Follow these easy steps and learn how quickly you can mount your own air plants.

I have to confess to being quite addicted to air plants (botanically known as Tillandsias). I stopped counting when I reached over 50 of these beauties in my collection. I pick them up from flower shows, bromeliad society meetings and online suppliers. To save money I almost always buy them unmounted and do it myself. It’s fun and easy. Just follow the steps below:

Materials Required
Air plants
Backing Material
Glue (the correct type)
Wire
Label

Step 1 – Select your mounting material
You can pretty much use anything you want but common materials are cork bark*, rocks, freshwater driftwood and other random pieces of wood. My preference is for anything that looks natural. I’m not really into air plants glued to a crystal and used as fridge magnets!

*Cork bark can often be purchased from your local bromeliad society.

Step 2 – Clean up your plants
Gently remove any dead or dying leaves from the base of the plant. You want to make sure that the glue has something solid to adhere to do.  Have a look at the image to the right.  See how the plant on the left has a few dead leaves clinging on and the plant on the right has a clean stem?  That’s what you want to aim for but don’t go overboard and pull off living leaves!

 Step 3 – Positioning the plant(s)
Spent a few minutes working out where to place your plants on the mounting material. Try a few different angles and spots to work out what looks the best.

Step 4 – Drill a hole in the backing material
Chances are you’re going to be hanging your airplant somewhere so drill a small hole now before you attach your plant. It’s easier to do it now as the plant can get in the way and you may damage it.

Step 5 – Attach your plant
Apply a small amount of glue to the mounting material and then push the base of the plant on to it. Hold it firmly until the glue begins to set. You may need to prop it against something so the plant stays in the right spot until the glue really hardens. How long this takes will depend on the glue you’re using. I always leave my for several hours or overnight.

There are two very important things to note regarding the glue:
* Not all glues are suitable. Some contain toxins which can harm your tillandsia and are best avoided. I use the green Selleys Liquid Nails which was recommended to me by the Bromeliad Society of Australia. It must be the green version. If you can’t get this type ask your local bromeliad society for other recommendations. Do not use hot glue guns as the heat can easily damage the plant tissue.
* When pushing the plant onto the glue do not entirely cover the stem or end part. These are the areas where the tillandsia will produce roots and covering in glue will restrict this. Have a look at the photos below to see how I have left an area clear of glue. Some tillandsias don’t produce roots at all but it doesn’t hurt to play it safe unless you know for certain that your particular plant will always be rootless.

Step 6 – Make a hook and label
If you are hanging your tillandsia then thread some wire through the hole you drilled earlier and fashion it into a hook. I like to keep track of the species or variety name so I also put a label on the wire and hide it at the back.

You are now ready to hang your air plant wherever you like! I told you it was easy.

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 So what do you think these are?  Would you believe me if I said they are edible fruits?

Russet Apples

Yes these lumpy things are apples and despite their rather ordinary appearance they are actually quite tasty.    Their name refers to the thick uneven texture of the skin which feels like fine sandpaper.  There are many different russet apple cultivars some of which are covered entirely with the ‘russeting’ like these ones.  Others, like Cox’s Orange Pippin, only have the russeting in patches with the rest looking like regular apple skin. 

For the most part all russet apples have disappeared completely from our supermarket shelves.  They have been superseded by more aesthetically pleasing varieties like Granny Smith, Delicious, Jonathan etc…

And whilst I can understand that visually these guys are a bit of a challenge it such a shame as they taste delicious!  These came from a friend’s orchard and I thoroughly enjoyed them picked straight from the tree. 

I am saddened to think that varieties which have been around for hundreds of years (russet apple “leathercoats” are mentioned in Shakespeare’s Henry IV) no longer have prominence in our fruit bowls.  If you are thinking of planting an apple tree don’t bother with a common variety like Delicious or Gala.  You can get them from the supermarket.  Instead search out a supplier of old-world or heritage varieties like the russet apples.  You won’t be disappointed.

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So why befriend molasses?  Because your plants will love you for it!

Many years ago I came across a DIY recipe for controlling caterpillars. It was organic, called for few ingredients and was simple to make.  It seemed too good to be true. 

At the time my tomatoes were under ferocious attack from tomato caterpillars(Heliothis or Helicoverpa spp) and they were doing a very good job of ruining every fruit.  I made up the spray and began applying once a week. I was quite amazed to discover that the caterpillars disappeared and never returned for the whole season.  I’ve since used this miracle spray on any plant that is being attacked by caterpillars with 100% success.

