Winter Gardening Ideas With Kids
With the weather turned chilly and the days mostly cold and grey, you might decide it’s best to keep the kids indoors; however, winter is an exciting time to be outside. As long as the little ones are decked out in proper winter attire to keep warm, they can spend time outdoors and have fun experiencing nature.
You might be surprised to learn that gardening is a great activity to do with your kids at this time. In places where it gets too cold, gardens pretty much shut down over winter, but this is not the case for most of Australia. It’s definitely beneficial to the young generation to learn about winter crops. Not only does it add to the knowledge they have of sustainable and self-reliant living, but it also gets them outside, which is great for their physical and mental well-being.
When it comes to winter gardening ideas with kids, what are the fruits and vegetables that can be planted at this time?
- Snow peas – These have larger seeds that are easier for little hands to sow. The flavour is also sweet so many young ones enjoy eating them.
- Silver beet and spinach – These grow well in the winter and work well with many dishes.
- Radish – Its seeds can be sown at this time. It grows really fast, so impatient kids will be happy with the quick result of their toil.
- Carrot – The same is true for this, and you can get different varieties. It will be fun seeing how each kind turns out.
- Kale – This is another vegetable that can be planted in the winter. It comes in a range of colours, which the little ones may find fascinating.
- Apples, apricots, and plums – These deciduous fruit trees are planted in the winter.
- Rhubarb, passionfruit, and blueberry – These smaller fruiting plants can also be grown at this time.
Tending to a garden is not just about planting, of course. What other winter gardening ideas with kids can you try?
- Raking fallen leaves and picking up sticks, bark, and twigs – Most of them should go into your compost bin, but the sticks can be broken up to be used as kindling for cosy winter fires.
- Aerating your lawn – The kids can take turns having a go at it with a garden fork. Doing this will make rejuvenating your lawn in the spring much easier.
- Pruning and thinning – These tasks are done more easily when the plants are bare. It’s also easier to spot crowded growth and invasive climbers at this time.
In case the weather turns ugly, there’s always indoor gardening, but it’s recommended that you try to get out and work in the garden with your kids as much as you can. The time together will be rewarding and the kids are sure to get a thrill come harvest time.
If your family needs help keeping up with the yard chores, please don’t hesitate to call Jim’s Mowing on 0800 454 654 or book online for your free no obligation quote. Jim’s offers a wide range of gardening services and would be delighted to help you!
Using Grey Water in the Garden
With the general interest in conserving water and, consequently, also saving money, many are interested to learn how feasible it is to use grey water for irrigating lawns and gardens.
What exactly is grey water and how can it be reused?
Technically, grey water is household wastewater from the laundry and the bathroom (just the showers, baths, and basins, though). This may be reused to water domestic gardens. On the other hand, water that got flushed down the toilet and went down the kitchen sink is called black water, and it’s not suitable for reuse on account of its potentially high levels of bacteria, fat, and solid content.
Thanks to a growing public consciousness and resulting conscience about water conservation, many have begun diverting grey water from the house and into the garden to irrigate green spaces, not only during times of low rainfall and water restrictions, but year round. When it is done correctly, using grey water in the garden is, indeed, a superb way to save water and money.
The average Australian household of 2.5 people uses up about 124,100 litres of grey water each year. That’s more water than your standard garden needs in that duration of time. The other great thing about grey water is that there’s usually plenty of it throughout the year, provided the house is a primary residence.
There have been questions about the wholesomeness of using grey water in the garden, and the safest answer would be to proceed with caution since the quality and performance of grey water irrigation vary depending on a number of factors, such as the type of grey water used, the type of plants being watered, the soil structure and type, etc. Nonetheless, the following are the definitive instructions given by the experts.
Since it could contain germs from our bodies, do not use grey water to water vegetables and ground-welling herbs that are usually eaten raw. When it comes to fruit trees and vines, however, applying grey water is fine since there is no direct contact between the water and the fruit or part of the plant that is ingested.
As for general plantings, keep in mind that there are acid-loving plants out there, so you might not want to use grey water with detergents in it since these are often alkaline.
Don’t let these restrictions discourage you from reusing grey water. To ease your worries, however, you may want to consider a professionally installed, fail-safe grey water treatment system which will save you time and effort. It may also make you eligible for a rebate.
