Lawn Thyme – What a fabulous plant! Some tips for getting it established.

Lawn Thyme or Thymus serpyllum is a prolifically flowering, prostrate, perennial herb. It is also commonly known as Wild Thyme, Mother-of-Thyme or Creeping Thyme. Native to Central and southern Europe, Lawn Thyme is an absolute must for every garden. Whether squeezed into a small sunny patch among other plants, growing between pavers or stepping stones as a ‘living path’, or mass planted as a lawn alternative, Lawn Thyme has a lot to offer.

Flowers, growth habit and hardiness are the most notable feature of Lawn Thyme.

• It has tiny lavender flowers that are prolific in Spring and Summer. In fact the flowers are so prolific, that the equally tiny, dense leaves are barely visible below.
• Stems creep along the ground, rather than grow vertically, forming dense evergreen cushions 5 – 15 cm tall. It is this prostrate habit that makes Lawn Thyme so useful as a lawn alternative.
• Lawn Thyme thrives in a well-drained soil, in full sun. Once established it is drought and frost tolerant.

As a Lawn Alternative

As the name suggests, Lawn Thyme can be used very successfully as a lawn alternative, provided its limitations are understood and you remain realistic. It does not require mowing, looks spectacular and releases a fabulous scent when walked on. Lawn Thyme will tolerate light to moderate traffic and is best established in small sections. It is unsuitable for areas frequented by pets and children, and walking on your Thyme lawn when the soil is soggy can be devastating. Lawn Thyme attracts bees – which is great for the nearby vege patch but no so good for bare feet! Don’t let these limitations put you off! This is a stunning and very effective ‘boutique’ lawn alternative if managed appropriately.

Other Uses

Lawn Thyme has to be one of the most suitable perennials for growing between stepping stones, flagstones or paving gaps. The tiny leaves and flowers add detail and personality to these small spaces.

It looks great spilling over retaining walls or incorporated in landscape stairs.

Lawn Thyme can be used to good effect in the foreground of almost any plant in the landscape, or as a groundcover between smaller plants. Yes the flowers are spectacular, but don’t underestimate the foliage display offered by Lawn Thyme. It will assist in keeping weeds at bay too.

Considered a culinary herb, it can be used as for any Thyme.

Butterflies, bees and birds will all be attracted to your Lawn Thyme. Use this to your advantage by planting near vegetables to ensure good pollination or plant near bird baths and enjoy the bird visitors.

Combine Lawn Thyme with taller plants, such as standards or miniature fruit trees in containers to create a container eco-system.

Establishing Lawn Thyme

For smaller areas of Lawn Thyme, establishment is as for any other sun loving perennial. Soil does need to be well draining and Lawn Thyme responds well to gravel or organic mulch. It is important to note that plants will not recover if cut back too hard.
When planting Lawn Thyme over large areas, say more than 20 individual plants, attention to soil preparation – more specifically soil stored weed seed management, is imperative. Once Lawn Thyme has been mass planted, options for weed control are limited to hand weeding. Your weeding burden will reduce in following seasons, as the Lawn Thyme becomes established and forms a dense mat. However until then, you are well advised to do all you can to reduce weeds and weed seeds present prior to planting. This is why the general advice for gardeners considering a Thyme Lawn is to start small – as you may be doing a lot of hand weeding in the first year.
Programs for soil stored weed seed management will vary for every garden and depends upon timeframe, resources and the garden soil history. If you have time, controlling weeds in a specific manner during the growing season prior to planting a Thyme lawn is preferable. This may include:

• Active weeding in seasons prior. Retain the area to be planted in a fallow state and remove all weeds that germinate prior to seeding. This can be done by hand weeding or spraying or even a combination of both. The aim here is to deplete the soil stored weed seed bank, and perhaps less weeds will germinate among your precious Thyme lawn.
• Cover the planting area with 10cm of organic mulch in the season(s) prior to supress germination/growth of any weeds. This is the opposite approach to the active weeding discussed above with both options effective. Your choice will depend upon available resources.
• ‘Cook’ your weeds by covering the planting area in black plastic. A few months of this treatment does wonders but may not look too flash. Again depends on your situation.

If you are converting a rhizomatous grass area – such as kikuyu or buffalo lawn to Lawn Thyme:

• Multiple sprays or repeated hand digging is required to remove rhizomatous grasses. Couch is particularly difficult to get rid of. Digging up grass rhizomes from among Lawn Thyme is no fun and largely ineffective – rhizomes need to be gone before you ‘convert’ the lawn.
• The black plastic or heavy mulching (with newspaper) option can assist here also.

Bluedale recommend ‘lawn plugs’ as a cost effective alternative to tubes and pots for establishing a Thyme lawn. For recommendations on planting ‘lawn plugs’ http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/blog/lawn-plugs-part-1.php?src=productpage. Space plugs at 5 per square metre. To buy online http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/shop/Lawn-Alternatives/

Keep planted Lawn Thyme ‘plugs’ well watered until they become established.

If you find that after planting your Lawn Thyme, the weeding gets ahead of you……. as a last resort, whipper snip or mow the area on a high setting. The mower height needs to be well above the Lawn Thyme while aiming to remove weed seed heads before they disperse. You will win in the end!