So are you ready for the recipe?

• Mix 1 tablespoon of molasses in 1 litre of water.
• Add a drop of liquid soap, detergent or horticultural oil (eg White oil, Eco-oil etc…). 
• Shake well.
• Apply to all parts of the plant.
• Reapply weekly for complete protection or when you notice caterpillars returning.
• Do not store the mixture.  Make a fresh batch each time. 

You may need to fully dissolve the molasses in a little warm water initially and then add in the rest of the water straight from the tap or hose.

See I told you it was very simple!

As for how it works well that’s anyone’s guess.  I’ve read that caterpillars and some chewing insects don’t like the taste/smell of the mixture.  So it’s possible that they die from starvation and/or avoid the plants altogether.  It’s also possible the sugars in the molasses encourages bacterial/fungal growth which is harmful to caterpillars or insect eggs. I’d love to know just exactly what is happening as it is a very effective and safe spray. 

The only obvious part is that the soap/detergent/hort oil acts as a sticker/spreader/wetter.  I’ll explain what I mean by this as these expressions are more commonly used in agricultural circles.

Many sprays need a bit of help to improve their effectiveness due to the texture of plant leaves.  Leaves which are waxy or very hairy make it particularly hard for a spray to stick and to spread evenly across the leaf.  By adding a bit of soap or horticultural oil (oil that has been manipulated so it will mix well in water) enables the spray to get better coverage and to stay longer on the plant. In turn you get better results.

Soaps and oils have insecticidal properties in their own rights.  They break down the protective waxy coatings around many insects resulting in dehydration and death (the soaps) or they suffocate the insect (the oils).  However in this recipe the concentration of the soap or oil isn’t high enough for the insecticidal properties to really kick in.  This leaves us back with the molasses and the mystery of just what it is doing.  If anyone has any further knowledge of why this spray works I’d love to hear from you. 

In the meantime don’t reach for a nasty insecticide to control caterpillars.  Instead whip up this easy molasses spray and keep your garden organic.

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Recently I noticed this little grub on my roses and immediately assumed it was about to feast on my plants.  For some reason though I hesitated in pulling it off the petal and throwing it over the balcony (that’s the usual punishment for any garden pest on my plants).  Could it be a garden friend or was it a foe? 

I watched the little green grub for a few minutes before I recognised it as the larvae of a hoverfly.  This meant it was a good guy!  They feed on sapsucking insects like thrips and aphids.  In the photo below you can see the larvae feeding on an aphid, with the shell of a dead aphid to the left.  Who needs to worry about spraying when you’ve got these guys working for you?

To attract hoverflies into your garden make sure you have plenty of flowering plants as the adults feed on nectar and pollen.  Below you can see a hoverfly feasting on the pollen of the Mexican Day Flower (Commelina coelestis). I watched for several minutes as the hoverfly methodically gobbled up all the pollen.  It was fascinating.

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Okay so it’s Christmas time again and we are swamped with imagery and tradition from the Northern Hemisphere.  Sure it’s fun but why not make plans to grow your own Australian Christmas decoration for next year?  Ditch the holly and plant a lillypilly instead.

Lillypillies produce beautiful fluffy flowers and edible berries ranging from white to pink to red.  The berries of many are on display around Christmas time and, when combined with the rich green foliage, make the perfect substitute for holly/mistletoe.

In recent years there have been a lot of new varieties of lillypillies released so you’re bound to find one that suits your garden.  The pictures shown here are probably of a variety of Syzygium luehmannii.  The owner can’t remember the exact cultivar name and I can’t identify it with any certainty.

And if you do plan to eat the berries be warned that most are tart or bland at best.  Recipes that involve lillypillies call for lots of sugar (like lillypilly jam) so picking straight from the shrub is really not recommended.  Until a sweeter variety is bred I say leave the berries for the birds to enjoy and have a strawberry instead!

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Care to take a guess at what this is?

If you guessed some type of moss then I’m sorry but you’re wrong.  If you’ve read my previous blogs on bromeliads and guessed some type of tillandsia then I’m sorry but you’re still wrong (extra points for doing your research though!).

