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This article from Gardening Australia discusses the importance of plant composition in creating successful gardens. The author emphasizes the significance of shape, form, texture, and color in creating visually appealing and harmonious plant combinations. They highlight the power of vertical forms in transforming a planting and suggest using a variety of shapes and forms to create interest. The article also discusses the role of texture in enhancing plant compositions and the different color schemes that can be used. Overall, the author encourages readers to consider the balance and interaction of various elements when designing their gardens. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES The majority of plants can be described as simple variations on a basic theme. Dierama, also known as fairy's fishing rod, angel's fishing rod or wand flower, is one such plant. The genus Dierama hails from Africa, and the most commonly grown species, Dierama pulcherrimum, is a phenomenally tough plant. [Extracted from the article]

Jac and Claire's garden is an example of what is possible when using our incredible native plant species, and how these plants can help re-populate our urban areas with beauty, spark, habitat and, above all else, heart. FEATURES Sustainability, naturalistic plantings, wildlife-friendly habitats and arid climate plantscapes were all recurring themes at this year's Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS). "A PLACE FOR US" Designed by Emma Sheppard-Simms for Open Gardens Victoria Open Gardens Victoria (OGV) is a volunteer organisation that helps gardeners open their gardens to the public. [Extracted from the article]

Grasses with tall flower heads that hover well above the foliage are always more effective when placed among plants that match the grass's foliage height, rather than its flower height. Blue fescue (Festuca glauca) A striking blue-grey grass with leaves to 20cm, giving rise to golden flowers at 30cm. Like most blue or grey grasses, Festuca glauca is at its best when young, before it becomes congested with dead leaves. FEATURES What is it about grasses used as ornamental plants that is so divisive?. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the Japanese zelkova tree, a medium-sized deciduous tree that is becoming popular in gardens, parks, and streets in Australia. It is heat tolerant and not vulnerable to Dutch elm disease, making it a suitable substitute for elms in areas where the disease is a concern. While the tree's flowers are not ornamental, it has attractive tooth-edged diamond/oval/arrow-shaped leaves that change color throughout the seasons. The Japanese zelkova has a smooth bark that becomes mottled and multicolored with age. It provides a welcoming and inclusive canopy, making it a popular choice for outdoor spaces. The tree is moderately fast-growing and has a vase-shaped outline, but its branching structure is not as elegant. However, it is well-suited to city environments and can live for over 1000 years. Different named forms of the tree are available, including a columnar form called Zelkova 'Musashino'. The wood of the Japanese zelkova is highly valued in Japan. Overall, the Japanese zelkova is a versatile and visually appealing tree option for various landscapes. [Extracted from the article]

This article from Gardening Australia discusses the slower growth rates of plants during the winter months due to the colder temperatures. The author notes that even weeds grow more slowly in winter, making vegetable growing less stressful but also less productive. The article also mentions that winter annuals like violas have a slower growth rate compared to summer-flowering plants, possibly due to weather damage. However, late winter/spring bulbs are capable of producing big, colorful flowers in a matter of weeks because they have stored up sunshine from the previous spring. The author shares their personal experience of feeling motivated and energized as the days lengthen in August or September, signaling the imminent return of warmer days. [Extracted from the article]

This article from Gardening Australia explores the unique joys and benefits of gardening. The author reflects on the fact that as gardeners, many of our needs - mental, spiritual, and physical - can be met right outside our back doors. They highlight the satisfaction of growing and harvesting our own food, as well as the simple pleasures of observing nature and finding solace in our gardens. The article emphasizes the gratitude and appreciation that gardeners feel for the natural world and the blessings it brings to their lives. [Extracted from the article]

This article from Gardening Australia discusses the author's experience preparing their garden for their daughter's wedding. The author reflects on their gardening style, admitting to being an untidy gardener but not a lazy one. They describe the amount of work they took on for the wedding as "stupid" and "largely pointless," but ultimately found a new understanding that their attraction to gardening is about creativity and experimentation, rather than respectability. The author concludes that they would rather have someone be thrilled, inspired, or challenged by their garden than impressed by it. [Extracted from the article]