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Why Fire Retardant Trees Are a Welcome Addition to Properties in Bushfire Prone Areas
Remains of a house after a bushfire on February 3, 2009 in Boolarra
Some people who have had the harrowing experience of seeing their homes burn down will tell you that they would have preferred if their homes were robbed instead. After all, you can easily buy things to replace the ones stolen from you — a much better and simpler alternative to slowly rebuilding your life from nothing after a fire.
A prudent homeowner knows that there are several fire hazards that can be found inside his home. As such, he takes the appropriate measures to eliminate these or minimize the possibility of these causing fires.
However, if you live in an area that is prone to bush-fire, you have to work doubly hard. Apart from surveying the interior of your home, your task will extend to the perimeter of your property. Specifically, you will need to determine which trees and shrubs are flammable.
But how exactly can you ascertain which ones are flammable? The simplest way to do that is to break off a twig from each type of shrub and tree planted on your property, especially those that are closest to your house. After that, you will need to set fire to the twigs. Trees like pines, eucalyptus and Cyprus, and native trees like marri and jarrah, have twigs that will instantly catch fire or even explode.
Now that you have identified which trees easily catch fire, the next order of business is removing these from your property or relocating these to an area that is a greater distance away from the house.
However, if you want to boost your home’s protection against bush-fires, you can also consider planting fire retardant trees. In fact, a lot of experts recommend planting these trees closest to your home as these can slow down fires or even cool them.
This type of tree can act as a barrier between your home and bush-fires by preventing embers from getting into your home. Many fires that are attributed to bush-fires can spread due to fine embers getting into the home.
Double Rows
These trees also contain enough moisture in their leaves which are sufficient for preventing the spread of fires.
Among the best species of trees to plant are fruit and deciduous trees. Ideally, you should plant these in double rows around your home.
However, planting fire retardant trees is just one part of the equation. The other part is investing ample time and effort toward the maintenance of your property. In particular, you should make it a point to remove as much leaf litter as you possibly can on a regular basis. When leaf litter accumulates on your property, you are providing fuel for bush-fires. If you live in a bush-fire prone area, you might also want to trade your wood-chip mulch for gravel.
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What Are the Best Lilly Pilly Varieties?
Syzgium Luehmanni or Royal Flame
Lilly pillies are some of the most popular plants in Australia. People enjoy their lovely changing colour and how they grow voluminously well, making them perfect for hedging and topiaries. Lilly pillies yield fluffy white or greenish flowers in the spring and red, purple or whitish berries. You definitely will get a visually pleasing, colourful garden or lawn if you opt to plant the lilly pilly as hedging.
There are so many varieties of lilly pillies in Australia that there’s even a lot of confusion over their names. But if you’re looking through the best lilly pilly varieties to determine which is the best to plant in your property, the list below provides the best choices as they are the least prone or most resistant to the lilly pilly psyllid (native insect related to cicadas) that causes ugly pimples on the leaves of the plant.
- For the big variety (those that grow five metres and over), the top 2 picks are the Acmena smithii var. and minor Syzgium luehmannii. These two are easy to maintain, as they are completely resistant to psyllids.
- For the mid-sized variety (those that grow three to five metres in height), the best lilly pilly variety is the Acmena smithii or Hot Flush. It’s the only one among the popular mid-sized varieties that’s resistant to psyllids.
- For the little variety (those that grow two metres and below), the Syzgium luehmanni or Royal Flame is the best performer and is also completely resistant to psyllids.
Syzgium Luehmanni in Bloom
- For the tiny or 1 metre lilly pillies, Acmena smithii or Hedgemaster is the perfect choice.
Acmena Smithii
But if you’re not too concerned about the effect of psyllids on your lilly pilly, the Syzgium austral or Bush Christmas, S. austral or Elite, and S. austral or Aussie Southern are great beauties definitely worth considering. All of these grow really well but you really will just need proper care for these varieties. Your best bet would be to turn to professional service providers for tips on how to prevent the attack of psyllids and other problems that lilly pillies encounter, such as scale (soot-like stains) which is often caused by ants and pollution.
