Lantana – Invasive Weed

Lantana could perhaps be described as being Australia’s most debilitating invasive introduced weed. This shrub is native to Central and South America and readily grows into thickets. An ornamental garden plant, introduced into Australia around the 1840s, it quickly escaped domestic cultivation and within twenty (yes, 20) was established in the wild. By this time […]

Fallen Leaves

How can I use fallen leaves? At this time of year (early winter) we might have some fallen leaves that can be put to good use. Eucalypt leaves can be a bit tricky to break down and a great tip is to mix a tablespoon of Urea into 10 litres of water along with your […]

Pruning Crepe Myrtles

On the Coffs Coast there are few autumnal trees/shrubs which is perhaps why Crepe Myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica) hold such swathe in our gardens here. By giving us a beautiful display of Autumn leaves, it is almost a must that our gardens have at least one for their leaf turning burst of colour alone. Crepe Myrtles […]

Your Passionfruit Vine is NOT very passionate?

Passionfruit vines and lemon trees are habitual occupants in many backyards  Passionfruit vines are a bit like lemons – everyone who has a patch of garden ‘out the back’ would like to have them both growing. Imagery of these wondrous plants can often outstrip actuality – lemons seem to get every conceivable thing wrong with […]

Birds in Our Backyard

Our yard here on the Coffs Coast sees many bird visitors. They are a constant delight to observe. Some are more welcome than others so I guess we need to plant species that attract the birds that we’d most like to see. The following YouTube clip from Brad Walker has quite a few birds that […]

Australian Native Plants

Grevillea Scarlet Moon If you are looking for good, solid information about Australian Natives, the Australian Plants Society NSW Ltd is the place to go. It is a non-profit, independent, incorporated community organisation with members from over 20 friendly groups across NSW and overseas. Through the accumulated knowledge and widespread interests of its members, the […]

Growing Zucchini

This post has been made from a presentation from CHGC member Simon (aka the veggie guru).   A summer squash that can readily grow to a metre in length. It’s name comes from the Italian word “Zucca”, (pumpkin/squash), and “Ina”, (little). AKA as Courgette in France, UK, NZ, SE Asia and Scandinavia. Botanically, Zucchinis are […]

Organic Fungicides

As the temperature and humidity rises here on the Coffs Coast foliage diseases start to appear. The trick is to try and catch them before they take hold and set your plants back on their heels! Get into the habit of walking around every few days to remove anything that looks a bit dodgy, spotty […]

Is it a Weed?

After filling a bucket with this ‘stuff’ I sit down with a lovely cuppa to catch up on social media and what do I see? Apparently, Purslane (or Portulaca oleracea) is NOT a weed! This ground hugging, fleshy plant with yellow flowers originated from Persia and India and has done an excellent job of spreading throughout the […]

Eucharis Lily

Eucharis lily (Eucharis x grandiflora) also known as ‘Amazon lily’, is a graceful bulb that produces fragrant white flowers similar in shape to daffodils. It is a member of the Amaryllis family and was originally collected along the Rio Magdalena River.This low bulbous plant has broad, glossy green basal leaves and glistening white trumpet-shaped fragrant flowers […]