If you’re newly together, maybe ‘Bird of Paradise’, which symbolises excitement and anticipation, are your perfect flower, and they have the added benefit of lasting for ages in a vase…so they’ll be a reminder of you for weeks!

At Eden we have many flowers to choose from, so we literally ‘say it with flowers’, whatever ‘it’ might be!

Rosemary obviously meant "don't forget me", daffodils were "unrequited love", gardenias "secret love" and myrtle was marriage.  Even the various colours of roses had multi-layered meaning.  White = healing and purifying, peach = peace and spirituality, pink = friendship, orange = wild energy, yellow = congratulations or get well and red = passion and lust, hence red roses on Valentine's Day.  Whilst flowers are the name of the game here, chocolate features heavily on the present list for many, so why not name a look at the Chocolate Vine in the garden (and the flowering roses for that matter) or Chocolate Mint in the nursery.

Wanting to make the most of your Valentine’s Day Flowers?

The top five tips are:

1. Clean vase - Start with a clean vase, wash it out with soap and water and rinse thoroughly.
2. Water - Add water and check the water level daily. Flowers can be thirsty, and imported roses travel dry in boxes from as far away as Kenya, so they need water and plenty of it.
3. Cut and re-cut stems - Cut 1 to 2cm from the base of the stems before placing them in the water and then re-cut stems every day or two. Cut on a diagonal line to provide greater surface area and ensure maximum uptake of water.
4. Flower food - Tap water is fine, but make sure to add the flower food sachet provided. Most flower food contains sugar (nutrients), an acidifier to maintain the water’s pH level and help the stems soak up water, and bleach to reduce bacteria in the water.
5. Positioning - Think about where you put your flowers. Choose as cool a spot in the house as possible away from direct sunlight, large electrical appliances like televisions or windows and doorways to the outside heat. Stay away from the fruit bowl as fruit gives of ethylene gas which makes flowers ripen faster, shortening their vase life.

Haiku

古池                             furu ike ya                   old pond
蛙飛び込む              kawazu tobikomu        a frog jumps
水の音                       mizu no oto                 the sound of water

We invite you to submit  your nature inspired Haiku to form part of our Haiku Walk. The winning entry will receive $100.

Acrostic poems inspired by Emma Chatter's EN_RICH, which is a playful interpretatopms of our motton 'Enriching People's Lives with Plants'.  Let us see what your poems beginning with E N R I C H look look like on our Facebook page.

Illustrative Poems: We want you to not only write a poem (inspired by the garden), but draw it out pictorially as well. The poem is normally written in the centre of the page with the illustration surrounding the words, but it can be that the words form the object as well. 

Erasure Poems: We want you to create a poem of your own ‘found’ within the famous Ode to Autumn, by John Keats. Simply cross out (or erase) words leaving only the ones you want to form part of a new poem.  We will have ‘Poetry Placemats’ at the Dragonfly Café ready for you to use as templates. Simply post your new poem, on our Facebook page or pop it into the competition box at the café.

If you don’t have room in your patch because you’ve still got summer crops in doing well, then try ‘catch cropping’.  These are fast growing crops squeezed in between the rows of other plants – things like lettuce, silverbeet, rocket, lambs lettuce and chicory.  They will appreciate a bit of shade from the taller plants while the weather is still has a sting, and will be ready to start picking in about four weeks from seed and even sooner from seedlings.

Plants play an important part in Chinese New Year.  Anything with red or orange flowers, fruit or foliage is highly valued, being the "lucky colour".  Cumquats are particularly auspicious as they have the ability to flower and fruit at the same time.   We also have some stunning Jade plants (Crassula ovata).  Put them potted at the right hand side of the front door to bring wealth and prosperity…and failing that, the young leaves taste like Granny Smith apples and can be used in salads and they make hardy pot plants and are drought tolerant!

Indoors, why not check out some "Chinese Evergreens" or Aglaonema - they are one of the toughest indoor plants available and are good Feng Shui. If you need some good luck, we have Lucky Bamboo (Dracena sanderana) or Lucky Plant, as it is also known; grown for attracting joy, breaking hexes and encouraging good health – and we have many to choose from. 

The cooling effect of a pond in the garden cannot be underestimated. It doesn’t seem to matter if the water feature is still or moving with a fountain, one is mesmerised by water and instantly refreshed.  And it’s not just us that loves water, it’s also great for creating habitat, and helps attract frogs, dragonflies and other beneficial insects to the garden.

Creating your own water garden can be as simple as using a water bowl, or as complicated as creating a series of cascades using pumps to recirculate the water.  At Eden we stock a range of bowls, as well as a selection of fountains with their own pumps.  We also have a great range of aquatic plants, ranging from marginal, that grow well in damp areas and in shallow water, right through to waterlilies, that water deeper – around 60cm.

Marginals include ground covering buttercups, blue moneywort, golden moneywort and a beautiful selection of reeds and rushes, lilies, nardoo and ferns.  Aquatics include tropical and hardy waterlilies and water hibiscus.

At Eden Gardens in Macquarie Park we also have beautiful display gardens that feature a stunning water lily pond and creek, as well as large reservoir, that all work together to clean our water supply making it ready for use back on the garden and in the nursery.

Chillies are easy to grow in any frost free position, and love an open sunny position with well-drained soil and regular feeding to really grow their best.  Their abundant fruits can be stored in zip lock bags in the freeze, dried out and in airtight containers, or made into pastes and then frozen as ready to use flavour bombs!

Coriander is an annual herb of which all parts are edible.  The roots are very important in Thai cuisine, and an essential ingredient in many pastes.  Just make sure you really wash them carefully so you don’t get dirt in your dishes as well.  The seeds, leaves and flowers are also all edible, and each have their own unique flavour.  It’s often referred to as Chinese parsley or Cilantro too.

Coriander grows best from seeds sown direct in situ.  If you’re going to buy them already growing in pots, be very careful not to disturb the roots when they replanted and water in gently with some seaweed solution.   When they flower, it also attracts beneficial insects such as hoverflies, lacewings and parasitic wasps, so although the flavour and texture of the foliage might not be to your taste any more, the good guy critters LOVE it!

Curry Leaf Plant (Murraya koenigii) is an essential ingredient in Malaysian, Indian, Sri Lankan and Island food.  It’s as important to these cuisines as bay leaves are to the French! They can be used raw in pesto, fried, dried, frozen and crumbled.  The plants themselves belong to the same family as citrus, and have small fruits that are also edible, although the seeds are not.

Curry leaf like a frost free spot, and can be partially deciduous if they get too cold.  They like well drained, enriched soil, and regular pruning (or picking) will keep them think and bushy; if you let them grow, they can be around 4m tall, making harvest a little tricky!

Galangal (Alpinia galanga) is a member of the ginger family, and like ginger, it’s the roots that are used in cooking.  It has a fresh, slightly lemony flavour and can be used peeled, grated or chopped into dishes.  Large quantities should be dug in winter when the leaves yellow or brown, but the odd piece can be dug cleanly from the main plant using a spade.

Galangal grows best in a partially protected place, and will grow to about 1.2m, making it a great plant for screening fences in warm temperate, sub-tropical and tropical areas.  The white flower spikes are an added ornamental bonus against the lush, mid-green foliage.

Garlic is a member of the onion family and is an essential flavour to so many cuisines.  The plant is sown from individual gloves in late autumn and winter into well dug soil.  Six months later in summer it can be harvested.  A less hassle and user friendly version of garlic can be achieved by growing garlic chives.  The foliage of these can simply be snipped off and used instead.  Society Garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) is another option with very tasty leaves and pretty purple flowers, which are also edible.  All three like a sunny, well drained position.

Lemon Grass leaves are used in teas, cosmetics and even as mulches, but it’s the swollen base of these that’s used in cooking. The plant grows to about 1m and likes a rich, moist soil, well feed with nitrogen, and tend to die back in winter, at which point you can cut back the foliage and easily prune out some of the stems.  You can freeze these stems for use at any time in the soups, stews and curries.

Lime Kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix) is an unusually ugly fruit; its green and warty looking!  But appearances are not everything, and this particular plant has fragrant leaves which add a wonderful aroma to any laksa, soup and curry, giving it a citrus zing.  It needs a full sun position, with lots of regular water and fertiliser to keep the foliage fresh and delicious.  Perfect for adding authenticity to Cambodian, Vietnamese, Thai, Laos and Indonesian dished,

Thai Basil is an annual plant that is used regularly in rice paper rolls, salads and as a garnish for all sorts of Asian dishes.  Grow it in a bright spot and give it plenty and food and water to promote foliage.  Remove flowers by pinch pruning regularly.  Happy in pots or in the ground, anywhere frost free.

Vietnamese Mint is a hot and spicy ground cover that is also sometimes called ‘hot mint’.  It can take over, so unless you mind it as a groundcover everywhere, perhaps keep it confined to a pot.  It loves regularly watering, and can even grow happily with its roots partially submerged in a pond.

Powdery Mildew this looks exactly as it sounds – like a white powder has coated the leaves of your plants.  In particular, it effects tomatoes, capsicums, cucumbers, zucchinis, roses and grapes.  Eco-fungicide is registered for its treatment, but also avoid splashing the leaves with water and pick off those badly affected.

Downy Mildew is another problem that shows up on some roses and ornamentals, as well as vegies like beetroot, cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchinis, lettuce, grapes and rhubarb.  The markings are yellow and angular in shape.  Liquid copper can be used, or Mancozeb Plus works for the control of downy mildew on onions, cabbages, broccoli and cauliflowers.

Petal Blight effects the flowers of azaleas in particular, so if normally a spring problem.  However, be on the lookout for any autumn flowers that fail to fail from the bush and pick them off when they fade so that they don’t become infected.  Yaleton, which is a systemic fungicide, can be used in August at bud stage to help prevent the disease.

For more information of some of the spot-like fungal problems like black spot, or drop dead and die issues like phytophora, check out this blog.

 If you're not sure about what problem you might have, why not utilise our plant doctors service.  Details in store or on the website

We also have a range of products that help water penetrate into your soil, help it stay there longer, even a variety of fountains and water bowls to give you a watery oasis and help plants around them remain humid and moist, like a natural outdoor air-conditioner.  Check out this post on plants for your aquatic garden too.

And if your garden is succumbing to fungal problems, this is some excellent advice on dealing with the most common spotty problems.

Grevilleas are one of the easiest natives to grow, and they flower virtually non-stop and make a beautiful cut flower.  They love soil that drains well, and is low in nutrients, so don’t be tempted to feed them with anything other than native specific fertiliser.  For fine textured, small flowered screens, try G. hookeriana or G. ‘Ivanhoe’.  For larger flowers, try the tropical cultivars like ‘Honey Gem’, ‘Moonlight’, ‘Misty Pink’ and ‘Sylvia’ – all are stunning.

Bottlebrushes are tremendously adaptable to a range of soils, both wet and dry, and flower twice a year, in spring and again in summer.  Their iconic flowers also attract nectar feeding birds.  Callistemon ‘Taree Pink’ is a pretty, long flowering fine foliaged form.  ‘Endeavour’ is your typical red and ‘Hannah Ray’ is a lovely gentle weeping cultivar that makes a very pretty small tree.  The white flowered ‘White Anzac’ is a great choice if you only want a fence high plant.

If you’re after a formal hedge, there are plenty of native that also clip into shape well.  The lilly pillies though are hard to beat, with attractive coloured new growth, pretty berries and dense growth down to the ground.  Just make sure you plant one that’s not prone to the lilly pilly psyllid so that you’re not troubled with spraying.

For more information on spacing, soil preparation and pruning tips, come into one of our stores and chat to our staff.

Native flowers have the bonus of often looking great in all stages of their lifecycle – gums have great foliage, buds and gum nuts, for example, but many have beautiful cobs (like banksias) or seed heads.  Native foliage is diverse too, from reeds to fern fronds, glossy rainforest leaves to the grey apple gum.  The flowers and foliage of natives reliable have great vase life too, so you can get pleasure from picking bunches from the garden for longer…or pop into our florist and we can make up a wonderful creation from our selection.

At Eden Gardens we have a terrific range of all these, as well as grevilleas, wattles, emu bush and bottlebrush too…come in and get some great advice on how to use these fabulous flowers as screening plants, features and even pot plants.

Grevillea

This long flowering fast growing native is a must for bird lovers as it flowers most of the year. Lightly prune on a regular basis to promote a bushier plant and more flowers.  Growth varies from ground covers to trees depending on the variety.

