Lyres & Figs

Rain forests must be one of my favorite vegetation communities. I think growing up in Tasmania helped forge this love affair with trips to places like Cradle Mountain, Mt Field National Park and much of the West Coast capturing my imagination.

There is something about walking into a rain forest that transports you back to almost a prehistoric time. That sense you get that time has forgotten these surroundings and that any moment you might just catch a glimpse of an ancient creature.

A few weeks back my girlfriend and I stayed at Kiama Downs, about two hours drive south of Sydney. After starting the day the right way, watching the sunrise at Cathedral Rock, after a coffee we looked for something to do and a little day trip to Minnamurra Rainforest was quickly planned.

Driving along the road up to the entrance of the park you can see and feel the shift in the environment around you, there are many more taller trees with lush undergrowth littered with tree and ground ferns. Arriving before the 9am gate opening, we waited in line for the Ranger to come and let us in.

Once you are inside the park you can really notice the improved air quality and get a feel for the change in micro climate, the reduction in sun light due the large trees makes the temperature drop, coupled with the age of the place and your surroundings certainly gives you goose bumps.

A quick trip through the visitors centre and we started on our 4.2 km hike, dressed in thongs of course!. The first 500 metres or so is raised boardwalk and fairly easy going including suspension bridges, viewing platforms and informative signs along the way. Once you get off the loop walk onto the falls walk it gets a little bit tricky with some steeper terrain but very manageable (even though we stopped for a breather a couple of times).

There is an amazing amount of diversity in the rain forest. Although you are generally confronted with a lot of green, there is still many wonderful things to draw your eye such as the statuesque tree ferns and palms or the mass of vines and creepers making there way over and under vegetation like natural electric or data cables or the array or ground ferns growing on the forest floor and also the epiphytic types clinging to rock walls.

A strangler fig using another Ficus sp. as moral support.

The rain forest canopy is made up of many trees and palms, all reaching up tall, stretching their leaves towards the sunlight like children reaching for the cookie jar on the top shelf. It can get very crowded in the rain forest. This crowding in turn can slow down the succession of plant species within the community, like mentioned before, time can stand still in the rain forest and no one here is in much of a hurry. Though when one of the elder statesman fall, the race is on to make the most of the newly increased sunlight hitting the forest floor. Seeds laying in wait spring to life, germination of many species can be rapid and opportunistic. Those "middle management" trees that have been laying in wait make their move, racing to reach the heights of the canopy and take that promotion.

The sounds you hear within the rain forest are quite soothing, very peaceful indeed, giving you a sense of being alone, a million miles away from civilisation. There is something almost scary about the quiet and being in a place like this too, like a dinosaur or some other long extinct beast may cross your path at any moment. Although the worst you are likely to come across here at Minnamurra is the resident Lyrebird, who's daily ritual of digging and scratching can have you looking around wondering what is going on.

The superbly named Superb Lyrebird

These Australian native birds are pretty unique - you don't get on the 10 cent piece for nothing! The male Lyrebird has one of the most impressive calls of any bird. We didn't get to hear anything out of the ordinary the day we were at Minnamurra Falls but male Lyre's have been known to mimic sounds such as other birds, mobile phone ringtones, car alarms, camera's and chainsaws in their attempt to win a mate. To get a better understanding, check out this clip from David Attenborough's BBC Wildlife.


What really caught my eye though were the amazing amount of Bird's Nest Ferns (Asplenium australascicum) growing in the branch axis of trees within the National Park. The number of these ferns scattered through the park was unbelievable. These majestic ferns, suspended throughout the lower canopy look like crowns fir for a king. The Bird's Nest Fern gets it's name from it's appearance once you look in the centre of the plant you'll know why. It is a popular plant for indoor and outdoor application, but seeing them in the 'wild' is something else entirely.

Asplenium australasicum - a crown in the tree tops

Our little hike through Minnamurra Falls inspired me to write this piece. A walk through any rain forest is something I highly recommend to anyone who needs a dose of nature or just wants to get away from the hustle and bustle of life. Walking aside, it's good for the mind, body and soul! Get out there and get amongst it

You've Got Tree Mail

Over the years I have had many conversations with plants, to many people it might sound like I have an unhealthy mental state but for the most part I find it very therapeutic.

