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Gardening Australia 2026 Episode 5
Transcript
00:00Woo-hoo!
00:05Hey! Hi!
00:12Whoa!
00:17Hey!
00:20Hey, mate.
00:22Hey!
00:27Oh!
00:33Hello and welcome to Gardening Australia.
00:36We have got an action-packed schedule for you this week.
00:40There's no time to waste.
00:42Let's get this show on the road.
00:44Here's what's in store.
00:47I explore a romantic, cool-climate garden
00:51in the New South Wales Southern Highlands,
00:53brought back to life by one of my pop music heroes
00:56and their partner.
00:58It makes me feel like dancing.
01:01I've converted my goat yard
01:03into a temporary, productive venture garden
01:05while my goats are on holiday.
01:07A little rainforest garden is just a thing
01:09when you need to relax.
01:11And I'm getting creative with a few ideas
01:13on how to grow your own.
01:15And we'd like to welcome our newest guest presenter
01:18to the GA family.
01:19Well, kumquats are rebels, right?
01:21All are the citrus.
01:23Are you a rebel too, Costa?
01:25The fabulous fruit nerd
01:26to share one of his favourite fruits
01:29that you may not be familiar with.
01:37Over the years, I think we've all enjoyed seeing Sophie
01:41build her own productive paradise in the Adelaide Hills.
01:45Well, she's up stumps and is heading to the beautiful
01:50but much drier north of South Australia.
01:53Growing a garden in such dry conditions
01:56is definitely not for the faint-hearted.
01:59But Sophie is always up for a challenge.
02:03And guess what?
02:04We've got front row seats.
02:22I love the magical morning light here.
02:26I've recently bought this seven and a half hectare property
02:30in South Australia's Mid-Murray region,
02:32about 80 kilometres northeast of Adelaide.
02:37The property overlooks the eastern side of the Mount Lofty Ranges.
02:41It's in a bit of a rain shadow
02:43and the countryside is bone dry and windy.
02:46In summer, it's baking hot with temperatures up to 45 degrees
02:50and it's mighty cold in winter.
02:53It's a place of extremes.
02:57The Mid-Murray region is known for its dry stone walls.
03:01Grain growing.
03:04And it's small farming towns.
03:08My new property is a mere 30 kilometres south of Goida's Line,
03:12which marks a boundary between South Australia's arable and non-farming land.
03:17To the north of the line, it's basically arid.
03:21This gives a clue about how dry my new patch is.
03:24It's just a stone's throw from the desert.
03:28It's pretty remote out here.
03:30And the region's part of the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve,
03:34one of only 24 dark sky reserves worldwide.
03:37And the night skies here make for incredible stargazing.
03:46In the light of day, it's pretty obvious that it's a far cry from my old patch in the Adelaide
03:51Hills.
03:52And you might be wondering why I chose to put down roots here.
03:56Well, it's because I love the wide open skies and the ruggedness.
04:00And I love a challenge.
04:02This land is classified as arid to semi-arid, which means it gets less than 350 millimetres of rain a
04:09year.
04:11Getting anything much to grow around here is going to be quite a feat.
04:16We've only been here a short time, but I'm getting stuck right into it.
04:20There's a 500 metre long driveway up to the old stone farmhouse.
04:24I've got big plans to rewild this area either side of the drive by putting in thousands of local native
04:31plants
04:32to help restore the ecosystem health and increase biodiversity.
04:36It's a huge project.
04:38So I've started out by focusing around the house and home garden.
04:42And I'll be working out from there.
04:45In the few months we've been here, there's been a hive of building activity inside the old house.
04:50And outside, where growing a garden around the house with natives and climate-compatible exotics,
04:56has been top of my list.
04:57OK, Pearl, come on.
05:01I've planted some lawn out the front to try and keep the dust down.
05:04And also some deciduous tree varieties that I saw growing locally in the area.
05:09They're crepe myrtles and jacarandas.
05:12And I'm hoping that down the track, combined with the lawn,
05:15they'll create a cooler microclimate out here.
05:18I've also planted lots of Mediterranean climate plants, like French lavender, rosemary, Jerusalem sage,
05:26as well as lots of other silver foliage plants.
05:29I'm putting in a wire rabbit proofing to keep out the pesky rabbits and hares.
05:34I've buried the wire in the ground so any digging creatures are kept at bay.
05:38On the northeast side of the house, I've planted about 50 of a tall growing species of old man's saltbush.
05:45They've got tree guards around them at the moment.
05:48And the idea of that is protecting them from bunnies, but also giving them some wind protection.
05:53Even though, once they're established, they'll form a great windbreak themselves.
05:59It's surprisingly calm today, but it gets super windy here, with gusts of up to 70 kilometres an hour being
06:08common.
06:08So I've put in this windbreak fence made of old corrugated iron.
06:13Another challenge here is the soil.
06:16There's a huge variation.
06:17I had planned to put my orchard here, where it got protection from hot north winds by the old stone
06:22buildings.
06:23But then we dug some pilot holes, and look at this.
06:27Hard leaf soil, it's handfuls of limestone rubble.
06:31Very hard to grow fruit trees here.
06:35Yet just a stone throw away on the other side of all the buildings, the soil's a reasonable clay loam.
06:42And with improvement, that's where I'm going to put my orchard.
06:53It's really important for me to get productive plants growing as soon as possible, particularly veggies.
07:00So I've created a walled garden.
07:02Basically, it was an old stone outbuilding, and the walls will give me protection from the wind,
07:07and the roof will allow me to put shade cloth on to stop the heat in summer.
07:12So in this space, I'm going to use wicking beds to grow my veggies.
07:16As you can see, a lot of planning is needed to get anything to grow here.
07:22The garden around the house is watered using a combination of town water supply and water tanks.
07:28But I'm always on the lookout for resilient water wise plants to use around the house.
07:33But also for my even bigger project, rewilding about three quarters of the property.
07:40Much of the land in the Mid-Murray region has been cleared for wheat and other cropping.