Banksia

A beautiful native plant for your garden. The nectar rich flowers, which are produced late summer to winter will attract nectar feeding birds from far and wide.  There are now ground cover banksias, as well as ones that grow to 1m and large shrubs that are great screening options.

Bottlebrushes

From red to pink to white blooms these beautiful, bird attracting plants grow into dense shrubs, perfect for hiding the neighbours and often have a slightly weeping habit. The flowers are produced Spring, Summer and Autumn too, making them enormously giving plants.  Prune after each flowering flush to keep them bushy.

Gymea Lilies

One of the most spectacular flowering natives you can grow in your garden. Giant stems up to 6m in height and topped with brilliant red flowers up to 30cm across attract nectar feeding birds from far away.  The sword-like leaves are great in vases too.

 Gums

Red flowering gums (Corymbia ficifolia cvs.) are excellent as a small compact flowering tree; perfect for large pots on a balcony.  Widely loved for their stunning showy display of flowers that can cover a tree in colour!  Available in pink, orange and shades of red.

Kangaroo Paws

A beautiful range of native plants that will have the smaller honeyeaters flocking to your garden. The added bonus of cut flowers makes this an easy choice when looking for an interesting feature plant for your garden.  Choose a well-drained position and divide clumps every 3 or 4 years to get more plants for free!

Ask our staff for advice on native specific fertiliser, potting mix and even our Native Bee Hives that you can buy in store!

Use raised beds or mounds in your garden to get the great drainage that many natives require.  Try a mixture of flowering small shrubs, grasses and ground covers like Flannel flowers (Actinotis helianthi), Kangaroo Paws (Anigozanthos spp.), Coastal Tussock (Poa poiformis), Knobby Club Rush (Isolepis nodosus), White Correa (Correa alba), Fan flower (Scaevola aemula), Black eyed Susan (Tetratheca thymifolia) and straw flowers (Helichrysum spp.).  Add a few climbing plants, such as Wonga Wonga vine (Pandorea pandoroides)and Happy Wanderer (Hardenbergia violaceae) and a hedge of Lilly Pillies (Acmena smithii ‘Minor’) and you have a ‘traditional’ garden made from true blue botanicals. And if you have room for a small tree, you can’t go past the ‘Summertime’ range of grafted flowering gums (Corymbia ficifolia cvs).

The overall effect will be one of beauty, year round interest, low maintenance and drought tolerance, as well as often attracting birds and other beneficial insects into your garden.

 It’s a great time to DREAM BIG – and you won’t even work up a sweat with that!  Imagine a new area that you want to transform or perhaps create your own tropical paradise.  Transform your courtyard with some new garden furniture…we have a great range and you can get 25% off many pieces now during our summer clearance sale.  Read up on what suitable for your space here.  Or stay on trend with our Pantone Colour of the Year 2018 Ultra Violet range of plants and homewares.

And if you’re flat out finding things to do with the kids, come into our stores and get a Vegie Pod – we’ll show you all the great crops for kids that will encourage them to eat well and grow fast enough that they’ll be ready for them to take to school in their lunch boxes.  We also have a great range of herbs perfect for the bbq, and other herbs perfect for discouraging mossies and flies, so you can enjoy the great outdoors, even more, this summer.

Oh, and to celebrate Australia Day, we have a range of activities planned in store on Sunday, from talks on natives to kangaroo burgers and a great Australian Backyard Cricket Challenge – perfect for the kids and adults to get involved in.  We even have a post on possums in the garden, and you can’t get more Aussie than that!

Marinades

Marinades can coat meat or veg and add flavour.  Try a simple marinade of 1 part acid (vinegar, citrus juice of yogurt) with 1 part oil and 2 parts fresh herbs.  Add some salt and pepper to taste. You can use any herb blend in the marinade, but rosemary also contains carnosol, which has some powerful antioxidanst in it and also tastes great with so many meats and spuds!

Herb Skewers

Some woody herbs like rosemary, lemon verbena and even oregano can be used as skewers for meat, vegetables and fish.  Cut suitable lengths of straight stems from your garden, thread on diced ingredients, brush with a herby oil made from the leaves you stripped from the stems and then pop them onto the bbq.  Your flavouring will be from the inside out as well!

Herb Brushes

Larger portions of meat need basting to remain moist.  Rather than basting with and ordinary brush, make up your own from sprigs of herbs and they can impart flavour at the same time.  Bundle any combination of rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, tarragon and sage, and simply tie off the cut ends land soak in lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil.

Herb Rubs

These are so simple to create from your garden, and include softer herbs like coriander, chives and basil.  Finely chop or blitz ½ cup of herbs with 2 tablespoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of pepper.  Add chilli seeds or cayenne pepper if you like your blend hot!  Rub onto lightly oiled meat, wrap with cling film and refrigerate for anything from 1 hour to overnight (veggies and fish only need a short time) before barbequing.

Growing herbs is easy.  Our staff can advise you on the best herbs for your position, but as general guide, most herbs thrive in open, sunny positions with 4 – 5 hours of direct sunlight each day.  In gardens, add organic matter such as compost, manure or Soil Conditioner prior to planting.  In pots, use good quality potting mix like Eden Premium Mix.  

Most herbs grow rapidly, requiring regular applications of water and fertiliser.

Using Herbs in BBQ cooking  -  Other Ideas from the Chefs at Eden Gardens:

· Cooking beef, lamb, pork or burgers on the grill of a gas BBQ, lying on a bed of hard herbs like rosemary, thyme and oregano soaked in water. These herbs can also be added to coal of charcoal BBQ, once fire has died down.

· Making herb flavoured butter by mixing soft butter with finely chopped herbs like dill, parsley, basil and chives. Serve with BBQ cooked corn cobs, mushrooms, eggplant or zucchini.

· Brushing steaks with a mix of olive oil and chopped parsley, basil and chives, when they have just finished cooking on the BBQ.

· Baking whole fish on the BBQ, stuffed with coriander, dill, garlic, lemon grass, slices of orange and Spanish onion.

Possum Magic

There are some simple ‘possum friendly’ ways of deterring them from your patch.  Before you put away all those Christmas lights (and while they are still on sale), it’s time to hang them up around your vegies.  Possums are nocturnal animals, and the flashing lights seem to annoy them…enough that they take themselves elsewhere for a midnight snack.

If you have possums running along your fence biting off your climbing roses and whatever else takes their fancy, get yourself some dog hair.  Stuff net bags (like you get from the fruit shop) with your pooches malting hair and then secure these bags to the tops of your roses or whatever else is taking their fancies.

Some people like to try sprinkling Cayenne Pepper, Tabasco or Chilli powder around the garden.  Experience of many has shown that possums develop quite the taste for spice, and you’re better off with onion and garlic, steeping it in water for 3-4 days then spraying around.

If your time is precious and you want a sure-fire brew ready to use, we stock Poss Off, which has a bitter taste that possums detest and is made from natural ingredients.  Staying calm can be tricky to hear when they’re running on your roof at night or nibbling your garden, munching on your prize roses and edibles…but if you can get to Eden we can provide you with the answers!

The first key ingredient to get right is water.  Grass can survive on next to nothing and bounce back well after periods of drought, but if you’re after the MCG, not the GSD (Great Stony Desert), then you might want to measure the amount your lawn receives each week.  For a lawn to grow and look LUSH, it should get around 25m per week.  Having a rain gauge outside is an easy way of seeing if you need to add a sprinkler – and putting the gauge out getting the sprinkler is an easy way of seeing if you’re delivering too much or too little water.  Of course, in winter when the grass isn’t growing much, you can cut this back considerably.  To check the water you’re putting on is getting into the ground, you might need to apply a wetting agent or de-compact your soil using a fork or hire a coring machine.

Feeding

Grass needs regular applications of fertiliser to help it stay green and cope with pets, play, sports, walking on, the occasional car parked and all the other things that grass gets hit with. Try using Sudden Impact for Lawns, which is an Aussie Company and has blended ‘the best of both worlds’ by using an organic, slow release base and boosting it with soluble nutrients such as nitrogen and potassium, magnesium and iron to add to its performance quickly.  50g per square metre will treat established lawns, and 100g will give new lawns the kickstart they need.  Remember healthy plants resist disease, weeds and heat stress.

Weeding

If you’ve been watching the kids and dog doing a strange backyard dance, then chances are you have bindii, rather than extra talented, artistic kids or possessed pets!  It’s too late to spray now for this, but we do have stock in the stores of AMGROW Bin-Die for only $4 (usually $16.98), so you can buy it now and write in big red letters SPRAY IN JUNE / JULY on the bottle, so you don’t forget next year.  It also treats creeping oxalis, clover and dandelions if you’re having trouble with either during summer.  In the meantime, trim your lawn often to stop weeds from seeding.

Mowing

The height you mow your lawn impacts on the root depth and grasses ability to cope with drought.  In summer keep your lawn to about 25mm in length – raise it slightly in winter.  A little often is the best way to minimise stress and weeds coming into your lawn.  And if a contractor mows for you, ask them to hose off their mowers before they do your lawn to keep weed seeds out of your place in the first place.

… and now back to the cricket!

Weeds

Summer weeds are luscious.  So well do they grow it almost seems a shame to waster them…so don’t, turn them into great compost instead.  Many weeds are full of nitrogen and break down quickly in a hot compost to provide a rich feed for your garden – but you have to make sure you’re not including pernicious weeds…keep your system turned regularly and it should be hot enough to kill of most weed seeds, but leaving out onion grass, onion weed and oxalis bulbs is prudent!  Our Hungry Bins are great at turning your weeds to feed in no time.

Climbers and Vines

Tendrils from wisteria, jasmine, bougainvillea, grapes and many more can start to feel like The Day of the Triffods instead of a garden scene.  It’s a great time to reclaim your pergola and trim back these climbers.  If you want a summer project, wind the snippets into wreaths, balls, or even tripods that you can use in your garden to support peas and sweet peas.

Fungal Problems

The humid weather can spawn a whole heap of spores… and a host of fungal problems in the garden.  Use Eco-Fungicide or Mancozeb Plus to control a broad spectrum of problems, and Yates Rose Gun Advanced to do some fungal problems and pests on a range of ornamentals, including roses.

And here’s the tip; don’t dig, stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day and instead use the time to do things that work best in hot weather, or at least can be achieved in the early hours of the morning or cooler evening hours.

In fact, swapping 20 – 30 minutes of screen time for green time is good for our mental health too… as well as the gardens!

We also have the ultimate in ‘garden’s workouts’ coming to Eden this February, with pilates in the garden starting up in February from the 3^rd at 7am…and the hour workout will only cost you $10.

And don’t forget to pick up some salad seedlings or micro greens kits before you head home so you can eat well from your own patch too.

Right on trend, Eden Gardens have a range of Ultra Violet homewares and plants and our centres, like the colour purple, offer a refuge from today’s over-stimulated world. Come and relax here in 2018 and be inspired to create a place of rest.

A few of the 'Ultra Violet' plants that you could use to redecorate your garden with to give it an "out of this world" makeover include Salvia (above), and below, Lobelia 'Blue Eyes', Convolvulus 'New Moon', Petunias, both bedding types and 'Night Sky'- a new speckled flowering cultivar, or bespoke Potted Eden creations like this one.

* Natural stone tables will differ slightly.  They are great as one-off feature pieces as each piece of stone varies. Stone is porous so use coasters and placemats to avoid staining. 

* Teak furniture is beautiful and weathers to a soft silvery grey. If you want to keep it looking new, use teak oil on it regularly and it will remain true to colour.

* We also sell a range of wicker furniture which works well undercover on a verandah. Clean it with a pH neutral cleaner to keep it looking good. Not included in the sale.

Neville Passmore, from the Garden Gurus, shows you how to get the tropical look back home in the backyard using palms and cycads from Eden Gardens here.

Titled LOVE. it will be a celebration with colourful cushions forming a tessellated rainbow embellished with crocheted and felted flowers.  The centrepiece will be a large garland of white flowers forming the word ‘LOVE.’ on the grass.  Thompson also encourages community engagement and interaction, with personalised messages of love and hope to be embroidered into the work.

Thompson, whose crafted works Sit. Breath. Love and Hope Blooms are already on display at Eden Unearthed  revealed "My original installation with Eden had people visiting telling me that they could feel the love and emotion that went into my piece, so I am now thrilled to be able to share that same emotion with an even more powerful expression of love.  Using the colours of the LBGTQI flag.  Love is Love.  Full stop, the end."