It is in fact a variety of carnation called Green Trick (Dianthus barbatus ‘Green Trick’).  If you’re having a hard time seeing the carnation in this flower then bear in mind that the common name for Dianthus barbatus is Sweet William (yes those cute old fashioned biennials your grandmother probably grew). Starting to see a resemblance now?

I first saw this flower in a florists a couple of years ago.  Instantly I was in love with its pompom lime green flowers and wanted to grow it.  Unfortunately I had to wait until it was released for sale to the general public earlier this year (see here for my previous blog).

And now I’m happy to report that Green Trick has been growing extremely well for me.  In less than three months it’s put on stacks of growth and produced over 10 very large flower heads.  They’re almost the size of tennis balls! All from a plant that I bought in a 5cm wide pot in August. I’ve been very impressed.  Of course it could be a sign that it’s a shortlived plant so I’ve taken some cuttings.

Here’s one last photo in case you still need convincing that Green Trick belongs in the carnation family.  With those long stems and distinctive leaves there’s no denying it’s heritage.

I just love it!

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I am an absolute sucker for virtually any type of bulb. In the past 12 months I have given into my addiction and started up a collection.  I’m limited in what I can try as I don’t have any real garden beds (I live on the 5th floor).  Instead everything must cope with being pot bound.  I thought I’d share with you some of the lovely spring blooming bulbs that I’ve been enjoying lately.  First up is this stunning orange tritonia…

It’s botanical name is Tritonia deusta and it is very elegant when it comes out in flower on long arching stems. No perfume unfortunately but a beautiful clear orange.

Next up is a trusty favourite that does have perfume by the bucket loads – the freesia.

If you’ve only ever encountered freesias from the florist then you’ve been ripped off.  The florist freesia is a hybrid, bred for huge flowers in a range of colours.  They look great admittedly but the perfume has been lost along the way.  And trust me, the perfume is to die for.  Buy and plant the “old fashioned” sort (Freesia refracta alba) and you’ll be rewarded from early Spring onwards.

Now this delightful bright yellow bulb (above) is called Ipheion sellowianum.  Doesn’t exactly just roll off the tongue but you will have to agree that it is charming.  It was an impulse buy at a gardening show and it surprised me by repeatedly flowering for several weeks.  When it had finished and I potted it up I was astounded to find only two bulbs in the pot.  It had given me almost ten flowers and I was duly impressed! It is a small flower though, only 2cm diameter, but a keeper nevertheless.

And now for something much larger, another sparaxis.  This purple type (Sparaxis grandiflora ssp grandiflora) was another ebay find.  I must say it looked nicer in real life than in this photo.

I hope you’re not getting bored with my spring bulbs. I read somewhere that blogs should be short and punchy but honestly isn’t that what Twitter is for? If you don’t know what Twitter is then consider yourself blessed!  Now back to the bulbs.  Above is another sparaxis. This one is Sparaxis elegans and looks a little more like the common sparaxis or harlequin flower. I think this one is more elegant as befitting it’s name.

Next on our journey is another generous flowering bulb and another must have.  It’s the spring star flower (Ipheion uniflorum).

This charmer flowers and flowers. A word of warning though: It’s foliage can look remarkable similar to that of onion weed so make sure you remember where you planted it.  Otherwise you might just dig it out or spray it mistaking it as a weed.

Last on the list is Cyrtanthus o’brienii. Actually I’m not really sure that it’s the true species or if it’s some kind of hybrid.  It’s blooms were an unusual colour which almost seemed iridescent. Either way it’s definitely something worth keeping any eye out for when you’re next bulb shopping.

Well I hope you’ve been duly inspired to rush out and buy some bulbs.  There really are some terrific ones out there and far more exciting than common tulips and daffodils!  Not that I don’t love those either but for most us in Australia cool climate bulbs (like daffs and tulips) aren’t the best choice.  Better to go for ones that thrive in our hot environment!

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This week my bulbs arrived.  Call me crazy but when I opened the box and saw all the little  bundles my heart quickened and I got such a rush.

I just love bulbs and can’t resist anything a bit unusual. Recently I discovered a grower who sells some pretty cool stuff and after much deliberating over the catalogue I ordered a stack of bulbs. 50 to be precise.  Yes there are 50 squashed into that box.  Obviously they’re small bulbs.

By the way I’m calling them all bulbs for simplicity’s sake. Some are actually corms, tubers or rhizomes but where’s the fun in getting bogged down in technical terms?  

