Growing Lemongrass

Buy a stalk of lemongrass and put it in a clear glass container of water. It should sit in a well-lit place for roots to develop. Roots should sprout in a few days.

The stalk can be planted in a small pot with potting soil when the roots have grown a bit, and the soil should be kept moist to the touch, but not soaked. This can be done inside and the plant can grow a little before being planted in the garden.

The plant should be kept in a well-lit place after potting. When the frost warning has passed, if this is applicable, the plant can go outside into the garden and can be fertilised.

Most growers use blood and bone meal. This plant likes heat and humidity, so growing lemongrass in a hot climate is a successful venture. If more than one stalk is planted when growing lemongrass outdoors, the stalks should be placed two to three feet apart.

When it starts growing, it will reach a height of about a metre and form a clump. Some gardeners say that if the lemongrass is planted near vegetables, the vegetables will be more flavourful.

Lemongrass can be grown in containers if there is no garden space. Lemongrass propagation is done by dividing the root ball of a mature plant and replanting the pieces, so once it is established, it can go on forever.

Harvesting Lemongrass

If the lemongrass is to be used, stalks are cut below the swollen, white ends, leaving the roots. Leaves are just trimmed off. This can be done during the growing season. One kind of lemongrass is for cooking, and another for making tea.

Make sure to get the kind needed for its intended purpose when stalks are purchased. Cymbopogon citratus is thicker in the stalk, and used for cooking. Cymbopogon flexuosus is for tea, and the plant is smaller in size. This kind of lemongrass can be grown from seed, which is cheaper than stalks.

How to Use Lemongrass

If you want to use lemongrass in your cooking then there are certain techniques needed to be employed. In order to get the most flavour out of your lemongrass the stalk must be bruised first not simply chopped.

Like garlic, when a stalk of lemongrass is crushed/bruised it begins to release its flavour and allows this to escape more readily into your dish.

One plant can grow enough for about 12 cm of stalk to be used in a season. A plant is mature at four to eight months, and can be cut for use or divided for propagation.

Spring Preparation for Growing Lemongrass

Cleaning up the plant and ridding it of old, dried up parts should be done in early spring. The old growth can simply be cut off just above the root. Some gardeners burn the plants, leaving the root ball intact.

The new shoots explode afterwards, and the taste of the resulting lemongrass is just as good. The soil clods should be broken up around the lemongrass plant and watering should begin when the weather warms up.

Fine loamy soil is best, but fertilizer can enrich the soil and it should be well-drained. Insects and pests do not like lemongrass, a real bonus for growers. Another name for it is Citronella, which is also a mosquito repellent.

Wrapping Up Our Guide to Growing Lemongrass

One lemongrass stalk can get the whole growing process started and a gardener will never have to buy lemongrass again. Sometimes the lemongrass plant grows flowers and sometimes not.

Growers have had mixed results on this. Some cut the flowers off, since they are usually sterile anyway. Some leave the pretty white flowers for visual purposes. Either way, you will surely love growing lemongrass in your garden.

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Blackberries are best grown in areas with cool or cold winters. Planting them from seed is possible, but for a quicker harvest, most people plant bare-root plants. In the coldest areas, upright, stiff-caned varieties can be grown. In areas with warmer winters, trailing types do best. Follow these simple tips to grow blackberries successfully.

How to Grow Blackberry Plants

Soil Preparation

All blackberries require a deep, well-drained soil, full sun and ample water throughout the growing season. Avoid sites where the soil remains wet late into the fall. Compost should be worked deeply into the soil before planting, as the plants grow best in a soil rich with organic matter.

Several days before planting, a balanced fertiliser should be worked into the soil as well. Blackberries prefer a neutral or slightly acidic soil, with a pH of 7.0 or below. A soil’s pH can be easily determined with a soil testing kit, available at most garden centres and also online.

If the soil is alkaline, above 7.0 on the pH scale, common sulphur, ferrous sulphate or aluminium sulphate can be used to raise the acidity, although regularly-applied organic soil amendments, such as manure and compost, will lower the pH over time. If the soil is too acidic, ground limestone will raise the pH.

