theage.com.au

Water heroes

Bouquets to the Royal Botanic Gardens and Nancy Brewer of Ballarat. Let's deal with the gardens first.
The Myer Foundation recently granted $1 million to the RBG for an irrigation system to harvest stormwater from surrounding streets plus Government House and the Domain parklands and filter it into the lake system, to break the gardens' dependency on mains water.
Gardens director Richard Barley says the project will cost $2.2 million but the grant will help get it off the ground.
As well as harvesting stormwater, the project involves creating wetland areas around the gardens' three lakes to improve their health. The lakes have suffered over past summers due to blue-green algae.
Despite management adopting a water conservation plan a decade ago, and only low-level water use on site, Melbourne's botanic jewel still uses about 127 megalitres a year to keep everything going.

Guilfoyle's Volcano, named after the second director of the gardens, Sir William Guilfoyle, was built at the highest part of the gardens to hold water for irrigation and is being revamped in the upgrade. Guilfoyle created a new vision for Melbourne's RBG - sweeping lawns, meandering paths, lakes and hidden vistas - a paradise more evocative of the Mother Country than a land accustomed to drought.
But while he deconstructed much of the more scientific and orderly native plantings created by his predecessor, Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, Guilfoyle was keenly aware of the need to develop an independent water supply for the gardens.
Which is why, in 1876, he built the volcano, both as a crowning glory for the gardens and to irrigate many of the plantings.
"Water has always been an issue for the gardens and we're trying to find the solution that has been eluding people for 150-plus years, and I do believe it is achievable with an alternative water supply," Barley said.
"I can't wait for the day when we can sit back and say 'now the gardens are self-sufficient'.
'That would be the best thing we could do for the future of the gardens, gardens managers and the broader community to show how things can be done.''
So the gardens are feeling the pressure like everyone else but doing their best in these very drying times to conserve water and keep the gardens looking a million dollars.

Now to Nancy Brewer. A passionate Ballarat gardener she ekes every drop out of her water supply using only 38 litres a day over winter (70 in summer) well under the 155 litres recommended by Central Highlands Water and what Melburnians have now been asked to aspire to in order to conserve water inside the home.
With Ballarat on stage 4 restrictions for the past two years - meaning all outdoor watering is banned - Ms Brewer understands the importance of saving every drop to help save the large garden on her 1350-square-metre block.
As well as seven tanks and containers of various sizes, there bowls and buckets everywhere, from the kitchen sink to the hand basin and the shower.
The toilet is flushed only when necessary and Nancy does three loads of washing a fortnight. The grey water, of course, goes on to the garden which is thriving. She even broke into a stormwater drain with a crowbar to harvest its precious contents.
"The idea of no watering strikes fear into the hearts of gardeners everywhere but here and elsewhere intrepid gardeners have triumphed over these hardships to preserve their beloved gardens," she said.
That doesn't mean Nancy hasn't had her moments of heartbreak when things have been really tough.
"Gardens are such an important amenity. I've had some painful losses but I love it with a passion. Maybe I should just move into a unit but I'd rather be dead without my garden".
That's how strongly people feel about their plots, no matter how small. So well done Nancy for doing your bit and keeping your beautiful garden going. You're an inspiration to us all.

• Posted by bygadd at 3:42 PM
• Comments (1)

Is the (fake) grass greener?

ACCORDING to Macquarie Dictionary a sprinkler is "a device for sprinkling water on a lawn". The words ``almost extinct'' should be added given the ban on watering lawns which has rendered obsolete the joyous national pastime of children running under sprinklers on a hot day (unless you've got an independent water supply).
Sunday mornings across the state once resounded to the grumbles of thousands of lawnmowers (and the swishing of shammies across car bonnets) but that changed last summer when lawns and nature strips turned into dust bowls.
Despite this rather bleak scenario for lawns Australians are still determined to have their patch of verdant turf. A place for the kids to play cricket and footy, a spot for mum and dad to relax, somewhere for the dog to piddle.
But pushing a mower around a pile of dirt and tufts of dying brown grass doesn't have the same resonance. Also missing is the fragrant aftermath of this time-honoured tradition, the glorious smell of freshly mown grass, so evocative of high summer.

