Rising to the Challenge of Gardening in a Dry Climate

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Keeping a garden beautiful and thriving in our part of the world has always been a challenge. Even though we have devastating floods and periods of prolonged wet weather that periodically fill our reservoir systems, our droughts when they arrive are long and punishing. As a result, water conservation is always a priority.

Inexpensive Ways to have a Beautiful Garden in a Dry Climate

In times of extremely dry weather, preserving lawns and gardens are at the end of a long list of public water needs. Extended water restrictions mean that only drought-tolerant plants, or gardens established using water-saving principles, will survive. Rainwater tanks and grey-water recycling systems are excellent resources that conserve millions of litres of water nationally every year, but there are also other, less expensive ways to have a lovely garden in a dry climate.

We have a range of landscaping and other materials that will help water-wise gardeners plan and establish a backyard environment they can be proud of. From a variety of soils to decorative rocks and mulches, Bacchus Marsh Redgum and Garden Centre has products and experienced staff to assist you to create a garden that will thrive in all conditions.

Green Lawns are High Maintenance – Keep them Small

Reducing the size of existing or planned lawn areas will give immediate results in terms of water conservation. An area of plants uses less water than the same area of lawn. We suggest replacing some lawn with hard surfaces like concrete or pavers, which can be made to look attractive with some imaginative use of coloured pebbles. Adding drought-tolerant plants will also provide additional colour.

Group Like Plants Together to Save Water

You will save water if you split your garden into watering zones, grouping plants with the same watering requirements together. This ensures that water is not wasted on drought-tolerant plants that have been located in the same beds as those needing regular watering.

Drip Watering for Efficiency and Water Savings

We also recommend the use of drip-watering systems. They are the most effective way to deliver moisture directly to the root systems and the least wasteful. Other systems throw water into the air where wind-drift can carry droplets away from the target area. Also, there is little or no wastage through run-off with drip-watering.

Mulch for Weed and Water Control

The effective use of mulch reduces evaporation and sees that the scarce and valuable water you put into your garden remains there to nurture your plants. The thicker the mulch the less water that is lost to evaporation. Mulch also reduces weed growth which is important as weeds also use water.

There are other methods that involve expensive equipment for large gardens, but for a small suburban space, these techniques are effective and go a long way to conserving our most precious resource.

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Is Your Garden Bland? Increase The Interest Level With Natural Materials

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For centuries, gardens have been created to enhance the appearance of homes and buildings, large and small. From well-planned, formal and structured to rambling and free-spirited, gardens have been a very visual way of expressing creativity and providing a natural environment for us to enjoy.

Gardens Need More Than Plants to be Interesting

Regardless of the types of garden we all have, there is always room for improvement. An attractive garden isn’t just about what plants or shrubs we have planted, but about the overall appearance and the ambiance that it creates. To get the right look and feel for a particular area or climate, gardeners often include ponds, water features, seating areas and other interesting items such as pebbles and rocks.

In fact, the use of landscaping materials like rocks of various sizes, polished river pebbles and natural stone has given the modern garden an extra dimension. Careful placement of these pieces offer a contrast between their stark beauty and the soft and colourful effect of flowers and foliage.

Stones, Rocks and Pebbles Mirror the Natural Environment

Customers of Bacchus Marsh Redgum and Garden Centre see our range of decorative rocks and many of them return with sketches of their gardens. They can choose from three sizes of Tuscan pebbles and granite, and a range of scoria, white pebbles, rainbow rock, river rock and lightweight rock. Our friendly staff are always on hand to offer advice on the best type of rocks for the designs they have sketched.

Japanese Gardens – Peaceful Perfection

While rocks and pebbles have always been a part of garden designs in most parts of the world, it was the Japanese who brought their appreciation of rocks and their placement to the Western world. A walk through a genuine Japanese garden is a path to tranquility. There are no excesses of colour or mixing of styles or anything that is out of place.

Every piece is placed carefully to complement its surroundings and every rock serves the purpose of creating a three-dimensional picture individual to each garden. Placement is vital and great care is taken, especially with large rocks, to give the impression that they have been naturally dispersed in a random fashion. The effect is one of balance and harmony.

