Podcasts

How to: Grow Tomatoes

More people grow tomatoes than any other fruit or vegetable. But results can be mixed. Set yourself up with the right advice for a bounty harvest in an Australian environment. There is much joy to be had in picking sun-ripened, richly flavoured sweet tomatoes from your own garden. But it’s not easy - with summer temps set to soar into the forties - it’s time to get serious about garden grown tomatoes.

Meet the Geraniaceae Family

Geraniums are an excellent choice for our changing, warming climate. They thrive in bright sunny gardens, hanging out of window-boxes and adorning pots on balconies. And scented varieties are wonderful when picked and placed in a soothing hot bath!

Milkwood

Linda chats to Milkwood cofounder Nick Ritar about harvesting seaweed for the garden, starting a summer tomato patch and growing your own mushrooms.

It takes a village....

In their new book ‘The Village’, Matt and Lentil describe connecting to your village may just bring the good health, happiness and longevity you seek.

Lights! Cameras! Therapeutic horticulture in ACTION!

Do you think there is a kindness deficit in the world? I do! But not in this little corner of Australia. Today we visit a not-for-profit community therapy garden and nursery in the west of Sydney where the bees are buzzing and volunteers are laughing in a brand new safe space. And it’s kind and exciting to see it in action.

Growing an Indoor Jungle

Indoor plants are clever things. They filter toxins from our homes to create healthy and happy green rooms for us to live within.

Meet Dr Kate Neale, Garden Health Researcher

What are the therapeutic benefits of gardening in social housing, preschools, schools, health services and aged care? Dr Kate Neale from Southern Cross University is keen to find out, starting with KindyGarden, a program aimed at getting 3-5 year olds growing food.

Meet Sophie Thomson - Garden consultant, media presenter and author

Meet Sophie Thomson - Garden consultant, media presenter and author of Sophie’s Patch

Happy hens & feathered friends

In this podcast Linda and the Chook Lady, Claire Bickle, discuss everything you need to know about keeping backyard chickens.

Meet Highfields Garden plant collector, David Kennedy

Linda chats with her dear friend, plant collector, and Collectors’ Plant Fair exhibitor, David Kennedy - Nurseryman and owner of Clover Hill and Highfields Gardens.

Meet Myles Baldwin, award-winning garden designer

Linda talks to Myles Baldwin, award winning garden designer and horticulturist who designs unique gardens with a sense of place, heritage and character, about a stunning show garden he’s designed for the Singapore Garden Festival.

Meet Paul West from River Cottage Australia

This week Linda Ross talks to Paul West, the star of Lifestyle Channel's (now SBS) series River Cottage Australia, who has swapped his bucolic Tilba home on the NSW South Coast for a city life in Thornbury, in Melbourne’s inner north.

Camellia love, Part 2

Linda interviews third generation Camellia specialist Ross Campbell from Sydney’s Camellia Grove. They discuss how to grow camellias- what they like, dislike and how to fix problems and treat troublesome insect attack.

Camellia love, Part 1

Linda gets excited about the glamour girls of winter... the gorgeous genus Camellia.

Red Cow's Roses

Linda is joined by Ali Mentesh from Red Cow Farm to talk about his garden, incredible collection of roses, his six favourites plus secrets to success.

Linda's Honey-Do List for Winter

Jog your memory with Linda’s list of winter gardening jobs.

• Sharpen your tools, clean them regularly and store small hand tools in a bucket of clean sand with a little multipurpose 3 in 1 oil to moisten.
• Indoor plant care
• Citrus pruning time
• Fruit tree planting time
• Get into the veggie patch as there’s still time to plant Brassica vegetables including broccoli, sprouting broccoli, cabbage, turnips/turnip greens, rocket, kale, and all types of lettuce. Also plant shelling peas and sugar snaps now the weather is a little cooler and it’s the perfect time for lettuces.
• Strawberry runners trimmed and cut.
• Stone fruit spray to prevent peach leaf curl
• plus her quick 5 second recipe for kale chips
• Fix for a Sulking magnolia
• Green Madonna lily
• & she answers whether grass clippings can be used as mulch

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Making Magic

Linda Ross chats to special guest Peter Thorburn from Honeysuckle Garden (http://www.honeysucklegarden.com.au). They discuss the secrets to a happy healthy garden and a simple way of preventing plant pests whilst attracting local wildlife and beneficial insects.