The results, documented in ecologist Ken Thompson's very readable, and often laugh-out-loud book No Nettles Required (Eden Project Books, 2006), proved once and for all that gardens are remarkable biodiverse environments, and should be truly celebrated as such. Having said that, some garden inclusions were clearly better than others, with ponds (of any size) and compost heaps being sufficiently beneficial as to have Thompson stating, "No gardener with any ambition to attract wildlife should be without either." Given the decreasing size of domestic gardens, Thompson is quick to reassure home gardeners that they don't have to cover all bases; simply providing something different from that of your neighbour will be of benefit to overall biodiversity. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES Mention the term "potager", and my mind conjures up images of alternating purple cabbages and red lettuces creating a perfect chequerboard of edible beauty. There can also be companion-planting benefits to alternating crops, or placing flowers among the crops. BELOW, LEFT TO RIGHT Flowering marigold and dwarf nasturtium placed among alternating crops help to deter pests; Michael tends to a bed full of perfectly ordered beetroot and lettuce. [Extracted from the article]

This article from Gardening Australia discusses the author's experience living alongside a large oak tree and the diverse array of life forms that inhabit it. The oak tree supports a high level of biodiversity, attracting various birds, insects, and soil organisms. The author highlights the presence of sulphur-crested cockatoos, wood ducks, crimson rosellas, galah chicks, and white-winged choughs, among others. The author expresses gratitude for being able to coexist with these creatures and emphasizes the importance of being a minimally intrusive host to the tree's ecosystem. [Extracted from the article]

PHOTO (COLOR): BELOW In this garden designed by Kathleen Murphy, the fire pit is a part of its surrounds - a little nook that can be visited when you have time to just sit and reflect. GA PHOTO (COLOR): LEFT Designed by Paul Bangay, this rural garden allows the scenery to be the hero, with mass plantings of flowering perennials and a pergola draped in wisteria perfectly framing the sweeping panoramic views. FEATURES If there was only one thing a garden could provide, and all gardens should provide, it is an irresistible place to sit - somewhere to sit and ponder in solitude and silence, or somewhere to sit and share a drink with a friend. [Extracted from the article]

This article from Gardening Australia discusses the impact of tree height on the perception of a space. The author recounts a personal experience where they planted six crab apple trees to create a sense of enclosure in their garden. However, they underestimated the loss of height due to planting and pruning, and initially felt that the trees were too short. Over time, the trees grew rapidly and transformed the space, highlighting the importance of eye height in shaping our perception of a landscape. The article emphasizes the significance of eye height as a critical factor in determining the overall feel of a space. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the concept of "wilding" or rewilding in gardening, inspired by the book "The Book of Wilding" by Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell. The authors transformed their UK garden into a wild space by disrupting soil levels and planting a variety of plants with different life cycles and requirements. They observe and adapt to the evolving results, considering themselves as "keystone species" that can guide the planting. The idea of wilding has been influenced by the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park and is gaining popularity in the UK, although some gardeners are skeptical. The article also mentions the use of insecticide spraying by local councils in the US, contrasting it with the freedom to create a mini Serengeti-like garden. [Extracted from the article]

This article from Gardening Australia discusses the changing practices in gardening and how they have evolved over time. The author reflects on the traditional gardening lore that was developed during the Victorian era, but acknowledges that many of these practices are no longer suitable for modern times. For example, some gardeners have found it more efficient to take cuttings or grow new plants from seed instead of dividing and replanting. The article also mentions a gardener who opts for replacing plants with new ones instead of pruning them to save time. The author concludes by acknowledging the pragmatism of these new practices and observing how the craft of gardening is adapting to current economic realities. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES One of the great unsung powers of gardens is their ability to have one foot in the distant past and one foot in the present and precious moment. PHOTO (COLOR): Many of us close our eyes to fully appreciate fragrant flowers PHOTO (COLOR): Michael has no qualms about getting down among low-lying flowers As garden lovers, we all crave gardens that regularly grab our attention, startle us out of complacency, and refuse to be considered as simple background greenery to our lives. [Extracted from the article]

