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30 Days to Grow a Better Garden – Day 28 Report

Written by on October 10, 2011 · Leave a Comment

This month at AussieGreenThumb.com is ‘So You Want A Better Garden’ Month, which aims to teach you how to garden. As part of that I am running a 30 day challenge. The challenge consists of daily tasks of about 10 minutes each. I guarantee that if you complete each days task, by the end of September you will be well on your way towards reaching your gardening goals and growing better gardens. Will you accept the challenge?

Day 28 Challenge Recap – Do you want to plant from seeds or seedlings? Do some research to discover the pro’s and con’s of each. Most perennials need to be seedlings or mature plants for best results but many annuals and vegetables will grow well from seed.

Report
I’ve personally never been a very big fan of seeds. No real reason for this other than laziness to be honest. Planting vegetables from seed is clearly the cheapest option and can provide you with plenty of plants, however I’ve always preferred to buy just the amount of seedlings I am interested in and work from there. As far as annuals go, I also always use seedlings, again because I can just buy the amount I want. I once did plant a set of rockery style annual seeds which took over that garden bed well. Just don’t usually do it. Perennials I always plant as a small shrub or a cutting. Growing perennials from seed is often either very difficult or, with some hybrid varieties, impossible. Much easier to buy a small, mature plant and add that to my garden.

The reason I set this challenge
Even though I don’t plant from seeds this does not mean you should not. I know people who cultivate their entire vegetable crop in seedling trays leading into each season. This is something I’d be interested in doing in the future. Planting from seeds can also very much be cheaper. The reason I want you to think about this is simply because you may never have considered the alternative. It is one thing to ‘always’ plant from seed or seedling, but it it another to know why you do that. I do it because I find it easier, but is finance was an issue then planting from seed may be a better option.

Learn about choosing the right plants

This challenge fits into the category of choosing the right plants. Intrigued to know more about how choosing the right plants will improve your garden? I recently released an ebook called So You Want A Better Garden. Chapter 6 in my ebook delves into the topic of common garden tasks in a way specifically designed to help beginner and intermediate gardeners learn how to choose which plants to grow.

You will discover;
1. What are annual plants?
2. What are perennial plants?
3. Should you plant seeds or seedlings?
4. Why should you consider native plants?

And much, much more!

Click Here to learn more.

It’s not too late to join the challenge! You can grow a better garden. Start today! The great thing about this challenge is it can run over any 30 day period. Just check out days 1-5 and start from today.

Categories: Choosing the Right Plants

30 Days to Grow a Better Garden – Day 27 Report

Written by on September 27, 2011 · Leave a Comment
petunia

This is a Petunia flower, an example of an annual flowering plant.

This month at AussieGreenThumb.com is ‘So You Want A Better Garden’ Month, which aims to teach you how to garden. As part of that I am running a 30 day challenge. The challenge consists of daily tasks of about 10 minutes each. I guarantee that if you complete each days task, by the end of September you will be well on your way towards reaching your gardening goals and growing better gardens. Will you accept the challenge?

Day 27 Challenge Recap – Are your plants annual or perennial? Take note of your garden. Annual plants last one season, perennial plants last more than 2 seasons. Annuals are great and you will want to plant some however a majority of perennial plants will be better in the long term. Use annual plants to compliment your long-term perennial plants.

Report
Perennial Plants
Bottlebrush
Leptospermum
Rosemary
Strawberries (they would last for 3-4 seasons however they don’t usually fruit well after 2)

Annual Plants
The rest of my vegetables. Many, if not most vegetable plants are annuals, they last one flowering/fruiting season. Most fruit trees are perennial.

The reason I set this challenge
It is pivotal to know, when planting, if a plant is perennial or annual. Why is this? Because if you plant an annual…you will need to replace it next year! I’ve heard of people who have gone out and spent a few hundred dollars on enough plants to fill their entire garden…and not realise they were annuals! Then they die after one season and you have to go through the whole ordeal again. Annuals are great additions to a garden each year but you need a backbone of perennials to really grow a great garden.

Learn about choosing the right plants

This challenge fits into the category of choosing the right plants. Intrigued to know more about how choosing the right plants will improve your garden? I recently released an ebook called So You Want A Better Garden. Chapter 6 in my ebook delves into the topic of common garden tasks in a way specifically designed to help beginner and intermediate gardeners learn how to choose which plants to grow.

