- 13 minutes ago
Gardening Australia - Season 37 - Episode 05
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00:05Hey!
00:06Hi!
00:11Whoa!
00:17Hey!
00:20Hey, buddy.
00:22Hey!
00:23Hey!
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 in the New South Wales Southern Highlands,
00:53brought back to life by one of my pop music heroes and their partner.
00:58It makes me feel like dancing.
01:01I've converted my goat yard into a temporary, productive veggie garden
01:05while my goats are on holiday.
01:07A little rainforest garden is just a thing when you need to relax.
01:11And I'm getting creative with a few ideas on how to grow your own.
01:15And we'd like to welcome our newest guest presenter to 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 to 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 is 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,
03:02grain growing,
03:04and its 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.
03:38And the night skies here make for incredible stargazing.
03:46In the light of day,
03:47it's pretty obvious that it's a far cry from my old patch in the Adelaide Hills.
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,
04:06which means it gets less than 350 millimetres of rain a year.
04:12Getting 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.
04:25I've got big plans to rewild this area either side of the drive
04:29by putting in thousands of local native plants to help restore the ecosystem health
04:34and 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, we're growing a garden around the house with natives and climate-compatible exotics
04:56has been top of my list.
04:58OK, Pearl, come on.
05:01I've planted some lawn out the front to try and keep the dust down,
05:05and also some deciduous tree varieties that I saw growing locally in the area.
05:10They're crape myrtles and jacarandas, and I'm hoping that down the track,
05:14combined with a lawn, they'll create a cooler microclimate out here.
05:18I've also planted lots of Mediterranean climate plants,
05:21like 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.
05:39On 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,
05:51but 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,
06:04with gusts of up to 70 kilometres an hour being common.
06:09So I've put in this windbreak fence made of old corrugated iron.
06:14Another 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.
06:27Hardly 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,
06:39the 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.
07:55They 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,
08:11from woodland to open areas.
08:13And hopefully, that'll bring back the birds, insects and bats.
08:18So 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 a bit of fresh.
08:43What's a 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? Well, 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.
09:53I'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.
10:07A 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.
10:19The 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, the New South Wales Southern Highlands doesn't just
11:01mimic 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.
11:23The Southern Highlands are about 90 minutes' drive southwest of Sydney, a little more than 50 kilometres from the east
11:30coast.
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.
11:52Oh!
11:52Hey, Costa!
11:54Welcome!
11:56Costa!
11:57How are you?
11:58Look at your garden!
11:59Welcome to our humble abode!
12:01What a...
12:02How are you, mate?
12:03Good to see you.
12:05What a pleasure.
12:06It's not every day you get...
12:08Costa'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, welcome.
12:26Oh, gee.
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.
13:00Um, but 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.
13:18It'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 and 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, each hosting a striking collection of superb cool climate stars.
14:14Irises, lavender, black sambutius, gladiole, aquilegias and roses.
14:23Roses everywhere.
14:29So what do you think?
14:32Allow me to catch my breath.
14:34It's so still.
14:36I 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.
14:56I love walking down here.
14:57I've got a problem in my head.
14:59This solves it.
15:00So you've got a connection to gardens and roses?
15:05Yes.
15:06I used to be a graphic designer before I was a singer back in England.
15:09This is going back to the end of the sixties.
15:11And I knew David Austin when he was starting off and I used to design labels for him.
15:16I'm kidding.
15:17A lot of these are David Austin roses as well.
15:20Isn't that extraordinary?
15:21That is so rare.
15:23It is rare.
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.
15:34And you know the Highlands gives us so much richness of nature and so much.
15:39The insects, the bees, the butterflies.
15:43Fabulous here.
15:43And then looking back.
15:45Yeah.
15:46And we've come down the hill a bit.
15:47So there's that beautiful movement and the level change.
15:51Yeah.
15:51And now just glimpses of the house and then the canopy coming open.
15:55There'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.
16:03Yeah.
16:04Donna'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, surrounded by some of Italy's most artistic gardens.
16:24Donatella.
16:26Donatella.
16:26Donatella.
16:26Donatella.
16:28Look at that.
16:29It's so lovely to meet you too.
16:31Yay.
16:32Your garden.
16:33Oh.
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?
16:49When did you start on it?
16:51In fact, that's the way I got through COVID without 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 is really just a few years old.
17:11It feels so complex and established in a vintage style, and that can take decades to accomplish.
17:19There's some formality with the hedges.