The exhibition will go on display from January 7 till the March 5, 2018.

If you would like to have your own message of love included in this work, contact the curator. For more details about the Eden Unearthed Exhibition, go to https://www.edengardens.com.au/eden-unearthed. To book a service or celebration in the transformed amphitheatre, contact events.or visit www.edengardens.com.au/functions-facility-hire/weddings

Many insects are attracted to light sources, so only turn on your outside lighting when you need to and the rest of the time have it connected to a sensor to it comes on when you’re outside.  Consider even putting in an outside light insect trap – they might sound hideous, but they are a very effective way of controlling many pests organically.

Heat

Flies breed in warm weather and are attracted to buildings that radiate heat.  Consider planting a shade tree or adding a verandah or pergola that can diffuse the heat from your walls and create shaded areas.  Your air-conditioning costs will go down too.

Bins and Composts

Flies love rotting meat, so keep it out of your compost to avoid attracting them.  Regularly hosing out your garbage bins will also help.  Completely enclosed systems, such as Hungry Bins are the best ways to compost organic matter without encouraging insects.

Water and Drains

If you have a clogged up drain, get rid of any build up to avoid attracting both flies and mossies.  Make sure you have fish in ponds to eat mosquito larvae and empty out any saucers under plants so that they don’t become breeding pools too.

Pest Repelling Plants

Many plants are great at repelling a variety of bugs.  Pennyroyal, lemongrass (citronella), mint, rue, wormwood, tansy and of course pyrethrum are probably the best known and most effective, but chives, basil, sage, scented geraniums, lemon balm, lavender and bay leaves also work well.  We have a huge range of herbs in store so ask for advice as to which herbs work best for your area.

1. Water well before you go.  The night before you're ready to leave, go out into the garden and give everything a long soak.  Put the sprinklers on the lawn, water your hanging baskets and pots and give garden beds a good drink.  

2. After you finished watering, apply Yates Drought Shield to any of your vulnerable plants...such as pot plants, hydrangeas or newly planted seedlings.  This acts as a sun block or anti-transpirant and will help your plants survive extreme heat for up to 90 days.

3.  Move any exposed pot plants into a sheltered position and group them together.  You can even place them inside polystyrene boxes to give them some insulation - just don't put the lid on them!!  Place indoor plants on a wet towel in the bath or laundry tub.  Give them a good drink and then leave the tap dripping ever so slowly so that they stay humid and moist.

4. Cut back and flowers that are nearing the end of their flush.  When you return, they probably will have rebudded and the bunch of blooms you pick you can give to your neighbours as a thankyou for keeping an eye on your home while you're away.  Trim your lawn and when you come back see how green it is.

5. When you return, give everything a good long soak again and gradually return plants into their normal positions, rather than shock them.  Give everything a 'spa treatment' of some hose on Seasol as a welcome home present.

Try these things to help your garden keep its cool.

1. Watering early

Get up and outside before 9am and give the garden a good soak.  This will help hydrate plants before the day's onslaught.  After a hot day, give your garden a quick hose down to help your plants recover and perk them up.  If you are having trouble getting water to soak into the soil, you may well need to use a wetting agent like Amgrow Wettasoil, Debco SaturAid or Eco- Hydrate.  These will help counter that 'water off a duck back' effect.

 2. Keeping Your Soil Moist

Add organic matter and water storing crystals, especially in pots and in new planting holes.  Then mulch, mulch and more mulch.

3. Oven proofing and shade

While you can't have a tree grow up and shade your garden overnight, there are a few ways to help create shade and stop your plants transpiring,  Try clustering your pots underneath the clothesline and hanging some wet towels over them.  They will help keep leaves shaded and protected.  Peg old sheets down over susceptible plants in the garden too - it might look strange but will save them from burning.  Try using Yates Drought Shield also - it works a bit like sunblock and stops plants transpiring as much, that way protecting them from drying out as quickly; handy if you're going away too!

Mint – comes in a range of types, but common mint, spearmint, apple mint, ginger mint and chocolate mint are probably the best for enjoying with iced water, muddled in a cocktail or even making teas with.

Lime – the quintessential ingredient in daiquiris, the perfect partner to a gin and tonic or simply squeeze onto Frangelico to cut through is sweetness…of course, it’s also great with iced water.  If you plan to make it the centre point of you cocktail pot, make sure the container is 400mm across, and choose and specimen that’s grafted onto a dwarfing rootstock.

Basil – yes, believe it or not, tastes great with ginger beer, strawberry cocktails and even as an iced tea.

Strawberries – smashed or free-floating, strawberries can look beautiful in jugs of water.  Plant them around the edge of the pot so they can spill over the sides with their luscious berries.

Lovage or Celery Herb – both are related to celery but much smaller growing – more like parsley.  The stems make terrific swizzle sticks in Bloody and Virgin Mary’s.

Borage – The bright blue flowers of borage are edible and gorgeous.  Freeze them into ice cubes to float in your drinks.  The stems are also edible and taste a bit like cucumber, making them the perfect garden garnish for a classic Pimms served with orange slices, strawberries and lemonade.

Lemon Thyme – can be used to make a delicious brew or iced tea.  The flowers are also edible.

Lemon Verbena – the lemon sherbet flavour of this shrub is sensational.  Make a tea, and it to a simple sugar syrup or just muddle in a cocktail.  Devine.

Pineapple Sage – Pineapple sage has fruity flavoured leaves that can be made into a tea and edible bright red flowers that also look lovely frozen into ice cubes.

Begonias – The bedding variety look like Christmas with their bright red and white flowers, but you might not realise that the flowers are edible too and can make a pretty addition to a punch bowl.

For other herb pot ideas, click here

Five Steps to (Fast) Success

1 First impressions count.  Clean the front path with either a water blaster or anti-mould product and make the walk to the door as enticing as possible.  If you have weeds, try Pathweeder by Yates to rid you of even those pesky persistent problems.

2. Main entrances can set the tone.  Consider flanking your door, portico or patio with some statement plants, like a pair of potted topiary or perhaps a pot combo.  Match them to the style and colours of your house for maximum effect.

3. The “green, green grass of home” is the ideal but if your lawn is less than lush, consider an instant pick me up.  A click on hose application of Yates Weed’n’Feed will work wonders, but make sure you pick the correct one for your lawn – Buffalo needs a specific formula.

4. Colour me happy with potted blooms in pockets in high impact places.  Think front garden, hanging baskets on the verandah or table centrepieces. Cluster them into groups rather than dotting them about to get more bang for your buck…and at 4 or more for $3.45, you can afford to go a little bit overboard with annuals like petunias,  marigolds and lobelia, which will all flower over Christmas and beyond till autumn.

 5. Lightly trimming your plants now will promote bushy new growth and also remove any old flower heads.  This will make your garden grow and flower more, but don’t overdo it…a light haircut is all that’s required.  Whilst you’re there, do the edges of your grass too – this always makes a garden look well kept.

If your lawn looks like it has dead or brown patches, and can even roll back a bit like carpet, then you need to dig deeper, literally, to see if you can find the culprits.  One or two larvae is ok in the lawn or garden bed, but multiply them by scores or confine them to a pot and you have a real problem.  Wherever you can, turn the soil and expose them to natural predators like birds and bandicoots.  If that’s impractical, then use eco-neem as a soil drench now when the grubs are still close to the surface. Or try using Amgrow Professor Mac 3 in 1...it has Eucalyptus and Teatree oil in it, which they hate, as well as Wetting agents and Fertliser to help your lawn mend ASAP.  You can also keep your grass well-watered as they don’t like to live in damp soil, and don't forget to turn off your outside lights when you don’t need them on, as lighting attracts beetles to your home, which will encourage them to lay their eggs in your backyard.

Amgrow Professor Mac’s 3in1 1L for $21

If you want to create a traditional look, but are happy to go native, check out Woolly Bush, which has stunning silvery grey leaves with a similar look to conifers but a softer, more delicate texture.  There are native conifers too.   The Daintree Pine has little needle-like emerald green growth and a beautiful bonsai-like habit.

For a silver selection, check out some of the lovely shade-loving plants like Lamium, Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ and Brunnera ‘Silver Heart’ in stores.  They can add a shimmering touch to your courtyard pots and hanging baskets.  There are also many gold foliaged plants which give your garden a Midas touch.  Think golden moneywort, gold dust plant and golden toned heucheras.

If you’re into red and gold, you can’t go past bromeliads.  They are the long-lasting colour for inside and then will grow happily outside in the shade…even that dry shade that’s tricky under trees.  Plants start at $19.98, and they make the perfect present.

If you want to go traditional, Holly plants are in store now too.  They're glossy green, unusually shaped leaves are well-known decorations, and they also make great screening shrubs or potted plants.

For a modern take on the Christmas Bauble, why not buy one of our Christmas themed moss or Kokedama Baubles.  We can also make you up a wreath and the florist for the perfect welcome.

Christmas feasts come in all different shapes and sizes, so we have loads of options available.  Small groups up to 22 might want to book the private dining room for a fabulous lunch.  For a $300 hire fee, you can have this space all to yourself, and we will dress it with flowers and give you your own dedicated wait staff to serve your group.  You can choose from the Dragonfly Menu or our chefs will customise your menu and can even cook up a delicious traditional turkey or ham with all the trimmings.

If you have a larger group, we can cater for larger parties of 40-200 out on the terraces.  We have packages to suit all budgets and can do sit down banquets or stand up do’s with finger food.  And of course, we can organise games, a DJ and even themed parties.  Check out our packages here.

We’re only 20 minutes’ drive from the city, and we have parking for coaches and underground parking for cars.  If you prefer to catch public transport, we're right on a bus route and a short walk from Macquarie Park Railway Station.

 Christmas Parties just got a whole lot easier at Eden.

At Eden Gardens we offer various opportunities to come and have a chat about your place.

Backyard Briefing

This is a free 10-minute session where you get to bring along pictures, and mud map and any ideas you might have, and we can help guide you through the best plants for what you want to achieve.

To make sure we have the right people on hand to talk with you, come on Tuesday, Friday or Sunday between 9:30 am and 10:30 am.

Want 24/7 access to one of our horticulturists?  Join our Friends of Adam & Eve Club, and you’ll have access to our App.  You’ll also have access to 4 one-on-one sessions for free.

Need more time? Book in for an hour session with a horticulturist for $95 at Eden Gardens and we will get some quality time to discuss planting schemes, design solutions and maintenance plans to keep your garden looking great year round.

Landscape Plan Briefing

Have you already had your plans drawn up but are not sure what your garden will look like yet?  Pop in between 2:30 pm and 3.00pm Tuesday, Friday or Sunday for a 10-minute opinion with one of our experts and we can cast an eye over your plans and offer alternative suggestions if your dream is different to your plans…or time to look after the garden that’s been drawn up.

Let us Enrich Your Life With plants.

Both occasions see flowers presented as a token gesture of thanks and friendship.  Be it a corsage, boutonnieres or wristlet, Eden Gardens can create a piece that works for you, matches your dress, or even says a secret message in flowers...this one says 'DEAREST' in the style of the 19th-century Victorian jewellery.The love or sentimental ring used the initial letter of each gemstone to spells out the word 'Dearest': Diamond, Emerald, Amethyst, Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire and Topaz.  We used the same colours as the stones.

Visit our florist and see why Flowers by Eden make a perfect choice. Prices range from $25 upwards.    

Presenter Sally Stanton loved the exhibition.  She joined artists Selina Springett, Alexis Wildman and Alison Thompson in the garden looking at their interactive and original artworks, and spoke to curator Meredith Kirton who guided her around the works that are located in the award-winning display gardens in Macquarie Park.

Aside from learning about art in the garden, Sally also spent time with head chef Kelli from the Dragonfly Café, as she discovered how to make a fabulous Freekah Salad and enjoyed the new flavours of their menu, which includes lots of fresh flavours and healthy eating options.

Eden Unearthed will be on show at Eden Gardens until the end of February 2018, and entry is free.  Why not book in for a curators tour, lunch at the café or a daffodil making workshop too?  And if you want to order a native beehive (as seen on the show) contact the curator for details.

If you are unsure of how your soil is affecting the plants in your garden, why not consider utilising our soil testing service? We can not only test your soil, but we can also give you advice on what plants will thrive in what you’ve got, and how you might be best adjusting your soil if you want to manage it best for your existing plantings.

