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Written and edited by Tammy 10th February 2023 If you were a 'newbie' to gardening, you'd probably be asking "what is till?" Is it important and do I have to do it?" Tilling is just a fancy word for digging, turning your soil over, and it sounds like a lot of hard work to me, so I'm not really into tilling. Let me share a few more good reasons why. Firstly, why would you break your back if you don't need to, gardening is supposed to be enjoyable right? It was once thought (and some might still think) that you needed to turn your soil over in preparation for a new garden bed, to chop up the weeds, to aerate it, incorporate your compost and fertilisers and "fluff" it up. The trouble with this is, the moment you start turning shovels full of soil over bringing what's beneath up to the top, you disrupt and alter the structure of your soil. Not only does it increase the surface area from which water runs off, and lead to erosion, but all those glorious little critters earthworms, beetles and microbials that live within your soil, have their homes torn apart and in some instances are left on the surface to die. How sad is that!!🥺 It's not the way Mother Nature does it or intends it to be, think of it that way. It's far more beneficial to build up good, thick, generous layers of organic matter regularly and let these little fellas do their thing and work their way through it incorporating it for you. They'll be happy healthy and well fed, our soil structure is sound, our backs are good, and our plants will be happy and thrive, win win I'd say. And the weeds? Often that's just what the weed seed bank needs to kick it back into gear. Weeds love growing in freshly disturbed soil. Smothering weeds is often enough to supress them. As for the tired, finished summer vegetables that you would otherwise spend half the day pulling out? You don't really need to. You can still chop back the bulk of it and throw it into your compost, but as for the roots, they're not doing any harm by staying there. In actual fact They help hold the soil intact. Are broken down by your soil critters. Create little channels for the water to follow down through to infiltrate your soil. They 'll create shelter and protection for your new seasons little seedlings to come up in amongst, so they're not standing out there all alone exposed to the wind and extreme elements and waiting for the snails to come along. Each to their own, but I personally feel it's in your best interests not to till your soil if you can avoid it. Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy your gardens. Stay off the shovel😜😘🪴

Written and edited by Tammy 14th January 23 Happy Valentine's Day!❤️ for all the romantics out there. We can't go past a little splash of red, something special. Corymbia Ficifolia (formally Eucalyptus Ficifolia) Red Flowering Gum. When it comes to a wow factor for colour, the red flowering gum stands up to the vibrance of any red rose. They are an Australian Native, originating in WA. Attractive to the birds and bees, they are such an easy to please little tree, happiest in a well-drained sandy to sandy loam soil, in full sun. If time is on your side, and you're keen to have a go, they propagate easily enough and are fairly quick growing too, so consider having a go at germinating some seed yourself. Eye catching as a stand-alone feature tree like the one pictured here but imagine a driveway or avenue lined with them. Red flowering gums are a speccy little tree growing into a nice lollypop shape reaching around 10-12 meters tall by 4-5 meters wide and are just a mass of stunning red flowers throughout the warmer months. If you haven't noticed them already pause for a moment to appreciate their beauty next time you're out and about and see one. You can't say now that you didn't receive a dash of red sprinkled with love today. From me to you, Happy Valentine's Day❤️🌹❤️🌹

Written and edited by Tammy 18th February 2023 If you haven't already spotted them, head down along Stewart Tce past the Shell Roadhouse in Naracoorte when you're out and about next and see for yourself just how stunning these little Crepe Myrtles are looking! I remember our local council planting them only 5 years ago so it's amazing to see how they've matured in such a short time. If you've ever been curious about planting one, this should give you a bit better idea. Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei Crepe Myrtle 'Tuscarora' are just one of large selection of assorted colours, shapes and sizes of these trees. A deciduous, multi-stemmed large shrub/small tree Tuscarora can potentially reach around 8 meters tall by 4 meters wide making them an ideal size as a 'feature tree' in a garden or defining an entrance or driveway. They show off mass displays of flowers on the new growth late in Summer. Relatively drought tolerant and hardy once established, they do best in a full sun position in most free draining soils. Like anything Crepe Myrtles will benefit from a sparing feed of good balanced slow-release fertiliser in Spring as they come out of dormancy. Be mindful not to go overboard though as you'll end up with excessive lush foliage at the expense of blooms. Evidently, they grow well here in our area, so if you're starting to plan what you'd like to put in this bare root season, give some consideration to a Crepe Myrtle. You won't be disappointed. Looking like it's going to be another perfect weekend for gardening. Enjoy!

