mungbean Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Any other keen gardeners out there? I'm just about to move into my first house in Sydney, and although it only has a small yard I can't wait to get stuck into some growing. Even though it's, erm, Autumn now that we're almost into April. (Still trying to re-wire my brain on that one!) Anyway I've been enjoying watching ABC's "Gardening Australia" to give me an idea of what people grow here in Aus. It's a bit like Gardeners' World in the UK, with reporters from the various different climates around Aus. You can download and watch the archive of episodes going back 1 year here: http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/video/download.htm I think this is probably accessible from anywhere, unlike BBC iPlayer's restrictions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungbean Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 Oh and there's an interactive guide to what vegetables you should plant, and when, here: http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/vegieguide/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjg Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 A rundown of what i have: just off deck, far too much rocket, but there are spring onions, carrots, capsicum also mixed in there. Back half has seeds in a few weeks ago. Herbs in the background. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjg Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Side of house: tomatoes, beans, butternut pumpkin. Most about done, except for the beans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjg Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Behind granny flat: All cleaned out last week. Was potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 I don't have a very big garden and I no longer grow veggies (impressed with your crops and harvest dmjg). I have roses and clematis, various daisies and annuals like petunias and pansies. I tried lupins but after they flowered they seem to have suffered from some sort of lupin disease so if they still don't do well after pruning them right down, I'll pull them out :cry: I will be planting spring flowering bulbs soon plus cinerarias, polyanthus, hyacinths and primula. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 (edited) We have a couple of little veg gardens. We grew zucchini, capsicums, cucumbers and tomatoes which I pulled out of those empty beds/pots and some others at the back of the house last weekend, and I just put in some lettuce, carrot and beetroot seeds a few weeks ago which are coming along. We had trouble with possums this year, they ate most of the zucchini and cucumbers, and they ate my beautiful broccoli head which I had been growing as an experiment to see how easy. We netted them, but they got in under the netting, so I think we will have to do something more heavy duty. ETA: There is a website which has a free App called Gardenate. It is pretty handy because you can make notes, set up climate zones etc and which tells what to plant and harvest when - great if you are a novice like me! Edited March 31, 2015 by LKC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Oh, no idea why the photo came out twice, once on its side! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 I do have a courtyard with a number of plants, including a potato which I put in a pot 'for a laugh' and it has become my personal 'Jack-in-the-beanstalk.' I 'rescued' what I think is an orchid from a pavement in Paddington, which amazed me by flowering a few months later. There are a couple of gardening shows on the radio at weekends, I think, on both 2GB and 702? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maruska Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Wish I had a green thumb :cry:. We have a south-facing balcony so can`t really grow fruits or veggies. I`ve got a little palm, Cordyline and peace lily. I know a lot of people who grow citruses in a pot - lemons, oranges, limes. There are shops in Sydney that sell plants and would be able to advise you depending on what kind of place ( sunny, shaded) and soil are you going to be planting in. Flower Power is one of them, but there are many more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjg Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 (edited) @JockinTas If its not edible, im not interested. Ive managed to convince the oh to allow me to pull out two of the 8 giant yuccas to plant a dwarf lemon and lime in the space, but she wont let me touch the line of silver birch trees down the boundary. I was thinking peach, nectarine, apple, oranges, avocados, but, no.......... Edited March 31, 2015 by dmjg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Oh I forgot to mention .............. we have a lemon tree at the back of the house and a lime tree at the side. Both bearing lots of baby citrus so should be a good crop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Fruit, orchids' pong an' colour... Bananas, mangoes (3 