07:45You can see the remnant vegetation, ruby saltbush and several other types of saltbush and bluebush.
07:52And there are a few remaining mallee trees.
07:54They are really old, possibly several hundred years old.
07:59My goal is to add to the native vegetation that's already here with other local native plants that would have
08:04been here previously.
08:06I want to include all the different stories of vegetation and the different landscape forms, from woodland to open areas.
08:13And hopefully, that will bring back the birds, insects and bats.
08:17So to learn more about local plants and wildlife, I've been chatting to the Mid-Murray Landcare Group.
08:24And later in the program, I'll be visiting a local bush reserve, which is a great example of rewilding and
08:31an inspiration to locals like me.
08:34Maybe better fresh.
08:43What's the quick hack to manage leaf curl in your nectarine tree?
08:47This season, my nectarine tree was riddled with leaf curl, which looks like this.
08:52A quick trick is to remove the whole lot of that leaf.
08:56And then the second flush of leaf that comes through is 95% fine, meaning you still get a really
09:02decent crop off that season.
09:04Next winter, I'm going to come in and do two rounds of a fungicide-based spray to stop it coming
09:09back.
09:10Is lichen a plant?
09:13Well, partially.
09:15Lichen is made up of two different groups of organisms.
09:20Algae, which is from the plant kingdom, and fungi, which is from the fungi kingdom.
09:25And they form a symbiotic relationship where they work in partnership to have a better outcome.
09:32The algae photosynthesises, and the fungi can break down material to provide food.
09:38And together, they make a great team.
09:41Do I have to stake my tomatoes?
09:44Well, if you allow them to grow as a ground cover, you'll quickly discover they get fungal disease on the
09:50leaves and pests will eat the fruit.
09:52I've tried it.
09:54But you can grow a small variety in a hanging basket because that gives plenty of air movement, which is
10:00just what tomatoes need.
10:02Now, there are two groups.
10:03There are the determinate tomato with large trusses of fruit.
10:08A standard tomato steak like this is essential.
10:11And, if you can, use some stretchy pantyhose to support the heavy weight without damaging the stems.
10:18The other group are the cherry tomatoes, and I grow these, and they have lots and lots of stems.
10:24So, I grow them up these bamboo frames, and I weave the stems in between.
10:29And that way, you've got three options for growing your tomatoes really well.
10:51With its cool climate, soft light, generous rains, and long growing season,
10:58the New South Wales Southern Highlands doesn't just mimic European conditions.
11:03Some say it's perfected them.
11:08And it makes it the perfect place to grow a European-style cool climate garden, Aussie style.
11:22The Southern Highlands are about 90 minutes' drive southwest of Sydney.
11:27A little more than 50 kilometres from the east coast.
11:32Gardens like this one just love it here.
11:35This place has been brought back to its best by a couple who do Euro-Aussie crossover like no-one
11:43else.
11:47One of them is singer-songwriter Leo Sayer.
11:51Oh!
11:52Hey, Costa!
11:54Welcome!
11:56Costa!
11:57How are you?
11:58Look at your garden!
11:59Welcome to our humble abode!
12:01How are you, mate?
12:03Good to see you.
12:04What a pleasure.
12:05It's not every day you get...
12:07It's Costa's in my garden!
12:09I'm in Leo's garden!
12:11I'm just trying to get my head around this idea of seeing you in real life and having known and
12:19appreciated your work for so long.
12:22And now here I am in your garden.
12:24Welcome!
12:28I need oxygen.
12:30I need a little bit of oxygen.
12:33Now you've been coming to Australia for years, for decades.
12:37What drew you to this part of the country, the Southern Highlands?
12:41Well, we moved in in 2005 to Australia, moved into Sydney, it got crowded.
12:46And we decided we needed a bit of country, a bit of nature.
12:50It's just the most beautiful area.
12:52And it has echoes of Sussex from where I was born and where I grew up.
12:56It's like the country there because we're kind of high up off sea level.
13:00But the climate here is a wonderful thing as well.
13:03It's a good thing for an old bloke.
13:05It's great.
13:07So you're an Englishman?
13:08I am.
13:09But an Australian, really, I think, these days.
13:12When I wake up in the mornings, I know I'm home.
13:15Especially here.
13:16You know, this is home.
13:17It's great.
13:19Can we have a look around?
13:21Yeah, sure.
13:22Come in.
13:23Come inside and have a look at the back garden.
13:25Alright.
13:25It's beautiful.
13:26Come on, Costa.
13:33There are two main plots of this stunning Southern Highlands garden.
13:37The Olive Garden sits between Leo's studio and the house.
13:42Framed by hedges and dominated by six mature olive trees
13:46and beds that overflow with cool climate classics.
13:50Hydrangeas, camellias, geraniums, Daphne and roses.
13:59The rear garden is the showstopper.
14:03A winding path reveals a series of garden rooms.
14:09Each hosting a striking collection of superb cool climate stars.
14:15Irises, lavender, black sambutius, gladiole, aquilegias and roses.
14:24Roses everywhere.
14:29So what do you think?
14:32Allow me to catch my breath.
14:34It's so still, I feel like it's just a painting.
14:39It's very quiet here.
14:41We've got a lovely little quiet spot and it just looks beautiful.
14:45But the splashes of colour, like all the roses are just bursting out of bud.
14:53You get this lovely experience of walking.
14:55I love walking down here.
14:57If I've got a problem in my head, this solves it.
15:01So you've got a connection to gardens and roses?
15:05I used to be a graphic designer before I was a singer, back in England.
15:09This is going back to the end of the 60s.
15:11And I knew David Austin when he was starting off and I used to design labels for him.
15:16And a lot of these are David Austin roses as well.
15:20Isn't that extraordinary?
15:21That is so random.
15:23Leo Sayer, a rose label designer.
15:27A rose labeler.
15:28Yes, that's me.
15:31It's just great.
15:32It's a real nature haven here.