It’s worth mentioning as well that lilly pillies are more suitable for warmer climates. Therefore, if you live somewhere that’s chilly and often gets frost, seek the advice of lawn care professionals on the best way to plant lilly pillies and ways to care for them given the challenging climate conditions.
Call Jim’s Mowing on %%PHONE_NUMBER%% for all of your gardening needs or simply book online for a free no-obligation quote!
Our Recommendations for the Best Backyard Citrus Trees
Very few fruits can rival citrus fruits when it comes to versatility. They’re used in a wide variety of cuisines and they remain one of the more popular flavours for beverages and desserts. Furthermore, citrus fruits are commonly used in a wide range of non-food items, from dishwashing liquids to perfumes and cosmetics.
It is a wonder, then, that citrus trees are often ignored by Australians.
The citrus family is believed to have originated from Southeast Asia, specifically from the Malay archipelago. Most of the basic varieties that are propagated today trace their roots back to China by as much as 4,000 years ago.
Later on, lemons and bitter oranges were introduced to Europe via the Arabs. Vasco de Gama is credited for the introduction of sweet oranges to the Portuguese back in 1498. This is the reason why many citrus varieties carry names derived from both Portugal and Spain.
But don’t let the names fool you. For example, the Emperor mandarin may sound like it was first cultivated in China but it originated here in Australia.
But why should you consider planting citrus trees in your backyard?
For one, you will have a steady supply of citrus fruits you can use for a wide variety of dishes. Apart from that, citrus trees are a sight to behold especially when their flowers begin to blossom. These flowers have an appealing scent that can wow you and your guests. And unlike other fruit trees, you do not have to immediately harvest citrus fruits. You can simply leave those on the tree and not worry about their condition.
Take note that, in general, citrus trees require excellent soil quality plus ample sunlight. These make these trees ideal for cultivation in Sydney, Brisbane and other areas up north. They can be cultivated in Melbourne, but if you live in Tasmania or in the mountains, you have to look for other suitable fruit trees to plant.
For the best backyard citrus trees to cultivate, here are our recommendations.
Oranges
If you are keen on planting oranges, choose the seedless Valencia variety which is suitable for planting in different areas in the country. Apart from being seedless, this plant is quite hardy and grows fast. The fruits are sweet especially during winter.
Cumquats
If you are planning to plant cumquats, we recommend the Nagami and Calamondin varieties. The Nagami is the sweeter of the two and is best enjoyed off the tree. Typically, the tree grows up to 4m tall, making it suitable for potting.
The Calamondin, on the other hand, is one of the most stunning among citrus plants. Like the Nagami, the Calamondin can be grown as a pot plant and gives out fruits multiple times a year.
Lemons
Need a steady supply of lemons? Consider planting the Eureka. This lemon variety grows quite well in most areas in Australia, except the colder areas in Melbourne. This variety is quite prolific, giving out at least one fruit every day. The Lisbon and Meyer lemons are better suited for the cooler regions of Australia.
Grapefruits
For grapefruits, we recommend red varieties like the Wheeny and the Mash Seedless which are renowned for their sweetness.
Limes
For those interested in cultivating lime, we recommend the Tahitian, West Indian and the Kaffir. The Tahitian has a taste akin to lemon and is among the most cold-tolerant varieties. The West Indian has the best flavour among the three while the Kaffir is perfect for Thai cuisine.
Dwarf citrus
If you are looking for a citrus plant for your small garden, we recommend Valencia and Navel for oranges, Eureka and Meyer for lemons, Emperor for mandarins and Tahiti for limes.
Alternatively, you can opt for double-grafted citrus. The varieties we recommend are Washington Navel orange and Meyer Lemon, Washington Navel orange and Tahiti lime, and Meyer lemon and Tahiti lime.
Jim’s Mowing are happy to help you with your garden, you can reach us on 0800 454 654 or book online for a free, no-obligation quote!
Creating A Kitchen Garden
It doesn’t matter what kind of house and space you have, it’s possible for you to grow your own fresh and yummy produce.
In creating a kitchen garden, you need to first figure out what kind of garden bed you’re dealing with. Is it an existing one, a raised one, or a no-dig one? The following are some pointers to take into account depending on what kind of bed you have.
