Best Cut Flowers

I love the cooler weather. I know the days are still warm, but the nights have that glorious cool tinge and even better, all the plants I love to surround myself with are now in bloom, or coming into bloom.

Cut Flowers that lasts for months inside or out!

I love gift giving at this time of year. I don’t do cut flowers, of course as I want my gifts to last a little longer, but I also know not everyone is a green thumb, so I also don’t want to cause any stress with my gift.

Which is why I always love giving Cyclamens.

Why Cyclamens?

Cyclamen persicum, native to the rocky slopes of the eastern Mediterranean, think Turkey, Syria, and Jordan is usually the Cycamen you will find at Trevallan. Despite their exotic origin, they’re remarkably well suited to life here in Ipswich during winter on patios or cool, bright indoor spaces.

They flower for months, from April right through to October, in a rich tapestry of colours, from snowy whites to rich reds, mauves, pinks, and bi-tones. This year a blue one was released for the first time. The foliage is also just as striking as the flowers — heart, kidney, or rounded leaves, patterned or marbled with silver.

A gift and a decoration in one.

Treat Them Cold, Keep Them Beautiful

Even though Cyclamens can grow well indoors, they love the cold. Cool air slows their respiration and preserves their blooms. I always say: cold mornings are their skincare routine!

At home, I water mine once a week, a good slow drench under a tap using icy cold water. Then, I pop them outside (in a shady spot) overnight. That cool, fresh air seems to give them a new lease on life. Indoors, they sit prettily in a bright room until it’s time for their next drink.

The trick is to let them dry out slightly between waterings. Cyclamens grow from a tuber, and those tubers are prone to rot if overwatered or if water collects in the crown. So always water the soil around the base, never directly into the middle of the plant. That centre is their weak spot.

Potting, Planters, and Fuss-Free Beauty

I prefer to keep mine in a decorative planter, not potted into a decorative pot with drainage. I simply place the Cyclamen, in its original black plastic pot, inside the planter. That way, I can take it out to water properly, let it drain, and then pop it back in. Just don’t let water sit in the base, soggy roots are sad roots.

Feeding Flowers, Not Foliage

Cyclamens are moderate feeders, and like many flowering plants, too much nitrogen means lots of leafy growth and very few flowers. To keep mine flowering and healthy, I feed fortnightly with Silica and Potash Liquid. This helps strengthen cell walls, increase flower production, and prolong bloom life. The result? Bloom after bloom, week after week.

Deadheading and Dormancy

Cyclamens don’t like being trimmed with scissors. To remove a tired flower or yellowing leaf, gently twist the stem at the base and pull it cleanly away from the tuber. This reduces the risk of rot or infection and helps the plant focus its energy on new growth.

Cyclamens grow from a tuber and tend to die down during our hot, humid summer. In our hot, humid climate, that’s perfectly normal. You can let the plant rest by placing the pot in a cool, dry, shady spot, reduce watering to almost nothing, and wait. If you’re lucky, it may re-sprout next autumn. If not? Well, you still got months of blooms for the price of a bunch of cut flowers and then some.

Cyclamen - best flower for indoors

A Cyclamen will warm your soul, even on the coldest morning. Whether you’re decorating your home, cheering up your work desk, or spreading a little love, don’t forget, a living gift like this blooms longer, lingers longer, and keeps on giving.

Planting by the Moon

What type of gardener are you?

I’m the one that has 15 minutes to spare, so I’ll try to get as much done as possible. I don’t care what day, month or year it is. Things get trimmed, fertilised, sprayed and planted when I say so.  

Perhaps you are more of a follower of the rules, like only plant your sweet peas on St Patrick’s Day?’

Or perhaps you a seasonal gardener, only plant in the spring, trim in the summer and rest in the cooler months?

No matter what type of gardener you are, does it ever feel like you are just unlucky in the garden and then once in a blue moon you hit jackpot and everything goes according to plan? Or are you always lucky and once in awhile things go astray and you just can’t explain it?

Have you ever tried to germinate seeds and sometimes you get 90% success rate, and other times not one measly seed grows- yet you did nothing different?

It’s not just you. It happens to everyone.

The good thing is, The Jackson 5 and myself may be able to explain it.......

