Coming up

Josh prepares his garden for cooler weather, Costa shares his tips for getting weeds out of pavers and guest presenter Emmaline meets a park ranger to discover how handmade hollows can provide habitat for native fauna.

Costa's corner

How has COVID-19 and the social distancing impacted your life?

And I don’t mean the fact that almost every email or piece of correspondence has a reference to or an update about Corona. The last few weeks have seen the very fabric of life and society turned on its head and the reality is that many people’s lives look very different now to what they did even just a month ago.

I was doing a little piece for Q & A this week and Hamish came to me about some of my positive outlook with a very simple “ but people are without work, they cant pay the rent, they have no income: how can they be positive?

All of this was running through my head as soon as Hamish asked me that question and I choked up and lost my breath for all of them and their current plight. I regrouped and took a deep breath and said if I don’t laugh and look for some positives then I would sit and cry. Which I have done too for so many people I know who are in seriously troubled waters.

Gardening Australia Weekly Quiz

A) Eucalyptus citriodora
B) Eucalyptus lemóni
C) Corymbia citriodora

See next week's newsletter for the answer!

Answer to last week's quiz question:
Q) Roughly how many trees are on earth?
A) a - 3 trillion

What to plant this weekend

Tropical Climate Zone

• Asparagus
• Carrots
• Coriander
• Leeks

• Brussels Sprouts
• Celery
• Garlic
• Shallots

• Beans (Climbing and Bush)
• Capsicum
• Mustard Greens
• Spinach

• Cauliflower
• Pak Choy/Bok Choy
• Parsley
• Turnips/Swedes

• Broad beans
• Cabbage
• Leeks
• Peaks

Jobs for the weekend

COOL

• Have some fun with your food and sow some Romanesco broccoli seedlings. The freaky shape and loud lime colour of the florets are sure to be a winter winner.
• If sawfly larvae are clustering and attacking the foliage of your native plants, carefully cut off the small branchlets that harbour colonies and dispose of.
• As indoor plants go, you can’t beat a cyclamen for awesome Autumn colour. Best in a cool, well-lit spot, they should be watered from the base, and respond well to being popped outside overnight.

• The Colchicum, or Autumn Crocus, are bursting out of their summer dormancy with dazzling displays of dainty flowers. These cute corms are fantastic in rockeries.
• Persimmon fruits are starting to turn bright orange, so it’s time to harvest. Non-astringent varieties can be eaten straight away, but let astringent fruits go soft and squishy before tucking in.
• Show your climbing indoor plants some love this weekend, and pop together a totem using timber, coconut fibre and wire. Simple, effective and your plants will be in totem control in no time.

• If you haven’t planted onions yet don’t cry, you can still get them in! Go for early varieties that thrive in warmer climates, like Gladalan Brown or Barletta for pickling.
• Chickweed (Stellara media) can look like it’s taking over, but don’t despair. It’s easy to pull out when it’s young, and what’s more, it’s edible! Eat it raw or cooked or give it to the chooks!
• As your beautiful banksias finish flowering, pinch and prune off the spent flowers. This will promote a fuller flush of flowers next season, and the spent flowers are great for craft projects.

• Sow seed of hearting lettuce varieties including Butterhead or Batavian, or loose oakleaf varieties like Australia’s own ‘Darwin’ to make sure your salad days continue.
• Chinese Lanterns (Abutilon x hybridum) are in flower now. These fast growing, attractive evergreens grow well in the tropics, and bare masses of “hibiscus-like” flowers for most of the year.
• There is a bit of wind about in the tropics, so whack in a wind break for your most sensitive plants. A temporary but secure moveable structure is great or plant a living windbreak!

• There is still warmth in the soil, so why not rock some roots like carrot and parsnip. Sow seed direct in a sunny spot and don’t overfeed – you want to develop roots AND shots.
• Lechenaultia are blooming now and come in a range of full-on colours. These tough natives are ideal in containers and hanging baskets and will reward you with masses of flower for months.
• If you’ve got a spot for a fab fruit tree, why not try a Jujube (Joo-Joo-Be). Self-pollinating, compact upright trees that LOVE arid climates, their fruit is sweet, nutritious and delicious.