It must be a throwback to the Mother Country, that ``green and pleasant land'' of fine, rolling lawns where cricket was played and high tea taken. Very Brideshead Revisited. Quite fitting over there where the precipitation is persistent but over here?
Frustrated at seeing their once green lawns turn to parched, dusty hollows people are weighing up the choices. Should they keep going, plant some of the hardier grasses now on the market, or go fake?
Demand for synthetic turf has never been higher, according to Peter Ammoun, of Lifestyle Turf, who first installed it at his home five years ago.
``I was probably the first person in Australia to install it. If you Google Earth my property you can see the nature strip and back garden and they're bright green while everyone around me is basically brown," Ammoun says.
``When I first put mine down the neighbours all thought I was this mad bloke putting plastic grass in his front yard. They couldn't believe it. Now the neighbour behind and the one next door have ordered it.''
The natural turf industry was the first victim of tougher water restrictions with sales dropping more than 90% after the State Government's decision last year not to grant a 28-day watering exemption for new lawns.
It bought the industry to its knees, but growers have responded to the challenge - well they had to didn't they or go under - and are producing alternatives to the once popular cushiony, fine-leaved grasses that we once loved but that are totally unsuitable in these climatic conditions.
Instead, drought-tolerant, warm season grasses such as soft-leafed buffaloes are being grown including Sir Walter, Sapphire and Palmetto. Couch is also a viable alternative. However, like buffalo, it browns off. Already there are signs of lawns under stress after two dry months).
HG Turf, a company specialising in natural lawn, was forced to add synthetic turf to its range ``to keep the company going'', says retail sales manager Peter van Leeuwen.
``All turf companies are the same because of the drought. In reality, a lawn requires very little water but when people see others watering them they say `you're the main water users' so you've got to stop.''
While sales of artificial turf have increased, demand for the real thing is still high even though fake is more practical because it doesn't need watering or mowing. But it doesn't have the same feel underfoot as natural turf, which is softer and more cooling. (Some people report that synthetic turf is hot underfoot and they need to wear shoes all the time. Others say they have to use a detergent or something similar after the dog has urinated on it.)
"A lot of drought-hardy warm season grasses are available and, once established, require little water," van Leeuwen says. "Many people are weighing up putting in synthetic grass - or choosing natural turf, then buying a water tank or buying in water for the establishment phase."
The Australian-made turf is better quality than overseas brands from Europe and China, he says. "If people are spending that sort of money they want to get 15 to 20 years out of it, so we look for products that have a good thatch layer with an infill of purely sand rather than sand and crumbed rubber, which environmentally is not that great," he says.
The cost of natural turf and its synthetic counterparts vary greatly, with real grass costing $7-$10 a square metre and artificial turf, fully installed, $80-$90 (depending on the quality and supplier). You can DIY for far less. On the downside, synthetic turf is made of polypropylene, so it's not biodegradable meaning, if you ditch it at the tip for the real thing when the drought breaks, it'll be there forever. Scary thought.

• Posted by bygadd at 12:51 PM
• Comments (8)

Drying up again

I love daylight saving. It gives me time in the garden when I get home from work. The only downside is that everything is so dry, last month being the driest on record for September and October not shaping up to much in the way of precipitation.
I can feel the stress levels from last summer returning about keeping everything going. I planted some more parsley, mint and coriander at the weekend and the soil was rock hard despite a burst from the water tank. If we don't get decent rain between now and the end of November we're going to be in serious trouble and I fear the worst as far as restrictions are concerned or at least a daily limit for water use.
Meanwhile I'm enjoying the last of spring's fecund offerings.

Blossom, such as on my standard azaleas (left) seemed more bountiful, plants more floriferous, new growth more prolific. It's almost as if nature responded in an act of defiance to challenge last summer's big dry by putting on such a spectacular spring display.
While mulch is an important step in enriching and insulating your garden, if you apply it now make sure the soil is wet otherwise you'll create an impervious layer that won't do your plants any good as the water won't reach them. And choose a mixed particle mulch, rather than one that is too fine, as that, too, can stop water from getting to the soil.
If you haven't already done so, feed your magnolias. Do the same with the azaleas once they have finished flowering.
Seedlings now available for summer colour include petunias, dichondra, blue fescue, alyssum, snap dragons, begonias, chrysanthemums, cosmos, dianthus, phlox and dahlias.
If you're looking for a pretty but small shrub you can't go past Lychnis 'Jenny' (pictured).