Don’t blame it on the sunshine,

Don’t blame it on the gardener,

Don’t blame it on the good soil,

Blame it on the Moon!

Using Thomas Zimmer's Moon Planting Calandar so I can find out best times to plant for optimal growth

For thousands of years, people have been practicing Moon Planting.  

Moon planting is based on the synodic period of the Moon, from one New Moon to the next, which is across an average period of 29.5 days.

Over this time, farmers observed that all aspects of farming seemed to be affected by the interaction of the gravitational forces between the Sun, the Moon and the Earth. 

Scientists have also found variations in sap flow, biological functions in plants and the subtle changes in the Earth’s electro-magnetic fields, which correspond to the Moon’s gravitational pull. So basically, just as the moon influences the tides, it also affects the motion of water in plants and soil. The ebb and flow of this water ultimately also has an impact on seed germination, flower development and fruit production.

Ok, so how do we unlock the secrets to moon planting? With a Moon Planting Calendar of course.

Moon Planting Calendars unlock the secrets of the lunar cycles, with easy-to-follow directions on the right time to plant, when to fertilise, when to cultivate, when to harvest and when is the best time to preserve fruit.  

My grandfather always swore by Thomas Zimmer’s ‘Moon Planting’ calendar. It is produced in Australia for Australian conditions. He followed it for gardening, fishing and even getting operations ....

Thomas Zimmer’s ‘Moon Planting’ calendar is a detailed chart that gives the correct lunar and astrological planting times for fruiting and leafy vegetables and covers the best times to weed, transplant seedlings, prune, harvest and irrigate. There are even instructions for those new to gardening by the moon.  The calendar also contains astrological information such as moon phases, equinox, solstice and eclipse dates and times, including annual planting by the moon guides, as well as an astrological commentary on the year to come.

Who knows what the next year will bring, but I’m sure if you follow Thomas Zimmer’s ‘Moon Calendar’, your gardens will be bountiful.

Get your Calendar here

Winter Vegetables

Autumn. Warm Days, cool nights. Perfect for vegetable planting.

By now your vegetable patch has been freshly composted and manured. It’s just waiting for you to plant out. If you are having trouble with how to start off your vegetable patch, check out my Vegetable Patch Checklist

The basic cool season vegetables that I find grow well in most areas are –  broccoli, beetroot (my favourite), cabbage, cauliflower, leek, onions, shallots, silverbeet, spinach, snow peas, strawberries (my other favourite), peas, kale and rhubarb. 

If you don’t get a frost or you can cover your vegetables - beans, lettuce, capsicum and tomatoes can also be grown.

If you get really cold you can give brussels sprouts a go.

This is the basic vegetable range; there are so many different variations on these classic cooler weather vegetables.

In seedlings alone you can get about four different versions of broccoli. 

If you start using old fashioned open pollinated seeds, the list can be endless. 

If your vegetable patch consists of a variety of different sized pots don’t worry, there is a large range of dwarf vegetables available in seedlings and seeds. 

Leek, lettuce, capsicums, shallots, silverbeet, spinach, snow peas, strawberries, peas and rhubarb all grow well in pots without needing dwarf varieties.

The secret to growing any vegetables in pots follows the same principles as growing in the ground. 

Start with the best quality soil or potting mix, mulch with an organic material (I like organic sugar cane mulch that is free from weeds), fertilise with a complete organic slow release fertiliser and liquid fertilise fortnightly with a complete organic liquid fertiliser. 

I like using the Plant of Health range of fertilisers – Organic Link and Triple Boost and Searles' range of garden soil for gardens and potting mix - Platinum Potting Mix for pots

I find the cooler months are the best time for growing herbs.  Nearly all the herbs are available now. Herbs grow well in the garden or in pots and most herbs can be grouped together in pots to make mini herb gardens. 

The best thing about growing cool season vegetables is that it’s usually too cold for the pests to be out and about.  If you do get a few pests a pyrethrum based spray or one of the new organic sprays like eco oil or eco fend work well.  Mildew and mould is a common problem during wet winters - copper spray (some are considered organic) can be the best solution. 

I have heard that having pretend white butterflies in your vegetable patch not only looks pretty but helps deter moths. Jerry Coleby-Williams has also mentioned that Land Cress is a confirmed biocontrol. We stock Land cress in seeds and in plants. 

