Gardening is one of life’s greatest pleasures. There is nothing more enjoyable than to be able to sit for a while on your own or to visit someone else’s garden. It would be a wonderful way to relax, if only you did not notice those weeds invading the garden.

Weeds will fill any vacant spot, wherever there is bright light at ground level, and removing them can be time consuming. So why not invade ‘their’ space and plant some of the more stunning tropical and subtropical plants instead?

The words ‘tropical gardens’ conjures images of lush, dense gardens filled with different leaf sizes and textures contrasting beautifully with each other and a plethora of stunning flowers. Contrast leaves with varying shades of green, or with an array of pinks, reds and yellows, create a kaleidoscope within the garden.

Different plant forms range from ground covers and strappy leaved plants, to rounded or narrow upright shrubs. Above this are the palms and trees forming a canopy. Planting can result in a few gaps – empty spaces – places to fill with new plants.

Gardens as well as houses and infrastructure suffer after flooding has occurred. Landscape Architect and Horticulturist Arno King provides valuable advice for those who are affected by floods.

History shows that cyclones and floods occur in Queensland mainly in late summer and early autumn, usually after long periods of drought. It has happened in the past and will happen again.

Flooding is a traumatic experience and whereas the initial focus will be on the house and valuable infrastructure and contents, the damage to the garden can be equally traumatic.

We look briefly at:

• Lack of sunlight
• Lack of soil oxygen
• Pollutants and poisonous substances
• Compacted soil
• Compromised soil biology

After the homes are re-established post damage, consider giving plants as a gift to property owners to help them re-create their beloved gardens.

EXTRA
We covered some topics of environmental garden design in STG Issue 6 in the aftermath that was Cyclone Larry and have a download PDF available for you as well as the link below:

http://www.stgmagazine.com.au/issue_6_preview/iss6_supp1.htm

We also have some Flood Fact Sheets (courtesy of NT Government).

With China’s huge population and high-rise skyline, many people are amazed at what the country offers for tourists. The family and I travelled to Shanghai and ventured to destinations within a four hours drive of this very bustling city. We started our visit, exploring the energetic hive of activity, that is, Shanghai.

The skyscrapers went as far as the eye could see, and for the most populated city in China, they did really well at greening the concrete aisles of the city, with thriving little patches of vegetation everywhere. There were bromeliads planted across overpass walkways; small shrubs following the edges of freeways; street trees shading the busy roads; and there were even overhead plantings above bicycle racks.

From a landscaping point of view, it was incredible to see the attention to detail in every facet, particularly the intricate and time-consuming pebbling of the pathways. There were some amazing patterns and a great use of materials.

The Chinese people are warm and friendly, the food was delicious and the gardens exquisite. All up we visited over a dozen beautiful gardens in China and would highly recommend it to anyone considering making the trip; it was really rewarding and eye opening.

The gardens explored are:

• Yùyuán Gardens and Bazaar, Shangha
• Humble Administrator's Garden, Suzhou
• Tiger Hill, Suzhou
• West Lake, Hangzhou

JOIN US IN CHINA
Travel with Editor, Paul Plant from subTropical Gardening on the Great Subtropical Gardens of China Tour! For more info download the Ad below:

Naturally seen in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate areas around the world, ornamental gingers have long been used for traditional celebrations as decoration and food. Typically regarded as a fringe forest plant group many species often take advantage when extra light reaches the forest floor due to natural tree fall or human induced clearing.

Though most ginger genera prefer warmer conditions, Cautleya and Roscoea are best suited to the cooler temperate gardens, and are therefore not detailed in this article.

When grown outside the humid warm climates, most ginger plants make great container pot plants.

Pseudostems
All gingers have underground stems, correctly referred to as rhizomes. The above-ground structure we typically see in alpinias, hedychiums, costus, etc. are pseudostems – leaf stalks (petiole) wrapped around each other to form a false stem. The large leaves we see of gingers are technically called the leaf blade, or lamina.

Topics also covered in some detail are:

• Flowers
• Culture
• Watering
• Mulching
• Fertilising
• Pests & Diseases
• Propagation

We look at various genera of gingers as well:

• Alpinia
• Burbidgea
• Costus
• Curcuma
• Dimerocostus
• Etlingera
• Globba
• Hedychium
• Kaempferia
• Monocostus
• Siphonochilus
• Tapeinochilos
• Zingiber

One element that carries the strongest influence with many plant collectors is foliage colour and many have devoted entire gardens to the accommodation of a particular colour tone or leaf variegation. This has seen a growing interest from both novice and experienced gardeners alike to make additions to their collections of the simplest of plants species that others would just take for granted.

One of the most unique and often highly attractive colour tones in plants is the ‘golden’ foliage cultivars that exist. Stumbling across a golden toned variant of a much loved species can be like falling in love all over again.

Do not be fooled, as the term ‘golden’ does not always refer to the colour yellow as the name may suggest. Apart from very strongly toned foliaged plants such as Duranta erecta (syn. D. repens) ‘Sheena’s Gold’, the term golden may also be used to describe much softer and less intrusive tones than those we have become accustomed to seeing in virtually every commercial residence. These can also include soft lime or chartreuse coloured plants that enhance and not overwhelm a garden space.

Utilising golden foliage plants in the garden, no matter the size can bring subtle highlights to semi-shaded corners or provide a strong focal point in full sun situations. Depending on the depth of golden colour that each individual species carries, restraint is the key to providing a good flow in the garden.

From a 6 page Feature Article in Issue Twenty Two

The experience is overpowering and defies anyone to stand among the gentle silence without a tear in their eye for the loss of 3,821 Servicemen who paid the supreme sacrifice on Australia’s doorstep during the Second World War.

Amongst the burials are the remains of 702 unidentified Servicemen, including 438 British Royal Artillerymen, prisoners of the Japanese from Singapore who died in captivity in the Solomon Islands. Those who died fighting in Papua and Bougainville are buried at the Bomana War Cemetery. They all lie before the moving and symbolic presence of the Cross of Sacrifice that is a feature of most Commonwealth war cemeteries around the world.

The cemetery perimeter is surrounded by stately groves of Rain Trees (Samanea saman) which offer a perfect shady border to the manicured lawns of the cemetery.

Bomana is not far from the foothills of the famous Kokoda Track and on the way to Nine Mile and exists as a pristine testament to the memorial of each and every man who fell in the quest of freedom. The War Cemetery is approximately 19 kilometres north of Port Moresby and was originally established as a cemetery adjoining a large field hospital in 1942. The cemetery was completed in 1958.

From a 4 page Feature Article in Issue Twenty Two