Diosmas are a very hardy plant that can provide a stunning feature in any garden and which also seem to tolerate climate extremes very well. Diosma is the common name for the Coleonema Pulchrum plant. Diosmas are not often talked about but I believe the diosma plant was very fashionable in the 1980’s. However, in recent years it has lost its appeal somewhat. I am surprised that the diosma plant is not used more often because it is an evergreen shrub that provides colour and texture to the … [Read more...]
Testing Soil pH To Get The Most Out Of Your Garden
We all enjoy planting an array of plants in our garden so that we can have lots of colour and variety but we don’t always think about the various needs of the plants. One example is the soil pH requirement of a plant. Generally most plants do best in soils that have a pH close to neutral but there are some exceptions. This is why checking and adjusting the pH of your garden soil is one task that should be done to ensure that your garden plants are given optimum growing conditions so they can … [Read more...]
How To Use Compost To Make Your Own Potting Mix
A trip to the hardware or garden centre is not complete without picking up a couple of bags of potting mix. We go through heaps of it at my house because we have lots of plants in pots! We are often planting seeds, transplanting seedlings or simply transferring established plants to larger pots so it is not hard to use up quite a bit of potting mix. Buying all this potting mix ends up being quite expensive too. The cheaper brands don’t tend to have the quality required to produce … [Read more...]
Great Links:Learn About Bonsai Care Fast
I really love the look of bonsai trees and have always wanted one of my own but I've always worried that they would be too hard to care for and that if I bought one it would eventually die. I have never been quite brave enough to get one - until now that is! I have now taken the plunge and I can admit that despite being nervous about caring for a bonsai I am now the proud owner of not one but two bonsai trees! The first bonsai tree that I bought was a Trident Maple which is fairly … [Read more...]
Getting Started With Compost: Great Information And Links When Learning About How To Compost
If you are like me and love gardening then you will put out lots of mulch around your plants to combat weeds and conserve moisture and you will also go through lots of potting mix as you pot up new plants. This can prove to be quite expensive though when you have a large garden and lots of potted plants. One way that you can cut down on your reliance on purchasing these garden products is to make your own compost which can then be used directly as mulch or as an ingredient in potting … [Read more...]
Hydrangea Plant Care: Hints and Tips for Success
When I was growing up there were always hydrangea plants growing in the garden but I have never really appreciated the beauty of this plant’s large blooms until now. When out shopping recently I came across a ‘Lace Cap’ hydrangea and instantly fell in love with the beautiful flowers. Until then I was not even aware of this variety and it looked so pretty I just had to buy it! After searching online for more information about the variety I realised that there was so much more to learn … [Read more...]
Delicious Summer Fruit: Protecting Your Bounty from the Birds!
It is summer time in Australia and my apricot tree is covered in delicious summer fruit that is almost ripe. That seems to be the cue for the birds to come around and try out the harvest! Even though the apricots are not quite ripe yet the birds have begun testing them and leaving some apricots with peck marks all over them. Over the years I have tried hanging things in the tree but the birds generally get used to most things after a while. I have also tried using netting but my fruit trees … [Read more...]
Killing Garden Weeds Naturally Using Mulch
Have you ever felt like you are spending all spring weeding the garden? Until recently I seemed to be on a yearly treadmill weeding the garden in spring one year only to be back starting from scratch doing it all over again the next year! I couldn’t go on like that, especially as I have several large garden beds where I live. I decided to put down some mulch throughout the garden beds to try and suppress the weeds. I found some valuable websites that have helped me to do just that. Since … [Read more...]
Hi, I'm Kaylene, and I'm a keen gardener,budding baker and wannabe DIYer!