Maintaining Lawn Thyme

Generally, there should be no need to mow or clip Lawn Thyme. The creeping stems, which grow to 30cm, can be cut if they begin to invade areas where they are not welcome. Take care not prune heavily – it may not regrow.

Even once established, a Thyme lawn will benefit from watering during drought conditions.

Weeding will become an infrequent task, once the Lawn Thyme forms a mat and smothers any competition.

Fertilise as for any perennial, during late spring /early summer.

Established plants can be cut and divided in early Spring if more plants are required.

Landscape Stairs – Let you imagination run wild however get the dimensions right!

Stairs can be an integral feature in many landscapes. In the right hands, they become a palette where creativity runs wild and plants soften rigid construction materials. For some inspiration, check out landscape stair photos on Bluedale’s Pinterest Board http://uk.pinterest.com/bluedaleplants/stairs/.

Materials and gardening theme may vary, however the dimensions of stairs are universal. Poorly designed stairs are uncomfortable and dangerous to use – regardless of how amazing they appear.

Living Stairs

Designing your stairs

The 2012 Building Code of Australia details stair construction and requirements. http://www.colacotway.vic.gov.au/Files/Balcony_Stair_Balustrade_Extract.pdf.

This can be a daunting introduction to stair design, and a difficult place to start. A summary of the main dimensions specified in this code is presented below to help you get the idea. Some definitions are necessary (or dare I say it “off on the right foot!”) so we are all talking the same language. Refer to diagram.

Tread – the horizontal surface you place your foot on.
Going – horizontal measurement from the front to the back of a tread less any overhang from the next tread above.
Riser – the height between consecutive treads.
Flight – that part of a stair that has a continuous series of risers, not interrupted by a landing or floor
Landing – an area at the top or bottom of a flight, or between two flights.

Some of the basic “rules” from the Building Code of Australia that will make your stairs easy to use, include:

• Keep dimension of goings and risers constant – it is uncomfortable to change stride half way up a flight of stairs;
• Each flight must have not more than 18 nor less than 2 risers – to achieve this, flights can be separated by landings.
• Landings must not be less than 750mm long and have a gradient not steeper than 1:50 – this is to restrict the distance a person could fall down a stair.
• Riser (R) and Going (G) dimensions are specified in detail in the code. Such dimensions are assessed based on the formula 2R + G. For external steps, a great starting point for determining comfortable stair dimensions is 665mm. That is 2 x the Riser height plus the Going dimension equals 665mm. The table below is for non-spiral stairs and will help you with this.

If you wish to include plants and other landscape features in your stairs such as pavers, sleepers etc, it is best to consider how they will be incorporated before construction begins. For example if pockets of soil are required for planting, how large should these be and how will they drain water? If pavers are to be used on the Goings, then their dimensions need to be factored in to the stair design. If gravel is to be contained within the Goings, then the Riser must be of sufficient height to contain it. With some forethought, stairs can be both magical and safe to use.

Now for the fun stuff ……………… softening your landscape stairs with plants.

To include plants within landscape stairs, ie on the Goings between the Risers, the selection is limited to groundcover plants less than 190mm high or thereabouts. A great option for incorporating plants in landscape stairways is using well-spaced pavers or flagstones on Goings, leaving space in between for groundcover plants. Plants from Bluedale’s Selection that are well suited to landscape stairs include:
• Lawn Thyme, Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’, Mini Mondo and Mondo Grass for sunny stairs. Zoysia tenuifolia would be suitable for lightly trafficked, sunny stairs where it could be planted on the edges of Goings or between pavers/flagstones;
• Viola hederacea for part sun and shade; and
• Dichondra repens for shade.
All these plants are grown by Bluedale as Lawn Plugs http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/shop/Lawn-and-Lawn-Alternatives/. Lawn Thyme, Dichondra and Viola look fabulous ‘dripping’ over stair Risers.

Margins either side of stairs, or in feature planting positions within stairs, are well suited to Australian native ornamental grasses http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/shop/Ornamental-Grasses/ and landscape sedges http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/shop/Sedges-&-Water-Plants/ .

Bluedale are specialists in the production of such plants with notable varieties listed below:
• Grasses – Themeda australis ‘Mingo’ is a 20-30cm tall, prostrate form of Kangaroo Grass for full sun to 50% shade. It is an excellent choice for use on stair margins. Other taller grasses that could be used to ‘weep’ over landscape stairs include Poa ‘Eskdale’ and ‘Kingsdale’; Pennisetum ‘Nafray’ and ‘Cream ‘Lea’; Kangaroo Grass; and Fountain Grass (Dwarf and Tall form).
• Dianellas – Bluedale’s varities ‘Little Jess’ and ‘Lucia’ will grow in full sun as well as shade, have strappy, non-spikey foliage and attractive flowers and fruit.
• Lomandras – Bluedale grows 8 cultivars/varieties of Lomandra. Of these ‘Shara’, ‘Tanika’, ‘Nyalla’, ‘Katie Belles’ and ‘Tropicbelle’ have non spikey flowers and strappy foliage well suited for use in pedestrian areas
• Sedges – Carex appressa is a great sedge for use along stairway margins, however its sharp leaf blade can preclude it from use in pedestrian areas.

