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.
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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Meet Marianne Farrer, The Secret Garden and Nursery
06 September 2018 | Robin PowellThe Secret Garden and Nursery is a not-for-profit community and therapy garden that allows variously abled people to work together in a beautiful space. It’s also a great local nursery, with plants at bargain prices.
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Getting ready for Tomato Time
09 August 2018 | Linda RossIt's time to get ready for tomato planting. Autumn is the absolute best time of year to get prepared, feed the soil, prepare beds and growing structures and raise seeds to plant out as seedlings in spring
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Meet the giant Camellia family
28 June 2018 | Linda RossThe camellia is the queen of winter, unrivalled for glamour, yet she is down to earth, easy to grow and long-lived especially when you treat her just right. With thousands of camellias to choose from there is one for every spot in your garden – including pots! Here we explain the different types and share some troubleshooting advice.
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Roses at Red Cow Farm
20 June 2018 | Ali MenteshSeduced by the colour, forms and perfumes of roses, Ali Mentesh has already collected some 200 to adorn the garden rooms at Red Cow Farm. Here Ali discusses the seven he chose to stand out.
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Bugwatch: Aster Yellows
06 June 2018 | Dan WheatleyThe Aster Yellows virus has recently been detected in NSW and Victorian gardens. Plants affected by this easily-transmitted virus should be disposed of, not composted. Here's how to recognise the symptoms.
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BBM Youth Support Award for Horticulture
01 June 2018 | Dan WheatleyBBM Youth Support will this year offer two Youth Support Awards for Horticulture. It's time for the budding horticulturist in your life to get their application together and take advantage of this fantastic opportunity.
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Garden News: Citrus Canker outbreak in WA
25 May 2018 | Dan WheatleyThe National Nursery Industry Biosecurity Program Team have released a biosecurity advice update this month with regards to confirmed cases of Citrus Canker found on three properties in Western Australia
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In The Garden This Week
10 March 2018 | Graham RossWhat did we chat about on the radio this week? What pests & problems were solved? Here's the weekly radio round-up - the tips & topics of the week for total success in your garden with a healthy dose of flowers, vegies, new releases and inspiration. Tune in Monday to Friday on Talking Lifestyle from 12 noon to 1pm, and 2GB Saturday and Sunday mornings from 6 to 9am, an hour earlier in Queensland.
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In the Garden This Week
24 February 2018 | Dan WheatleyWhat did we chat about on the radio this week? What pests & problems were solved? Here's the weekly radio round-up - the tips & topics of the week for total success in your garden with a healthy dose of flowers, vegies, new releases and inspiration. Tune in Monday to Friday on Talking Lifestyle from 12 noon to 1pm, and 2GB Saturday and Sunday mornings from 6 to 9am, an hour earlier in Queensland.
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Be safe around lead
20 February 2018 | Graham RossOne heavy metal you don’t want in your life….LEAD. Watch Graham's lead safety video here, and keep your family safe from lead poisoning
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In the Garden This Week
17 February 2018 | Dan WheatleyWhat did we chat about on the radio this week? What pests & problems were solved? Here's the weekly radio round-up - the tips & topics of the week for total success in your garden with a healthy dose of flowers, vegies, new releases and inspiration. Tune in Monday to Friday on Talking Lifestyle from 12 noon to 1pm, and 2GB Saturday and Sunday mornings from 6 to 9am, an hour earlier in Queensland.
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In The Garden This Week
10 February 2018 | Dan WheatleyWhat did we chat about on the radio this week? What pests & problems were solved? Here's the weekly radio round-up - the tips & topics of the week for total success in your garden with a healthy dose of flowers, vegies, new releases and inspiration. Tune in Monday to Friday on Talking Lifestyle from 12 noon to 1pm, and 2GB Saturday and Sunday mornings from 6 to 9am, an hour earlier in Queensland.
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In The Garden This Week
03 February 2018 | Dan WheatleyWhat did we chat about on the radio this week? What pests & problems were solved? Here's the weekly radio round-up - the tips & topics of the week for total success in your garden with a healthy dose of flowers, vegies, new releases and inspiration. Tune in Monday to Friday on Talking Lifestyle from 12 noon to 1pm, and 2GB Saturday and Sunday mornings from 6 to 9am, an hour earlier in Queensland.
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In The Garden This Week
20 January 2018 | Graham RossWhat did we chat about on the radio this week? What pests & problems were solved? Here's the weekly radio round-up - the tips & topics of the week for total success in your garden with a healthy dose of flowers, vegies, new releases and inspiration. Tune in Monday to Friday on Talking Lifestyle from 12 noon to 1pm, and 2GB Saturday and Sunday mornings from 6 to 9am, an hour earlier in Queensland.
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In the Garden This Week
09 December 2017 | Graham RossWhat did we chat about on the radio this week? What pests & problems were solved? Here's the weekly radio round-up - the tips & topics of the week for total success in your garden with a healthy dose of flowers, vegies, new releases and inspiration. Tune in Monday to Friday on Talking Lifestyle from 12 noon to 1pm, and 2GB Saturday and Sunday mornings from 6 to 9am. (1 hour earlier in Queensland)
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In the Garden This Week
02 December 2017 | Graham RossWhat did we chat about on the radio this week? What pests & problems were solved? Here's the weekly radio round-up - the tips & topics of the week for total success in your garden with a healthy dose of flowers, vegies, new releases and inspiration. Tune in Monday to Friday on Talking Lifestyle from 12 noon to 1pm, and 2GB Saturday and Sunday mornings from 6 to 9am. (1 hour earlier in Queensland)
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In The Garden This Week
25 November 2017 | Linda RossWhat did we chat about on the radio this week? What pests & problems were solved? Here's the weekly radio round-up - the tips & topics of the week for total success in your garden with a healthy dose of flowers, vegies, new releases and inspiration. Tune in Monday to Friday on Talking Lifestyle from 12 noon to 1pm, and 2GB Saturday and Sunday mornings from 6 to 9am. (1 hour earlier in Queensland)
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In The Garden This Week
18 November 2017 | Linda RossWhat did we chat about on the radio this week? What pests & problems were solved? Here's the weekly radio round-up - the tips & topics of the week for total success in your garden with a healthy dose of flowers, vegies, new releases and inspiration. Tune in Monday to Friday on Talking Lifestyle from 12 noon to 1pm, and 2GB Saturday and Sunday mornings from 6 to 9am. (1 hour earlier in Queensland)
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