Andrea’s Garden Reflections

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Let’s Get Dirty for a Minute

Young child holds out her hands. They are covered in dirt and she is standing in the garden

Last Sunday, I had a great day as MC of the Elders Midland Marquee at the Kalamunda Garden Festival and spoke about Potting Mix for your containers as well. I thought I would share it with you too.

So here it is. A chat about Potting Mix and how to get the most out of plants you are growing in containers and why I say “If you Buy Cheap, You’ll Buy Twice”.

What’s the difference between Potting Mix and Garden Soil?

  • Potting Mix has a balanced amount of sand and soil and so has better drainage and that’s why it is the perfect medium for containers.
  • Good quality Premium Potting Mix usually has some slow release fertiliser in it and that is always specified on the bag.
  • Premium Potting Mix nearly always has a neutral PH of about 5.5 -7 which is what most plants need.
  • Premium Potting Mix is basically sterile and has been tested throughout the manufacturing process so it will be weed free.
  • Garden Soil is whatever you have dug up from your backyard – a bit hit and miss!

Cheap Potting Mix is basically sand and fillers

  • This is problematic for containers because you want them to look their best for as long as possible and most plants won’t do very well if planted into a nutrient poor, dense sandy mix.
  • The plants are grown in a wholesale nursery where they are fed and watered so they are in tip top condition when you buy them. They are used to being loved so if you plonk them in a cheap sandy potting mix they will probably last a week or two and then cark it.

Why Buy Premium Potting Mix?

  • Premium Potting Mix is designed to last longer, so is more economical in the long run. For at least 3 months, probably 6, you really won’t need to do anything to amend the soil in your containers.
  • When planting herbs and veggies, you want fast production and only a premium mix will give you that.

The Right Potting Mix For The Job

Potting Mixes are so sophisticated now you can buy them tailored to whatever you are planting.

Mostly, I use Baileys Premium Potting mix in the red bag for new containers or to replenish older ones. It is consistent in quality and seems to work well for me. It is definitely the most versatile one that I have used. https://www.baileysfertiliser.com.au/products/category/premium-growing-media-mulches/premium-potting-mix

Yesterday, I created these containers for a client in Cottesloe using Baileys Premium Potting Mix.

Succulent Mix is more sandy and course, but still high in nutrients. I use Scotts Osmocote 25litre Cacti and Succulent Premium Potting Mix when I am potting up succulents and cacti.

Here’s one of my containers at home, filled with Scotts Osmocote 25litre Cacti and Succulent Premium Potting Mix

Blueberry Mix is essential for acid loving blueberries which need a special potting mix in Perth and should only be grown in containers. I use and recommend https://greenlifesoil.com.au/bags/blueberry-potting-mix-25l?srsltid=AfmBOorQ-e7OQ7Z1EoO1z9Sv6kD6h1sOsgfiBy12y-IFhk4rqlPuO2I2

Use Veggie Mix with added nutrients specifically for growing better and stronger veggies with all of the minerals and vitamins. This is basically the reason why you’re growing your own. I use a vegetable concentrate mixed in with the Baileys Premium Potting Mix in my raised planter boxes. https://greenlifesoil.com.au/bags/vegie-concentrate-certified-organic-25l

Camelia and Azalea mix for acid loving plants usually has a PH of  between 5.0 and 6.0. I use Osmocote Camellia and Azalea mix when I am potting these up in containers.

Propagation or Seed Raising Mix is coarser and is used for raising seedling and cuttings. It helps plants develop roots quickly. It usually has good aeration and may contain perlite, peat moss, coarse sand, or polystyrene foam beads. I use https://greenlifesoil.com.au/bags/seed-raising-mix-15l-1

Natives in containers do better with a specialized blend too and I use https://www.baileysfertiliser.com.au/products/category/soil-conditioners-growing-media/native-potting-mix-0

Australian Certification

There is a lot of product variety on the market so if you are unsure, look for the Australian standard certification on the label.

It is important because it means that the company you have bought it from has taken the time and the trouble to make sure their product meets all of the regulatory standards AS 3743—2003 

You can be sure what you are buying is as what the label says it is. Also, this certification should ensure what you are buying is of a consistent standard.

What is in Potting Mix? What makes it so different from ordinary garden soil?

The potting mix that you purchase at a garden centre or the big box stores, could be comprised of any of the following substances:

Peat

This comes in various forms and is measured by it’s POROSITY? What is POROSITY? It comes from the Greek word Poros which means passage and is basically there to allow water to freely drain through the mix.

Coir Peat is  a new additive to potting mix and it is there to assist water retention. You will typically find indoor plants are planted into coir peat when you purchase them to keep them alive in the nursery or garden centre.

Sand

How much added sand influences what can be grown successfully with that mix.

