How to: declutter your pots

Tips on how to display your collection of plants.

How to: decorate with water lilies

Waterlilies are shy until the mercury hits 30, and then they unfold into beautiful blooms. We grow them in large bowls and pots, and pick them to decorate the table through summer.

How to: divide upside down orchids

Graham’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! We checked it out and found the basket lining had disintegrated and the pine bark mix had completely decomposed. It was time to divide and conquer!

How to: enjoy peonies

Are these spring’s most romantic flower? The small round buds open to a gorgeous, generous, glamorous semi-double or double flowers. Shades range from white through various pale pink blushes to a rich dark scarlet.

How to: entice a cyclamen to flower again

A pot of cyclamen is a favourite winter present, but by now you might be wondering what to do with it. Don't throw it away. A cyclamen will repeat its beautiful dispaly year after year if you treat it right.

How to: fix geraniums

We recognise that these are properly pelargoniums, but as most gardeners know them and love them as geraniums, that’s fine by us. The most popular type are the zonals, identified by the ‘zones’ or patterns on their leaves. We also love ivy-leafed types for their indestructible nature and perfect hanging basket habit; and the scented geraniums whose foliage exhibits such a wealth of different fragrances. No matter which you choose to grow, keep them in tip-top shape with this handy guide to common problems and remember to refresh your collection every few years with fresh cuttings.

How to: Fix The Compost

Compost can be the greatest free source of nutrient for your garden. Here our very own compost queen, Sandra Ross answers some of the most frequently-asked compost questions.

How to: fix the lawn

Most warm-season grasses stop growing when the nights turn cold, allowing weeds to get a foothold while your attention has turned indoors. So now is the time to target terrors like bindii, wintergrass and dandelions and avoid seeding - and many years more weeding - before boosting growth for lush summer lawns.

How to: fix the lawn

Most warm-season grasses stop growing when the nights turn cold, allowing weeds to get a foothold while your attention has turned indoors. So now is the time to target terrors like bindii, wintergrass and dandelions and avoid seeding - and many years more weeding.

How to: fix your lemon

If our hotlines here at the Garden Clinic, and on Garden Clinic Radio on 2GB and 2UE are anything to go by, lemons cause gardeners much heartache. We’re here to help! Here are solutions to six common lemon problems.

How to: fix your roses

Many questions from radio callers to Garden Clinic on 2GB on the weekends involve roses. We feel your pain! These are our go-to fixes for six common rose problems.

How to: garden under trees

Growing 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. 

How to: get to know your tools

Ever wondered which tools you should use to do different jobs around the garden?

How to: grow a 'coral reef'

Such a simple idea – a coral reef garden full of dazzling succulents – and so fun! Philip Withers’ imitation of a world seen through water thrilled visitors to the Australian Garden Show Sydney and won him the people’s choice award.

How to: grow a living screen

Judiciously planted privacy screens can create excellent neighbourly relations. Green screens or hedges are a much better choice than a 4m fence. They offer essential privacy in this crazy overlooked world, and also contribute a tremendous feeling of sanctuary and enclosure.

How to: grow a salad bowl

Eden, Isla and Skye amazed their school friends when they took their own salad greens for lunch. Lettuce show you how easy it is!

How to: grow African violets

African violets are treasured, long-lived indoor plants. Make them shine with these tips.

How to: grow aloes

The dazzle of fiery candles shown on this page comes courtesy of modern hybrid aloes. These plants are a great way to add colour to the winter garden.

How to: grow amazing geraniums

The plants I'm talking about here are botanically speaking Pelargonium though commonly called geranium. True Geranium species are delicate-looking perennials, usually with blue flowers.

How to: grow an edible hedge

Trade up from murraya and lillypilly to a hedge you can eat! These four flavoursome options tick the boxes for pretty, practical and productive.

How to: Grow beautiful roses in subtropical climate

Want to beat black spot on your roses? Especially in high humidity? Sandra shares her secret recipe with Garden Clinic members.  

How to: grow blueberries

Blueberries are pretty shrubs, with delicate, pink, bell-shaped flowers that give way to delicious purple-blue berries full of goodness and high in antioxidants.

How to: grow borage

The first question you may be asking is not how to grow borage but why! 

How to: grow clematis

One of the great rewards for enduring a cool climate winter is the flowers that bloom in spring, and clematis is one of our favourites. Attention-seeking flowers cover a romantically twining vine that sets off rose gardens and perennial borders beautifully.

How to: grow dahlias

How to: grow garlic

April is garlic-planting time and it’s easier than you think to grow a year’s supply for your family.

How to: grow gorgeous gardenias

The glossy green leaves and fragrant, creamy-white flowers make gardenias a standout feature, whether used in the garden, as a hedge, grown as a standard, or adorning a pot.

How to: Grow hoya

This shining beauty is undemanding and rewards even the most off-hand gardener with gorgeous globes of scented flowers that last and last.

How to: grow hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are old favourites, yet myths about growing them persist. Sandra clears the air.

How to: grow kirengoshoma

Michael McCoy spills the beans on one of the cool climate, autumn-flowering gems that turn temperate gardeners green with envy.

How to: grow lilies

For 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. 

How to: grow mushrooms

Button mushrooms are easy to grow at home.

How to: grow polyanthus

Our flower of choice for winter colour this year is polyanthus (Primula x polyantha). Usually brushed aside for the showier primulas, poppies, pansies or cyclamen, we think they deserve attention for their vibrant, happy colours and sterling resilience.

How to: grow snowdrops

The true snowdrop is a delicate pearly bell only suited to cool climates. Michael McCoy is a fan.

How to: grow sprouts

Skye, Eden and Isla are growing their own sprouts to add to sandwiches and salads. 

How to: grow stepover apples

Bob Magnus (owner of Woodbridge, Tasmania) sells four different varieties of apples grafted onto extra-dwarf rootstock. These trees are designed to grow as a one-metre-high hedge. They are pretty and productive in an edible or ornamental garden. Choose all four for many months of fresh apples. Here’s how Bob recommends growing apples as a stepover.

How to: grow strawberries from seed

Strawberry seed packet holds well over 100 seeds and with a recommended retail price of $3.50 its the most economical way to grow your strawberries. 

How to: grow tulips

Find some time this summer holiday to create a wonderful picture of tulips. 

How to: grow your own ratatouille

Ratatouille will convert the most meat-loving individual into a vegetarian – if only for one night! It was originally a common dish, prepared in the summer with fresh summer vegetables.

How to: growing vegetables from seed

Planting 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.