Soil Testing at Eden Gardens is easy.  Drop off your sample, and for $10 we will get back to you the next day with your results.  Friends of Adam and Eve members get this service free of charge.

Five Simple Soil Solutions for the Home Gardener

* If you have heavy clay soil and want to lighten it up, then you might want to look at adding gypsum.  Eco-Flo gypsum is a Certified Organic new generation liquid gypsum, rapidly activated in the soil due to its tiny particle size. 

* Alkaline soil needs rectifying? Try Eco-Flo lime or Eco-Flo dolomite to add magnesium and boost calcium.

* Is water not soaking into your soil?  Is it just ‘water off a duck back’?  This is called hydrophobia.  Add some SaturAid, which has been thoroughly tested in university studies and shown to be-be absorbed into the soil at a faster rate than other brands.

* Plants wilting for no reason despite the soil being moist? Perhaps you have a soil-borne fungus like Phytophera… in which case  you can treat and prevent it with Yates Anti Rot

* Fertiliser not working for you?  Activate your soil microbes with an application of manure, drink of seaweed solution and the dose of Garden Mate with Rock Minerals by Earthlife.

Charles Darwin once said that ‘all fertile soil on earth had been through the body of a worm’.  Try making your worm castings and worm wee with a Hungry Bin.   

At Eden Gardens we have skittles for backyard bowls, beach cricket sets, boules, Bygga towers, Garden Hoopla and Classic Coits. They are beautifully crafted from the most beautiful timber, canvas and rope and start at $49.98 a set.  Eden also has timber games like draughts and Chinese Checkers if you want more robust games.

Of course, the backyard has tons of scope for inventive play, once kids get out there, they are bound to find other fun things to do and see.  Think about planting some fragrant leafed herbs, and they can mix up their beauty potions … or give them some chalk, stone and hopscotch can be hours of fun.  If you want, we even have all the ingredients to create your very own fairy and dinosaur gardens that they can be in charge of, or mini veggie plots to grow their salad.

If you’re after gifts for kids, then come and check out our lovely range of kits, including The Great Adventure Kit, Dream Catchers, Real Binoculars, Bug Boxes and Bird and Fairy Wing make-your-own kits.

In no time at all, you’ll be calling them inside when it gets dark, instead of coaxing them outside to play.

No backyard yourself but still want to have some fun?  Eden Gardens have a range of games that you can hire out when you arrange your party at our place for only $200.  There are croquet, hoopla and boules, so you can let us do the cooking and entertaining! 

Have you got stink bugs on your citrus?  At this time of year, they are out in force attacking the new growth of your lemons, oranges and limes, causing havoc as they suck the sap from not only the foliage but also the flowers and fruits as they develop.  This can cause leaves to deform, flowers to drop and fruits to not be as delicious and juicy as they should.

Stink Bugs, or Bronze Orange Bugs as they are correctly called, excrete a citric acid based foul-smelling substance as a defence mechanism, which can be very dangerous if it sprays you in the eyes.  For this reason, pop on a pair of gloves, wear long sleeves and glasses before heading to your citrus trees.

You can deal with BOB, our friendly nickname for this micro-beast, by vacuuming up the critters, removing them by knocking them into a bucket of water with detergent, (so they drown), or using Yates Nature’s Way Citrus & Ornamental Spray, which is the only spray registered with the APVMA for the organic home garden control of Bronze Orange Bug on edible citrus.

Good news is that indoor plants are not only good for you, they also look great, so adding them to your living areas is smart thinking. 

Did you see the Domain's article on the Weekend?  According to it, the Top 5 Tough Indoor Plants as recommended by style guru and blogger The Plant Hunter’s Georgina Reid, “nothing is unkillable, but these guys come pretty close”.

1. Fruit salad plant (Monstera deliciosa) 
2. Mistletoe Cactus (Rhipsalis spp)
3. Cast iron plant (Aspidistera elaitor) 
4. Devil’s ivy (Epipremnum aureum)
5. Wax flower (Hoya australis)

At Eden Gardens we’re always following up on the latest trends.  Our information office (pictured above) has 4 of these five growing happily pm our shelves in complete neglect, and thriving!  And we also stock them so you too can fill your home with greenery that brings happiness.  Check out our range of Mistletoe Cactus (see below) too - we have quite a few different types of hanging baskets perfect for your place.

Rebecca Gilling, Deputy CEO Planet Ark will be here to talk about general recycling and what products can be made out of recycled materials.  And for those of you that don’t know, we have a Recycling Station here at Eden Gardens where people can bring in toner cartridges, batteries and light bulbs here and recycling them responsibly.

We have fabulous artworks at Eden Gardens as part of Eden Unearthed – come and contribute to Kerrie Argent’s work Another Chance and make a floating flower out of from milk bottles, plastic lids etc., as see the gorgeous Cactus work by Veronika Richertova that’s made from PET Bottles or hanging chandelier made by with recycled cups and glasses by Frolic and Gambol called Cloud 8.

If you haven’t started recycling organics at your home yet, we have many Hungry Bin composting systems at work here to compost organic matter - we even compost all our Dragonfly Café’s veggie scraps, so you can see in our carpark them all lined up with the worms working hard!  We also have working compost heaps you can see.

Eden Gardens also recycles our roof water – we harvest and filter all the rain and site water here to reuse on the plants.  We also have a pot bay for recycling preloved plastic pots if you’re a budding home propagator, come by and help yourself.  However, we even take it one step further at Eden.  We have a fabulous old Holden ute that has been turned into a giant planter.  So never limit yourself.  Gardens can be in anything from wheelbarrows to old watering cans, gumboots to milk cartons.  We even have an art installation of succulents in Tonka Trucks!

#waronwasteau

If you’re still throwing out your veggie scraps, like nearly 50% of Australians, then now is the time to get your Hungry Bin Worm Farm and start composting.  It’s a clean, efficient way of turning waste into wondrous fertiliser. This avoids methane (a dangerous greenhouse gas) being produced in landfill.

We are also now a Recycling Station for the disposal of batteries, printer cartridges, mobile phones and compact light globes, so come in a pop these items into our recycling station safely rather than dump them in with your regular waste.  We are also pleased to announce that we will be a bulk collection point for recyclables (PET, HDPE, glass, aluminium, steel and liquid cardboard, or tetra packs) as part of the NSW Government’s Return and Earn Campaign, which starts the beginning of December. 

Keep recycling and remember to: keep it loose (no plastic bags in the recycling bin), recycling doesn’t have to be spotless - a quick rinse and make sure most food and liquid gone, and if in doubt leave it out to avoid contamination.

#waronwasteau

Read into what you will… they can pass as Rudolf’s Nose, red baubles or a perhaps the perfect gift for the office PR#*K?

Fortune Seeker?

Buddha Belly’s and Lucky Bamboo may be just the answer!  Buddha's Belly are tiny figs bonsaied and great at living on your desk or outside on the verandah.  Their oversized roots are like stilts or buttresses, and their swollen trunk does look like an overly fat tummy, much like most of us by Boxing Day!  And who knows, maybe rubbing their belly will bring good fortune?

Failing that, go for a Lucky Bamboo.  It’s a type of Dracena that grows just about anywhere -  maybe that's why they are lucky?  Also known as Happy Plants, they will out a smile on even the crankiest office Grinch.

Carnivorous Plants

You can’t go past Venus Fly Traps, Pitcher Plants and sundews for kids.  They not only look fabulous but they also eat flies, mosquitoes and other bugs, making them the perfect present for any curious creature.

Terrariums

Living in your little world? But don’t worry, so are terrariums.  They are great as office gifts as the air-conditioning doesn’t affect them and they are relatively self-contained, able to last even when you go on holidays... unlike the goldfish!  We can custom make you up a terrarium, or you can rush in and run out with a premade “ready to grow” number.

https://www.edengardens.com.au/news-blogs/Kris_Kringle_Gifts/

In the garden, there are a few ways you can pay your respects to the fallen and also help fundraise for worthy causes.

These poppies were created by textile artist Alison Thompson, who would like to show you how to make poppy wreaths for next years Centenary of Remembrance Day.  For details on this project contact the curator.

Flanders Poppy

The fields of France and Belgium were filled with poppies during the First World War.  It’s thought that they were spread by the horses and soldiers churning up the soil, and, whilst you see these around today in among fields of wheat, barley and corn, those years saw displays like no other as large areas turned red with their blooms.

After the war ended, artificial poppies were made to raise money for disabled veterans by their mates.  This tradition of wearing a poppy on Remembrance Day has continued to this day.

Gallipoli Lone Pine and Pine Trees

Pine trees are a symbol of wisdom and longevity, and the word pine means to miss someone terribly.  It’s no surprise then that pine trees were often used in Avenues of Honour or Memorial Plantings.  The Aleppo, or Pinus halepensis, grows in Turkey and was all over the slopes at Anzac Cove.  The slopes were cleared to provide cover for Turkish trenches and but one tree was left, so the area became known as Lone Pine.

The ANZACS succeeded in capturing this territory, but the battle cost the lives of many.  Lance Corporal Benjamin Charles Smith collected several pine cones from the area and sent them home to his mother in remembrance of his brother Mark who died fighting on the 6^th August 1915.  Two trees grew as a result, and one is planted outside the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, to honour all the sons who fell.

Rosemary

The plant most people think of is Rosemary, which means ‘remembrance’.  Whilst any rosemary can be used, if you want your rosemary to have extra special significance then look for a cultivar called ‘Gallipoli.’  50 cents from every plant sold goes towards the Avenues of Honour Project that is hoping to continue with that wonderful tradition of planting trees in honour of those who lost their lives. 

The story of this cultivar is also rather poignant. In 1915 a wounded digger from Adelaide was repatriated to the Army Hospital at Keswick.  He brought with him a bush dug up from Anzac Cove, and it was planted in the grounds there.  Cuttings were taken, and the short story is that now it’s available for all to plant.

Peace Lily

Spathiphyllum, or Peace Lilies, are so called as the flower resembles a white flag, which is the internationally understood symbol of truce, surrender and ceasefire.  They also are a terrific indoor plant, very hardy in a wide range of situations and very efficient at removing toxins from the environment, making them great in offices and homes.

Roses are gross feeders, which merely means that they love heaps of nutrients.  Use “Up-Down-All Around” to help you meet their needs. 

• Nitrogen helps shoots (above ground)
• Phosphorus allows roots (below ground)
• The whole plant uses potassium and especially promotes flowers and fruit (like a vitamin).

An excellent organic mulch of lucerne straw or cow manure will gently feed your roses with nitrogen, and keep moisture in the soil too.  Add a few handfuls of Dynamic Lifter will also help promote luscious leafy growth.  

A slow release fertiliser like Osmocote Plus Trace Elements will help provide phosphorous and other trace elements to ensure your rose bush is resilient to disease, and it includes a wetting agent to help water and nutrients soak into the soil.

Liquid potash is excellent at promoting flowers and fruit.  At this time of the year, your bushes will be using up lots so a fortnightly application will help your roses significantly.

Earthlife is a great product to use too as it gives your roses lots of silica, which in turn helps it grow sturdy, strong foliage that is resistant to black spot.

Alternatively try Sudden Impact for Roses which is a pellet form, organic based boosted fertiliser.  It includes a full range of secondary nutrients and micronutrients in a natural form along with boosted levels of Iron and Magnesium and is used in many of the keys rose gardens around Australia.

Lastly, roses like a relatively neutral pH so if you're unsure what your soil is, then come and have it tested.  Eden Gardens offer a Soil Test so you can be fully clued up for only $10.

Pests and Diseases

Some pest love to make a meal out of your roses.  In particular aphids, mites (red spider), and scales which are hard to deal with pests.  Black spot too can become a problem.  Yates Rose Gun will treat all these and is available as a ready to use a product if you only have a few plants or concentrate if you're thrifty or have lots of roses in your garden. 

Just arrived at our Macquarie Park store are some sublime potted roses, perfect for your Melbourne Cup Luncheon.  Included in our "pick" is David Austin 'Sharifa Asma' and 'Winchester Cathedral', the divinely perfumed Delbard roses including a candy striped 'Henri Matisse' and those brilliantly hardy Flower Carpet Roses.

Find out more about rose care for spring and summer

Wanting to create a SPOOKtackular garden for Halloween?  There are lots you can do beyond the crazy cobwebs and pumpkins.

