GREENGOLD GARDEN CONCEPTS
CARE AND MAINTENANCE NOTES

POTS AND BASKETS WITH NATIVE PLANTS

The pot is one of the oldest known utensils when pottery and metals were first part of human industry. The flower pot is one of the most ancient forms of gardening, having been found in the ruins of ancient Mediterranean cities, and in ancient Biblical references. The variety of plants is as great as the range of containers. Many native plants are suited to container growing.

What are the advantages ?

1. People who live in confined inner city areas of in apartment blocks, with little or no garden area, can enjoy a wide range of native plants. balconies and courtyards can be enlivened by a potted garden. Window boxes, a very old form of gardening, have regained popularity. It is possible to design a total landscape in a small space.
2. Containers can provide a portable garden, ideal for those who are renting a home. Whe they move they can take their favorite plants with them.
3. The elderly and those with limited mobility can enjoy the beauty and fragrance of a garden and the excercise that comes with caring for it.
4. Containers are also used in larger gardens for their versatility. They can be moved around to take advantage of sun or shade, given a prominent position when flowering, and taken indoors when at their best.
5. They add interest to leisure areas
6. "Difficult" or fussy plants can be kept in pots to provide the most suitable soil and growing conditions.

SPECIAL uses of containers include indoor or house plants and the art of BONSAI .

Selecting a Container: The container can be any receptacle that holds soil . as long as it has good drainage. The right selection is important from the aesthetic and the practical point of view. Its style and size must be suited to the plant and to its site, blending with the ambience of its surroundings. It should not detract from the plant. There needs to be space for the roots to grow, but the plant must be in proportion. Pots can be terracotta, ceramic, plastic, or wood. Terracotta's earthy color suits native plants but it is porous. For this reason, mixes such as DEBCO TERRACOTTA AND TUB MIX, or AMGROW SHRUB AND TUB, should be used. Cement pots should be used carefully because of their lime content. Plastic pots can be sued as liners for both cement, and terracotta pots.

GROWING REQUIREMENTS Containers impose obvious restrictions on the root systems of plants. In the garden, roots are able to exploit a large volume of soil to obtain moisture and nutrients. In containers, there is a limited volume of soil providing nutrients and moisture, and drainage and aeration are reduced compared with the same soil in the garden.

Prepared potting mixes available from your GREENGOLD GARDEN CENTRE, are the easiest and cheapest source of potting soil. Beware of cheap potting mixes - it is a false economy to buy a good plant, and expect it to grow happily in cheap potting mix. Buy a mix with Australian Standards accreditation, and for porous containers, choose a specialized mix, with high moisture retaining properties.

NEVER USE EARTH FROM THE GARDEN IN POTS.

WATERING: Incorrect watering causes many losses with container grown plants. Wait until the surface 1 to 2 cm of soil is dry before re-watering. Apply water gently- thoroughly soaking the soil. DO NOT LEAVE POTS STANDING IN WATER. Plants on patios, or in courtyards should be raised to allow water to drain freely and to hinder snails and other pests. NEVER LET A POT SIT IN A SAUCER OF WATER - this causes the mix in the bottom of the container to turn sour, and ultimately the loss of the plant.

FEEDING: Plants in containers need more frequent fertilizing for moderate but healthy growth. The best time is just after flowering. DO NOT feed if the plant is growing well. There is a wide variety of fertilizers available - OSMOCOTE for natives is a useful slow release fertilizer, and Nitrosol used as directed for natives, is recommended as a liquid fertilizer. Avoid fertilizers high in phosphorous as many natives are senstive to this.

REPOTTING:If plants lack vigor and do not respond to watering and feeding, repotting is desirable, using fresh potting mix. Carefully trim the roots, and prune the branchlets to compensate for root loss, and to neaten or reshape. Wash the pot thoroughly before re-using. Some general pruning is necessary for container plants. Regular pinch pruning of terminal growth is the easiest and best method.

PRUNING: Some pruning is necessary for container plants. Regular pinch pruning of terminal growth is the easiest and best method.

CHOICE OF PLANTS Consider first the location, whether it is in sun or shade and the effect you wish to create. Choose plants which are long-flowering or group together, either in large containers, or in co-ordinated smaller ones, varieties which are complementary and will bloom successively over a long period. The reference books listed will help you with flowering calendars and colour guides.