Commonly known as campion, this perennial variety is called 'Ragged Robin' in England because of its feathery flower petals.
Yucca rostrata 'Sapphire skies' is now available. Its steel blue, year-round foliage makes it a good specimen plant in a courtyard, plus it is tough.
Another new plant is Ptilotus exaltus 'Joey'. An Australian native, this variety has been bred in Germany and will be available this month. Its upright feathery flowers and silvery foliage make it an ideal bedding plant.
Two new euphorbias on the market are 'Black Bird' with burgundy foliage and spikes of lime-coloured flowers. 'Silver Swan' has green and white variegated foliage.
Given the dry spell we're in, remember to create a well around your plants or seedlings so the water doesn't run off.
On the vegetable front, it's time to plant your tomato seedlings given it's Caulfield Cup Day on Saturday. Make sure you water them in well as the forecast is for 29 degrees. Other vegetables to plant now are capsicums, celery, cucumber, eggplant, endive, a range of lettuces, bok choi, sweet corn, peas, spinach and silverbeet. Sage, thyme, parsley and coriander are also available.
Water-wise is now part of the modern lexicon. We've all learnt to be wise about water, either keeping a bucket in the shower, using greywater to irrigate the garden and installing rainwater tanks.
Almost daily another water-saving device comes on the market, so it's hard to keep up with everything. The same goes for energy-saving products as we try to reduce our carbon footprints.
The Save Water Save Energy Expo, in partnership with Sustainability Victoria, will showcase practical solutions on saving water and energy, how to increase recycling and reduce waste at home and at work. Running this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, it will profile water-saving products from tanks to greywater systems, flow controllers, purifiers and environmental plumbing.
Find out how to cut your energy bills with efficient lighting, heating, cooling, renewable energy and green home and office design. Guest speakers will appear at Resource Smart seminars and discuss innovations in sustainable living. There is also an Ask The Expert segment for those who want to find out about environmentally responsible initiatives.
10am-6pm. Adults $16, concession $13, children under 14 free.
savewatersaveenergyexpo.com.au
Also the Lort Smith Animal Hospital is holding an open garden day on Sunday to raise money for the organisation, which is non profit and relies on bequests and donations which is why this annual fundraiser is so important for the cause. The four gardens are open from 10am-4pm and entry is $5 for each one. They are at 48 Hampden Road, Armadale, 13 Struan Street, Toorak, 5 Sydney Street, Prahran East and 47 Grandview Grove, Prahran.
Thousands of animals are put down every year and it falls on the staff, who have been trained to care for animals, to play Dr Death. Not an enviable task. But about 100,000 animals a year are treated and cared for at the North Melbourne hospital and go home. So here's your chance to support the staff and the animals by visiting the four gardens.
Happy gardening, and keep everything crossed for plenty of rain after the heat.

• Posted by bygadd at 11:14 AM
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Vale Kevin

Some people are special and Kevin Heinze was very special. I've been amazed at the number of young people who have expressed to me their sadness at his passing last Monday after a heart attack.
What I loved about him both on Sow What and on his ABC radio program on Saturday mornings was his down to earth gardening advice and immense knowledge. There was nothing flash about him like the new crop of "celebrity" gardeners, most of whom are landscapers or garden designers.
Whether you wanted to know why your lemon tree wasn't fruiting or the perfect plant for a shady spot, he was right on the ball.
Such was his faith in gardening he thought if his beloved Hawks mucked around in the garden before a game, they'd win every time. Club president Jeff Kennett has promised - "to the best of our ability" - to honour Kevin's name and win the premiership on the last Saturday in September.
Peter Cundall, pictured above with Kevin, last saw his mate in July when the ABC farewelled him from his role as presenter of Gardening Australia after 19 years.
"His death was totally unexpected even though I knew he had a heart problem. He looked fine at my farewell and he was as lively as ever."
(I saw him about a month ago at a Yates' do and I remarked to someone afterwards that I thought he looked rather frail.)
For Peter Cundall, Kevin's death is a loss to the whole of Australia not just the gardening community. "A great Australian has passed on and we're going to miss him dreadfully."
The two giants of gardening had a lot in common, both leaving school at an early age and doing hard physical work for a living. They were also both born on April 1 but as Peter said, neither of them were fools.
He never got over the shock and tragedy of his daughter Kim's death in 1974 and never stopped mourning her.
Later on he opened his garden to raise money for cancer research and about 20,000 people turned up, such was their love for this humble gardener whom they adored and who was grieving so badly. The garden was ruined but Kevin didn't care as he believed gardens were about people and children not plants and paving.
Longtime friend, radio host and television gardening presenter, Jane Edmanson, admired him enormously. ``He taught me so much. He wasn't into the trendy posh type of gardening that's here today, gone tomorrow. He didn't care if it was a windowbox or a large plot, as long as someone was doing something with nature," she said.
"He wasn't interested in money and gave half of his property to the community. How about that in this day and age when everyone's so greedy? He had such a generous spirit and was a good and kind man with a lot of influence. And you couldn't stump him on plants."
He is sadly missed at the Kevin Heinze Garden Centre in Doncaster, set up 30 years ago for people and children with disabilities. Assistant co-ordinator Amanda Marshall said her patron loved being with people, especially children. "He tended to have that younger mentality and liked being challenged by kids and their energy," she said.
Describing him as a passionate gardener, horticulturist Melissa King said Kevin inspired people in many ways, including herself. ``He was one of the most loving men I`ve ever met. He believed everyone should have a go at gardening and he made you feel wanted and part of the community and that's an amazing thing.
"I saw him give many talks and he was inspirational. People were mesmerised by him. I went to his house many times and taking me around his garden he'd say 'this a garden of people not plants'. Everything in his garden had a story to tell."
Kevin lost an eye in his teens and the glass replacement was a great prop, according to former Burke's Backyard host, Don Burke. "He had a great sense of humour and used his glass eye often to make people laugh. He'd tell great stories to kids and they'd squeal with laughter. He had a way of reaching them that few adults could. It's a sad day. Kevin looked like he'd go on for ever."
Vale Kevin.

