Gardening with Flowers

Choosing the best Diggers selections for the cutting garden

Just as gardeners create separate spaces for the growing of vegetables called the ‘kitchen garden’, the flowers that are grown for cutting because of their long stems also have a specific garden location called the ‘cutting garden’.
The one characteristic of flowers that display well in a vase is that they have long stems with flowers that usually appear at the top of a stem. This attribute, which is ideal for display in vases, makes them top-heavy soloists that look oddly out of place with other garden-worthy perennials, which need to combine with each other to create pleasing pictures.
Achilleas (Yarrows) are one of a few exceptions, with fern-like foliage at ground level and upright, straight stems, which makes them brilliant, garden-worthy flowers for borders that also integrate well in the wilder garden.
Nearly all florist flowers are grown by professional flower growers under glass or plastic covers, like long-stemmed hybrid tea roses which can produce flowers every month of the year.
Some flowers collapse in a few hours, and wilt like poppies with the exception of Iceland Poppies. Some flowers have eternal lives and will last for up to 10 years, like Pink Statice and Bunny’s Tails, provided they are collected dry in bunches without water.

Chrysanthemums are the best example of a cut flower that doesn’t combine well with other flowers, that is, a flower that isn’t garden-worthy.

Immersed in water, hellebores will last for weeks.

Dahlias are excellent garden flowers when staked.

More

A year’s supply of vegetables for two in just 20m2

Ryan Garratt and Sam Hidalgo anticipate the huge yields at Heronswood this summer

Choosing Beautiful, Edible Plants

Bernadette Brady talks about creating art with vegetables at Heronswood

Composting - Making soils and mulches

Turning your green waste into plant food.

Garden Pyramid

Clive Blazey explains the Diggers guide — our Garden Pyramid

Grow Your Own Berries

Tim Sansom gives his tips on pruning and training for success with your cane fruit crop

Grow Your Own Food (Early Summer)

Bernadette Brady helps you start growing your own food in just 1-3 weeks

Grow Your Own Organically

Bernadette Brady explains how we make 'weed tea', control pests and serve organic food in our restaurants

How to drought proof your garden

How to drought proof your garden

Maximising yield by summer pruning fruit trees

Julian Blackhirst explains the essentials to improve yields from your orchard.

Moon Planting

St Erth's head gardener Julian Blackhirst explains the lunar planting cycle

Plant Ratios for the Backyard

Clive Blazey's thoughts on providing the right balance of plants in your backyard

Q&A - Green Manures

Trials manager Ian Magnus answers questions about using green manures to boost soil fertility and water retention

Q&A - Mulch

Bill Bampton, head gardener at Heronswood, explains our success with making and using mulch

Q&A - Seeds

Seed manager Evette Jungwirth answers your questions about growing from seed successfully

Q&A - Soils

Hugh Hunkin answers your questions about soils and why they are at the root of most gardening problems

Soft green succulents for a lush green garden

Bill Bampton transforms Heronswood’s gravel garden

Spring Gardening

Bernadette Brady recommends getting your hands dirty with some tasks in the spring garden

Subtropical Growing Zone

Tim Sansom explains the heat generated by “Hot Zone” discussions

The “Hauteculture” of Espalier

Bill Bampton talks about turning an untidy orchard into a bountiful border

The best flower selections for ‘This goes with that’ summer borders

Clive Blazey, author of ‘The Complete Guide to the Flower Garden’, discusses the power of intelligent combination

Tips for keeping your plants healthy throughout the seasons

With air-conditioning becoming the norm in many homes across Australia, we asked indoor plant expert Jason Chongue to share his top tips to growing indoor plants in all seasons.

Tomato Growing Problems

Caromy MacDougall explains some common tomato growing problems and how to minimise them

Veganics and plant-based living

Plant-based living launches Veganics The vegan movement is gathering momentum for many reasons from animal welfare to climate change, and this is creating a wave of change across all industries from wine, to clothing and even gardening.
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The most fragrant of all the lavenders, 'Grosso' produces an abundance of violet-blue spikes with a high oil content. This is the classic lavender for perfume, decorating the French countryside where it is farmed en masse. 'Grosso' is heat, drought and frost tolerant and adored by bees.
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Grow the best tasting vegies with free Beetroot'Bulls blood', Carrot 'St Valery', Broccoli 'Romanesco' and Silverbeet 'Fordhook' seeds (one packet of each, valued at $21).
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