Not only do these provide a tiny increase in temperature from thermal mass, they also minimise the amount of open sky surrounding the plant, which is a fair measure of the amount of frost to which any plant will be exposed. While winter provides the most regular and harshest of frosts, it's not, curiously, when frosts tend to do the most damage, as many plants have natural defences at that time of year. 2 FROST FEARS AND CHILLY CHALLENGES Glasshouses and horticultural igloos help to nurse plants through the coldest of months, but frost is one of those battles that is almost impossible to win in the open garden. [Extracted from the article]

And they're at their very best when two or three nearby plants link in one way, but are quite different in another, for instance when three plants of similar flower colour present their flowers in three very different ways (one with big round saucers, one with upright spikes, and one with a mass of tiny flowers), or with three widely different foliage types. If the plant you're placing has strappy leaves, look for a companion with rounded leaves, or plant it next to a shrub with fine, dense foliage. FEATURES When placing plants for greatest effect in the garden, context is king. [Extracted from the article]

Classic plants in this category are the native hibiscus (Alyogyne huegelii) and the summer-flowering butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii). ANNUALS & BIENNIALS FOR SELF-SOWING larkspur (Consolida spp.) white lace flower (Orlaya grandiflora) california poppy (Eschscholzia californica) venus' navelwort (Omphalodes linifolia) foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) silver dollar (Lunaria annua) calendula (Calendula officinalis) nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) forget-me-not (Myosotis spp.) love in a mist (Nigella damascena) hollyhock (Alcea rosea) ANNUALS & PERENNIALS FOR INTERMINGLING spreading petunia (Petunia x hybrida) geranium (Geranium "Rozanne" and G. "Buxton's Blue") trailing nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus "Matucana") perennial sweet pea (Lathyrus latifolius) a vens (Geum spp.) horned pansy (Viola cornuta) spanish flag (Ipomoea lobata) purple queen (Tradescantia pallida) canary creeper (Tropaeolum peregrinum) TREES & SHRUBS FOR RESPROUTING & STOOLING wattle (Acacia spp.) gum (Eucalyptus spp., Corymbia spp. and Angophora spp.) native hibiscus (Alyogyne huegelii) butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) oleander (Nerium oleander) fuchsia (Fuchsia spp.) smoke bush (Cotinus spp.) spiraea (Spiraea spp.) rose (Rosa spp.) PHOTO (COLOR): Self-sown cream California poppies interweave and sparkle among purple Verbena rigida, blue Triteleia laxa and lime Euphorbia "Copton Ash" PHOTO (COLOR): Buddleja davidii, the butterfly bush, tolerates "stooling" back to stumps in late winter or spring when it outgrows its spot in the garden. [Extracted from the article]

This article from Gardening Australia discusses the author's experience with planting trees and shrubs on their property boundaries. The author explains that they missed the ideal planting time due to various circumstances, but they have learned that planting in warmer seasons can still be successful as long as the plants receive enough water. The author emphasizes that gardening is not about rigidly following rules, but rather about finding a balance between ideal conditions and practical realities. Despite the challenges, the author remains optimistic and accepts that gardening often involves compromises. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the unrealistic expectation of creating a zero-maintenance garden. The author compares this request to asking for a zero-maintenance horse and highlights the amount of time and effort that goes into caring for a garden. While some people may genuinely not have the time or interest in maintaining a garden, the author suggests that often it is a result of feeling disempowered or fearful of not knowing how to care for plants. The author shares a personal experience of a couple who initially wanted a zero-maintenance garden but ended up enjoying the empowerment and connection that came with taking care of their garden. The article concludes by suggesting that while low-maintenance solutions can be helpful, the author personally prefers a combination of simple and high-intensity gardening. [Extracted from the article]

