Pittwater Life May 2018 Issue

Take the
Nodding
challenge
Sometimes it is fun to
take on a challenge, and
if you are lucky enough
to find a plant of the
Nodding Clerodendrum
– clerodendrum nutans –
don’t miss out.
It is a slow-growing
tropical plant that has
sprays of pure white
flowers that contrast
against the dark green
glossy leaves in summer. It
will grow in the semi shade,
out of the hot midday sun.
It will grow in the garden
away from the wind that
would damage its brittle
foliage but I believe that
this very beautiful plant is
better grown in a large pot,
where it can be fed and
watered regularly. It can be
grown as an indoor plant in
a very light room.
Prepare poppies for 100
years of remembrance
If you plant your poppies now
they will flower in time for
the 100 years commemoration
of World War I in November.
Mr Fothergills
seeds have released,
in partnership
with Legacy,
a packet of scarlet
Flanders Poppy
seeds. For every
packet sold, Mr
Fothergills will donate
50c to Legacy.
Check the garden
centre but if you
cannot find them
you can buy them
from Mr Fothergills
online.
Flanders Poppies make a
brilliant display in late spring,
in pots or in mass displays.
Their huge scarlet flowers
with black centres have become
the symbol of remembrance.
Scatter the seed lightly over
damp soil and press down
firmly, or sow the seeds in a
seedling tray and plant them
out when strong
enough to handle.
The seed is very
fine; to make the
seeds easier to
handle, mix the
seeds with some
dry sand before you
sow them (they will
germinate quickly).
Thin out the seedlings
to space 20cm
apart. Once they
begin to flower you
will have a display
for many weeks until
the summer heat arrives.
Poppies love full sun; feed
them with a slow-release
fertiliser and you will be well
rewarded. To keep the flowers
coming, remove the old flowers
as they finish.
Garden Life
Let the cat out of the grass
It’s fun to have a project for the kids that works fast. Sprouting
seeds and grass heads are great but nothing is more fun than
growing seeds in water beads.
Water beads are the perfect medium for germinating seeds.
They can be coloured with food colouring as they swell in the water.
Packets of beads can easily be found in plant shops or online.
Nothing grows quicker than cat grass (above). All cats love
to nibble grass that they will find outside, but if you have an
indoor cat, keep your cat happy with home-grown cat grass.
The seed will germinate in just a few days. If you don’t have a
cat, any seeds can be grown the same way: cress, bean sprouts,
alfalfa, mustard, mung beans or peas.
If you add a complete fertiliser to the water, use water beads
to grow culinary herbs hydroponically on a sunny window sill.
The Local Voice Since 1991
MAY 2018 71