Gardening Australia

Brendan starts with ...
Hi All,
I missed Gardening Australia on ABC 1 Saturday at 6.30pm, was mowing the lawn.
How come it wasn't on after Landline yesterday at 1.30pm? or, was it only not on up here?

John I. says...
You can also download episodes by subscribing to the podcasts through iTunes or download direct from the Gardening Australia website: www.abc.net.au/gardening/video/download.htm

snottiegobble says...
I heard that Stephen had death threats at some stage during his career so understandably his nerves are very bad.

Brendan says...
Have a look at this: http://www2b.abc.net.au/tmb/Client/Message.aspx?b=81&m=121710&dm=1&pd=2&am=121710

I like the very last one!:-)

Jason says...
Amanda the East coast still sees WA as a big red hole in the ground full of dump trucks and they will probably not change their mind until the day that finally becomes the truth lol. So the shows made over here will always be mostly about East coast stuff

Xiem says...
I would like to see a GA that is more Australian and yes, if you like, a bit more West Australian with its wealth of native flowers. Mainly I think it misses out on getting messages across about our Australian uniqueness. I would also like to see it address the responsibilities we have to conserve water and to provide habitat for wildlife, especially native birdlife, wherever possible. I would like to see it drum into people the stupidity of large expanses of sterile, water-guzzling lawns and actually SHOW people how to cut down on lawn area by putting in native plant gardens. I would like to see GA address the question of urban and suburban streetscapes; the sparseness of council tree plantings and the wasted space of millions of "nature" strips. I would also like to see GA extend into rural gardening issues, including tree planting on "bare" farm properties and fencing off dams and watercourses from stock to provide much needed habitat for aquatic birds. I think GA could do a lot more than it does at the moment to help the Australian gardener and the country as a whole. Amanda sums it up well: "(GA is really out of touch with the real gardening challenges".

snottiegobble says...
Xiem, everything you have just said I entirely agree with especially "water-guzzling lawns' & the fencing off of stock, etc!
When you think of it lawns are really an excuse for frustrated suburban would-be farmers! A great excuse for the man to drag out his machinery on Sunday mornings & harvest!! its not just the water wasted either, petrol for 4 stroke, & one of the worst pollutants 2 stroke mix! Its time people realised they are in Australia, not England!
We use a push mower for what little grass we have between beds & the front garden is completely converted to Natives with mulch!

snottiegobble says...
Yes Xiem, we have over 28,000 species of flora compared to UK`s measly 1,800. Our flora is unique & so diverse & more than ever many of it is readily available in nurseries including native grasses. I am a pom from way back, but consider the exquisite flowers of many grevilleas superior to any rose & their shrubs dont bite you either! They bring the garden alive with honeyeaters too!

snottiegobble says...
Oh, absolutely agree Jason, & they taste so nice as well!! :-)

John says...
I believe Costa will be hosting GA so maybe he will influence the show a little with being more water wise.

snottiegobble says...
Costa is very keen on community gardens & family gatherings for harvesting & enjoying the fruits of their labours. Very Greek & very Italian ways, but we are catching on slowly! He can only be a good influence I am sure.

john says...
Also an annoying cadence to his speech .

Diana says...
I had no idea about any of this until just now, although I read in the magazine that Costa was coming on in late March when it returns (the 24th I thought?). I like Costa a lot, but I will miss his SBS garden odyssey show which seems to give him a lot of freedom.

I hope they do not get rid of Jerry. I have been pining a bit after months without that show to relax in front of after a Saturday afternoon's gardening!

I actually think they do a good job of being regional. Someone I visited in Alice Springs recently thought that they even had too many Alice Springs garden segments last year, as the population is very small and they were quite over-represented.

I looked this up, the smh website has lots of perceptie comments e.g. this is uncanny:
'"Gardening Australia" still needs a host so presumably they will be replacing Stephen Ryan with someone else so they should give a good reason why they are sacking him. My guess is he has rubbed someone up the wrong way who wants to modernise the program and have more (non European) ethnic or urban "yoof" projects featured, which would be great, but their core audience will still be retired and older gardeners. Gardeners who get a kick out of knowing the correct Latin names for their plants. Perhaps we just don't fit in with ABCs "target demographic" these days.'

