Garden Clinic Digs Deeper With Linda Ross

Sandra Ross gives us all the tips on growing lovely liliums.

Sandra and Graham talk about the veggie patch - a great thing to do while at home.

Sandra gives us three topics to get your autumn garden productive - Bulbs to plant now, Magic Mulch, and some tips about autumn roses.

Welcome to the podcast gardening souls! From my forest green heart, thank you for joining me. Today we travel to Tanzania, metaphorically, to chat about a forest groundcover that we in Australia grow inside –a plant you’ll see at Nanna’s house –the African Violet. My friend Beverley Donsworth has been growing African Violets for forty years and is the President of the African Violet Association and joins me with all you need to know to reflower these frilly indoor beauties. They are one of the only indoor plants to actually flower.Today Bev shares her insider secrets on feeding, pruning, propagation, watering wicks and pest and diseases. With this knowledge I hope your African Violet thrives on your kitchen bench and that impulse buy you grab on the way to the nursery cash register flowers again for you. Connect with Beverley and the African Violet Association at their annual Flower Show. Facebook @African Violet Association of AustraliaConnect with Lindaon socials:@gardenclinicclub @linnie__rossNovember 2: T

The Garden Clinic heads off to Japan this week for a very special mauve-tinted expedition to see the wonderful wisteria.Much of my love of gardening revolves around the anticipation of a single ephemeral event: winter’s sweet lemon scented white daphne, spring’s species tulips, streets fleetingly fringed with jacaranda; and wisteria’s short-lived lilac lace.•To sit or stand underneath a flowering wisteria vine in full bloom, gazing through the mauve veil of flowers, inhaling the scent, and listening to the bees is bliss.•On the podcast today I revel in wisteria and particularly the Japanese species. I recorded the podcast recently in Japan whilst traveling to the best wisteria gardens on the planet. I touch on wisteria styles, varieties to look for, training, pruning techniques, feeding and finish by sharing my favourite wisteria wonderlands.Article:https://www.gardenclinic.com.au/how-to-grow-article/wisteriaBook reference:Wisteria by Peter ValderTravel:To Japan’s wisteria festivals with mewww.rossgardentours

I have loved frangipanis as long as I can remember. They fragrance transports me back to simple summer days at the beach collecting flowers for float bowls and smelling like sunscreen.Welcome to a new year, Green Souls! Good news: the podcast is back from a long summer break! From my forest green heart, thank you for joining me here for another series. I’m kicking things off with my favourite flower, the fabulous FrangipaniCollecting interesting cultivars has been a passion of mine for twenty years. It was a privilege to write the book with one of my mentors and uni lecturer John Stowar and photographer Lorna Rose. We travelled extensively through Bali, Hawaii, Australia and Mexico. Call it a junket, if you will, but we travelled far and wide, trekked up volcanic craters, to collate information for our book (Frangipani by New Holland).Today I share my growing tips for success and the tips I’ve picked up along the way. Sharing my thoughts on feeding, pruning, propagation, crown lifting, the best varieties to g

More people grow tomatoes than any other fruit or vegetable. But results can be mixed. Set yourself up with the right advice for a bounty harvest in an Australian environment. There is much joy to be had in picking sun-ripened, richly flavoured sweet tomatoes from your own garden. But it’s not easy - with summer temps set to soar into the forties - it’s time to get serious about garden grown tomatoes.This week Linda Ross is in her kitchen garden, sharing her tried and trusted tips and techniques from a misspent decade growing all types of tomatoes.From the essential soil prep ingredients to frameworks, companion plants, feeding, sun protection and seed saving. It’s all here in a handy podcast.More information:https://www.gardenclinic.com.au/blog/getting-ready-for-tomato-timehttps://www.gardenclinic.com.au/blog/tomato-tragics-3-golden-ruleshttps://www.gardenclinic.com.au/how-to-grow-article/tomatohttps://www.gardenclinic.com.au/how-to-grow-article/how-to-fix-your-tomatoes#gardeningpodcast #podcast #tomatoes #g

