Sage, with all of its’ wonderful variations in colour, is probably the most useful of all herbs in landscaping the Western Australian garden. In a mass planting, sages are so eye-catching that passers-by can’t help but stop for a look and are often puzzled by the wonderful leaves that look so familiar. Many gardeners know […]
A plant closely related to ginger, turmeric (Curcuma longa) grows from a large rhizome from which grow large broad oblong leaves up to 1 metre tall. An occasional pale yellow or white flower may grow from the centre of the clumps. Turmeric rhizomes can be a little difficult to find at the green grocer but […]
Galangal (Alpinia galanga) is a member of the ginger family and forms a clump of leafy stems up to 2 metres tall. The leaves are a glossy, bright green and about 50cm long. The plant is native to south-east Asia and the rhizomes are popular in many Indonesian, Thai and Malaysian dishes. Galangal needs full […]
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) has many erect stems that grow to about 1.5 metres tall from a rhizome with numerous buds. Commercially grown ginger never flowers but wild ginger occasionally produces insignificant flowers. Ginger requires a well-drained, slightly alkaline soil that is rich in rotted organic matter. It needs to be well fed, watered and mulched […]
Not only is garlic (Allium sativum) valuable in the kitchen but also as a companion plant it’s indispensable. Grown randomly around the garden it helps to deter aphids, red spider mite and caterpillars and also helps prevent black spot. In fact, the sulphur that is secreted from garlic is also supposed to improve the scent […]
Collecting chillies has become a growing trend in WA, especially amongst male gardeners. It seems that the new measure of a man is the heat of the chilli that he grows and eats. The hotter the chilli, the hotter the man! Fortunately for our men, they can develop a tolerance to the heat level of […]
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) has a pungent, citrus flavour to the leaves that some people adore and others detest. In fact, its name is actually derived from the Greek word for bug as they thought that is smelt like one that had been squashed! Coriander grows best where the climate is hot and humid. In most parts of […]
Common Name: Yarrow White Latin Name: Achillea millefolium Description: Dense, dark green ferny foliage forms a low, growing ground cover. Small white flowers appear on top of long stems in summer and autumn. Perennial. 100cm. Harvesting: Harvest on dry mornings when in early stages of full bloom. Best Results: Cut plants to the ground in […]
Common Name: Wormwood Latin Name: Artemesia absinthium Description: Aromatic shrub with silver-grey feathery foliage and tiny yellow flowers in summer. Wormwood is stunning dotted throughout the garden as a highlight and the silver foliage is especially beautiful in the night time garden. Wormwood copes extremely well with the sandy soil and salt air that is […]
Common Name: Watercress Latin Name: Nasturtium officinale Description: Watercress is a spreading aquatic plant that can also be grown in pots in a shady position so long as it is given plenty of water. Small leaves have a hot, peppery flavour. Perennial. Height 15cm. Harvesting: Harvest the leaves just before serving. Clumps of watercress that […]