Remember though the healthier the soil, the healthier the plants and the less likely you are to get problems. Now get outside and get dirty!

Dirty Clothes can lead to Healthy Garden

Strangely enough I’ve found that gardening infiltrates itself into nearly all aspects of my life.

My job is gardening, one of my many interests is gardening, some of my food comes from the garden, many of my outfits and shoes are gardening friendly, even my morning relax time with a coffee gets extended sometimes with weed pulling and tomato gathering.

So it's no surprise my laundry and home cleaning is garden orientated.

Laundry, Cleaning... Garden? How does this even happen.

It all started with the water restrictions years ago, 2007.  I had a baby in cloth nappies, a yard that needed watering and severe skin reactions to the main product on market that was used to soak cloth nappies.

So the hunt began for a product that could:

• Keep my nappies white and clothes clean

• Be used in a front loader with cold water

• Not lead to skin reactions

• Cost effective

• Wouldn’t damage my washing machine and

• Most importantly the water from the washing machine could be used in my garden, grey water

Finally after much confusion, have you seen the laundry powder aisle in the grocery store? Research, or as I fondly refer to it, trial and error.

I found a solution and a lot of information.

What I discovered was that not all laundry powders dissolve totally in the water.  Go on go and get your laundry powder, mix it in cold water, leave it for twenty mins and see what the water looks like. I bet there is undissolved particles in it, well there was for me with most of the detergents I tried.  These undissolved particles are called fillers. These fillers can not only affect your washing, they can corrode your machine and even affect our health.  These fillers can also affect your septic tanks and cause problems with your grey water.

Chelsea using Euca in her laundry

 Many laundry detergents also contain salt (sodium sulphate) that can cause major environmental problems in our gardens and waterways.

For me I found that most laundry detergents contained chlorine and synthetic perfumes that are used to sanitise and make our clothes smell pretty. The ones that didn’t contain them didn’t get my clothes clean and didn’t smell as nice. Unfortunately it was the chlorine and synthetic perfumes that were causing my skin problems.  For some the chlorine and synthetic perfumes can even trigger bronchial sensitivities.

Finally I found a product that exceeded all my expectations. I fell in love with it so much Trevallan Lifestyle Centre now stocks it and their range of cleaning products.

The product I discovered is the Euca Laundry Detergent Range. The range has a laundry powder, laundry liquid, a prewash stain remover and a fabric conditioner.

The range is based entirely on Australian Eucalyptus oil. The Eucalyptus oil helps deodorise and sanitise without the need for harsh chemicals, so no more skin or bronchial sensitivities.

Euca has no fillers and on average 35 times less sodium sulphate (salt) than other brands of laundry powder.  So the waterways, gardens and septic systems are safe.

It can be used in front and top loaders with warm or cold water, it’s cost effective and most importantly my clothes are clean, look clean and smell clean.

It's not just us that think Euca is special, Euca Laundry Powder won People's Choice Award Best Laundry Detergents on Product Review.com

As Euca laundry powder is great for removing soap scum and general grime, I use Euca to clean my shower and mop the floors so all my dirty water can be reused out in my garden.

Never again can I complain about the washing as it’s all going to a good cause – My Garden!

Trevallan stocks a great range of Euca Products, all are septic safe.

• Euca Laundry Range

• Euca Dishwashing powder for Dishwashers

• Euca Dishwashing Liquid —- Click here for my quick Review

• Euca Smell Expell – 4 in One Air Freshener, Disinfectant, Deodoriser & Cleaner —- Click here for my quick Review

• Euca Multi Concentrate – Super Strong Multipurpose Cleaner

• Euca Toilet Cleaner

Who am I?

I believe I have developed a great personal rapport with all of Trevallan's customers, both in person and online. In fact, sometimes I forget I am actually just a business on a computer screen and as a result, some of you may not know the face behind Trevallan's web presence….So here I am!

I come from a family of gardeners. My knowledge is part book based, but mostly comes from being surrounded by it all my life. It's amazing what you can learn just by listening and being made to do something as a chore !