varieties), passionfruit (2 varieties), mandarin, orange, macadamia nut, monstera deliciosa (swiss cheese plant), custard apple and soursop. Dendrobiums, epidendrums, cattleyas, vandas, oncidiums, arachnis, etc. Frangipani (4 varieties), jasmine and gardenia. Golden allamanda, caladium, croton, bougainvillea, (5 colours), poinciana, pyrostegia and a "drunken parrot tree" (schotia, blood red flowers) Cheers, Bobj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith and Linda Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Fruit, orchids' pong an' colour... Bananas, mangoes (3 varieties), passionfruit (2 varieties), mandarin, orange, macadamia nut, monstera deliciosa (swiss cheese plant), custard apple and soursop. Dendrobiums, epidendrums, cattleyas, vandas, oncidiums, arachnis, etc. Frangipani (4 varieties), jasmine and gardenia. Golden allamanda, caladium, croton, bougainvillea, (5 colours), poinciana, pyrostegia and a "drunken parrot tree" (schotia, blood red flowers) Cheers, Bobj. And there's me thinking you had a fish farm Bob!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 (edited) Any other keen gardeners out there? I'm just about to move into my first house in Sydney, and although it only has a small yard I can't wait to get stuck into some growing. One thing to watch, which I'm sure has already occurred to you, is the size of Australia - so growing conditions vary hugely from one region to the next. I don't have a garden now but when I did, I didn't find Sydney a particularly good place for growing food. The cooler areas of Australia like Tasmania, the Blue Mountains, parts of Victoria have a lot more flexibility. The warm climate is paradise for insects, so although my tomatoes and lettuce thrived in the sun, they were wiped out by caterpillars before they were ripe. Any kind of soft fruit was infested with fruit fly larvae in no time. Carrots got worm too. The only things that survived the onslaught were my herb garden (oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary, basil) and rocket. So be prepared, read up on what pests are around and (if you don't like using a lot of sprays) do some research on natural alternatives. The hot sun also caught me out. I had a lemon tree which I planted against a sunny wall, which in the UK would be the right thing to do. It fried! I moved it to another spot and luckily, it recovered and gave us a good crop. In summer, the full midday sun is actually too much for some plants so be careful what you plant where. I have a great book by Jackie French which I found very useful. Unfortunately all my books are in boxes now so I can't tell you the title! Edited April 1, 2015 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Fruit, orchids' pong an' colour... Bananas, mangoes (3 varieties), passionfruit (2 varieties), mandarin, orange, macadamia nut, monstera deliciosa (swiss cheese plant), custard apple and soursop. Dendrobiums, epidendrums, cattleyas, vandas, oncidiums, arachnis, etc. Frangipani (4 varieties), jasmine and gardenia. Golden allamanda, caladium, croton, bougainvillea, (5 colours), poinciana, pyrostegia and a "drunken parrot tree" (schotia, blood red flowers) Cheers, Bobj. Custard apples ....................... Yum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungbean Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 (edited) I have a great book by Jackie French which I found very useful. Unfortunately all my books are in boxes now so I can't tell you the title! Thanks @Marisawright! Fortunately we have google and wikipedia... Unfortunately (kind of) Jackie seems to be exremely prolific! Any of these ring a bell? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_French Organic Gardening in Australia (1986) Natural Rose Growing: An Organic Approach to Gardening (1988) The Organic Garden Doctor (1988) Natural Control of Household Pests (1990) The Wilderness Garden: A Radical New View of Australian Growing Methods (1993) The Salad Garden (1993) Organic Control of Household Pests (1993) Organic Control of Common Weeds (1993) The Earth Gardeners Companion: A Month-by-Month Guide (1993) The Chook Book (1993) A to Z of Useful Plants (1993) Book of Lavender (1994) Book of Mint (1994) Book of Rosemary (1994) Book of Thyme (1994) Book of Chilli (1994) Book of Garlic (1994) Book of Parsley (1994) Book of Basil (1994) Jackie French's Guide to Companion Planting in Australia and New Zealand (1994) Switch! A Book of Home-Made Power, Water, and Garbage Systems (1994) Household Self Sufficiency (1994) New Plants from Old (1994) Back Yard Self Sufficiency (1995) The Organic Garden Problem Solver (1995) Plants That Never Say Die (1995) Soil Food: 3,764 Ways to Feed Your Garden (1995) Jackie French's Top Ten Vegetables (1995) Jackie French's Cook Book (1995) The Pumpkin Book (1996) Yates Guide to Edible Gardening (1996) Growing Flowers Naturally (1996) Making Money from Your Garden (1997) Yates Guide to Herbs (1998) Jackie French's Household Herb Book (1998) Natural Solutions (1999) The Best