15:35And you know the Highlands gives us so much richness of nature and so much.
15:39The insects, the bees, the butterflies.
15:42Fabulous here.
15:43And then looking back.
15:45And we've come down the hill a bit.
15:47So there's that beautiful movement and the level change.
15:51And now just glimpses of the house.
15:53And then the canopy is coming up.
15:54There's a lot of movement in here, which is really nice.
15:57You know, you get a shape.
15:58It's not a boring walk to walk around here.
16:01And I see you've even got veggies over there.
16:04Yeah, Donna's Veggie Garden.
16:05And we live off the veggies, which is really great.
16:08She keeps me healthy.
16:10I'm very lucky.
16:11So where is Donatella?
16:13Well, you're going to meet her because she's coming now, actually.
16:15Here she comes.
16:16Oh yeah, there she is.
16:18Donatella grew up in Florence,
16:20surrounded by some of Italy's most artistic gardens.
16:24Donatella!
16:26Donatella!
16:28Look at that.
16:29It's so lovely to meet you too.
16:31Your garden.
16:34I've been taken on a pre-emptive tour.
16:39The creativity.
16:40It's beautiful.
16:42Oh, this is so gorgeous to hear from you.
16:46When did the garden begin?
16:48When did you start on it?
16:51In fact, that's the way I got through COVID
16:53without feeling sorry for myself.
16:56It was just taking time out for creating this.
17:04I'm astonished to learn that Leo and Donna's garden
17:08is really just a few years old.
17:11It feels so complex and established in a vintage style,
17:15and that can take decades to accomplish.
17:19There's some formality with the hedges.
17:22Oh yes.
17:23And the pots and the path,
17:25but there's also this beautiful splash of colour here
17:30and a bunch of roses there and a citrus tree here
17:33and an arbor.
17:35Where does that creativity come from?
17:38Well, that's very much spontaneous.
17:43It's like going in the moment, right?
17:45You just see something, you love something,
17:48you go, where would this plant be happy?
17:52It wasn't about, oh, I want that colour there or whatever.
17:58It's beauty, I love beauty.
18:01And so my idea of beauty is to combine things that I love in a certain way.
18:10Leo expresses himself through his music,
18:13but I see a big similarity between the music and the garden.
18:17Yeah.
18:18Yeah, colours, textures,
18:22similar in some ways, poetry.
18:25I don't paint, but if I can express myself through this,
18:31it's such a blessing, yeah?
18:34I mean, I won't say I'm totally satisfied, but never mind you.
18:39Ha, ha, ha.
18:43When they finished the garden in 2023,
18:46Leo and Donatella were married here.
18:49They have been together for 40 years.
18:53In fact, we can see I was very lucky to be here, you know.
18:57We're grateful.
18:58Very grateful.
18:59I think it's an expression of what we have together as well.
19:03You know, we travel a lot, both of us.
19:05And, you know, what Donna has created here,
19:09to have so much nature around, you know,
19:10everything kind of starts and stops here.
19:13This is home.
19:16Got to tell you, there's a lot of love right here
19:19in the Southern Highlands.
19:21Makes me feel like dancing.
19:34As you all know, I absolutely love my goats.
19:38They give me beautiful milk, manure for my garden,
19:41and eat all the green waste.
19:46Because they do take so much time to look after and milk,
19:49I organised a goat share a while back,
19:51which involves three different households,
19:54taking care of them daily.
19:55They stayed here permanently, and we had an online calendar
19:58where we could rotate who's doing what on which day.
20:01It worked brilliantly.
20:03However, after a while, things had to change,
20:06because I got a major elbow injury,
20:08which meant I couldn't even milk the goats.
20:10I was devastated.
20:12And so our beautiful goats have gone for a goat holiday,
20:15and I'm hoping they'll be back in the coming months.
20:21So in the meantime, I've decided to take advantage of the fertile deep litter
20:26they've left behind in their goat yard,
20:28and turned it into a productive garden.
20:31Because I can't help myself but turn any available land into more garden,
20:35I've fenced off some of this goat yard,
20:37and I've made a pumping veggie and flour extravaganza.
20:42Now, this is only possible because the goat run is actually a giant deep litter system.
20:47This means that over months of the animals being in there,
20:50I've put in piles of fresh wood chips or other carbon materials like straw.
20:55And over months, as it rains and the animals drop the manure,
21:00and I might drop in any other kind of green waste from the garden,
21:02it breaks down and eventually turns into something like this.
21:07Now, to turn it into an actual veggie garden,
21:09I did come in with a layer of mature compost, spread it on top,
21:13fork it in gently, and then broadcast thousands of seeds.
21:17And now, we're in a mini edible forest.
21:21Then I sowed the entire area with summer crops,
21:25including a section for the Three Sisters Guild,
21:28a method devised by First Nations people in America.
21:31The Three Sisters refer to Corn, Climbing Beans and Pumpkin.
21:37For this method, you sow the corn and the pumpkins first,
21:41making sure you keep the pumpkins around the edge of the garden
21:43so you can control where they sprawl,
21:46because there is a risk that they can dominate the patch.
21:49Once the corn seedlings are around 10 to 15 centimetres tall,
21:53you plant one or two climbing bean seeds at the base.
21:56By the time they've popped their heads up,
21:58they've got something to climb on with the corn,
22:00and they wrap themselves up the corn trunk beautifully.
22:04It's a fantastically symbiotic relationship.
22:07The Three Sisters Guild is a picture-perfect example
22:10of plants working in harmony.
22:12They're not competing for space or nutrients above or below ground,
22:16but it's helping each other thrive.
22:18For a major dose of colour, I've added in lots of sunflowers,
22:22which will bloom in the next month or so.
22:25And then down below, I've got lots of my surplus veggie seedlings
22:29like tomatoes, lettuces and onions,
22:32plus some mixed flowers like cosmos poppies, nasturtiums and cornflowers.
22:37The whole lot is benefiting from this deep litter system,
22:40which is feeding these heavy-feeding main crops.