Plant blackberry plants at the first sign of spring, when the soil has warmed and temperatures are mild. Since the plants grow from the base of the crown, some type of physical support is needed to keep them from sprawling. Trailing types are best grown on trellis.

Upright varieties benefit from support as well. Set plants 1 to 2 metres apart with a 1 ½ metre trellis or post next to each plant. For upright varieties, run a wire along the top of the posts and train the branches along the wire. Bare-root plants will take 2 to 4 weeks for the roots to become established.

Caring of Blackberry Plants

How to Prune Blackberry Plants

While the roots of blackberries are perennial, the canes are biennial, appearing and growing one year, flowering and bearing fruit the next. Only 1-year-old canes should be trained on the trellis or wire. All the canes that fruited the previous season should be pruned back to the crown of the plant.

Prune canes of the current season growing on the trellis to 1 to 2 ½ metres. Thin out all but 12 to 16 sturdy canes. These canes will produce side branches, called laterals, during the remainder of the growing season.

Cut the side branches back to 30 centimetres, or about 12 buds, in the early spring. With new spring growth, small branches will grow from the side branches. These will be the branches that bear fruit.

Mulching

Covering the soil around the crown of the plants with a rich, organic mulch will help keep the plants free of diseases and pests, as well as help control weeds. Blackberries can quickly become invasive if left unattended. Remove suckers whenever they appear.

Fertilising Blackberry Plants

Plants should be fertilised with a commercial fertiliser several times each year. In the coldest areas, plants should be fed when the plant blossoms. In warmer regions, the plants will do better with periodic feeding. Feed once when new growth begins, again in mid-spring and a third time in the middle of the summer.

Common Blackberry Plant Pests

Red-berry mites, spider mites and whiteflies are sometimes a problem with blackberry plants. To control mites, apply a dormant spray containing lime sulphur in winter and again as buds are about to bloom.

Plants started from bare root can be expected to produce fruit the third year after planting. While the canes bloom biennially, by properly pruning older canes each season, blackberry plants will produce a bountiful harvest each year.

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Peperomia argyreia, commonly known as watermelon peperomia, is easy to propagate and really doesn’t require too much care, which is why it’s a favourite even for those without a green thumb. Follow our grow and care guide to ensure you have perfectly growing watermelon peperomia in your home. 

How to Identify Watermelon Peperomia

Now, the watermelon peperomia is not the only patterned peperomia you can buy, which can make it difficult to know which kind of peperomia you’re actually growing. Other striped-leaf varieties include the Peperomia angulata.

All of these cultivars belong to the Piperaceae family and share a few common traits. They are small shrub-like perennials that indigenously grow beneath the jungle canopy across South America. Watermelon peperomia is found naturally around most parts of Brazil and is a common household favourite. 

Watermelon peperomia is best recognized for its leathery, peltate leaves with shiny white or cream stripes. Sometimes, this cultivar will produce long-leafless stems that produce small flowers, resembling something much like a cat’s tail. 

How to Grow Watermelon Peperomia

Watermelon peperomia are quite adaptable, but there are some conditions required for ideal growth. These include: 

• Temperature. While they are not overly sensitive, it’s best to keep them somewhere where the temperature never reaches anywhere below 10°C. As it is a tropical native, it does prefer warmer, more humid air, making it a great choice for bathrooms.

• Light. Peperomia plants need a good amount of light. However, they cannot tolerate direct sunlight. So, when choosing a spot, look for a semi-shaded area that still gets enough light from the window.It’s also always a good idea to turn your peperomia regularly to ensure that all the leaves get enough light throughout the growing cycle.
• Soil. You’ll want to look at using well-mixed soil, with equal parts peat moss and sand or loam soil. This will ensure that you have decent drainage whilst still maintaining enough moisture for your watermelon peperomia to grow.Before planting your peperomia, it is recommended to supplement your soil with a 10-10-10 granular fertiliser. When it comes to planting, be sure to choose a pot about 17.5 cm in diameter with a wide mouth.
• Humidity. Peperomias are used to the tropics, so they do well with a little extra humidity in dry climates. Misting is a great way to give a bit of a moisture boost. Alternatively, consider keeping your pot on a pebble tray or simply alongside many other indoor plants. 