For a zany touch, add some orange.  We have ‘stinking rogers’ (also known as Marigolds) that are a cheap and cheerful, and smelly when you crush the foliage!  If you want a scary plant, you can’t go past carnivorous fly traps, pitcher plants and honey dews… especially if you’re a fly!  We also have ‘frog plants’, otherwise known as bromeliads.

Or perhaps you might plant up a bowl of death lilies (Callas) which have been used at funerals for many hundreds of years? They are SO beautiful also symbolise resurrection, and come in stunning creamy white, orange and mango shades as well as blackish purple! Surround it with some ‘blood stained’ Heuchera for a scarily good combo!

For the home, why not try one of our ‘dripping’ candles, reminiscent of a pumpkin but way classier, or pop a bunch of flowers from the florist on your table, we have stunning orange roses, a range of gerberas and lovely Altroemerias.  We can custom make you a bunch in your own vessel too, so bring along a scooped out pumpkin for a really clever and unique touch.

Some flowers are also black…hunt down bat plants, black violets, black winter roses and black bamboo!

Do you have Trick or Treat plans?  

We have a few large events in the gardens for Halloween, in some cases, it may be near your work.  If you’re worried, let me know. You’re also welcome to come.  Note there are two events – a kids one with hundreds of children and an adults one.

 The tickets for this exclusive Adults Only Halloween event are now on sale and are priced $50 per head including canapés, welcome drink and more!  Visit our website for more information.  https://www.edengardens.com.au/events-calendar/halloween-adults-only-event/

Book now (at your own risk) Please note this is an over 18's only event and ID will be checked on arrival.

 Kids Halloween $35, Adults: Free, Kids under 2: Free (will receive no dinner box or activity pack) https://www.edengardens.com.au/events-calendar/halloween-kids-event/

 At Eden Gardens we are always staying abreast of the latest trends, both inside and outside.  in 2017 the Pantone Colour of the Year was announced as Greenery, and we can't help but agree that green is a great colour!  It's a colour that looks garden fresh wherever it's used and helps cool down its surrounds - which really helps as the weather heats up!

 So whether you like aqua, fern, mint, granny smith, sage or leaf green, we have the scheme to suit.  Team green with neutral shades for a soft look, or add bright yellow and cobalt blue to create a tropical, zesty vibe.

Styling Tips

* Adding outdoor artwork can add a green that's less permanent than paint and easy to update

* Bringing potted plants inside is a great way of adding colour to the home.  Try fiddle Leaf Figs, Kentia Palms, Chain of Hearts or Boston Ferns, or the ultimate in Luxe, a giant terrarium.

* Green feature pots can work with a variety of other colours and styles, but choose earthy tones to blend with them so that they don't easily go out of style.

* Accessories like doormats, candles, soaps, cushions, crockery, napiery, throws and even books can add touches of colour that can be seasonally changed.

And did you know flowers come in green too? Check out these flowers from our florist: green chrysanthemums, kale, orchids and even some hydrangeas to add in pots to the garden or in bunches around the house.

Citrus are wonderful additions to the garden, but they need love and attention to thrive.  This is especially the case throughout spring when they are particularly hungry and thirsty as they come into flower and new growth.

Follow our instructions for thriving, fruitful plants, you'll love.

Feeding

Every six weeks sprinkle some chicken manure around.  You can buy reduced odor Dynamic Lifter that does the job perfectly in 1kg or 12.5kg bags.  Australian soils are also low in trace elements, so using Osmocote Citrus Fertiliser with Trace Elements once a year in springtime will also remedy this deficiency. 

Mulching

Citrus has surface roots that are prone to drying out and really don't like being dug over.  Prepare them now for summer with an organic mulch that will gently feed as well as keep roots cool and moist.  Try sugar cane mulch, worm castings or well-composted grass clippings.  Be careful to keep the mulch away from the trunk, however, as this can easily rot.  Instead, build up around 10cm of mulch around the drip line of the tree and gradully decrease the layer as it gets closer to the center.  Give your citrus a good long soak once a week with the sprinkler to make sure the soil and mulch stay's cool and moist.

Pruning

Citrus need to have their lower limbs trimmed back if they start to touch the ground or grow too low.  They also need to have any dead or diseased wood removed and now is a great time of year to do that.  Take off any growth that's shooting from below the graft as well- it tends to look different or be particularly vigorous, so you'll know it when you see it. Its also a good idea to remove any developing fruit off trees that are younger than 3 years of age, as this will stop them establishing properly. 

Spraying

Spring's new growth is particularly delicious to a range of critters.  In particular, aphids, stink bugs (correctly known as Bronze Orange Bug), scale and from November onwards, Citrus Leaf Miner, which is a fly that lays its eggs inside they leaf and creates a snail trail track and twisted, damaged leaf.  Luckily, this can be treated using Nature's Way spray, which is a combination of Pyrethrum and white oil.  It's available in store in a ready to use 750ml trigger pack for $13.98

Don't have a citrus tree yet?

We have a fantastic range of citrus trees in store.  There's everything from native limes, to blood red oranges, dwarf trees, and cumquats.  They are available in espaliered form, mature trees, starter plants and event standards.

Now is the perfect time of the year to give your veggie patch an overhaul.

Step 1 - Get the soil ready.

It's time to chuck out any tired old plants and dig over your soil ready for spring planting - the exception is peas that you can dig back into your beds as they're great green manure crops! If you have compost or worm vermicast, dig in a generous amount of either.  If you are needing to buy a ready-to-use product, try mushroom compost or cow manure. Vegepod's are a great way to grow your own herbs and veggies on a balcony or in a courtyard!

Small vegepod $179        

Step 2 - Choose your summer veg.

Summer herbs and vegetables include crops like tomatoes, chilies, cucumbers, capsicums, zucchini, basil, and beans. Seedlings or seeds can be planted, but water them in well with a liquid seaweed solution to help them settle into their new home. Keep them well watered till they grow their roots well into the surrounding soil.

Step 3 - Crops

Many of these are fruiting plants which means that once they have reached a good size it’s a clever idea to stop using nitrogen based fertilisers like Dynamic Lifter and switch to one with more potassium to encourage them to flower, like Thrive for Flowers and Fruit.

Did you know that flowering plants need bees to pollinate their flowers and produce fruits? Planting bee attracting flowers in your garden will also help your fruit set.  Lavender is great at encouraging bees.

Make sure you harvest regularly as your crops come into fruit.  With most vegetables, the more you pick the more they will grow.

Sick of the possums attacking your crops?  Try Poss Off

Beat-a-Bug Poss-Off 1L RTU      $21.98

Check List

Amgrow Organix Garden Compost 30L $14.98

Martins Cow Manure 25L     8.98

Thrive Soluble Flower & Fruit 500g  12.98

Amgrow Seaweed Concentrate 1L 16.98

Alternatively, buy a Hungry Bin and turn your food scraps into an incredible compost your garden will love.

https://www.edengardens.com.au/news-blogs/worms/

Hungry Bin Bundle $439

Set up kit includes:

Hungry Bin

3x Eden Flexible 25L Potting Mix

2x 1000 Box of Worm

Australian natives attract birds and bees

Different plants attract different birds.  For example, Grevilleas attract honey eaters whilst they are flowering and larger parrots and lorikeets eat their seeds.  Smaller birds are normally attracted by grasses which have smaller seeds, and also like taking shelter in shrubs that have spines or tight growth where they can hide safely, like hakeas and needle-leafed grevillieas.  Many native bees and honey bees are attracted to gum blossoms and wattle sprays.

 Australian Natives suit our climate.

As weather patterns become trickier to predict, choosing plants that cope with drought, extreme highs and so on becomes more important to create a resilient, tough garden.  Many Australian natives are used to long periods of low water use and hot summers.

Try growing dwarf wattles, Emu Bush, Banksias and Kangaroo Paws for a garden that doesn't guzzle water and still looks beautiful.

Australian Natives Suit Our Soils

Plants often grow best where the soil pH is similar to their conditions of origin. Australian soils are naturally low in many nutrients so our native plants have evolved to cope with this. Especially good at growing with little or no phosporous are plants in the Proteaceae family, which includes grevilleas, waratahs, hakeas, banksia, tree waratahs, the firewheel tree and, naturally, proteas.  To avoid poisoning them with the wrong fertiliser, only use native specific food, such as Osmocote for Natives and native specific potting mix.

Osmocote Native Gardens  700gm  for $15.98 and Martins Native Planting Mix30L for $12.98                             

You can create your tunnel using either prebuilt steel arbours, getting a builder to make a pergola, or crafting your own "tunnel" from flexible garden off cuts like willow stems or bamboo poles.  Secure these to a star picket on either side and tie each section to each other to form a support.

Wisteria is a deciduous climber, meaning its bare over winter.  This allows the winter sun to shine through your structure, keeping the area cool in summer, stunning in spring, golden in autumn and sunny in winter.  Perfect.

 Aside from wisteria, Jasmine, one of the most loved perfumed plants, is also flowering now.  There are many different types of Jasmine, so make sure you chose the right climber for your needs.  For example, Chinese Star Jasmine is perfect for shady spots and summer flowers and is an evergreen climber that happens to also make a good ground cover - especially on embankments.  Look out for the pretty pink tipped cultivar called 'Tricolour'.  

Clematis, both native and exotic types, and climbing roses, such as this yellow banksia rose, are all looking right now too.

Dreaming of Greener Pastures?  Lush lawns for summer are an easy fix, providing you get onto it now.

If you have any bare patches in your lawn, try over sowing some seeds - in two weeks they will have germinated and be on the mend.  Yates Easy Patch is a simple to use a product that's available in store.

Spring is the perfect time to feed your lawn, and a healthy lawn will always be better able to cope with pests, weeds, drought and disease.  A slow release fertiliser like Scotts Lawn builder will last for many months feeding your grass the exact amount of food it needs, including trace elements.  Those that like to stick to what they know, you'll be pleased to see we still stock no. 17 by Amgrow.  If you want to go organic, try Reduced Odor Dynamic Lifter Lawn Food, and our staff pick is Earth Life Lawn Blend, which has rock minerals included. Best of all, we now stock a buffalo specific lawn food by Amgrow.

For an instant pick-me-up, click on a hose on fertiliser, and you'll see results in the day.  It's also an excellent time to be addressing weeds, so something like Weed 'n' Feed will do both jobs at once.  Most weeds come into your lawn from mower blades, so make sure you give them a hose down or blow after each cut.  If someone is mowing your lawn for you, ask them to do the same.  If you already have an infestation, try using a selective weedicide to clear them up, or hand weed if you want to go organic.

Keeping Australian Native Bees as pets...or encouraging them into the garden, is an excellent way of improving your fruit set, crops and general biodiversity in the garden.

If you want to attract bees to your garden, there are certain things you can do.

* Be careful with the use of pesticides and read the label warnings carefully to minimise harm to bees.

* create some bee habitat hotels or buy one of Eden's ready to go ones

* plant bee attracting plants: bees normally go for brightly coloured flowers, pollen-rich blooms and plants with a "landing pad" for them to feed, such as armeria, lavender, rosemary, basil, thyme and salvias.

For the past couple of months Selina Springett and Alessandro Berini have been keeping bees as "pets" all in the name of art.  The couple has been working on an installation piece as part of Eden Unearthed, which is an art exhibition at Eden Gardens which explores site-specific art in the gardens.

Their work, titled Dance of the Native Bees has involved weeks and weeks of observation, filming and recording. As Springett noted, "I learnt that they progress through their jobs with time: the youngest bees tending the brood cells, then moving onto guarding the entrance and removing the small waste pellets they lug awkwardly out; and finally the very oldest of the hive flying out to forage for pollen and the resin which they mix with propolis to build the interior of the hive."

 It has not been easy surveying native bees (Tetragonula carbonaria) as they are less efficient at this than honeybees, who are active at much lower temperatures. Springett has been out every hot day in July and August watching them for activity.

It takes a little while for the bees to emerge in colder weather and it is not until about 18 degrees Celsius that they begin their forays and the hive becomes more observably. "Although", says Springett, "I discovered it is possible to sense their activity, even when they are not in sight, by putting your ear up close to their entrance hole and listening to their buzz."