22:43And all of them are quick-growing crops,
22:46so I'll be eating out of here over the next few months,
22:48and then the goats get to move back in and reclaim the space.
23:01One of my favourite things about gardening
23:04is that it gives us a chance to grow a little slice of nature
23:09in our own backyards.
23:11Clarence is here to show you how you can set up a mini rainforest
23:15at your place, in pots.
23:24If you've been lucky enough to walk through a rainforest,
23:27you'll know that special feeling, the sweet, cool air,
23:31the layered feel of the greenery.
23:33They're peaceful places where you can draw a breath,
23:35pause and remember what's important in life.
23:42Today, I'm at my local nursery, planting up a rainforest-inspired arrangement.
23:47Perfect for that south-facing balcony, patio or courtyard.
23:52Now, I'm going with some natural and textural elements for the arrangement,
23:56and an eclectic assortment of containers.
23:59Use whatever you like.
24:01The key, of course, is to make sure that your pots have got good drainage.
24:06Palms epitomise the classic rainforest look.
24:09Now, they can get up to about 30 metres tall,
24:12but in pots, they'll grow much slower.
24:14Now, this one is the cabbage tree palm,
24:17Livistona australis.
24:18It's found in rainforests from Queensland, New South Wales and into Victoria.
24:22It has slender, strappy, glossy leaves and leaf shafts that have sharp spines.
24:28So they're great to look at, but please be careful when repotting and pruning.
24:33Now, they love filtered light, but they will struggle with temperatures lower than 10 degrees.
24:38A great contrast to the foliage of the cabbage tree palm is the fan palm.
24:43Now, it's from tropical north Queensland.
24:45It's got these large, pleated, circular leaves.
24:48Now, it's slow growing, does best with warmth, shelter, part to full shade, high humidity,
24:54tolerate cold, but they're not frost hardy.
25:00The palms are going into these rustic metal bins.
25:05Now, this one, this is a native gardenia, and it's a relative of the exotic gardenia.
25:10It gets clusters of white flowers with a beautiful scent, just like exotic gardenias.
25:16It also has edible fruit.
25:18Now, it's found in coastal forests from far north Queensland down through to Mackay.
25:22They do prefer a warm, tropical environment.
25:25However, they are tolerant of a warm, temperate location, as long as it's in a sheltered position.
25:31It is definitely an underrated plant.
25:33It doesn't get too big, it's great in a small garden, and of course, perfect for a container.
25:39Now, it might take you a bit to track them down, but it's well worth the effort.
25:43Now, it's in this 200ml pot, so I'm going to go slightly larger, up to 300ml,
25:48where it'll be happy for many years to come.
25:51Now, for rainforest species like this native gardenia and the palms,
25:55I've made up a mix that loosely recreates rainforest topsoil.
25:59Now, it's rich in nutrients, retains some moisture, but it also well draining,
26:04so it allows the water to actually pass through.
26:07Now, the mix is made up of three parts premium potting mix,
26:11two parts coarse-grade perlite that's been dampened down,
26:15then I've got one part koi fibre that's been pre-soaked,
26:19one part chunky orchid bark,
26:22and for added nutrient, a couple of scoops of cow manure.
26:26What a mix.
26:32Rain forests are full of fantastic ferns,
26:35and this one is the kangaroo fern.
26:38Now, I've potted it up, and it's a fern that grows in the ground
26:41with rhizomes as it matures that actually come out of the ground,
26:46run along surfaces, finding their way into cracks and crevices of rocks and trees.
26:50Now, I'm thinking that the rhizomes of this fella might enjoy crawling around this pot
26:55and finding their way into some of the cracks and crevices of these amazing barnacles.
27:00In optimum conditions, they do love to be damp,
27:03but it is a tough fern that tolerates periods of dryness.
27:06It'll grow in dry shade under trees, in pots or hanging baskets,
27:10and when it's juvenile, the leaves are strappy,
27:13but as it matures, it gets the distinct irregular lobe-shaped leaves,
27:18and they get a kangaroo paw-like shape,
27:20which, of course, gives it its name.
27:22It's a great fern.
27:27Many plants in the rainforest have adapted to moist conditions
27:30but not growing in the ground at all.
27:32Now, the epiphytes and lithophytes,
27:34they use their roots to climb all over trees and rocks.
27:37They get all the sustenance they need from the air, leaf litter,
27:40and other organic matter.
27:44Hoyer Australis is a native epiphytic vine.
27:47Now, what we've got here are hoyers in a really well-drained mix,
27:51and you can't get more free-draining than 50% rough orchid bark
27:56and 50% perlite.
27:58And hoyers, they do prefer a small pot.
28:01Anything from a 100ml to a 200ml pot is perfect.
28:04And they will flower better in slightly cramped conditions.
28:09Another epiphyte is the native rhododendron.
28:11It's closely related to the rhododendrons from cooler climates in the Himalayas,
28:16but its home is the mountains of tropical North Queensland.
28:19It will also grow in more temperate climates.
28:23Now, it likes a moist, shaded, sheltered position.
28:26It doesn't like frost and it will get to the size of a small shrub.
28:30The star attraction of this beauty are the deep red bell-shaped flowers in summer.
28:38I'm repotting into a pot only slightly larger than the current one.
28:42I'm partially filling the new pot with the new mix.
28:45I'm gently taking the rhododendron out of the old pot
28:49and I'm placing it into the new pot, adding more of the mix
28:52and gently patting it down.
28:55Now, I'll water it thoroughly, but I will let it drain out completely.
29:02This is the pink rock orchid.
29:04And it also loves free-draining mix.
29:07Now, they get magnificent sprays of pink flowers
29:10in late winter, early spring.
29:12And they have these pseudo bulbs,
29:14which is basically a fattened base that allows for food storage
29:18and enables survival in really tough conditions.
29:20You can grow them in pots
29:22or attach them to trees and logs, things like that.
29:25But because it is a rock orchid, I'm going to attach it to a rock.
