GARDENING AND OUTDOORS
25/03/16
MIFGS 2016 NEW
Melbourne International Flower & Garden Showhttp://melbflowershow.com.au/ - last week - some nice
photos by: Zev Howley Films
Melbourne International Flower & Garden Showhttp://melbflowershow.com.au/ - last week - some nice
photos by: Zev Howley Films
March, the month named after Mars, the Roman God of War, is an excellent month to wage war on your patch. Be it ripping out the weeds, mulching up a storm, or popping in a plethora of plants, March is the ultimate time to launch a full scale (but well planned) attack on you patch! So, all you weekend warriors … March into action!
Warm Areas
Frost free or occasional light frosts (North from about Coffs Harbour and all the way across to the west to Geraldton)
Warm Areas
Frost free or occasional light frosts (North from about Coffs Harbour and all the way across to the west to Geraldton)
- Okay, it’s still pretty warm out there, but you could certainly consider popping in the following incredible edibles, especially towards the tail end of the month. Consider cabbage, Asian greens, rocket, silverbeet,cauliflower, peas, spring onions, zucchini, pumpkin, sweet corn, cucumber, capsicum, eggplant and watermelon.
- Whack some lettuce in but consider popping them under a shade cloth tent if the days are still quite warm.
- Hop into the herb patch with coriander (try a slow bolting variety if it’s still very warm), sweet basil, lemon grass and oregano.
- Feeling fruity? Go Carmen Miranda with some strawberries, watermelon, citrus, rockmelon, pineapple and passionfruit!
- Plants feel the need for a feed at this time of year. A seaweed tea, or any low environmental impact liquid fertiliser, is perfect for giving them a kick start as they establish. Apply to the soil early in the morning and in the concentrations mentioned on the packet.
- ‘Ave a go with an avocado!
- Begin to prepare your potato beds now….you’ll be glad you did come April!
- Pretty up the patch with these flowering fancies- marigolds, sunflowers and pansies, cornflowers, violas, snapdragons, stock, verbena and lavender (non-invasive varieties of course!). Popping these in around your veggies will give some colour and interest to the patch, and act as beneficial insect attractors!
- Consider a green manure crop to add some life and love to an overworked patch. At this time of year, try millet, oats, lupins or field peas. This will improve your soil incredibly, and, as a bit of forward planning, you’ll find it well worth the effort!
- Water smarter at this time of year. Water first thing in the morning, and instead of quickie irrigation, a nice, deep drink a couple of times a week is far more beneficial!
- Top up mulch on your veggie patches, herb gardens and ornamental beds, especially important for weed suppression at this time of year. A hot tip is to mulch after watering the patch, to a depth of about 7cm. Keep mulch clear of plant stems….especially young seedlings. Choose a sustainable, low environmental impact mulch, one that will enrich your soil as it breaks down.
- Weeding is an important job to do at this time of year. Cut down the competition between your tasty treats and these space invaders, and tidy up your patch. It may sound tedious, but it’s incredibly rewarding!
Low temperatures for extended periods of time (all of Tasmania, most of Victoria, the southern highlands of NSW, the ACT and a tiny southern bit of SA)
- Yup… it’s a touch warm, but there is still a whole heap of things you can pop in the patch at this time of year. Tasty herbs in the ‘burbs that are ready to roll include coriander and basil. You could give mint and lemon balm a go as well, but be careful to contain them, otherwise they can take over!
- Whack these tasty wonders into your Yummy Yard this month: Chinese cabbage, spinach, tatsoi, rocket, silverbeet, broccoli, spring onions, leeks, lettuces and zucchini!
- Add some colour and movement to the patch, and pop in some of these little pretties- dianthus, cornflower, pansy, viola, echinacea, stock, verbena and lupins. Having these around your veggies will give some interest to the patch, and act as beneficial insect attractors!
- Top up mulch on your veggie patches, herb gardens and ornamental beds, especially important for weed suppression at this time of year. A hot tip is to mulch after watering the patch, to a depth of about 7cm. Keep mulch clear of plant stems… especially young seedlings. Choose a low environmental impact mulch, one that will enrich your soil as it breaks down.
- Green manure crops, including oats, wheat, faba beans and field peas are good to go now… improve that dormant veggie patch, and get ready for next seasons heavy feeding plants!
- Plants feel the need for a feed at this time of year. A seaweed tea, or any low environmental impact liquid fertiliser, is perfect for the seedlings you’ve just popped in. Apply to the soil early in the morning, and in the concentrations mentioned on the packet.
- Weeding is an awesome job to do at this time of year. Cut down the competition between your tasty treats and these space invaders, and tidy up your patch. It may sound tedious, but it’s incredibly rewarding!
- Water smarter at this time of year. Water first thing in the morning, and instead of quickie irrigation, a nice, deep drink a couple of times a week is far more beneficial!
Temperate Zones
Occasional winter frosts (pretty much the rest of Australia, most of the inland, some areas of Victoria, most of SA and the southern area of WA)
Occasional winter frosts (pretty much the rest of Australia, most of the inland, some areas of Victoria, most of SA and the southern area of WA)
- It is still a little warm in this part of the world, but there are a heap of things you could pop in to the patch this March. Why not try cabbage, Asian greens, lettuce, rocket, tatsoi, silverbeet, spring onions, spinach, carrots, celery, and pumpkins.
