Moringa Tree

I love a plant that is so versatile, its almost like someone has made this tree up.

Moringa oleifera, Moringa Tree, (horseradish tree, drumstick tree) originates from northern India and the leaves, flowers, pods and roots are edible.

Not only is this plant completely edible its being claimed that this is The Miracle Superfood tree.

The leaves are the most nutritious part of the plant, being a significant source of B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium manganese, and protein. The leaves are cooked and used like spinach, and are commonly dried and crushed into a powder used in soups and sauces.

The immature seed pods are commonly used in curries. The seed pods/fruits, even when cooked remain particularly high in vitamin C and are also a good source of dietary fibre, potassium, magnesium, and manganese.

The seeds are usually removed from the mature seed pods and eaten like peas or roasted like nuts. These also contain high levels of vitamin C and moderate amounts of B vitamins and other dietary minerals

Mature seeds can yield an oil, that is currently being tested as a biofuel and the seed cake remaining after oil extraction is being tested to be used as a fertiliser or to help purify water.

All of the parts of the tree are not only edible for humans, but also can be used as a fodder or forage crop for animals. The high protein content of the leaves make it an excellent supplement to chicken feed and the seed pods can be given to your cows, goats, sheep or other large animals.

Basically the miracle tree.

It is so awesome it is now being used/tested in countries to help with malnutrition.

What makes this tree even more magnificent is that it's drought tolerant, grows in arid regions through to the tropics, will tolerate light frosts and grows quick. It can handle a good prune and has even been used a a living fence.

So why are we only just hearing about it now? Well maybe because this tree could become a problem if everyone started growing it. Its on the Australian plants to watch list. So we do not have trees for sale.

Another reason could just be the simple fact we have forgotten nature provides us with everything we need. Studies are now just starting to be popularised in western countries about the health benefits of this tree.

While we don’t have the tree in stock we do have Moringa Leaf Tea! Moringa tea is an herbal tea made by steeping the moringa leaves in pure hot water (just before boiling point). The tea is naturally caffeine, gluten and diary free and can be consumed at any time of the day. Moringa tea offers an flavour similar to that of green tea but I find it less bitter.

You get all the health benefits of the Moringa tree in tea form without the need to have a plant.

Time to try some Moringa Tea, what's stopping you from being a healthier version of you?

Water Saving Tips for Gardeners

Back in 2005, we were hit with water restrictions for the first time and these made gardeners feel like they were some sort of water criminal. Even today, it still feels like gardeners get the blame for wasting water and not conserving our environment.

Gardeners are not water criminals. Gardeners and Gardens are necessary as we need trees and gardens to help sustain a healthy urban environment.

Three positives generating a healthy urban environment are:

• Spending time in nature can make us mentally, emotionally and physically healthier.

  • “In 2021, nearly 1 in every 7 people (1.1 billion) around the world were living with a mental disorder, with anxiety and depressive disorders the most common.” It is believed the practice of shinrin-yoku, a Japanese term that means forest bathing, has the power to counter depression, anxiety and stress, as well as illnesses including cancer, strokes and gastric ulcers. It is also believed that over time it boosts the immune system, lowers blood pressure and aids sleep.

• Energy is conserved, saving YOU money.

  • Strategically placed trees planted around a home could cut your summer air conditioning costs by over 25%. By reducing the energy demand for cooling our houses, we reduce carbon dioxide and other pollution emissions from power plants.

• Neighbourhoods become safer.   

  • Barren neighbourhoods have shown to have a greater incidence of violence than their greener counterparts. Trees and healthy urban landscaping encourage people to spend more times outside socialising and also have a therapeutic effect, which overall reduces the level of fear people have for their neighbours.

If these reasons aren’t good enough (I have plenty more) for someone who accuses you of being a water criminal because you garden, just explain that you save water in the following ways:

• Soil Wetters. Sometimes soils become hydrophobic (can't soak up water so it just runs off the surface). These products contain surfactants that allow the water to penetrate the soil and enhances the soil’s ability to absorb moisture, enabling the soil to actually become wet and stay wet for longer. This leads to a happier, healthier plant. These products are a must for all gardens and lawns and need to be applied at least yearly, but preferably every six months.

  • We stock Searles Penetraide Re-Wetting Granules or Searles Recharge. Both these are granular soil wetters that contain fertiliser as well. All in one product.

  • Plant of Health's Eco Friendly Range of Soil Wetters are also fantastic. We use the Soil Wetter Granular, which is 100% biodegradable. This surfactant is infused into natural diatomaceous earth granules giving you the benefit of both a surfactant and a silica rich input, that helps retain water, hydrate the plant and helps reduce plant heat stress. We also use Soil Wetter Liquid. This also has 100% biodegradable surfactants that enable water to penetrate the soil while the natural organic humates condition the soil, feed microbes, help retain water and hydrate the plant.

• You try to use the lawn sprinkler as an outdoor shower, with friends of course!

• You use organic Mulch; like sugar cane, tea tree, or my personal favourite, one inch hoop bark. Mulching your garden can reduce the water lost through evaporation by up to 73%.

• You become a nude gardener … No need for clothes washing.

  • If you do wash you use the EUCA range of laundry detergents as it’s grey water and septic safe.

• You use Envy. Envy is a liquid that you spray over your plant’s foliage.  It helps protect against frost and reduces water loss through the leaves (transpiration) by 50%.

• You don’t drink water whilst gardening, you drink vodka.

• You use Silica and Potash Foliage Spray. This is a liquid that is sprayed over the plants foliage. It improves growth, flowering, fruit count, leaf presentation, colour and shelf life. It is also excellent for transplanting plants and can reduce wilting, frost damage, wind burn, heat and winter stress. Plants become physically stronger, especially in poor or salty soils, and more tolerant to pest attack.

• Fertilise. A healthy plant is a strong plant. Use a complete organic slow release fertilisers, like Organic Link. These  fertilisers  promote deep healthy roots that allow the plant to withstand growth phases, as well as heat and dry phases.

Enjoy your garden and never feel guilty about being outside, using water and playing in the dirt.

Fruit Fly

So you want to know why your tomatoes get black spots and rot away or why you lose most of your peach crop to black spots and maggots.

Two words that can strike fear into any fruit tree or vegetable grower – FRUIT FLY!

Whether you have one fruit tree in a pot or a commercial orchard Queensland fruit fly can have devastating effects. 

These files can sting up to 100 different varieties of fruit and vegetables such as Peach, nectarine, grapefruit, pear, avocado, grape, cumquat, apricot, orange, fig, tomato, eggplant, passionfruit, lemon, apple, loquat, chili, capsicum and strawberries.

Queensland Fruit Fly is an Australian Native insect. This native insect though is recognised as one of the world's worst fruit pests - it used to be estimated that it cost Australian fruit growers more than $100 million each year.

For many years it was just Queenslanders that used to have to suffer the trials of Fruit Fly devastation. Unfortunately fruit fly has not been well managed and many parts of NSW and Victoria have now also been declared Fruit Fly zones.

