Grow UP, mate!

Sometimes I imagine people coming up to me and saying “Mike, your  blogs are the best thing about the internet, but I live in an apartment! I wish I had the space to grow more plants, my life is so boring without a garden. Maybe I’ll just go buy some Astroturf and roll that out everywhere.” At which point I start screaming and sweating and, depending on where I am, drawing terrified looks from strangers or exhausted headshakes from my family.

But good news friends, imaginary or otherwise! This week we are talking about Vertical Gardens, the answer to all your urban prayers!

So what’s a Vertical Garden then? Well there are a few variations on the theme but essentially it’s a framework or supportive structure that you fix to a wall, which supports bags or pots of soil you can grow plants in. They work well in any location, but have become extremely popular with balcony owners for the obvious space-saving reasons.

The staff at Four Seasons Nursery have been installing these for a while now, in residential, commercial and institutional settings. We’ve set them up in everything from a full sun backyard to inside a library, using succulents, climbers, annuals, even edible herbs. To call us experts would be an insult; we’re way beyond that now. We’ve even got an information page on our website, and if that’s not proof enough for you then nothing is: http://www.fourseasonsnursery.com.au/node/108

Now to be the best you have to use the best, assuming what you’re best at requires the use of a thing. Vertical Gardening does, it requires Vertical Gardens, and we use products from these upstanding citizens:

• Wall Garden - A modular pot/trough system that is ridiculously easy to install and maintain. They’ve got a nice little demo video here: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=smu3KKD5KdY]

And an instillation guide here:

• Atlantis - A grid-based modular system that can go as high and as wide as your surroundings will allow. Check out the team at Atlantis setting up a monster (with a funky Latino backing track, nice!) here:[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FNjf0VqHXWo]

If you’re not sure which system is best for you, or if you’d like some extra information, come in and see us anytime. We’ve always got plenty of stock and can sort you out with the right system for you, plus all the plants and soil you need. Too easy.

Cheers,

Mike.

The trick to trimming part 1: branches.

Apparently summer’s decided that going out gracefully is for cowards, and is throwing all kinds of tantrums in these final weeks of its reign. We’re getting record-breaking heat one day and frigid winds the next, a week of constant drizzle followed by seven days of perfect sunshine.

It’s actually pretty good growing weather for the young ones; the heavy rain gets the water deep down around the roots, then the hot sun draws the water up before it can cause rot or fungal issues (plus it has something to do with the whole photosynthesis bit I believe).

What it’s not so good for is the older growth, particularly on trees. Any branch that was even the tiniest bit brittle has now turned to fine bone china, due to the bouncing temperature and moisture levels. The next decent gust of wind is going to rip this weaker wood clean off the trunk, and anything it can’t tear off the tree will probably abandon on its own (do the Google for “Summer Branch Drop”; pretty interesting). This is almost always bad news, and so a pre-emptive strike during weather like this is a mighty fine idea. Just as a stitch in time saves nine, so a well timed trim will keep your damage bill thin! That is awful, and I’m sorry.

Anyway the first thing I have to say about trimming tree branches is that if you can’t reach it from the ground with the tools you have then call an arborist. Ladders leaning on branches are ridiculously dangerous. As is climbing a tree with some sort of blade in your hands. Leave this stuff to those who are insured for it.

The next thing I have to say is less condescending and extremely interesting; trees DON’T heal. At all. If a tree takes damage it is there forever, whether you can see it or not. What they do do is “occlude”, which basically means “cover up”. They will grow new tissue over the old wound, making it almost impossible to tell whether or not there is infection in it. A broken branch in 2002 can mean a dead tree in 2013, and few will be able to tell why.

Interesting Mike, yes. But so what?

Well, cheeky, you need to bare this in mind when trimming back dead or dying branches, as what you do now could end up having serious consequences down the track. Cleanliness is the key, for both your tools and how you use them.

Any organic residue on the teeth or blade of your tools can carry bacteria, and as you cut into a branch you’re basically poisoning the tree. Get into the habit of cleaning your tools after using them; a quick wipe, sharpen and dab of oil will not only keep the plants you use them on healthy, it will prolong the life of your tools as well. If you haven’t been doing this, and your tools now look like roman relics, come see us at Four Seasons Nursery; we have an excellent range for sale, for all kinds of budgets.

Now you’ve got clean tools you need to make clean cuts. A straight, square cut, on a slight downward angle, will keep the wound dry and minimise its surface area. This makes it extremely difficult for any harmful bacteria to get a foothold, so when the wound is occluded the tree won’t be absorbing its own doom. In terms of where to make the cut, well that depends on how much of the branch is damaged or dying. Normally though you’ll be taking it right back to the trunk, but remember to leave a good few centimetres of branch there so you don’t accidently graze the trunk when cutting (thus opening more door for infections to move in).

