We know you don’t need a reason to buy another indoor plant but there are those around you who do. We’ve might have heard ‘Don’t you have enough plants already?’ or ‘ANOTHER one? You’ve got enough!’

Well, we say ‘Never!’ 

And here’s our Top 10 Benefits of Indoor Plants to convince your friends and family that that new indoor plant baby needs to come home with you. 

We currently have a big sale with  40% OFF all our Indoor plants, in-store only! Come see us at 1477 Sydney Road, Campbellfield! 

Air purifiers

This isn’t an argument we haven’t heard before. In fact, NASA did an experiment in 1989, detailing how indoor plants clean the air of not only carbon dioxide but formaldehyde and benzene. Plants clean our air outside in the garden and in the wild, so it stands to reason that indoors they will do the same. There are, in fact, certain indoor plants that are particularly good at purifying your household air. These include Devils Ivy, Mother-in-law Tongue, Aloe Vera, and Spider Grass just to name a few!

Mood

There’s a reason why we feel better when we go outside in the garden. Plants are known to increase our mood and mental health, relaxing and enlightening us. When we can’t get out into the garden because of the wild winter weather, or maybe you just don’t have a backyard, bringing the wild indoors is the next best option. Whether it’s one little desk Cactus or a mini jungle in your living room, having plants indoors is sure to lift your mood.

Aesthetics

An obvious one but its benefits is often overlooked. Indoor plants are used in many industries to create a more aesthetic appeal to a room, whether it be in Real Estate to better sell a house, in restaurants to create a mood or vibe for patrons, or in your own home to welcome guests or relax and calm your own family! Their beauty, and sometimes bushiness, can cover or screen off unsightly areas, and make even the ugliest room beautiful.

Environmental Conditions

Plants can create a mini-ecosystem inside your house by changing the environmental conditions. Having a few plants around can increase the humidity in an often dry environment caused by heating and cooling. Or having a well-placed plant near a sunny or hot window can cool down an otherwise hot room. In fact, many avid indoor plant collectors will testify that having many plants inside creates a cool and comfortable environment due to the regular watering and maintenance of their plants and from the plants breathing and cleaning the air.

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Therapeutic Hobby

These last 2 years more than ever have we seen gardening become a hobby of any customers. Indoor Plant sales have gone through the roof, giving those isolated at home a sense of companionship and sating their natural human need to nurture. We feel challenged, accomplished and prideful when we care for and learn from our plants. Singing and talking to your plants is proven to be both beneficial to you and your plants!

Lower Stress
Quite often, what causes you stress is being in your own head, so there’s nothing like a good distraction to get you outta there! Focussing your energy on something peaceful like plant maintenance keeps you calm, attentive, and above all, busy! Your plant will enjoy the attention too. 

Immune System

Yep, that’s right! Not only do they reduce stress and improve your mood, but they are also known to boost your immune system. So a study in Texas in 2002 tells us, they are even known to heal patients in hospitals faster. In conjunction with their calming qualities which have obvious health benefits, plants release phytoncides, which have antifungal and antibacterial qualities. These qualities assist plants to fight disease. However, when we breathe them in, it provokes our immune system into producing NK white blood cells, which kill viruses and tumour cells in our body. Gosh, they’re amazing!

Increase productivity

Keeping calm, focussed and with a positive outlook has been proven to increase your productivity – who knew! It stands to reason that if you’re not surrounded by distractions or placed in a depressing cube that constantly reminds you that you’re at work, you’re obviously more likely to be able to focus on your task at hand, improving your quality of work and productivity. 

Allergies

With the stimulation of white blood cells boosting your immunity, cleaner air, and a relaxing environment giving you a calmer outlook, it’s no wonder that plants will also assist with fending off allergies. NASA is at it again, stating that plants draw in toxins via emitting water vapor, drawing it down into their roots and converting it into food. If your indoor plants are cared for properly they will reduce and remove pollen spores, mold, and dust, all of which can cause or irritate allergies.

Sleep Better
Cleaner and fresher air will help you sleep much better. And a calmer, relaxing environment is sure to send you off to sleep peacefully. On the other hand, if you’re a follower of Feng Shui, you may want to reconsider a plant in the bedroom as they represent upward energy and growth while your energy is supposed to be going down and quiet. But for the rest of us, go nuts!

We currently have a big sale with  40% OFF all our Indoor plants, in-store only! Come see us at 1477 Sydney Road, Campbellfield! 

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Let the cold weather begin! May brings the first frosts, cold nights and a blaze of Autumn colour and leaf fall from our deciduous trees and shrubs. There are lots of trees still bearing beautiful autumn foliage such as the Crimson Sentry Maples, London Plane trees and Golden Elms but by the end of the month, most deciduous trees will be completely bare and in their stark, sculptural winter form.

However, it’s not all grim for May as there are some beautiful flowers blooming and a lot of delicious fruit to harvest. Get some gardening gloves ready, as there are quite a lot of things to get done during this time, in preparation for the months to come.