With over 40 years of nursery experience, Peter has created a stable of three sensational garden centres in Sydney Australia and came across an organic magic mix that Linda says will not only make plants jump out of their skins but will also prevent pest problems long term. They now want to share it with you!

Magic Mix Recipe:

http://www.gardenclinic.com.au/how-to-grow-article/how-to -make-up-a-magic-mix

Add to 1 litre of water

3ml Eco-Oil

2ml Eco-Neem

5ml Eco-Aminogro

Add a pinch seaweed during summer months only

Spray weekly for the garden including natives and vegetables (except African violets) but you could do fortnightly or monthly depending on your available time.

Magic Mix will help eliminate small bodied pests including aphids, caterpillars, thrips, mites, citrus leaf miner.

Products can be purchased online from

https://ecoorganicgarden.com.au/

A 8L or 20L Swagman Sprayer makes it easier to spray the Magic Mix on your garden. Remember to spray both top and underside of leaves until dripping. https://www.gardenclinic.com.au/shop/sample-catalogue/swagman-battery-powered-8l-sprayer

Linda and Peter also reflect on present plant nursery trends like the Instagram sensation of 2018 - The Money Plant also known as Pilea peperomioides and succulents in general.

• The popularity of succulents like the crassula - jade plant and blue buddha
• Queen of the Night cactus (Epiyphyllum oxypetalum)

Hoya and tough plants that thrive on neglect (https://www.gardenclinic.com.au/how-to-grow-article/how-to-grow-hoya)

Bangin' on about bulbs

Linda Ross and special guest Tim Drewitt (www.redearthbulbs.com) discuss how to choose the best spring and summer bulbs to give you the best bang for your buck!

You’ll hear:

• Why we love bulbs
• What are the best bulbs to plant if you’re after more bang for your buck
• Linda’s favourite bulbs and how to grow them year after year including:
• the drumstick Allium
• glamour Galdioli
• Tough and colourful Ixias
• Tulips, tulips and more tulips
• Freesias
• Dutch Iris
• Daffodils

Red Earth Bulb Farm (www.redearthbulbs.com)

...are a small, family run business in the rich red soils of Silvan in the Dandenong Ranges. The Drewitt family has been growing bulbs and perennials, many rare and unusual lines, for over 50 years. Red Earth Bulb Farm is owned by Drewitt’s Bulbs.

Love your compost - It's all about the layers

In this episode Linda and Sandra Ross discuss their love of dirt and what 30 years of experience teaches you about the perfect compost. Making your own compost is simple following the steps outlined in the podcasts and as Sandra says -It’s like making a lasagna.

You’ll hear about :

• The triple bin compost system
• How to avoid the mould, slushy stuff that no one wants to touch!
• Why compost is the perfect soil conditioner
• How to speed up excruciatingly slow compost
• How to banish bugs from your compost
• How to build up heat in your compost
• Accelerators and activators that speed up your compost
• Store bought compost makers - what’s best if you can’t buy your own?
• Cheap, simple ways to compost kitchen scraps

How to deal with citrus leaf miner with expert Mark Engall

Linda Ross discusses citrus leaf miner with expert and 3rd generation citrus producer, Mark Engall

Meet Marilyn Abbott of West Green Garden

Graham Ross talks with Marilyn Abbott - garden designer and creator of West Green

Interview with AIH Scholarship winner Kate Grace

Graham Ross interviews the 2014 Australian Institute of Horticulture Scholarship winner, Kate Grace, at the Chelsea Flower Show

Interview with Jim Buttrose

Graham interviews British horticulturist and garden legend, Jim Buttrose at the 2014 Chelsea Flower Show

David Austin Jr interview

Graham interviews David Austin Jr at the 2014 Chelsea Flower Show.

Remembering Alan Seale with Judy Horton

Graham remembers Alan Seale in an interview with Judy Horton