The succulent groundcover Carpobrotus ‘Aussie Rambler’ grows well in full sun and is especially suited to coastal conditions. The succulent leaves of ‘Aussie Rambler’ do not tolerate damage so it is best grown on stair margins or ‘flowing’ over retaining walls that are so often associated with landscape stairs. http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/shop/Ground-Cover-Plants/AUSSIE-RAMBLER/7/

Australian Ornamental Grasses for Children’s Play Spaces

Ornamental grasses are a great addition to this whimsical play space.

Children’s playgrounds have come a long way since the lonely metal slides, swings and mown grass that many of us grew up with. Many modern playgrounds include areas that encourage various types of play. This may include: active; free; quiet; social; imaginative; creative; exploratory and natural play spaces.

Increasingly, children’s playgrounds include natural play spaces, offering a blend of natural areas, environmental features and plants. With good design, a variety of play activity can be catered for in an attractive, fun and living landscape. Such a landscape may include boulders, water and sand, gravel pits, quiet social areas, interesting pathways, musical instruments, bridges as well as structured play equipment.

Choice of plants is critical for success when creating a natural play space and the following should be considered:

• plants should suit the soil and climate of the site;
• the playground is a hectic environment and only hardy plants will survive. It follows that plants that are able to regenerate after damage will be useful;
• plants that can be touched, jumped over or occasionally jumped on will not only survive but be ‘well loved’;
• plants with a variety of different textures, scents, colours, forms and sounds will add to the play experience;
• plants with loose parts such as small logs, leaves, seed pods, fruits, cones etc readily available will be incorporated into play;
• plants of all sizes – trees, shrubs, grasses and ground covers can play a number of roles in a play space;
• avoid plants that have poisonous parts or cause allergic reactions; and likewise
• avoid plants with sharp or prickly parts.

‘Lucia’ Dianella amoungst boulders.

Australian ornamental grasses are well suited to natural play spaces and fulfill many of the above requirements.

Dianella varieties are an excellent playground choice for their strappy, arching foliage, purple flowers and bright edible berries. Depending on the variety chosen, their height range of 400 – 700mm make them suitable for bordering play areas and pathways. Dianella’s spread via a rhizome and will therefore recover quickly following damage. Bluedale recommend Dianella ‘Little Jess’ http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/shop/Ornamental-Grasses/Little-Jess/6/ or ‘Lucia’http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/shop/Ornamental-Grasses/Lucia/3/ for playground borders, pathways and mass plantings.

Lomandra cultivars with male only flowers (ie non spikey) offer a taller alternative to Dianella and are well suited to natural playspaces. Lomandra ‘Tanika’, ‘Nyalla’, ‘Katie Belles’ and ‘Tropicbelle’ all have non spikey flowers and strappy foliage that can be woven into baskets, platted into rope or generally wrestled in, jumped on and attacked! For more information on Lomandra visit our wholesale website  http://www.bluedale.com.au/our-selection/strappy-leaf-plants/lomandra-varieties or buy online http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au

Ornamental grasses in the harsh play space environment.

Tussock grasses such as Poa and Pennisetum perform well the harsh conditions of any high use landscape. They have fine foliage and soft flowers. Poa poiformis ‘Kingsdale’ and Poa labillardieri ‘Eskdale’ are cool season grasses, looking at their best in Winter and well suited to cooler climates. Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Nafray’, ‘Purple Lea’ and ‘Cream Lea’ are all tall (900mm to 1.5m) warm season grasses. Wind blowing Poa and Pennisetum will add an element of movement to the natural playspace. For more on Bluedale’s ornamental grass selection visit http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/shop/Ornamental-Grasses/

Australian native groundcovers such as Myoporum parvifolium ‘Yareena’ (10cm tall), Hardenbergia ‘Meema’ (30 – 45 cm tall), and Hibbertia scandens (40cm tall) are all well suited to play space areas. Although they will not tolerate pedestrian traffic, they will recover from damage, are not spikey and have attractive flowers. http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/shop/Ground-Cover-Plants/

Carex fascicularis would work well in a water feature such as this.

In ponds and creekbeds with permanent water, the soft foliage of Carex fascicularis offers an alternative to other water plants, many of which have spiky or sharp foliage.

For further information on the plants recommended visit our website http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/ and buy online.

Grasses and Succulents …….. who knew they could look so good?

The Garden of Contrasts at Cornerstone Sonoma, California by Oehme van Sweden

Ornamental grasses and succulents planted together. Sounds a little crazy I know, however it works exceptionally well.

It’s a planting scheme regularly adopted by famous designers from all over the globe such as Oehme van Sweden http://uk.pinterest.com/bluedaleplants/oehme-van-sweden/, Franchesca Watson http://uk.pinterest.com/bluedaleplants/franchesca-watson/, Andrea Cochrane http://uk.pinterest.com/bluedaleplants/andrea-cochran/ and Bernard Trainer http://uk.pinterest.com/bluedaleplants/designers-bernard-trainor/ just to name a few.

As garden companions, grasses and succulents have similar needs. Both have low water requirements and do well in full sun; both generally appreciate a well drained soil; and both usually herald from similar climates. Therefore they do well inhabiting the same garden space.

Their similarities end here. Dramatically different appearances are what make the pairing of succulents and grasses so visually appetising.

Succulents and Wind Grass by Franchesca Watson, Cape Town.

