Creating Beautiful (2) Supporting our bee & bird populations .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

In the second in a series on 'creating beautiful' we look at another simple way of incorporating beauty into our every-day; (2)Supporting our bee & bird populations ..

While many of us believe in preserving bee and bird populations, we are not always aware that there are some simple ways of doing this.  Even if we live in high-rise apartments we can still help to sustain our local bird and insect life.  

One of the key aspects of ensuring our local bee populations are supported is by providing fodder for them.  Yes, just as cows (in an ideal world) naturally graze on pasture, honey bees also rely on local plants within a 3 km range for food. And essential food sources for honey bees are flowers that have not been sprayed with pesticides or other toxic chemicals, such as fungicides.  

So planting flowering trees, shrubs and flowering perennials and annuals in our gardens is one way to ensure that local bee populations have access to nectar and pollen.  Another way is to allow any vegetables and herbs we grow to flower, so that bees can access pollen and nectar from your vegetable garden.  

This is also helpful in ensuring vegetable plants are pollinated by visiting bees, providing a mutual benefit for us and for them.  Even growing a few pots of flowering plants, herbs and vegetables on our balconies contributes to providing bee fodder.   Vertical gardening ensures an even larger space for plants to grow, producing more flowers in a small area.  

Native bee populations are also important in maintaining diversity in our local bushland fringes around our cities and urban areas.  And planting flowering trees and shrubs help support our native bees, particularly during times of drought when flowering may be diminished in natural forests and bushland. Ensuring that we minimise disturbance of any vestiges of native forest or bushland is another way of supporting our native bee populations. 



For example, the pretty, fluffy little Australian blue-banded bee (Amegilla cingulata) is a solitary bee that lives in hollows and holes near or in the soil. These solitary little bees also buzz pollinate, unlike the common honey bee, which makes it an important bee for agriculture where buzz pollinators are essential to crop production (for example, tomatoes need buzz pollinators).  

However, studies in the United Kingdom and America have shown that many plants sold as bee friendly plants in some popular garden centres have been saturated with pesticides, detrimental to bee populations.  So ensure your plants are purchased from reputable nurseries that can show their flowering plants are pesticide free.   Or better still, buy plants and seeds from organic sources.  

Similarly, with bird populations it is important to provide food and shelter for local native birds.  I don't advocate putting out seeds for visiting parrots, or meat for kookaburras as this can inadvertently become an unreliable food source. Providing lots of trees, shrubs and flowering plants ensures birds are able to forage safely, particularly small nectar loving birds.   And of course, if your garden has an abundance of insects, birds will help keep pest populations in check, providing a symbiotic benefit for both native birds and human inhabitants. Placing bowls of fresh water within the cover of shrubs and small trees helps too, particularly in hot, dry weather.  And it's a lovely little ritual that helps to slow us down, if only briefly, to take in the sights, scents and sounds of our natural environment.  

It doesn't take lots of time, money or energy to create little pockets of safe habitat, just a little planning and deciding on purpose to plant a flowering shrub or two.  Or planting a lovely tree that will help shade the hottest side of your house as well as provide habitat for birds and insects.  Or growing a vine across a pergola, or on your balcony, to provide shade and shelter for human and local bird and insect populations.  

The opportunities are endless and the benefits incalculable.  And it's also fun.   So how will you provide some safe forage and habitat for your local bee and bird populations?

Creating Beautiful 1) Create More Gardens .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

In this new series, I will be discussing the ways we can create more beauty in our every-day lives based on the list I gave in the last post.  In the first of this series,  I want to explore how we can ..

1) 'create more gardens to nurture and enjoy'.  

For dedicated gardeners this prospect is a joyful process of planning that involves all sorts of possibilities; like drawing garden plans, compiling lists of seeds and plants, exploring social media, magazines and books for ideas, and gathering materials like compost and mulch.

But the possibility of creating a garden is not just for experienced gardeners. Gardens can be any size, in any location and for anyone who wants to have a go at creating one.  Plants and seeds can be very forgiving and it's always fun to see which seeds and plants will grow well for you.  A garden can start with one small pot with a few succulents.  Or it could be a tray of potted herbs on a sunny windowsill. Even a jar filled with seeds for sprouting and putting into salads is a type of garden and fun to do.

So even if you've never really gardened before, it's never too early or too late to try.  My journey with gardening started with growing herbs.  I was encouraged by a neighbour who was far more knowledgeable than I was about gardening at the time.  Growing herbs actually became addictive, because I was able to learn about their history and how people used herbs in food and for medicine over the centuries.  So I began to collect books on herbs as well.  And I learnt by trial and error; how to grow them from seed, which herbs liked full sun, and which herbs would grow well in shade.  And then I wanted to learn more, so I did a few short courses and finally combined my love of horticulture, its history and therapeutic uses with criminology and environmental psychology for my doctoral research.  And it took me to Rome, Venice and London amongst other places! And there's still much more to explore!