of Jackie French: A Practical Guide to Everything from Aphids to Zuchinni Chocolate Cake (2000) The House That Jackie Built (2001) Earthly Delights (2001) New Plants from Old: Simple, Natural, No-Cost Plant Propagation (2007) The Wilderness Garden: Beyond Organic Gardening (2007) The Earth Gardener's Companion (2009) ...Phew! Edited April 1, 2015 by mungbean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungbean Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 (edited) Fruit, orchids' pong an' colour... Bananas, mangoes (3 varieties), passionfruit (2 varieties), mandarin, orange, macadamia nut, monstera deliciosa (swiss cheese plant), custard apple and soursop. Dendrobiums, epidendrums, cattleyas, vandas, oncidiums, arachnis, etc. Frangipani (4 varieties), jasmine and gardenia. Golden allamanda, caladium, croton, bougainvillea, (5 colours), poinciana, pyrostegia and a "drunken parrot tree" (schotia, blood red flowers) Cheers, Bobj. Thanks a lot @Bobj... having recently visited Brisbane and Gold Coast, and watched a few episodes of Gardening Australia, I'm already getting rather envious of Queensland and gardening "in the tropics"! Some of these are familiar from my time in India... Allamanda, bougainvillea and Frangipani especially being favourites. I'm sure they would all do fine in Sydney too. In fact, where I live it seems compulsory to have a Frangipani in your front yard. In India they're called Champa or Temple Tree. The red or multi-coloured ones are amazing. Also seen plenty of Gardenias being grown as a hedge at the front of houses too... wonderful scent. Look forward to reading up on some of your other suggestions! Edited April 1, 2015 by mungbean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungbean Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 I was thinking peach, nectarine, apple, oranges, avocados, but, no.......... My neighbour has an Avocado tree in his back yard, around 40ft high. It's got some massive fruit on there, some of them hanging over my side of the fence... :biggrin: I think they take years and years to bear fruit though... I've often grown them from a stone in a shop-bought Avocado, but never got it to more than 4-5ft before I had to move house and leave it behind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 (edited) My neighbour has an Avocado tree in his back yard, around 40ft high. It's got some massive fruit on there, some of them hanging over my side of the fence... :biggrin: I think they take years and years to bear fruit though... I've often grown them from a stone in a shop-bought Avocado, but never got it to more than 4-5ft before I had to move house and leave it behind. Similar to the walnut, litchi and macadamia...From seed, they take up to 20 years to bear fruit. Grafted trees take 3 to 4 years. Citrus from seed rarely grow true to the parent. Cheers, Bobj. Edited April 1, 2015 by Bobj Adding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Unfortunately (kind of) Jackie seems to be exremely prolific! Any of these ring a bell? None of the titles ring a bell but it must've been one of them! It might have been Backyard Self-sufficiency as I remember it covering chooks as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Talking of chooks, there is a rooster who must have escaped from a back yard wandering around our area. We have all called him George. How he has avoided being hit by a car or mauled by a dog is a miracle. He lives in a thick copse of bushes near the beach and struts around like he owns the place. I always throw him a handful of corn when I walk past his "house" and when I'm walking away he always thanks me by giving a loud cock-a-doodle-doo. Bit of a character is George. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Anyone planted any ornamental pear trees in their garden. I'm thinking of planting some as a screen, but slightly worried about how big they will grow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpingjellybean Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 (edited) I would suggest keen gardeners look at these sites: https://www.diggers.com.au/ http://www.earthgarden.com.au/ https://www.organicgardener.com.au/ Edited August 7, 2015 by jumpingjellybean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungbean Posted August 7, 2015 Author Share Posted August 7, 2015 Thanks @jumpingjillybean -- that third link still points to earthgarden despite the edit... FTFY https://www.organicgardener.com.au/ I'm just getting into succulents here and just bought a pile of cuttings on ebay! Wow they're beautiful... looking forward to a chilly but sunny weekend pottering about potting up some of this stuff. Loads of other easy to propagate stuff as well, to help me build up some stock for what was an empty yard 6 months ago. eBay is so much cheaper than the garden centres here. (and my favourite one within walking distance of home just closed down!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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