The chunky, sculptural forms of succulents contrast drastically with the slender, fine form of ornamental grasses. This is further exaggerated by the movement grasses can bring to the garden when blown by wind.

Planting layout can range from formal to wild meadow and everything in between. Rows of grasses with low succulents neatly growing in the foreground is the most obvious formal application. Wild meadows, filled with evenly spaced Agaves nested among a monoculture of grasses is quite unique and can be outstanding. Even in a large pot or raised bed this combination can work.

Carpobrotus (Pig Face) and Ornamental Grass by Franchesca Watson, Cape Town.

So who works well together?

• Try large Agaves with Poa labillardieri ‘Eskdale’  http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/shop/Ornamental-Grasses/Eskdale/12/?src=relatedlhs or ‘Nafray’ Pennisetum alopecuroides http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/shop/Ornamental-Grasses/Nafray/26/?src=relatedlhs  for a large scale eye catching garden. Some flowering perennials such as Echinacea (Coneflower), Salvia, Chamomile or Leucanthemum (Shasta Daisy) can add seasonal colour.

• Sedum spectable (Autumn Joy) works well with Dianella varieties, fine foliaged Lomandras such as ‘Shara’ and the above Poa and Pennisetum  http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/shop/Ornamental-Grasses/

• An Australian version would pair native grasses such as ‘Tanika’ Lomandra http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/shop/Ornamental-Grasses/Tanika/2/ or ‘Eskdale’ Poa with the flowering succulent groundcover ‘Aussie Rambler’ Carpobrotus (Pig Face) http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/shop/Ground-Cover-Plants/AUSSIE-RAMBLER/7/ for astounding results.

Get the idea? The attached pictures will help you further. For more photographs and inspiration, check out Bluedale’s pinterest board ‘Grasses and Succulents in landscapes’. http://uk.pinterest.com/bluedaleplants/grasses-and-succulents-planted-together-in-the-lan/

Pennisetums ……. Friends and Foes

Pennisetums are warm season grasses that are native to many parts of the world, including Australia. Pennisetum range in form from grasses suitable for lawns ie kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) to medium/large tussocks that have been used in gardening. The Australian species is Pennisetum alopecuroides, and it is a tussock form. Bluedale grow and supply 4 cultivars of P. alopecuroides as well as the common form. We also sell one species from Africa. Let’s call these species Friends.

Now for the Foe. Pennisetum setaceum is from Africa and south western Asia. It is highly invasive and will germinate readily in gardens, bushland, even cracks in the footpath. Not the sort of plant you want to have around! P. setaceum has been declared a Class 5 weed in NSW (restricted weed which must not be sold, bought or knowingly distributed throughout the entire state) and Class 3 weed in Qld (environmental weed). It is yet to be classified in other states.

Native Pennisetums used in landscaping and supplied by Bluedale

The cultivars and common form of P. alopecuroides supplied by Bluedale are regularly used in the landscape industry and include:
• ‘Nafray’ Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘PA300’ http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/shop/Ornamental-Grasses/Nafray/26/
• ‘Purple Lea’ Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘PAV400’ (see first picture) http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/shop/Ornamental-Grasses/Purple-Lea/69/
• ‘Pennstripe’ Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘PAV300’
• ‘Cream Lea’ Pennisetum alopecuroides http://www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au/shop/Ornamental-Grasses/Cream-Lea/64/
• Pennisetum alopecuroides(common form)

‘Purple Lea’ in flower.

P. alopecuroides is known as Swamp Foxtail Grass. Its distribution ranges from tropical Queensland to the south of New South Wales mainly along the coast. P. alopecuroides naturally occurs in moist conditions and boggy areas. Importantly, Harden (1993) classifies P. alopecuroides as a native Australian species, however to confuse the issue, many sources indicate it may not be indigenous to Australia, having been transported here prior to European settlement.

Pennisetum varieties flower in late summer and autumn. Unfortunately, it follows that in areas with warm moist winters, such as tropical Qld and northern NSW, some cultivars, namely ‘Nafray’ and ‘Purple Lea’, can self-seed. Bluedale believe in responsible gardening and would not recommend growing either of these cultivars in such areas. To complicate things further, modern gardeners and landscapers will need to consider global warming and the resulting warmer winters some of us are already experiencing when using any plant that produces seed in abundance. The same can be said of gardens with warm winter micro-climates, coastal gardens and irrigated gardens.

When grown in other areas, an uncharacteristically warm and moist winter can see some self-seeding. In this case, we recommend thick, quality mulch and vigilance. Beware of coarse mulch such as pine bark as this leaves gaps and exposed soil suitable for seed germination. Seed heads can be removed before seed is set and unwanted seedlings spray very effectively with glyphosate.

In Bluedale’s experience, ‘Pennstripe’ is yet to produce viable seed. It is also the first variegated Australian native grass available. ‘Cream Lea’ has also proven to be non-invasive. There are no reports from Bluedale customers of ‘Cream Lea’ self-seeding.

Pennisetum ‘Rubrum’

Pennisetum ‘Rubrum’ is a commonly grown ornamental cultivar grown from the species Pennisetum advena native to Africa, the Middle East and East Asia. Both tall and dwarf forms are available. It is completely sterile and does not have a rhizome. ‘Rubrum’ will therefore not become a weed.

