BushNo 97 Autumn 2013 Telegraph Welcome Time to Plant This Season Autumn is planting season Choose for Black-Cockatoos Autumn is the perfect time to get Join John Colwill for the launch of stuck into the garden and plant a new plant label promoting native some new shrubs. There is still some habitat plants for the endangered warmth in the soil and the promise Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo in the of rain, and if you get your plants Perth area. Speakers at the event established now they have the best include staff from BirdLife Australia chance of surviving. and the Dieback Working Group, who have developed the label. Welcome to Autumn. This early Saturday 23th March, 10.30am rain is a wonderful relief for the RSVP essential: 08 9454 6260 garden. Harry dog is enjoying it too. Autumn is the best time to plant your native garden. At Zanthorrea, we have a wide range of popular Australian plants in tubes. Planting from these starter plants is an Native Fuchsias economical and easy way to plant Plant these veges in autumn for up the garden. With Easter just next delicious winter crops: weekend, there’s plenty of time to visit and select your new plants. Lettuce, spinach & silverbeet. Autumn is also the perfect time to Broccoli, cabbage & cauliflower. plant everlasting daisies from seed. Radish, leeks & onions. For planting instructions go to the Peas, broad beans and potatoes! Zanthorrea website. We look forward to seeing you Photo by Georgina Steytler back in the garden centre very soon. For more information on plants for Have a safe and happy Easter. these beautiful birds, visit Alec, Ross, Jackie and the team. www.birdlife.org.au/carnabys/ PS Zanthorrea is open every day plants-for-carnabys over the Easter weekend. Garden Week 2013 Farewell to John! Don’t miss WA’s premier garden Farewell to team member John, show, at Perry Lakes from 18th to who is returning to his lecturing role 22nd April. in Physiotherapy at Curtin. John Catch Jackie Thursday 18th April at is also studying part time at UWA. Tasty herbs on the winter menu ‘Sustainability Square’, at 11.30am Best wishes from all of us! for a talk on “Attracting birds, native Start your herb garden with sage, bees and butterflies.” Easter Egg hunt. marjoram, rosemary, thyme, parsley, Jackie will also be presenting a Bring the children to Zanthorrea for oregano, chives. They are all easy to talk for HMA on this day at 1pm, an old fashioned easter egg hunt. grow. Simply enrich the herb bed “Gardens for Wildlife” Find the patterned giant eggs, tick with soil improver before planting. them off on the sheet and win a Herbs also grow happily in pots in www.gardenweek.com.au/ small chocolate egg. A great way to a quality potting mix. The escapee explore our display gardens. herb, mint, is best grown in a pot on Follow us on Facebook! paving. Enjoy! Jackie Zanthorrea Nursery 1 Bush Telegraph No 97 Autumn 2013 Planting Time! The pick from the production area. Beaufortia aestiva Lauren’s Aglio Olio Three gems that are rarely found Sandplain bottlebrush is long Ingredients in garden centres are now ready for flowering over summer and fiery Half pack of spagetti sale: red. Although a local of Perth sand 1 small red capsicum plains, this small shrub also grows in well drained hills soil. Drought 1 small red onion hardy and reliable. 140mm pot 2 large portabello mushrooms $13.95. ** Hurry. Numbers limited. 4-5 cloves garlic crushed Dirt under their fingernails. 1 small red chilli (optional) 1 large bunch parsley – finely chpd Children and dirt go hand in hand. It can fire up their imaginations. shaved parmesan cheese Think of ‘mud pies’ and ‘salads for 1/3 cup good quality olive oil fairies’. My youngest Rhys, almost Eucalyptus orbifolia S & P 3 years, loves to make ‘cakes’ and Round leaf mallee is a WA small ‘soups’ from dirt and plants found in tree growing to 5 metres, with pale the backyard. yellow flowers in autumn / winter. Drought hardy and suitable for both sandy and heavier soils, this is a perfect small tree for any garden. In two sizes: 140mm $12.45 and 175mm $16.95 Method * Add pasta to a large pot of salted My eldest, Anthony (9 years) has water. graduated to climbing trees and the wonders of being up high and * Roughly dice capsicum, onion, hidden in the leaves. The best tree mushroom and finely chop chilli is one that will grow with sturdy * Add capsicum and mushroom to branches close to the ground. Trees well oiled pan. And cook on high Melaleuca ‘August Mauve’ can also be used as living cubbies. heat until well coloured – remove. Another drought hardy plant for Create an area in your garden * Add onion and chilli and cook WA conditions, this shrub grows to just for your children or grandies. on medium heat til softened. Add around 1.2m in any soil. The striking Encourage them to dig and put in crushed garlic at last minute (to mauve pom-pom flowers appear in a variety of plants, ie, flowering, release flavour but not brown) and mid winter through to early spring. scented, textured, edible. reduce heat to the lowest setting. 