My grandparents were gardeners. Their vegetable patch sustained the family, so, apart from meat, there was no store-bought food. My grandfather also loved fiddling with plants and taught himself to cross breed, graft and do cuttings. However, his true love lay with camellias and azaleas, he was also a lawn fanatic. One of my fondest memories is getting in trouble as I didn’t mow straight enough on his ‘bowling green’ lawns.

Before going into retail, my parents ran a successful landscaping business 'Trevallan Landscapes' that would have been in operation for about 40 odd years today had my father not died in 2000. Trevallan Landscapes was high in demand and I remember my father travelling all over Queensland doing landscaping work - private and commercial. Working for him throughout my childhood was also a great way for me to earn pocket money.

In 1999, I finished my business degree and although I wanted to travel the world, I decided to postpone travel to help my mother at the centre after my father's unexpected death.

Since then, my pieces of paper have increased - I have a Certificate III in Horticulture, am chemcert qualified, have been a national finalist for Young Horticulturalist of year and have also been a HAL emerging leader, as well as being a member of the Queensland Horticultural Media Association.

However, as quickly as my pieces of paper increase, so does my workload. I have written for local papers and gardening magazines. I write all the information found on this website, manage Trevallan's workshops and social media - Facebook and Instagram, plus physically work at Trevallan. I also love giving gardening related talks to social and gardening clubs.

While I've been paper collecting so has Trevallan - over the years Trevallan has won a few awards, one I am most proud of is Best Small Garden Centre in Qld in 2010. We have also just joined Tourism Queensland, as we were recognised as a place of attraction to visitors outside of Ipswich.

As many of us know, knowledge isn't gained from just reading a few books. Knowledge consists of a lifetime of asking questions and determining what you believe is right answer.

I attend a plethora of industry events, run my own events here at Trevallan and read as much as I can, to stay informed in regards to all things plants. I also try to take the time to listen to my customers, my growers and my suppliers, as I find they've tried and tested many things I wouldn't get a chance to do in my lifetime.

My aim at Trevallan has always been to grow people’s minds, allowing them to experience gardening in their own style, but also educating them and giving them the tools for success. I want gardening to be for everyone, so I try to make it easy and simple. For me, Trevallan is a place that grows people’s minds, not just gardens.

But horticulture isn't my only love - aromatherapy is another passion. In between all my paper accumulating for horticulture, I also completed - Certificate Four Massage Therapy, attended many Aromatherapy Masterclasses and am also a qualified Aromatic Kinesiologist and run my own Energetic Healing Practice, Potionatrix .

In October 2012, I won a world wide competition to create my own essential oil blend. This blend 'wisdom' was produced, until recently (2019) by internationally renowned aromatherapy company, Perfect Potion and sold at Trevallan, as well as world-wide, via Perfect potion stores and online trading.

However, life isn't just about fertilising and sweet smells as on top of all of the above, I'm nurturing a young family with three children.

So that's me.

The woman behind the computer screen.

Roses are Red

The rose has long been a source of fascination and meaningfulness for cultures around the world.

Cleopatra was believed to have covered the floor of her palace room with roses before Mark Antony visited for in those times anything which was said "under the rose" was deemed to be a secret.

For many of us Queenslanders though how to keep roses looking amazing feels like a state secret.

I often stare in awe at the pictures in magazines of roses elsewhere in Australia. How dare they have the climatic conditions to grow these plants successfully?

I have never claimed to know the secrets of growing roses in a climate where for about six months of the year we have what feels like 100% humidity.

Many rose growers out there will probably have a small heart attack at my way of growing roses but that’s ok, my way is the right way for me and maybe if you’ve never had any success in the past it may become the right way for you.

The first thing I needed to realise was that my roses may never look like they do elsewhere. The humidity we suffer is the cause of most rose problems. No amount of sprays, fertilisers or correct planting techniques will change the problems humidity brings.

To combat most of the rose problems such as black spot, fungus, bud worm that occur during the warmer months I trim and fertilise.

I don’t spray.

During the really humid months most of my roses look like bare thorny sticks. I find removing all the affected leaves, trimming back the plant and then fertilising with a slow release complete organic fertiliser like Organic Link works fantastically.

I always trim my roses like I am cutting the flowers off for a long stemmed vase. I personally can’t stand long straggly bushes so I make sure all my roses get a good prune continuously throughout the year. I also find a good dose of granular Sulphate Potash at least twice a year, Winter and Summer, helps with fungal problems and boosts blooms.