If you’ve got a tree with some branches you are unsure about, feel free to bring some photos into us here at the Nursery; we’ll have a look and make the best recommendations we can.

Cheers,

Mike.

New varieties of an old favourite...

The calendar may say it’s time for Winter but Autumn arrived late this year, and in the garden it still has some unfinished business. Most notable on its still-to-do list are the Salvias- some of the season’s flowering superstars, who are still looking amazing despite it being June.

Salvia is a massive genus in the Mint family (Lamiaceae), with around 900 different species of herbaceous perennials and annuals, including the edible varieties of Sage. Here’s a fun fact to impress (or annoy) your friends with- all Salvias have square stems! They have low water requirements, thrive in a full sun position and are covered in flowers from March until May (or even later, as we are seeing this year). A hard prune and a decent feed in Spring will ensure the best display of flowers next season; other than that they need very little attention.

[caption id="attachment_191" align="alignright" width="150"] Salvia leucantha 'Velour White'[/caption]

Salvias are a very traditional plant, commonly found in cottage and formally styled gardens, though they make an eye-catching addition to any sunny spot. Four Seasons Nursery has some newly developed cultivars in stock right now, which are fast growing, easy to maintain, and come in a range of vivid colours.

Salvia leucantha ‘Velour White’ grows to 1.5m high and about 2m wide. It features a mass of white flower spikes and is reasonably drought tolerant when established.

Salvia leucantha ‘Velour Pink’ is essentially the same as ‘Velour White’, but its flowers are a soft pink colour. The two form a lovely and subtle contrast when planted together.

Salvia mexicana ‘Lolly’ is a touch smaller than the ‘Velours’, growing 1.4m high by 1.4m wide. It features cool blue flowers on darker stems, and is known to be bird-attracting.

[caption id="attachment_195" align="alignright" width="150"] Salvia leucantha 'Santa Barbara'[/caption]

Salvia leucantha ‘Santa Barbara’ is the smallest of this bunch, at 0.9m high and roughly 1m wide. Its flowers are a similar colour to lavender, which stand well clear of the light green foliage.

These and many more Salvias are available now at Four Seasons Nursery, stop by any time to check them out!

-Mike P.

Grow Like a Pro no. 1: Cymbidium Orchids

Few plants can boast as devout a following as the Orchid, and with so many different types and such incredible variation between them it’s easy to see why. Every major city in Australia has a number of Orchid Societies, and any green thumb will tell you that Orchids are, for many, very serious business. This can be, for the more casual gardener, pretty intimidating; enough  to put you off growing Orchids altogether.

While it’s true that some species require a great deal of attention in order to perform, confounding any casual gardener’s attempts to get them flowering, there is one species that’s so eager to please that many gardeners claim they actually thrive on neglect: Cymbidiums. In this post, the first of the brand new “Grow Like a Pro” collection, I’ll show you how easy it is to care for Cymbidium Orchids, and how to ensure you get as many of their amazing flowers as possible.

The first thing to remember is to keep your Cymbidiums in pots: they will live in the ground but they will not flower. Orchids love being all cramped up (it’s how they grow in the wild), thus the “thrive on neglect” comment earlier. You must use an Orchid Potting Mix, which has a higher bark quantity than normal mix: Orchids may like being squashed but they do need a small amount of air around their roots. Four Seasons Nursery has a variety of suitable potting mixes available, include a range endorsed by the Orchid Society of Australia.

The right amount of light is crucial for good flowering. Cymbidiums are tolerant of cooler areas but their origin is tropical, and it’s important to bare this in mind when selecting a position for them. Filtered light all day or morning sun with late afternoon shade is perfect. Full sun all day will burn the leaves, full shade all day will cause the foliage to be a lovely deep green but you won’t get any flowers.

When watering the key is to keep your Orchids moist but not wet. During summer this means a drink every couple of days, and only once or twice a week in winter. A friend of mine, whose Cymbidiums produce some of the most spectacular floral displays I’ve ever seen every year, swears by using your washing machine’s grey water instead of normal tap water; I’ve never tried this but it is something to consider. Using a specialised Cymbidium potting mix, with its higher bark content, will ensure the orchid stays moist but is never flooded.

And that’s it! Cymbidiums are generally pest free, though they may get scale and snails do like to eat the flowers. Both of these pests are, however, very easy to deal with. Feed your Cymbidiums with an orchid specific fertiliser, such as “Strike Back For Orchids” or "Feather and Fins" (available at Four Seasons Nursery), every 3-6 months and you’ll be smothered in flowers come winter. The flowers last 6-7 weeks and come in an incredible variety of colours. The stems can be cut for brilliant indoor arrangements, or left on the plant to brighten your winter garden. Four Seasons Nursery will be carrying a heap of Cymbidiums all winter; come in to see them, and our friendly (and extremely knowledgeable) staff, any time.

-Mike P.