Geraniums are an excellent choice for our changing, warming climate. They thrive in bright sunny gardens, hanging out of window-boxes and adorning pots on balconies. And scented varieties are wonderful when picked and placed in a soothing hot bath!Linda visits Riva Dale’s gorgeous and very popular Geranium Cottage in the north west of sydney. It’s a hub of activity with a wonderful selection of hybrids, a delicious cafe and homemade jams and jellies.Linda and Riva discuss how to grow geraniums, the secrets of pinching out, the different varieties from zonal, ivy and scented. We discuss what was Queen Victoria’s favourite geranium and give information on pruning and feeding.Geranium CottageWhere: 828 Old Northern Rd, Middle DuralPhone: 02 96520475Website: www.geraniumcottage.com.auopen 7 days a week from 8am - 4pm. Serve breakfast until 11am and lunch from 12pm. Morning and afternoon teas are available in between times. 50 minute drive from the city, so hop in the car and take Mum or Nanna for a spin.Facebook@

Linda chats to Milkwood co-founder Nick Ritar about harvesting seaweed for the garden, starting a summer tomato patch and growing your own mushrooms.These helpful topics are featured in an inspiring new book ~ Milkwood - Real Skills for Down to Earth Living. Which I’m sure will get you on the right road for growing, making, foraging, keeping, creating, cooking and baking.As the Milkwood crew says,“The skills that we learn bind our lives together. Do you want to learn how to grow your own vegetables? Or how to keep bees? How to forage for edible seaweed along the shoreline, or wild greens down by the stream? Maybe you’re curious about growing mushrooms or how to grow the perfect tomato.We invite you to make these skills your own. Designed to be read with a pot of tea by your elbow and a notebook beside you, Milkwood draws on rich seams of knowledge and experience to bring the essence of these five subjects to you in a friendly, let’s-get-going format.”Buy the book herehttps://www.milkwood.net/book/Connect on i

In their new book ‘The Village’, Matt and Lentil describe connecting to your village may just bring the good health, happiness and longevity you seek. Connecting to a simpler way of life where we rely on each other is one of the secrets to the world’s blue zones - areas where health, happiness and longevity are at their highest points on the planet. It’s about nurturing and being nurtured, it’s for everyone who wants to share with the ones you love.Through their insta page and books Matt and Lentil inspire a new generation to start fermenting, baking sourdough, grow a veggie garden from scratch and cook nourishing wholesome recipes from delicious seasonal ingredients.Connect with Matt and Lentil through Instagram @grownandgathered And do grab the book. I loved ‘all the Nonna’s Stale Cake’ recipe and my kids loved the eggplant and chickpea lasagne! Linda x

Do you think there is a kindness deficit in the world? I do! But not in this little corner of Australia. Today we visit a not-for-profit community therapy garden and nursery in the west of Sydney where the bees are buzzing and volunteers are laughing in a brand new safe space. And it’s kind and exciting to see it in action.Marianne Farrar is at the coal face of therapeutic horticulture! She is a living, breathing example of it and its benefits for her various able bodied volunteers to work together producing plants in a happy, safe joyous place The Secret Garden and Nursery, Richmond.Connect with Secret Gardens and Nursery at with their Spring or Autumn Fairs or Collectors’ Plant Fair @collectorsplantfair where they sell a huge range of salvias, ornamental grasses and beautifully crafted bee hotels.Spring Fair: Sept 8th, 2019. 9am-4pm where hundreds of plants will be for sale at bargain prices, live music all day and Devonshire teas and wood-fire pizza to gorge on.How to get to the Secret GardenThe Secret Gar