The adult Queensland Fruit Fly is only about 7 mm long and reddish brown with yellow markings.  They lay their eggs in ripe fruit, their babies - maggots then hatch from the eggs and tunnel through the flesh of the fruit turning it into a brown, filthy  inedible pulp.  Affected fruit is recognised by a small sting mark that becomes discoloured and rot develops around.

Whether you grow one fruit tree or 100 we are all responsible for keeping this pest under control.

Some easy things to do

• prune your fruit trees regularly, keeping the tops of the trees to a manageable height which makes fruit picking easier. 

• Remove any ripe fruit from fruit trees before it has a chance to fall to the ground

• Most importantly collect fallen fruit from the ground and preferably place it into a black plastic bag and leave in the sun for 3-7 days to kill any maggots in the fruit.

Another easy way to help reduce the amount of fruit files is to use a trap.  Searles Fruit Fly Trap attracts and kills the male fruit fly. 

If there are no males in the area the female is unable to reproduce and moves on.  The trap has a wick inside a container.  The wick contains the pheromone of a female fruit fly in season, coupled with an insecticide.  Traps are hung in an area near the fruit trees and can do an area of up to 500m. The wick lasts for three months and a replacement wick can be bought. 

I change my wick at the turn of every season. Fruit fly usually have a dormancy period during the colder months but I have found our winters aren't really affecting them like they used too so I keep my trap going all year long.

My first season of using this method I was catching a small vegemite container of Fruit Flies a week!

In conjunction with my trap I used to use eco-naturalure but this has now been replaced by Yates Nature's Way Fruit Fly Control. Yates Nature's Way Fruit Fly Control is a BFA registered organic fruit fly control spray for both male and female flies.

It combines specific food based attractants which target only fruit flies, and bacteria derived insecticide, spinosad, that leads to an almost instantaneous death.

You can also use fruit fly netting and fruit protection bags which are specially designed netting that you can use to cover your fruit trees or individual fruit.

I honestly believe that if every household had a fruit fly trap we could get on top of this horrendous outbreak.

Fertilising at Trevallan

Quick Guide to Trevallan's Favourite Things

Trevallan Lifestyle Centre loves to use the Plant of Health Range at home and at the Garden Centre. We stock this range in store, what we use, you can use.

Organic Link

• Slow release pelletised fertiliser

• Can be used on every plant – natives, roses, camellias, palms, vegetables – we use it on every plant in the centre

• Won’t burn or leech

• Finely balanced mineral fertiliser

• A high carbon, composted fertiliser to promote nutrient retention and to supply a home base for beneficial micro-organisms

• For more information click here

Triple Boost

• Liquid Fertiliser (mix with water and water over plants foliage)

• Boosts growth and root development

• Promotes healthy green appearance

• Super concentrated fertiliser based on nature’s super foods – fish, seaweed and earthworm combined with trace elements

• Contains Tricontanol (extracted from bees wax) powerful photosynthesis enhancer

Liquid Silica with Potash

• Liquid Fertiliser (mix with water and water over plants foliage)

• Potash helps the plants produce fruit and flowers

• Silica can help with plant stress caused by heat, wind, cold and transplanting

• For more information Click Here

Plant Care

• Liquid Fertiliser (mix with water and water over plants foliage)

• Super tonic for stressed, flowering or fruiting plants

• Helps prevent insect attack

• Promotes the plants health during flowering and fruiting

• Increases the plants foliage gloss and vitality

Soil Soaker

• Eco friendly surfactant

• Allows water to soak into the soil retaining it where it’s needed most.

• Available in liquid form or granular form

Instant Living Microbes

• Organic liquid that provides good bacteria to your soil (PROBOTIC FOR YOUR SOIL).

• Enriches and detoxifies your soil and compost.

• Healthy soil leads to enhanced plant growth. This can lead to better crop yields, drought and frost resistance and better pest and disease resistance. 

• Add to water and water into soil

Bio Trace

• All in one trace element mix that contains major and micro trace elements that are essential to a plants overall health.

• For more information on Trace Elements Click Here

Lawn and Turf

• Easy to spread, convenient application

• Improves soil fertility

• Improved root growth and lush green appearance

• Retains moisture

• Help put carbon back into the soil

• Contains beneficial microbes

• Added Trace Elements ensures luxury uptake of minerals maintaining mineral balance & lawn health

• Continual use helps prevent Lawn Grub

Birchy

• Birchy AquaMix is a fertilizer mixing unit for liquid fertilising without a watering can. The well designed dosing system ensures a precise mixture of water and liquid fertiliser. This is what we use in the garden centre and at home to apply the liquid fertilisers mentioned above.

How do I put on My Oxygen Mask?

I have been reading a lot about the self care and the ‘oxygen mask first’ statement.

When a plane is in emergency mode, oxygen masks drop from the ceiling and you are told you must put yours on first. Why? Because you can’t save others if you, yourself cant breathe.

I understand its hard to put yourself first. The thing is most of us are all in a position where someone is relying on us to help them with their oxygen mask. It could be our kids, our parents, our businesses, our partners, family members.

Don’t wait until you are struggling to breathe to put your oxygen mask on..

I know I do all the time and regret it every time!

These are some of the ways I put on my oxygen mask

Eating healthy nourishing foods

Now is a great time to get our vegetable patch ready for the cooler weather. You don’t need a lot of space. A few pots to grow some tomatoes and climbing spinach. Anything is better than nothing. If you have no idea what you are doing come along to one of our masterclasses or have a look at one of our blog posts on vegetable gardening.

Trevallan stocks a great range of organic fertilisers and organic pesticides to keep your vegetable garden healthy and pest free.

Surrounding myself with beautiful scents

You all know I have a soft spot for scent. Perfect Potion have some of the best blends that encompass all my needs and we stock them here at Trevallan to make it easier for you.

Space Clearing Blend 

Space Clearing Blend ...... Cleanse and purify your surroundings to reveal fresh, new energy and a sense of rejuvenation with this harmonising blend.

You know those times you just feel yuk, the car feels yuk, the house feels yuk. The kids are driving me  insane, nothing is going right at work. I’m drowning basically. This is the blend I diffuse. 

I will use it in my diffuser at home.

Sometimes I even have it going in my mini portable diffuser in the car.

Perfect Potion recommends this divine blend to restore balance and purify negative emotional, mental and subtle energies. Diffuse this blend to cleanse away negative energies and clear space for happiness, peace, positivity, love and abundance to enter.

I find another great way to rid myself of bad vibes is to smoke cleanse my home ... Click here to read my tips on Smoke Cleansing

Hug Time Blend

You know those times when we are sad, feeling down, just feel disconnected. This is the blend I use, I feel it’s just like a big hug.

A gorgeous blend of essential oils that will wrap you in happiness and love. Sometimes all we need is a good long hug but when you are person that isn't a hugger this essential oil blend is the next best thing!