Pennisetum setaceum in flower.

Our Foe Pennisetum setaceum

The common name for P. setaceum is Fountain Grass (see second picture). In an ideal world P. setaceum would not be available for sale in Australia. Over the past few years Bluedale has however, seen projects where this weed has been supplied to unsuspecting landscapers as the native form. The take home message here is be sure you/your contractors source plants from a reliable supplier. If in doubt, ask. Beware of plants produced by ‘backyard growers’ and sold at places like local markets.

P. setaceum flowers most of the year and produces an abundance of viable seed, which is mainly dispersed by wind but can also be spread by vehicles, humans, livestock, water and possibly birds. Where the native form has 10 – 30% seed viability, P. setaceum has close on 100%. Notably seed has been reported to remain viable for at least 7 years. It was likely brought into Australia as an ornamental grass and has been living it up here ever since.

According to the NSW Department of Primary Industries, P. setaceum is difficult to eliminate. Control may need to be repeated several times a year. The long-lived seeds mean continued monitoring after treatment is essential. Control should initially be directed to outlying populations followed by treatment of the core area. Small infestations of fountain grass can be removed by uprooting and removing/destroying seed heads. Extensive infestations of fountain grass are probably best controlled with herbicides, combined with mechanical techniques.

Pennisetum setaceum diagram from Harden, 1993.

The invasive behaviour of P. setaceum is likely to be the first step in its identification. Other features include:
• upright tufted grass with very narrow leaves and flowering stems growing up to 1 m or more tall
• long spike-like seed -heads (6-30 cm long) are reddish, pinkish or purplish in colour
• flowers are always present
• P. setaceum has a hairy peduncle (flower stalk) compared with the hairless peduncle of P. alopecuroides (see drawings)
• seed-heads contain large numbers of densely packed stalk less flower spikelet clusters
• each flower spikelet cluster is surrounded by numerous feathery bristles (12-26 mm long) and one significantly larger bristle (16-40 mm long)
• its mature seed-heads turn straw-coloured or whitish and the seeds are shed with the feathery bristles still surrounding them.
If in doubt about identification, contact your local council or post a specimen to your nearest botanic gardens (most botanic gardens have a plant identification service that charges a small fee).

Pennisetum alopecuroides seed diagram from Harden, 1993

REFERENCES
Harden, G. J. (Ed) 1993 ‘Flora of New South Wales Volume 4’ Copywrite Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust. Published by New South Wales University Press, Kensington, NSW Australia.
NSW Primary Industries Biosucurity (part of Department of Primary Industries) Weed Alert Brochure http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/weeds/profiles/fountain-grass

Winter is Coming!

Some simple gardening activities can help your much loved garden plants not only survive the Winter months, but be well prepared for Spring. These tips apply to the south-eastern portion of Australia in particular.

Before we get to the practical stuff, here are some facts to assist your Winter gardening decision making:

• Water has insulating properties. This is particularly relevant for soil moisture and water in plant cells
• Mulch is also insulating
• Cold air is usually also very dry
• Rapid freezing and thawing of plant tissue causes damage

WATERING
Watering is possibly the most effective way of reducing Winter damage to your garden plants.

Watering your garden during Winter may seem unnecessary. In some parts of Australia and during some seasons this is the case.

However when prolonged dry periods occur in Winter, well timed watering can save your garden from stress, damage and even plant loss.

Due to the insulating properties of water, well watered soil absorbs and retains heat from solar radiation during the day which it re-radiates during the night.

Put simply, moist soil will tend to stay warmer for longer than dry soil. In addition to keeping root zones warmer, this elevates air temperatures around the plants above. Temperature increases are only slight, however can be sufficient to prevent plant damage. The take home message is don’t let your garden soil dry out during cold periods.

Watering is best done early in the day. This maximises the period of solar radiation absorption by the moist soil, ensures plant foliage is dry before nightfall and gives the plant time to absorb the water into tissues. Rapid cooling/freezing of water on plant tissue can cause damage and is avoided by applying water to the root zone only (ie not wetting foliage). Also plant cells plump with water will incur less damage in the cold than cells that have dried out.

Pay particular attention to soil moisture content on cold days. Cold air is usually dry – you know how dry your face and hands can get during Winter. Combined with Winter winds, cold air can remove water from plants faster than roots can absorb it.

When watering in Winter, aim to moisten soil throughout the entire root zone. Do not overwater such that the garden soil becomes soggy. Not only will this reduce the oxygen available to the plant roots, it may take a long time for the soil to dry out again, increasing the risk of soil fungus. Prolonged saturated soil conditions damage the root systems of most plants. Watering the first few centimetres of soil will likewise not achieve the desired effect.

MULCHING
With soil moisture and temperature an issue in winter, it follows that mulching has a role in preparing your garden for the colder months. The insulating properties of the mulch itself will guard against soil temperature extremes. A well mulched garden will retain soil moisture, enhancing the effects discussed above. Both organic and gravel mulches are useful for achieving these goals.

FERTILIZING
Young plant tissue is more susceptible to damage by the cold. To avoid new growth coming into the cold months, don’t fertilize your garden with nitrogen late in the growing season.