29:32So carefully remove it from the pot.
29:35Try and remove a little bit of the bark from around the roots really carefully
29:39because they are quite sensitive.
29:41I'll place a bit of this free-draining mix on top of the rock
29:44just to give it something to sit on.
29:46Once it's in place, wrap it with a bit of koi fibre.
29:50That'll hold a bit of moisture in while it takes.
29:53Hold it nice and tight.
29:55Tie it off.
29:57In a few months' time, if it hasn't naturally broken down,
30:00remove the string.
30:01Hopefully the roots have taken hold.
30:04And now we'll give it a good watering in.
30:10Now I finally get to mulch up my rainforest.
30:12A bit of chopped up palm frond and some leaf debris from the garden.
30:18As for ongoing care, choose a wind-protected position in dappled sunlight or shade.
30:24Water your rainforest more so in summer than winter.
30:27And if you're unsure, water when the mix feels dry to the touch.
30:30Feed it every season with a gentle, organic liquid fertiliser.
30:34Now a regular tip prune will keep plants compact.
30:37They won't need repotting for at least three to five years.
30:42Time to take a moment and enjoy the sensations of the rainforest.
30:47Still to come on Gardening Australia,
30:49we find out about a fruit with a fanatical fan base.
30:55We meet someone who can see the forest for the trees.
31:00And all the jobs to get your place sorted this weekend.
31:16Earlier in the program, I gave you a tour of my new patch
31:20in the Mid-Murray region of South Australia.
31:23And now I'm visiting a nearby bush reserve,
31:26which is a great example of rewilding.
31:28I'm here to get inspiration on what local native plants will grow and thrive
31:33in this typically dry, windy environment.
31:38This is the Meldanda Reserve near Cambrai,
31:41about 80 kilometres north-east of Adelaide.
31:44It's a great place for people to connect with local plants
31:48and appreciate the beauty the desert landscapes can offer.
31:52The Mid-Murray Landcare Group started work rewilding
31:56this 40 hectare property just over a decade ago.
31:59There was a remnant river red gum woodland surrounded by dusty farmland.
32:04And now it's transformed to local native bush, drawing in the birds, bats and insects.
32:12Amy Linky is the project manager of Meldanda.
32:16She's a font of wisdom about the local native plants and wildlife.
32:21Amy, this is such a hot place and it's so windy, yet you've managed to transform what was a bear
32:27paddock into this.
32:28It's taken many years to do so, but it's amazing alluvial soil here.
32:34And we've planted local native plants that are acclimatised to this area.
32:39And you're also prepared to water them for the first couple of years to get them established, aren't you?
32:43Yes, watering we have been doing with irrigation, but it's a bit tricky because we're all on bore water here.
32:48So for hundreds of kilometres in all directions around us, there's been extensive farming and cropping.
32:54What can landholders do, whether they're a farmer or a lifestyle landholder, to make a difference to the environment?
33:01They can revegetate along a fence line or do a block of revege so it doesn't impact so much on
33:07their cropping or farming enterprise.
33:09If they're a lifestyle landholder, they could revege as well, but also protect stuff that's naturally coming up.
33:16But even just that small bit will bring in great benefits to their crop and farming property.
33:24If you have a diversity of plants, you're going to get a great diversity of insects and birds and reptiles
33:29that will help to manage some of the pests that come into these monocultures.
33:33So let's go explore and see some of the amazing plants.
33:50What's this gorgeous haecchia?
33:52Haecchia leucoptera.
33:53I love the wooden seed pods on this.
33:55Isn't it amazing?
33:56And look at that fabulous silver foliage and spiky.
33:59Excellent bird habitat.
34:01Wow.
34:03And what about this melaleuca?
34:04Yeah, melaleuca lanceolata, dryland tea tree.
34:08Insects love it.
34:11This is another plant I love, the native apricot.
34:15Oh, look at the fruit.
34:17But they're not edible, are they?
34:18No.
34:19Amazing.
34:19These make a great small tree for a backyard in the right climate, wouldn't they?
34:24They'd be great.
34:25Very slow growing.
34:27Okay.
34:27But worth it.
34:28They're gorgeous.
34:28And they do sucker.
34:30And good habitat?
34:31Great habitat.
34:32I've got one at home that's got a babbler that's nested in it.
34:35Gorgeous.
34:48This is a hardy climbing plant, biladera.
34:51It has those pretty little pendant bells that are pale blue or lavender.
34:55It does.
34:56And it has fruit on it too, which is a bush tocker.
34:59That's right.
34:59They call it sweet apple berry.
35:01They're usually eaten fresh, aren't they?
35:03Mmm.
35:03Do you want to try one?
35:04Yeah.
35:05They're meant to have an aniseed flavour.
35:12Maybe better fresh.
35:16Well, I've been having lots of chats with Amy in recent weeks.
35:20And I've ordered 3,000 tube stock through the Landcare group.
35:24And today, I'm excited to be picking up the first mixed trays in my order.
35:29They're all local native plants grown here in the nearby Landcare nursery.
35:34Amy, these plants look amazing.
35:36What have we got here?
35:38We've got a whole mixture of native grasses, ground covers, shrubs and trees.
35:44And they're all local species?
35:46They are.
35:47They're all local native plants that will suit your place.
35:49Okay.
35:50Well, let's get some of these little babies home to my new patch.
35:58Look at that.
35:59Nice one.
36:04I can't wait to start on my rewilding project.
36:08And today, I'm going to plant my inaugural local native plants.
36:16And for my first plant, I'm going to plant Acacia acinaceae, or the gold dust wattle.
36:21It's really pretty when it flowers in springtime with balls of golden yellow flowers.
36:26And it's super tough for these really harsh conditions.
36:40A decent water just to help it on its way.
36:43And a tree guard to protect it from rabbits, roos and the wind.
36:53There you go.
36:54One down and thousands to go.
36:58There's no doubt it's going to be a Herculean effort, but I reckon I'm up for it.