Indoor plants are clever things. They filter toxins from our homes to create healthy and happy green rooms for us to live within.Lauren Camilleri has a degree in interior architecture and graphic design in her bones and a love for foliage, she lives for matching the right plant with the nook where it can live its best life. Her fave plant is Monstera delicosa (aka swiss cheese plant) obvs, those graphic glossy leaves are a designers dream. But it's definitely not a case of style over substance with this beauty, they're also robust and delightfully low maintenance.Lauren and her best friend Sophie Kaplan have written a book about indoor plants and indoor plant people called 'Leaf Supply'. It’s simply brilliant. And the photos by Luisa Brimble are as always heavenly and inspiring.Growing plants indoors is not always easy so host of the show, Landscape Architect and plantswoman, Linda Ross chats to Lauren about all aspects of growing thriving indoor plants: water, light and temperature requirements; common ailme

What are the therapeutic benefits of gardening in social housing, preschools, schools, health services and aged care? Dr Kate Neale from Southern Cross University is keen to find out, starting with KindyGarden, a program aimed at getting 3-5 year olds growing food.For more information in this field check out the upcoming therapeutic gardening conference on the Gold Coast where Kate will be speaking.Australian Therapeutic Horticulture Conference October 25-26-27, 2018Speakers:http://www.cultivatensw.org.au/imagesDB/wysiwyg/Pre_ConferenceWorkshops_2.pdfInstagram:Connect with Kate on her inspiring Instagram page @mylittlesheshed Connect with Linda @linda_kirin_ross#gardeningpodcast #podcast #drkateneale #mylittlesheshed #therapeuticgardening #gardeningastherapy #womaninplants #gardenlife #lindaross #gardeningforlife #itallcomesdowntoplants

Meet Sophie Thomson - Garden consultant, media presenter and author of Sophie’s PatchIn the beautiful Adelaide Hills, this week's podcast guest Sophie Thomson is well known to viewers of ABCTV Gardening Australia who witnessed the evolution of this stunning garden. From a dry landscape, Sophie has transformed her patch of dirt into Hamlyn Cottage with a bush garden and has documented all in her new book - Sophie’s Patch.Linda and Sophie share a love of home grown veggies and share recipes for New Guinea beans (www.sophiespatch.com.au/2018/04/23/new-guinea-bean-halva), Tomatillo Salsa Verde (www.sophiespatch.com.au/2018/04/23/tomatillo-salsa-verde-two-ways/) and other delights that will leave your mouth watering.Sophie shares Linda’s passion about the role gardening can play in people’s lives as a stress reliever. With more people claiming to feel stressed in their daily lives, let alone having to deal with the challenges faced when experiencing natural disasters such as flood or fires, she is convinced that g

In this podcast Linda and the Chook Lady, Claire Bickle, discuss everything you need to know about keeping backyard chickens.Gardening, chooks, children and nature are at the heart of everything Claire does. Her love for the natural world stems from many a childhood day spent in the company of her grandmother, an avid gardener and plant lover.Claire lives on acreage in the western suburbs of Brisbane, with three children and her feathered flock and is delighted with her own patch. Here she pursues her love of nature and sustainability in a subtropical climate by helping poultry and growing organic fruit, vegetables and herbs. Her poultry include Araucana chickens – the breed that lays the blue shelled eggs, geese, guinea fowl, turkeys, ducks and quail - all part of her productive garden.Claire has worked in the horticultural industry for over 20 years, teaching horticulture for Brisbane North Institute of Tafe, as well as delivering a Sustainable Living Library.These two happy hens discuss their favourite 'gi

Linda chats with her dear friend, plant collector, and Collectors’ Plant Fair exhibitor, David Kennedy - Nurseryman and owner of Clover Hill and Highfields Gardens.Over the past four years, David has worked endlessly to create Highfield Gardens, an eight acre masterpiece of rare cool climate gems. 100 kilometres west of Sydney is a completely different climate and David has managed to grow cool climate plants with great success. He moved to Hartley after literally running out of space at his delightful Katoomba garden, Clover Hill.David explains that as gardens are getting dryer we must all look to drought tolerant plants, the Mediterranean plants that do very well in dry conditions. David outlines colour combinations and why yellow and purple are his stand out choices for a stand out garden. His tips and tricks include borders and how to put together a brand new garden from scratch. He outlines his philosophy of thrive, survive or just die and no additional irrigation.Linda and David exude enthusiasm and dis

