Enjoy a Spring Garden Party!



Picture: pepperspollywogs.com



The Victorian nursery industry has just announced the launch of its Spring Garden Parties, to be held across the state commencing September 1st.

The Garden Party campaign is aimed at inspiring Victorians back into their gardens this Spring! Gardeners of all persuasions and abilities will find that their local garden centre will be the bustling centre of activities designed to re-ignite Victorian’s love for gardening.

Garden Centres in every community across Victoria are ready to add colour and enjoyment to home gardens. The industry’s message is that there are many great reasons for families and friends to enjoy their outdoor spaces.

Gardening is Victorian’s most popular recreation and working in the garden is an ideal exercise, something that many Victorians are already well aware of. Now is the perfect time to jump on the Grow Your Own bandwagon – one that you can use to bring the kids along. Get them active in the garden; the benefits will speak for themselves. Healthier outcomes for everyone, no matter how young, no matter how old!

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

• Local nurseries and garden centres are right behind the Spring Garden Party and gardeners.

• The Garden Party is all about having fun with your family and friends.

• It is aimed at inspiring Victorians back into their gardens this Spring!
• Garden Parties will be held at Garden Centres right across Victoria and will include heaps of activities, fun for the kids and even cooking demonstrations.

• And what a great place for a quiet drink at the end of a busy day. Outside, in your own garden having a drink with friends and family, it doesn’t get any better than that.

• Did you know that improving our gardens can have a powerful effect on reducing energy consumption in the home?

• By improving home gardens Victorians can have a terrific investment not just in their health, but their home value too.

Have your own Garden Party to kick off Spring.

DID YOU KNOW? The Victorian nursery industry supports over 11,500 jobs and generates well over 1.5 Billion dollars a year. It is a noted exporter into other states and is regarded as the best in Australia. Staff are typically trained professionals and retail customers in particular will always find knowledgeable and helpful people to assist them whenever they visit their local garden centre.

Yates Kids Challenge is on again!

Yates and Junior Landcare will again be inviting Australian kids to take part in a growing challenge in spring and summer, but this year they'll be growing watermelons from seeds donated by Yates.

As part of the Yates Junior Landcare Watermelon Challenge, a free packet of Yates Candy Red Watermelon seeds will be sent to everyone who registers on the challenge website by Sunday, September 25th. The challenge is open to all children under 16 living in Australia, and includes a category for schools and youth groups, and one for individuals and families. The free seeds will be sent out in October and can be planted anytime from October through to December.

Yates Candy Red Watermelon seeds are regarded as one of the fastest growing and largest watermelon varieties. Kids can grow their watermelons at home or at school and will need to care for their plants during the hot summer weather. Once their watermelon has reached maturity, they will have to log onto the Yates Junior Landcare Watermelon Challenge website to upload the weight of their melon and their favourite watermelon photograph. There will also be a creative photo category as part of the challenge, so everyone can be in with a chance of winning a prize!

Judy Horton, Yates Communications Manager, understands the importance of encouraging young people’s interest in gardening: “The challenges that we run with Junior Landcare have become increasingly successful each year, and we hope that this challenge will continue to encourage a new generation of junior gardeners. We look forward to seeing the enthusiasm of the participants as they discover the amazing results they can achieve with their watermelons,” she said.

In 2010 the Yates Junior Landcare Sunflower Challenge was incredibly successful with over 66,000 children around Australia taking part in a competition to grow the tallest sunflower and the sunflower with the widest head. 8 year old Lachlan Hillas from Wodonga, Victoria won the tallest sunflower prize in the individual and family category with his 270cm giant. The widest sunflower head was grown by Sam McVilly, aged 6, of Wy Yung, Victoria, and his sister Tess, aged 10, with a very impressive head width of 46cm.

Register for your free seeds and participate in the Yates Junior Landcare Watermelon Challenge. Simply go to http://www.blogger.com/www.juniorlandcarechallenge.com.aufrom Monday, July 4th. Registrations close on Sunday, September 25th, and the winners will be announced on March 5th 2012.