Mother Earth Blend

Mother Earth Blend

This is currently my favourite blend. I just want to dive into and just be.

Reconnect with the life giving and nurturing aspects nature with this lush, sweet, warm, floral and earthy blend that embodies the essence of nature.

Emotional Healing

Argh! So many of us hate this and I think know why.

We all hate admitting we need some inner work. Aren’t we all perfect except that one crack (in our butts, he he!).

To do the inner work we may have to face things we don’t want to. Then we have to follow all this up with changing patterns and thoughts.

But ...

Emotional healing allows you to have a fresh start. You can learn how to tune into your emotions and what they are telling you. You can respond to situations, people and life secure in your own energy separate to the influence of others.

I love that Trevallan has the Mystic Garden and we have two extraordinary healers/readers to help us with our inner work.

Lorelle Joy – Dimensional Healing

Lorelle From Dimensional Healing

A session with Lorelle is unique to the individual and the goal they have in mind.

Lorelle works with the process of RAW, Charka Balancing, Reiki and Human Design to delve into the 12 parts of the being and re-pattern the energy. Intuitive insight, mentoring conversation are all blended together as an energetic healing.

Rekindled Ancient Wisdom (RAW) is a balance using muscle testing to access the energetic source of ancient times that are held within your cells. This enables you to re-pattern the energy blockages in the cells that are creating emotional, physical or soul imbalances, keep focused on the Soul’s direction and help you to reach your full potential. The purpose of chakra balancing is to support a balanced flow that will sustain our overall level of energy. In our everyday life, we are subjected to a number of activities, sources of stress and demands that result in fluctuations in our energy level. Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you.

After a session with Lorelle you will truly feel a balancing of the body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing.

Lorelle is in Mystic Garden on the First Wednesday of the Month

To Book a Session with Lorelle on First Wednesday of the Month at Trevallan Click Here

Claire Roe Wellness Witch

Claire Roe is a psychic & spiritual messenger. She offers intuitive guidance using a range of cards & her natural born psychic abilities.

Claire Roe Wellness Witch

She is an eclectic witch with a passion for wellness. Her mission is to encourage & inspire people to live their best lives. It’s not about finding magic one day… it’s about creating it everyday.

She dances with the garden fairies and her wild heart flows with the moon. The birds carry messages to her on their wings and the earth brings her home. She uses sound to stir the soul and smoke to clear the way. Fire to burn and cleanse and love to spark the light. She brings magic into the kitchen; through creative cooking & tea rituals. She is free her spirit with creative flow and loves to sing and dance. Stillness and movement, she ebbs and flow with life’s natural cycles. Connected, creative & free. She shares her journey of daily life to inspire and ignite. To show the beauty of simplistic living, the true heartbeat of life.

Claire is in the Mystic Garden on the third Thursday of the month

To Book a Session with Claire on the Third Thursday of the Month at Trevallan Click Here

Friends, Laughs and Good Times

How many times have you not wanted to go out but after spending time with your favourite people you feel uplifted and happy. There is nothing like spending time with good friends. I have found it hard in past to gather all my friends, we seem to need a reason. Which is one of the main reasons I started Trevallan’s workshops.

Trevallan's Workshops are a reason for friends to gather and if you have no friends around a place to meet new friends.

We hope that our workshops grow your mind and maybe your friend circle.

While we aren’t holding as many workshops as we usually do at the moment, the space is still there. Welcoming you if you need a place to just chill or maybe even hold your monthly Book Club Catch up.

How will you put your oxygen mask on?

The Spittlebug

Check this out looks like someone spat all over my Daintree Pine.

It’s not someone being disgusting.

It’s an insect, well a nymph really (a nymph is the immature form of an insect).

This is the Spittlebug nymph.

The nymph produces 'spittle' clinging on the stems of shrubs or small trees.

They prefer pine like trees.

The nymph lives immersed in masses of the spit like liquid. It is believed that this will reduce the risk of dehydration and to deter parasites.

The adults are excellent jumpers and are sometimes called frog hoppers. Supposedly their faces look like frogs but at 0.5cm long I have no idea how one makes that judgement call! They insert their needle like stylets into the plant tissue to feed. They are sapsuckers which feed on the leaves, twigs, branches and/or trunk of the host trees.

There are around 230000 species of spittlebug (mind just blown). I have no idea which one I have as mine are still in baby spit stage!

They say when the spittlebug is in spit form they cause no real damage (unless you have a huge infestation). Simply putting your hose on high pressure and blasting them off is enough. If you need to spray an organic spray like eco oil or neem oil would work but you would need a few applications.

I like to mix my neem oil with Triple Boost and give the plants a feed at same time. I find insect infestations are usually a sign of a weak plant.

So have you ever seen a spittlebug in your garden?

Zygo Cactus

Sometimes botanical names just make me feel like my tongue is permanently tied and afterwards I just want to have a giggle at how ridiculous I sound.

Saying Schlumbergera is one of those times.

I'm sure most of you know Schlumbergeras as they are commonly called Zygocactus (which was their former botanical name), Christmas Cactus, Holiday Cactus and Easter Cactus.

It's funny how northern hemisphere common names are still used here in the southern hemisphere. I quite often get people asking for Christmas Cactus around April, May as Schlumbergeras flower in the cooler months. The northern hemisphere have Christmas in the cooler months hence Christmas Cactus. In the Southern hemisphere we refer to these plants as Easter Cactus as they are usually flowering around our Easter.

Schlumbergeras were named after Frédéric Schlumberger, a French collector of cacti. When we think of cacti we oftemn imagine a cacti in the desert, these plants are not desert plants.

Schlumbergeras are epiphytes - plants which depend on others for support, but not nutrition - from the jungles of southeast Brazil, a humid area with high rainfall. These plants have flattened spineless, pendulous branches with prominent notches at the margins.

The flowers are asymmetrical in shape and appear at the stem tips. Their flowers are described as inflorescence. Inflorescence refers to a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. The flowers were originally shades of pink but thanks to breeding programs all over the world, the flower colours now range from pink, lavenders and reds through to oranges, yellows and whites.

Like all epiphytes, Schlumbergeras need excellent drainage and do not grow well in heavy garden soil or potting mix. Some people like to use orchid mix; some cacti mix. I like using an excellent quality potting mix like Searles Platinum Mix and just not watering them as much. If planting in the ground, I do add a bit of orchid mix to the soil when planting.

I fertilise them about three times a year with Organic Link slow release fertiliser and use Triple Boost liquid fertiliser about once a fortnight when they are in flower.

While Schlumbergeras can grow in the sun, I think they look superb in the shade. There is a school of thought that believes Schlumbergeras flower in response to shortening day length and that they are so sensitive that their normal flowering can be upset if they are grown in an area which is lit up at night, for example on a balcony near a street lamp or outside light. I'm not sure I completely believe this as I'm assuming the Brazilian rainforest wouldn't be exceptionally bright at the best of times. Other schools of thought believe the flowers are triggered to bloom near the beginning of the rainy season while others bloom near the end of the heavy rain. I think it could be a little of both.