37:03And I'll catch up with you all again soon to show you that with challenge comes big reward
37:09for plants, animals, soil and people.
37:13And hopefully this will inspire you to make a deeper connection with the land around us.
37:31You may remember our next guest from previous Gardening Australia episodes.
37:36Are you a rebel too, Kosta?
37:39It's been so fruitful.
37:39Today, the fruit nerd Tan Truong kicks off a few weeks of stories on fascinating fruits.
37:47First up, a fruit like no other.
37:50And he's also got the scoop on how to grow them.
37:58I'm in Acacia Ridge, a southern suburb of Brisbane,
38:01where I'm going to visit the home garden of an old friend of mine
38:03who's become an expert grower of a fruit that's foreign to most Australians.
38:09The Pajoa.
38:11Good morning. How are you, mate?
38:13Good to see you, mate.
38:14Pleasure to have you here.
38:15Come on down to Pajoa Town.
38:17Let's go.
38:18Over 20 years ago, Rohan Bignall was working in international trade, importing goods for sale in Australia,
38:25when a chance encounter with a small fruit changed his life.
38:30New varieties that they have that are early bearing.
38:33I was working as a fresh produce trader in the Brisbane markets,
38:38and we had an opportunity to bring some passion fruit in from New Zealand because the market was short.
38:43Literally, they said they didn't have enough passion fruit to put the order together and said,
38:48would you like to try some Vagellas?
38:49I had heard of this fruit from my Kiwi housemates at the time and they raved about it.
38:56They couldn't get it here.
38:57So I said, why not?
38:58Let's give it a crack.
38:59The fruit arrived.
39:01It looked fantastic.
39:02The next thing I knew, I had 30 Kiwis at the warehouse doorstep, ready to knock me over for it.
39:08I've never seen a love for a fruit quite like this.
39:10So it's clear that the New Zealanders love Fejoas, which they call Fejoas?
39:16Yes, you've got it right.
39:17Perfect.
39:18Rohan now runs a business getting Fejoas into the eager hands of Australians and homesick Kiwi expats.
39:24And while his commercial orchard with close to 1,000 trees is near Ballandine on Queensland's southern downs,
39:30he simply can't live without Fejoas closer to home.
39:34And his garden boasts 20 mature fruiting Fejoa trees.
39:38I literally cleared my backyard to start my own micro orchard.
39:43As soon as I saw the interest from the Kiwis, I knew I was onto something.
39:47Do the kids love Fejoas as much as you do?
39:50Fortunately, they do.
39:52Mmm, juicy one.
39:53Want some more?
39:55Mmm, skin and all.
39:58You're a purist.
40:00A member of the Murdiaceae family, Fejoa Selewiana is an evergreen flowering, woody small tree,
40:07or large shrub.
40:08It's native to South America.
40:10And in Australia, it's commonly grown as a showy, resilient ornamental plant.
40:16OK, so I've got...
40:17Wow.
40:18This is what we usually get in size land of Fejoas.
40:22But then we have some really big ones here, which is now becoming the norm.
40:27Wow, these are huge.
40:28So for somebody who's never tried Fejoa before, can you describe to me what it tastes like?
40:32Well, it's a very unique fruit.
40:35It's something like the taste of sarsaparilla and cough medicine, but in a good way.
40:42There is a jelly centre, which is something really unique.
40:46And then you have like a pear gritty outer texture, followed by a skin that can be a little bit
40:53bitter, but I'm sure it's healthy for you.
40:56Tiffy Joeas.
40:57Tufa Joeas.
41:01Pretty different, hey?
41:02So good.
41:03It's got that jelly inside, the grainy flesh, the bitter skins, but also that sourness and sweetness and the perfume.
41:10It's amazing.
41:11The best enjoyed ultra-ripe when they can be cut in half and their sherbet flavoured innards spooned out.
41:18The great thing is you can eat it with the skin on and you get all that textures and flavours
41:23at the same time.
41:25And so when is the season here in Australia?
41:27We're seeing Fejoas start as early as late February and continue on until about June.
41:33Things that stop Fejoas is the frost, unfortunately.
41:37Across his 20 home trees, Rohan has five cultivars of Fejoa to choose from.
41:43All the trees look very similar out there. What sets them apart?
41:47Well, it's the varieties that set them apart mainly.
41:49We have something called a mammoth variety, which is a bit of a later season fruit.
41:54It's a bit more elongated, very sweet and smooth skin.
41:59We then have something called a white goose.
42:02It can get quite large, it's early bearing, it has great flavour.
42:07A near apricot flesh colour.
42:10We have the Nazemite, which is quite a elongated long variety.
42:15There's not much jelly in there, but the shelf life is very impressive
42:20and I think it's the best for cooking.
42:23Apollo is a rounder, smooth skin, large variety, late season bearer.
42:30Pretty damn good in the taste department as well.
42:33And then we have the Duffy.
42:35So this is actually one of the only Australian varieties around.
42:39This was grown by a gentleman called Jack Duffy in Victoria.
42:44And to me, he's a true pioneer of Fajoas in Australia.
42:49It's got quite a bumpy skin, but it has some of the best jelly centres out there in Fajoaland.
42:56But the good times don't stop here, as other parts of the plant are also useful.
43:02The leaves are used in herbal tea.
43:04You can use the foliage in flower arrangements.
43:07The flower petals are extremely delicious.
43:12I've also seen my chickens eating the bark, which is very unusual.
43:16But they're super healthy and I'm going to say it's because of that that they're looking so good.
43:22A resilient, adaptable and compact tree, Fajoas are ideal for the home garden.
43:28One of the best things about it is the fruit drops to the ground when it's ready to harvest.
43:33Really? Because when fruit drops off the tree, most of the time it's considered overripe, isn't it?
43:39That's correct. But when the Fajoa drops off the tree, it's at its maximum flavour potential.
43:45You need to pick it up, though, straight away.
43:48Otherwise it'll get sunburned and the quality will deteriorate very fast.