17:22Oh yes.
17:23And the pots and the path, but there's also this beautiful splash of colour here and a bunch
17:31of roses there and a citrus tree here and an arbor.
17:35Like, where does that creativity come from?
17:38Well, that's very much spontaneous.
17:42It's like going in the moment, right?
17:45You just see something, you love something, you go, where would this plant be happy?
17:52It wasn't about, oh, I want that colour there or whatever.
17:58It's beauty.
17:59I love beauty.
18:01I 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, but I see a big similarity between the music and the garden.
18:17Yeah.
18:18Yeah.
18:20Yeah.
18:20Colours, textures, similar in some ways.
18:25Poetry.
18:25I don't paint, but if I can express myself through this, it's such a blessing, yeah?
18:34I mean, I'm not saying I'm totally satisfied, but never mind you.
18:43When they finished the garden in 2023, Leo and Donatella were married here.
18:49They have been together for 40 years.
18:53In fact, we kind of say I was very lucky to be here, you know.
18:57We're grateful, 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, to have so much nature around, you know, everything
19:11kind of starts and stops here.
19:13This is home.
19:16Got to tell you, there's a lot of love right here in 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 and eat all the green waste.
19:46Because they do take so much time to look after and milk, I organised a goat share a while
19:51back, which involves three different households taking care of them daily.
19:55They stayed here permanently and we had an online calendar where we could rotate who's
20:00doing what on which day.
20:01It worked brilliantly.
20:03However, after a while, things had to change because I got a major elbow injury, which
20:09meant I couldn't even milk the goats.
20:11I was devastated.
20:12And so our beautiful goats have gone for a goat holiday and I'm hoping they'll be back
20:16in the coming months.
20:21So in the meantime, I've decided to take advantage of the fertile deep litter they've left behind
20:27in their goat yard and turned it into a productive garden.
20:31Because I can't help myself but turn any available land into more garden, I've fenced off some of
20:36this goat yard and I've made a pumping veggie and flower 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, I've put in piles of fresh
20:52wood chips or other carbon materials like straw.
20:56And over months as it rains and the animals drop the manure and I might drop in any other
21:01kind of green waste from the garden, it breaks down and eventually turns into something like this.
21:07Now to turn it into an actual veggie garden, I did come in with a layer of mature compost,
21:12spread it on top, fork 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, including 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, making sure you keep the pumpkins
21:42around the edge of the garden so you can control where they sprawl,
21:46because there is a risk 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, they've got something to climb on with the corn
21:59and 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 of plants working in harmony.
22:12They're not competing for space or nutrients above or below ground, they're just helping each other thrive.
22:19For a major dose of colour, I've added in lots of sunflowers, which will bloom in the next month or
22:24so.
22:25And then down below, I've got lots of my surplus veggie seedlings like 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, which 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 is that it gives us a chance to grow a little slice of
23:08nature in our own backyards.
23:11Clarence is here to show you how you can set up a mini rainforest at your place in pots.
23:24If you've been lucky enough to walk through a rainforest, you'll know that special feeling.
23:29The sweet, cool air, the layered feel of the greenery.
23:33They're peaceful places where you can draw a breath, pause 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, but in pots, they'll grow much slower.
24:14Now, this one is the Cabbage Tree Palm, Livistona 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.
24:39A great contrast to the foliage of the Cabbage Tree Palm is the Fan Palm.
24:43Now, it's from tropical north Queensland.
24:46It's got these large, pleated, circular leaves.
24:48Now, it's slow-growing, does best with warmth, shelter, part to full shade, high humidity,
24:55tolerate 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,
25:28as long as it's in a sheltered position.
25:31It is definitely an underrated plant.
25:34It doesn't get too big.
25:35It's great in a small garden.
25:36And, 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,
26:02but it's also well draining, so 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 coir 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,
26:45run-along surfaces finding their way into cracks and crevices
26:49of rocks and trees.
26:50Now, I'm thinking that the rhizomes of this fella
26:53might enjoy crawling around this pot
26:55and finding their way into some of the cracks and crevices
26:58of 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
27:39from the air, leaf litter and 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
27:53than 50% rough orchid bark and 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.
28:08Another epiphyte is the native rhododendron.
28:11It's closely related to the rhododendrons
28:14from cooler climates in the Himalayas,
28:16but its home is the mountains of tropical North Queensland.
28:20It will also grow in more temperate climates.
28:23Now, it likes a moist, shaded, sheltered position.