How to Propagate Watermelon Peperomia

The easiest method of propagation is through clump separation, and this can be done at any time of year. Simply remove your watermelon peperomia from the pot, gently shake the roots loose and then take care to separate into smaller bundles. 

Keep your bundles in smaller pots at first, and once they begin to flourish, you can move them into a bigger pot. Another method of propagation is through leaf cutting. This will take slightly longer, though. 

Simply:

• Remove a leaf with the stalk, about 17.5 cm long. Use a sterilised blade to ensure that you don’t spread any unwanted fungus or diseases. 
• Dip the cut end of the stem into a rooting hormone and leave it for about 10 seconds. 
• Plant the leaf-cutting into a rich seeding or potting mix. 
• Keep your cutting in a warm, bright spot, ensuring you keep the soil moist with regular misting. 

Watermelon Peperomia Care Tips

Beyond regular watering, there really isn’t much you’ll need to do to keep your peperomia happy. You can also add some occasional 10-10-10 fertiliser every few months to keep it thriving. However, avoid doing so during the colder months as this can lead to root rot.

Peperomias also seem to respond well to other soil additives such as eggshell flour or coffee grounds (provided they are cold and without any sugar). Unless extremely overgrown, don’t re-pot your peperomia too regularly, as this can impair the roots and affect growth. 

Peperomias don’t require much pruning either, unless severely overgrown. Use a sterilised blade to cut back any leggy growth or damaged leaves but take care not to cut back too much. 

How Much Should You Water Your Peperomia? 

While they do enjoy a lot of moisture, it is important to let the first few inches of soil dry out between watering. If your leaves begin to droop, you may have let too much of the soil dry out. Occasional watering once or twice a week should suffice, depending on where It is planted. 

If outdoors, it may need more water. In wintertime, you can cut back watering to as little as once every two weeks. 

Common Watermelon Peperomia Pests and Diseases 

As they are primarily indoor plants, peperomias aren’t overly susceptible to pests or common garden diseases. You may experience an issue with spider mites or aphids, should another one of your indoor plants have an infestation. You can treat these smaller pests with a good gust of water or a natural pesticide. 

Most issues you’ll have will be as a direct result of over or under watering or too much exposure to direct sunlight. You may experience: 

• Wrinkled Leaves. Should you notice an uncommon wrinkling of the leaves, it’s a clear sign that your peperomia is not getting enough moisture. Increase how often you water your plant.

• Twisted Leaf Tips. An unnatural leaf twisting is usually a sign that you’re giving your peperomia too much fertiliser. Cut back on feeding completely for at least 2 months to allow your peperomia to recover.

• Scorched Leaf Tips. If your leaf tips begin to brown, it’s a sign that your peperomia is getting too much sun exposure. Move it to a more shaded area and cut off any badly scorched leaves. 

The Best Way to Present Your Peperomia

Peperomias are a firm favourite by interior designers and landscapers alike because they’re cute, compact and such a hassle-free way to add natural greenery to a home or patio space. Keep your peperomia in a hanging basket, standing pot, on shelves or on shaded window sills.

As they’re not overly invasive, they’re also great for desks or dining tables. If you’re growing your peperomia outside, it’s always a good idea to keep it in a pot, so you are able to move it around if it’s too hot, too cold or getting too much sun exposure. 

Wrapping Up Our Watermelon Peperomia Growing Guide

Wherever you decide to put your peperomia, it should be perfectly happy provided it’s getting enough moisture. Regularly check your soil with a finger or a soil moisture metre to make sure you are watering it enough. Take extreme care when propagating not to damage the very delicate roots and only use the division method every few months to allow it enough time to establish these. 

Yes, the watermelon peperomia really is a beautiful addition to indoor spaces, especially when paired with some of the other incredible peperomia species. 

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Adding compost to the garden replenishes the soil and prepares it to produce once again. Not to fret, there are many types of compost tumbler available today that make this concept a snap. We need to discontinue the practice of using chemicals as an attempt to do the job of composting. Aside from the pressing issue to rid our environment from toxins, chemicals have never restored lost organic matter to the garden — only compost can handle that task. Additionally, anything that is composted and put back into the earth will help lower the production of methane gas that swirls out of our landfills.