What's wrong with telling a plant that it’s beautiful, give your plants some encouragement to grow strong or keep flowering. It can't hurt right? Well at the very least we are providing CO2 (carbon dioxide) to the plant to convert into sugars & carbohydrates that aid in their growth.

So why continue to talk to trees? They don't talk back right? Due to a very clever and innovative scheme devised by the City of Melbourne they now do. The Urban Forest Strategy has assigned an ID number and email address to over 70,000 of it's trees and the trees (or should I say a member of council staff) will respond.

Initially this scheme, introduced in May 2013, was to engage the community, get residents involved in the management of trees in public spaces and encourage them to report any health issues or hazards that the tree may be facing. What a great idea right? In such a technology driven world, what better way to get people involved in the welfare of the trees that surround them.

The response since has been pretty amazing, thousands of emails flooded in from all over the globe to council or should I say to the trees themselves. The subject hasn't always been about the tree's health or well-being, what the emails to the trees has shown is that the public and visitors are engaging with the trees, confessing their love in a modern tree hugging way. Some of the email conversations between people and trees are sweet and tender:

Weeping Myrtle, Tree ID 1494392

Hello Weeping Myrtle,

I’m sitting inside near you and I noticed on the urban tree map you don’t have many friends nearby. I think that’s sad so I want you to know I’m thinking of you.

I also want to thank you for providing oxygen for us to breath in the hustle and bustle of the city.

Best Regards,

N.

Golden Elm, Tree ID 1028612

I used to think you were the Magic Faraway tree when I was a child.

Now that I’m an adult, I still look forward to seeing you as I come around the bend after a tedious crawl down Hoddle Street.

A loyal friend always there waiting to say hello

Golden Elm, Tree ID 1037148

Dear 1037148,

You deserve to be known by more than a number. I love you.

Always and forever.

To: Algerian Oak, Tree ID 1032705

Dear Algerian oak,

Thank you for giving us oxygen.

Thank you for being so pretty

I don’t know where I’d be without you to extract my carbon dioxide. (I would probably be in heaven) 

Stay strong, stand tall amongst the crowd.

Others just hilarious, proving plants have a sense of humor:

To: Willow Leaf Peppermint, Tree ID 1357982

Willow Leaf Peppermint, Tree ID 1357982

Hello Mr Willow Leaf Peppermint, or should I say Mrs Willow Leaf Peppermint?

Do trees have genders?

I hope you've had some nice sun today.

Regards

L

Hello

I am not a Mr or a Mrs, as I have what's called perfect flowers that include both genders in my flower structure, the term for this is Monoicous. Some trees species have only male or female flowers on individual plants and therefore do have genders, the term for this is Dioecious. Some other trees have male flowers and female flowers on the same tree. It is all very confusing and quite amazing how diverse and complex trees can be.

Kind regards,

Mr and Mrs Willow Leaf Peppermint (same Tree)

Western Red Cedar, Tree ID 1058295

Hi Tree,

Are you worried about being affected by the Greek debt crisis? Should Greece be allowed to stay in the European Union?

Regards,

Troy

Hi Troy,

I seem to remember the Greeks razed you to the ground one time—are you still angry at them?

Greece is not out of the woods yet, but may be out of the EU….Some say that they should be allowed to devalue their currency in order to recover their economy, but the EU will not allow them to do that. Some say that it is partly the austerity program, which has made it this bad. They say austerity was a disaster for Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union and for the recovery of Asia from the GFC…

I don’t know, but then I’m only a tree.

Regards,

Western Red Cedar

So what does this all prove? That there is a connection between people and plants. That trees are important to the health of our society, they enrich our lives in varying ways and ultimately they do add great value to our lives.

I think this is a wonderful idea and shows the City of Melbourne is the national leader in innovation when it comes to tree management. This strategy has application all over Australia and the world, in fact a council member for the Upper West Side for the State of New York has tried to introduce a bill proposing the same strategy.

Will you be taking time out to talk to a plant? In this day and age it might just respond to you.

Hortimacultralist

A what?