The Best of Both Worlds Together in Harmony

Home gardeners have incorporated the best of these ideas into their creations, with waterfalls, pebble gardens, statues and ponds all featuring alongside our lovely native plants. The natives attract our beautiful birds and the local wildlife find the rocks, pebbles and other landscaping materials a great place to hide from predators.

If you want a space like this in your back yard, we have all the rocks, pebbles and natural materials you need.

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Solve Watering Problems By Knowing Your Plants

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Getting just the right amount of water into their plants to keep them healthy and growing has always been a challenge for most gardeners. We have all been guilty at some time of over-watering and having a favourite plant die from drowning, or finding a wilting plant, remembering too late that it was some time since it received any water.

Is there a Secret to Successful Garden Watering?

So what is the secret? Well, there is no secret, but the answer is a frustrating one – it depends. Knowing how often to water your plants means that you must also know what type of plants you have, as the watering requirements will differ from one type to another. It also means that you need to know how well your soil retains moisture.
If you are new to gardening, our staff members at Bacchus Marsh Redgum and Garden Centre are happy to recommend a range of mulches that will assist to keep the soil in your garden moist. We also have top soil, sandy loam, triple mix and mushroom compost and they will help you choose which is best for your particular needs.

Soil and Moisture Balance Only Half the Story

Getting the soil and moisture balance right, however, is only half the story. Mulches, for example, reduce evaporation especially in the summer months, so that the water used on the garden stays in the soil longer than it would without mulch. However, if regular watering is not done, the soil will still eventually dry up, with the obvious adverse effects on the plants.

A Regular Light Sprinkle or a Once-a-Week Deluge?

The number of times a week that watering should be done depends on the season, the location and the types of plants in the garden. Hardy plants native to the area may only need watering once a week. Also think about how long the watering takes. Are you only giving the garden a light sprinkle or a lengthy watering that penetrates the soil to a reasonable depth?
Most gardening experts recommend the latter for a couple of reasons. Doing a lengthy watering once a week uses less water than a light sprinkle three or four times and is much more effective. Installing an automatic trickle watering system when constructing a new garden is another way to make watering easy, and take out the guesswork.

Still Confused? A Pebble Garden and Succulents could be the Answer

We supply a range of pebbles to customers with small garden areas who like the modern look of pebble gardens filled with succulents. These require minimal watering and the pebbles act as a barrier to evaporation in the same way as mulch does. Whatever type of garden you decide to create, getting the right plants for the right location will solve the watering problems at the outset.

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A Simple Solution To Garden Maintenance

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Many home owners these days are busy with work, family and other interests that make this the most time-poor generation in history. The days when gardening was a favourite pursuit for most people are long gone. Lazy weekends tending to garden beds have been replaced by frenetic activities such as driving children to and from sport, shopping and catching up with friends.

Too Busy to Garden? Let Someone Else Do It

This change in work/life balance, while being unwelcome for those affected, has seen a big demand for other people to do their household tasks, including gardening. Rather than sit back and watch their neat gardens and yards become a tangled mess, ultra-busy home-owners are hiring professional gardeners.

We have become aware of this trend over the past few years, as more and more professional gardeners are now regular customers of ours. They enjoy the convenience of pulling into our yard at the Bacchus Marsh Redgum and Garden Centre on their way to a job, and loading up with the things they need.

Extra Time – Fun Weekends

For home owners, there are several advantages to handing over the care of their lawns and gardens to professionals. The most obvious one is the extra time they have to spend with family and friends, or enjoying other activities. They can look forward to the weekend with excitement, have fun doing something interesting and start the working week refreshed and relaxed.

Professional Know-how

Professional gardeners also know the types of plants that are suitable for the local areas where they work. They identify shrubs that are struggling, not because of lack of care, but because they are just unsuitable for the location. When they replace these with something that will thrive naturally, they are saving the owners time and money trying to keep plants alive that will always struggle.

Clean ups, Rubbish Removal and Re-landscaping

Landscaping features like bird baths, fountains, statues and rocks can become shabby over time, needing cleaning, painting or relocating to another spot in the garden. A professional gardener will remove anything that is beyond saving and dispose of it to local council requirements. Pruning shrubs, lopping tree branches and other infrequent tasks can also be negotiated with a professional.