After pruning you can use a product like Steriprune which is designed to protect wounds against infections and die back. Come the cooler months and my roses are thick and lush and full of flowers. The few leaves that do get black spot or mould just get pulled off and when the flowers die, I still trim the stem right back like I am cutting it for a long stemmed vase.

To keep roses healthy and insect free I try to regularly liquid fertilise them with Rose Triple Boost and neem oil, fortnightly is ideal (but not always possible). When black spot is rife I alternate between the Rose Triple Boost and Silica and Potash Liquid fertiliser (certified organic).

Another organic alternative for black spot and rust is eco-fungicide. Eco-fungicide is a registered organic fungicide for the control of powdery mildew, black spot and rust in many plants including tomatoes, zucchini, roses, grapevines and geraniums. It attacks existing fungal infections and kills external fungal growth within minutes.  Eco-fungicide also leaves an invisible protective coating that prevents new spores from germinating.

This Rose quote is so true even when growing roses. You must put up with all the disease, insects etc but it is well worth it when they bloom

To control insects some people like to use a pyrethrum based spray or neem oil.

All my roses are in full sun in pots and in the ground. I use Searles Platinum Potting Mix for the pots and Searles' Garden Mix for the ground. I mulch with Sugarcane.

Roses do not have the prettiest bush and they can sometimes seem a bit fussy but the reward of the rose is well worth it all.

Talking Dirty

Last week on Trevallan Lifestyle Centre's Facebook page, I posed the question "What gardening terms do you use that people think you've made up, don't understand or have a little giggle at your expense?"

There were some great examples and I thought I'd enlighten you all with some gardening terms that I find I use and people think I have started to talk in my own special language.

Deciduous

Deciduous, pronounced dih-sij-oo-uhs, is the term I am most often asked to explain. Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and it is typically used when talking about plants that lose their leaves seasonally. Many plants, particularly in cooler regions, drop their leaves in autumn, have a dormant period through the winter and then come alive again in the spring. In some subtropical and arid regions, plants lose their leaves during the dry season and remain dormant until the wet season begins.

Active Constituent

Active constituents are the substance/s in an agvet (agricultural and veterinary) chemical product primarily responsible for a product's biological or other effects.

For example, Glyphosate is the active constituent in most weed killers. In horticulture, companies register products with different trade names, however, you will often find the active constituent is the same. Trade names such as Yates Zero, Searles Dead Weed, Brunnings Weedkill all contain the same active constituent - glyphosate. When dealing with chemicals in gardening, know your active constituents and you'll never need to rely on trade names again.

Bisexuality

A Bisexual flower or perfect flower is when the flower has both the essential whorls i.e., androecium and gynoecium (male and female reproductive units). Some examples are lilies, roses and sweet peas.

When it comes to fruit and vegetables, we generally use the term bisexual plant, meaning the plant has both male and female flowers and you do not need two separate plants. For example, a pumpkin will usually produce both male and female flowers, following this, insects will hopefully pollinate the females, with the result being big, healthy pumpkins.

Self-watering pots

Now unless you have gnomes in your garden doing all your dirty work, there is no such thing as a self-watering pot. When you buy a self-watering pot, you still have to water.

In a self-watering pot you have a very large saucer, or water well, and the soil is held above the water well, with a false bottom. The water well and the soil are usually connected by a wick of some sort.

As water is used by the plant, capillary action draws the exact amount of water up from below, therefore the soil has just the right amount of water all the time, but also maintains air pockets, which the plant roots also need. This is great for plants that don't like being over watered, as you just fill the bottom chamber.

While self-watering pots are great, I find they only really work once the plant has an established root ball.

This weekend, why not practice your ‘dirty talk’ with someone and show off your new gardening knowledge.

Bloomin' Fabulous

A common question I am asked is "why didn't my fruit trees fruit profusely or if they did why was the fruit misshapen?" Or "why didn't my camellias and azaleas flower as well this year?" Or even "why are all my coloured foliaged plants like crotons and dracaenas losing their colour?"

The answer is usually quite simple - Your garden just needs some TLC and maybe a little Potash!