While not everyone will want to take gardening to the lengths that I have, there are lots of short courses available.  And gardening also involves other areas of possibility to explore.  For instance, making a garden is a creative process that uses colour, shape, texture, fragrance much as an artist does.  In fact, I read somewhere that garden design is a little like painting in 3D.   

But don't be daunted by my story.  After all, small children can garden.  Simply pushing a seed into a small pot filled with potting mix and watering it, placing it in the sunshine on a balcony is a fun way to start a garden.

Gardeners are generous people and there is sure to be someone in your community who will be delighted to share their expertise.   After all, that's what gardening is all about.  Community gardens are a great place to start.  And a wonderful way of sharing a love of growing beautiful plants, whether they be vegetables and herbs, or native plants and trees, or shrubs and flowers!  The possibilities for creating a garden are endless.  We need only to look at the natural world around us to know that nature loves to garden and is generous in the beauty she creates!  

So while my journey with gardening started off by growing a few herbs in pots and ended in growing heirloom and old-fashioned roses, who knows where your journey of gardening might end .. and what adventures you might have along the way!  

How Nature's Beauty Transforms.. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

We all know the sense of awe and wonder when we see something that is beautiful.   And yes, in our instant social media landscape we can see photos almost endlessly in various formats at any time. Yet, invariably these images are references to the wonders of nature. Even man-made works that are recognised as beautiful, whether it be the work of an artist's painting, the architecture of a building, or the span of a bridge over an expanse of water, almost always reference the natural world.  

I think the ability to admire beauty is born innately within us, something that brings an inner peace, if only for  a second or two.  Who hasn't been caused to pause at the sight of the beautiful in nature;  a glorious sunset,  a view of beautiful mountains, a clear night sky filled with bright stars, a small child's delight at handing over a fist full of weedy flowers?

  

And sometimes beauty that is incongruous with its surroundings causes us to stop in our tracks; as with a single flower blooming in the midst of a jungle of weeds, or one, lone tree bravely growing through a crack in concrete pavement. And viewing that beauty can quiet our minds and cause us to rest our thoughts. For even a short time-frame, we are finally 'in the moment' and at peace.  

But what is it that attracts us to the beautiful that distracts our busy minds and causes us to pause?

Studies have shown that previously unkempt neighbourhoods, riddled with poverty and crime, are transformed when beautiful gardens are created.  Not only is the neighbourhood landscape changed, but the inhabitants are also changed with less crime and an improvement in neighbourly care for each other.

And by now, most of us have heard of studies that illustrate how even just a window view of trees can bring about substantial healing for hospital patients.  

We know from environmental psychology that viewing and interacting with the natural world can improve our emotional health, and even increase our cognition.  The rise of 'nature play' programs with increased focus on the natural world is due to better understandings of the multiple benefits for children of safely interacting with nature .  

In a world where there is so much information that focuses on events of terror and strife, perhaps it is more important than ever that we search out the beautiful.  To on purpose focus our minds on the beauty all around us, in our gardens, our park-lands and any natural green spaces surviving near our cities.

And the desire to bring a little beauty into this world is why I grow old fashioned and heritage roses; flowers that are universally seen as beautiful.  

Our minds are  refreshed when we are able to re-direct our attention to the beautiful in our every day.  In this way, we not only transform our own lives, but are inspired to improve the world around us by;

• creating more gardens to nurture and enjoy, 
• growing more flowers to preserve local bee and bird populations and spraying less toxic sprays, 
• preserving green spaces in our cities, 
• allowing our children to walk barefoot on grass, 
• growing more fresh food in our own backyards and on our balconies, 
• buying locally grown food and flowers that have not used up even more fossil fuels to travel to us, 
• keeping our water-ways free of plastics and rubbish, 
• recycling and composting ...

So many ways to see and enjoy beauty in our every-day, walking around lives.  
What can you do today to see and share a little beauty in your world today?

Give Me Old-Fashioned Roses .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

I love the old fashioned roses.  It's not just their history that I find fascinating. It's their elegance, their fragrance, the beauty of their buds and blooms that cannot be replicated by the stiff, upright mass produced roses so readily available these days.  The fragrance of the old fashioned roses is rarely brash and harsh, unlike some later creations bred to imitate the earlier roses.  Old fashioned roses have an infinite range of perfume, from the expected old rose scent through to 'dry tea with a hint of apricot' (Graham StuartThomas, 'Climbing roses old and new', 1965)!

Above and below is the lovely Tea rose, Anna Olivier (1872) bred in France.