Yes that's the typical response I get from non-green thumbs when they ask me what I do for work. It's actually surprising the amount of people who don't know what a horticulturalist is. Ok we aren't a glamorous profession like Builders, Plumbers or Electricians (and not as well paid) but we are friendly folk, that is until you start asking us stupid questions like "I'm after a plant, it's got green leaves...."

So what is a horticulture? Dictionary.com defines it as:

1. the cultivation of a garden, orchard, or nursery; the cultivation of flowers, fruits, vegetables or ornamental plants
2. the science and art of cultivating plants

Horticulture has a very long history, dating back thousands of years and correlates with the time our nomadic hunter gatherer ancestors transitioned into a more sedentary lifestyle requiring the cultivation of plants for food and medicinal purposes.

It's one of those passions passed down through the generations from parents or grandparents to children. For those who of you have followed my blogs, you will know that the spark that ignited my horticulture passion came from my Nan and I think most people get their green thumb from their grandparents.

It's unfortunate that that link or transition is disappearing from our culture. Busy lives and less opportunities due to the pressure of urban sprawl have made it harder for plant knowledge and passion to be passed on within a family unit. Of course there is still a lot of opportunities for people interested in the field to get involved but I really believe that spark we need (and this goes for any passion) is really important in the formative years, when we are discovering more about the world we live in.

More than a decade ago saw the boom of DIY gardening shows (of course Burke's Backyard and Gardening Australia had roots well before this). It was a great time as the message of getting into the garden resonated with many and the visitors to garden centers increased. Home gardeners had access to a lot of information via media and in turned headed back out into the garden. Most of those shows have now disappeared and the humble Horticulturalist can be relied on a bit more for plant knowledge - so don't be afraid to ask questions when buying plants, we are happy to pass on what we've learnt.

A recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald titled "Horticulture not seen as a viable career, even though it's crucial for our cities" had me feeling a bit disappointed. It's sad to think that many people turn away from the field because it's not high profile enough.

Sure it can be a tough industry and a lot of hard work, especially when you are subject to the seasons and weather conditions throughout the year. Couple that with the high turnover of staff you see in the industry you can't help but agree with these kind of headlines. If you want to get anywhere and want to get anything out of life you've got to start somewhere and put in the effort -  find your passion, find the niche in the market and developed that, the possibilities could be endless.

The positive message that the article emphasizes is the importance horticulture still has in the modern world, especially in our cities where the development and management of open spaces for educational and recreational pursuits is critical for the community to keep that sense of connection to the natural world.

The way we use plants in the landscape is evolving very quickly to keep up with the needs of the urban environment. The use of plants to ascetically soften buildings or green walls and rooftop gardens to reduce building temperatures, the use of rain gardens to harness, clean and reduce run-off from storm water and the increase of community and street verge gardens are also becoming more popular in cities and have all been driven by horticulturalist's passionate about increasing the plant/life balance.

There definitely is a science behind why and how plants grow the way the do and in a lot of cases why they don't always behave the way you want them to. I have many friends that ask me for advise and it's quite satisfying for me to help them out. There is never a shortage of photo's being sent to my phone asking "what's this?" or "whats wrong with this?" I hope that my answers are always helpful and I can pass something on that will inspire my friends to keep trying to green their thumbs.

There is something special about nurturing nature, seeing plants and gardens grow and develop. The natural world can be so beautiful and interesting if you give it a closer look. Horticulture can be very rewarding and there are many more opportunities today than ever with new horticultural pathways opening as our cities grow.

50 (or so) Shades of Grey

Before you start thinking this is some badly written story about things best left behind bedroom doors, think again!

In reality it is a not too badly written piece about my fondness for grey leaf plants and some of my favorites you should try growing in your garden.

I have always had an attraction to silver leafed plants, it's that striking grey that stands out among all other green life in the landscape. It's that year round colour that gives them the edge. They really have a knack for drawing the attention of passers by.

One of the main strengths of the grey or silver leafed plants is their toughness. Having evolved in some of the toughest environments around the world, most examples are low maintenance, water wise and in some cases, salt tolerant.

