Callistemons or Bottlebrushes are one of the hardiest Australian native plants. The bright bottlebrush shaped flowers a very impressive part of the spring landscape and are a delight for native birds and bees. The original Callistemons available to gardeners were all bold red but flower colours now range from red to pink, mauve, cream and...Read More

Winter is a great time to prune most deciduous fruit trees, berries, fruiting bushes and vines. Although winter is pruning time, avoid pruning cherries, apricots and kiwi fruit vines until the warmer weather. All three of these popular edibles tend to bleed if pruned through winter, increasing the risk of disease. Apricots and cherries may...Read More

July is a great month for planting new roses but is also the time to give your existing roses some attention for a fabulous display of colour and fragrance over the flowering season. July is the best time to prune your roses. In really cold frosty regions, you may need to wait until early August....Read More

The Allium group of plants include about 800 species. There are only a few that are known as edible crops and these have been grown for centuries to add flavour and goodness to food. The main Alliums that we are familiar with are onions, garlic, leeks, and spring onions and chives. When to Plant Most...Read More

Cabbages are a fantastic winter crop and are perfect for adding to soups, stews, and salads. Cabbages are planted from seeds or seedlings as the cooler season begins. Choosing the Right Variety Some of the most popular cabbage varieties grown include White (Cannonball), Savoy, Red cabbage and Chinese cabbage. White (Cannonball) cabbage is a compact...Read More

Flowering bulbs are a highlight in the garden and home. Spring flowering bulbs begin to flower in late winter and bring with them the colourful promise of the spring ahead. Although all are referred to as ‘bulbs’, there are four different types of bulbs. True Bulbs include tulips and daffodils. Rhizomes are swollen stems such...Read More

Cucurbits include cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini, squash, watermelon and rockmelon. These all share traits and enjoy similar growing conditions. All are easy to grow and highly productive in the home garden. Pumpkin and watermelon vines require room to grow but can trained over or structures. Cucumbers and rockmelons require less space and can be grown vertically...Read More

Spathiphyllum or ‘Peace Lily’ plants are native to tropical regions of the Americas and south eastern Asia. They are a favourite plant to grow indoors with lush foliage and long-lasting white blooms throughout the year. Growing plants in homes and offices has many proven health benefits. Plants are nature’s air purifiers and improve the feeling...Read More

Once growing fruit trees at home was very common. Nowadays with gardens being smaller, the availability of wonderful new generation fruit trees has seen a resurgence in growing healthy home-grown goodness in the places and spaces we call home. There are dwarf forms/varieties of most fruits which don’t take a lot of space. These can...Read More

Strawberries are one of the easiest fruiting plants to grow and it is certainly a treat to feast upon these sweet delights picked fresh from the garden Strawberries are ground-hugging, herbaceous plants, growing to about 15cm high and spreading into a clump 50–100cm wide. Their flowers are simple, five-petalled blooms that are pollinated by bees....Read More