140mm pot $12.95 Bring them into the nursery to * Add capsicum and mushroom choose their plants. They will back to pan to keep warm. delight in having their own patch * Drain pasta and add parsley, olive and show all of your visitors their oil and S & P and let sit for 1 min for garden with pride in their voices. “I the parsley flavour to infuse. planted that!” * Add veg mix to pasta, stir well You will soon find it hard to get and serve with as much or as little them back indoors. The benefits parmesan as you want! are many. Fresh air, dirt, plants and * Can be spiced up with some imagination.- A great combination. grilled pepperoni or chorizo if you Beaufortia aestiva ‘Summer Flame’ - Andrea so prefer. - Lauren 2 Zanthorrea Nursery Bush Telegraph No 97 Autumn 2013 Native Myths Busted! Book Review Myth Busters Natives don’t need fertilising or There are many myths about soil improving: growing native plants. Some of Most natives are fine with a these can be misleading. We’d like once a year native plant fertiliser, to encourage all gardeners to feel however some that flower for long confident to plant Aussie natives in periods throughout the year such their gardens. So here are a few of as Kangaroo Paws appreciate more. the common myths busted!: Nursery raised plants are grown in improved soils. We recommend using organic material such as a ‘soil conditioner’ when planting as it helps build up sandy soil to improve water holding capacity and in clay it helps aearate the soil. Let’s Propagate - Angus Stewart “Let’s propagate” is for anyone interested in hands-on propagating in Australia. The author, Angus Stewart is a presenter for ABC TV’s Gardening Australia and a prolific writer on Australian Native Plants. You can’t prune native plants! “Let’s Propagate” explores a range It’s true some natives don’t like of propagation techniques including being hard pruned, however by seed, cuttings, layering, division, most respond well to a light trim. grafting and tissue culture. One I fertilise my plants with ‘Seasol’: It’s beneficial to do a bit of light of the most valuable sections of pruning from planting to encourage Seasol is not a fertiliser and will not the book is a 63 page appendix compact growth and to control the supply your plants with the nutrients which provides information on shape and size. - Muriel and trace elements needed. A the recommended propagating specific fertiliser is needed for this. method and time of the year to Seasol however is a wonderful propagate Australian Native Plants ‘tonic’ and most effectively used at and some exotics. Species covered times of plant stress, planting and include acacias, kangaroo paws, transplanting. Lisa waxes, eucalypts and many others. If you use soil improver it doesn’t “Let’s Propagate” will expand your need soil wetter: knowledge and provide skills to Yes, some soil improvers may state successfully add another dimension that they contain a soil wetter, to your gardening. however it is insufficient to properly -John treat the surrounding soil. Perth’s sandy soils are often water repellent Pine bark mulch will make my soil when they have been allowed to acidic, and rob the soil of nitrogen. dry out for extended periods. A mulch sits on the surface of the We recommend an application of a soil to protect the soil from drying wetting agent such as Eco Wet to the and to reduce weeds. Any mulch soil surface. This should be applied with large particles takes many years seasonally but most importantly at to break down, so is unlikely to alter the beginning of the warm season the pH or soil chemistry, especially or when a plant is first planted. in our dry climate. -Jackie -Danielle Correa ‘Dusky Bells’ Zanthorrea Nursery 3 Bush Telegraph No 97 Autumn 2013 Whats New in the Shop Gorgeous Gardenware: Great Garden Art: Get excited for a colourful time in Very exciting Australian metal art the garden this autumn! work is arriving soon, also MADE Award winning Annabel Trends here in Oz! Garden stakes in blue are loving the bright colours this wrens, willie wagtails, butterflies, season. Check out these gorgeous echidna, ducks and more! LIKE us red ankle high ‘Gummies’ boots in on our Facebook page and we will Sizes 7,8 or 9.