Widely used by both the home gardener and landscape designer not only for their durability but as an amazing colour contrast in the landscape, complementing other forms, textures and flowers. Like a good piece of jewellery bringing an outfit together, grey leafed plants can tie a garden together very nicely.

Many grey leafed plants get the colour from fine hairs on their leaves. These hairs aren't just an awkward fashion accessory, being hirsute (or tomentose as us Horticulturalists would say) allows the plant to capture moisture from the air, reflects the sun's heat and reduces wind speed over the leaf surface which alleviates moisture loss from the leaf.

So without further ado, here is a list of some of my favorite silver coloured plants:

Eremophila nivea - a real beauty and an Australian to boot! It's hairy stems and leaves give it a soft silvery appearance. It has very showy mauve flowers from late Winter to early Summer. In the wild (native to Western Australia) it is at a very high risk of extinction (an even better reason to give it a try). It is suitable to more drier, less humid inland areas. If you are wanting to try this amazing plant in your garden, do yourself a favour and find a grafted form which is a much better performer.

Helichrysum petiolare - hard to top the Eremophila but the Licorice Plant comes pretty close. Not baring a striking floral display, this plant relies on it's mass grey appeal to catch the eye. The mounding habit makes it an ideal choice as sprawling ground cover, for under planting or allowed to spill over retaining walls. Responds well to pruning and does best in open areas where it can spread.

Convolvulous cneorum - the aptly names Silver Bush really lives up to it's name. A sprawling/mounding shrub that produces abundant white flowers through Spring & Summer. Prune moderately after flowering to maintain bushiness. Works well in under planting or as a border in a variety of soil types.

Rhagodia spinescens - The Creeping Salt Bush is a hardy and quick growing Australian Native. As the name suggests it is salt tolerant and has a wide natural distribution across mainland Australia. Rhagodia responds well to pruning and can be maintained in more formal hedging but also works well as a sprawling filler in garden beds.

Kalanchoe tomentosa - The Panda Plant or Pussy's Ears (cute names for a cute plant) gets it's common names from the soft, flurry leaves it produces. This succulent is very easy to care for. A great addition to any succulent or water wise garden, giving great colour and texture. It can get a bit leggy with age so don't be afraid to prune back before this happens but keep the cuttings, as it is very easy to propagate and free plants are always good.

Leucophyta brownii - Yet another native (ok I am a little biased), the Cushion Bush has a tangled branching arrangement, forming a rounded shrub to 1 metre. Their form is one of the most interesting features. The modified stems and leaves allow it to survive in it's natural coastal habitat along exposed areas on cliffs and dunes. It prefers a similar position in the garden where drainage is good and humidity low. There is a dwarf form also available called 'Silver Nugget' which gets to 50cm tall.

Actinotus helianthi - The Flannel Flower gets it's name from the soft, woolly feel of the leaves. This is one grey leafed plant that does produce a striking floral display. A mass of star shaped white/cream flowers appear in Spring. This iconic Sydney species is best seen in it's natural habitat on sandstone and is especially prevalent after bush fires. To see some good examples of Actinotus in the landscape, it's well worth visiting Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens and Mount Annan Botanic Gardens. If you are considering growing this beauty, good drainage is the key. For a native the Actinotus can be a heavy feeder, so don't be afraid to sprinkle some native plant food around. Tip prune after flowering to encourage bushiness.

Stachys byzantina - Commonly know as Lamb's Ear's and once you see and feel the leaves of this plant you'll know how it got it's common name. On mass, Stachys looks amazing and is used well as a border or under planting in cottage and perennial gardens. This easy to grow plant is great for children's gardens due to it's sensory appeal. Flowers are borne on spikes rising from the main plant and can be purple or white. Trim flowers as they finish. Plants can die down somewhat in winter depending on temperatures but will respond well when favorable weather returns.

Senecio serpens - Blue Chalk Sticks (another self explanatory common name) are another tough succulent, ok they aren't totally silver/grey but blue/grey still counts. Looks great on mass and when allowed time to fill in spaces in any water wise garden. This Asteracea family member (The Daisy Family) produces white flowers in Summer but are generally insignificant and can be removed when finished. Light, regular pruning will keep the plant looking full and reduced plants from getting leggy, bare stems. Sometimes confused with Senecio mandralasicae, S. serpens tends to be a more upright and compact form, compared to the trailing and more vigorous S. mandralasicae - either plant is worth having in your garden and can be propagated easy from cuttings.