The smaller the sand particles, the more the water will hold in the mix. The bigger the sand particles, the more free draining the mix is.

Perlite

This is a natural Mineral which is white and volcanic. With a neutral PH, it helps with aeration of the soil.

Vermiculite

This has a water holding capacity of 3-4 times it’s weight which is helpful for small containers in particular.

Zeolite

Zeolite is a mineral which improves nutrient retention so is particularly important in a potting mix for growing herbs and vegetables in containers

Woodchips and Bark

These are waste products from the timber industry that add organic matter and is used in small amounts in potting mixes, except for orchid mix which is mostly bark.

Polystyrene Foam Balls

Sometimes these will be present and may have been added supposedly, to improve drainage and as a filler to make the bag seem bigger and fuller. These are not biodegradable. Cheaper mixes usually contain this.

Soil

Yes, your potting mix may contain soil but if at all, is less frequently used in potting mix. It is variable and can clog up a container if it is out of balance in the mix; the water will not drain and the plant roots can’t move around freely so the plant will not thrive.

Some quality brands may contain 3 months of slow release fertiliser and a wetting agent. These are all very useful for Perth growing conditions.

Will my Potting Mix go bad over time?

Well, it won’t go bad but potting mix is a living thing. Over time as it dries out in the bag, the nutrients for healthy plants will deplete. By all means use it up in the bottom of a large container but add some fresh Potting Mix to the top half and mix it through. If you think the potting mix may be dry in the bag, ensure you wear a face mask before you open the bag just in case the mix has soil born fungal spores which could harm you.

ORGANIC OR NOT??

You may see some potting mixes labelled as organic soil mix. This simply means it is high in organic matter, not that it has been certified as organic. Always check with the manufacturer if you are concerned. If you require organic potting mix, buy it from a supplier that has gone to the trouble of getting certification.

…and finally

Buy the Potting Mix that is going to best accomodate your chosen plant. Ensure that whichever blend you choose is light and fluffy when you tip it out of the bag into your container.

If I feel like a container needs a little something extra, I always add Nutrarich Mature Compost from Swan Valley Landscape Supplies. I love this stuff and swear by it for Perth gardens. I usually add some slow release fertiliser as well. https://www.swanvalleylandscapesupplies.com.au/blank-12

PLEASE don’t buy the cheapest Potting Mix! Read the label to see if it is fit for what you want to achieve in your garden containers and how much more it might cost if you are going to need to add extra goodies in the mix to keep your treasured plant alive for longer!

All this information may still be confusing. Don’t despair I am always at hand to confirm your choices or advise on any other queries. Contact me here!

Eremophila ‘Pink Pantha’ with a pink friend and happily planted in Baileys Premium Potting Mix at my house.

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Blooming Roses, Just In Time For The Easter Bunny.

Andrea's Summer pruning her roses this weekend
Here’s how to get your roses blooming again before this guy arrives!

Fun fact, did you know your roses will be blooming again 42 days after you have given them a trim?

Let me start by saying I would never profess to being an expert rosarian, but I do love roses and have been admiring and growing them in Perth for years. I have had very good success selecting just the right ones and caring for them for my clients as well.

I am just like everyone else in the garden, sometimes I have great success and other times not so much. Here’s what has worked for me.

Now the worst of our Summer heat is over – and let’s face it, this year has been horrible (all that dry heat backed up by a hefty dose of humidity). It is time to give my roses a bit of a trim. This “Summer Prune” will be more than just deadheading which I usually do to encourage more blooms when the flowers are spent.

In Perth, I am now having better success by doing the big traditional rose prune at the end of August and even sometimes mid September, rather than July. This results in a fabulous Spring flush of big healthy rose blooms. I love that time of the year. I am rewarded for my efforts. I give them plenty of Mature Compost, say 4 hands full per rose and a regular application of fertiliser that is low in Nitrogen and higher in Potassium. In addition, I give them Seasol and Powerfeed every 2-3 weeks. This regime keeps the soil healthy and the plants love it. That’s my Spring and it is really gorgeous in my garden.

The Summer months are very harsh on plants here at my place and the roses tend to spot flower only, despite my best efforts. Sometimes just when they are about to bloom we will have a 40 degree day and they will literally shrivel up in an hour or two. I am learning to live with that. I enjoy them for the day they bloom and then deadhead them about day 3 and just focus on keeping the plants alive with water, Seasol and Powerfeed, https://www.seasol.com.au/ as well as a wettting agent, like Grosorb.

It is 42 days and counting to the Easter long weekend, which is about the right number of days from trimming the roses to blooming again. So, can you guess what I am doing this weekend?

Easter is a big deal at our place. I think it is by far my favourite holiday in the calendar.