You will discover;
1. What are annual plants?
2. What are perennial plants?
3. Should you plant seeds or seedlings?
4. Why should you consider native plants?

And much, much more!

Click Here to learn more.

It’s not too late to join the challenge! You can grow a better garden. Start today! The great thing about this challenge is it can run over any 30 day period. Just check out days 1-5 and start from today.

Categories: Choosing the Right Plants

30 Days to Grow a Better Garden – Day 26 Report

Written by on September 27, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Leptospermum lanigerum

This is a photo of the species of Leptospermum I have, Leptospermum lanigerum

This month at AussieGreenThumb.com is ‘So You Want A Better Garden’ Month, which aims to teach you how to garden. As part of that I am running a 30 day challenge. The challenge consists of daily tasks of about 10 minutes each. I guarantee that if you complete each days task, by the end of September you will be well on your way towards reaching your gardening goals and growing better gardens. Will you accept the challenge?

Day 26 Challenge Recap – Do you know what plants you have in your garden? Take note of how many you know the name of and how many you don’t. Set yourself the goal of learning the name of every plant you have. This may not happen quickly but it is a good practise to get into, knowing what you are growing.

Report
Garden Bed 1 – In garden bed 1 I have a Bottlebrush and a Leptospermum. I had 2 of these but one didn’t survive the planting. I have plans to add more native plants to this garden.
Garden Bed 2 – Empty
Garden Bed 3 – Lemon Grass and Rhubarb
Vegetable Garden – Broccoli, Cauliflower, Celery, Spring Onion, Carrots, Beans, Snap peas, Tomato, Strawberries
Herbs – Parsley, Rosemary, Basil

It is pretty easy for me to know all the names of the plants in my garden because, besides the Bottlebrush, I have planted them all. This can be far harder if you inherit an established garden.

The reason I set this challenge
Knowing what is growing in your garden is very handy because it will help you know what you need to do and when. If you don’t know what is growing, it is absolutely possible to keep a healthy garden but it may prove more challenging. You probably won’t learn overnight, it may actually take some time and asking some fellow garden enthusiasts but your goal should be to know every plant you have growing in your garden at some stage in the future. This doesn’t have to be the latin name, it might just be the common name. Knowing any name of a plant is better than not knowing at all!

Learn about choosing the right plants

This challenge fits into the category of choosing the right plants. Intrigued to know more about how choosing the right plants will improve your garden? I recently released an ebook called So You Want A Better Garden. Chapter 6 in my ebook delves into the topic of common garden tasks in a way specifically designed to help beginner and intermediate gardeners learn how to choose which plants to grow.

You will discover;
1. What are annual plants?
2. What are perennial plants?
3. Should you plant seeds or seedlings?
4. Why should you consider native plants?

And much, much more!

Click Here to learn more.

It’s not too late to join the challenge! You can grow a better garden. Start today! The great thing about this challenge is it can run over any 30 day period. Just check out days 1-5 and start from today.

Categories: Choosing the Right Plants

30 Days to Grow A Better Garden Part Six

Written by on September 27, 2011 · Leave a Comment
flowers

Photo: Alfred Borchard

This September at AussieGreenThumb.com is ‘So You Want A Better Garden?’ month. This month I will be focusing on helping you step forward to meet your gardening goals. I realise though that for many people the task of improving your garden seems monumental.

Hopefully you have kept up with the simple challenges so far. My goal is that each challenge will take no more than 10 minutes per day. Connect with AussieGreenThumb.com on Facebook (search for Aussie Green Thumb)  or follow AusGreenThumb on Twitter to make sure you don’t miss any tips!

Here are the final 5 tips!

Days 26 to 30 – Choosing the Right Plants

26. Do you know what plants you have in your garden? Take note of how many you know the name of and how many you don’t. Set yourself the goal of learning the name of every plant you have. This may not happen quickly but it is a good practise to get into, knowing what you are growing.

27. Are your plants annual or perennial? Take note of your garden. Annual plants last one season, perennial plants last more than 2 seasons. Annuals are great and you will want to plant some however a majority of perennial plants will be better in the long term. Use annual plants to compliment your long-term perennial plants.