Sometimes you can observe one of the workers fanning their wings frantically at the entrance; a way to help regulate the inner temperature of the hive. "What also struck me is how gentle they are",  who said that during her observation and recording bees they would often land on her hands and trot around softly allowing me to look at them close up before flitting off. While the hives I have observed have been on loan, I am already on the waitlist and am looking forward to making the hive a permanent addition to my garden.  You can see them coming back, their hind legs coated with dollops of bright yellow to an amber coloured resin." She noted. 

 Visit the Native Bees up close at Eden Unearthed in the Edible Pavilion at Macquarie Park Store.

IN BLOOM

Blossom trees, (think flowering plums, peaches, crabapples and cherries) are flowering, rhododendrons and azaleas are at their best and even bulbs are flowering too, bursting through the earth with an unexpectedly joyful display.  There are also lots of bush flowers out, including some stunners like the boronias, dampiera, native rock orchids, pink wax flower and early flannel flowers.

Flowers may but take centre stage, there are many plants that look stunning simply because their new growth is fresh and enticing.  Lime leafed Golden Robinias and Gleditsias, the new plum and burgundy foliage of many maples, the grey leaves of young gum leaves and even the simple delight of new grass shoots all sing the songs of spring.

WHAT TO PLANT

As soon as frosts are finished in your area you can start to think about petunias, phlox and salvias, which can all be put in as seedlings and make great Christmas colour.  

Likewise, frost tender many vegetables and trailing ground cover fruits like watermelon and rock melons can be planted out as seeds now but allow them plenty of space and sun.  Eggplant, capsicums, zucchini can go in to and you have yourself a barbequed vegie plot that will be ready to reap all summer.  Add a rosemary bush and you have tasty skewers when you cut the stems!  

If you want to lay a new grass section or fill in winter bare patches, now is a great time to  seed and have it take root ready for backyard summer cricket.  

WHAT TO DO

Warm weather brings on lots of pesky problems too.  Weeds and bugs can spread quickly unless you deal with them promptly.  Annual weeds shouldn’t have gone to seed yet, so you can break their lifecycle by removing them now, whilst bulbous weeds (onion weed, oxalis and onion grass) take up poisons best when they are actively growing, so glyphosate (sold as Roundup and Zero) is most effective in spring. Watch out for aphids on the new growth of your plants, especially plants like maples that tend to only have the one good flush of growth so need it to last.  Many organic sprays can treat these sap suckers, but you need to be vigilant and not let their populations get out of control.

If you have potted citrus trees, give them extra TLC now that they are coming into flower and dose them up on liquid fertiliser (like Thrive for Flowers and Fruit) and also slow release like Osmocote as well as a chopped lucerne or sugar cane mulch.

Spring also means some of the best loved climbers are in full swing.  Jasmine, wisteria and clematis, to name a few, are full of blossom, bees and heady scents.  Just remember to keep the new growth in check after flowering so that your delightful twiner doesn’t morph into a triffid John Wyndham style and grow over the whole house!

Some late flowering tropical plants, like Hibiscus and Bird of Paradise, are looking beautiful, and the later makes gorgeous cutting flowers for inside that last for weeks.

Magnolias are the first of the flowering deciduous trees to come into bloom.  The elegant goblet shaped blooms come in white, pink and burgundy shades, many of which are also fragrant.  Again, they make stunning cut stems for vases which last for more than a week when picked in tight bud.  Tawain cherries are the first fruit blossoms to burst.

Many bulbs are flowering now too.  Daffodils, jonquils, red hot pokers and winter iris all have an abundance of flowers.  the daffodil garden at Eden is looking particularly beautiful.

For fragrant plants, winter is a great to be in the garden.  Osmanthus, Daphne and yellow and white primroses all have a delightful perfume.

Then there's those plants with colourful leaves.  Poinsettia (that's right, those red blooms are actually modified leaves) are stunning.  Nandina domestica, or Sacred Bamboo, has turned gold, red, russet and amber with the cold.  Look for both the dwarf one and also the new compact varieties like Gulf Stream.

In the native garden, Banksias look fabulous with their golden orange candlesticks then interest cobs.  Wattles are also coming into bloom.

Stems and branches of course can be colourful too.  The Coral stemmed maple, Cornus, and Black stemmed bamboo are all contenders for most striking branches in the winter garden.

Finally, Succulents develop beautiful colours in winter.  From rosy red echerverias,  to blushing pink sedum, and flaming orange Euphorbia fire sticks.

Your kids and pets will love you if you remember to treat your lawn now for bindii.  Bindii looks like tiny feathery carrot tops about 10cm across.  At this time of the year, you can easily miss it.  The problem is, once they set seed it is too late to control them, other than by hand removal.

Amgrow Bin-Die Bindii killer is a selective weedicide suitable for use now on all but Buffalo Lawns.  It also controls clover, dandelions and oxalis.

Step 1

Mix carefully into a watering can and be careful to measure both the right concentration and also the area of lawn over which this is supposed to be applied. A watering can with a watering bar attachment works well.

Step 2

Don’t spray when rain is expected, on windy days or days over 30 degrees.

Step 3

Keep pets off the lawn until the treatment has completely dried.

Once you're done with the weeding, you can then give your lawn a spring boost with an application of fertiliser.  We recommend using a pelletised manure, like Dynamic Lifter Organic Lawn Food.

Eden Gardens is having a VIP day this Sunday 25th June.  There will be specials for members with 25% off storewide and demonstrations to watch.

Come along and have the edible garden explained with our expert Tim Robson.  You might remember Tim from Gardening Australia when his Productive Garden made him NSW Gardener of the Year on ABC in 2007.  You can watch that segment on YouTube or come along and see one of his demonstrations.  At noon Tim will be showing how to plant up a raised veggie garden, and at 2 pm there will be citrus tastings and how to plant up a citrus demos.

If you've always wanted to have a Veggie Pod or start up a Hungry Bin worm farm, at 1 pm Andrew will be showing how both systems work.  And if space has been your issue, why not grow your garden vertically?  At 2 pm Alek will be showing some of the unique ways to "flip" your garden and drive it up the wall!

If you're more an indoors type, check out the terrarium demonstrations at 11 am and 3 pm indoor with Jessica and Leila.  They'll show you how to layer your soil and gravel's correct, vary textures and colours of plants and keep your mini garden looking perfect.

 At 1 pm there will be a floral demonstration and a 1:30 pm you can delve into the world of Bonsai with Maurino.

And lastly, drop in anytime to see horticulturists Andy and Tara to have your mystery plant identified or find out how to cure a gardening problem with our Plant Doctor Service; they'll be on duty at the Information Kiosk.

Eden Gardens help you stay on top of the latest garden trends, There are lots of ideas in store to add a touch of hipster to your home.  Check out our Kokedama or Moss Balls.  They are like garden baubles.  If you can't find what you want in store, we can custom make you one or provide you with all the ingredients to DIY at home.  Check out our YouTube for more helpful hints.

Kokedama Balls are made from sphagnum moss, string and potting mix, plus your favourite plants of course

STEP 1: Mix half premium standard potting mix and half peat moss and add enough water until damp.

STEP 2: Form a ball around plant roots with the soil mixture.

STEP 3: Wrap with sphagnum moss. 

STEP 4: Tie with string.  This can be brightly coloured or natural depending on the effect you want.

STEP 5: Attach another loop of string to hang.

If you're not confident to do it yourself, why not ask one of our staff to custom make you up a ball.  Potting fee starts at $10 and includes materials.

American artist Emma Mattson will be creating textile Kokedama balls in yarn as an installation for Eden Unearthed.  Her work in progress is below.  To read more about her installation, check out edengardensblog

Common Varieties 

Lemon

'Eureka' is vigorous variety with only a few thorns. Fruit in winter, spring and summer. Thick skin. Too vigorous for pot culture but is in great demand by the commercial and retail sectors, which crave the bitter tang of the lemon but by not getting seeds in your dishes.

'Lisbon' cold tolerant variety with thorns. Fruits from autumn to winter.  'Meyer' is a cold tolerant variety that fruits all year round and has orange coloured, high juice fruit.

Limes

'Tahitian' seedless juicy fruit is your typical lime.  'Kaffir' is a wrinkled, thick skinned type with less juice, however the leaves are used in Asian cooking.  It has spines, so beware. 

Mandarin

'Imperial' is an early fruiting variety (May) with small fruit but good flavour. 'Emperor' is late fruiting variety (June / August) and 'Ellendale' fruits in late August.

Orange

'Washington Navel' is seedless and early fruiting (May / June) whilst 'Valencia',  most common variety, is late fruiting (September / October). Fruit can remain on tree for 6 months.

Blood oranges are red varieties and include 'Ruby' and 'Mattese' and 'Cara Cara' -  is an exquisitely delicious orange which has a rich orange flavour with a touch of raspberries and rose notes.

Multi-grafted

‘Splitzer’ – two fruits on one tree (choose combination from lemon / orange or lime/ mandarin)

Known and enjoyed for centuries by indigenous Australians, native limes offer you the most reliable trees with delicious, vivid, flavoursome fruit.

Native Citrus 

'Citrus Gems' are a group of adaptable, quirky trees, uniquely Australian and tolerant of a wide range of  climatic conditions.

They are suited for both pot and garden cultivation. All Citrus Gems are grafted onto citrus rootstock, which ensure plant health, vigour and increases the plants ability to produce abundant crops of fruit from an early age.

Dwarf Citrus

'Pipsqueak' are fantastic new dwarf citrus trees are perfect for small spaces and allows you to grow citrus when you have limited spacing.  They produce fruit of its full-size cousin and are perfect for large pots and containers. Available dwarf citrus varieties include lemons, limes, mandarins & oranges.

The evergreen shrubs have attractive dark green glossy leaves and make an elegant feature specimen, informal hedge or delightful potted specimen.  They grow from 1 metre to about 10 metres, depending on variety and if they are ground grown or containerised.  Camellias provide a perfect solution for semi-shade spots under trees and along the side of houses where the sun only shines for a few hours each day.

They prefer well drained, slightly acidic soil. Enrich garden soil prior to planting with cow manure and use Rose, Camellia and Azalea mix if growing in pots. Fertilise in autumn and again in spring (after flowering) with Azalea, Camellia and Rhododendron fertiliser. Keep a layer of organic mulch over the root area and don’t dig around the root zone as they don’t like root disturbance.

Eden Gardens Environmental and Social Responsibilty Statement

The "war on waste" has been raging at Eden Gardens for over a decade. More recently, our art exhibition titled Eden Unearthed in 2016 featured two artists using recycled items to highlight the environment. In 2017 two more artists have been selected that shine a light, literally, on plastics. One work is a chandelier titled 'Cloud 8' by artists Frolic and Gamble and the other is a work by Prague artist Veronika Richterová that reuses Japanese plastic wrapping from the cherry blossom festival into giant plastic koi, that will "swim" through space near our black bamboo. Both works will be on display outside the Dragonfly cafe from September.

Eden Unearthed will also feature a work by Selina Springett and Alex Berini that incorporates native bees into a sound and light work, projecting the "busy bees" at work in the edible garden pavilion at Eden Gardens in the retail centre so that you''ll be able to hear and see the hive on the roof above in action.  The bees will be pollinating our garden whilst starring in an art installation.

#waronwasteau

You don't need to be a Master Chef to try out bush tucker.  Many native citruses are available to the backyard gardener, and their fruits have zest and flavour equal if not more exciting than the typical lemon or lime; try having oysters with the caviar-like fruit.  And who could resist macadamia nuts? Or sipping on a cup of Lemon Scented Myrtle tea?

Our garden at Macquarie Park has many of these plants growing so why not discover them here and order them for your garden.

If you're after a tree, Chinese tallowoods. which grow into the perfect lollipop shape, are a wonderful choice for Sydney and warmer areas.  Nyssa, also known as tupelo, are great for damp gardens or poorly drained areas and colour magnificently.  For an ideal courtyard tree or feature in a small backyard, it's hard to go past Crepe Myrtles, and we have the latest disease resitstant varieties.  And for avenues and driveway plantings, ornamental pears and perfect and will change to brilliant red in late May and June, then delight with white blossoms again in spring.

Many pot plants make the perfect flowering present for Mother's Day.  At Eden Gardens we have a range to choose from, including the ever popular Chrysanthemum.  The beauty of these blooms has been celebrated for centuries in Asia, especially Japan where it  represents longevity and rejuvenation, and is used on many seals including the Imperial Seal.  They come in green, white, gold, red. orange, purple and pink shades, with numerous variations in forms.  Once the blooms have finished, you can plant them outside in a sunny spot and they will flower again next year throughout autumn.  