Written and edited by Tammy 20th February 2023 Enjoying the peace and tranquillity of a warm bath last night, I listened to the crickets chirping outside, then smiled to myself thinking of the movie "The Castle" and that famous line...."How's the serenity". I thought, they're having a wonderful old time out there, a thriving community of them, what do they eat and where do they hide when they're not entertaining me chirping their little hearts out. Black Field Crickets (Teleogryllus commodus) are closely related to grasshoppers and locusts. With their shiny black armour and powerful front legs, they are burrowers, making their homes under ground and consequently their primary source of food is the roots of your lawn. If yellow dead patches appear in your lawn, you could be suspicious of crickets. Opportunistic scavengers, newly planted veggie seedlings aren't exempt from their diet either, they'll chomp them off at the stems. Fortunately, they have a few natural predators that are probably there in your yard already too. Birds, lizards, possum's, mice and rats (not that you want mice and rats either) spiders and parasitic wasps all have crickets on their hit lists, so hopefully they'll be keeping on top of the numbers for you. You might even find you pets will seek them out, catch them and kill them purely for the thrill of the chase and entertainment. I'm always amused in the late afternoons taking the washing off the line, watching my little JR terrier hunt for them in the lawn, she loves it. When you hear them active at night it's probably as good a time as any to go out with a torch, find them and squish them. As a last resort if you are struggling with an infestation of them there are a couple of products you can try. "Yates Baythroid Insects in Lawns" comes in a 200ml concentrate and is probably a good one as it controls more than just crickets. Another product to look for, a granular comes in a 1 kg box "David Grays Cricket and Grasshopper killer Bait". Always make chemical intervention your last resort only after exhausting all other options and be sure to carefully use and apply the products as per the manufacturer's directions on the labels. Vigilance is always a virtue, keep an ear and an eye out for them, particularly in a few more weeks' time when those new seasons little Brassica seedlings go in. Have a wonderful Monday! 😘🌸🪴

Written and edited by Tammy 23nd February 2023 What a dazzler! The Carnival Red Pincushion Leucospermum hybrid. The vibrance is absolutely breath taking. Leucospermums are in the protea family, native to South Africa. A compact prolific flowering evergreen shrub that reaches around 1 to 1.5 meters high by equally as wide. They prefer an acidic, sandy to sandy loam free draining soil, and a full sun aspect. Once established their water requirements are low, and like our Australian natives they're sensitive to Phosphorus. Incorporating some aged animal manure or organic matter with your soil when planting them will be adequate nutrition initially and, down the track with subsequent feeds after flowering, make sure you use a native plant food as they are low in phosphorus. There's nothing much to pruning them, just routine deadheading to encourage more flowers, and just shaping the plant to your liking. Bring a few longer stemmed blooms inside for a vase, they make for beautiful long lasting cut flowers too. If you're limited for space, or you're a renter and planting one in the garden is not an option, don't despair, there's nothing wrong with growing one in a showy glazed pot. The advantage of that too is being in control of the soil and environment it's going into and, you can move it around to a different location in your yard. So there you have it, there's no excuse and no reason for you not to add a Leucospermum Pincushion to your wish list today. I hope you're keeping cool in this heat, don't forget to leave some accessible water out for the birds, bees and lizards too. Happy Gardening!😘🌸☀️