• Posted by bygadd at 4:01 PM
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Memories are made of this

Daffodil Day, the annual fund-raising event for the Cancer Council, is a time to honour cancer survivors, those battling this insidious disease and to remember those who didn't make it.
Daffodil Day evokes memories of my mother, Dorothea, who died in England on September 21, 1989. She fought cervical cancer for four years then started to get a pain in her left hip. It was thought to be sciatica but eventually a shadow was picked up on her pelvis, denoting she was suffering from secondary bone cancer.
I went back to Nottingham in the February to support her during the radiotherapy treatment. She was in a lot of pain but uppermost in her mind was the fact that her precious roses, of which she had about 300, had not been pruned, a task she normally performed with relish in November/December.
As a child I had no interest in gardening so I protested at any request for help, much to her chagrin. Every year, reluctantly, I helped her to prune the thorny devils. My hands looked like raw meat when I'd finished but, according to my mother, you wore those wounds as a badge of honour.
And she was always thrilled with the results. Looking back at the skeletal remains, she'd say proudly: "They will look gorgeous next summer after all our hard work."
So her concern that the roses had not been pruned, despite her ill health, was understandable. And by now I was also a dedicated gardener so understood her anguish far more than when I was a little girl.
I foraged around in the cellar where she kept the gardening tools, found a pair of rose pruners and embarked on the Herculean task of cutting back her pride and joy. It was a cold day and I worked my way through methodically from the front garden to the back, determined to finish that day. Every now and then I'd look up and see my mother's pinched, white face at the window looking down at me. I'd wave and she'd reciprocate.
Eventually, after about five hours, I pruned the last rose. Just as my mother used to, I stretched my aching back, then stood back and admired my handiwork. They'll look gorgeous in summer, I thought. At the back of my mind was the thought that maybe she wouldn't be alive to see them.
When I went back inside, my mother gave me a hug, then took my face in her hands and said: "Thank you, darling. I feel so much better now." I still get a lump in my throat when I think about it.
Sadly, she had to go into a hospice for the last two months of her life so she didn't see her roses in all their summer glory.
When I went back to see her before she died, she was almost in a coma. I cut a big bunch of her favourite roses, and placed them on the bed. At the same time, I gave her a big kiss and said, "I've come to see you and I've bought you something gorgeous." She let out a big sigh. My mother knew I was there.
As well as roses, my mother also had a lilac tree which in spring was a picture with its purple perfumed racemes a glorious sight to behold. I also have a lilac tree which flowers beautifully in spring and oddly, throws off some strange ball-like flowers in late autumn.
Over the past couple of years the trunk and some major branches have split, which Peter Cundall told me was probably due to too much water or not enough. Either way it's still standing and has lots of buds.
A reader asked me about lilacs and they do need a fairly sharp winter to mature the wood sufficiently to produce flower buds. Anyone who put one in last year should be in for a treat come spring after the winter we've had.
The common lilac or English/European species Syringia vulgaris has many cultivars. During winter cut the tops off the more vigorous stems to produce side shoots as this new growth carries next season's flowers. Lilacs like a slightly limy, well drained soil.
Californian or wild lilac (Ceanothus) has many cultivars in blue, lavender and violet and comes in prostrate forms and tall shrubs. Plant in well drained soil and prune after flowering. Good for seaside planting.

And I have to make a decision about one of my standard 'Alphonse Anderson' azaleas (above). The one on the left has been getting sicker and sicker for about three months despite many attempts to revive it. I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and let the healthy one flower, then pull them both out, give them a heavy prune, pot them up and see what happens. I will buy two more to replace them.

