News

One of the plants we selected for a discussion post on our this week was the glorious Hebe Blue Gem. The Blue Gem is one of those adaptable plants available from Evergreen Growers that ticks all the boxes: hardy, drought and frost resistant and looks fantastic. The Hebe is part of the family of shrubs which hails from New Zealand. Growing one metre tall and wide the cultivated hybrid available from Evergreen Growers (Hebe x franciscana) requires little maintenance once established; prefers moist, draining soil; enjoys semi shade to full sun and will tolerate coastal conditions. The plant may be...

The iconic holds sway here in my country town of Katoomba, NSW. Built in 1883 and then re-named three years later in honour of the then Governor of New South Wales, Lord Carrington, the beautiful and originally-designed building is built on the highest point in one of the highest townships in the Blue Mountains. As well as its front lawns playing host to a variety of fundraisers, activities and events (as I speak the much-loved Blue Mountains Ukelele Festival is being held!), its gardens provide a respite and source of relaxation for town residents and visitors alike. With its mix...

One of the great conversations amongst all those who work the land (whether they be farmers or gardeners) is the weather. How many times have you heard older generations say that "the seasons are different to when I was a lad", or "you can grow things for longer into the cooler seasons than you could years ago". Inevitably the queries become entangled in the Great Debate of Our Time: that of climate change. Even chatting to more older residents of my town in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney has the familiar "changing seasons" ring to it. Many old timers...

Gardeners in the southern hemisphere look towards the warmer months of 2014 with a sense of joy and expectation -- this being the real growing season. Time to order that tube stock and grow a variety of plants, trees, herbs and vegetables feed and mulch the garden and watch the backyard bloom.That's the gardening theory anyway. We've all had problems with pests, from fruit flies, to borers, to cabbage moths, to snails, to slugs and more. They are the bane of any gardener. However an article caught your correspondent's eye during the past couple of days which made me think...

Do you like cooking with food? This week we had a lively discussion on our on suggestions for how to make the finest Bruschetta. From adding a touch of sugar to the finest balsamic vinegar to letting the mix stand in the sun for ten minutes, it became obvious that the making of this Italian classic was taken very seriously by many readers. This included your correspondent who added his own tip for making the best Bruschetta recipe: using the best olive oil and spreading it over sourdough bread, then slicing a clove of garlic and rubbing it on each...