So there you go, some food (or plants) for thought - of course there are many more grey plant options, but as I said at the start, these are my favorites. What silver leafed plants turn your head?

I urge you adventure into the "grey", it will add pizzazz and draw attention to your garden.

The Imitation Game

Being the hopeless romantic that I am, my girlfriend and I went to Forster on the New South Wales Mid-North Coast to swim with dolphins over the Valentine's Weekend. It was a perfect day, we got to see so many of these amazing, playful and curious creatures all within what felt like arms length.

The whole experience reminded me of what wonders we have in our lives and how the natural world has helped develop some pretty amazing technology that has helped our daily lives.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, if this is true good old Mother Nature must be very flattered indeed. You only have to look to modern designs, structures & man made landscapes to see we are are incorporating and re-creating more natural elements into our lives.

The increased use of green (or vertical) walls and roofs in and on buildings attempt recreate mountain, alpine, coastal and cliff face landscapes, with the benefit of reducing radiant heat and energy costs (but more on this subject at a later date).

Doing a bit of research for this blog (yes I do some research, it all can't be flying by the seat of my pants stuff) I discovered the concept of Biomimicry. It's a fascinating discipline aiming to create nature-inspired solutions for complex human challenges in sustainability, environmental protection and technology. There are some interesting examples of Biomimicry.

Take Velcro for example, that nifty invention came about in 1941 when a Swiss Electrical Engineer by the name of George De mestral was walking in the woods with his dog, on his return he noticed he and his dog were covered in Burdock Burrs (Arctium sp.). Curious to how they worked, he took a closer look with a microscope and wondered how this kind of hook and loop system could be useful, in 1948 Velcro was invented.

Arctium sp. Burdock Burr

Another fascinating example is the Lotus plant or Water Lily (Nymphea sp.). Despite growing in the muddy bottoms of lakes and ponds the leaves always seem to stay clean. This is due to the micro-rough surface of the leave, this "self cleaning" system repels dust particles, as soon as a speck of dust lands it it quickly ushered to a central point on the leaf, once the leaf has water land on it (rain etc) the dust is washed off. A clever German company, ISPO, spent four years studying this phenomenon and developed a paint with similar properties, reducing the need to wash the outside of your house.

Nymphea sp. Lotus or Water Lilly

Ever seen the seeds of Maples (Samara) fall from the trees? The start spinning like a helicopter rotor blade the moment they fall, twirling like an aerial ballerina - an extraordinary engineering feat from Mother Nature designed to disperse the seed far away from the parent plant. If you haven't witnessed it for yourself, get onto YouTube now!

The Maple Seed - Samara

The Samara seed design works so well that they have been studied for years and just over 8 years ago serious applications began to surface in the area of drone technology. In June 2012, American global aerospace, defense and security technologies company Lockheed Martin posted a rather cool video on YouTube of the drone technology they have been working on called Samarai - you can check it out here: Lockheed Martin Samarai

Life can be a wonderful thing, all you have to do is look around, walk outside - take a short trip or along one, somewhere new or re-visit an old favorite. Of course to me, life within the natural world is something else, something much more wonderful, powerful and beautiful.

What inspires you?

Forest through the Weeds

Did I ever tell you I hate weeds? Well I do. A lot.

As I walked through the nursery today I was reminded of my hatred. I kept wandering off to pull weeds out of our stock, in particular Fireweed (pictured above) a plant I have a deep hatred for.

On the way home this afternoon, as I pull up the traffic lights near a new sub division I see swathes of Rhodes Grass (Chloris gayana) lining the road verges, most likely planted there to stabilize the roadsides during and after earth works are carried out. A very effective grass indeed but it does tend to spread into areas where it becomes an issue.

Due to the good rains we have had during the middle of summer, weeds have exploded around the Sydney area. Weeds by nature are opportunistic, spread freely and set numerous viable seeds - if plants could get jealous they would certainly get jealous of weeds.