Potassium Sulphate or Sulphate of Potash is commonly called Potash.  It is an essential element necessary to the lives of all plants.

It aids in disease resistance and frost protection by strengthening the plants cell walls.  It helps in seed and root development. It encourages strong new growth and helps with the formation of flower buds and fruit.

Potash can improve the quality and the colour of flowers and enhances the formation of proteins and sugars in fruit. Potash can even help plants with slender stems and large flower heads such as Iceland poppies and gerberas hold their heads erect.

Potash defective cues can be seen in a number of ways in your plant. Your plants might be showing signs of overall weakness especially in its stem.  It could have yellowing leaf margins and grow more slowly.  It could also be disease prone and its fruit and flowers will be small and poorly coloured and sometimes tasteless.

Don't confuse a potash deficiency though with an unhealthy plant. Always make sure you have given your plant some complete slow release organic fertiliser like Organic Link and a Bio Trace first.

Complete fertilisers, whether they are chemical or organic, usually contain potash.  Organic Link contains potash. An N:P:K ratio can usually be found on the fertiliser label. A very quick explanation of the N:P:K ratio is - N stands for Nitrogen (greening, growing), P Phosphorus (roots) and K Potassium (fruiting, flowering).

If you use mainly a manure based fertiliser like blood and bone or chicken manure you will need to add potash as these products don’t naturally contain it.

Potash also is available by itself in a liquid form and a granular form. 

The liquid form is added to water and used as a foliar spray. Used like this it is quick acting but not long lasting and needs to be repeated on a fortnightly basis. This is best for promoting flowers especially on annuals.  I use Plant of Health's Potash and Silica. 

The granular form is added to the soil and watered in.  The granular is slower acting but lasts a lot longer.  This is best for correcting deficiencies, promoting fruit and stimulating coloured foliage. We use Searles' Potash.

This weekend I want you all to get some granular potash and go a little silly in your gardens.

The Secret to Great Looking Plants

I have discovered the secret to great looking plants.

Trace Elements.

Trace Elements isn’t some brand spanking new fertiliser on the block. It’s an essential item to healthy soils.

Most gardeners are going ‘pfft’ - I so knew that.

Well you might know it but how many of you use a complete trace element mix on your gardens at least once a year? What about your pots, at least twice a year?

It seems everyone fertilises and expects to see results. What happens when you do all the right things but you don’t see the results you want? 

A common question is – “I’ve given my plants all the TLC they can handle, I’ve fertilised, watered well, even checked the pH level and it's perfect.  What could possibly be wrong with my plants?

Trace Elements

Most of us are aware that plants require mineral nutrients for their growth and development. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, the macro elements, the names that usually appear on fertilizer packages, whether you use organic or chemical fertilizers.  It is sometimes assumed that they are the "important" nutrients. These macro elements are just consumed by the plants in large quantities. Trace elements, micro nutrients can often be forgotten about as they are required in minuscule quantities.

When it comes to macro elements being the most important nutrients, nothing could be further from the truth. Trace elements like Manganese, Iron, Zinc, and Copper, are every bit as vital to the plants metabolism as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous. They have essential functions and so a deficiency in even one element will adversely affect the healthy growth of the plant. Strangely enough some trace elements when present in excessive concentrations are actually poisonous for plants.

Common gardening practices (such as liming acid soils) can contribute to widespread occurrence of micronutrient deficiencies in plants by decreasing the availability of the micronutrients present in the soil. Also, extensive use of glyphosate (most common weed killer) is increasingly suspected to impair micronutrient uptake by plants, especially with regard to manganese, iron and zinc.

So how do we pinpoint the problems in our soil? We can get a leaf or soil analysis.  Yeah right! I couldn’t be bothered with all that.

So what do I do?

I use Plant of Health’s Bio Trace. It has a blend of the key micronutrients (e.g. iron, cobalt and manganese) supported by macro elements. It is also contains fulvic acid to further enhance growth and health.

The best thing about Plant of Health’s Bio Trace, you mix some up in a watering can and pour it over the plants foliage or as a soil drench. Done. Couldn’t have been easier.

Go on breathe some life into your garden and use Plant of Health’s Bio Trace.

Careful though, when you see the difference it makes you’ll be buying it in bulk like I do now!