For simplicity in composting, it’s wise to select a compost tumbler. A novice gardener will find it supportive, and at the same time it’s an adequate tool for a municipality. There are different features offered in tumblers. Many sit on wheeled frames for easy mobility. Some have to be rolled in order to turn the compost, and others have a hand crank. Either way, this method is less time consuming and physically easier than turning the natural fertilizer with a pitch fork. A few generous cranks will turn the fins inside the drum and advance your production. Some tumblers are made of the same materials as approved food containers. They have insulated cells that retain heat. This is essential to break down food scraps and yard debris. Handy features such as being lightweight, portable, and sealed for pest control add to the popularity of the compost tumbler.

The art of composting is not overwhelming. If you have a covered container and a compost tumbler this system becomes a routine very quickly. Set the container on the kitchen counter and collect used kitchen paper, tea bags, fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds and the filters. Toss in bread, egg shells, feathers, and corn cobs. Don’t forget to include the dust from your vacuum cleaner, brown paper bags, saw dust, newspaper, and cereal boxes. Every few days just dump the container into the compost tumbler along with soft yard waste. Flower heads, grass clippings, and leaves help pave the way to a healthier garden and environment. Secure the lid on the tumbler, give it a few cranks and walk away.

Make sure the compost tumbler isn’t stuffed too full. It needs room to mix when the handle is cranked. Oxygen is necessary for rapid results. Crank the compost tumbler 2 or 3 times in each direction at least once a week. It’s better to take a minute for cranking each day, but the decomposition will still take place if you miss a few days here and there. Some compost tumblers have an aeration system that helps decompose uneven ratios. However, it doesn’t hurt to be aware that there is somewhat of a recipe. It makes the process move along faster and produces better quality compost. A simple guideline is to have equal amounts of green matter and brown matter. These will level out the nitrogen and carbon for a more even decomposition. There’s no need to get all crazy and start measuring everything. A quick glance is enough to determine if there is far more of one color than the other. Many gardeners find themselves really involved in composting and become fanatically precise. This is what makes them happy, but it’s absolutely not required.

There are bits of matter that are not recommended to be used in compost. Obviously, do not include anything that has been chemically treated, such as plastic or metal. Definitely skip bones, charcoal, and dog manure. Walnut shells, grease, and meat are not advised, and neither are dairy products and rhubarb leaves. In the fall there is an abundance of brown leaves, so keep in mind not to put too many of those in the compost tumbler at one time. The compost shouldn’t become dry in the sealed tumbler, but if this should happen add a bit of water — don’t drown it. Compost is ready to use when it’s crumbly and has an earthy smell. Work it evenly into the topsoil of a garden and fill pots for other plants. Leave a bit of product in the compost tumbler to give your next batch a boost.

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So it was a fair paradigm shift when I met my first married couple who slept in…singles! Singles? What person, other than a kid, slept in singles?

Nearly 20 years of marriage later and I’m starting to understand how good a single bed might be. It’s not that I don’t like sharing – dealt with that one in Kindy – but some space, and less partner interruption, could go a long way to a good night’s sleep.

It’s no surprise that my garden reflects my upbringing. Garden beds that once dominated the landscape have now been tamed to reflect how I like to garden. Small. Embracing. Productive.

The perpetual myth that “big is best” need not apply to garden beds. When we, as gardeners, consider how we like to access our plants, vegetables and fruit trees smaller beds are much easier to manage. They allow us to; till the soil without having to tread it, confine soil-borne diseases and harvest the rewards of our labour with minimal “partner” disruption.

So, would a king-size garden bed offer any benefits?

Possibly.

For every permaculturalist who wants nature to define their gardening spaces there’s a garden enthusiast who loves to plant in rows. And king-size garden beds revel in this schematic. It may border on OCD but gardening is no judge of personalities.

A king-size garden bed can offer efficiencies of space that a single won’t. It’s sheer size allows the possibility of better companion planting and the efficient use of resources; irrigation, bed framing, potential harvest yields etcetera, etcetera.

