapore and the gorgeous Gardens of the Bay, Graham decided to create an orchid tree.
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Know Your Orchids
11 July 2019 | Linda RossThe orchid family is so extensive, and so wonderful in the garden. Here we introduce just the essential exotics for your garden. The exciting native orchids we’ll save for another day.
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How to: reflower a moth orchid
11 July 2019 | Mez WoodwardOne of our most-asked questions to the Garden Clinic helpline and to radio is about caring for moth orchids so they flower again. Here are our top tips.
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Handy Guide: Orchids
11 July 2019 | Linda RossOrchids are found in every corner of the planet and come from the biggest family of cultivated plants on earth: 30,000 wild species. There are twice
as many orchid species as there are species of birds! Orchids have had a 200-year journey from the tropical jungles to become the nation's most
popular houseplant.
Federal Gov authority to de-register common home-garden insecticides containing Chlorpyrifos
05 July 2019 | Graham RossA special gazette published by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) last month detailed the proposal to cancel the registrations of the 27 chemical products containing the active ingredient chlorpyrifos
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How to: Grow tomatoes
04 July 2019 | Linda RossFor home-grown tomato tragics like Linda late winter doesn’t signal a time to ramp up the gym membership and line up a fake tan. Rather she is busy germinating heirloom tomatoes seeds. Whether you are joining her in growing from seed, or skipping that step with seedlings from the nursery, here are her top tips for growing a great feed of tomatoes this summer.
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5 steps to starting a veggie patch from scratch
04 July 2019 | Linda RossEver wanted to grow your own veggies but never knew where to start? Here are five steps to consider when starting a patch from scratch.
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How to make Power Soil
04 July 2019 | Linda RossGive the warm season vegetable patch a big boost before seedlings go in. Use our Power Soil recipe and get ready for take-off!
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How to make a veggie stock
01 July 2019 | Linda RossIf you planted out root vegetables in early autumn you’ll be harvesting them now. While roots make great side dishes for whatever you’re cooking for dinner, your home-grown produce also makes the best stock.
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Mickey's Kitchen Garden
01 July 2019 | Mickey RobertsonMickey Robertson gardens at Glenmore House near Camden. Sounds like a scene out of Pride and Prejudice? Well yes, you do feel as though you've traveled back in time where women wear linen and the air smells clean. Winter, she says, is crisp mornings thawing to glorious blue-sky days. Early morning reveal traces of frost on cabbage and kale leaves; and sometimes, just sometimes, the paddocks blanketed in white. Evenings also have a rhythm all their own as woodsmoke trails through the valley. Here she shares glimpses of days in her winter garden.
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How to grow veggies from seed
01 July 2019 | Arno KingPlanting punnets of vegetable seedlings is easy, but it is much more cost-effective and more fulfilling - not to mention offering wider choice and better results - to sow seed directly into the garden. The key is to sow plants suited to your climate, at the appropriate time of year.
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In the garden: July
27 June 2019 | Linda RossThe winter chill is settling on the garden. It's time to enjoy winter flowers, sharpen up the pruning tools and get those spring bulbs in
Orange and whisky self-saucing pudding
27 June 2019 | Robin PowellWhat’s not to love about a self-saucing pudding? There’s the magic trick of pouring liquid over batter and having it transform, a short time later, to become a thick, luscious sauce under a fluffy, crisp-topped cake.
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How to use seaweed in the garden
27 June 2019 | Kirsten Bradley and Nick RitarIn their new book ‘Milkwood’, permaculture gardeners Kirsten Bradley and Nick Ritar devote a whole chapter to the glories of seaweed. Beyond its uses in the kitchen, seaweed is great in the garden.
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The rebirth of New York's High Line
24 June 2019 | Robin Powell & Michael McCoyBack in 2013 workers removed the last remaining bits of Sydney’s monorail. After 25 years the unpopular transport project has been relegated to memory. How different the decommissioning of New York’s old freight rail, the High Line, and the transformation into a most exciting horticultural tourist attraction, revitalising a city and utilising the worlds premiere perennial plantsman.
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Bake a whole Orange Cake
20 June 2019 | Robin PowellFrom Linda’s go-to collection, a dead-easy cake that she makes in triple quantities. One cake is eaten fresh and the other two go into the freezer for entertaining emergencies.
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Grow better Oranges with our handy guide
20 June 2019 | Justin Russell & Linda RossOrange trees are jewels for the home garden with shiny green foliage, sweet-smelling blossom and glowing winter fruit.
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Coping with a deluge
13 June 2019 | Arno KingWhile subsoil drainage, such as drainage grates, gravel pits and sumps, are effective in light rain, heavy downpours overwhelm pipes and the water sheets across the landscape. Arno King has some tips top help cope when the heavens open up.
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How to Make Magic Mix
12 June 2019 | Robin PowellAt a Garden Clinic class held at Honeysuckle Nursery in Mosman we
wondered aloud at all the plants bursting with health and vitality,
with shiny, glossy
leaves and so much energy they seemed about to leap off the shelves.
The answer? This Magic Mix!
Know your flowering trees
11 June 2019 | Paul UrquartLove tropical flowering trees? Paul Urquart knows all the tropical trees that will thrive in Sydney
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Six great plants for summer
05 June 2019 | Peter NixonPeter Nixon traded in his inner-city Sydney courtyard for a Sea-change paradise. Here he givces us six plants that make this central coast garden sing
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Sea-changer
04 June 2019 | Peter Nixon and Robin PowellFour years ago garden designer Peter Nixon traded in his inner-city Sydney courtyard for a big blank corner block on the Central Coast and turned it into this!
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Broughton Hall: Six plants I love
29 May 2019 | David MuskerDavid Husker is busy this winter maintaining his stunning garden, Broughton Hall Here David gives us 6 plants he loves that look their best in winter
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Winter in Broughton Hall, Victoria
29 May 2019 | David MuskerWinter is a busy time in the garden as we prepare for the big show that is spring. Find out what David Musker is up to at the stunning Garden at Broughton Hall in Victoria.
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6 Plants for Autumn
09 May 2019 | Ali MenteshMature trees, sharp hedges and a passion for roses shape the unfolding beauty of Mittagong's Red Cow Farm. Here Ali Mentesh gives us 6 plants for autumn.
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Picardy Garden Pea Risotto
08 February 2019 | Robin PowellOne 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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Know your indoor plants
22 November 2018 | Linda RossPlants make indoor spaces beautiful and people happy. Here are a few easy-care options to start - or enlarge! - your indoor garden.
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How to brew a Compost Tea
15 November 2018 | 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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