I do my best to overcome my dad's Depression-era whisperings calling me to be thrifty, and instead buy enough to make an immediate impact in my pots, which aren't as big as I'd like but are still about 50cm across at the top (and are not at all ornamental in themselves - the performance comes from the contents of the pots). It seemed like every Canadian hanging basket/display pot enthusiast knew that you couldn't get away with feeding container plants less than once every 10 days. REGULARS It's not too late to think about summer display pots. [Extracted from the article]

The truth is that there are quite a lot of blue-flowered plants although when they sit alongside some of the true, rich, sky-blues, such as the Caryopteris species (see page 29), you might find many lean towards lilac or mauve. The blue-flowered species Eryngium bourgatii, E. x oliverianum and E. planum look like they've been spray-painted, often from one side, with a light coat of metallic blue. RUSSIAN SAGE (Salvia yangii) The Russian sage, still most often known by its previous genus that naturally has you putting on an accent and rolling your 'r's - Perovskia - is now named, more prosaically, Salvia yangii. [Extracted from the article]

Planting of this type usually forms around a fundamental permanent matrix of visually modest plants that look good together, within which a whole lot of seasonal sparkle from bulbs and other ephemeral perennials can rise and fall with the seasons. Many of these plants flower at some time of the year, but are largely chosen for their foliage colour or texture, or for the outline of the plant, with flowering being incidental. But in the past few years, he has discovered the joy of perennials, and the disarmingly brilliant combination of perennials with crisply clipped domes and pencil-thin Italian cypress around his own home is taking this thinking to a whole new place. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES I had to be taught to sit in a garden. So that's when something with a bit of chunkiness or natural solidity works best. cushions OR NOT? I'd rather choose a bench or chair that didn't need cushions, but I admit there's nothing like them for adding a sparkle of colour, and to make a seat particularly inviting. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES In the past few decades, the limitations around sculpture in the garden have been smashed to smithereens. Centre of attraction Perhaps the most important thing that garden sculpture provides is a focal point. Avoiding this pitfall can be a real challenge for avid collectors of sculpture, or curators of sculpture parks, who want to place several sculptural pieces in a limited space. [Extracted from the article]

If you've collected the seeds yourself, you know where the parent was growing, so you'll be able to make an immediate rough assessment about its suitability to your climate, or to the microclimate of the location you're planting the seeds in. The simplest form of seed saving occurs with flowers and vegetables that produce loose, dry seed that isn't encased in a pulpy fruit. My grandfather began collecting native seed and propagating from it in the 1920s, and I've spent the odd decade collecting endangered-species seed to establish other colonies. I love plants that seed heavily - parsley, coriander, calendula - and I just grab the seeds off the plant and throw them around. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES Any extraordinary achievement by a single person can either be processed by the rest of us as an inspiring revelation of our boundless capability as a species, or as quiet condemnation of our personal underachievement. Trott's Community Garden is a really good garden with well-informed plant choices and well-executed planting schemes. I'm led to wonder how these fabulous old trees survived the earthquakes in 2010 and 2011, and the liquefaction they caused, while many manmade structures crumbled around them. ccc.govt.nz/parks-and-gardens/christchurch-botanic-gardens • Broadfield Garden Stop in at this 3.5ha garden on your way from Christchurch to Trott's Community Garden. [Extracted from the article]

The mosaic garden surrounds a large timber house on a steep hill in the pretty town of Akaroa, on the impossibly picturesque Banks Peninsula, just southeast of Christchurch, New Zealand. It's hard to work out what hits you first - probably the incredulity that anyone has enough time in one life span to achieve that much mosaic work, as every single one of the millions of tiles has been laid by Josie herself. PHOTO (COLOR): as much the horticulturist as the artist, Josie Martin has included some interesting plants, such as this Asphodeline lutea, playing about the mosaics;. [Extracted from the article]