One size doesn’t fit all but as we grow in our gardening journey we come to understand why we garden the way we do – and why others prefer different options.

Are you a king-size bedder? Or a single?

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But this post isn’t about Gabion walls – it’s all about building your very own Gabion fire pit.

Initially this wasn’t our intention. We had decided to include a fire pit somewhere in our backyard landscape but the What? How? and Where? was undecided. We toyed with the idea of sitting a generic pre-cast fire pit atop of the paving but felt that was a little boring. Then we considered constructing a concrete round that would encircle a fire pit but experience of these has shown us that they’re prone to cracking and over time look quite ugly.

A third option was to have a metal ring welded together to act as a barrier for a fire pit. However, the hazards that these pose for toddlers ruled it out as a viable thought instantly.

Finally, our inspiration of Gabions (developed from the word ‘gabbionne’ meaning “to cage”) led us to think – quite literally – outside of the box. Most Gabion walls are square or rectangular containers filled with rocks and stones. Until now we had never seen a round Gabion – let alone a Gabion fire pit. But, it made perfect sense.

Benefits of a Gabion Fire Pit

1. It will never crack, so it should look the same 20 years from now as it does today.
2. The pockets between the rocks allow air-flow so the wall height can be as high as you like.
3. Because of these pockets the outer wall never heats up.
4. The use of any brick/rock material is only limited by your imagination.
5. If you build it well from the start you can use your Gabion fire pit as a winter soak allowing excess rainwater to drain off your paving and into the unused fire pit.

How Did We Build Our Gabion Fire Pit

And there you have it…your very own Gabion fire pit. It’s time to sit back with a few cold ones and enjoy glamping with all the mod-cons.

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For the uninitiated, this emotive nuance may seem like a passing nicety – like feeling a soft, cool breeze press upon your cheek on a sweltering afternoon. But that’s for the uninitiated. Those who have been tilling the ground for as long as they can remember realise there’s a deeper call occuring. A call that has been echoing through time immortal.

As a creationist – go figure! – I’ve come to realise that that innate longing to participate with nature has been nurtured from the beginning. The Genesis story which concludes with the creation of humankind mandates that our life task – the pre-eminent destiny – was to … “TEND THE GARDEN”.

Our lifestyle. Our food resource. Our daily chore.

GARDENING.

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However, when I wrote that post I hadn’t become acquainted with Eremophila nivea (Silky Eremophila) – an endangered variety of eremophila that resided in my own backyard (colloquial “backyard” – that is).

I’m a real fan of silver foliage plants because they contrast with deep colours beautifully. So, when I recently upgraded a garden bed in my literal backyard I set about finding a suitable hardy, dry-zone native that could complement my other choices. In the end it seemed that the Cushion Bush, Leucophyta brownii, was going to remain a stalwart in my garden. My hesitation: Leucophyta brownii stays a crisp silver on top but dry and brown underneath.

Fortunately, as I was days away from making a decision, I stumbled across our local Bunnings. Eremophila nivea was being sold off in reduced quantities.

Apart from it’s already mentioned silver foliage I really loved the proportions of this plant. It will grow to about 1.5-2m (5-6.5ft) high with a similar diameter and retain its density without become leggy. The whole plant will remain silver. This makes it ideal in the landscape as a filler perennial and allows the gardener to use it as a backdrop for other plants they want to display.

While it flowers in spring, Eremophila nivea’s blooms are quite subtle and actually add to the colour of the shrub without taking over. Drooping, mauve bells reward the observer up close but from a distance the flowers will shrink into the background and towards the end of the season will dry to a papery brown and drop.

How to Care for Eremophila Nivea

I’ve enhanced this image to display this Eremophila’s flowers on show.

Being a resident of Australia’s harsh outback – flooding rains and endless drought conditions – Eremophila nivea has learnt to survive. It doesn’t require a great amount of TLC and will reward you the more you neglect it. So hold back on the regular fertiliser and weekly dowsing. This plant will look after itself and should only require a light prune, for shape, at the end of winter.