- It’s time to get happy with herbs, so try some parsley, basil, coriander (try a slow bolting variety if it’s still pretty warm), rosemary, marjoram and thyme. You could give mint and lemon balm a go as well, but be careful to contain them as they can take over!
- Why not try some lovely flowering stuff in your patch as well, like: cornflower, calendula, dianthus, pansies, viola, snapdragons, stock, nasturtium, verbena and marigolds. These guys are great at attracting pollinators and beneficial insects to your patch, and I reckon they look tops as well.
- Consider a green manure crop to add some life and love to an overworked patch. At this time of year try faba bean, field pea, oats and wheat. This will improve your soil incredibly, and, for a bit of forward planning, you’ll find it well worth the effort!
- Top up mulch on your veggie patches, herb gardens and ornamental beds, especially important for weed suppression at this time of year. A hot tip is to mulch after watering the patch, to a depth of about 7cm. Keep mulch clear of plant stems….especially young seedlings. Choose a low environmental impact mulch, one that will enrich your soil as it breaks down.
- Plants feel the need for a feed at this time of year. A seaweed tea or low environmental impact liquid fertiliser is perfect, especially for the seedlings shoved in this month. Apply to the soil early in the morning, and in the concentrations mentioned on the packet.
- Weeding is an awesome job to do at this time of year. Cut down the competition between your tasty treats and these space invaders, and tidy up your patch. It may sound tedious, but it’s incredibly rewarding!
- Water smarter at this time of year. Water first thing in the morning, and instead of quickie irrigation, a nice, deep drink a couple of times a week is far more beneficial!
- Of course, this is just a rough guide, and many of you will find your situation varies from the above listing, due to microclimates created in your garden, location in relation to your nearest major city, extremes of weather (Mother Nature does like to keep us on our toes) and garden type.
MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FLOWER AND GARDEN SHOW 2016
website
Dates: March 16-20
Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show is considered one of the biggest and the most spectacular in the world. For the last 21 years flower and garden lovers from all over the world were sharing the experiences with Melbournians and city international guests. This year as usual it takes place at Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens and offers so much to see and do. There is a Great Hall of Flowers full of breathtaking floral designs. You can also buy flowers direct from growers in this section. There is a Children’s Garden for those of you who visit the show with the whole family. There is a RMIT Floral Fashion Competition where most of the photographers snap, snap and snap. There are also design workshops, ikebana exhibitions, bonsai gardens, beds of tulips, roses and chrysanthemums. One of my fav are begonias - the flowers of so many hues and so happy looking ones. There is an exhibition of green arches where girls stop and enjoy the past memories or the future to come. But my most favourite of all is landscape designs aka Show Gardens:
with each year this display ground gets better and better. More and more sophisticated, sensational designs complimented by water-fountains, smaller and bigger ponds, waterfalls, sculpture-features, exotic plants and flowers and so on and so on are exposed to the pleasantly surprised public. One can see many photographers next to these boutique and lovely mini-gardens. This is the art of the landscaping in its ultimate shape. Australian nature and climate are so rich and rewarding for the masters of this art to create and show off their skills. The designers are also very lucky to have a wonderful choice of plants and flowers to supplement the rolling mini-hills and to color the hidden garden corners. Some yards on the show are so lush and enormous it will require photographers to take several snaps of its parts in order to capture these green mini-estates in all their lavish beauty.
website
Dates: March 16-20
Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show is considered one of the biggest and the most spectacular in the world. For the last 21 years flower and garden lovers from all over the world were sharing the experiences with Melbournians and city international guests. This year as usual it takes place at Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens and offers so much to see and do. There is a Great Hall of Flowers full of breathtaking floral designs. You can also buy flowers direct from growers in this section. There is a Children’s Garden for those of you who visit the show with the whole family. There is a RMIT Floral Fashion Competition where most of the photographers snap, snap and snap. There are also design workshops, ikebana exhibitions, bonsai gardens, beds of tulips, roses and chrysanthemums. One of my fav are begonias - the flowers of so many hues and so happy looking ones. There is an exhibition of green arches where girls stop and enjoy the past memories or the future to come. But my most favourite of all is landscape designs aka Show Gardens:
with each year this display ground gets better and better. More and more sophisticated, sensational designs complimented by water-fountains, smaller and bigger ponds, waterfalls, sculpture-features, exotic plants and flowers and so on and so on are exposed to the pleasantly surprised public. One can see many photographers next to these boutique and lovely mini-gardens. This is the art of the landscaping in its ultimate shape. Australian nature and climate are so rich and rewarding for the masters of this art to create and show off their skills. The designers are also very lucky to have a wonderful choice of plants and flowers to supplement the rolling mini-hills and to color the hidden garden corners. Some yards on the show are so lush and enormous it will require photographers to take several snaps of its parts in order to capture these green mini-estates in all their lavish beauty.
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