We’ve freshened things up a bit, dusted out the corners and pruned a bit of dead wood to give you more of what you wanted.
A special welcome to our new and long-time Garden Clinic Club members. We hope you enjoy the Garden Clinic's first (online) installment. Don't be a stranger, come back often, we're constantly updating the site with original stories and helpful advice in the one place, ready for you to explore, enjoy and get involved.
This month we've put the focus on sweet peas, my absolute favourites. I grew up on a standard ¼-acre block and all three of the paling fences enclosing
the backyard were permanently covered with wire for the autumn sowing of sweet peas. That was easily 35 metres of sweet peas! Not surprisingly,
they were my mum’s and grandmother’s favourite flowers. My dad taught me how to grow sweet peas when I was only 4 years old; 60 years later I still
love their evocative perfume and pastel shades and grow them every year. You can read all about our sweet pea growing tips.
Sandra picks one of many of her spring sweet pea posies. Photo - Luisa Brimble
But we know that gardeners can sometimes get a bit frustrated and disappointed with their sweet peas, so this year we have a new way to help you out. In
addition to the great information in our magazine, you can also join our free Sweet Pea Tribe and receive advice (via email) on how
to get the most glorious sweet pea bouquets ever. Call or email (help@gardenclinic.com) and join our Tribe.
It’s not all about sweet peas, though. You’ll also find out about the different types and sizes of tibouchina – one of our super-stars. There’s also wonderful people to meet, including Chelsea winner and landscape designer Phillip Johnson who is single-handedly bringing about the idea of the beautiful backyard billabong! Stroll around his garden.
Or just grab a thermos and head to the hills! The Dandenong hills of course. Read more about our road trip to Olinda.
We love the idea of this beautiful billabong; its on our 'must have' list this year! Photo - Philip Johnson
We’ll take a good look at some seasonal favourites, especially maples and growing kale. Don’t forget to check out our tasty kale pesto and green smoothie recipes.
Want to keep young? Graham shares his energy-drink-recipe! A green smoothie that tastes only a bit like fresh grass. Photo - Linda Ross.
Watch out for my latest videos - practical gardening advice you can watch at any time.
You can even take me out into the garden if you own a tablet. It’s all about giving you more information at your finger tips for when you need it.
Stumped? Don’t forget that the Garden Clinic Members Helpline is now open seven days a week. Our expert horticulturists are available
between 10am and 2pm daily – providing help when you need it most.
As you navigate through our new site, we hope you’ll find awesome new features, but the same trustworthy advice you've enjoyed for the last 35 years. We've
worked hard to find new ways of providing you with fun ideas that help to nurture your green fingers. And once you've had a look around, we’d also
love to know what you think: we appreciate your feedback.
Finally, a big thank you to our team, who over the last decade have continued to enthrall our readers with stories in our wonderful magazine.
We look forward to bringing you more inspiration from this talented, creative and awesome bunch of folk - we think the best is yet to come!
- Linda Ross – content creater, teacher
- Sandra Ross – horticulturist, rose-lover,
- Mez Woodwood – horticulturist, nursery-person
- Robin Powell - editor, storyteller and photographer
- Libby Cameron - horticulturist
- Pete Bunce – magazine designer
- Justin Russell – kitchen gardener, country correspondent
- Luisa Brimble - creative, photographer
Happy Gardening,
Graham Ross
Oh, by the way - here's a quick tour to get you started! And don't forget to come back often, if you don't subscribe to our monthly reminders, not much is going to happen. So subscribe, okay!
Plants – Plant-lovers are always on the lookout for the best cultivars and
species. This is the place where we share our vast plant knowledge and growing tips.
Videos– Weekly video for help on how to do it.
How to Projects – Need to know what to do or how to do it? Our handy how-to-guides
give you the steps for success.
Delicious - our garden-grown recipes at your fingertips.
Stumped? Our ‘Ask Us’ function is a godsend when you have
a question you can’t answer.
In the shed – Get the latest on hardware, tools, machinery and products.
Small Spaces – We’re addicted to pots! Here is where we share information
about the best plants for potted situations.
Meet – People stories from all around the world
Feature Gardens – Garden inspiration and ideas for you to use at home
Events – Keep in touch with open gardens, garden shows, workshops and classes