PRUNING
In the event of plant tissue damage, resist the temptation to remove the damaged branches by pruning until the risk of further damage has passed. It may look unsightly; however the damaged tissue is protecting the remainder of the plant from damage by the cold. Also early pruning may stimulate new shoots that will likely suffer injury before Spring arrives.

FROST RECOVERY
Frost damage is greatest when rapid freezing and thawing of plant tissue occurs. In climates where frost is uncommon, the keen gardener can cover plants with old sheets, blankets and even plastic during forecast frosty nights. Be aware that plant tissue damage can occur where the frozen cover contacts the plant. In the morning rapid thawing can be caused by sunlight hitting a frosted plant surface. To reduce the effects of this, gently water the frosted foliage before the sun touches it.
In frosty areas, plant nurseries avoid damage to their stock by watering all night via misting systems. This is a specialist technique and not practical for the home gardener.

BLUEDALE’S COLD WINTER SELECTION
Our Cool Season Grasses such as Poa labillardieri ‘Eskdale’ and Poa poiformis ‘Kingsdale’ will handle cold to -10 degrees and heavy frost. Both offer a fabulous winter display. Our 3 Dianella cultivars all perform well in cool climates, with Dianella ‘Lucia’ the most cold hardy, growing well to -7 degrees and tolerating light frost. Most of Bluedale’s Lomandras do well in cold climates with the following cultivars staying evergreen to -10 degrees and coping with medium level frost: ‘Wingarra’, ‘Tanika’, ‘Nyalla’, and ‘Katrinus Deluxe’. Some of our other Lomandras are also cold tolerant: ‘Shara’ -5 degrees and ‘Katrinus’ -7 degrees.

Viro-tubes or Pots, now that’s a question!

The nursery industry sells plants in a huge variety of pot sizes. This is further confused by our habit of referring to pots using mm, inches or even Litres! To make matters even more interesting, a single plant may spend time in up to 4 pot sizes before it reaches you.
Let’s simplify this for you………………..at Bluedale we sell our grasses and strappy leafed foliage plants in 2 sizes only – Viro-tubes and 140mm pots. In the past Bluedale has sold plants in Viro-cells (also called plugtrays), however we found results to be frequently disappointing and we no longer recommend them for direct planting in landscapes.

So Viro-tubes or pots? Choice largely depends on factors such as character of the species itself, project goals, available aftercare and budget. Choosing correctly will improve the outcome of your planting project. Bluedale are obviously very happy to assist you when making choices on pot size, however a crash course in plant pot sizes will not do the discerning gardener, landscape designer, revegetation officer or contractor any harm!

Viro-tubes
These are 50x50x90mm tubes in trays of 50 and are without doubt, the best way to grow Grasses, Strappy Leafed Plants, Sedges and Wetlands Plants. The unique design of the Viro-tube works to prevent plants from becoming root bound by training downward root growth to an open base where roots are air pruned. Viro-tube grown plants establish quickly as their roots don’t have to fight their way out of their own root ball. In fact the roots are primed ready for fast establishment.

Viro-tubes are often preferred for revegetation projects. High planting densities can quickly result in thick swathes of grasses outcompeting weed species while perhaps fulfilling an ecological role.

Viro-tube planting rates vary with species, but generally for most mass planting applications rates of 5 to 7 plants per square metre are appropriate. At $1.00 – $1.20* per tube (PBR varieties $1:85 – $2.10*) this equates to $5.00 – $8.40* per square metre (PBR varieties $9.25 – $14.70*). This is substantially less expensive than purchasing 140mm pots. In addition, due to their relatively small size, Viro-tubes can be planted quickly. It is not uncommon for specialist contractors to plant 2 to 3 thousand Viro-tubes per day per person!

There are a few more things to consider before you select Viro-tubes. Appropriate before and after-care is vital for success. Soil preparation prior to planting is necessary to ensure the Viro-tube root ball does not find itself surrounded by air pockets or impenetrable clay – both of these scenarios will dramatically reduce success. Also regular and frequent watering is paramount. Viro-tubes only penetrate 90mm into the soil and as such get hot and dry very quickly-choose your planting season carefully to avoid a high watering burden. On a final note – bushland wildlife enjoy grazing on fresh plants brought to them direct from the nursery. Ducks, kangaroos, possums etc can easily pull Viro-tubes out of the ground. Perhaps a ‘trial’ small scale planting will determine how problematic predators on your site are likely to be.

140mm Pots
Also referred to as 6” or 2.5L pots, 140mm pots are ideal for landscaping projects, commercial applications and roadsides. They are 140mm deep with a 125mm diameter. Plants grown in these pots have a larger root ball than their Viro-tube cousins and in many ways this makes them more forgiving.

As for Viro-tubes, pot planting rates vary with species and application. For mass planting, rates of 3 to 5 plants per square metre are common. At $3.95 – $5.95* per pot this equates to $11.85 – $29.75* per square metre, over double the cost of Viro-tubes. They are also slower to plant, requiring a hole 190mm in depth (1/3 larger than actual pot size).

140mm pots are ideal for areas where an instant plant presence is required. Examples include domestic and commercial landscapes, public parks and gardens and roadsides. Plants are more established in 140mm pots and grasses grown in this size pot can be quite tall.

Watering requirements are less for 140mm pots and they can be easier to mulch around. Provided appropriate care is given, high survival rates can be expected.