28:26It doesn't like frost,
28:28and it will get to the size of a small shrub.
28:30The star attraction of this beauty
28:32are the deep red bell-shaped flowers in summer.
28:38I'm repotting into a pot only slightly larger than the current one.
28:43I'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,
28:51adding more of the mix and gently patting it down.
28:55Now, I'll water it thoroughly,
28:56but 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
29:16that allows for food storage
29:18and enables survival in really tough conditions.
29:21You can grow them in pots
29:22or attach them to trees and logs, things like that,
29:25but because it is a rock orchid,
29:27I'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
29:37from around the roots really carefully
29:39because they are quite sensitive.
29:41I'll place a bit of this free-draining mix
29:43on top of the rock just to give it something to sit on.
29:46Once it's in place,
29:48wrap it with a bit of koi fibre
29:50that will 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,
29:58if it hasn't naturally broken down,
30:00remove the string.
30:02Hopefully 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
30:14and some leaf debris from the garden.
30:18As for ongoing care,
30:20choose a wind-protected position in dappled sunlight or shade.
30:24Water your rainforest more so in summer than winter.
30:26And if you're unsure,
30:28water 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
31:33and thrive in 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
32:02surrounded by dusty farmland.
32:04And now it's transformed to local native bush,
32:08drawing 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,
32:25yet you've managed to transform what was a bare paddock into this.
32:29It'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
32:42to get them established, aren't you?
32:43Yes, watering we have been doing with irrigation,
32:46but it's a bit tricky because we're all on bore water here.
32:49So for hundreds of kilometres in all directions around us,
32:52there's been extensive farming and cropping.
32:54What can landholders do, whether they're a farmer or a lifestyle landholder,
32:59to make a difference to the environment?
33:01They can revegetate along a fence line or do a block of revege
33:05so it doesn't impact so much on their cropping or farming enterprise.
33:08If they're a lifestyle landholder, they could revege as well,
33:13but also protect stuff that's naturally coming up.
33:16But even just that small bit will bring in great benefits
33:19to their crop and farming property.
33:24If you have a diversity of plants, you're going to get a great diversity
33:27of insects and birds and reptiles that will help to manage some of the pests
33:32that come into these monocultures.
33:33So let's go explore and see some of the amazing plants.
33:50What's this gorgeous haikia?
33:52Haikia 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.
34:00Excellent bird habitat.
34:01Wow.
34:02And what about this Melaleuca?
34:04Yeah, Melaleuca lancelata.
34:07Dryland tea tree.
34:08Insects love it.
34:11This is another plant I love.
34:14The native apricot.
34:15Oh, look at the fruit.
34:17But they're not edible, are they?
34:18No.
34:19Amazing.
34:20These 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 and 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.
34:58That's right.
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.
35:12It may be better fresh.
35:17Well, I've been having lots of chats with Amy in recent weeks, and I've ordered 3,000 tube
35:22stock through the Landcare group.
35:24And today, I'm excited to be picking up the first mix trays in my order.
35:29They're all local native plants grown here in the nearby Landcare nursery.
35:35Amy, 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, well, 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.
36:07And 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.
36:59There's no doubt it's going to be a Herculean effort.
37:02But I reckon I'm up for it.
37:04And 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, Custer?
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
38:04who's become an expert grower of a fruit that's foreign to most Australians.
38:09The Fajoa.
38:11Good morning. How are you, mate?
38:14Good to see you, mate.
38:15Pleasure to have you here.
38:16Come on down to Fajoa Town.
38:17Let's go.
38:18Over 20 years ago, Rohan Bignall was working in international trade,
38:23importing goods for sale in Australia,
38:26when 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
38:42because the market was short.
38:44Literally, they said they didn't have enough passion fruit to put the order together
38:47and said, would you like to try some Fajalas?
38:49I had heard of this fruit from my Kiwi housemates at the time,
38:54and 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,
39:06ready to, you know, 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 Fajalas,
39:14which they call Fijalas?
39:16Yes, you've got it right.
39:17Perfect.
39:18Rohan now runs a business getting Fajalas into the eager hands of Australians
39:22and homesick Kiwi expats.
39:24And while his commercial orchard with close to 1,000 trees
39:27is near Ballandine on Queensland's southern downs,
39:30he simply can't live without Fajalas closer to home.
39:34And his garden boasts 20 mature fruiting Fajoa trees.
39:38I literally cleared my backyard to start my own micro orchard.