Cyclamen are another great choice.  They have elegant wing-like blooms in with shades of white, pink, cerise, and bi-colours.  These flowers emerge from a corm, or bulb like structure, which can be prone to rotting of you over water.  They love cold nights, and really enjoy being taken outside at night to escape any heaters and breathe in the cold night air.

 Moth orchids are terrific value.  They flower from now throughout winter, especially if you buy one still in bud.  Make sure you let them drain freely, never using a saucer.  For best result, they really love having their roots exposed to the light, so clear pastic pots or wire baskets work well.  They also grow well with spagnhum moss, and can look lovely in glass vases if they are lifted above any sitting water.

To control, wear gloves and hand weed or use a contact spray like Glyphosate, which is sold as Zero or Roundup.  Wear a face mask and long sleaves and trousers if you're in heavily infested areas of the garden.

The next thing to do is simply clean up.  Empty pots and saucers are great hiding places for slugs and snails, so go take a look and see if you can find any hiding out.  Simply seek and destroy!  If you want to lay some traps, put out a few empty pots yourself, or juiced halves of oranges or grapefruits.  These moist places are like slug and snail luxury retreats and they will hang there for sure; you just need to head out in the morning and collect them!  Beer traps, which are just saucers of your least favourite drop, left out will also entice them out to a big night on the town that has dire consequences.

Some people like to create barriers around precious seedlings.  Variable success can be achieved with ash, coffee grounds, crushed eggshells and wood shavings.  Stay away from salt as it causes promlems for your soil.  If you want to use snail baits and pellets, there are a few options.  Yates Blitzem has a bittering agent in it to deter pets and kids from eating it, but really should be kept as far away and protected from cats and dogs as possible.  If you have pets, perhaps choose Baysol.  The bright blue pellets also have the bittering agent, and appear less appertising.  But best of all, there is an antidote available for vets if your animal accidendally eats them.

We are looking forward to seeing this exciting work come to Eden in a world exclusive.

Viburnum odoratissimim or Sweet Viburnum, as it is commonly known, is highly suited for a privacy screen. The glossy leaves are so handsome that they are often in cut flower arrangements, and the sweet smelling white blooms perfume the air each spring.

Photinia is a fast growing hedge that under the right conditions can grow 2m a year.  It has coppery coloured new growth which makes it extremely attractive in spring.  Frost tolerate. Feed and water well during the warmer months to achieve the best results.

Lilly Pillies (main image) are some of the best plants for screening.  They grow, depending on the variety, anywhere between 0.5m up to 10m, but most clip well into a hedge about 3m tall, making it one of the best choices for screening your neighbours.  They also have berries throughout autuumn and lovely late spring blossoms tat look like powder puffs.  their new growth is also often pink or red tinged.

Sasanqua Camellias are another great choice.  Although slower to grow, their autumn blooms are an added bonus that makes them highly sort after.

Curator Linda Bell explains Linda Bell explains “We’ve been thrilled by year-to-year growth in numbers and diversity of visitors.”

There where some interesting works set among the stunning headland overlooking Cockatoo Island and Sydney Harbour. Pictured above is Allure, by Rozanna Cabon and Elizabeth Oomens.

The charming work Woolwich by Ashfield Public School with Kate Manning, pictured below, reflects the rich natural and man made history of the area that the children studied.

Eden Unearthed judges Graham Forsyth and Allan Giddy contemplate their decision for the Harbour Sculpture winners.  We are looking forward to them both joining Trevor Weekes as they select the fortunate forty artists to exhibit at Eden Gardens in 2017.

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Whilst we might not stock 4 leafed clover, we certainly have just about everything else.  Think green chryssies, green orchids, green kale, fabulous hydrangeas and stunning lisianthus, like the bunch shown here.

Orders can be placed by giving us a call on 02 9491 9979

Cabbages can be grown in pots and plots, but it’s important to pick the variety suitable for your sized space.  ‘Mini Canonball’ is perfect for smaller areas where as the ‘Savoy’, made famous by the Sarreguemines pottery, is better suited to larger vegetable plots.  The purple cabbage makes a charming and colourful edition to either space.  

Brussels Sprouts ‘Green Thumb’ is a late maturing variety that produces an abundant yield of dark green sprouts. Sprouts are a good source of Vitamin C and fibre, and delicious baked in a hot oven with some bacon.  So much yummier than boiling them to beyond!

Broccoli ‘Green Dragon’ is a quick growing compact broccoli which is easily grown in the home garden.   For pots, try ‘Magic Dragon’ is a dwarf, flavoursome variety of broccoli which is ideal for growing in containers.  In seeds you can also plant ‘Purple Sprouting’ and the iridescent green ‘Romanesco’ in seeds.

Cauliflower ‘Mini White’ is a fast maturing variety producing small pure white heads that are the perfect size for small gardens. ‘White Cloud’ is an outstanding hybrid cauliflower that is easy to grow in pots and garden beds due to its upright habit and disease tolerance. For something a little different, try the purple ‘Di Sicilia Violetto’ in seeds.

Kohl Rabi is an interesting vegetable that tastes and looks like a cross between turnip and cabbage.  the bulb and tops are all edible, and the plant comes in both purple and green and white varieties.

Common Varieties

Gardenia radicans – hardy little groundcover, grows 0.5m high and 1.5m wide with small white flowers.   It produces perfumed, double white flowers throughout the year. This excellent groundcover can also be grown in    hanging baskets and pots. Position then near your outdoor entertaining area and enjoy the delightful perfume year round.

Gardenia augusta ‘Florida’ – grows to1m high and 1m wide with medium sized white flowers. Plant in borders or around patios and courtyards.  Suitable for coastal or mountain regions if protected from frosts.  For a hedge, plant 50cm apart

Gardenia augusta ‘Golden Magic’ – grows 1.5m high and 1m wide with white flowers that yellow / golden with age.

Gardenia augusta ‘Ocean Pearl’ – grows 1m high and 1m wide with large double, pearly white blooms.

Gardenia magnifica – grows 2m high and 1.5m wide with large white flowers.

Gardenia jasminoides ‘Professor Pucci’- grows 1.2m high and 1.2m wide with large, double milky flowers.

The Native Gardenia, is a beautiful rainforest tree, native to the North Coast of Queensland. It will grow to around 4m tall, possibly a little taller in some conditions and makes an excellent small tree for many gardens! This plant is ideal for containers, close to the house to enjoy the wonderful fragrance, or as a small shade tree in the garden. Randia fitzalanii roots are non-invasive.

Camellias are evergreen shrubs with attractive dark green glossy leaves and beautiful flowers that appear from autumn into spring.  They make an elegant feature specimen, hedge, screen or espaliered flat along lattice or wire and grow from 1 metre to about 10 metres (depending on variety).

Camellias provide a perfect solution for semi-shade spots under trees and along the side of houses. They can be grown in pots or in the ground. Prefer well drained, slightly acidic soil. Enrich garden soil prior to planting with cow manure and use Rose, Camellia and Azalea mix if growing in pots.

To care for your camellia, lightly prune after flowering to shape and encourage new growth, and start doing this from an early age to encourage bushiness.  Fertilise in autumn and again in spring (after flowering) with Azalea, Camellia and Rhododendron fertiliser.   Keep a layer of organic mulch over the root area.  

Pests and diseases to keep an eye out for include scale which can be controlled with Confidor, Pest Oil or Eco Oil; thrips which can be controlled with Confidor; and associated sooty mould which can be washed / scrubbed off once pest problem is controlled.

Camellia japonica

Prefer a sheltered part shade position, do not tolerate full sun.   Popular varieties include: formal white flowering ‘Nuccios Gem’, formal pink flowering ‘Desire’, cream flowering ‘Elegance Champagne’ and red flowering ‘Bob Hope’.   They can be grown in sunny positions to part shade and shed mature flowers, creating a petal carpet effect below shrubs.

Camellia sasanqua 

Sasanqua camellias are very popular as heging plants.  They flower in autumn and into winter and tollerate full sun and semi shade.  Popular varieties include: large single soft pink flowering ‘Edna Butler’, hot pink flowering ‘Shishigashira’, informal double pink flowering ‘Jennifer Susan’ and white flowering ‘Pure Silk’.

Camellia reticulata

Prefer a part shade position and are a large flowered camellia (can be size of dinner plates) that can bloom from autumn through to spring. Popular varieties include: orange – red flowering ‘Red Crystal’ and very large (13cm) rose pink ‘Valentine’s Day’.

Camellia sinensis

The tea camellia is suitable for hedging and grows happily in full sun and semi shade.  It has small white flowers in winter.  Leaves can be harvested as tea. Small leaves for green tea and larger, older leaves for oolong and black tea. Processing includes leaving out once picked so oxidation can occur, and then drying. Different teas are processed for different periods of time. 

Meredith, from Eden Gardens, chats with Father Chris Riley from Youth Off The Streets to find out more about the man, his passions and his connection with Anna and Simon Ainsworth.  Eden provides work experience and employment for many young people from Youth Off The Streets as they learn how to be a valuable employees through an   Eden traineeship.  They are also generous benefactors and support YOTS in reaching their mission of helping disconnected, young people discover greatness within, by engaging, supporting and providing opportunities to encourage and facilitate positive life choices.  Click here to listen.

It's hoped that site specific artworks will be inspired from the display gardens.  Successful artists will be given stipends to help with the expences involves creating artworks.  Commissioned works will remain the property of the artist, and as such will need to be removed (at the artists costs) at the close of the exhibition.

For further details check out the edengardenblog,to visit the gardens, please make an appointment with the curator or contact for terms and conditions, a site map of potential sites, etc.

If you're interested in booking in your own special occassion at Eden Gardens, contact events@edengardens.com.au

The beautiful Blue Butterfly Bush looks stunning over summer, as do hydrangeas, salvia and even blue roses such as this one, known as 'Blue Moon', which is growing in our display gardens.

For some more blue inspirations that will make your garden sing...

 Who can resist those early summer Jacaranda blossoms in December, followed by Agapanthus-mania when even the council round-a-bouts start to look gardenesque!  Then there are those incredibly hardy plumbago bushes that first flower in November, then repeat flower in February...tough as nails and perfect for embankment plantings and informal hedging.  

Check out Chinese plumbago too.  Botanically known as Ceratostigma, its true blue flowers present themselves from spring through to autumn, making it one of the best deciduous shrubs under 1m that you can buy - and it's hardy from Melbourne to Brisbane and everywhere in between!

And what could say summer more than a refreshing drink?  The beautiful borage plant flowers reliably throughout summer and into autumn.  The blooms are edible and can be frozen in ice cubes for sensational summer drinks.  Their cucumber tasting stems also make lovely swizzle sticks...perfect for punches, Pimms or gin and tonics!

Finally, a climber that basks in the sun and loves summer is the Bengal Clock Vine.  Its pale blue flowers are prolific all the summer and autumn...but watch it doesn't get out of control as this vine can overwhelm if not regularly pruned.

There will also be opportunities to create works in the retail area, around areas such as this Balinese Hut, in the Glasshouse, and even in the reed beds.

For more details about potential sites for your artwork, contact the curator

‘Fireball’ is a perennial Hibiscus, sometimes known as the swamp mallow, has been flowering away in the display gardens at Macquarie Park, despite the horrible weather. We have it growing through a dark blue Salvia, where it contrast very well. It’s easy to grow, frost hardy and flowers over a long period, only one bud opening at a time. Come the autumn, we cut it down to ground level, and it goes dormant for the winter period, before roaring up again. The leaves are reminiscent of Hibiscus shrubs, although more deeply divided, providing an added interest. It serves a similar purpose to a Dahlia, but easier to maintain, with staking being the only issue in a windy location.

Hibiscus coccinea is stunning addition to any pond or water garden.  It has multi-lobed leaves and magnificent red flowers in summer and is best planted around the edge of a pond or place in a decorative pot for a brilliant affect!

There are native Hibiscus too.  The Mangrove or cotton hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus) has yellow flowers with a deep maroon eye with handsome large evergreen foliage, though there is also a stunning purple-leafed form is available. It tolerates salt spray, boggy soils and can be grown into a small tree, shrub or windbreak.  Lilac Hibiscus (Alyogyne huegelii ), is a medium-sized shrub reaching about 2.5 m that loves good drainage and has stunning flowers from late spring through summer.  Many smaller growing cultivars and ground cover types are now available.

