2017 - Andrea Whitely Garden Consultant

After a very slow start to Spring in Perth, which saw us wearing winter clothes in October (!) Brrr…..The birds are tweeting and the froggies are calling and we finally have some glorious sunshine and warmer days.

The nights are still cool and the plants are just loving it. I love the purple haze of the jacaranda trees scattered through the older suburbs at this time of the year. It tells me that Summer is just around the corner.

Here are some things to get your family involved with, in your garden this weekend.

Deadhead your roses and flowering plants: I must confess that I pruned everything very late this year (in August) and as a result have been getting lots of healthy blooms but I will be wanting my garden to be looking a picture for Christmas and late December early January entertaining so I will be sacrificing some of those blooms and chop, chopping and trim, trimming so that my garden will be in full flower for Christmas day
Rose ‘Veilchenblau’
David Austin ‘Jubilee Celebration’
Rose ‘Spiced Coffee” a new addition to our garden
Fertilise your plants: A sudden surge in growth in the past few weeks means that many of the plants will be very grateful if you apply some fertiliser right now. I give mine some mature compost and a liquid feed with a seaweed solution and a liquid fertiliser. Work your way around the garden with a watering can and the bottle of fertiliser and everything will be very happy through the summer months. I also use a granular fertiliser just for the roses for that extra boost.
Your pelargoniums will love some liquid fertiliser
Use a wetting agent: Our sandy soils need lots of help and a wetting agent will help keep the water right at the root zone of your plants rather than just passing them by on the way through! You can use a liquid or a granular wetting agent, whichever you choose, make sure that it’s a frog friendly wetting agent and that you water it in well to activate it.
Plant out some annuals: Nothing quite says spring like some new plants for your garden, change out your pots, add some annual colour to a corner of the garden that’s looking a little tired. Potted colour and annuals are a very inexpensive way to give the garden that little extra pizazz.
Cotinus…I love the colour that this brings to my Spring garden
Check your reticulation system: How long is it since you’ve changed the battery on your reticulation system? It might be worth checking that. Also, turn the system on and have a look at it while it’s running, is every sprayer working? It’s a good idea to trim the lawn away from the sprinkler heads to allow them to pop up freely. Make sure that your system is only coming on during your allocated days. Hand water whenever required.
Mulch your garden: It’s time to lay down some lupin mulch or some woodchips, this is really a personal choice but whatever you choose, your plants will Thank you.
Salvia ‘Wendy’s Wish’ one of my all-time favourite plants flowers beautifully at this time of the year

I really do pinch myself sometimes, thinking about how lucky I am and how many wonderful people I have met in my life, people who have extended the hand of hospitality…just because.

The bees love Pittsburgh too-Steelers Colours!

One of these people is Pittsburgh local, Garden Communicator extraordinaire and one of the nicest people I have ever met, Denise Schreiber. Those of you who follow this blog will remember Denise, who I met in 2015 in Pasadena. Denise and I drove down to Pittsburgh following our GWA conference in Buffalo, in August and I don’t think either of us drew breath the whole trip.

We talked and laughed and poor Denise had to answer lots and lots of questions about American-life according to her, from this ever-curious Aussie. We arrived at Denise’ home in Pleasant Hills, Pennsylvania which is a borough of Allegheny County and a suburb of Pittsburgh and after a quick tour of her treasure-filled garden, meeting the family, a quick unpack, we headed in to view the “Dahntown” from the top of Mt Washington-what a site, what a city.

They speak an interesting version of American in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh is home to NFL football team, The Steelers and is located at the confluence of three rivers and so there are lots of bridges crisscrossing the city. Pittsburgh is an old city built on steel but has undergone dramatic gentrification in recent years to become a vibrant and exciting modern place where they speak an interesting version of American.

When you travel with a local, you get to experience a different side to a city, one that only someone with local knowledge can provide and so it was a joyous moment, when after our night time trip to view the city, we headed down the hill to Denise’s favourite ice cream shop for a cheeky soft serve and chocolate sauce.

As a Garden Communicator, no trip to Pittsburgh would be complete without a visit to Phipps Conservatory, in Schenley Park. Stunning glass art by Jason Gamrath, displaying botanical wonders on a massive scale accompanied by permanently acquired, huge Chihuly pieces and more delicate Hans Godo Fräbel works in the orchid house. These provided enhancement to beautiful displays of flora under glass in this giant conservatory. The Sustainability gardens provided insight into providing habitat for nature right in the middle of a busy city.

The orchids were stunning in the Orchid room at Phipps

Monarchs at Phipps in the Nature play area

Nature corridors in the CBD, pond created by Aquascapes based in Chicago

The outdoor gardens offered beautiful views of the city and the Cathedral of Learning, framed by a gorgeous hydrangea display.

Beautiful views of Pittsburgh above the city

Denise works as Greenhouse Manager for AlleghenyCounty Parks looks after many of the plantings at South Park, so naturally, a behind-the-scenes tour was on the cards and a fun time exploring the place where she works.

We visited The Strip which is home to European Delicatessens, restaurants and a fabulous Kitchenware shop and we ate a Hoagie, a delicious bread roll filled to capacity with sliced meats and cheese-a must do!!!

A garden centre, Trax Farms Market was also on the agenda and this was of particular interest for me as I was able to compare prices and stock available, I just loved their garden gift lines and planter boxes out the front. They were gearing up for Halloween.

You would not expect to see this in a cemetery in Australia

Jefferson Memorial Cemetery might not seem like a fun place to visit but it’s actually a stunning arboretum and it was there, at dusk, where we saw a family of deer grazing quietly amongst the trees, my first “Bambi” moment. There’s a life-sized bronze statue of George Washington and very interesting art that one would not expect to find in a cemetery.

Something, I might not have mentioned is that I’m a bit of a sucker for craft stores so my visit was made complete with a trip to Pat Catan’s, a huge craft supply store.

Our home now plays host to a ‘Terrible Towel’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhrqDBEi9oo

and my son has barely taken off his Pittsburgh T-shirt and Steelers PJ’s since my return a little reminder of my travels to make me smile.

Girls Night In/Out an annual tradition was a wonderful night held at Denise’s home on the last night of my stay with great food and conviviality, celebrating with lots of women working in Horticulture as well as some of Denise’s nearest and dearest friends and family-they sure know how to party those girls.

Thanks to The Schreibers for generously sharing their home and their hometown with this Aussie, it was a week I will never forget.

Year: 2017

6 Easy Garden Maintenance Jobs To Do This Weekend

I’m waving a Terrible Towel and eating a Hoagie, can you guess where I am?