28. Do you want to plant from seeds or seedlings? Do some research to discover the pro’s and con’s of each. Most perennials need to be seedlings or mature plants for best results but many annuals and vegetables will grow well from seed.

29. Is there a particular perennial plant you would like to add to your garden? Do some research and find out. Perhaps consider an Australian native from my ‘Plant of the Month: A Compilation’

30. Take a quick trip to your nursery and have a look at what annual plants they have in stock. Perhaps look to add one or two to your garden. Annual plants add vibrancy to your garden. There are annuals for every season, however Spring to Autumn are the best seasons for growing annual plants.

Intrigued to know more about how choosing the right plants will improve your garden? I recently released an ebook called So You Want A Better Garden. Chapter 6 in my ebook delves into the topic of common garden tasks in a way specifically designed to help beginner and intermediate gardeners learn how to choose which plants to grow.

You will discover;
1. What are annual plants?
2. What are perennial plants?
3. Should you plant seeds or seedlings?
4. Why should you consider native plants?

And much, much more!

Click Here to learn more.

Categories: Choosing the Right Plants

30 Days to Grow a Better Garden – Day 25 Report

Written by on September 27, 2011 · Leave a Comment

weedsThis month at AussieGreenThumb.com is ‘So You Want A Better Garden’ Month, which aims to teach you how to garden. As part of that I am running a 30 day challenge. The challenge consists of daily tasks of about 10 minutes each. I guarantee that if you complete each days task, by the end of September you will be well on your way towards reaching your gardening goals and growing better gardens. Will you accept the challenge?

Day 25 Challenge Recap - Spend 10 minutes weeding a garden bed you have not gotten to yet or one which needs it most. Perhaps spend the first couple of minutes quickly picking out any new weeds growing in the beds you already have weeded. Hopefully, depending on the size of your garden, you are started to get the weeding under control. If you still have a long way to go to get to that point, don’t fret. Just keep doing 10-20 minutes of weeding every few days until you get it under control, then work out how often it needs to be.

Report
By now, regardless of how big your garden is you should really have started to make a significant dent in the weeding of your garden. As I have a small place, I have pretty much been able to get completely on top of the weeds around my unit and keep the garden beds I have already weeded, weed free. If I spend 10 mins ever few days now, I’ll be able to pick out any new weeds before they really take root and, most importantly, stop them from reaching floweing stage which should diminish (but it won’t alleviate) future weed outbreaks.

The reason I set this challenge
Find me a gardener who likes weeding and I’ll show you a liar. Ok, that may be a little harsh but in general, people who like gardening don’t do it because they like weeding, they just see it as a necessary evil for their desired outcome. It is ok if you detest weeding. I set the challenge to spend 10 minutes every few days weeding so as to break it up into smaller, more manageable chunks. If you were to spend 10 minutes every 5 or do days throughout the year, you’d start to really control the weeds in your garden as opposed to having them control you. There will be times when they get ahead, especially during early spring and mid to late autumn as these are prime growing time. However, in general, doing a bit here and there will be an effective way or reducing weeds in your garden.

Learn more about common gardening tasks
This challenge fits into the category of common gardening tasks. Intrigued to know more about how getting into a rhythm with common gardening tasks will improve your garden? I recently released an ebook called So You Want A Better Garden. Chapter 5 in my ebook delves into the topic of common garden tasks in a way specifically designed to help beginner and intermediate gardeners learn the natural rhythm of gardening.

You will discover;
1. What the most common tasks you will do in the garden are;
2. How to go about doing tasks such as weeding, pruning, mulching etc;
3. Tips on waterwise gardening.

And much, much more!

Click Here to learn more.

It’s not too late to join the challenge! You can grow a better garden. Start today! The great thing about this challenge is it can run over any 30 day period. Just check out days 1-5 and start from today.

Categories: Common Garden Tasks

30 Days to Grow a Better Garden – Day 24 Report

Written by on September 27, 2011 · Leave a Comment
hedge

Photo: Elizabeth Evans

This month at AussieGreenThumb.com is ‘So You Want A Better Garden’ Month, which aims to teach you how to garden. As part of that I am running a 30 day challenge. The challenge consists of daily tasks of about 10 minutes each. I guarantee that if you complete each days task, by the end of September you will be well on your way towards reaching your gardening goals and growing better gardens. Will you accept the challenge?