Check out our articles about the Top 10 Autumn Trees, Top 10 Autumn shrubs and Top 10 places to visit in Victoria this Autumn.

Avenue of Honour, Macedon.

Mother’s Day! Sunday, 8th May!

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, come to the nursery and get some lovely plants to treat your mum and grandmother. We have a big range of indoor plants to brighten up the kitchen or living room, some fragrant flowers, flowering trees and so much more at very low prices! Or you can also get a gift voucher, which might be more convenient. These can be mailed by post or emailed and can be redeemed in-store or even online.

Top picks for mum!

Forget the boring common bunches of flowers that everybody buys, and get something that will undoubtedly make mum happy for years to come! Here is a selection of the best fragrant and beautiful flowering plants that keep on giving!

Make sure to check out our article about the Top 10 plants for Mothers coming soon!

What is flowering right now?

There are some beauties just about to flower, such as camellias, begonias, salvias, Dianthus and some delightfully scented daphnes.

• Cottage Flowers. Add some popping colour to your garden and attract and feed the pollinators.

• Camellias. Queens of the winter flowers, Camellias are attractive evergreen shrubs that are highly prized for the beauty of their exquisite blooms, their splendid evergreen foliage and their compact shapely habit.

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⭐Get a Free Weeping Cherry Blossom worth $99.99 and free Metro delivery when you spend over $500!
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May in the Garden

Frosts & Frost Coverings

Frost on Strawberry Leaves

On still, cold nights, frost forms on our lawns, windscreens and makes our early morning starts even more difficult, particularly getting out of bed!

In May, frost really only forms in regional areas and the very outer suburbs of Melbourne, where it gets cold enough to form ice. Conditions have to be still with no clouds, and temperatures that drop below freezing.

Cold air is heavier than warm, so frost stays low to the ground and often rolls downhill, pooling in low points or gullies. Hedges and fences can catch rolling frost down a slope, which can cause a rather frosty spot.

How does frost form?

Frost forms from water vapour in the air, coming in contact with an object that is below freezing temperature.

Frost on a fence in Trentham

So basically, when the moisture in the air touches a freezing cold windscreen, the moisture sticks to the windscreen and turns to ice!

When it comes to our plants, they expel energy continuously throughout the day and the night. Energy is warmth! During the day, their expelled energy is replaced by radiant heat from the sun, but at night time they become cooler as their warmth is not continually replaced. When the plant cools enough to get to freezing temperatures, frost can then form on its leaves.

Frosty autumn leaves in Trentham

You may notice under large trees there is little to no frost. Large trees shelter the plants and grass underneath. Their canopy radiates energy downward from the underside of their leaves, as these “breathe out”. This expulsion of energy keeps the area under the tree warmer for longer during the night. This is why planting your more frost-sensitive plants under trees and shelter can help protect them from frost.

Sun melting the frost, and the shade sheltering it

Some plants can handle frost better than others. The moisture inside of the plant’s cells freezes and like all frozen water expands it can cause stress on the cells and therefore damage the plant. When the ice is quickly thawed by the morning sun, it causes the most damage to the plant.

If your plants have been damaged by frost, don’t cut off the damaged foliage until the frosts have finished as this dead foliage will actually act as protection for future frosts.

How to tackle frost

• Cover your frost-sensitive plants with sheets, newspaper or straw, making sure to remove it the following day.
• Lightly water your plants before sunrise by a sprinkler system (or by hand if you’re really keen!) This can prevent frost from forming. You can lightly water frost affected plants, which gently thaws the ice, reducing the damage from the frost.
• Use plastic sleeves and stakes to protect plants in open areas

Weeding

Arctotheca calendula Capeweed in flower

Weeds run rampant this time of year. You may have seen more and more popping up in the garden such as Bindii, Capeweed and the culinary Mustard weed.

Due to the increase in moisture from the autumn rains, the soil is loose, making weeds easier to pull out. As some of these weeds are just starting to appear it is always good to get them out while they’re young and their roots haven’t taken hold. If your weeds don’t have seeds on them, chuck them into your compost for added nitrogen!

Free plant nutrition in your autumn leaves! 

Most of the leaves have fallen off the trees so we now have an abundance of free plant food!

Every year, hundreds of Victorians begrudgingly get out their rakes and green bins and begin to rake up those fallen leaves to toss out. But little do they know they are throwing away valuable material. Almost everything in the garden is recyclable and leaves are certainly no exception.

Wet autumn leaves in the Dandenong Ranges

Leaves naturally fall around trees, creating a soft, decomposing bed around the base of the tree, keeping the soil protected and warm as well as eventually breaking down and improving the soil. Trees are very clever and prepare their own soil!

In smaller gardens, fallen leaves should be removed to allow the lawn to grow (as leaf-littered lawns will die in patches) and prevent them from harbouring snails and slugs, as they love living in this moist environment.

