Tropical, Subtropical and Warm Climate Gardening ISSUE 39 Cocoa Chocolate Fine Foliage Plants Gardening for Kids Organic Carbon Staghorns & Elkhorns $10.95 AUD ISSN 1832 8717 COCONUTS controversy FEATURE native gold INDOOR PLANTS favourites HERBS Mexican tarragon www.stgmagazine.com.au Issue 39 STG 1
Feature Articles 12 Native Gold 18 Fine Foliage Plants in the subtropics 22 Benefits of Gardening for Children 24 Elkhorns & Staghorns the natives 34 Coconuts heated debate 38 Downsizing III... more tricks for garden design 76 81 84 87 Subtropicalia Collector 76 Bromeliads Neoregelia Groucho 77 Climbers Hardenbergia violacea 78 Creepers & Groundcovers Plectranthus ornatus 79 Curiosity Plants Orontium aquaticum 80 Flowering Trees Cassia grandis 81 Funky Foliage Strelitzia juncea 82 Ginger Group Pleiostachya pruinosa 83 Orchids Dendrochilum wenzelii Bonsai 40 Conference in Vietnam 40 84 Palms Schippia concolor 85 Scented Plants Magnolia figo 86 Succulents Gasteria excelsa Cala 87 Tropical Shrubs Medinilla dolichophylla 10 Favourites 42 Indoor Plants 42 Suan Bazaar 88 Books / Websites Places To Be 90 Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Maleny, Qld 91 Beryl Roberts Park Coopers Plains, Qld 90 Environmental Horticulture 48 Black Snake Creek Rehabilitation Project at Glamorgan Vale Subtropicalia Produce 50 Organics Benefits of Soil 54 Herbs + Spices Tarragon 56 Vegies Allherb 60 Vegies Pumpkin 64 Fruit Pitaya Dragon Fruit 68 Fruit Cocoa/Cacao Chocolate Gardening Know-How 70 Hort Science Powdered Sulphur World Events 74 Global Happenings 50 74 Social Gardeners 94 Photos and Garden Clubs REGULARS 3 Welcome 6 Contributors 7 Letters 73 Our Supporters 98 Final Words SUBSCRIBE 92 Subscription Offers 93 Subscription Form SOURCE GUIDE 96 Directory 97 Events 97 Garden Centre Directory 97 Classifieds STG Index We have an online Index of all of our past issues for you to view or download at: www.stgmagazine.com.au
Benefits of Gardening for Children For children, life can be awesome, scary, wonderful, stinky, fun and full of questions. So too can a garden. Paul Plant looks at the importance and benefits of gardening for children. Images by Anthony & Georgie Burke. 22 STG Issue 39 www.stgmagazine.com.au
subtropicalia produce organics THE BENEFITS OF SOIL ORGANIC CARBON AND BIOLOGICALLY-ACTIVE COMPOST 50 STG Issue 39
subtropicalia produce vegies ALLHERB PLECTRANTHUS AMBOINICUS 56 STG Issue 39 www.stgmagazine.com.au
SUBTROPICALIA CLIMBERS COLLECTOR Botanical Hardenbergia violacea Common Name Native Sarsaparilla, False Sarsaparilla Vine, Purple Coral Pea Family Fabaceae A highly variable species with a wide natural coast distribution extending from central Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. As a result of this diverse climate range spanning coastal forests to mountain ranges, a lot of variation occurs in its characteristics such as habit, leaf size, flower colour and climbing vigour. Depending on where you live, Hardenbergia violacea may be a scrambling vine that prefers to be more of a sparse ground-scrambler that occasionally clings and climbs up nearby plants, or a vigorous highly attractive climber, or it may be shrub-like with thin erect stems. Most of the cultivar specimens sold in garden centres are of the latter two types more attractive in growth and flower colour. Pea-like flowers appear in winter and spring, usually blue-violet and occasionally white or pink. Leaves are dark green with lighter coloured veins. Some references infer that the sarsaparilla-tasting leaves were used as tea substitute by early settlers. When buying, it is important to know from where the plant originates. Many commonly sold cultivars (particularly large flowered climbing forms) originate in southern latitude, winter/spring dominant rainfall areas and are generally short lived in tropical and subtropical areas best grown as annuals during warm and wet periods. Butterfly host: common grass blue. BEST GROWING CONDITIONS Subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate climates (depending on plant origin) Full sun to dappled shade Free draining soils LANDSCAPE USE Sparse groundcover, straggly shrub or small climber depending on origin Climber for a small trellis or tepee support Sparse groundcover or straggly shrub in a rustic bush garden Butterfly host plant www.stgmagazine.com.au Issue 39 STG 77