So what is a weed? Back when I was studying, a weed was anything classed as a 'plant growing out of place'. Certainly you could say it's any unwanted plant, or something not native or endemic to the particular area - but what about the exotic selection in the average home garden or the non-native trees lining our streets?

A weed to me is a plant that colonizes and is persistent in an ecosystem that it did not once belong. Weeds in general show many of the same characteristics - weeds can be native and exotic. You can find a lot of good weedy information at the Weeds in Australia or Grow Me Instead websites.

Weeds in Australia (and around the world for that matter) are spreading at a rate that far out weighs the management of them. Controlling weeds consumes a large amount of resources and of course money - it literally costs billions a year. It's hard to put a figure of course on the actual cost to the natural environment but in Agricultural/Horticultural terms, it is estimated at around $4 Billion dollars annually - that's a lot of peso's!

It's not all doom and gloom though, weeds are, in some cases playing there part in alternate environment. Take Lantana camara for example, a significant weed Australia wide. A true 'Frankenstein' of a plant, a hybrid that its true origin is fairly unknown. Though it has provided habitat for small insectivorous native birds and smaller mammals like possums but unfortunately also for foxes. Lantana also serves as a pretty useful buffer between disturbed bushland and intact good bushland.

My daughters often make comment about to all the "pretty flowers" they see , most of these are weeds like Purple Top (Verbena), Gazania (pictured above), Coreopsis & Dandelion flowers and the fluffy seed heads they enjoy to spread (come on, tell me you didn't also do this) to name a few. I think the attitude of my daughters is fairly reflective of the general consensus - weeds are so common now they are simply tolerated.

Where would you start when faced with the above? Yes, it's a big problem, bigger still when you stand back and take in the whole thing. It's the overwhelming sense of futility that we all feel when faced with a garden, paddock or bush full of weeds. Where do we start?

Though like a lot of problems facing society today, it's something we all have a part to play in - Think Globally, Act Locally they say, its a great saying but I prefer an old gardeners saying when thinking about managing weeds is: "One year of seeding equals seven years of weeding".

A Load of Crepe

Heading out to get our morning coffee this weekend (something I was really looking forward to as our favorite cafe had re-opened this week) my girlfriend noticed a "Garage Sale Today" sign.  (all you Caffeine aficionados in the Hawkesbury area should check out Cornerstone).

As we do love a random adventure and the possibility of finding those perfect knick knacks for our collection we took a detour off the main road to partake in this much loved weekend ritual. Not long after the turn off my eyes were drawn to the bright magenta shades of the Crepe Myrtle's lining the street. It was actually the humorous sight of an unfortunate car parked under a Crepe Myrtle that made me take notice, I had to stop and take this photo:  

In my first blog I criticized the (in)famous Jacaranda for its messy nature, here I am going to do a 180 and express my affection for the Crepe Myrtle. Yes, Lagerstroemia's can be a messy tree but there is something a bit more appealing to me a bout this tree, possible my love of the magenta colour spectrum?

January is the peak flowering time for Lagerstoemia indica (and it's hybrid cultivars), this popular East Asian deciduous tree. The common name is derived from the crinkled flower, as it's appearance is similar to crepe paper. On our drive this morning they all seemed to be trying to out compete each other for the 'Most Vibrant' award - possibly because of a combination of the heat and rain we have had over the past few weeks.

Today Lagerstroemia's are a very popular tree for the home gardener, councils and landscape industry. With modern breeding there are now a range of colours and sizes available in the market. These 'Indian Summer' Lagerstroemia's have also been bred to resist powdery mildew, a fungal disease that effect flowers and leaves.You can get varieties ranging from 1 metre shrubs to 8 metre trees. For more information, head over to Flemings website.

Key features of this small to medium tree (apart from the fantastic flower color of course): they are easy to grow and have good Autumn foliage color but what I think I like the most are their trunks. With age they exfoliate their bark giving them a mottled appearance, as you can see below they can display swathes of silver and tan. 

I am sure you have noticed these highly ornamental trees out and about, what are your thoughts on them? I think they are a great choice for a small tree in the home garden but also have a place along the streets of our towns and cities. There is a lot to like about the Crepe Myrtle, unless you happen to be parked under one at the moment.