39:43As soon as I saw the interest from the Kiwis,
39:46I knew I was onto something.
39:47Do the kids love Fajalas 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.
40:01A member of the Murdiaceae family,
40:03Fajoa saluiana is an evergreen flowering,
40:06woody small tree or large shrub.
40:08It's native to South America.
40:10And in Australia,
40:11it'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 Fajalas.
40:22Nice.
40:22But then we have some really big ones here,
40:25which is now becoming the norm.
40:27Wow, these are huge.
40:28So for somebody who's never tried Fajoa before,
40:30can you describe to me what it tastes like?
40:33Well, it's a very unique fruit.
40:35It's something like the taste of sarsaparilla and cough medicine,
40:41but in a good way.
40:42There is a jelly centre,
40:44which is something really unique.
40:46And then you have, like, a pear gritty outer texture,
40:51followed by a skin that can be a little bit bitter,
40:54but I'm sure it's healthy for you.
40:56Tiffy Joas.
40:57Tiffy Joas.
41:01Pretty different, hey?
41:02So good.
41:03It's got that jelly inside, the grainy flesh, the bitter skins,
41:06but also that sourness and sweetness and the perfume.
41:09It's amazing.
41:11They best enjoyed ultra-ripe when they can be cut in half
41:14and their sherbet-flavoured innards spooned out.
41:17The great thing is you can eat it with the skin on
41:21and you get all that textures and flavours at the same time.
41:25And so when is the season here in Australia?
41:28We're seeing Joas start as early as late February
41:30and continue on until about June.
41:33Things that stop Joas is the frost, unfortunately.
41:37Across his 20 home trees,
41:39Rohan has five cultivars of Joa to choose from.
41:43All the trees look very similar out there.
41:45What sets them apart?
41:47Well, it's the varieties that set them apart mainly.
41:49We have something called a mammoth variety,
41:53which is a bit of a later-season fruit.
41:55It'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,
42:05it has great flavour, a near apricot flesh colour.
42:10We have the Nazimut, which is quite an elongated long variety.
42:15There's not much jelly in there,
42:17but 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,
42:28late-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.
42:45And to me, he's the true pioneer of Fajoas in Australia.
42:49It's got quite a bumpy skin,
42:51but it has some of the best jelly centres out there in Fajoaland.
42:57But the good times don't stop here,
42:59as 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.
43:08The flower petals are extremely delicious.
43:12I've also seen my chickens eating the bark,
43:15which is very unusual, but they're super healthy
43:18and I'm going to say it's because of that
43:20that they're looking so good.
43:22A resilient, adaptable and compact tree,
43:25Fajoas are ideal for the home garden.
43:29One of the best things about it
43:30is the fruit drops to the ground when it's ready to harvest.
43:33Really? Because when fruit drops off the tree,
43:36most of the time it's considered overripe, isn't it?
43:39That's correct.
43:39But when the Fajoa drops off the tree,
43:42it'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,
44:07trimming about once or twice a year depending on how much they grow.
44:10They do love multiple growing regions from cool to subtropical.
44:18They can grow in subtropical areas,
44:20but you still need to have 100 hours below seven degrees to get fruit.
44:25All you need to do is really just keep the water up,
44:27especially when they're flowering all the way to fruiting.
44:31Are they prone to any particular pests?
44:33They certainly are.
44:34So the big one is Queensland fruit fly.
44:36Now fruit fly is a major issue for our industry.
44:39How can a gardener tell if a fruit is infected?
44:42Pretty easy.
44:43You'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,
44:53you'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.
45:01How about if you can't reach, can you use bags?
45:04You can use bags.
45:06They are just a bit more labour intensive.
45:09But, hey, anything to stop that fruit fly is going to be a winner.
45:13And Rohan has an explanation for growers who have a feijoa tree
45:16but aren't getting much fruit.
45:19Feijoas are really difficult to pollinate
45:22because the flower structure is a bit unusual.
45:26The best thing for you to do is to get a big paintbrush
45:28and go around from flower to flower spreading that pollen.
45:32And I guarantee you, you'll get fruit.
45:35Quirky, delicious and easy to grow at home,
45:38it's plain to see why our friends across the ditch
45:41have taken the feijoa into their hearts.
45:43And Rohan's backyard shows us the tasty rewards
45:46of growing this underappreciated fruit in our own gardens.
45:58Plants hold the answers to so many issues we face today.