• Posted by bygadd at 4:08 PM
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Cundall still a tour de force

Well the sun is still rising every morning (when we can see it) despite horticultural Trojan, Peter Cundall, retiring as host of Gardening Australia for the past 19 years. He realised about seven months ago that he'd rather do something else and instead he will concentrate on writing books, doing radio programs and continuing his fight again the Gunns pulp mill to be built in the Tamar Valley where Peter lives with his wife, Tina.
But we'll miss him. Peter, who describes himself as a "modest old geezer" has taught us how to plant, prune, sow and grow organic fruit and vegetables. He is passionate about growing your own saying they taste better and are far healthier than store-bought produce.
Anyway we look forward to his next endeavours which definitely won't include retiring. He doesn't want to turn into a boring old codger. As if!
The recent rains have been lovely and recently I moved an Echium candicans (the jury's still out on whether it will take given the droopiness of the leaves) but the soil was quite damp for a fair way down so that means the water is penetrating rather than just running off the top.
So here we are in the last month of winter and there are lots of things to be done in the garden either planting, weeding or planning for spring. Now's the time to start thinking about trees. Do you want something deciduous with autumn colour (make sure it's not precious in a drought situation) or maybe one of the smaller Australian species that are now available such as a dwarf eucalypt or a small but shapely mallee gum, an acacia or the Christmas bush which features shiny leaves and sprays of star-like flowers in spring. Then there's blueberry ash, banksias, hakeas, bottlebrushes, lilly-pillys, agonis, lemon-scented myrtle and many more.
On the vegie front plant seeds of pak choi, rhubarb, silverbeet, beetroot, broccoli, beans, celery and lettuce and think about what tomatoes you want for summer. There are so many varieties now I'll have to do a separate blog to list them all!
And to all you lovely gardeners who contacted me on my blog after my Sheba, a constant gardener, had to have the green cocktail. That was 16 months ago and I have bitten the bullet and adopted two ragdoll cats who are also constant gardeners. Monty and Bella love nothing better than exploring their new territory - a pot is Bella's favourite resting place - and Monty loves checking out the birdbath for any stray koi. They are enchanting and the garden is all the richer for their presence.

• Posted by bygadd at 3:36 PM
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Get inspired

Now's the time to look at your garden in a new light, while most things are resting, keeping in mind our declining rainfall and the possibility of another long, hot summer.
It's wonderful to see the gardens so calm, a far cry from high summer when gardens and gardeners seemed to be in a permanent state of high anxiety.
There's nothing more likely to sap a garden's energy or raise a gardener's blood pressure than temperatures consistently in the high 30s and an empty water tank!
But the past few weeks have been glorious - as John Keats described so eloquently in To Autumn: "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness" - crisp nights, dew to freshen everything up thanks to foggy mornings, sunny afternoons, windless days, dramatic sunsets and bright, moonlit skies and, the piece de resistance, heavenly autumn foliage.
And we've had some rain and the very good news that we're staying on stage 3a water restrictions until at least November. So with that thought in mind it's the perfect time to take stock of how your garden fared over summer. Do you have enough verticals? Do you need more structure? Which plants sailed through and which species wimped out?
Silver birches were the first casualties, with many dead or dying around the suburbs by February. My six-year-old weeping birch turned its toes up about that time. Three mature birches have survived but I'd never plant another. Far too risky.
While some native aficionados are disdainful of exotic species such as camellias and azaleas as far too poncey for the rugged Australian landscape they have proved as tough as many natives and are outdoing themselves now with bounteous, floriferous displays. Likewise roses have been big winners in many gardens, displaying flush after flush of heavenly blooms, and they're still at it.
While birches suffered, maples came into their own with dramatic autumnal displays. Likewise my Virginia creeper Parthenocissus tricuspidata 'Veitchii' that was a sight to behold over autumn and is still a dramatic sight on the fence, its berries and "veins" the last flourish before dormancy.