Lawns Mowed – Pests Despatched

Professional gardeners do much more than just mow lawns. They also keep garden pests and plant diseases under control through regular inspections, cutting back infested areas, and dealing with major outbreaks. Because this is their livelihood, they know the best products to use while being careful of the environmental and health effects.

Home owners who have experienced the advantages of having a professional look after their yards tell us that they now enjoy their weekends. They still drop in to buy something new that has caught their eye, but they leave the item for the gardener to install or plant.

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Create A Garden That Will Surprise Everyone – Even You!

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There is nothing like a newly created garden to update an old-fashioned front yard, or to create a relaxing space outside the back door. It is also the perfect opportunity to unleash that creative streak lying dormant within you. It isn’t difficult, but there are some basic steps to take for the best results.

What Type of Garden will it Be?

Once, it would have been enough to pick a spot, turn over the soil with a shovel and throw in some flower seeds. Nowadays that simply will not do, so to get an outcome that will knock the socks off the neighbours, start with a firm decision about the type of garden you wish to create. Will it be a formal, structured affair with plants in neat rows, or will it ramble unconstrained and encroach onto the lawn?

The answer to this question will determine the course of the whole project including the types of plants and the landscaping features to be used. At this point, we suggest a visit to Bacchus March Redgum and Garden Centre. We have a comprehensive range of decorative rocks, several varieties of mulch, a number of different soils and toppings and experienced staff members who will offer advice and share their knowledge.

Put Your Creative Thoughts on Paper

The next step is to sketch out a rough plan of how the garden should look when it is finished. This is where the home gardener can demonstrate that creative streak mentioned earlier. The plan should include things like overall size, number and placement of features like a birdbath or pond, the style of edging if any, and of course, the number and type of plants.

Prepare the Soil

Next, mark out the perimeter of the garden bed, and remove any grass and weeds from inside it. Now it is time to prepare the soil and this could be a good time to ask for assistance from our staff. Plants will not thrive in unsuitable soils. We have sandy loams, triple mix and mushroom composts to enrich any soil, however poor, readily available at our premises.

Choose the Best Plants for the Location

Researching the right type of plants for your conditions can be done at any stage but most certainly before any planting is done. For the inexperienced gardener, a good rule of thumb is to use plants that are indigenous to the local area. They evolved there, thrived in the local climate, and make for an easy maintenance garden. Other plants may also do well but understand that they will need more attention.

Feed, weed and water regularly, maintain the right environment and you will soon have a place of beauty to show off your creative skills.

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A Quick Lesson in Caring for Plants

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It seems that some people can plant almost anything in their garden and it will flourish without much attention, while others spend time and money tending to their plantings only to see them wither and die. Our grandparents would have said that the successful gardener had “green thumbs”. Now we realise that putting the right plants in the right places during the right season was probably the reason for that success.

Beautiful Landscaping Needs the Right Plants

Our customers come to us for landscaping materials like mulches and decorative rocks, as well as various soils and compost. A lot of money, time and effort go into creating a beautifully landscaped garden. Here at Bacchus Marsh Redgum & Garden Centre, many of our customers are do-it-yourself types doing the hard work.

We hate to see them put in all that effort only to hear that the plants they used in the new garden failed to flourish. It is in our interests that they succeed, as their plantings will draw attention to our landscaping materials. Here are some “do’s and don’ts” that may help when choosing plants.

Correct Placement Essential for Plants to Thrive

Before buying any plants, look at your garden and identify the areas that are always in the sun, always in the shade, exposed to harsh winter winds, or are in difficult places like high traffic areas. Then ask the local nursery to show you those varieties that are the most suitable for these areas. Plants purchased from nurseries have tags in each pot with all the information you will need to choose the right spot in your garden.

Follow the Planting Instructions

Now that you have the right plants for the different conditions in your garden, follow the planting instructions. You may need to gently tease out the roots if they have been in a pot too long. Some plants can tolerate poor quality soil, while others need mulch or a soil conditioner to loosen and treat the garden soil.

