Vertical Gardening- Simple DIY

Vertical gardens are a great way to use spaces your garden that are sometime not utilised to their full potential. We have selected a mix of annual plants including polyanthus and silver dust but you could create an edible upright garden by choosing herbs and vegetables. Look out for tumbling tomatoes for a cascade effect.

 We have used breathable felt eco gardens for this project availble from Serenity Nursery.

I removed the plants from their cells and teased the root ball. I placed them in the pockets making sure different colours and textures were alternated. I used a good premium potting mix by Plants Plus called Terracotta & Tub. This potting mix contains a slow release fertiliser and wetting agent which prevents the soil drying too quickly. I carefully pushed the soil around the plants and watered in well with a seaweed tonic.

The vertical garden all planted up and displayed on the old stone feed shed in the nursery.

YUMMY NEW- Blueberry Lime Jam Petunia

Winning Combination Blueberry & Lime...

Pop into Serenity Nursery and find a fantastic range of flowering seedlings....

You will find  Petunia " Blueberry Lime Jam"in our new expanded seedling hut , an exciting new annual petunia for a sunny spot in the garden. This petunia will add vibrancy to your garden or entertainment area and flower from spring until winter Petunia " Blueberry Lime Jam" is also Perfect in pots and hanging baskets. Availble in punnets this spring.

Sprinkle your garden with colour.

From this...

 To This!

Winter is a great time to plant flower seeds. Try sprinkling a packet of Yates Cottage Garden Mix through your garden. Some of the mixed varieties are self seeding so you will have a bursting flowering garden with little effort.

Image 1 via Yates. Image 2 via ghostmyst.blogspot.com.au

Pretty Much Picasso

Paint a pretty garden with this new flowering plant " Pretty Much Picasso". The lime green edge and dark purple center of these flowers will definitely turn heads.

Pretty Much Picasso is a vigorous petunia hybrid ideal for pots and hanging baskets. Available at Serenity Nursery now.

Happy Gardening.

New Zealands Earthly Delights

 A sculpture made from rustic barbed wire.

 In the shape of a sheep, of course!

 A place for the birds.

A Simple yet elegant cast iron urn draws in the eye.

I love the rustic vegy patch to the right and the stark white gazebo in the background looks divine.

 The contrast of neatly pruned box hedge and romantic cottage plants is perfection.

 Old fashion dahlias and sedems in the forefront add colour to the greenery.

 An espaliered beurre bosc pear tree is a great use of space. Dwarf Tahitian lime trees are planted below making it a mini garden of Eden.

 Standard Olive trees with silvery grey foliage compliment the green box topiary.

 Another espaliered tree. This one is an apple tree. Not only does it look good its produces lots of yummy fruit. Dad brought this idea
 back home with him.

 An espaliered Fig tree is a magnificent idea.

I love the use of this gorgeous teak garden bench. It becomes a practical focal point in the garden.

I was amazed by Marian and Rodney's ( Mum and Dad's) photographs that they took on a recent holiday to New Zealand. A few of you have asked me to post some of their garden tour snaps on our blog.. so here they are. I hope you get inspired and excited as much as I did when I saw these lovely  garden pics. Enjoy...

Marian's Marvel

 Marian ( Mum) sits along side the beautiful blue and cream house admirering the creek and garden views.

 Try Growing: Dahlias, Agapanthus, Guara, Zantedeschia and acanthus mollis which line the creek bed of this New Zealand garden. These varieties will grow in most Australian areas too.

How would you like snow top mountains in your back yard?

The gardens of New Zealand continue to amaze. This one was designed by a French couple who moved to New Zealand and fell in love with a vacant block with a creek running through it. They planted a vineyard and adorned the creek side with the most beautiful lush plants. Marian and Rod said it looked so effortlessly elegant and the bridge over the creek looked like Monet's Garden.

 

Images by Serenity Nursery

Autumn Ideas.

Plant annuals now for winter colour. It's the perfect time as the soil is still warm. Try pansies, violas and snap dragons.

Go for warm colours in the garden this autumn to create a sense of warmth

Autumn is the perfect time to rejuvenate your garden to prepare it for Spring. Prune hedges now to keep them compact before new growth. Pick up fallen leaves and compost regulary. Mulch well to encourage healthy soil and to keep your plant roots warm through the cooler months.

 

I't's a great time to grow stone fruit, citrus and lots of edible varieties.

Spend these lovely days outdoors admiring the warm autumn tones.

 

wheelbarrow image by Andrew Lehmann

This weekend C.I.Y Projects

C.I. Y ( Create it Yourself) Project 1-

 Find an old bike in a junk shop or garage sale and plant the basket up with cascading petunias and small cottage plants.Use a coconut fibre liner to help hold soil and moisture. Sit the bike in the garden, for a touch of quirkiness.

C.I Y project 2- Do you have any old boots laying around?
 Maybe some old Dr. Martins?
 Fill them up with a quality potting mix and plant succulents or nasturtiums in them.
 The more weathered and aged the boots get, the better they look.

Images via Only Cutes

Floral Fantasy

If you have been following this blog you would have seen our succulent chair that we made for the nursery, well here is one that I found at JapaneseGarden. I love it and want to make one like this too. The impatiens look great planted in this chair. Krystalxx

Basil is Back

The weather is warming, the BBQs have started and we are enjoying life out doors more. No more winter stews or soups we are now opting for fresh salads and fruit. and my Favourite Spring sensation is Basil.  Everyone who cooks should grow basil now. It is so versatile in so many dishes. It teams perfectly with tomatoes and here is a salad that I make all the time.

 It is so fresh and easy to make.

Basil and Tomato Salad

You Will Need:

Tomatoes

Basil leaves

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar.

How to:

Slice tomatoes into rounds and spread over a decorative plate.

Tear basil leaves and scatter over tomatoes.

Drizzle with olive oil and a little Balsamic.

Season with Salt and Pepper.

Enjoy Krystal xx



Pretty Petunia Time

Petunia Avalanche in white

Petunias

It's that time of year again, time to plant petunias. If your annuals are looking spent and tied it might be a good time to replace them with fresh new seasons petunias.

Petunias Avalanche are a cascading or spreading petunia which produce a mass flowers throughout the warmer months. They are perfect for retaining wall plantings and hanging baskets as the flowers spill over the edges creating drama. Petunia Avalanche are also an excellent bedding and border plant.