The common problem.

Member of the Poaceae family. Form: Grass Origin: Native to tropical east Africa Weed Type: Weed, Noxious Weed, Naturalised, Introduced, Garden Escape, Environmental Weed, Cultivation Escape Kikuyu is a very common weed or problem in most gardens throughout not only Victoria, but all over Australia. This grass loves the Australian climate and absolutely thrives is the warmer months, being a warm season grass.

Kikuyu is a perennial ground-hugging grass which spreads by runners. It is cultivated for pastures, lawns and playing fields and is a common weed of gardens and roadsides. It is recognised as a weed in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. It is not known to produce viable seeds in South Australia but persists and spreads from deliberate plantings and sites where garden waste is dumped. It was used for erosion control on Montague Island off the south coast of NSW but became so dense that it impeded nesting and access to burrows of the Little penguin (Eudyptula minor). The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has initiated a major control program.

This weed problem can be controlled or maintained simply by physically removing the grass as soon as it is detected, or once it has gotten out of hand a little more it can be sprayed using a regular poison from your local hardware store.

References: Randall, R. P. (2002). A Global Compendium of Weeds. R. G. & F.J. Richardson, Melbourne.

Examples:   

Fire and our landscape...

Back in 2009 Victoria was hit with some of the worst bush fires we had ever seen. These fires devastated families and communities, stripped the land of vegetation and all things living, but within 48 hours the bushland was fighting back. My father and I ventured to Kinglake after the fires had ceased to help with the clean up of the houses that had been destroyed. At first when we were driving along the road I was looking out over the paddocks of pure blackness, the burnt houses and the collapsed sheds, then looking into where the lush bush once existed I saw black tree trunks, twigs in a darkened landscape. Although once we reached our destination I began to walk around and notice vibrant green appear from the blackened land. The trees had begun to re-sprout, grasses were rising from the ashes and even tiny little ferns were appearing from the darkness. I believe the Australian flora rising from the ashes within 48 hours of devastating fire resembles the Australian spirit. Homes, animals and lives were lost, yet seeing the sparks of green in the black bush gave hope, not just to me but also the men and women around. The town was already beginning to regenerate.

Since then I have looked into the concept of using fire to help the native vegetation. Not only did I find that the aboriginals used burn offs for centuries to improve and manipulate the flora and fauna, but nowadays ‘Pyrodiversity’ is commonly used to rejuvenate landscapes not only in bush land but also national parks and even the botanical gardens at Cranbourne in Victoria. Fire can be a friend, not always a foe!
As it happened...
Signs of hope arising.
From the ashes.
As the days went by the future seemed brighter.

Myrtle rust begins invading Victoria

Pretty much every landcape, streetscape, backyard, front yard or park in Victoria has a member of the Myrtaceae family growing within it. Myrtle rust has been in NSW for quite a while, but now it has been spotted in several locations around Victoria. Myrtle rust (Puccinia psidii s.l.) is a newly described fungus that is closely related to the Eucalyptus/Guava rusts. These rusts are serious pathogens which affect plants belonging to the family Myrtaceae including Australian natives like bottle brush (Callistemon spp.), tea tree (Melaleuca spp.) and eucalypts (Eucalyptus spp.).
Myrtle rust is distinctive in that it produces masses of powdery bright yellow or orange-yellow spores on infected plant parts. It infects leaves of susceptible plants producing spore-filled lesions on young actively growing leaves, shoots, flower buds and fruits. Leaves may become buckled or twisted and may die as a result of infection. Sometimes these infected spots are surrounded by a purple ring. Older lesions may contain dark brown spores. Infection on highly susceptible plants may result in plant death.
Myrtle rust is something all victorians should be aware of and conscious to the fact that if it does come into your garden it will not only make your plant sick but it could also kill it, which inturn could affect your entire gardens layout or eco system.
This is an example of Myrtle rust.

Kids VS vegies!

Do you remember when you were younger and your parents would try to get you to eat your vegies?

Trying to get younger children to enjoy or even eat vegetables is a difficult challenge for most parents, but what if there was a way to not only get your kids to eat their vegetables, but to also be more involved in the growing process. Inturn getting them off the couch and into the fresh air, even getting to spend more time outdoors with them.

My mother sparked my interest not only in gardening but also in vegetables by spending the time out in the gardens with me and explaining the concepts to me. When I was old enough to sow my own seeds mum made sure to buy fast growing vegetables, that in some cases were sweet enough for me to eat but in all cases were ‘pretty’ or unusual colours, even strange shapes. It defiantly worked for me. I still remember watching my first crop of carrots grow, pulling them from the ground and discovering that they were purple, not orange. I instantly fell in love with the idea that not everything will turn out how you imagine it too, and most the time the unexpected is a lot more entertaining.

If your  young ones are rather impatient try fast growing vegetables such as Radish, or buy the vegetables as seedlings so they  will develop into a crop ready to harvest in a shorter amount of time , for example an established Roma Tomato seedling (I know technically tomato is a fruit!).

If you are looking for something to keep them entertained and interested, try the variety of colours nature has to offer them.  Alternative colours of carrots, corn, beans and even rainbow chard are available.

So when your kids are a little older and more hands on, try to plant different textured vegetables like the ‘Chicago Warted Hubbard squash’ , ‘Jack Be Little pumpkins’,  the ‘New Guinea bean’ or my favourite the spaghetti squash.

Even if the kids don’t like the flavour of the vegetables the first time around it is a wonderful leaning experience.

The 'Oleander"...

Since starting my environmental horticulture studies this year I have become more and more intrigued by my surrounding environments, and discovering that while a lot of the plants in my garden are not only edible, yet delicious there are also a minority in the garden that can be detrimental to ones health if ingested. The largest and probably the most poisonous plant that is not only well established but also very astatically pleasing is the ‘Oleander’ in my front yard. The shrub, if allowed its head, can grow to two metres or more but can be trimmed to the size that you prefer. It is evergreen with dark leathery leaves which are about 15cm long. It has beautiful, sweetly scented flowers, mostly in red, peachy pinky, and apricot tones, though there are some soft yellows, as well as a clear white. The plant in my yard is white and very beautiful. The flowers on a happy Oleander can completely cover the bush for months on end. The blooms can be either single or double, depending on the variety. There are even dwarf varieties available, to be grown either in containers or to fit into today’s much smaller back yards. Although this shrub is deemed poisonous, the media generally conveys it as something you shouldn’t have in your gardens. In my opinion the ‘Oleander’ makes a perfect ‘hardy’ shrub and should not just be looked over because of its poisonous properties, unless offcourse you have young children who enjoy walking around and chewing on random leaves, if this is not the case in your family then I think it is a fantastic plant for you !