Fertilise with Care – Watch for Signs of Overwatering

Be careful about the type of fertiliser you use, again following the instructions. Many native varieties, for example, do not respond well to certain fertilisers, and some find phosphorous lethal. All plants need nutrients to thrive so do not assume that just placing them in soil will be enough. Water is the other vital element, but again, get to know your plants. Some love damp soil but others cannot tolerate wet soil, for instance, and will rot in the ground.

Zap Those Pests

Finally, watch for pests that, if left unchecked, can decimate some foliage in a matter of days. Where possible, use natural control methods, or you risk killing off natural predators, thus creating an imbalance in your immediate environment.

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Selecting The Right Mulch For The Job

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When you start to plan out a new garden or even revamp an existing garden it is important to give it the right tools with which to produce the flourishing garden you dream of.

What you want to grow will definitely factor in what sort of mulch you should select for your garden.

Basically, you have two choices — organic mulch and inorganic mulch.

In this particular case, Bacchus Marsh & Redgum Garden Centre** **is not referring to that which you may know as organically grown produce. This employs the use of natural weed and pest prevention as opposed to harsher man-made products that can allegedly cause problems.

Organic Mulch

Organic mulch is that which will break down. This product serves two purposes:

The first is that it helps provide sufficient protection to the soil and plant roots from our harsh Australian elements and assist with soil erosion control.

The second is that as the mulch breaks down it will contribute valuable nutrients to the soil, thus offering a good base in which to grow some fabulous plants.

This is especially favoured by vegetable and fruit growers but is not limited to this style of gardening. The rule of thumb with all organic mulches is that they must be given sufficient time to compost. As an example, wood chip requires to be left to sit for two years. If this is not done the mulch can leach valuable nutrients from the soil instead of offering them.

Inorganic Mulch

Inorganic mulch is that which will not break down and includes such products as stone, gravel, black plastic and any other item that will not break down. Whilst this selection of mulch does not necessarily offer nutrients to the soil it can still be a good choice to assist with weed control as well as helping to condition the soil.

This style of mulch can help the earth hold water, assist with soil erosion and keep the earth warm, thus increasing the bacterial activity in the soil.

The greatest benefit of this style of mulch, however, lies in the fact that it does not need to be topped up or replaced every two or three years.

We hope this has helped you in your garden planning and design. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to drop in and chat with one of our qualified professionals.

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The Climate and Your Garden

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Well, you can’t say that Australia has not experienced some of the wildest weather this summer. The extremes have been amazing. Extreme heat and humidity in Queensland with very little rain. Great buckets of rain and devastating storms in the southern states and surrounds.

No, we are not going to enter into the global warming / climate change discussion. Australia is a large and vast country. It is not surprising to have such diverse weather conditions when you take into account her massive size and dimensions.

What Bacchus Marsh & Redgum Garden Centre does want to talk about is the best way to ensure your garden survives the conditions Mother Nature is sure to throw at it.

Laying Down Good Roots

The best way to help the plants in your garden lay down good roots is the give them the correct soil to thrive in. Take stock of what it is you are growing or want to grow. Do these plants prefer a high or low PH soil? What sort of nutrients can you add to the soil to assist in their growth?

Laying down good roots means that you have a healthy plant that can withstand extreme heat, cold, wind, rain, hail, sleet, and storms. Your plants have a much better chance of survival and will recover quicker.

Mulch

Good mulch can consist of forest cuttings, gravel, stone, nut shells, and bark to name a few. Any and all of these products are effective in the control of weed growth and assist in water retention. The trick is to select the right product according to what your garden requires, what you can afford, and what you like the look of.

Having enough water and protecting sensitive root bases from the elements is essential.

Trimming and Pruning

Keeping your plants trimmed and pruned is vital to ensure their continued good health. Learning the correct way of when and how to do this for each plant can be the single biggest reason your plants thrive or die.

If you don’t choose to do this, there is no doubt that Mother Nature will do her own cleaning. This could result in her pruning away not only dead wood so to speak but heavily laden branches that were otherwise healthy.

