Tony Haslam reflects on the landscape workshop delivered by prominent Landscape Architect Shaun Walsh which was an engaging day that suggested different ways of looking at the design inputs and influences that could be incorporated into urban wildlife gardens. The breadth of Shaun’s knowledge and his willingness to share his expertise was heartily appreciated by all who took part. Read more about the day in this post.
Stuart McKenzie from Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 know too well that snakes are a part of life here on the Sunshine Coast as development forces snakes to move from bushland areas into suburbia to try and survive. According to Stuart, snakes play a pivotal role in our ecosystems, whether we like them or not. In this post Stuart tells us more about the snakes of our region and why education is better than just being scared.
Have you noticed all the stamens dropping from the eucalypts? In nature, dead leaves, animal droppings, twigs, fallen flowers, fruit, branches etc all provide mulch naturally, but in our gardens, and particularly new ones, we need to help things along. Stephanie provides a couple of links to websites with good information about mulching.
Weeding is a never-ending chore. Knowing how to kill weeds successfully on the first try will save time, effort and keep motivation levels up. Understanding the life cycle of the weed is important to get a successful kill, but also to use time and effort more productively. In this post, Michelle explains how different types of plants flower and seed, helping you prioritise weeding jobs and free up more time to enjoy your garden.
Describing Eleagnus triflorus as a gangly, sprawling, caney shrub would be accurate, but doesn't do it justice. This is a useful plant and is very easy to grow. It needs occasional pruning to keep it under control, but will scramble up trees and other supports if left to its own devices. Click through for more information and lovely photos.
The Urban Wildlife Gardens Working Group is delighted to announce another free workshop for Urban Wildlife Gardeners. The UWG Landscaping Workshop willl be held at Landcare's Rural Futures Centre at Pomona from 9.30 am on Saturday 22nd August. Shaun Walsh is a Landscape Architect and gardener who has established an acreage garden in Cooran of mostly native species over 20 years. The workshop will be limited to 20 participants so get in quick! To book: Please text or phone Michelle Newall on 0412 074 103 or email uwg@noosariver.com.au for all the details.
Check out this post to see Michelle's favourite Facebook pages along with links to help you find them easily.
The Midyim Berry (Austromyrtus dulcis) is a shrub for every Noosa garden. Confirming its toughness: it can be seen on council roundabouts throughout the shire, where it is regularly pruned quite savagely, but soon bounces back with a flush of silky pink new growth. It also provides sweet edible fruit for our native wildlife, so a must have for an urban wildlife garden! Stephanie gives more information about where and when to plant in this post.
During June over 60 posts of interest to UWG members were added to our Facebook page. They included photographs, articles, tv programmes, links to web pages and a radio broadcast. Focus on finding out about [...]
Michelle's gardening tip of the month is inspired by a property visit at Lake Cooroibah where the owner keeps track of the plants in her garden by drawing a mud map and adding the names of plants in the position they were planted. This allows her to keep track of what worked and what didn't, while adding the month and year to the records helps to gauge growth and see which species are doing well. Happy gardening!