Since we can't replicate Mother Nature, I usually fertilise, water and make sure my night light is turned off and hope for the best!

Making Offices Green

Beautify the Inside

Over the years there has been a great deal of research into not only how being outdoors improves your life, but also how being surrounded by green living plants inside improves your life, health, brain functioning and even your bank balance.  (Check out Plant Life Balance website for more details)

Plants aren't a luxury they are a necessity, however, sometimes it’s challenging to keep indoor plants thriving especially in our offices.

Why? Well, more often than not we are faced with problems such as no natural light, air conditioning and an inability to regularly water to plants due to over-watering resulting in wet desks.

At Trevallan, we are trying to come up with ways to make indoor plants easy but still really pretty using a range of planters, terrariums, kokedamas and even plants in bowls.

When we grow plants indoors, we have to realise that sometimes it's about giving up on our perfect plant to have an amazing plant that looks good all the time. Some plants are better suited to indoors and sometimes a really ‘boring’ plant can be made to look amazing in the right container!

Some of the Ways Trevallan is Bringing Plant Life Balance to your Workplace!

Planters

I have found that using planters (pots without holes) has been my saving grace.

I used to under water and ultimately kill my indoor plants as I was worried about water going all over my furniture.

Planters have no hole in the bottom. I just place my plant in the planter (I do not pot). I then can give my plant a really good drink, without the hassle of worrying about water going everywhere.

If by chance I decide I don't like that plant, or want to swap my plants around, I simply remove the plant from the planter. This way I am always keeping my décor the same (by keeping the same planter), but can switch my plants around and create an entirely new look.

It can take a while to get used to watering with a planter, but before you know it, you’ll wonder how you ever survived without them.

Terrariums

I love the meaning of Terrarium - a sealed transparent globe or similar container in which plants are grown! You cant get any more exact than that.

What a lovely idea to have a mini landscape sitting on our desks that only requires a small drink once every few months, in a closed terrarium or every few weeks, in an open terrarium.

I love staring at terrariums and seeing the mosses grow and the plants changing. The maintenance is minimal, but therapeutic, as its a delicate process.

Open Terrariums or Plants in Bowls are great too, if you want your plants to grow out of your jar. In an Open Terrarium, the plants are planted in glass jars or a decorative bowl. Instead of the plant being inside the container, as they would in a terrarium, they actually come up out of the container.  Even better, there is no need to worry about water leaking everywhere as the containers are sealed. Water them as you would a terrarium (at least once a week). When planting an Open Terrarium, follow the same guidelines as when planting a Closed Terrarium, just be sure to pack out the bowl with sphagnum moss.

Kokedamas

Kokedama is a style of Japanese bonsai. It is made by binding the plants root ball with a unique soil mixture, sphagnum moss and string.

Kokedamas are usually seen hanging from ceilings, or specially made stands. Personally, I like to put them in a bowl as this way I can just fill the bowl with some water and the plant can slowly soak up the moisture as it needs. I have tried numerous indoor plants with Kokedamas and they all work really well. Furthermore, these plants can be a real talking point in your office.

Crystal Planters

The beauty and power of crystals has been long recognised with healers, shamans and priests using crystals for their unique and special properties. It is widely believed crystals vibrate at the same pitch as humans - such that the resonance between the stone and the human either combats the vibration of the illness or amplifies that of health!

There are thousands of different crystals on the planet.

Many crystals would be useful in the office, especially ones that amplify harmony, resolve conflict or even attract sales! Some people may think you are a little kooky if you start having crystal grids on your desk, so Trevallan has come up with an idea to have these crystals in your workspace, without others even realising.

Planted Crystals

Very cleverly, we have planted plants into crystals that we think would be most beneficial to have in your office. All you need to do is keep the moss wet and you should start to notice the difference straight away!

You could also place some of your crystals on top of your plants soil. This keeps them earthed and cleansed, not to mention that it also looks really pretty! For some ideas on what crystals are best for your office click here. 

Want to improve your plant life balance or maybe someone else's? The Trevallan ladies are here to help. Not only can we can help you decide on the right plant, but we also provide a local delivery service straight to your office on Fridays.

Crystals for the Office

The beauty and power of crystals has been long recognised with healers, shamans and priests using these beautiful rocks for their unique and special properties.

It is widely believed crystals vibrate at the same pitch as humans - such that the resonance between the stone and the human either combats the vibration of the illness or amplifies that of health!

There are thousands of different crystals on the planet.

Many crystals would be useful in the office especially ones that amplify harmony or resolve conflict or even attract sales!

These are just a few that I have found would be useful.

Amethyst

Amethyst can help protect your energy and office space from negativity.

It can help you find and access your truth, connect with your Higher Self, and then can help dissipate the fear that can go with sharing your wisdom.

Citrine

Golden yellow Citrine is an abundance stone. Its colour invokes happiness, joy and optimism. A stone of success Citrine inspires wisdom, cleanses energy and reverses damaging behaviour. Yellow links with the solar plexus chakra the centre for self-esteem, fearlessness and empowerment and self-confidence. It is believed that it can draw good things to you - Powerfully energizes and attracts supportive friends and mentors. Lorelle from Dimensional Chakras talks more about Citrine here

Rose Quartz

Rose Quartz arouses and opens the heart to all forms of love and compassion for self and others.

Powerfully energizes and attracts supportive friends and mentors.

Pink infuses your soul with unconditional love, opening your heart to receive the call to follow your dreams and fulfill your purpose.

Sodalite

Sodalite is a clearing stone.

Place next to a computer to help cleanse electromagnetic energy.

It helps keep communication clear and concise. It will help bring an end to disagreements and supports honest expression.

Inspires understanding of problems by promoting inner knowing and self-examination

The colour blue helps access and share truth through the feelings, increasing confidence, self-esteem and trust.

Clear Quartz Crystal

Clear Quartz Crystal is a stone of power. It's a MASTER HEALER that amplifies other stones and intentions. Quartz amplifies the psychic expressions of hearing, seeing and inspirational speaking. It can helps cleanse the auric field and bring peace and harmony.

Fluorite

Fluorite is a stone of mental order and clarity.

It is used to enhance mental clarity and reduce instability and disorder.

This brings a wiser, more balanced view of life and improves decision making.

These traits enable one to manifest ideas and bring plans to fruition.

Fluorite can remove confusion and mental "fog" to create order and harmony in life.

At Trevallan we have beautifully presented planted crystals that you can put on your office desk or you could buy some tumble stones and place them on the top of your office pot plants. Believe or not believe in the power of crystals? Why not give it a go, at the very least it will pretty up your office space and that in itself will change the energy of your workplace!