Many crepe myrtles, including my own, while flowering brilliantly, lost their leaves quite early so couldn't show off their autumn foliage.
But I do love their polished trunks and the skeletal branches they throw up to the sky. Likewise my Magnolia x soulangeana, now displaying masses of fat grey, velvet casings that will open in spring to reveal soft pink, cup-shaped blooms. The tree is always a joy to behold.
If I had the room I'd put in some dwarf lilly-pillies, perfect as hedges or topiary art. Their dark shiny leaves and rich-coloured berries are a wonderful addition to the garden.
While lots of things are popping up such as bulbs, self-seeding primulas and polyanthus, I still have some gaps where I'm thinking of planting some croweas among the lavender, now flowering profusely,
westringia, echiums, coleus, heliotrope, hellebores and plectranthus.
If you're unsure what to plant, get inspired by going to different nurseries - think Bulleen Art & Garden, Fitzroy Nursery, Cloudehill, Heronswood, the Garden of St Erth, Vaughan's Australian Plant Nursery and Kuranga Native Nursery - and visiting public botanic gardens such as Maranoa Gardens in Balwyn and the Australian Garden at Cranbourne.
The highest point in metropolitan Melbourne after the Dandenongs, Maranoa Gardens is a 2.6-hectare native botanic garden. One of the few public gardens devoted to Australian plants it is one of Melbourne's best-kept secrets.
There are collections of grevilleas and banksia, and flowering shrubs suitable for suburban gardens, either for dedicated native landscapes or to mix with exotics including correas, croweas and acacias.
Cranbourne's 11-hectare Australian Garden, opened in May 2006, is a journey through the Australian landscape with an emphasis on conservation in its treasury of local and indigenous flora.
A highlight is the sand garden, an expanse of red sand contrasting dramatically with grey foliage. The dry river bed section emulates the central landscape of Australia and an arid garden display represents the desert landscape, while the eucalypt walk's range of plants includes grass trees (Xanthorrhoea johnsonii) and prehistoric cycads (Macrozamia communis). Very inspiring.
Next time I'll tell you what to plant in the way of vegie and plant seeds and seedlings. So happy, peaceful gardening.

• Posted by bygadd at 11:54 AM
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What to plant now

Autumn is nearly over so if you want to grow some vegetables, herbs and flowers for winter/spring picking plant seedlings now.
VEGETABLES

Beetroot, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, endive, leeks, lettuces, onions, peas, silver beet, snow peas, spinach, spring onions.
HERBS

Coriander - it's perfect timing as it doesn't bolt to seed like it does in summer - and parsley and dill.
FLOWERS

If you want gorgeous winter and spring colour here's a great selection of flowers to choose from to give your garden a lift.
Alyssum, snapdragons, calendula, primulae, cineraria, lobelia, cornflowers, pansies, polyanthus, poppies, stock, violas, wallflowers.
SOWING SEEDS
You can also sow the seeds but do so in punnets or jiffy pots rather than in the ground as they won't germinate.
Fill your chosen container with a good-quality seedraising mix.
Place the seed in the pot. The size of the seed will depend on how many will fit evenly.
Cover seed with a light topping of seed raising mix and water in gently. A bottle top waterer is ideal.
When seeds have germinated, place the pots in a little more light to harden them off.
Plant seedlings out before they become too leggy.
FOR all the flavour and atmosphere of the Chelsea Flower Show check out Michael McCoy's excellent piece in Saturday's A2 (Page 30.)
And talking of Chelsea interesting to read the Brits' reactions to Prince Phillip's comment to Jamie Durie that he "didn't want a bloody lecture," after Jamie corrected him on the name of a plant. According to comments to The Times online (they described Jamie as a celebrity television gardener in Australia, having previously worked as a stripper with a group called ManPower) reactions varied from the Prince was rude to he's a hero to "it's not difficult to be offended by Australian waffle". Check it out at http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/gardens/article3972629.ece
Also Wednesday is UN World Environment Day. This year's theme is reducing your carbon footprint. The Nursery & Garden Industry Australia is encouraging people to keep their backyards environmentally friendly by mulching, composting and growing your own. Ambassadors include Melissa King, Meredith Kirton, John Byrne, Andrew O'Sullivan and Brendan Moar. See their tips on lifeisagarden.com.au

• Posted by bygadd at 12:04 PM
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They've done it

Winners are grinners - and they lose their voice - as happened to gardening guru Jamie Durie after the excitement of winning a gold medal at Chelsea for his $750,000 Australian garden design.

When I spoke to him about half an hour after he and the Fleming's team had found out he was totally hoarse.

Like team leader Wes Fleming he was over the moon at doing so well among stiff competition, Of course the aim was to win best in show garden but that wasn't to be, that honour going to British landscape designer Tom Stuart-Smith with his design (below) which featured 30 hornbeams pruned to resemble floating clouds. Wes told me last night that he knew Tom would take out the top prize four days ago. While all 21 show gardens were exceptional, he said, Tom's had that certain something that screamed best in show. Interestingly the UK Daily Telegraph's gardening section also predicted it as an odds-on favourite to win.

Wes and Jamie were thrilled to meet the Queen, pictured below walking past the Australian exhibit, as was landscape contractor for the project, Ian Barker. They talked about the Xanthorrhoeas (grass trees) that make up part of Durie's design and she remembered being presented with one for her garden at Windsor Castle a few years ago by Wes which he is going to check out when the show's over. Hopefully her Maj has been looking after it as Wes is a stickler for these things!