Written and edited by Tammy 26th February 2023. As a self confessed plant junkie I know that excitement and thrill of going shopping for plants and driving home with a car full of lush healthy indoor plants dreaming of being able to create the same look seen on Pinterest or the pages of a magazine. Resist the temptation, try to do a little research first on the care requirements for the particular plants you like. By doing some research upfront you can save yourself a lot of time, money and heartache pouring all your efforts into something that’s going to constantly struggle, and instead choose a plant that’s going to work perfectly in the position you’ve got. Humans, plants and animals are adapted to the environment they live in. A cactus comes from an arid, hot, dry climate with next to no water so it would probably struggle in a shaded moist or humid environment, the same way a tropical plant that originates from a jungle would struggle in a desert. When researching plants, keep this in mind, does it come from a shaded warm tropical environment? Can I replicate this? Maybe there’s a corner in your bathroom for a plant like that, have a quick look at the post I done recently on my Hares foot fern that's thriving in my bathroom where it's getting the moisture and humidity it needs and bright but filtered light. Another thing to consider is how much maintenance and upkeep the plant is going to need. Some plants are ‘sooky’ and fussy, susceptible to insect infestations like spider mite, or prone to drooping or going crispy if their watering regime is not on point. These are perhaps not the best plants for a newbie. On the other hand, there are some easy care, low maintenance plants like Zansibars and Snake plants that need minimal water and almost thrive on neglect. Think about how dedicated you plan to be or more importantly, how much time you have to invest. I hope this helps you a little and perhaps even saves you a few dollars in rookie mistakes, rest assured I’ve had a few misfortunes along the way too! With a lighter wallet I've learned to stick to the ones that I have success with. And on that note, I’ll leave you now with a few pics of one of my favs…my Philodendron Squamiferum. Touch wood this IS one of my success stories. Thriving in my lounge room that’s not very bright but, does get some nice early morning Easterly light through the sliding doors. Almost 7 foot tall now in a 52 litre heavy ceramic pot with a lightly sanded tree branch to climb and cling to.  She about 4 years old now and puts on 4-5 new leaves every year over the summer months when all plants are actively growing. One 9 litre watering can full of rainwater with a dash of Seasol seems to be adequate every 4-5 weeks with even less over the winter months, and a feed of good quality indoor plant food in the Spring when most plants begin to actively grow again. I've wrapped a set of warm fairy lights up throughout the stems of mine for some elegant night time ambiance. You're only limited by your own imagination. What’s your favourite indoor plant?🪴 Happy gardening😘🌺

Written and edited by Tammy 2nd March 2023 March has begun and so has Autumn. It really is a beautiful time of the year; the worst of the heat has finally finished but there's still some warmth in the soil. That makes now the perfect time to start getting your bulbs all settled in ready for their masses of colour in Spring. You can have so much fun with it; you're only bound by your imagination. Scatter them randomly or in clumps throughout your garden beds, if you prefer something a little more structured and formal, do mass plantings in rows. If you're short on space or live in a rental, plant up a few pots that you can move around to suit your mood. Get a little creative and play with colour and texture coordination. Who says you need to have just bulbs in the pot. Imagine some dark large pots in a couple of sizes and styles planted up with some Lobelia, Alyssum or Dichondra spilling over the side, some lovely red poppies for height and then some yellow Daffodils or Tulips surrounded by some little blue Hyacinth popping their heads up in the Spring, giving you a continual display of colour. There are so many beautiful bulbs to choose from. Daffodils, Irises, Tulips, Ranunculi, Hyacinth and Anemones, and that's not even scratching the surface, (no pun intended). Kindy's and Primary schools often run bulb fundraisers in the first term of the year, keep an eye out for them when the kids bring the order forms home as it's a great opportunity to stock up on some bulbs while supporting the schools at the same time. If the kids are past that age, you'll find most of your major leading outlets will start stocking them over the next few weeks if they haven't already. The golden rule, for that nice full look, plant your bulbs 'cheek to cheek' (just touching one another), and at a depth of twice the width of the bulb. So a nice, large round daffodil is probably going to be between 3 to 4 inches deep down, whereas a little freesia may be barely 1 inch down. Incorporate some well-aged animal manure, some blood and bone, and some 10-10-10 balanced fertiliser at the time of planting. A triple 10 is just a good equal portion bend of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium, which your bulbs are going to look for when they wake up hungry in Spring. It takes a lot of nutrition to push up and show off good quality full blooms whilst also taking in enough nutrients to set the bulb up for the following season. You really can't say there is ever a quiet time of the year in the garden as there's always something to prepare, prune, plant, lift, divide or just shuffle around. Maybe I've inspired you even just a little, if you've got some spare empty pots, grab yourself some bulbs. Have a wonderful Friday, and an even better weekend. Happy Gardening!😘🌹🌸