Of course, among my favourites are the Tea roses.  These are the predecessors of today's Hybrid Tea roses.  Unfortunately, later versions of Hybrid Teas became stiff, non-perfumed blooms bred for longevity in the vase rather than their garden worthiness and beauty; a far cry from the loveliness of the Teas and some of the very early Hybrid Teas.  While recent rose breeders have created roses that combine the qualities of old fashioned roses with vase qualities of later roses, I still prefer the beauty of the earlier Teas.  And in our warm climate they grow well, and flower generously and recurrently.  

Above and below is the bloom and bud of Tea rose, Mrs Herbert Stevens (1910) bred in Ireland.

There is something ethereal and lovely in the way the Teas hold their buds and then open into gorgeous blooms.  And their petals are often reminiscent of the finest silk spun into soft colours.  None of these qualities are evident in mass produced cut roses that are often laden with toxic chemicals and bred to last forever in a vase.  Some lament the tendency of Teas to have weak 'necks' that cause their blooms to droop on the stem.  Yet, I find this quirk charming and lovely; easily incorporated into a bouquet, posy or vase arrangement by a skilled artisan.    

The elegant Tea, Comtesse Riza du Parc (as sold in Australia)

And I love how brides of  the 19th and early 20th Centuries sought out some of these lovely Tea roses for their bridal bouquets.  The silky petals and soft colours were beautiful without detracting from the bride herself.   In our rose gardens at Edgeworth Lley, I grow one of the most popular roses for brides in the late Victorian era; Tea rose, The Bride.  She has the most elegant buds that open out into large, many petalled, sweetly perfumed blooms.  Perfect for a bridal bouquet or posy.  

The full bloom of The Bride (1885) USA

Teas also grow well without the need for sprays and artificial fertilisers.   They are tough, vigorous roses that once established are drought tolerant, perfect for our dryer climate.  Part of the joy of growing these heirlooms is being able to feature them to teach others about the benefits of preserving heirloom flowers and food producing plants.  Growing heritage flowers that have proven over the generations they are tough, means that we don't need to rely on toxic pesticides and sprays, nor artificial fertilisers.  

So, I am proud to grow these lovely heirlooms from the past and help preserve them for future generations.   

Chores in the Garden .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

After a dry, very hot and long summer the rains have finally come in Autumn via tropical cyclone Debbie.  While many in the tropics bravely faced the cyclone's onslaught knowing there would be much damage and loss, those further south were flooded as a result of heavy rains after the wrath of strong winds abated. And still others that were spared by the cyclone's winds were flooded as bulging rivers flowed south. 

Our dam was dry, and the roses in the gardens were suffering.  I knew that if we didn't get  good rain soon we would lose many of the roses.  Even though they're tough heirloom roses that can survive severe weather, they had reached their limit.  Water is essential for everything to live and it is only the length of time without water that determines what will eventually suffer.  

So when the rain came we were so grateful.  We didn't suffer like so many others did with loss of power, flooding, wind damage resulting in loss of homes and farm businesses.  It was difficult to be too joyful that TC Debbie had brought rain to the gardens.  But, oh, the relief at seeing the dam full once again and the dry soil moist and crumbly, perfect for bringing life back into the rose gardens.

And so now as I wonder through the gardens daily, picking roses and herbs for our tussie-mussies, red fragrant rose petals for our edible petals, I am daily delighted at the gorgeous blooms coming back into life.

Not only are the roses flourishing once again, the birds seem to have come back to life in the gardens. And there are bees again, native and honey bees, foraging among the roses and herbs.  And most delightful of all, teeny tiny baby green frogs are hiding among the rose petals, peeping out from their soft rose petal eiderdowns.  I know that the balance of life is back in sync in the gardens and that the few roses affected by scale and other pests will provide meals for predator insects. 

While all this life is teeming and flourishing though, it is also time to plan for the next long, dry spell that seems to be an integral part of this lush, green sub-tropical climate.  And now is the time to plan for chores that will carry us through and keep the garden flourishing and producing into the next hot, dry spell.  

Mulching thickly is essential.  Not only does it keep weeds under control, it also helps the soil stay moist for longer, protects the soil from drying out and crusting over and encourages beneficial microbes and worms in the soil. Mulching also protects the rose roots from heat and frost.  It also provides places for beneficial insects to hide and birds to forage.  We use sugar cane mulch as it is readily available and re-cycles spent sugar cane that would normally be discarded.  The only down-side is that it can import weeds, but overall it has proven to be very beneficial to the gardens.  