43:52So that's a lot of picking on the ground every day.
43:54At least twice a day, if you really want the best flavours.
43:57So how do you take care of Fajoa trees?
43:59Look, they're an easy backyard tree.
44:01They love a hard prune.
44:04We trim ours to about head height, trimming about once or twice a year, depending on how much they grow.
44:11They do love multiple growing regions from cool to subtropical.
44:18They can grow in subtropical areas, but you still need to have 100 hours below 7 degrees to get fruit.
44:25All you need to do is really just keep the water up, especially when they're flowering all the way to
44:30fruiting.
44:31Are they prone to any particular pests?
44:33They certainly are. So the big one is Queensland fruit fly.
44:36Now fruit fly is a major issue for our industry. How can a gardener tell if a fruit is infected?
44:42Pretty easy. You'll see fruit drop early from the tree if it is infested.
44:47You can also look at the fruit and you'll see a little tiny black pinprick.
44:51And once you cut that open, you'll definitely see that the larvae has started to eat through the flesh.
44:57In my opinion, chucking a net over the top is the best way to keep it away.
45:02How about if you can't reach, can you use bags?
45:04You can use bags. They are just a bit more labour intensive.
45:09But hey, anything to stop that fruit fly is going to be a winner.
45:12And Rohan has an explanation for growers who have a Fejoa tree but aren't getting much fruit.
45:19Fejoas are really difficult to pollinate because the flower structure is a bit unusual.
45:26The best thing for you to do is to get a big paintbrush and go around from flower to flower
45:30spreading that pollen.
45:31And I guarantee you, you'll get fruit.
45:35Quirky, delicious and easy to grow at home, it's plain to see why our friends across the ditch have taken
45:41the Fejoa into their hearts.
45:43And Rohan's backyard shows us the tasty rewards of growing this underappreciated fruit in our own gardens.
45:58Plants hold the answers to so many issues we face today.
46:03And I love the way that expert researchers apply them to big problems.
46:09Our next story is with an ecologist who's trying to transform Perth's urban environments now and into the future.
46:30Perth has the lowest canopy cover of any capital in Australia, so we're sitting at 16%, which is incredibly low.
46:37And because we have such low canopy cover, we're now experiencing issues such as the urban heat island effect.
46:43We're having developers creating blocks that are 300 metres squared, and there are no room for trees.
46:49So we're finding people with no garden, no capacity to plant a tree, and often streetscapes that are treeless as
46:55well.
46:56So having a really big house on a really small block, that's the problem.
47:02We have the unfortunate distinction of being the longest city anywhere in the world.
47:07We've got a city that stretches over 150 kilometres long, and that's come at the expense of our endangered banksia
47:13woodland.
47:17I'm Dr. Grey Copeland. I'm a restoration ecologist from Murdoch University, and I'm all about urban greening, bringing wildlife back
47:24into our cities, and reconnecting people with nature.
47:32What I use for my restoration work is something called the Miyawaki method.
47:35And this is where you can plant very small pockets of a forest, and the benefits of this is that
47:41you can plant them pretty much anywhere where you've got a vacant bit of land.
47:44It can be as small as a parking lot, or it can be hectares wide.
47:47You know, whatever space you've got available, you can put a forest.
47:50And the benefits of these forests is they grow super fast.
47:54The methodology has three important distinctions.
47:57It's soil remediation, planting at high density, and very importantly, locally native species that are perfectly adapted to where you're
48:04putting them.
48:04So those three combinations of factors create a situation where the plants grow very rapidly, they create habitat quickly, and
48:12they provide all the benefits associated with forests at a really rapid rate.
48:20What you're doing is planting three to five plants per metre squared. Traditional methods use one to one and a
48:26half plants per metre squared.
48:28You may get a canopy cover and a mature forest after 100 to 200 years. With the Miyawaki method, you're
48:34speeding that up. You're actually creating a situation where you can get a fully functional forest in 10 to 20
48:41years.
48:42Basically, instead of the plants growing outwards, they grow upwards. And that's why these forests can, you know, burst with
48:48life and be so impressive within a short space of time.
48:52I created something called the Miyawaki Forest Programme. It's got a dedicated science thing where I'm looking at adapting the
48:58method to suit Australia's pretty crazy, strange plant species and our interesting environment.
49:04And the other side of the programme is the outreach programme, where I take these forests into schools and into
49:08the community.
49:09Now, you're standing on where your forest is going to be, OK?
49:12Get them involved in the whole forest-making process. And after they've planted their forest, they monitor their forest with
49:18me or one of my team every month to record how well their forest is growing and become citizen scientists
49:24monitoring their own forest.
49:27The Miyawaki method was developed by the extraordinary Japanese botanist Professor Akira Miyawaki. Back in the 1970s, he was very
49:35much aware of the loss of native vegetation across Japan and the introduction of non-native species.
49:41But what he noticed was that around all the temples and shrines that are scattered all across Japan were these
49:47remnant patches of forest, the Shinjin no Mori, which are the sacred forests.
49:51And these forests around the temples and shrines were indicative of what had been across Japan for thousands and thousands
49:57of years.
49:58So his thought was, how can we replicate these small patches of forest to create new forests? And that's how
50:06he came up with the Miyawaki method.
50:10What I'm planting in the banksia woodlands looks very different to what you'd be planting in Japan or Europe.
50:17A lot of forest makers around the world put things like cow manure and sheep manure and chicken manure, all
50:24those sort of very rich materials into the soil for remediation purposes.
50:28Of course, I can't do that in Western Australia. The protease here will just curl up their toes and die
50:33at the slightest hint of phosphorus.
50:36So I've had to adapt the methodology and the soil remediation process as part of that.
50:42I use primarily compost in terms to reinvigorate the soil and provide nutrients, but I don't put a huge amount
50:49of compost in.
50:50Something that I do put a lot of in is coconut coir because we need to retain the moisture in
50:55the soil because we're planting in sand.