Day 24 Challenge Recap – Lightly prune any plants that have finished flowering. Prune any plants that you are trying to keep to a certain shape or size. Small regular prunes cause less stress to plants than big prunes. Some plants, like roses, like a solid prune once a year but over all, most bush or hedge like plants are better of with small, regular prunes to keep them in shape.

Report
As I only have a small garden and use it mostly to grow vegetables I don’t have many plants which need to be trimmed. I do keep an eye on my Bottlebrush and trim off the flowers when they die, as I did yesterday, and this usually keeps my plant in shape. As such, for today’s challenge I actually did a little weeding.

The reason I set this challenge
Not everyone is like me and has a small garden. In fact, I would have a bigger garden if I actually could! However, the point of this challenge is to get you in the habit of doing small jobs more often rather than relying on doing big jobs infrequently. It is easier to spend 10 minutes trimming a hedge lightly every few days than an hour giving it a full work over. Though you don’t usually do too much damage doing a harsher prune, lots of regular, small prunes is better for your plants.

Learn more about common gardening tasks
This challenge fits into the category of common gardening tasks. Intrigued to know more about how getting into a rhythm with common gardening tasks will improve your garden? I recently released an ebook called So You Want A Better Garden. Chapter 5 in my ebook delves into the topic of common garden tasks in a way specifically designed to help beginner and intermediate gardeners learn the natural rhythm of gardening.

You will discover;
1. What the most common tasks you will do in the garden are;
2. How to go about doing tasks such as weeding, pruning, mulching etc;
3. Tips on waterwise gardening.

And much, much more!

Click Here to learn more.

It’s not too late to join the challenge! You can grow a better garden. Start today! The great thing about this challenge is it can run over any 30 day period. Just check out days 1-5 and start from today.

Categories: Common Garden Tasks

30 Days to Grow a Better Garden – Day 23 Report

Written by on September 27, 2011 · Leave a Comment
deadflower

Photo: Jorge P

This month at AussieGreenThumb.com is ‘So You Want A Better Garden’ Month, which aims to teach you how to garden. As part of that I am running a 30 day challenge. The challenge consists of daily tasks of about 10 minutes each. I guarantee that if you complete each days task, by the end of September you will be well on your way towards reaching your gardening goals and growing better gardens. Will you accept the challenge?

Day 23 Challenge Recap – Continue to remove dead flowers from your plants. Getting in the habit of just cutting off flowers as needed will make this task a far quicker and simpler job than waiting for the whole plant to finish flowering. Sure, at the end of flowering it is recommended that you give your plants a trim, so it could wait till then but your plant isn’t encouraged to flower again.

Report
Even though I have been keeping on top of this task, I had a lot of dead flowers to remove today. At the moment my Bottlebrush is flowering profusely and just over the past few days a lot of the flowers have started to die of. This is usual and natural during flowering season. I used the full 10 minutes and it left quite a pile of spent flowers to put in the bin.

The reason I set this challenge
Getting into a gardening rhythm is what will help you keep your garden under control long term. Ultimately you want the best looking garden that you can and most people agree that a garden looks at its best when flowering. However, garden beds with plants full of dead flowers don’t look great. Spending a few minutes here and there removing flowers will not only encourage your plants to flower again but will also give you a far better looking garden.

Learn more about common gardening tasks
This challenge fits into the category of common gardening tasks. Intrigued to know more about how getting into a rhythm with common gardening tasks will improve your garden? I recently released an ebook called So You Want A Better Garden. Chapter 5 in my ebook delves into the topic of common garden tasks in a way specifically designed to help beginner and intermediate gardeners learn the natural rhythm of gardening.

You will discover;
1. What the most common tasks you will do in the garden are;
2. How to go about doing tasks such as weeding, pruning, mulching etc;
3. Tips on waterwise gardening.

And much, much more!

Click Here to learn more.

It’s not too late to join the challenge! You can grow a better garden. Start today! The great thing about this challenge is it can run over any 30 day period. Just check out days 1-5 and start from today.

Categories: Common Garden Tasks

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