My Easter table…alfresco dining in Perth is always our Easter tradition

We actually have more days off with all of the Public Holidays at Easter-time than we traditionally do at Christmas. At Christmas, in the middle of Summer, we race around the shops, trying to find the perfect gifts for everyone and prepare the perfect meal all at once, as well as catching up with friends and family. It is mayhem.

Easter takes on a much more relaxed feel and the weather is so much kinder on people and plants! It is a lovely time for entertaining with friends and family. My garden takes on a softer feel, the sun is not as brutal, the mornings are cooler and the days are still spectacular.

Gifts are kept to a minimum too with a few chocolate eggs and yes, there will be cake, but it’s really about the decoration of the home and garden that I get a kick out of.

This is David Austin ‘Jubilee Celebration’ in my garden last Easter

In preparation for Easter, I will be giving my roses a good trim this weekend, I will be “Summer pruning” my roses. “Summer pruning” describes going just a bit lower than you would normally deadhead.

The shrubs will be reduced back under the next union from where I have deadheaded through the Summer months.

If there are any plants with defoliated leaves, which can happen in the Summer, I will not be cut back those too hard.

I will be adding Mature Compost https://www.swanvalleylandscapesupplies.com.au/ around the base of each plant, and I will be giving them some fertiliser. I will make sure that they are getting plenty of water as we still have not had any rain.

I will check on the lupin straw mulch and top it up, where required and offer a wetting agent like Grosorb, https://www.baileysfertiliser.com.au/products/category/wetting-agents/ Grosorb before the mulch goes on top.

Some of my containers need a little work too. They are looking a bit sad after Summer and I will re-visit them with some fresh plants. Who needs an excuse to go plant shopping? Not me.

A little preparation now and around Easter many of my roses will be flowering their heads off again. I can’t wait. They will flower all the way through to June and even into July.

This weekend, will you be Summer Pruning to enjoy blooming roses soon? You know that I will be, and of course, if you need some advice contact me here.

These roses are ready for their Summer Prune
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Working your way through Winter

grey storms rolling over the Perth skyline with a grey calm river
Perth city horizon with grey stormy clouds overhead and a choppy murky river to the front.

Makuru June and July The Season of Fertility

OK, so yes, it is rainy and a bit cold out there but that shouldn’t stop us die hard gardeners from setting the foundations for a stunning spring garden.

Makuru in Noongar language, (the indigenous language from where most of us live and garden here in Perth and Western Australia) is known as the season of fertility. June and July, is the time when the seeds you plant in your garden will easily germinate shortly after you plant them. The seeds will be watered and nourished by the rain and warmed by the sunshine when we have those days in between the rains. It is the perfect time for planting.

Be a careful shopper

New plants when planted small as tube stock or smaller specimens will really take off at this time of the year and actually will settle into the soil much faster than if your were to plant a bigger plant from the garden centre. This ultimately saves you money and you end up with a more beautiful garden with healthy well established plants by the time we experience the heat of summer as the roots are more established and can survive with less water. At the garden centre or nursery don’t always go for the biggest plant you can find. There is always a good selection of smaller plants to choose from. Check them out first. Many local councils will offer vouchers for discounted tube stock plants from APACE nursery to help you get started. https://www.apacewa.org.au/

Prepare your Soil before you Plant

This is the best time to improve your soil with compost and minerals to prepare. The soil is nice and damp so will make digging easier and adding nutrients to the soil a breeze. Also, it is cooler so easier on your own body working outdoors. I use Mature Compost from Swan Valley Landscape Supplies. https://www.swanvalleylandscapesupplies.com.au/

Don’t Prune Your Roses just yet

It is still too early to prune your roses, wait until August or even early September. Don’t prune them too hard, especially if you have cut them back after Summer due to the dreaded chilli thrip.

Keep an Eye on Your Weeds, please!

Keep your weeds under control by pulling them as they emerge, let’s not make heavy weather of this…see one poking its head out, rip it out. Stop them from spreading their seeds into your neighbour’s house. My favourite weeding tool is the Cobrahead Weeder-you can buy them in Australia now. https://www.allrareherbs.com.au/product/mini-weeder-cultivator-garden-tool/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwk8e1BhALEiwAc8MHiBGY1Wqjdw55k5Q8GW25583V8kREmPPxhB2B0i44S_yUD8CS8F6B7xoCf_EQAvD_BwE

Cobrahead tool at work in the soil

Snuggle Up with A Good Book

If it’s too wet outside, there’s always a good gardening book to read. I am reading Good Life Gardening by Hannah Maloney. https://au.permacultureprinciples.com/product/good-life-growing/

What are you reading, this winter?

Grey but calm view of the Perth skyline across the river from a jetty.
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5 Garden Tools That Will Guarantee Your Success


Whether you’re a seasoned green thumb or just beginning to explore the joys of gardening, having the right tools can make all the difference.