46:02And I love the way that expert researchers apply them to big problems.
46:09Our next story is with an ecologist
46:12who's trying to transform Perth's urban environments
46:16now and into the future.
46:30Perth has the lowest canopy cover of any capital in Australia.
46:34So we're sitting at 16%, which is incredibly low.
46:37And because we have such low canopy cover,
46:39we're now experiencing issues such as the urban heat island effect.
46:43We're having developers creating blocks that are 300 metres squared.
46:47And there are no room for trees.
46:49So we're finding people with no garden,
46:51no capacity to plant a tree,
46:53and often streetscapes that are treeless as well.
46:56So having a really big house on a really small block,
47:00that's the problem.
47:02We have the unfortunate distinction
47:04of being the longest city anywhere in the world.
47:07We've got a city that stretches over 150 kilometres long,
47:10and that's come at the expense of our endangered Banksy woodland.
47:17I'm Dr. Grey Copeland.
47:19I'm a restoration ecologist from Murdoch University.
47:21And I'm all about urban greening,
47:24bringing wildlife back into our cities,
47:26and reconnecting people with nature.
47:31What I use for my restoration work
47:34is something called the Miyawaki method.
47:35And this is where you can plant very small pockets of a forest.
47:39And the benefits of this is that you can plant them pretty much anywhere,
47:43where 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,
48:00and very importantly, locally native species
48:02that are perfectly adapted to where you're putting them.
48:04So those three combinations of factors create a situation
48:08where the plants grow very rapidly,
48:10they create habitat quickly,
48:12and they provide all the benefits associated with forests
48:15at a really rapid rate.
48:20What you're doing is planting three to five plants per metre squared.
48:25Traditional methods use one to one-and-half plants per metre squared.
48:28You may get a canopy cover and a mature forest after 100 to 200 years.
48:33With the Miyawaki method, you're speeding that up.
48:36You're actually creating a situation
48:38where you can get a fully functional forest in 10 to 20 years.
48:42Basically, instead of the plants growing outwards,
48:45they grow upwards.
48:46And that's why these forests can, you know,
48:48burst with life and be so impressive within a short space of time.
48:52I created something called the Miyawaki Forest Program.
48:55It's got a dedicated science thing
48:57where I'm looking at adapting the method
48:59to suit Australia's pretty crazy, strange plant species
49:01and our interesting environment.
49:04And the other side of the program is the outreach program
49:06where I take these forests into schools and into the 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.
49:15And after they've planted their forest,
49:17they monitor their forest with me or one of my team every month
49:20to record how well their forest is growing
49:22and become citizen scientists, monitoring their own forest.
49:27The Miyawaki method was developed
49:29by the extraordinary Japanese botanist Professor Akira Miyawaki.
49:33Back in the 1970s, he was very much aware
49:36of the loss of native vegetation across Japan
49:39and the introduction of non-native species.
49:41But what he noticed was that around all the temples and shrines
49:44that are scattered all across Japan
49:46were these remnant patches of forest, the Shinjin no Mori,
49:50which are the sacred forests.
49:51And these forests around the temples and shrines
49:54were indicative of what had been across Japan
49:56for thousands and thousands of years.
49:58So his thought was,
49:59how can we replicate these small patches of forest
50:03to create new forests?
50:05And that's how he came up with the Miyawaki method.
50:10What I'm planting in the banksia woodlands
50:12looks very different to what you'd be planting in Japan or Europe.
50:17A lot of forest makers around the world
50:19put things like cow manure and sheep manure and chicken manure,
50:23all those sort of very rich materials
50:26into the soil for remediation purposes.
50:28Of course, I can't do that in Western Australia.
50:30The proteaceae here will just curl up their toes
50:33and die at the slightest hint of phosphorus.
50:36So I've had to adapt the methodology
50:37and the soil remediation process as part of that.
50:42I use primarily compost in terms to reinvigorate the soil
50:46and provide nutrients,
50:47but I don't put a huge amount of compost in.
50:50Something that I do put a lot of in is coconut coir
50:53because we need to retain the moisture in the soil
50:56because we're planting in sand.
50:58OK, so putting coconut coir into the soil
51:00helps to keep the water in the soil
51:02and a small amount of nutrients to give the plants a kickstart,
51:05but not enough to make the banksia turn up their toes.
51:12I work very closely with the Department of Education,
51:15the statewide services team.
51:17So Colleen is an amazing person.
51:19She provides lots of Noongar knowledge.