Linda talks to Myles Baldwin, award winning garden designer and horticulturist who designs unique gardens with a sense of place, heritage and character, about a stunning show garden he’s designed for the Singapore Garden Festival.Singapore Garden Festival is a biennial show held in the grounds of the Gardens by the Bay precinct. It’s like a tropical Chelsea Flower Show drawing more crowds than its English counterparts. Each year it showcases 10 international designers in a garden competition. We love it!Singapore Garden Festival runs 21 July - 3 August 2018 with show gardens, orchid extravaganza, floristry and balcony gardens adding to tropical festivities, the cloud forest biome and flower dome.www. singaporegardenfestival.comBooks that inspire Myles:Thai Garden Style, Luca Invernizzi TettoniThe Garden Box, Paul BangayBold Romantic Gardens: The New World Landscape, Oehme & Van SwedenBooks by Myles BaldwinPeriod gardens: landscapes for houses with history by Myles Baldwin with photography by Simon Griffit

This week Linda Ross talks to Paul West, the star of Lifestyle Channel's (now SBS) series River Cottage Australia, who has swapped his bucolic Tilba home on the NSW South Coast for a city life in Thornbury, in Melbourne’s inner north.The chef-turned-sustainable-farmer married his partner Alicia in 2016 and moved south, along with their young sons, Otto and Bowie. Fans of the show will be pleased to learn that West’s scene-stealing border collie Digger has also made the journey and is busy learning how to behave around busy city roads and make the most of a suburban backyard. “I don’t think he’s super happy but I still get him out and give him plenty of walks,” West says. “And we’re lucky, we live near Merri Creek, so there are plenty of places where he can get off lead.”Since River Cottage Australia finished filming in 2015, the 36-year-old advocate of sustainable farming has been dabbling with television and radio jobs, as well as doing cooking demonstrations and tells Linda he is in the process of writing a

Linda interviews third generation Camellia specialist Ross Campbell from Sydney’s Camellia Grove.They discuss how to grow camellias- what they like, dislike and how to fix problems and treat troublesome insect attack.For more Camellia inspiration and to find out what Camellia suits you garden best visit Camellia Grove, Cattai Ridge Rd, Glenorie www.camelliagrove.com.auRead:Stirling Macaboy, ‘What Camellia is That?’E.G Waterhouse, Camellia Quest and Camellia TrailVisit:Camden Park House and GardenSee Australia first Camellia, which arrived in 1831, and is still growing in the grounds today Open weekend in September www.camdenparkgouse.com.auVisit:Eryldene, with its exemplary collection of camellias. Open days are in June, July and August. 17 McIntosh St, Gordon www.eryldene.org.auHave a question?Hop onto our Facebook page @gardenclinicclub ask away and share your favourite camellias with us.

Linda gets excited about the glamour girls of winter... the gorgeous genus Camellia.Walking around her favourite specialist Camellia nursery, in the dead of winter, she introduces you to these lavish yet versatile evergreen shrubs. Linda recounts their fascinating origins and how they left Asia to become the darlings of Europe and then Australia. She explains the difference types: miniature Fairy wings, sasanqua, japonica and reticulata and lists her favourite fragrant varieties.Troubleshooting*transplanting*feeding*mulching*camellia tea miteHave a question?Hop onto our Facebook page @gardenclinicclub ask away and share your favourite camellias with us.Read all about it on the Garden Clinic blog, 'Meet the giant Camellia family' , gardenclinic.com/blog