Growing Spring Flowering Bulbs in South East Queensland

Ranunculus flowers almost look too good to be real. These are an easy to grow Spring Bulb

Bulbs, corms and tubers are all sometimes erroneously referred to as bulbs. The technical term for plants that form underground storage organs is geophyte. All these types of plants cycle through vegetative and reproductive growth stages; the bulb grows to flowering size during the vegetative stage and the plant flowers during the reproductive stage.

These plants need certain conditions to trigger the transition from one stage to the next, such as the shift from a cold winter to warm spring.

Due to the bulb, corm or tuber being a storage device, these plants can also survive adverse conditions such as cold, excessive heat, lack of light or drought.

The foliage of these plants absorb nutrients from the soil and energy from the sun for setting flowers for the next year.  After the foliage period is complete, bulbs can be dug up for replanting elsewhere.  

I just love the idea of my garden bursting with colour and scent in the Spring, like they do down south or overseas, but sadly, Spring flowering bulbs in South East Queensland just don’t really live up to the expectation.

Hippeastrum reticulatum var. striatifolium

Don’t despair though, we can still plant some beautiful bulbs, corms, and tubers, we just have to accept that our choices are different to the southern states. We can still grow tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, ranunculus and anemone here in South East Queensland. It's just they will never grow like they do down south or in Europe. They usually only flower for just one season and we treat them the same as other flowering annuals such as marigolds, pansies or petunias.

If you want bulbs that will naturalise and come up year after year in your garden and pots, you can happily choose bulbs such as Freesias, Ixia, Sparaxis, Jonquils, Babiana, Tritonia, Leucojum aestivum, Eucharis, Sprekelia, Zephyranthes, Rex Begionas or Proiphys cunninghamii (Brisbane Lily). Don't forget we also have some great summer bulbs/corms/tubers like Hippeastrums, Scadoxus, Haemanthus, Caladiums and ornamental Gingers. We are slowly building up our bulb collection here at Trevallan… SHOP BULBS HERE

When I am looking for new bulbs to plant out, I like to look for flowering bulbs native to South Africa, as I find these do a lot better in South East Queensland.

In my quest to achieve a garden that comes alive with flowering bulbs, I asked Claire Bickle from Gardening for the GoodLife to give me a few tips on how to achieve this daunting task!

Claire Bickle's Tips for Growing Bulbs

• Place larger bulbs, such as jonquils, hyacinths, daffodils and tulips in a paper bag in the crisper drawer of the fridge for 4-6 weeks before planting. This gives them the chill down they would not otherwise receive in our mild autumns.

• Ranunculus corms are best spread out on a thick wad of wet newspaper and covered with another reasonably damp wad overnight before planting the next day. This helps the corms to swell and get ready for shooting once planted.

• If growing in pots, use a good quality potting mix and ensure the pots have good drainage. Shallow pots work quite well too and remember some bulbs can be planted closely together.

• You can fertilise the soil with Organic Link when planting, but there is no need to start fertilising with liquid fertiliser until they have some growth. Then I alternate fortnightly feeds between Triple Boost and Potash and Silica.

• When the bulbs have finished flowering, don’t be tempted to cut all the foliage off. Leave it to die down naturally, as this is how the bulb draws back in all it’s nutrients to store away until the next season.

A range of spring flowering bulbs

I am very excited, the bulb garden of my dreams may just be achievable if I change the way I view my end goal. This year I've bought myself a mixture of bulbs like Gladiolus, Iris, Jonquils and Ranunculus and I have interplanted them amongst my annuals like poppies, pansies and lobelia. I can't wait to try out Claire's tips and see what comes up this and hopefully, next year. One thing about gardening which is for sure though is that it's never the same!

Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums are traditionally given at Mother’s Day as they flower profusely during autumn and they contain the word mum!

I have found for some strange reason people tend to shy away from having Chrysanthemums in their garden. Maybe they are just too common?

Chrysanthemums are one of the easiest plants to grow and are perfect for green or brown fingered gardeners!

I find these brilliantly flowering plants are one of the best for gardens in the full sun.

They are so many varieties of chrysanthemums available today, one to suit every garden. The US National Chrysanthemum Society has derived that there are 13 different types of flower forms. Then there are the colours, I think every year they get more exquisite. There are single coloured and multi-coloured blooms ranging in colour from pure white to all shades of yellow, reds and purples.

Chrysanthemums are one of the easiest plants to grow and are perfect for green or brown fingered gardeners! Chrysanthemums have long lasting flowers and are relatively pest and disease free. This makes them perfect for everyone as this enables us to enjoy these plants hassle free for many years to come.

Potted chrysanthemums can flower for several weeks indoors but thrive best if placed in full sun. They can be grown in pots or in the garden. To keep them looking fantastic and to promote more flowers, remove all spent flowers and discoloured leaves and liquid fertilised fortnightly.

After flowering chrysanthemums should be cut back to about 15cm (6") high and given Organic Link fertiliser. They will usually flower again in about two months.

Chrysanthemums aren’t just the perfect idea to brighten up one's garden.

They can be used in cooking and teas. NASA Clean Air Study also found chrysanthemum plants can reduce indoor air pollution. Extracts of chrysanthemum plants have been shown to have a wide variety of potential medicinal properties, including anti-HIV-1, antibacterial and antimycotic.

Pyrethrum a well-known insecticide is also derived from chrysanthemums.

This Autumn don’t stress about finding a beautiful, versatile, easy care plant - just buy a Chrysanthemum!

Kalanchoe

With the onset of winter, we all need a kick start to get out in the garden. Nothing kick starts you like the vibrant shades of the Kalanchoe and these hardy plants are perfect for giving your garden some TLC during winter.

Kalanchoes are one of the prettiest bushy succulents. They belong to the stonecrop (Crassulaceae) family, which is the same family as the Jade plant or money tree.  Kalanchoes are the ultimate winter plant whether it is for your garden or pots.

These glorious plants flower from June through to September, sometimes even longer. Kalanchoe flowers are best described as masses of small bouquets of starry, four petalled flowers that develop at the end of a stalk. The vivid colour of the flowers - hot pink, bright yellow, brilliant orange and intense red make a dramatic statement during the bleak cold of winter. In the past, the flowers have only been available in single form, but in recent years, a double flowering Kalanchoe has been released and is available in all the vibrant colours, hot pink being my favourite.

Kalanchoes have a compact habit and their leaves are oval with scalloped edges. They usually have lush green foliage, but some varieties have grey leaves, which can actually add a lovely contrast to a dull spot in your garden, or brighten a boring pot.

Kalanchoes are a succulent that can grow anywhere and are extremely hardy. They don’t mind whether they are grown in full sun or shade, so are perfect for shady balconies or the western side of the house. They don’t mind if they are left inside while they are flowering or if they spend their life outside.  They look magnificent mass planted in the garden, or as a specimen plant in a pot.  They even look fantastic in a hanging basket.