Viro-cells
Although Bluedale does not recommend plants in Viro-cells for direct landscape planting, we use them in our production process. Other nurseries continue to supply them to landscape and revegetation contractors, as we have done in the past. We feel it is important that our clients be aware of the pitfalls associated with planting cells directly into the landscape.

Cells are 25×25 x45mm compartments in rigid trays of 162. Their root ball is 12% of the volume of Viro-tubes – now that’s small. Our experience with cells is that they dry out quickly, often on the way to site. Associated losses can be significant. Further, predation by birds, possums, rats or whoever wants a cheap feed can be significant as the cell is easily pulled out of the ground. Success requires exceptional soil preparation and a rigorous watering regime which is time consuming and more often than not, impractical.

*Prices are a guide only and vary with species, numbers purchased etc. Bulk discounts have not been applied to these prices.

Little Jess® Dianella caerulea DCMP01

Bluedale has sold Dianella cultivars since 2003 and has seen many come and go. Little Jess is one of 4 Dianella cultivars we now produce – a testimony to its proven performance in a variety of landscapes.

The secret to Little Jess’s success? Essentially the short spreading rhizome gives Little Jess the ability to fill in gaps for a total groundcover. Combine this with vibrant green strappy foliage, Spring to early Summer purple star flowers, purple berries and wide range of growing conditions and Little Jess is a winner. Growth is generally to 400mm tall and 500m wide.

Little Jess will grow in full sun, as well as 90% shade. This includes the dappled shade of many trees. Although the harshest of roadside environments proves too difficult to sustain Little Jess, it is suitable to exposed seaside planting and coastal humidity. Little Jess can handle inland light frosts to -3oC. Minor leaf burn may occur when frosted, however this will be replaced by new growth in Spring.

Applications to which Little Jess is well suited include:

• Continuous borders – along pathways, roadsides and garden edges. Plant at 5 plants per lineal metre.
• Mass plantings – in large garden beds under trees, as foliage contrast among structural plants or to enhance flowering perennials and shrubs. Plant viro-tubes at 5 to 7 per square metre or pots 3 to 5 per square metre.
• Specimen planting – as clumps between other grasses or garden plants, to introduce ‘cool’ landscape elements to gardens with an otherwise dry appearance or around garden features such as rocks and ponds. Plant 3 – 4 plants per square metre.
• Where fire is possible – this may include urban/bushland interfaces where open spaces are maintained as asset protection zones (APZs). After fire Little Jess will resprout from the rhizome. Plant viro-tubes at 5 to 7 per square metre or pots 3 to 5 per square metre.

Bluedale has seen Little Jess used with success on many commercial landscapes and housing estates. Recent large projects include:

• Woolworths Supermarket, Lake Munmorah.
• Masters Hardware, Heatherbrae.
• Seascape Housing Estate, Hallidays Point.

A proven performer, Little Jess can be adopted in a huge range of environments and can be readily invigorated with appropriate maintenance techniques.

MAINTENANCE OF WARM SEASON GRASSES, COOL SEASON GRASSES AND STRAPPY LEAFED PLANTS

While the maintenance requirements of native grasses and ‘Strappy Leafed Plants’ (SLPs) are minimal, they are like all landscape plants and some management is necessary to keep them looking at their best. Trimming is the primary maintenance requirement of these plants, however, fertilizing, mulching and some watering are others.

Plant profiles available on the Bluedale websites www.bluedale and www.bluedaleplantsonline.com.au detail the maintenance requirements of each plant in our selection. Maintenance descriptions have been based on 3 levels of trimming frequency – Level 1, 2 and 3.

Trimming
Too often the assumption is made that native grasses and SLPs are somehow self-caring. In the natural environment these plants have both adapted to, and even depend upon grazing and fire. Such processes can be easily mimicked in the landscape by regular trimming. Well timed trimming removes last season’s foliage, including spent seed heads; encourages fresh regrowth during the plants ‘display’ season; promotes flowering and in the case of some Dianellas, makes room for new foliage from the basal clump.

So, how often is trimming required?

Maintenance Level 1 plants require trimming on an annual basis and include all the grasses in our selection. ‘Warm Season Grasses’ (WSG), such as cultivars of Themeda, Imperata and Pennisetum from are best trimmed in early Spring. This removes the growth of the last season and encourages fresh new growth in the warm months when these plants look their best. ‘Cool Season Grasses’ (CSG) in our selection include Poa cultivars. Their best foliage displays occurring in Winter and Autumn. They are therefore best trimmed annually in April.

Maintenance Level 2 and 3 plants include all of our SLP’s. Maintenance Level 2 plants perform best if they are trimmed every 2 to 3 years. This includes 3 out of the 4 Dianella cultivars in our selection as well as some of the landscaping sedges. Maintenance Level 3 plants respond well to trimming every 3 to 5 years. This includes Little Jess (TM) Dianella caerulea ‘DCMP01’ PBR and most of our Lomandra cultivars. Timing of trimming for Maintenance Level 2 and 3 plants from Bluedale’s selection is less imperative than our Maintenance Level 1 plants. The decision to trim should be based on plant appearance, soil moisture and seasonal conditions. For example it would be beneficial to prune a mature Lomandra longifolia ‘Katrinus’ showing signs of heat damage following the hot dry months, particularly if rain has occurred or a watering regime was introduced. In some cases where foliage remains fresh and healthy and the plant continues to flower, trimming may be unnecessary.

