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In the Garden This Week

The extended dry period is taking it's toll on our lawns.

Keep the water up to your lawn this weekend, and keep an eye out for lawn grubs.

 


It's time to love your lawn!

 

And you can help your lawn when you join the Garden Clinic this week with the Love My Lawn pack. This box is full of everything you need to revamp your lawn such as Sudden Impact for Lawns from Neutrog, Richgro Eziwet Soil Wetter, a 2L Seasol hose on for Lawns and a Seasol Spraymate, this nifty connector makes using your spray bottles a breeze. when you join or renew your garden clinic membership today.

 

In the garden right now

Q: A newly-planted Crepe Myrtle tree in my garden is struggling. There is a mature Bottlebrush next to it, could it be the root competition?

A: It's possible. Bottlebrush has a vigorous root system that enables it to cope with drought. It could easily be sucking moisture and neutrient away from your new tree.

Water the entire garden bed with a wetting agent like Eco-Hydrate or Wettasoil Liquid every six months. Fertilise with Dynamic Lifter or Organic Life every Spring and Autumn and mulch with cow manure or the new Whoflungdung from Neutrog. Water with seaweed for the remainder of the warm weather.

 

Water deciduous trees well with seaweed while the weather remains dry and hot.

 

What's that?

Q: There is thick, sticky sap flowing from the trunk of my cherry tree. What on earth is it.

A: We've checked with the experts and the consensus is in - it's gumosis, probably caused by ingress of bacteria after damage from a wipper-snipper or insect.

Carefully scrape off the soft wood where the sap is flowing including the darkened area of bark and a strip of the healthy bark until the wound is surrounded by a margin of healthy bark. Once this is done, let the area dry. Keep checking the area and repeat the bark trimming if necessary.

 

Gumosis infection on a flowering cherry.

 

Time to plant gladioli

They'll flower in spring alongside roses, bearded iris and lavender. Try peachy G. salmoneus, or hot pink G. communis 'Byzantinus'.

Clump groups of bulbs generously, 10cm apart.

 


G. salmoneus in Linda's garden last spring

 

Bush Garden

Grevillea X ‘Loopy Lou’

Grevillea X ‘Loopy Lou’, is one of nearly a dozen new hybrid grevilleas created by Richard and Lana Tomkin from Changers Green Nursery, Gin Gin, Queensland.

This brilliant, quick growing hybrid grevillea grows to .6m tall and 2m wide with year round flowers that start out greenish yellow with red tips that age to light then dark pink finishing red in colour.

Full of nectar the flowers are attractive to lorikeets, honeyeaters and indeed all birds.

Grevillea ‘Loopy Lou’ is ideal for hedging, border planting, mass planting, embankments or a specimen in a tub or broad pot.

It is drought tolerant and safe to -4C once established.

 


Grevillea 'Loopy Lou'. Photo - Graham Ross

 

Bug watch

Beneficial Lacewings

Lacewings are one of the most beneficial insects we have in the garden. The larvae or caterpillar stage of lacewing are predators of aphids, moth eggs, scale insects and whiteflies.

The adult is about 15mm long with obvious long, lacy clear wings. She lays eggs on fine thread-like stalks on leaves, plants, flyscreen doors and window sills.

Indiscriminate use of insecticide sprays will harm this friendly insect predator in your garden.

You can buy eggs of the beneficial lacewing from OCP, Good Bugs and Bugs for Bugs.

 


Lacewing eggs

 

On the road: Come away with us

Sri Lanka tour about to head off

The final info session done and dusted, the Sri Lanka group is ready for their adventure! Only 5 days to go and they'll discover a paradise island with incredible flavours, history and culture. Sri Lanka offers World Heritage sites, bustling cities, tea plantations, serene gardens and elephants!

 


Beautiful Sri Lanka, a paradise of gardens, flavours and culture

 

Go West: Wildflowers with Angus

Let Australian plant lover Angus Stewart introduce you to the diverse natural wonders of southern Western Australia. Meet milkmaids, honeypots, green kangaroo paws and mountain bells in the wild, and catch the extravaganza of the Kings Park Wildflower Festival.

 


Loads of stunning native flowers will be on display

 

Find out more

Stay in touch by subscribing to our monthly postcards, print out any of our tour itineraries or inquire about a destination you've always wanted to go to at the Ross Tours Website.

Call Ros or Royce at the Ross Garden Tours International office for further details and to book your seat.