DFB's Greenthumb Project

[Burnout]

Originally Posted by Captain Stubing

We have a groundcover that I think is causing problems with our dog's skin... I think it's Tradescantia Spathacea. In the shade it stays green, when it gets more sunlight it goes purple.

image

I need recommendations for a better ground cover.

We also have the Purple Heart variety.

Lantana does well & spreads everywhere.....

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Captain Stubing

We have a groundcover that I think is causing problems with our dog's skin... I think it's Tradescantia Spathacea. In the shade it stays green, when it gets more sunlight it goes purple.

image

I need recommendations for a better ground cover.

We also have the Purple Heart variety.

Scaevola / Fan flower- an Australia groundcover available in many varieties. Most have a blue or mauve flower but there are white and pink versions too. What I like about Scaevola is that it has a nice, soft look to it and not very "native" looking and could be a nice replacement for the Tradescantia.

Myoporum / Creeping boobialla - another Aussie plant with a few varieties to choose from. The fine leaf and broad leaf versions are the ones to go for.

Trachelospermum jasminoides / Star Jasmine - This may sound like a strange suggestion as Star Jasmine is usually a climbing plant however it makes an excellent groundcover too, providing thick growth and a nice early summer flower. For those who find Jasmine fragrance overpowering, Star Jasmine is far less pungent and seems to not stir up allergies.

[DFB FGXR6]

Ginkgo biloba or the Maidenhair tree.



This is another Autumn favorite of mine, I love the bright yellow foliage at this time of the year. These are slow growing and long lived deciduous tress to about 9 mt in height. Ginkgo trees need rich soil and plenty of water during summer to thrive.

[DFB FGXR6]

This little plant caught my eye today, the flowers standing out like a beacon.



Dianthus Waterloo Sunset is a beautiful variety of Carnation. These are low maintenance plants that feature grey foliage that provides a colour contrast in the garden. Their compact nature mean they are also a great potted plant too. The main reason for growing them though is the heavily scented flowers produced in Autumn, late Winter and Spring.

[DFB FGXR6]

With one of my clients having an active bee hive, controlling insects requires a different approach.

For example, if a rose bush is infested with aphids I would normally reach for something like Confidor or Trifend, however both of these are not particularly friendly to bees.

So with that in mind, I have been mixing 2.5 tbs of dish washing detergent (in this case fruity Morning Fresh Watermelon and Pomegranate) with 2.5 tbs of vegetable oil in 4 lt of water.



Then spray infested plants as normal. Thorough drenching is required here due to this not being a systemic solution.

[DFB FGXR6]

With the Rover working hard over Autumn as a leaf vacuum, an oil and plug change were the order of the day.



Check out the "bald" front wheels!

[GCRXR6]

Originally Posted by Captain Stubing

We have a groundcover that I think is causing problems with our dog's skin... I think it's Tradescantia Spathacea. In the shade it stays green, when it gets more sunlight it goes purple.

image

I need recommendations for a better ground cover.

We also have the Purple Heart variety.

Yeah good old Moses in a Basket...it can be a basket of a plant for dogs.
Try Mondo grass, both green and variegated, or try Liriope muscari. Both mondos and liriopes form clumps and can be propagated by dividing the clumps.

[DFB FGXR6]

Today's attention grabber.



Chrysocephalum apiculatum 'Desert Flame' is a low growing native ground cover that does well in a sunny position and requires minimal water once established. With a height and spread of 20cm high and 40cm wide, this plant injects colour via it's cheery yellow flowers and the grey foliage provides a nice colour contrast.

[DFB FGXR6]

Even with winter on our door step, the roses continue to flower. This one is called Brass Band.

[roKWiz]

Lovely pics. You tend to some amazing plants.

Down here I'm lucky to have lots of Australian natives which are just starting to flower.
My pride plant is a Toothbrush Grevillea, the resident Wattlebirds, Treecreepers, White Plumed Honeyeaters, Firetails and Superb Wrens absolutely adore the nectar.
After the flowers slowly die off, the Cootamundra Wattles start flowering signifying deep winter.
Different wattle species colours are amazing during winter.

[Rallye Sport]

Great thread DFB, my stories much the same, started in Nurseries, spent a bit of time in Vineyards, moved to parks and spent some time in Queens gardens, Hyde park, Sir James Mitchell, moved to civil construction for a few years(hated it) and ended up on the golf course.

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Lovely pics. You tend to some amazing plants.

Down here I'm lucky to have lots of Australian natives which are just starting to flower.
My pride plant is a Toothbrush Grevillea, the resident Wattlebirds, Treecreepers, White Plumed Honeyeaters, Firetails and Superb Wrens absolutely adore the nectar.
After the flowers slowly die off, the Cootamundra Wattles start flowering signifying deep winter.
Different wattle species colours are amazing during winter.

Right on mate, the birds and wildlife are where its at for me now after studying land management and realizing they are much more appreciative than humans. We have a family of Blue Wrens in the backyard at the moment, we must be doing something right for them to be there.