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/garden-host-out-with-the-weeds-20111130-1o771.html#ixzz1orvKnGu4

snottiegobble says...
I`m just an old age sensitive guy, so whats your bias, John??

Jason says...
Paul was on quite a few episodes of the show, from my point of view they were the most informative and funniest the show has ever had

Brendan says...
I thought Costa was pretty good last night. Better than what I expected.

snottiegobble says...
I reckon Costa did a stella job! So inspiring, community minded & humourous as well. I hope the show will help change some councils rules to allow folks make nature strips actually useful!

BJ says...
Costa is a good, entertaining host. He's proved that before.
Xiem - I dont quite know what you've been watching, but they've done all that and more. Jerry Coleby-Williams did the same thing with his verge last season, angus does lots with natives, as does Josh, who has also won awards for his efforts in water wise gardening...

amanda says...
Josh did a lovely verge planting at his rental home in Fremantle...I would love to see more of this too - or least not lawn? (especially in WA/droughty areas)

Lawn has a time and place...and can be an important part of some gardens...
but it has no real purpose on a verge (that I can see)? Such a waste of water :-(

Council reserves/mini parks (ie: public open space) with the obligatory swing set could be made into so much more. I would be happy to see my rates spent on these initiatives?
Many are so bland and do not inpsire kids to want to be there either. We have plenty of them around here.

I must post some pics of my local ones...they are really dreadful desert like things :-(

There is lovely culder-sac in Shenton park in Perth where it is obvious all the neighbours have got together and done up their verges...and it's really, really pretty (they have underground power which helps tho)

That can only improve the value of your home and neighbourhood surely?

amanda says...
Maybe Xiem...it's over 400km south of here and I don't get down there very often. I can post the address tho and maybe some Perthites can check it out instead..?

Mike says...
Yeah Brendan you become less reliant on a pollinator as you head north.If you have dashing good looks and some authority in your voice you could crack that show wide open.

MaryT says...
Brendan just grow a big beard! :) Yes I find following threads on this forum is better than any gardening programme or magazines. I have learnt so much here.

MaryT says...
Brendan I would cast a number of contributors on this forum for a new 'show'; only they're too busy gardening. :)

Brendan says...
Did anyone see Costa planting a choko last weekend?

I 'thought' this was the proper way to plant them? See pic.

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

BJ says...
Costa mentioned 'half buried', but he stuck them sprout end up. He is right in that they should be half buried, but the sprout and the roots emerge from the same spot, so laying them half buried horizontally is the go, up to the point where the sprout can go up and the roots can go down...

I sent a few whites around last year and hope to find a few more soon.

BJ says...
As long as the shoot is out of the ground and the roots can get into the ground without too much air in between, then you should be a-o-k.

Markmelb says...
Avo people - did anyone see the Birdwood article on last nights show?
Grafting a custard apple and showing clonal grafting of Avos - love to get one of those? Anyone know anyone else in Aust doing that - they said they were the only one.
I spoke to someone up there and they only seem to be sold to commercial growers with backorders of a couple years. Has anyone got a clonal Avo in this Forum - like to know how it went?

Markmelb says...
Yes growing tomatos in the Antarctic - Did you know the Greek word Arktos means Bear - so for trivia nights Antarctic means -- No Bear - LOL

Yes they have too long a Holiday for such a short 1/2 hr show - should be an Hour like Vasilis - do you get that show on station Ch31 (44) up the East Coast?

Markmelb says...
The guy at Growquest in LA California sells Clonal Avocados due to their vigor and extra bushiness ( for only $10 more for a 5 gallon size pot - $40 ) - look at Youtube vids he has that show difference between Clonal and seedling grafted as well as being more wet feet tolerant.