Grey water in gardens

With Summer approaching, grey water will again become an important component of keeping our gardens lush and green. Even if we have had a fair amount of rain over winter and spring, it is no time to become careless or wasteful with water. We still need to make every drop count, if not for now, then for the future.

Although grey water can make a big difference in your garden (sometimes the difference between life and death), it is not recommended for edible plants such as vegies, herbs and fruit trees. It is, however, perfect for lawns and ornamentals, especially if you reduce any soaps or additives.

Using saved water from inside the home (like that collected in a bucket directly from the hot tap or shower) is easy, but if you would like to use the water from the rinse cycle of your washing machine, you should consider installing a grey water diverter at the outflow. These are inexpensive and available from hardware stores and garden centres.

If re-using grey water in the garden, use low or no sodium, phosphate and petrochemical cleaners such as:
- Back to Basics Laundry Liquid
- Biozet Phosphate free
- Bright & Fresh
- Earth Choice Laundry Liquid
- Greencare Laundry Liquid
- Home Brand Laundry Liquid
- Love n’ Care Laundry Liquid
- Lux Pure Soap Flakes
- Purity Sensitive
- Savings Laundry Liquid
- So Gentle Laundry Liquid
- Tri Nature Alpha Plus Laundry Liquid
- Tri Nature Angelica Washing Conditioner
- Triple 7 Safewash
(Independently tested and published by www.lanfaxlabs.com.au)

You should always try to collect the freshest water you can, such as the cold water before the hot tap warms up. This is the cleanest type of "grey water" and the most useful.


http://www.nubian.com.au/Residential-Greywater-Treatment-System.asp

If you are serious about re-using your grey water, you could also take a look at installing a grey water treatment system. Unfortunately they are not a set and forget type of system because they do need periodic cleaning, but they will allow grey water to be reused in the home to flush toilets and water the garden.

There are many local regulations governing the use of grey water and grey water treatment systems so be sure to contact your local council and state water authority for recommendations and advice for your area. The EPA website also has detailed specs on various grey water treatment systems, many of which are eligible for water rebates. 

Happy Gardening! 





Kids - Yates Sunflower Challenge

The Yates/Junior Landcare Sunflower challenge is now open for registration!

Yates and Junior Landcare are encouraging children under 16 years of age to grow giant sunflowers this summer.

All you need to do is register before the 22nd October 2010 and then Yates will send out the sunflower seeds before the end of the month. 

Not only is this a fun activity, it is also a great way for kids to learn about gardening, sustainability and the environment.

“We are delighted to be able to provide encouragement and support to all young budding gardeners out there and to help educate them on the importance of growing produce and the environmental benefits achievable from sustainable gardening practices,” said Heather Campbell, CEO Landcare Australia.

Judy Horton, Communications Manager, Yates added: “The previous challenges we have run in conjunction with Junior Landcare have been hugely successful and we hope with this challenge we will continue to encourage and foster a new generation of junior gardeners. We also hope the participants will enjoy discovering their green fingers and seeing the results of their labour.”

The Yates Junior Landcare Sunflower Challenge follows on from last year’s hugely successful Yates Junior Landcare Pumpkin Challenge which saw almost 20,000 children taking part in a competition to grow the largest pumpkin. The group winner was the McGrath family from Toowoomba, Queensland, with a 175kg whopper, while the individual winner was Boyd Wales from Walcha in rural NSW with an impressive 94kg pumpkin.

To register click on the link below and get your kids involved in one of the most sustainable hobbies ever - gardening! You can also win some great prizes!

 http://www.juniorlandcarechallenge.com.au/.

Welcome to my Blog!

As a horticultural writer I often come across people, stories, tips, tricks and real gems of information that never really make their way out of my notebook.
They may not have been suitable for the story or were just not timely.
I am hoping to share a few of these insights here as well as my own gardening experiences. This includes creating my dream garden (which will happen in the next 6 months), as well as getting my children involved in gardening.
I believe that a strong connection with the garden and our landscape when we are young is vital. I am hoping that educating my children in "Green Living" and "Smart Gardening" will provide them with the fundamental building blocks necessary for them to live long and healthy lives, while also doing their bit in helping to create a sustainable and green future for all. Something we can all become more involved in.
Happy Gardening!