Written and edited by Tammy 9th March 2023 With the beautiful drop of rain, we've had in the last few days freshening everything up, clearly, it's not just me who appreciates it, snails do too. Within no time at all of a fresh shower of rain, snails appear out of nowhere. They're crawling up the colourbond fence, around the rim of your pots and making a beeline straight for the veggie patch, and... pretty much anything else they can get into. Nothing is off the menu! Snails tend to be nocturnal (unless it's raining) of course, so if you go outside with a torch at night, you'd find them actively moving around in the cool damp night air. They need moisture and humidity otherwise their bodies dry out, so throughout the day they remain hidden under a rock, piece of timber or anywhere out of view where they're not exposed to the threat of drying out. So, what do we do about them destroying everything in sight? The last thing we do is resort to chemical pesticides or insecticides. Start out with some cultural practices. Go out after dark with a torch and a bucket when they're active, collect as many as you can and drown them in some water with a bit of dish liquid if you're not upto squashing them. (I get a bit grossed out about squashing them too) Let the chooks and ducks out for a bit of time to free range, they'll do the hard yards for you! If it's not practical to do so, or you're not keen on letting them scratch up the garden, just throw the snails over the fence into the pen for them. Try putting out beer traps. If you don't have beer in your fridge, dissolve some vegemite in water, they love the yeast and are drawn to it. In the morning you'll be able to dispose of a heap of them in one go when you refresh the trap. You could also try putting some copper tape around the trunks of small trees and shrubs to prevent them climbing up and getting into the foliage. A scattering of crushed eggshells around the base of plants can aid in the same way. Both these options create a physical barrier that is unpleasant for them to crawl across. Don't forget the natural predators too. Snails make up part of the daily diet for some of our other welcomed wildlife, lizards and birds. Lastly, If the snail numbers really are out of hand and you need to resort chemical intervention, consider using a pet and wildlife safe option. Try the Multicrop product called Multiguard Snail and Slug Killer. Use it sparingly and sensibly according to the manufacturer's directions on the label. The food chain is a delicate balance, if we take one thing out altogether, something else will then either starve or potentially breed up to uncontainable numbers. It's about keeping everything in balance. Enjoy your gardens and have a wonderful weekend!😘🪴🌸

Written and edited by Tammy 27th March 2023. I was out at my girlfriends place a few weekends ago helping her harvest huge bounties of apples and pears from the trees in her orchard. As she is a junior primary school teacher, we were discussing her taking some apples in for the kids to each have a piece of home-grown fruit. From there we got onto the subject of teaching kids the difference between a piece of fruit and a vegetable, and then she showed me the most delightful little children's book that I couldn't help but share with you. The book by Author Jean Richards, first published in 2002 is called "A fruit is a suitcase for seeds". It's so cleverly written and insightful leaving you thinking, "wow I never thought about it like that before", and it's so relatable and easy to understand for a young child. (Well for me too!) Now my understanding has always been that edible plants that are purely foliage, stems, and roots, are a vegetable. Think spinach, carrots, celery, they all consist of roots, stems and foliage. And then I think of fruit as being the end product of a pollinated flower on any foliage plant, reaching maturity. Think of it as the protective encasement nurturing and growing seeds within. Wow this really IS a lesson on 'the birds and the bees' in more ways than one. 🤪🐝 The book goes on to explain and give examples of all types of scenarios such as strawberries being an exception wearing their seeds on the outside, and some fruits only having one seed, avocados or peaches, where others have many; think rock melons or pumpkin. It describes how clever seeds are having their own mode of transport to get around and populate the place. Some travel in the air, the water, washed away once gravity drops them to the ground, others travel in the tummy of an animal when an animal eats them, then the animal expels them somewhere else. All in all, I was impressed! Definitely a book worth having in your library to read to your kiddies or grandies. You can never read to them too much, and what better way can there be to inspire the next generation of gardeners and plant enthusiasts. Happy gardening! 😘🌸🪴