50:57Okay, so putting coconut coir into the soil helps to keep the water in the soil and a small amount
51:03of nutrients to give the plants a kickstart, but not enough to make the banksia turn up their toes.
51:12I work very closely with the Department of Education, the Statewide Services team. So Colleen is an amazing person. She
51:19provides lots of Noongar knowledge. She's a Noongar consultant and provides language information.
51:24And what's the Noongar name for this one?
51:26This one is called the Jackal Ja.
51:28And then I also work with the Bush Classroom Initiative, which is all about planting locally native species into schools
51:34to help reinvigorate and revitalise school grounds.
51:38The Statewide Services forest is almost three years old, so it's growing extremely well.
51:44When we chose that site, it was just a grassed area. We peeled the grass off ready for planting and
51:49discovered that it was actually a dumping ground for builders rubble.
51:52So there was wire, there was glass, there was bricks. We had to spend a few days picking all that
51:56stuff out.
51:57Then we planted in the middle of a torrential downpour and the people from Statewide Services were incredible. They still
52:02came out in the downpour and planted their forest.
52:04And now it's an incredible haven for wildlife. They've put bee hotels in there. They've put lizard warming platforms.
52:12And it's just bursting with life. And it looks just beautiful now.
52:20So as part of the process of creating a forest, I always put a control group outside the forest.
52:25So inside the forest, they get all the Miyawaki goodness. And then outside the forest, they just get basically what
52:31you do with traditional planting, wide spacing and no soil remediation.
52:34So this is planted exactly the same time as the plants inside the forest. And you can see there's a
52:40remarkable difference in terms of the height of the plant.
52:42This is quite small and compact. And this is the same species inside the forest. So Caesia cochlearis.
52:48And you can see how wide it is, how tall it is. So testament to how well the methodology works.
52:57During the last five years as part of the program, we've planted 15 forests and there are another six going
53:03in this winter.
53:05Kids nowadays have a lot of weight on them. You know, everyone's saying they're the next generation who's got to
53:10fix the environmental crisis, the climate crisis.
53:13That's a lot of pressure to put on kids because they didn't create the problems.
53:16You know, it's the older generations who did that. We don't want to land them with a whole bunch of
53:20problems.
53:21We need to provide solutions now that will help them in the future.
53:25We don't want them to inherit the mess that we've left. You know, let's lead the world in a better
53:29place.
53:40It's time to grab a shovel and start digging. Our jobs for the weekend are here.
53:50In cool temperate gardens, it's time to dig up and divide rhubarb crowns.
53:55Strip off the old leaves and stems, dig up the crown and divide with a sharp spade.
54:00Replant crowns about a metre apart.
54:03Sharpen secateurs, it's time to prune pretty perennials.
54:07Cut penstemons back by two thirds to give a flush of late autumn flowers.
54:12And remove the ratty flower stems of campanulas.
54:16Busting for brassicas? Get them started in seed trays, either indoors or in a greenhouse.
54:22Think broccoli, cauliflower, kale and cabbage.
54:25They'll be ready to plant out in the patch in a month.
54:29Sedums are a staple in warm temperate gardens.
54:32But it's time to give them some love.
54:34Prune them to the ground now that they've flowered.
54:36It might seem tough, but they'll thank you for it.
54:39It's time to build a trellis and get sweet pea seeds into the ground.
54:44These old-fashioned fragrant favourites will grow through winter and flower in spring.
54:49Pumpkin vines are dying off and pumpkins are ready to be harvested as the stems dry.
54:55It's a good idea to leave part of the stem attached as it helps them store for longer and prevent
55:01rot.
55:02Subtropical gardeners, as you clear spent summer veggies from your beds,
55:07it's the perfect time to pop in a green manure of mustard greens and barley
55:11to improve soils and break pest cycles.
55:14Lift, divide and replant comfrey just before a cool wet spell.
55:20Warm soil and cool air means the plants will settle in gently.
55:25Excess foliage can help speed up your compost over autumn.
55:30Putting on a show now is the bleeding heart vine.
55:33The eye-catching white and crimson flowers hang in clusters on this tough twiner,
55:38which can be grown inside or out.
55:41If you like pesto the best-o, get sweet basil into the garden.
55:46A winner in warmer climates, sweet basil is tops in pots.
55:51Blend some pelletised manure with potting mix and plant up.
55:55Elegant strappy and tough as old boots, the swamp lily is a must-have.
56:01A native bulb, the two-metre-long strappy leaves
56:03and spidery summer flowers are unbeatable.
56:07Full of flavour and not frightened of humidity,
56:10suyo long is a cracking cucumber variety.
56:14The skin's deeply ridged and dark green, the vine vigorous
56:17and the fruit sweet and mild.
56:20In arid zones, chuck in a choco.
56:23It may be humble, but it's at home in the heat.
56:26Give it support and shelter from strong winds
56:28and it'll produce fruit in no time, which are great raw or cooked.
56:33If you've been irrigating with greywater over summer,
56:36give your lawn and garden a bit of a break over autumn and winter.
56:40Flush with fresh water to allow soil and beneficial microbes to recover.
56:46Eremophla biserrata is a wonderful West Australian native
56:49and an awesome arid lawn alternative,
56:52forming dense mats of soft, green, almost succulent foliage
56:56with dainty red flowers.
56:59Get amongst it this weekend, everyone.
57:02Let us know what you're up to in the garden
57:04and head to our Facebook page.
57:12Well, we're done and dusted for another week,
57:15but it doesn't mean the party's over.
57:18There's plenty more coming your way next time.
57:21Take a look.
57:24Sandy soil in a coastal location is always going to be a challenge.
57:28I'm meeting an experienced gardener
57:31who teamed up with a landscape designer to tackle a tricky site.
57:35I'm getting all the tips for growing good-looking ornamental ginger
57:39at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney.
57:42And I'm meeting an inspiring couple
57:44who have transformed what was a concrete car park
57:47into a thriving native garden.
57:50The transformation process was quite dramatic.
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