Brown or green fingered, Kalanchoes are sure to survive at your house. These beauties don’t need much water and would much prefer to be dry than wet.  A good watering once or twice a week is all that is needed to keep these plants looking beautiful.  They don’t like to sit in water, so make sure that if planted in a pot, their saucer isn’t constantly full or if in the ground, it is a well-drained area.  Try planting in a clay pot with Searles Platinum potting mix as sometimes roots in plastic pots tend to sweat during the warmer months, which can lead to an untimely death.

Kalanchoes will thrive if Organic Link is used every three months and Triple Boost is applied every two weeks. If by chance insects attack your kalanchoe, trim off the affected foliage and spray with Eco-Oil (organic pesticide) or Neem Oil. Don’t fret though, these plants are tough and should survive even if they are only attended to rarely.

Flowering kalanchoes brighten any cold bleary winter’s day, so give your life and garden some TLC this weekend by getting outside with your morning coffee and enjoying the colours of summer whilst wearing your Ugg boots!

Camellia Sasanqua

Autumn is my favourite season. Cool crisp nights and fresh sunshine days.  The days are shorter but seemed to be filled with achievable goals (maybe because we aren’t sweating by 9am!).  Autumn is also a glorious time of year because one of my favourite plants starts to flower – Camellias.

Don Burke said it best way back in 2002 “Camellias are amongst the world's best flowering plants. They are hardy and disease resistant, most varieties have attractive, glossy green foliage, and they put on their fabulous flower display in the cooler months of the year when the rest of the garden often looks dull and bare”.

Originally from China camellias have taken well to their Australian home. I have four favourite types of camellias - sasanquas, japonicas, reticulates and hybrids.

Sasanquas are the TLC my autumn garden needs. They seem to burst into life, brightening up sun and shade spots alike with their elegant sometimes fragrant blooms. Of course these plants are still handsome at other times of the year, with their deep green, glossy leaves, and graceful habit. Sasanquas are a versatile shrub with a variety of uses. They are great as a hedge, look fantastic espaliered against a fence, perfect as a statement in a pot or garden and can even be used as bonsai.

Camellia Sasanqua Flower

Camellia sasanquas flower in abundance from March through August with much of the shrub being covered with their striking coloured flowers. These flowers are mostly singles or semi-doubles and range in colour from white through to deep pinks and reds.  All the flowers have brilliant yellow stamens that the Australian native bees find delicious!

Some of the sasanquas even have a delightful fragrance that gently wafts through the air tickling your senses and leaves you wanting more. To promote this profusion of flowers and good growth, fertilising with Organic Link should be done at least twice a year, just before flowering and just after. I also like to give my Camellia sasanquas a granular dose of sulphate of potash around February to help promote flowers. If you find you are a little late this year you can just start liquid fertilising with Silica and Potash, every fortnight to help promote blooms. During their flowering season I liquid Plant Care them on a regular basis to keep them healthy while in bloom. About once a year usually around the end of February I add a little bit of Dolomite to the soil around my camellias. Camellias can be prone to calcium deficiency and I find adding a little bit of Dolomite helps with this. If I can’t add Dolomite (or I forget) I try to Liquid Bio Trace my Camellias at least twice a year.

Sasanquas also possesses the distinct advantage of tolerating both full sun and partial shade. These are the perfect plant for your south facing garden or patio. As long as they are planted into good quality potting mix or garden soil and mulched correctly sasanquas are one of the most robust drought tolerant plants around.

Camellias in Ipswich are considered to be relatively slow growing; as a result they are quite happy to stay in a pot.

This is also why they make an excellent hedge – with little effort they can easily be trained to grow thick and neat, they really only need to be pruned once a year after flowering.

There are over 1000 named varieties of Camellia sasanquas, so this diverse group of flowering shrubs should fulfil a range of needs and colour schemes in everyone’s garden. Give your shady or sunny garden spots some TLC this weekend with the hardy Camellia sasanqua.

Pretty Pots

Snapdragon Double Mix

  Wonderful warm days, cool nights. I can not express how much I love autumn.

This is usually the time I up end all my all drab/dead pots that lost their lust for life around the same time temperatures hit forty and I got caught up in the school routine.

I usually just throw the dead plants out and throw the soil from the pots if it’s old on the lawn as a quick top dressing.

I love grouping my terracotta pots. Before I even start to plant I work out which pots I want to use and usually have grouping of three or four all different sized and shaped terracotta pots. I also work out where I’m putting my pots and does that area get all day sun, some shade and sun or all day shade.

Next I get my potting mix. I always use, what is in my eyes, the best quality potting mix – Searles Platinum Potting Mix 30Lt. I find that if I give my plants the best possible start in life they are more likely to flourish with little input from me.  I use Peat 80 for everything in pots whether its roses, vegetables, azaleas or flowering annuals

Pansy Mixed

Plants in pots do need a little bit more care and attention than plants in the ground. I try to give my pots a complete organic slow release fertiliser with Organic Link every three months and I alternate my liquid fertilisers fortnightly. I use Triple Boost and Silica and Potash.  I am sometimes a bit forgetful with the liquid fertilising but I have realised that if I want my potted plants to stand out and look really amazing once a fortnight is best.

Next it’s time to choose the plants.

The best thing about this time of year is that I can start filling all my empty pots with winter flowering annuals like pansies, tall snap dragons, primula and violas! Plus all year round annuals like lobelia and asylum.

I’m not usually an annual person. It’s not that annuals are that much work, it’s just I’m too much of an impatient gardener to wait for the seedlings to grow into plants and flower! But I just love the cooler flowering annuals.

Viola Mixed

Some of you may be wondering what an annual is.

Annuals are a range of plants that usually flower and grow for one season, many do grow for longer. Winter flowering annuals such as pansies and violas will usually only grow in Ipswich during the cooler months by the time Christmas is here they have completely died off.

I may only get five months of winter annual joy but how could I not love the bright infusion of colour these wonderful plants can bring?

The best thing about winter annuals is that many of them are perfect for cut flowers. Snapdragons and stocks can last for a couple of weeks inside in a vase.

This weekend get outside, get dirty and breathe back some life into your old pots.

Kokedama

Viola hederacea’s made into kokedamas at Trevallan

Kokedama is a style of Japanese bonsai made by taking a plant out of its pot and turning it into a ball held together with a unique soil mixture, moss and string.

Trevallan's Kokedamas can be hung outside in full or part shade, and some are perfectly suited to indoors.

Trevallan stocks a range of  Kokedamas, such as Native Violets, Ficus Pimula, Parlour Palm, Brazilian Walking Iris, Ficus Fiddle Leaf and Anthuriums .

How to look after me

When the sphagnum moss feels dry to touch and the ball is light, I soak them in a bucket of water for about ten minutes. If it’s really hot, you may need to do this more than once a week. If it’s cold, you may only have to do it once a fortnight.

Alternatively, similar to your other plants, you can just water them with a hose or watering can.

If my Kokedamas are inside, I like to sit them in a bowl and top the bowl up with water.