51:21She'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 Jack.
51:28And then I also work with the Bush Classroom Initiative,
51:30which is all about planting locally native species into schools
51:34to help reinvigorate and revitalise school grounds.
51:37So what's supposed to be the fork?
51:38The statewide services forest is almost three years old,
51:41so it's growing extremely well.
51:44When we chose that site, it was just a grassed area.
51:47We peeled the grass off ready for planting
51:49and discovered that it was actually a dumping ground
51:51for builder's rubble.
51:52So there was wire, there was glass, there was bricks.
51:54We had to spend a few days picking all that stuff out.
51:57Then we planted in the middle of a torrential downpour
51:59and the people from statewide services were incredible.
52:02They still came out in the downpour and planted their forest.
52:05And now it's an incredible haven for wildlife.
52:08They've put bee hotels in there.
52:10They've put lizard warming platforms.
52:12And it's just bursting with life.
52:14And it looks just beautiful now.
52:20So as part of the process of creating a forest,
52:22I always put a control group outside the forest.
52:25So inside the forest, they get all the Miyawaki goodness.
52:28And then outside the forest,
52:30they just get basically what you do with traditional planting.
52:32Wide spacing and no soil remediation.
52:35So this is planted exactly the same time
52:37as the plants inside the forest.
52:39And you can see there's a remarkable difference
52:40in terms of the height of the plant.
52:42This is quite small and compact.
52:44And this is the same species inside the forest.
52:47So Caesia cochlearis.
52:48And you can see how wide it is, how tall it is.
52:51So testament to how well the methodology works.
52:57During the last five years as part of the program,
53:00we've planted 15 forests.
53:02And there are another six going in this winter.
53:05Kids nowadays have a lot of weight on them.
53:08You know, everyone's saying they're the next generation
53:10who's got to fix the environmental crisis,
53:12the climate crisis.
53:13That's a lot of pressure to put on kids
53:14because they didn't create the problems.
53:16You know, it's the older generations who did that.
53:18We don't want to land them with a whole bunch of problems.
53:21We need to provide solutions now
53:23that will help them in the future.
53:25We don't want them to inherit the mess that we've left.
53:28You know, let's leave the world in a better place.
53:40It's time to grab a shovel and start digging.
53:43Our jobs for the weekend are here.
53:50In cool temperate gardens,
53:52it's time to dig up and divide rhubarb crowns.
53:55Strip off the old leaves and stems,
53:57dig up the crown and divide with a sharp spade.
54:00Replant crowns about a metre apart.
54:03Sharpen secateurs,
54:05it's time to prune pretty perennials.
54:07Cut penstemons back by two thirds
54:09to give a flush of late autumn flowers
54:12and remove the ratty flower stems of campanulas.
54:16Busting for brassicas?
54:17Get them started in seed trays,
54:19either 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.
54:37It 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
54:46will grow through winter and flower in spring.
54:50Pumpkin vines are dying off
54:51and pumpkins are ready to be harvested as the stems dry.
54:55It's a good idea to leave part of the stem attached
54:58as it helps them store for longer and prevent rot.
55:03Subtropical gardeners,
55:04as you clear spent summer veggies from your beds,
55:07it's the perfect time to pop in a green manure
55:09of mustard greens and barley
55:11to improve soils and break pest cycles.
55:15Lift, 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.
55:29Putting on a show now is the Bleeding Heart Vine,
55:32the eye-catching white and crimson flowers
55:35hang in clusters on this tough twiner,
55:38which can be grown inside or out.
55:41If you like pesto the best-o,
55:44get sweet basil into the garden.
55:46A winner in warmer climates,
55:48sweet basil is tops in pots.
55:51Blend some pelletised manure with potting mix and plant up.
55:55Elegant strappy and tough as old boots,
55:58the swamp lily is a must-have.
56:00A native bulb, the two-metre-long strappy leaves
56:03and spidery summer flowers are unbeatable.
56:07Full of flavour and not frightened of humidity,
56:11Suyo Long is a cracking cucumber variety.
56:14The skin's deeply ridged and dark green,
56:16the vine vigorous and the fruit sweet and mild.
56:21In 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
56:29and it'll produce fruit in no time,
56:31which are great raw or cooked.
56:33If you've been irrigating with grey water 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 by Serrata 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.
57:13Well, 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.
57:52I've been learning a lot of different things.
57:54Thanks.
58:00I'll be right back to you now,
58:00Hi.
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