This morning I’ve been happily potting them all up, complete with labels so I don’t forget what’s what, and can’t wait for them to start growing.  A few of them had quite interesting looking bulbs which I thought I’d share with you.

This is Hypoxis hygrometrica an Australian native which bears very pretty golden yellow flowers in Spring.  Okay so I haven’t seen the flowers in real life yet, just in books.  I purchased it solely on the fact that the pictures looked nice and it’s a native.  So many of the bulbs we grow are from elsewhere in the world and I’m excited to try out an Aussie native. It’s interesting to see how the bulbs produce swollen permanent roots which look like they’re a trick to help it survive through dry periods.

These bulbs belong to Oxalis triangularis which produces unusual dark burgundy/purple foliage.  I first saw this plant years ago when I was living in London and loved it straight away.  It had completely slipped my mind until I saw it in the bulb catalogue and knew I had to have it. I had assumed the triangularis part of it’s name referred to the leaf shape but after seeing the bulbs I can’t help but wonder if it is more about the triangular shape of the scales?

And the final shot is of Commelina coelestis who’s bulbs are simply freaky looking! I have a strong suspicion that it probably won’t do well in my climate but given it’s exquisite blue flowers I had to at least try.  I’m sure you understand.

I’ll keep you updated on how they perform and will naturally share some photos when they’re in flower.  If anyone wants the contact details of the grower send me a message and I’ll pass them on.

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Bondi garden designed by Brendan Moar

 The first garden was designed and built by Brendan Moar.  You  may have already seen this one if you get Foxtel as Brendan hosts his own landscape design show called ’Dry Spell Gardening’. This garden featured in the very first episode.  Brendan took a very overgrown small garden and created an interesting and modern landscape.

Out went a lot of plants and in went some pretty cool structures like the steel hoops and artificial grass mound seen in the first photo above.  A firepit, custom-made white ‘dinosaur eggs’ and whimsical artwork on the wall are featured in the back half of the garden (see below).

What impressed me the most is not just the clever design but the fact that it’s over two years since the garden was built and it still looks great.  A lot of make-overs done for TV only plan to look good for the final shot with seemingly little regard to how the garden will evolve over time. A lot of thought has gone into the design of this garden and it really shows.  It was particularly lovely to meet the owners and hear how much they still love Brendan’s design.

The second garden I fell in love with from the moment I stepped into the front yard.  Whilst the photos don’t really do it justice I hope you can see what the attraction was for me.

The owners had very cleverly used the small space at the front of the house to create a patch of Japanese inspired tranquility.  Stepping off the street and into this garden I instantly felt transported into another world.  Raked pebbles and a few feature rocks were complemented with a restrained planting of clipped Japanese box (Buxus microphylla japonica) and Orange Jessamine (Murraya paniculata).  I particularly liked the murraya being clipped into ‘clouds’ – a technique more commonly seen with cypresses.

The back garden was completely different again.  It was a fairly small paved courtyard split over two levels.  Its theme was obviously a tropical garden, packed full of wonderful exotic specimens including: bromeliads, heliconias, angels trumpets, succulents, gingers and more.

I was particularly impressed (and jealous) with their flowering Heliconia rostrata, seen above in the bottom right hand corner.  This coastal garden (in Clovelly) was obviously warm enough to allow the heliconia to thrive.  Following are a few other flowers which caught my eye…

Globba winitii

Globba schomburgkii

They say it takes all sorts but when I saw these swan pots in a country nursery recently I found it hard to imagine them ever selling.  I suppose you could argue that they are an improvement on the tyre swans which graced many gardens during the 80s…but only just!

These ugly ducklings grew up into ugly swan pots...

Mike and I couldn’t stop laughing when we saw them.  Strangely though noone else in the nursery seemed remotely amused by them.  Maybe cement swan pots are big business in that town.

The silvery grey plant in the pots is the Western Australian native, Eremophila nivea. It has beautiful soft furry felt-like foliage and mauve flowers.  Its a personal favourite of mine.  Being from Western Australia they require excellent drainage and dislike the summer humidity and rain we get here in Sydney.  You can get them grafted onto different rootstock which helps them to withstand this extra moisture but be prepared to pay more for these guys. 

Their common name is Emu Bush and I still wonder if the nursery staff placed the emu bushes into the swan pots intentionally or if it was just serendipitous…

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