Where to put me

Trevallan's kokedama

Some of Trevallan's Kokedamas come with their own hanger. These can be hung outside in shade or part shade, maybe under a tree or on your patio. They look fantastic as a group.

Some Kokedamas are perfectly suited to indoors and can be hung from the ceiling, or Trevallan's handmade Timber Kokedama Stand.

If hanging isn’t an option, you can sit your Kokedama on a plate or in a bowl. The sphagnum moss will be wet most of the time, so be sure to protect your furniture.

Kokedama’s are definitely worth trying - remember, not every plant needs to be potted!

Are your Chakras out of Balance?

How do we know if our Chakras are out of balance?

Perfect Potion have a checklist to help us determine which chakras are out of balance.

Answering yes to four or more questions associated with a chakra indicates an imbalance.

Base Chakra

Do you feel disassociated from your body?

Are you overweight?

Are you underweight?

Do you have a weak physical constitution?

Does life on earth feel like a burden?

Are you fearful?

Are you disorganised?

Are you possessive and/or materialistic?

Are you worried about financial security?

Are you accident prone?

Sacral Chakra

Do you suppress your sexual desires?

Do you have a negative attitude about sex?

Does sexuality make you nervous?

Do you lack the passion or excitement about life?

Are you emotionally dependent?

Does your creativity feel blocked?

Do you feel guilty?

Are you afraid of making a commitment?

Are you obsessed with sexual thoughts or feelings?

Solar Plexus Chakra

Do you have low energy?

Do you have low self esteem?

Are you weak willed?

Are you easily upset or discouraged?

Do you feel ashamed of who you are?

Are you unreliable?

Are you manipulative and controlling?

Are you unable to relax?

Do you have temper outbursts?

Are you stubborn?

Are you prone to digestive problems?

Do you always like to be in control?

Are you afraid of rejection?

Heart Chakra

Are you anti social?

Are you tolerant of others?

Do you have a fear of intimacy?

Are you overly sensitive?

Are you depressed?

Are you experiencing grief?

Are you indifferent?

Do you have a jealous nature?

Do you have difficulty breathing?

Do you take care of others but not yourself?

Throat Chakra

Do you have a fear of speaking?

Do you have a weak voice?

Are you unable to express your true feelings?

Are you shy or withdrawn?

Do you speak harshly to others?

Do you talk too much?

Do you tell lies?

Are you unable to listen to others?

Do you frequently have a sore throat?

Do you feel you have nothing worth saying?

Do you clench your jaw or grind your teeth?

Third Eye Chakra

Are you out of touch with reality?

Do you have a poor memory?

Are you forgetful?

Do you feel confused?

Do you have impaired vision?

Do you have difficulty in concentrating?

Do you have nightmares?

Do you often misunderstand situations?

Do you have frequent headaches?

Are you over-analytical?

Do you doubt your intuition?

Crown Chakra

Are you apathetic?

Do you feel lonely or isolated?

Do you feel you have no purpose in life?

Are you afraid of dying?

Does life seem senseless?

Are you over attached to your belongings or relationships?

Do you have an addictive relationship with spirituality?

Do you search for answers outside yourself?

After reading this, you (like me) may feel that more than one chakra is imbalanced or blocked. This is because when one is blocked, the other chakras begin to compensate and either become overactive or under-active.

The best way to start is to acknowledge the first chakra that is out of balance, then check out our guide to balancing your chakras. Another way to Balance your Chakras is to have a Chakra Balance session with Lorelle from Dimensional Healing. You can book one here

Spring is Here. What do I Plant?

Jasmine polyanthum

Few vines rival Jasmine polyanthum for beauty and fragrance. This easy-to-grow climber produces beautiful clusters of starry flowers you can smell from miles away. Most Jasmine polyanthums bloom in late winter or early spring. We have ours in hanging baskets so no need to worry about stakes for these vigorous climbers.

Waterhouse Unipunctata

You may think that a native tree that has small white flowers is a little unusual to be included in Plants that I love for Spring. Think again! Waterhousea Unipunctata or Roly Poly Satinash has been included because of its long lasting flushes of brilliant red new growth that cover the plant making it stand out amongst the green backdrop of any garden. Plus its flowers and fruit are a delight to the native fauna. It can handle dry conditions and light frosts once established and likes the full sun.

Osteospermum Copper Amethyst

Osteoperums always bring sunshine and brightness to any garden. There is a range of colours now available so you will find one to suit any garden palette.

They are perfect for gardens or pots and will flower continuously through the warmer months.

You can let it ramble through the garden or keep it neat and tidy by giving it a good trim inbetween flowering. Regular deadheading and fortnightly liquid fertilising will encourage new blooms. Flowers will close up every evening and open up again in early morning.

Lavender

How can one not want the beautiful fragrance of Lavender in their garden? Lavenders can be grown in pots or the garden and flower profusely. Plus they look really pretty as cut flowers.

Give the plants a full sun position in a well-drained soil. Do not overwater as lavender dislikes wet feet, prune after flowering to promote compact growth and mulch well. Drought tolerant once established.

There are so many varieties of Lavender available. I have found French to be the longest lasting in our climate but if you want to try something different you could try Lavender ‘Lavish’ the double flowering lavender or Lavender ‘Silver Lining’ which has an almost white foliage.

Petunia Midnight Gold

We are now stocking a great range of trailing perennials in seedlings and pots. Perfect as living mulches or to jazz up full sun hanging baskets. One of my favourites at the moment is the Petunia Midnight Gold. This petunia features huge double blooms that are a lemony yellow around the outside and deep purple black on the inside. It has exceptional branching habit with profuse flowering making this perfect for hanging baskets.

An unconditional love

Spoilt for Choice at Trevallan for chrysanthemums

When I was quite young, I once watched a mum give the last two Tim Tams in a packet to her kids. At the time I thought the woman had gone completely mad - who gives away perfectly good Tim Tams ?

Years later, I came across this quote “A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.” As a mother myself, I now understand the crazy lady giving away her Tim Tams (though giving away Tim Tams is still a little crazy)!

As parents, we sometimes forget that we are children too and our mums will always be our mums!

Because we are always children in our mother’s eyes, they have the ability to drive us, as adults, a little insane at times.

Their insanity, so it seems, is not due to old age, it’s just their ability to never stop caring or loving us.

This Mother’s Day, look past your mum’s insane streak and don’t forget all the wonderful Tim Tams and pieces of pie she gave you, and probably is still giving you without you even realising!

Love this beautiful winter flowering plant

Don’t just give her a pot of flowers, give her something that she really wants – time with you.

As a mother of young children, my ideal Mother’s Day would probably be sleeping in a bed without sand, crumbs and/or tiny feet kicking me through the night, to enjoy my morning coffee, without the need to be a climbing frame, not having the Terraria computer game theme song stuck in my head or answering a 1000 questions before 5am, oh and of course a massage and a hair cut.