This year she's getting a Queensland bottle tree (Brachychiton rupestre ) for her garden at Buckingham Palace. Only one I teased Wes. ''I'm tight" he said with a laugh.

She's also been presented with an original painting by Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi, who designed the 20-metre painting used as the dramatic backdrop for Durie's design. The Queen told Fleming it would hang alongside a painting presented to her by Clifford Possum, Gabriella's late father, in 1962.

Melbourne landscape designer Greg Palmer teamed with UK landscaping firm Wynniatt-Husey Clarke to present the QVC Garden in the show garden category.

The team won a silver flora medal and Greg met Prince Edward, who accompanied his mother on the Monday night garden tour and had a chat with him about the QVC design including the meadow planting.

There's no rest for the wicked because for the next few days it's show time for Wes who will be spruiking the attributes of his Australian garden. And he's damn good at it. I saw him in action two years ago. When he spotted me with my travel group he came down, gave me a huge bear hug then dragged me into the garden setting and told everyone there who I was etc. Some of my gardening tour group probably still have videos of me being lifted up, kissed and hugged by Wes and some of the young team members!

Once the show's over it's time to start thinking about Chelsea 2009. Wes has already picked a designer, Scott Wynd (of landscape and construction credentials not the former Western Bulldogs player) who has been on the Fleming's construction team for the past two years. His time in the sun now, says Wes. And he's already contemplating a design for 2010. That's dedication for you!

• Posted by bygadd at 12:00 AM
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Judgement day cometh

I received an ecstatic email from Wes Fleming today with the news that all is going really well at Chelsea. The garden is nearly finished - the Xanthorrhoeas (grass trees) have gone in as have the large and most beautiful macrozamias (cycads) Wes has ever seen - the bent water is up and running, the decking oiled, and the lighting is working. (Despite the show only being open in the day attention has been paid to every detail as if it was a real garden hence the lighting.)
The judges come through tomorrow but there's still some more work to be done including sealing the rest of the stone, leaves polished (well this is serious garden business) the ponds skimmed and everything perfect for the Queen's visit.
He says Jamie Durie's design really stands out especially when the sun's out and the garden is drenched in sunlight giving it a uniquely Australian ambience. Gabriella Possum's art work is a terrific statement and has captured the imagination of the other designers.
Evidently Australian plants are turning up in other gardens at Chelsea with well known English designer Andy Sturgeon using 30 tree ferns - extremely fragile he calls them - in his Cancer Research UK garden. (His top environmentally responsible gardening tip is to use drought-tolerant planting rather than irrigation and the 'next big thing' in gardening, he says, are rain water recycling tanks which are now at the top of clients' wish lists. Sounds like Victoria.)
Wes says the boys have been doing 14 hour days and even Jamie was sighted scrubbing down the deck! The team is imbued with a great sense of camaraderie and excitement as they await judgement day from the judges, the Queen and the viewing public.

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Deadline approaches

Jamie Durie joined Ponty, one of the Fleming's team on site to check on the progress of his garden which, as you can see, is coming along pretty well. Wes Fleming says the decking is going smoothly, the curved decking has had to be rebuilt and the stone wall is essentially finished. The last of the plants arrived from Salvador in Spain and some of them have been placed within the garden design. The fire bowl has been delivered and has been tested. So far so good. The last of the two shipping containers have now been removed which has given the area a big lift. Despite lots more work to be done Wes is confident that they'll be finished on time for the Queen's visit, pictured at last year's show looking very serious as she contemplated one of the gardens. Hopefully not Wes's!

While the show gardens are the big drawcard, the courtyard gardens and urban gardens are also very popular. I saw these two when I visited Chelsea in 2006. One is obviously a courtyard, the other a churchyard complete with board. Very cute.
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The sight that greeted me in the Great Pavilion, home to the floral exhibits, was breathtaking. There were rows of colourful lupins standing like soliders, a feast of hyacinths, lavender from the Isle of Wight, arbours swathed in David Austin roses, Cayeux iris in abundance, sweet peas in all their perfumed glory, magnificent tree peonies, orchids and other wonderful flowers, herbs and vegetables all under one roof. Truly magnificent. Oh to be in England now that May is here!