For excellent lists of native plants suitable for containers see the below.

Here are some of their favorites. The most popular genus in their choices is Boronia.

Grow What Where, introducing its chapter "Container Plants", lists a selection of the best container plants:

• Actinotus helianthi **
• Adiantum aethiopicum **
• Boronia megastigma "Heaven Scent"
• Brachyschome multifida
• Callistemon "Little John"
• Conostylis bealiana
• Crowea "Poorinda Ecstasy" **
• Cryptandra amara **
• Chrysocephalum (Helichrysum) baxteri
• Epacris longiflora Dampiera diversifolia
• Eremophila microtheca
• Eriostemon verrucosus (double form) **
• Grevillea alpina Hibbertia stellaris **
• Hypocalymma angustifolium
• Leschenaultia biloba L. formosa
• Micromyrtus ciliata
• Persoonia pinifolia
• Pimelia imbricata
• Rhodanthe (Helipterum) anthemoides
• Scaevola 'Mauve Clusters"
• Scleranthus biflorus Swainsona formosa (Sturt's Desert Pea)
• Thomasia pygmaea **
• Verticordia plumosa

Kuranga Native Plant Nursery of Ringwood Victoria,, one of Australia's foremost native nurseries, lists its best container plants. Those which appear on both lists are marked ** Also named are:

• Baeckea ramosissima forms
• Boronia serrulata
• Calectasia cyanea
• Crowea Exalata forms
• Darwinia sp. -the bell flowered forms
• Davallia species
• Gleichenia microphylla
• Lysiopetalum involucratum
• Platytheca verticillata
• Tetratheca thymifolia Bientennial Belle

Gwen Elliott, adds new genera to our list- Astroloma ciliatus Correa pulchella Mentha diemenica Denise Greig highlights Rhododendron lochiae and several Dendrobium species

Greg Lamont's favorites add Acacia amblygona

HANGING BASKETS - MANY NATIVE PLANTS MAKE A GREAT SHOW IN A HANGING CONTAINER.

Brian Walters, editor of Native Plants for NSW, writing in "Your Garden" Aug 1982 "there is probably nothing more appealing than the display provided by well grown plants in hanging baskets: They add beauty to many situation, both indoors and out, and the flowers and foliage are often better appreciated since they occur at eye level." They "add life to blank walls and fences, pergolas and verandahs, and are ideal for people with little space available for gardening or for pots." D. Greig.

TYPES OF BASKETS - The most basic and the commonest is the wire frame lined with paperbark or wool. Yates have introduced the Woolrich liner made from new Australian wool which they claim aids water retention and insulates the roots. Liners have a limited life but by the time they have broken down repotting is usually necessary anyway. Plastic containers with their own saucers can be purchased in a wide range of styles and colours. Some have self-watering systems, A variety of ceramic pots are available but these can prove very heavy and care must be taken in securing them to upright supports. Hooks and pulleys can be used to make baskets more accessible.

POTTING MIXES Some special mixes are available for baskets. These generally include water-retention crystals and some mixes contain a lot of plastic foam to reduce the weight. Vermiculite or perlite also decrease the weight and are better soil conditioners. Give the container a good soaking after planting and allow it to drain before hanging.

PLANT CARE: Baskets require frequent water checks so that they don't dry out. Nutrients in the soil are leached out by watering more quickly in a hanging container so regular feeding is beneficial. Once or twice a year when plants are in active growth give a light application of a slow-release fertiliser suitable for natives. Periodic repotting is necessary for healthy nutrient levels.

WHAT TO GROW: Brian Walters best subjects: Chorizema diversifolium Cissus antarcticum Dampiera hederacea D. diversifolia Darwinia grandiflora D. taxifolia ssp macrolaena Grevillea xgaudichaudi G. thelemanniana Hibbertia pedunculata Hoya australis Kennedya microphylla Leschenaultia sp. Muehlenbeckia axillaris Pultenaea pedunculata Scaevola humilis S. albida Viola hederacea

REFERENCES Grow What Where (Viking O'Neil) The New Australian Plants for Small Gardens & Containers - G.Elliot and earlier edition published 1979 Gardens in Miniature -Sue Forrester & Bill Molyneux Handbook of Aust Flowers For Garden & Home -D. Greig Gardening Down Under - Kevin Handreck (CSIRO)