My mum, on the other hand, would probably appreciate a day of my kids shenanigans, sorry, I mean ah, a day of quality time with my children and myself.

So this Mother’s Day the only answer is - the kids are spending the day at mum’s house, I’ll be supervising! Win, win!

Lavender shades

Seriously though, in today’s world it seems we are spoilt for choice in the present department. Believe it or not, a few years ago, a pot of chrysanthemums was the only choice you had as a gift option for Mother’s Day.

This Mother's Day, Trevallan Lifestyle Centre is overflowing with living flowering gifts. Cyclamens, azaleas, pansies, orchids, kalanchoes, even flowering cactus and of course chrysanthemums, all are in bloom, look fantastic and are easy to care for – even brown thumb mums should enjoy!

With every present you give though, don’t forget to give a little of your time as well.

Our mothers just want the best for us – so ignore the so called mothering insanity and instead, give her a hug and kiss and let you know you love her.

Because while a mother’s love is unconditional, we as children need to reassure them that our love is unconditional too!

What's wrong with my Citrus trees?

Citrus trees are prone to Leaf Curl and Leaf Miner.

Both these problems are mainly caused by insects.

Leaf Curl can be attributed to sap-sucking pests like aphids, mites and psyllids who feed on citrus leaves by extracting the juices directly from transport tissues. As populations grow, they can cause deformations including curling and cupping in leaves, as well as discoloration.

Leaf Miner are another insect, moth larvae. Instead of sap-sucking, moth larvae tunnel through leaf tissues as they grow. These tunnels are highly visible on leaf surfaces, appearing as white or yellow lines.

I find the best way to deal with both of these pests is just trim off the affected leaves. If you wanted to spray BFA certified organic sprays like Eco-oil or Eco-fend would work. I find if I mix a little neem oil with my liquid fertiliser (Plant of Health's Triple Boost) and use it fortnightly it also reduces the harmful insect population. I try to work from a place of prevention is better than cure.

If your plants are badly affected a weekly spray for at least four weeks with Plant Care and Neem Oil, mixed together might be your magic pill! 

Why Neem Oil and Plant Care?

Neem Oil is derived from the Azadirachta indica tree. When applied to insects and the plants they are eating, neem oil causes many insects to feed less, grow more slowly, molt less, and lose interest in laying eggs. Neem also suppresses the hatching of pest insects from their eggs.

Plant Care is like a vitamin pill for plants or when they’re sick or stressed. Plant Care contains natural liquid fish proteins, amino acids, liquid vermicast, fulvic acid, natural growth stimulants as well as a special blend of selected herbs and botanical extracts. Plant Care is a natural, non toxic foliar spray and can be used regularly on all plants, vegetables and lawns without the fear of NPK overload or plant damage.

Drought stress can also lead to leaf curl in citrus and is the easiest to remedy. If leaves begin to curl inward while retaining their green colour and the soil around your tree feels dry to the touch, you’re not watering enough. Step up your watering efforts and applying an organic mulch if you haven't already. If you are watering regularly then a soil wetter may be necessary. Soil Wetters help water and nutrients penetrate into the soil enabling the plants roots to pick up what they need.

Nutrient deficiencies can also lead to leaf curl. Citrus trees are very heavy feeders.

My citrus trees get Organic Link every three months and I try to liquid fertilise them fortnightly. I also like to give my trees a liquid fertilise with a complete trace element mix (I use Plant of Health's Bio-Trace) twice a year as part of my normal fertilising regime.

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” Martin Luther

I think the world would be a better place if we all took Martin Luther’s advice. We do not know what tomorrow will bring but we do know what we can do today for a better tomorrow!

Get through your Workday with Ease

The work day can be very long sometimes…

It doesn’t matter if you work for someone, are the boss or a student, we are all dealing with constant stress and pressures.

This includes everything from physical and mental stresses, environmental and social stresses, growth and developmental stresses...and that's all in one day.

To help us all cope a little better Trevallan stocks a great range of Perfect Potion products that can be incorporated into your daily ritual.

Clear and Focused Trio of essential oil blends

Stay sharp, motivated and focused in your home or workspace with the energising aromas of Focus, Positive Vibes and Mindfulness essential oil blends. Just add 3 drops of one of the blends into your diffuser and enjoy a boost.

Focus Essential Oil Blend helps you keep focused during classes, study or work. It harnesses concentration, thoughts and aspirations and helps the mind remain fresh and clear.

Positive Vibes Blend will help you feel inspired and energised by this uplifting blend.

Honour the present moment with the uplifting and mind-focusing Mindfulness Blend. Diffuse this nurturing, grounding blend to enjoy the benefits of mindfulness practice in your life.

Body and Room Sprays

Calm & Collected Aromatic Mist is all about returning to yourself. It is designed to bring your energy back to you so you feel aligned, balanced and capable of making decisions. Chakra related essential oils are blended with crystal essence and infused with reiki symbols and energy, all with intention to balance the chakra system.

You can use the Calm & Collected Aura Spray:
~ When you leave work for the day
~ When you feel scattered, irritable, indecisive
~ During witching hour (dinner bath bed routine) when tension and stress are high
~ As a room spray - to lighten and refresh the energy of the room
~ As a pillow mist before bed to help you switch off
~ After being in dense public places like supermarkets, department stores or airports
~ Anytime low vibes (negativity and stress) take hold

Happy and Calm Aromatic Mist is cheerful and calming helping to create a positive and comforting space. It helps us to wind down, relax and have fun. The Happy and calm mist contains the Calm & Clear Bush Flower Essence which helps us to wind down while still enjoying life. I love spraying this in the car just before pick up time, it always makes the drive home a little calmer! You can spray this mist onto yourself, in a room or do as I do and spray the car.

Breathing Space Room Spray creates a clean fresh environment that helps create an atmosphere of calm and serenity, banishes bad vibes and can help keep colds and flus at bay. In Winter I try to spray myself and kids when we get home from school and work so we don't bring other peoples lurgies into the house. Great if you use public transport a lot and are constantly surrounded by air borne bacteria. You can spray this mist onto yourself, in a room or the car. I sometimes use it on stinky shoes or gym clothes before a wash.

I also love Perfect Potion’s other room sprays - Australian Journey, Yuzu and Lime and Shinrin-yoku. All of these work well at clearing the air and bringing a sense of calm and happiness into a room.

Sweet Dreams Aromatic Mist helps you wind down and create your own dreamy paradise. It promotes serenity and inner peace and helps you wake fully rested. It regulates the body clock creating a familiarity with 'falling asleep'. It contains Meditation Bush Flower essence which helps you reach a deeper state in mediation.  I swear by this. I have used this for many years, whether to soothe a teething over tired baby or an overtired mummy! I find after a spray of this everyone calms down and can easily fall asleep. You can spray this mist onto yourself, on a pillow or in a room.

Don't forget Laughter is the best medicine. Having a good laugh is a great way for us to relax after a hard day. Laughter is contagious!