How much to trim
For both WSGs and CSGs a good rule of thumb is to remove 1/3 to 2/3’s of the leaf height. So if the plant is 600mm high you would cut it back by 200 to 400mm, leaving a good healthy base from where the new growth will emerge.
The pruning of SLPs differs according to their habit. If the plants are rhizomatous cut the foliage back to between 100 and 200mm from the ground as new growth will spring from the rhizome. Rhizomatous SLP’s in our selection include Little Jess (TM) Dianella caerulea ‘DCMP01’ PBR and Lucia (TM) Dianella caerulea ‘DC 101’ PBR. If the SLP has a clumping habit pruning is the same as for grasses. Cut back the foliage by 1/3 to 2/3’s the height of the plant. Clumping SLP’s in our collection include Aranda (TM) Dianella caerulea ‘DC 150’ PBR, all our lomandra cultivars and some of our landscaping sedges as specified.

Yes trimming in this manner can seem very dramatic. Particularly when trimming our grasses and SLPs for the first time. Be assured that provided the specifications in the plant profiles on our website are followed, you can be confidant of a great result. A few things to consider and avoid include:

• do not trim grasses and SLPs too low as this may expose the crown to damage. 100mm from the ground should always be the minimum. As with a lawn, if you scalp the grass it will take longer to recover;
• avoid pruning in hot weather or if the plant is under stress. This applies to most landscape plants;
• in frost prone areas, take care to protect basal clumps by retaining last years’ growth until the frost period has passed. This is particularly so for WSGs as these are pruned in early Spring when frost may still be about;
• when designing a landscape, avoid using a high proportion of grasses and SLP’s that will require pruning at the same time. An unfortunate result of making this mistake will be a periodically denuded environment;
• avoid carting large volumes of trimmings. These can be used as mulch on site, preferably under existing mulch or “top-up” mulch, or disposed of in compost heaps. Trimmings add carbon to the compost environment which is beneficial to most household compost heaps where nitrogen is commonly too high for efficient composting.

Why, when and how to fertilize
Generally fertilizing should be undertaken after trimming with a slow release fertilize to encourage new growth. Native fertilisers are suitable for grasses and SLPs, however their use is not essential. Unlike many native plants, grasses and SLPs in our selection respond well to nitrogen, therefore use of general garden fertilizers is suitable. Fertilizers with very high nitrogen levels, such as fresh manures are best avoided.

Mulching

Mulching retains soil moisture, inhibits growth of weeds and reduces soil temperatures. Such benefits are particularly important in the harsh environments in which Bluedale’s grasses and SLPs frequently find themselves. Choice of mulch can be largely based on personal preference. One exception to this is in areas experiencing high humidity and rainfall in late summer where an open mulch is preferable to avoid issues with fungal attack of plants. Gravel or course wood chip are examples of open mulches. As with application of mulch to any garden plant, to avoid collar burn, mulch should not be piled up around the base of the grasses and SLP’s in our selection.

Watering
All plants require water at some time and Bluedale’s grasses and SLPs are no exception. Yes their requirements are minimal, however upon planting and during establishment watering will improve survival rates. Watering before mulching is always good practice. Also watering during particularly hot and dry periods can be necessary to avoid replanting, preferably before plants show signs of severe stress.

In short Bluedale’s WSGs, GSGs and SLPs have low maintenance requirements however are not maintenance free. Follow the tips above and the specifications given on our website and you will enjoy a fantastic result.

Native Wisteria Hardenbergia violacea on The Bluedale Plants Online Show, Episode #24

This week I want to look at the white version of the Happy Wanderer that we discussed at last week. Now, the white version, we actually have a different name for it, it still is a Hardenbergia violate but we actually call it Native Wisteria. We do that so people will know the difference between the purple flowering one and the white flowering one.

Click on the photo above to watch this on video…

The Native Wisteria is a great plant for native gardens and for gardens in general where you may be looking for something that has a white flower. The foliage is more distinctly green than it’s purple flowering cousin and is a very nice feature of the plant.

Like the purple flowering form it works really well in native gardens and rockeries, something that can trail over rocks and over retaining walls it also can be trained to grow on a fence if you wanted to cover a fence, have a screening plant.

If you had a pergola or you had a trellis that you wanted to train it on it’ll work really well. Now it isn’t a natural born climber, so you do have to train it and encourage the foliage to go in the direction that you want it to go.

Being a tough plant Native Wisteria will work across a wide range of climates. You can use it frosty areas as well as in the coastal areas. You don’t have to be too worried about it being damaged by frost, it’s got quite a thick, tough leaf. So from Brisbane, Sydney, New South Wales, North Coast NSW, through to Victoria it’ll work fantastic for you.

As for maintenance, apart from training and encouraging the foliage to go in the direction that you want, really it’s just a matter of giving it a trim here and there when it gets a little bit untidy. Generally speaking it is a fairly self-maintaining plant and you won’t have to do much with it at all.

Native Wisteria is available in the Forestry Tube 10 Packs so you can buy 10 of them at once. They work really well, you can train it on your fence and you’ll have great success with this plant

For more information or to buy Native Wisteria click here…