Perhaps you’ve been to Nofolk Island and seen its Floral Emblem in real life?  The Norfolk Island hibiscus (Lagunaria patersonia) is a small tree with pale pink flowers and soft grey foliage, but avoid its spine-filled seedpods after flowering.

There are also edible hibiscus. Rosellas are actually flower buds and Hibiscus leaf tea is made from the Rose of Sharon.

The top five tips are:

1. Clean vase - Start with a clean vase, wash it out with soap and water and rinse thoroughly.
2. Water - Add water and check the water level daily. Flowers can be thirsty and imported roses travel dry in boxes from as far away as Kenya so they need water and plenty of it.
3. Cut and re-cut stems - Cut 1 to 2cm from the base of the stems before placing them in the water and then re-cut stems every day or two. Cut on a diagonal line to provide greater surface area and ensure maximum uptake of water.
4. Flower food - Tap water is fine, but make sure to add the flower food sachet provided. Most flower food contains sugar (nutrients), an acidifier to maintain the water’s pH level and help the stems soak up water, and bleach to reduce bacteria in the water.
5. Positioning - Think about where you put your flowers. Choose as cool a spot in the house as possible away from direct sunlight, large electrical appliances like televisions or windows and doorways to the outside heat. Stay away from the fruit bowl as fruit gives of ethylene gas which makes flowers ripen faster, shortening their vase life.

Mr Holborn suggests people avoid listening to some of the old wives tales about putting things like aspirin, pennies, vodka, and mouthwash in the vase which supposedly help flowers last longer.

For advise on flowers for any special occassion, contact florist@edengardens.com.au

Artists (in alphabetical order) included Jonathon Bolitho, Rahab Bradford, Sophie Clague, Joel Cunningham, Marina DeBris, Dr Atanas Djonov, Frolic and Gambol, Yarrah Manton, Danielle Minett, Dan McDonald, Dr Ainslie Murray, Mat Robertson,  Dr Natalie Ryan, Penny Simons, Selina Springett and Alessandro Berini, Kate St James and Catherine Whitting, Trevor Weekes, Hadley Westwood.

Student artists included (in alphabetical order) Eden Bradford, Hugo Do, Edward Heffernan, Maya Hendler, Anna May Kirk, Monica Rudhar, Kirli Saunders and a combined work by Lidcome TAFE design students and staff.

Read more about each artist on our blog

https://edengardensblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/09/meet-the-artists/

Like all plants in the Endless Summer ^® Collection, Twist-n-Shout produces abundant blooms on both old and new wood all summer long. Lacy deep-pink centres are surrounded by gorgeous blossoms of pink or periwinkle blue, depending on soil type. Sturdy red stems and glossy deep green leaves turn red-burgundy in autumn. 

To care for your hydrangeas...

Care Tips

Hydrangeas are also excellent as potted plants, provided you don’t let them dry out.  If they are potted, consider keeping a saucer full of water underneath each pot.  If not, water well.

Flower colour is affected by pH; an alkaline soil will turn the flowers pink and flowers turn blue if the soil is acidic. White is unaffected by the pH of the soil. 

Want to change their colour? Lime will turn your blooms red, and sulphur will turn them blue.

Prune hydrangeas back in late autumn to a second bud, about four double buds below each faded bloom.

Other species include Hydrangea panniculta, the most common cultivar of which is 'Kyushu' is part of a hardy new range of shrubs featuring an improved form and impressive floral display.  There are also lovely oak leafed species (H. quercifolia) and climbing types.

In 2016, Unearthed’s inaugural year, 30 installations were included with works by Dr Ainslie Murray, Selina Springett and Alessandro Berini, Dr Atanas Djonov, Jonathon Bolitho and Sophie Clague. Dr Natalie Ryan reflected, “I was thrilled to be involved with this exhibition and work with Eden Gardens. It is fantastic, refreshing and incredibly important to see artists getting paid for their work. For me this is what made Eden Unearthed progressive and exciting. I would also love to be involved again, the stipend allowed me to push my practice and respond to the gardens in a way that would not have been possible due to the extensive costs of materials, travel and working full time in the studio on the project. The grounds are so stunning and the chance to work in the gardens and respond to them was such a pleasure.”

“This exhibition is particularly important as it offers participating artists the opportunity to create new work in response to the many and varied nooks and crannies of Eden Gardens”, says judge, Allan Giddy.  Eden Gardens & Garden Centres has had a long and proud association with garden art, and in particular sculpture.  The award winning Macquarie Park site has a sculpture walk incorporating over 2 dozen significant artworks, including works by Col Henry, Tony Davies, Rae Bolotin and John Turier.

Eden Unearthed will launch in September 2017 and run for 6 months, allowing great exposure for both  established artists as well as and up and coming artists .  Submissions close 13^th April, 2017.

Judging Panel

Graham Forsyth, Associate Dean UNSW, Academic in the Faculty of Art & Design, previously been the Head of the School of Art History and Theory and Presiding Member of the Faculty, was awarded a Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council in 2009.

Allan Giddy, Director of the Environmental Research Initiative for Art (ERIA), UNSW Art & Design has pioneered the use of alternative energy systems and light in ‘time-based sculpture’ since 1992. His practice has expanded into public sited ‘active sculpture’ aimed at the reinvigoration of public spaces. He is one of Australia’s foremost proponents of sustainable energy systems, electronic interconnectivity and interactivity embedded in the physical art object. His work has been at numerous other venues internationally.

Dr Trevor Weekes was awarded his PhD in 1999 and has been a Senior Lecturer/Convenor in Natural History Illustration at the University of Newcastle till 2016. He has had over 45 solo exhibitions and is represented in over 20 major galleries, including the Australian National Gallery. His work is prodigious with over 20 private commissions. In 2011 Weekes completed a residency at the Red Gate Gallery in Beijing.

For more information please contact the curator

Of ir that's not grang enough a gesture, come along to our own Valentine's Day Dinner - at $65 pp it's a night to remember with champagne on arrival, 3 course set menu dinner. To book email info@edengardens.com.au or call (02) 9491 9971 and go in the draw to win your Valentine’s Day dinner as a private dining experience in the gardens*.

Score additional brownie points and pre-order flowers at http://www.edengardens.com.au/florist and collect them on the night, or pre order flowers by the 12th from our stunning new florist and recieve 10% off.

*prize will be drawn on the day and you will be notified by phone.

Cumquats are particularly auspicious as they have the ability to flower and fruit at the same time.  Other greenlife worth featuring are "Chinese Evergreens" or Aglaonema.,they are one of the toughest indoor plants available and are good Feng Shui. Lucky Bamboo (Dracena sanderana) or Lucky Plant, as it is also known, is grown for attracting joy, breaking hexes and encouraging good health.  Jade plants (Crassula ovata) at the right hand side of the front door brings wealth and prosperity…and failing that, the young leaves taste like Granny Smith apples and can be used in salads and they make hardy pot plants and are drought tolerant!

If you want some quiet time to contemplate, consider wandering down through the gardens ‘Unearthed’ Exhibition.  There is even a tea house for you to rest in, shown above, by Hugo Do

• Meet our staff and discuss your wedding plans, we can tailor a package to suit your needs and budget.
• Meet suppliers and get some great ideas for your big day.
• Free food sampling.
• Special offers available to visitors on the day.

From : 28 Jan 2017 11:00:00 AM To : 28 Jan 2017 2:30:00 PM Venue : 307 Lane Cove Road, Macquarie Park, Ryde, NSW 2113

Our in store florist can create the perfect bouquet, table decorations or completely style the event to bring that touch of gardenesque to your special day.  From formal to whimsical, contemporary to wildflower, gathered and dried elements, artifical or fresh, her talents will transform your dreams.

Coleus look great planted in hanging baskets, in pots, mass planted in the garden and even in a sun room or shaded blacony.  Water them daily, liquid feed fortnightly and pinch off their flowers as they appear to prolong their season.

Bulbs will be available in our stores from mid-February, so you can start planning your display too.

In support of the creative arts, a fund up to $100,000 is accessible to artists Register your interest for 2017 with the curator.

A panel including Trevor Weekes, Graham Forsyth and Allan Giddy will review all applications and successful applicants will be commissioned to create their imagined installtions.

We thank the support of The University of NSW for their support in developing this new Sydney art event. 

Simon Ainsworth, Eden Gardens founder, garden and art enthusiest observed

"Eden Unearthed is destined to become a major garden and art event and will reignite the communities interest in beautiful gardens. We expect to be able to show how an individual can improve their small backyard space with art and plants in order to enrich their lives."

 For more detais contact Meredith Kirton on Meredithk@edengardens.com.au or visit our Eden Unearthed blog

Eden Unearthed, art in the gardens, is an opportunity for you to see this wonderland. In this inaugural year, installation artists from around Australia will enhance the idyllic pleasure garden of Eden Gardens into an avant-garde wonderland. The 1.2 hectare pleasure garden well known for its exhibition gardens and sculptures will be transformed by talented installation artists with whimsical, unearthy and ephemeral site specific art installations. To enjoy this festival make sure you head to Eden Gardens flagship centre in Macquarie Park Sydney.

Book in for breakfast at the Dragonfly restaurant on-site and visit our extensive centre for a truly enjoyable occasion. 

Beat black spot on your roses by only watering the soil, not the foliage and clean up any effected leaves from the plant and the ground.  Then keep it at bay with Eco Rose, which is a registered organic spray, or Yates Rose or Fungus Gun, both of which will help and have your plants looking perfect by Valentine's Day.

Hot weather and stormy weather inevitably mean weeds.  Gardeners DON’T throw up your hands in despair…come and see us at Eden Gardens for the answers. 

Slasher Weedkiller is the newest product on the market and is registered for organic use.  It’s made from pelargoniums and geraniums and is a natural contact weedicide, causing browning and wilting within hours of application.  And it works on moss and algae.  It’s non-selective, which means it will take effect on anything it touches, so be careful when applying it that drift doesn’t reach your favourite flowers.

Another wholly plant derived knockdown herbicide is made from pines.  Organix Weed Blitz works on seeds and weeds by stripping the outer coating of contacted plant and seed material, causing cell collapse. Made entirely from plant sources, it offers a host of user benefits: it does not harm soil microbia, has no effect on birds, bees and earthworm populations and is not residual in the soil.

Plus we have the usual range of Roundup and Zero products, hose on weed and feeds for your lawn, including Promaster (for use on soft leaf buffalo) and Tree and Woody Weed Killer, if you’re unlucky enough to be battling blackberries, camphor laurels or lantana.

Step 1

Click on weed and feed hose-on spray and clear out any clover, dandelions and other mischief weeds.

Step 2

Rough up any bare patches with you rake then use a product like Scotts Patch Magic or Yates Easy Patch Lawn Repair to fill in any empty spots 

Step 3

Apply slow release lawn food to promote green, lush growth for the next three months.  Try Scotts Lawn Builder or Dynamic Lifter Organic Lawn Food.

 Thank you so much to everyone who came to our Macquarie Park store to join in the Halloween celebrations on Saturday! It was such an amazing turn out, SOOO much fun, and the costumes were AMAZING!!!

There were demonic drinks, garden ghouls and gruesome gallivanting, as well as face painting, lolly hunts and wonderful food

Click here for more photos.

This work explores the intersection of art, architecture and landscape and is part of a sequence of bespoke spaces that respond to the specific conditions of a garden site. This iteration is made especially for small children.

A jewel-like space of colour and delight is positioned within the garden to function as a hideout, cubby, and retreat. Visitors sit within the space and quietly absorb the kaleidoscopic effects of colour and pattern in relation to the surrounding landscape.

Featured Image above is by Michael Hobbs.

BACKGROUND

House for a Lost Tree focuses on pattern-making and is influenced by the forms and structures of the natural world. The flexible leaf-like cladding rhythmically overlaps to mix colours and generate rich geometries to produce an immersive, atmospheric and contemplative space in the landscape.

BACKGROUND

October 2016

A truly inspirational morning spent with some amazing young people from Youth Off The Streets (YOTS) who've turned their life around, thanks to the generous support of well wishers - some of whom attended the event yesterday. We were honoured to have Father Chris Riley speak 'from the heart' about his work with YOTS, helping disadvantaged youth get back on track and lead normal lives.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended, helped out or contributed to make this event a great success, raising over $3000!