Good Support Structures

Some plants will grow up and over a trellis, arch, fence, or gate, for example. Ensuring these support structures are in good condition and can withstand any and all forms of weather, will make for a much more aesthetically pleasing garden.

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The Importance of Top Dressing

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To understand why top dressing your lawn is so important you must first understand why you do it. We all like to have a nice green lawn that is soft under bare feet. Somewhere nice to stroll and for the children to play on without fear of getting sharp dead grass sticking into our feet.

So What Is Top Dressing?

Top dressing is a carefully crafted mixture of sand, compost and other nutrients to assist in the growth of your lawn by supporting the root zone of the plant.
Reasons to do this include:-

• Increases water conductivity
• Improves soil structure – known as tilth
• Decreases compaction
• Adds quality organic materials to improve growth
• Smooths a rough surface
• Protects against winter cold.

Top mix is not just one third this, one third that and a little bit extra of the other. The blend must be created for each individual garden’s needs. Even the sand must be the correct particle size to suit your lawn’s environment.
Top dressing correctly does not stop here. It is also important to apply the right amount of top soil to ensure that distribution is even and consistent to ensure that layering does not occur.

But Wait, There’s More

To achieve the best results from your top dressing efforts there are other steps required for its total success. The first step after applying your top dressing is aeration. Multiple core aerification that passes in different directions is highly recommended if you want to increase growth.
Aerating may also be used to rejuvenate compacted soil in high traffic areas. In some cases where traffic may be heavier, it may be necessary to actually till the soil and mix your top dressing with the existing soil.

Another important part of this puzzle is to ensure that the right balance of moisture is available to assist in your efforts. Not enough moisture may mean that the actual organic materials in the top dressing may take moisture away from your lawn, thus creating drought stress.

Professional Advice and Service

Don’t despair! We know that all this sounds confusing but honestly, it’s as easy as falling off a log. Bacchus Marsh & Redgum Garden Centre is experienced in helping you assess what sort of blend you require.
Our friendly and professional staff members are here to help you grow your Garden of Eden. We can mix up the right quantity and quality of top soil and deliver it to you at very moderate prices.

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Plants That Thrive In Australia’s Hot Sizzling Sun

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There is no doubt that if you are living in Australia you are living in the lucky country. We are so blessed with such wonderful weather that it can be hard to pick your favourite season. For some, summer can be the toughest to endure due to the sizzling heat us tough Aussies are required to withstand. At least we can escape indoors, shaded areas or even the swimming pool.

Not so for our gardens.

There are plenty of plants that thrive in these harsh conditions. With a little love and the addition of protective layers of mulch or rock, you will have your garden singing and offering up wonderful growth.

So what plants best suit this climate and what can you do for your garden to help it cope with soaring temperatures?

Australian Natives

Any gardening centre in Australia worth a pinch will tell you that you can’t go past Australian Natives and Bacchus Marsh & Redgum Garden Centre is no different.

It’s just common sense that if you plant out offerings from your own environment you will enjoy the success and beautiful garden you desire. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t some great plants that have adapted well to our environment.

For a hardy, flourishing garden you can’t go past :

• The delightful and showy Kangaroo Paw. This stunning plant is available in an array of colours.
• Cordylines are also available in a range of colours, the strappy leaves of this plant offer colour and feature well in any Australian garden.
• Gazanias are also a firm favourite. This native from Southern Africa thrives in our conditions. They flower just about all year round and offer great ground cover to taller plantings.

If you are looking for a vine to grow over an arbour or patio to offer some shade, these plants all work very well:

• Lilac Vine is a delightful draping creeper with showy purple flowers.
• Grapes! Why not grow a vine that will also offer a sweet treat? The bonus to this vine is that is dies back during the winter months when you may prefer to let the sun shine in.
• Bougainvillea is also very popular in our gardens due to its hardiness and beautiful flowers.

If its shrubs and trees you are after then we suggest:

• Callistemon viminalis from the bottle brush family has beautiful 15-25mm red stamens that will appear all year round that attract the birds.
• The hardy Banksia is also a must for any Australian garden for its bird attracting qualities and easy cultivation.

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