Gardeners the world over know and love the High Line as one of the most accessible and high-profile planting projects of Dutch designer Piet Oudolf, widely considered the king of naturalistic perennial planting. I first visited three years after it opened, nervous that all the crazy-talk about the High Line among landscape architects and garden designers was a recipe for disappointment. Take a look at perennial plantings by world-renowned landscape architect firm Oehme, van Sweden in this park on the southernmost tip of Manhattan. [Extracted from the article]

The article features delphinium flowering plant and mentions its mass planting at the Old WesleyDale garden in Tasmania.

The flower garden has sufficient drought-tolerant perennials to reach a just-satisfying fullness without the long-flowering sparkle of scattered annuals. At its most drought-conscious and pared back, I'm not prepared to let my garden fall lower than that provided by a few big pots filled with explosive, colourful, playful plantings - a mix of annuals with some good foliage plants. REGULARS It's time for an annual reckoning. [Extracted from the article]

The article features the garden of Australian garden photographer Simon Griffiths.

The article talks about coppicing and pollarding, two methods of wood pruning that hep gardeners to expose the colors of new shoots.

The article evaluates a garden having borders of perennial plants and mentions features of the garden like borders created by herbaceous plants and cites plants like Canna species and Miscanthus sinensis.

The article offers the author's insights on dealing with slim spaces in gardening. The author says that the shade in a space and the height of walls and fences should be considered in plant selection. He mentions various plants appropriate for such areas such as the pencil pine, Berberis thunbergii, and Syzygium. He offers three garden design options for narrow spaces such as the straight method, the sinuous route, and using enclosures.

REGULARS It was something of a light-bulb moment when I realised cabbages are biennials. But as winter draws to an end, biennials enter the flowering stage, and nothing, but nothing, will stop them bolting up to bloom so they can set seed. Autumn for seeds (late summer in cool areas); winter for seedlings (autumn in cool areas) SOIL PREP Add aged manure or compost; add lime or dolomite if pH is less than 6.5 WATER NEEDS Medium FOOD Apply a complete liquid fertiliser every two weeks GROWING TIPS Ensure soil is well drained WHEN TO PICK Harvest in 10-14 weeks, depending on variety PHOTO (COLOR). [Extracted from the article]

The rough equation for a super-keen gardener is the smaller your ongoing financial investment, the bigger your necessary buy-in to all the life and health-giving processes that accompany budget gardening. REGULARS Anyone who watched Dream Gardens on ABC TV will know that you can spend virtually as much as you want on a garden. You can make your own compost, you can make your own plant food (in an infinite variety of ways), and you can propagate your own plants. [Extracted from the article]

The article features several flowering plants for November in Australia. It describes the key features of the Astrantia (Astrantia major), Spider Lily (Crinum asiaticum), Golden Shower (Cassia fistula), Flamingo Lily (Anthurium Andraeanum), Crepuscule Rose (Rosa Crepuscule), Peony (Paeonia lactiflora), Lupin (Lupin hybrids), Mountain Laurel (Klamia latifolia), and the Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis).

The article features several plants which are in bloom in the temperate zones of Australia as of October 2011. It explains the regions where each grow best, the amount of sunlight each requires, and the average height and width they can grow to. Those featured include the granny's bonnet, Aquilegia vulgaris in Latin, native turmeric, or Curcuma australasica, and crabapple, Malus profusion. Photographs of each are also included.

The article discusses the advantages of serpentine or curved paths in a garden. He explains that curved paths provide a leisurely quality for the garden owner or visitors, encouraging them to meander or explore. He adds that the design provides a sense of mystery because the eye moves more slowly along a curved path and the destination is partly hidden. Some things to consider when planning to create a serpentine path are discussed.