This is my favourite in the garden, excuse the pics its a grey, wet and windy morning out there. Its Grevillea Pink Surprise, large bush or can be pruned into a small tree. It flowers non stop all year and is a centre of activity for birds, bees and insects.

[roKWiz]

Yes, being an avid mountain biker has always drawn me to watch native plants, animals and birds.

Recently planted a couple of Grevillea Robusta trees and they are now taking off. From memory I think they can grow to 10m high but have the most vivid colour flowers.
Sorta of like a tree version of the toothbrush grevillea.

It amazing how you can determine the change in seasons by the bird life.
Approx. a month ago we started seeing Currawongs come down off the high country which follow the Bogong moths as both can not live in the snow covered mountains. They set up camp at lower altitudes for winter where the birds are having some fat suppers.
Gang Gang parrots are another who fly down to the lower Beechworth area feasting on the chestnut and oak pods.
So good to see these visitors.

[DFB FGXR6]

Over the last 15 years, I have seen various planting trends come and and go.

When I started in the Nursery Industry things like Cordyline's, Flax's and Yucca's were our biggest sellers, grass like foliage plants basically. After these drifted out of popularity, flower colour made a comeback.In times of drought, we see people flocking to natives.

Over the last 12 - 18 months we have seen a massive increase in the sale of indoor plants. As more move into smaller and smaller home spaces, people still want to have some green in their life and all benefits plants bring.

Another trend has been the rise in popularity of Natives over the last 12 months, especially smaller growing and more compact varieties. Things like Grevillea's, Protea's and Eremophila have become extremely popular. Sales of Native groundcovers has also taken off.

Another observation, sales of Roses were well down a few years ago. We are now having trouble stocking enough to meet demand.

Swings and roundabouts, it can be hard to predict what will be popular in the future, just a matter of adapting to suit demand.

[BA-XT]

We just bough our own house so for the first time in my life I've gotten into gardening seriously. Spent hours today picking out what I now know a weed called "Purslane Weed" from about a 3x4 section of my nice lawn.

It was so hard to dig out with the couch grass getting tangled up. Horrible thing to dig out.

I have shady parts in the lawn so hoping to keep it alive and well during winter but couch doesn't like the shade.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by BA-XT

We just bough our own house so for the first time in my life I've gotten into gardening seriously. Spent hours today picking out what I now know a weed called "Purslane Weed" from about a 3x4 section of my nice lawn.

It was so hard to dig out with the couch grass getting tangled up. Horrible thing to dig out.

I have shady parts in the lawn so hoping to keep it alive and well during winter but couch doesn't like the shade.

Ahhh, Purslane or Portulaca weed. A resilient and troublesome weed. I find it will even resist chemicals more so than other weeds, taking far longer to die from Glyphosate.

[BA-XT]

That's the one! OMG every time I looked at a small space in the lawn, sure enough another one was there. Using chemicals wasn't really an option unfortunately with the weeds entangled in the lawn.

That patch is now dug up and a bit of a mess, so will wait to spring to fix up. Might throw some couch runners down. I'd throw up some pics but don't want to hijack the thread.

Might start a "backyard build thread" :-)

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by BA-XT

That's the one! OMG every time I looked at a small space in the lawn, sure enough another one was there. Using chemicals wasn't really an option unfortunately with the weeds entangled in the lawn.

That patch is now dug up and a bit of a mess, so will wait to spring to fix up. Might throw some couch runners down. I'd throw up some pics but don't want to hijack the thread.

Might start a "backyard build thread" :-)

Post away mate, I don't mind.

What you need is a broad leaf selective herbicide/weed killer.

https://www.searlesgardening.com.au/...E-weed-control

Used correctly, this will kill weeds and leave the lawn intact. Don't use those "Weed-n-Feed" type products as these simply burn off the foliage and leave the weeds root system behind to regrow at a latter date.

[BA-XT]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Post away mate, I don't mind.

What you need is a broad leaf selective herbicide/weed killer.

https://www.searlesgardening.com.au/...E-weed-control

Used correctly, this will kill weeds and leave the lawn intact. Don't use those "Weed-n-Feed" type products as these simply burn off the foliage and leave the weeds root system behind to regrow at a latter date.

Thankyou :-) Yes been doing a lot of research on lawns. I believe I have a Couch grass. But looking close today might be Buffalo.

I have been going around pulling those weeds out. I have a complete infestation of them!



I don't think I have a choice but to spend hours and keep going around digging them out. As a result I've dug up a lot of my lawn



At the moment plan of attack is to put runners back into the ground and keep searching around for more of those weeds. I don't think they can be killed off. I've pulled out at least 150 so far.

In the spring I'll do the broad leaf weed killer then fertilise in september. Lucky its a small yard... Some of the couch is thin because of shade, so I'll put in garden beds I think. Scotts Lawn Builder seems to get good reviews and isn't too expensive

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by BA-XT

Thankyou :-) Yes been doing a lot of research on lawns. I believe I have a Couch grass. But looking close today might be Buffalo.