Ensuring plants are deeply watered is important as it helps them put down deep roots, rather than foraging at the soil surface for moisture.  Further down in the soil profile, roots are protected from heat and frost and can find moisture.  So a water system is going into more beds.  We already have under mulch dripper lines in some beds, but are extending these through the remaining garden beds and even to roses growing alone in lawn.  This will ensure less water loss from overhead sprinklers and more efficient watering. While I find dripper lines annoying, especially when digging in the garden, I've learnt they are necessary to keep up a good watering regime in the garden. And they're a time saver too once they're set out.

The other important chore is to try and keep on top of the weeding.  We don't use glyphosate here in the gardens, although I am very tempted sometimes when I try to eradicate weeds by hand.  But I would rather have a slightly less tidy garden, than a garden marred by brown patches where poison has been sprayed.  And I can rest easy knowing that children can run on the lawn barefoot and pick at the herbs without worrying about toxic chemicals.  And our roses are pesticide free, so they're also safe to sniff (and eat)!

The one final chore is to enjoy.  There is no point in having a large country garden, or a garden of any size without enjoying it.  Even if the garden were only a few pot plants of herbs, I would still need to enjoy it.  Too many people say that gardening is a chore, but it is far more than that!  It provides pleasure in so many ways; in colour, fragrance, softening landscapes and providing shade and shelter for humans and all sorts of animals.  Where would we be if we didn't have gardeners growing our food and flowers!  Or propagating trees for shelter, or discovering new remedies and foods.  

Despite the challenges of gardening, 

the benefits far out-way anything else! 

So ... happy gardening!

A Flower Movement .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

Last month (is it really a month since I last posted!) I wrote about the need to retain gardening skills our grandparents took for granted, and our appreciation of the natural world.  I could write forever on this topic, but perhaps I need to narrow it down a little and look at one aspect of this broad topic; our innate love of fresh flowers.  

As a gardener who loves heirloom plants, and in particular heirloom roses, an innate appreciate for fresh flowers is part of the air I breathe.  Yet, in city and urban spaces the love of flowers is still seen in the existence of little florist shops amid a city-scape of towering office buildings and strips of exclusive shopping. 

My own memories of working in the busy city of Sydney includes the sight of road-side carts overflowing with bunches of flowers .. and city workers happily paying for one of those bunches on their way to or from work in a skycraper office building.  

Yet, we are largely ignorant of the business of flowers; where they are grown, what chemicals are used in the growing process; where the flowers are transported from and to, and a further use of harsh chemicals to prolong the life of the flowers.  Imported flowers are sprayed and dipped in an array of anti-fungals, pesticides and herbicides (yes, to prevent regrowth from the cut stem). And what is the first thing we do when we buy a bunch of flowers?  Our first impulse is to bring the bunch up close to our face and smell the flowers, unaware that we are usually breathing in toxic chemicals.  

Fortunately there is a groundswell across the United Kingdom and now in America of small holding flower growers and artisan florists who are generating a demand for organically and locally grown flowers.   And the flowers are no longer stiff, lifeless, fragrant-less stems of colour that are prized for lasting for weeks in a vase.  

There is an increasing demand for floral arrangements that resemble 'just picked from the garden bunches' of fragrant, fragile and lovely flowers.  And these flowers might also include those that might once have been considered weeds.  I've been known to use 'weeds' in my bunches along with lots of foraged greenery and self-sown flowers that pop up between the roses in our gardens.  I've even taught how to use weeds in my workshops, and how to safely forage for greenery to add life and depth to home-grown arrangements.

And although the famous English florist of early 20th Century England, Constance Spry, used weeds in her floral arrangements, their use is still frowned upon.   And we see this in the still common use in Australia of glyphosate sold by garden centres to blitz 'weeds' that dare to grow in our gardens.  There is still a long way to go in educating consumers about the joys of  crooked-stemmed, ephemerally beautiful floral arrangements that scent a room with their lovely 'full of life' flowers and foliage.  

In Australia, I still despair when I hear about the economic 'value' of a vase of life-less flowers purchased from a florist that last for 3 weeks.  And even more so when I see florists spruiking the delights of Colombian grown roses;  life-less, chemically laden roses that have an enormous environmental footprint in terms of transport and toxins.  In addition, we know little about the working conditions of the roses' country of origin for those growing, picking, packing and spraying these flowers that we consume with little thought.

Yet, there is hope, as depicted in a recent New York Times magazine article ..
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/20/t-magazine/traditional-floral-bouquets.html?_r=1 
There, the desire to grow flowers locally on small plots of land near busy towns and cities is generating an appreciation for flowers that more closely resemble garden flowers.   Images of natural arrangements of nature's loveliness are filling social                                         media and transforming the floral industry.  

And in Australia there is hope too for a growing appreciation among consumers of the ephemeral beauty of naturally grown flowers and foliage.   A worthy nod towards the beauty of nature that we all innately appreciate.