Having said this, Silky Eremophila is an endangered species and its local habitat is declining. With threats from almost every angle; land-clearing, invasive weeds, overspray and use of herbicides ya-da, ya-da… planting one (or five) in your garden will help to keep the species in existence. It’s a win-win. You get an amazing landscape plant – and they get to remain in existence.

So, there you have it. My newfound favourite backdrop plant – Eremophila nivea.

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While moulds, fungi and lichens grow rampantly in these much maligned garden zones there are plants which desire a shaded area just as much – if not more. Take a trek through a rainforest sometime and observe the under-story plants that cheerily settle for an existence devoid of natural light. It’s as though illumination were the arch-enemy of these floral specimens and lurking within the partial darkness was the obvious defense.

Yet, with all this adaptation forming their structures, there are key characteristics that define what makes a foolproof shade plant. It’s these characteristics that should help your next nursery or garden centre trip become an easier decision making process – with far better results!

Characteristics of Shade Plants

Foliage

Shade plants always exhibit light (as in “not heavy”) foliage with a greater surface dimension than most others. Point in case: compare a rose bush that requires heaps of sunlight with a hosta that thrives on limited exposure to bright lights. This greater surface area has the ability to photosynthesize with far lower amounts of sunlight. In proportion to the plant’s size, its foliage will always be overstated and un-bulky.

Flowers

If flowers exist they are either profusively soft and light or rare and obnoxiously sanguine. A plant that doesn’t need too much energy to produce blooms will always perform much better as a shade plant – or at least one that is tolerant to shade. And rarely will these blooms offer a fragrance – again, more energy required.

Soil Requirements

But shade plants won’t just grow in anything. They devour low pH, humus-ey soils. Back to the rainforest trek we started with and you can imagine that under-story plants live off the nutrients provided from their taller cousins. Composts, and rich acidic soils exist in these areas and define the best growing enviroment for shade lovers.

If you haven’t fallen in love with shade plants yet then stick around as I offer a few options for even the darkest corners of your garden. No garden can exist without a pesky shade area and if you’ve gardened for a while you’ve probably stuck a headstone over a few of your nursery purchases.

Types of Foolproof Shade Plants

Hellebores

Classic Shade Plant – Hellebores

A personal fave of mine is the Hellebores sp. Simply put, a shaded area should not be devoid of a few different hellebores.  Their moping heads, disdainfully staring at the soil beg you to pick them up and enjoy their friendly faces. Coated in chocolate hues, lime greens, or water-colour mahogany they are a shade plant that cannot be denied.

Hostas

While I’m preparing for the rebuke of The Deep Middle’s, Benjamin Vogt, I am a big fan of hostas as a shade plant. These are clearly the ubiquitious plant to grow in shaded areas and offer a sense of presence and textured colour rivalled by few other shade lovers. Their deep blue and vermillion hues cast them as the star of dimly lit areas – even without the presence of a single bloom.

Heuchera

Delicious Heuchera ‘Marmalade’

It’s only recently that I’ve fallen in love with heucheras. Initially I wrote them off as an African-violet-wannabe but they’ve since proved their place in my gardens with pastel shades and textures not displayed by many shade plants. Plus, their late spring/summer flowers perched above a stem seemingly unfit to perform such an activity seem extravagant – yet delightful.

Philodendron

An oldie but a goodie. Philodendrons have seen a resurgence in many contemporary gardens because you just can’t beat a plant that continually performs. It’s a mainstay in shaded areas offering beautiful deep green leaves that look almost fern-like without being a fern.

This list is obviously not exhaustive but if you’re needing some more ideas check out sago palms, ferns, bromeliads, tillandsias and a raft of other plants that you’re likely to find in a rainforest habitat. That shaded area no longer needs to cause you such angst.

Love to hear to your thoughts and solutions for shade plants and what’s growing well in your garden.

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But our outdoor areas and gardens – sacrificed for progress sake – are about to take on some renovations of their own. I’m planning to start sharing some of these areas with you over the coming months and hope you’ll join me as we landscape and create.

As Spring has arrived and the rays of sunshine filter through the weakening clouds reasons not to be in garden are equally thinning. It’s a promising time of year and who can refuse the scents of nature?

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