- Existing garden bed – Well before you convert into a vegetable garden, make sure you dig the soil over to about 100 mm and mix in a lot of organic matter like compost. The compost should be about a third of the soil. Don’t do it when the soil is too wet so it doesn’t get compacted. If you’re working with clay soil, sprinkle some gypsum over it before adding compost.
Raised Garden Bed
- Raised garden bed – If you’re creating a raised bed, make sure that it allows easy pedestrian navigation so that there’ll be no problem making it a permanent feature. On the technical side, place it where it gets lots of sun, make the walls at least 30 cm high, and in case the bed has a base, put in drainage holes.
- No-dig garden bed – You build one by lining the ground with newspaper or cardboard, layering pieces of it before adding soil mix or compost. On top of this, alternate layers of fine and coarse compostable materials. A good combination consists of separate layers of pea straw, aged cow manure and compost. To plant in this kind of garden bed, make a small hole in the top compost layer and fit the seedling in it. Water, mulch, and top up with more aged manure and compost.
What about containers? Here are some pointers to remember:
- Don’t use garden soil for containers. It has microbes, fungi, and other living creatures that are harmless in the ground, but can do damage to potted plants. Garden soil also drains poorly and breaks down fast in pots. Organic potting mix is the general recommendation, although it needs to be replaced every so often. Don’t forget to add mulch to the top for better water retention and weed growth prevention.
- When planning the layout of your container garden, you need to take into account not only the plants’ needs, but your own as well. You’ll want them closer to the house for easier watering, weeding harvesting, etc. The beauty in using containers is that they can be moved around, so do so based on their sunlight needs. You might want to place your containers in clusters to achieve better visual impact, make watering easier, and create biodiversity. If you don’t have a lot of space, you can plan a vertical garden instead.
Keep all these tips in mind when creating a kitchen garden and soon you’ll be harvesting your own produce.
No-dig Garden Bed
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Featuring Water Plants In Your Garden
If you’re interested in having a water feature in your garden, you need to make sure that you plan for it well. It’s not just about its design and layout or the water plants you’re going to use; it’s also about the impact of such an addition to your property. For instance, it’s not advisable at all to have one if you have little children — living with you or visiting often — to worry about.
If you’re pretty much decided, you need to visualise how you’ll go about creating your water feature. An example of a good water feature structure involves an above ground pool created with rolled chequer plate steel, about 90 cm in height and a metre across. The bottom is filled with compacted sand, serving as a base for a solid pond liner. The interior is lined with flexible poly-liner, which works to create a boggy or marshy area connecting the pond itself and the outer frame. The rigid liner goes into the centre of the frame and soil is added to fill the outer area of the bog zone.
Colocasia Esculenta
Some good choices to plant along the bog are Queensland Arrowroot (Canna edulis) and Green Taro (Colocasia esculenta). Both plants have edible roots. They’re also tall enough to provide shade for the other plants. You could also add a Samphire, the shoots of which you can also eat. Other possibilities include different kinds of mint, such as Chocolate Mint, Vietnamese Mint, and Basil Mint.
Inside the pond, you could place a wide but shallow terracotta bowl set on bricks, low enough so it’s submerged in the water, but almost skimming the surface. This provides the correct depth for Water Chestnuts, the foliage of which will push above the water. Besides having edible corms that can be harvested in the wintertime, it will also provide a frog habitat.
Lebanese Cress
You could put in some upside down terracotta pipes which will serve as planting pockets for even more edible water plants. Lebanese Cress, for one, is delicious and thrives well in little soil as it floats cheerfully on the water surface. Other salad greens you should consider adding are some Water Parsley and juicy English Watercress.
English Watercress
Now, another very valid concern when considering putting in a water feature is the mosquito population, definitely not something you want to encourage. It’s a good idea to add fish like Pygmy Perch to help eliminate mosquito larvae. Frogs and aquatic insects will also help, and pretty soon, you’ll have a thriving (not to mention edible) aquatic habitat to soothe the spirit, delight the eyes, and contribute to your dinner.
A good tip to keep in mind is to use rain water in filling your water feature. This is suitable for supporting fish right away. When you use tap water, you have to wait and let it stand for 24 hours in full sunlight to get rid of the chlorine.
Jim’s Mowing are the garden specialists and are happy to help with any gardening queries that you might have. Just call on 0800 454 654 or book online for your free, no-obligation quote.