I have been going around pulling those weeds out. I have a complete infestation of them!

image

I don't think I have a choice but to spend hours and keep going around digging them out. As a result I've dug up a lot of my lawn

image

At the moment plan of attack is to put runners back into the ground and keep searching around for more of those weeds. I don't think they can be killed off. I've pulled out at least 150 so far.

In the spring I'll do the broad leaf weed killer then fertilise in september. Lucky its a small yard... Some are was the couch is thin because of shade, so I'll put in garden beds I think.

I might need a closer pic of your lawn to ID what type you have, as this will determine the broad leaf weed killer to use on it.

Keep it up mate. When spring arrives it will really take off with some fertilizer and water. Nothing better than the smell of a freshly cut lawn.

[DFB FGXR6]

The month of June and Winter season means the arrival of Bare Root trees and roses.



We received our first delivery of both Roses and deciduous trees / fruit trees today. Once unloaded, we wet the roots down then cover them with wet hessian to protect the root system while we process them.

This means a lot of busy work for us, sorting, labeling, taking out customer pre-orders and then burying them in sand to store them over the winter. It's the burying in sand part that I dread, shovel after shovel of heavy wet sand really takes a toll on the body.

Big work, but it is often an anticipated time by both customers and staff.

[DFB FGXR6]

Labeled and buried in sand, these trees are ready for their new home.



These are customer pre-orders that are kept aside from the rest of the stock situated in the nursery. Like these, they are labeled, sorted, lined up and stored in sand.

[DFB FGXR6]

This plant is called Hebe "Pretty n Pink".



Most gardeners will know of Hebe's, they are quite a common genus and are know for their speed of growth. They are often chosen as a gap filler.

Pretty n Pink is a newer variety of Hebe that will grown only 30 cm high and 90 cm wide. Compared to its forbears, this Hebe is more compact in its growth and doesn't seem to possess the straggly tendency that other varieties can exhibit. It also feature a nice rich tone of red new growth, providing colour when not in flower.

These would look great planted between standard roses, as a low border or planted up in a nice pot.

[DFB FGXR6]

Agave attenuata.



These are a popular plant that can be a challenge to grow in colder regions like mine, it was -2 degrees here this morning. These Agave's are protected by some surrounding trees and foliage allowing them to survive winter frosts.

[DFB FGXR6]

I planted these seedlings during the lock-down in April.



First flower opened today.

[DFB FGXR6]

This Native Frangipani, Hymenosporum flavum, snapped in a storm in February this year.



Trimmed off smoothly, it has started to shoot and will eventually look great once again.

[DFB FGXR6]

Abelia 'Kaleidoscope'.



Like Hebe Pretty n Pink posted above, Kaleidoscope is a modern variety of Abelia.

Abelia Grandiflora / Grandaflora nana are best known for their speed of growth and hardiness. That said, they tend to be a boring green plant.

Kaleidoscope on the other hand improves on the original by adding vivid golden yellows, lime greens and red tones depending on the season. It has a compact growth habit with a height and spread on 70cm x 90cm. It will tolerate some drought but in my experience, regular water over summer will keep them looking great. Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' can planted as a small hedge, a colourful gap filler and also looks great planted into pots.

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Abelia 'Kaleidoscope'.

image

Like Hebe Pretty n Pink posted above, Kaleidoscope is a modern variety of Abelia.

Abelia Grandiflora / Grandaflora nana are best known for their speed of growth and hardiness. That said, they tend to be a boring green plant.

Kaleidoscope on the other hand improves on the original by adding vivid golden yellows, lime greens and red tones depending on the season. It has a compact growth habit with a height and spread on 70cm x 90cm. It will tolerate some drought but in my experience, regular water over summer will keep them looking great. Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' can planted as a small hedge, a colourful gap filler and also looks great planted into pots.

I planted heaps of abelias back in the 90s and 00s, I don’t see too many nowadays, probably fallen out of fashion.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

I planted heaps of abelias back in the 90s and 00s, I don’t see too many nowadays, probably fallen out of fashion.

They are a pretty useful and dependable plant.

We have actually noticed a small increase in demand for them lately, especially the green 'nana' version.

[Captain Stubing]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

This Native Frangipani, Hymenosporum flavum, snapped in a storm in February this year.

image

Trimmed off smoothly, it has started to shoot and will eventually look great once again.

image

I mowed the front yard this morning, and accidently run over a red frangipani I'd planted a year ago, it had only got to about 40cm high. I was going backwards on the ride-on, not watching. I've loosened the soil, jammed it back in, and I'm hoping it will re-root.

Have you come across Firestick plants? I scored a couple of them, and they're getting very tall!

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Captain Stubing

I mowed the front yard this morning, and accidently run over a red frangipani I'd planted a year ago, it had only got to about 40cm high. I was going backwards on the ride-on, not watching. I've loosened the soil, jammed it back in, and I'm hoping it will re-root.

Have you come across Firestick plants? I scored a couple of them, and they're getting very tall!

Have not come across them personally but they certainly look quite distinctive.

They are known to be poisoners to both humans and pets so perhaps show some caution as to where you plant them.