The right equipment helps you work more efficiently, reduce strain, and ultimately get better results from your garden, and you will have much more fun with the right gear.

Here are my five top gardening tools that I just can’t garden without.

Right now, I am pruning and weeding and trimming and liquid fertilising and planting, yep Autumn is the best time for planting and gardening in Perth.

These 5 tools are all on high rotation right now. No matter what style of gardening your into, these will all be super handy.

I have power tools like a battery powered blower and a trimmer and shovels and rakes but these five tools are always close at hand and always in use in my garden. They will be in yours too.

CobraHead Weeder

The CobraHead Weeder is a game-changer for removing stubborn weeds and cultivating soil. Its uniquely curved, steel blade mimics the motion of a cobra striking—hence the name—and slices effortlessly through soil, roots, and tangled vegetation. Ideal for weeding in tight spaces, loosening soil, and even transplanting small plants, this versatile tool is a must-have. The ergonomic handle ensures comfort, even during extended sessions in the garden. Its durability and multi-purpose design make it one of the most beloved hand tools among gardeners. Wherever I go, gardening my clients always ask, what is that tool? and Where can I get one? The great news is that Cobrahead now have a distributor in Australia, so you can easily get your hands on one, unlike me who travelled to the USA to get mine. https://blog.cobrahead.com/2024/06/28/cobrahead-tools-now-available-in-australia-and-new-zealand/

Felco Secateurs (Model F-2)

Always in my back pocket are my trusty old Felco Secateurs. Pruning is essential for healthy plant growth, and Felco secateurs are the gold standard in cutting tools. Made in Switzerland, the Felco F-2 is renowned for its precision, strength, and longevity. The hardened steel blades cut cleanly through stems and branches up to 1 inch thick. The aluminum handles are lightweight yet sturdy, with a comfortable, cushioned grip. What sets Felco apart is its fully replaceable parts, allowing gardeners to keep their favourite pair in working condition for decades. I can always find them in a bucket filled with green waste too, because they’re bright red! https://www.bunnings.com.au/felco-2-original-secateurs_p3358858?srsltid=AfmBOorsnh0UqkOvS23DI-eoKAD_N3uA2EDgGbu4KEi_E_vTeC-GQwq_

Dramm Rain Wand

Watering efficiently and gently is key to a healthy garden, and the Dramm Rain Wand excels at both. Its 30-inch length gives you extended reach, while the soft-touch watering head mimics a gentle rain, protecting delicate seedlings and blossoms. The thumb-controlled valve allows precise water flow with minimal effort, reducing hand fatigue. Built from durable aluminum and designed for everyday use, the Dramm Rain Wand is a favorite among professionals who need reliable, gentle watering tools. These come in the hottest bright colours and so, even your garden tools will look well put together and co-ordinated.https://botanex.com.au/products/dramm-30-touch-n-flow-rain-wand-watering-tool-berry

Ezy Storage 60L Flexi Bucket

Probably the least expensive item in my gardening kit. Every gardener needs a reliable container for collecting weeds, carrying soil, or transporting tools. The Ezy Storage 60-litre Flexi Bucket is lightweight, flexible, and tough enough for heavy-duty work. Its large capacity makes it perfect for hauling compost, mulch, or garden debris. The dual handles make it easy to lift and carry—even when full—and it can be squashed down for compact storage when not in use. It’s a versatile tool that gets a thorough workout in my garden. I use it to dunk every plant before planting a soloution fo Seasol and Powerfeed mixed together. I dunk the entire pot into the bucket of water and seaweed solution, until all the bubbles are gone and then take the plant out of the pot before planting it into the ground.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/ezy-storage-42l-assorted-colour-square-flexi-storage-tubs_p0216616?srsltid=AfmBOoo0hzVQ78jppZFpi0DQpHB0oWaNKP85pFxOw7YxW9lncnOlcc3e

DeWit Planting Trowel

Made in the Netherlands, DeWit tools are celebrated for their craftsmanship, and the DeWit Planting Trowel is no exception. Its sharp, hand-forged steel blade and durable ash-wood handle make it ideal for digging precise planting holes, cutting through roots, and transplanting with ease. The trowel’s unique design combines the functionality of a standard trowel with the strength of a hand spade, making it perfect for gardeners who want both finesse and power in one tool. I have had one of these for years and honestly it never fails. The blade remains sharp and can cut through the densest roots. Built with a wooden handle that fits into my hand perfectly, my hand never gets sore using this. https://europeantoolsaustralia.com/collections/dewit/products/garden-trowel


These five tools—each known for quality, comfort, and effectiveness—will elevate your gardening experience and help you maintain a thriving, beautiful outdoor space. Investing in the right tools is the first step toward a healthier garden and a happier you.

What tool features in your ‘She Shed’ that you just can’t garden without?

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