• Posted by bygadd at 11:48 AM
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Heat is on at Chelsea

The heat is on at the Chelsea Flower Show in more ways than just the temperature, which has ranged in London from the low to high 20s.
With only six days to finish building their show gardens the exhibitors are working long days trying to get everything ready in time for the judging on Monday. Results will be announced first thing Tuesday morning UK time. The QVC team, which includes the expertise of Melbourne landscape designer Greg Palmer, (pictured) has taken delivery of most of their plants which amount to more than 2400. Now they have to work out which plants will look best on show day to really set off their garden. The hard landscaping is in place including the reflective ponds, rammed earth and dry stone walls and welded steel frames. The three large-stemmed Malus species have been craned into place completing the structure and form of the garden.
Over the next few days they'll do the soft planting and ground pattern elements led by Greg whose botanical knowledge and keen eye will determine placements. There was concern among many exhibitors that due to England's unseasonally cold weather (well it did snow at Easter) flowers wouldn't be out in time for the big event. But the opposite has happened with everyone now worrying that things will peak too early.
The Queen has a private conducted tour of the show on Monday evening so gardens and their creators must look their best. Greg will play host to Her Maj and according to his mother, meeting HRH is far more important than bringing home a gold medal!
Meanwhile the Fleming's team, under the watchful eye of Australian designer Jamie Durie, is starting to tick off jobs. The decking is under way, the pond is water tight and according to team leader, Wes Fleming, the water feature in the small pond was given a test run and looked amazing.
The next morning they arrived on site to see the pond full but there was a problem with the "bent" water but this had been sorted by the end of day.The gabion baskets are in position and they received some plants with more arriving today. The heat is on!

• Posted by bygadd at 12:00 AM
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Chelsea update

Amazingly the sun continues to shine in London so instead of all the Fleming's team getting the flu, as has happened in previous years, they're all getting a suntan!
Jamie Durie arrived the other day and is so excited at the arrival of the trees he has chosen for his Australian garden design - including the brachychitons which were put in the garden the other day (pictured left) - they couldn't get him off site. According to Wes Fleming, the security guards close the whole Chelsea site down at night so Jamie was forced to go home and get some sleep.
The rear wall with the 20-metre painting by Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi, pictured above, is now in place and causing a lot of interest among other exhibitors.
The feature retaining wall of Kimberley sandstone, the bloody expensive one as Wes calls it, is a very slow and exacting process to lay, but is coming together really well.
Of great excitement was the arrival of many of the plants including the kangaroo paws (grown in Holland) in vivid shades of red and yellow plus the first public viewing of the just-released white ones Anigozanthos 'Bush Diamond' . The callistemon and macrozamia that were grown in Rome have also been planted in the garden after much effort (well they are big). Wes says the effect is dramatic: "Wow. As the garden comes together we are all getting more excited about what the finished product will be."
While they are on schedule - some of the team even managed a tour of London in a double-decker bus - there were a few problems on Sunday when they tried to get the waterproofing done for the water features but the hired compressor wouldn't work, joiners on the borrowed compressor didn't fit the spray machine and they couldn't buy any as hardly any shops open in London on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Wes and Melbourne landscape designer Greg Palmer who is helping the English team of Wynniatt-Husey Clarke on their QVC show garden talk regularly with each side lending each other tools. So despite competition between all the exhibitors for the top prize everyone is very professional and helping where they can until judgement day.

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They're off at Chelsea

Wes Fleming's team is now in London and starting to construct the Australian garden for the Chelsea Flower Show which starts on May 20.
Designed by gardening heart-throb Jamie Durie, it features a wetland, large curved deck, fire pit, layered stonework from the Kimberleys, textured walls and a 20-metre painting by Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi as a backdrop.
Native plantings include the spectacular Queensland bottle tree (Brachychiton rupestre), sheoaks (casuarina), grass trees (Xanthorrhoea), a new white species of kangaroo paw - its first public appearance - and native grasses.
The cost for this year's design exhibit is "looking very sad", according to Fleming, who estimates it at $750,000, with the stone retaining wall the most expensive feature.
Fleming, who has won two silver-gilt medals and two golds in his last four attempts at beating the British at their own game, is confident of taking out the best-in-show garden this year.
Many of the team enjoyed a drink in an English pub after arriving in London, as you do, but then it was time to get down to work on site NR 36 which Fleming has had for the past four years.
While everyone was expecting rain, as usually happens during the set up, the weather has been sunny with temperatures in the mid 20s. A welcome change according to Fleming.
On the second day the tools hadn't arrived on site so the team resorted to using buckets as shovels. Can't keep good men down!
May 5 was a bank holiday in London but the team soldiered on laying the foundations for the $180,000 retaining wall. Evidently it cost more to laser-cut the Kimberley stone than the stone itself.
I'll keep you posted on developments further down the track and of Greg Palmer who is working with an English design team at Chelsea also going for the best-in-show garden.

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