Written and edited by Tammy Johnson 22nd Dec 22 With the warmer seasons now finally upon us our lawns spring back to life. You'll probably find yourself, like me, out there mowing your lawns weekly to keep up and maintain them looking in tip top shape. With the good rains we've had this season replenishing the deeper subsoil moisture my own lawns (pictured above) are looking the best they have in a long time. If you follow these steps, you'll have the best-looking lawn in the street guaranteed! Feed feed feed. Your lawn is using a lot of energy to keep growing at the pace it is so just like your teenage kids it's going to be hungry. Use a good balanced NPK fertiliser like the Brunnings green up. Apply it at the rates recommended on the product label and mark it on your Calander to apply it at least every three months. You can also top dress with organic compost or aged animal manure. Your microbes will love you for it. *Hint- just remember not to feed your lawns when it's over 30 degrees, wait for a cooler day, and water it in well. Mow regularly. Mowing your lawn regularly not only keeps it looking 'Mickey Mouse', but it will encourage continual fresh new growth and if there are any weeds, you'll catch them before they flower, dropping seed and replenishing the seed bank. Water. Finally water your lawns regularly and deep, particularly over the hot dry weather. Water in the cool of the morning to prevent moisture loss through evaporation in the heat of the day. You're far better off to water less frequently but for longer periods. A regular good, long, deep soak encourages the roots of your lawn to follow the water down and establish deeper as opposed to frequent short waterings where your roots will stay shallow making them more susceptible heat stress and just make for a less robust lawn all together. ultimately you want a good deep strong healthy root system on your lawn. And it's about as simple as that. Don't hesitate to message me if you have any queries. I'm always up for a chat. Happy gardening!

Written and edited by Tammy Johnson 18th December 2022. Following on from my first blog post about soil nutrition, I want to briefly touch on the other vital key component which is soil pH, and what the relevance of it is to your garden. What is soil pH? pH stands for 'potential of Hydrogen ions.' the H is always uppercase as hydrogen is a chemical element. Put simply, pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of soil. I won't get any more scientific than that, I'd rather keep this simple. Most plants are happy in a relatively neutral soil pH of between 6.6 and 7.3 (7 is neutral). Anything above 7.5 is considered Alkaline and will need Sulphur to bring it down - Sulphur is an acidifier. Anything below 6 is considered Acidic and Lime will be required to raise the pH - Lime has the ability to neutralise acidity. The problem is that when soil becomes too alkaline plants can't derive nutrients from the soil regardless of whether they are there or not. Any nutrients present will be 'locked up', bound to the soil particles essentially starving your plants. And when our soil is too acidic the Aluminium and Manganese in the soil become soluble allowing for too much uptake by your plants causing toxicity, essentially poisoning your plants. Both lime and sulphur are products you'll find readily available online and through most leading outlets, just use them at the recommended rates on the product labels. To test your soil pH is really very easy to do yourself. All you'll need is a 'soil testing kit'. A Manutec soil testing kit will be available through most leading outlets. I don't expect you to remember the 'nitty gritty' parts of this, even I have trouble remembering it, but I DO want you to take away this, the pH of your soil IS really important and needs to be right. I hope I haven't bamboozled you too much! Remember I'm always up for a chat so don't hesitate to message me. Happy Gardening 😘🪴