Collect and store your autumn leaves for use throughout the year. It is best to try and compost or decompose your leaves from the beginning as dried leaves are a hot spot for earwigs to nest. These little pests usually help the decomposition process but they can also cause a lot of damage to your lush plants, much like snails and slugs! If you want to store them dry, store them in a sealed container so these pests can’t get in.

You can store your precious collected leaves in a large barrel, garden bin or even a garbage bag. Water them down to keep them moist and promote fungal growth, furthering the decomposition. If they’re stored in a large bin, layer them like you would your compost bin, with high nitrogen plants to replace the nitrogen the leaves have lost. (This would be a great use for all your pulled out weeds!)

Leaves can also be added to your compost if it is smelling bad from too much vegetable matter and this adds phosphate, potassium and other essential elements.

Leaves take 6-12 months to break down and become useful compost/mulch for your garden beds.

Bare Root is coming…

It’s almost time for BARE ROOTED FRUIT TREES and other wonderfully cheap deciduous trees! Winter marks the time for bare roots so it’s best to get your garden beds prepared.

Till your soil, create a loose, well-draining medium and make sure it is free from pests and diseases. Turn in any fallen autumn leaves and ready compost you may have so it can rest for the month before planting. Give the bed good watering to keep all your microorganisms happy and healthy!

More information about Bare Rooted plants & why we love them here.

Evergreen Fruits

If you haven’t done so already, get your citrus and evergreen fruit trees in the ground now. That’s all your lemons, limes and oranges as well as guavas like Feijoa, Chilean and Strawberry guava. Dig a hole twice the size of the pot and water the hole. Partly fill your new hole so that you can place the plant’s root ball into it so the top of the root ball is level with the top of the soil. Back-fill with a light, fluffy soil or well-composted soil, nothing too rich. Keep weeds and lawn away from the base of the tree as these plants have shallow roots and don’t want to compete for water and nutrients. Mulch around the base, keeping the mulch away from the trunk. This will keep the weeds away, and the soil warm and moist until the spring. Water once per week or as needed as even winter can be dry! Some fruits that you can harvest right now are persimmons, various citrus fruit, feijoas, raspberries and strawberries.

• Citrus plants. We have some nice big mature plants with fruit already on them! These are fantastic varieties that were originally destined for Victorian fruit farms, so you know they were born to produce fruit, plus they are on Sale right now.

• Berries. Put in some delicious berries for that homegrown freshness.

• Various fruit. Here is a great selection of the most popular and rare dwarf varieties, ideal for small spaces. Some are in limited quantities, so better hurry up.

The Vegetable Patch

Green Manure Crops

Not everyone is keen to be gardening in the cold of winter! You can simply grow some green manure crops and let them do their thing. When you chop and drop them right before Spring, they will decay and improve your soil nutrition and texture!

Late autumn-winter is bean and pea planting season. These wonderful, plentiful veggies are best planted now. They add nitrogen into an otherwise depleted veggie bed and provide an abundance of peas and beans at the same time! Two for one! At the end of the season, your veggie bed will be ready for your spring crop.

For a good green manure crop plant beans such as broad or fava bean, peas, oats, fenugreek, lupins, subterranean clover and woolly pod vetch. You can find them as green manure seed packs, sold by several companies across Australia.

Green manure crops, Chop and Drop

Other things to note…

• Before planting Autumn and Winter veg, enrich your soil by top dressing with some compost and manure and let it settle for a week. If the soil is too hard from being baked by the summer heat, you can gently turn it over to incorporate some organic matter into it, which will make new crops grow better. If you have hard or clay soil you can also add some soil wetter to make water penetrate more easily and retain moisture.
• Give new seedlings a good boost with an application of liquid fertiliser after a week and they will reward you later on.

Winter veggies to plant now!

Autumn and winter veggies that should either already be in the ground or need to be planted now are as follows:

-Greens such as silverbeet, leeks, celery, watercress, lettuce, rocket, and spring onion.
-Herbs such as  parsley, thyme, oregano, coriander etc
-Asian greens such as Pak Choi, Kailan, Choi Sum
-Brassicas such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussel sprouts.
-Root veggies such as beetroot, turnip, radish, parsnip, onions, carrots and garlic.
-Legumes such as sugar snap/Snow peas and broad beans.

Check out our available range of vegetables and herbs.

Fertilizing

Due to the frequent rain in Autumn, nutrients leach away from the soil. Nitrogen or Nitrates are the most common essential nutrients that leach away, along with other highly soluble minerals such as calcium. You may tend to notice discolouration or yellowing leaves on your plants.

Use slow-release fertilizers or seaweed solutions instead of traditional instant “NPK” ones. These take time to break down and give a steady supply of nutrients for a few months. Choosing the right fertilizer for the right plant is important as these contain trace elements that the specific plants require which are often scarce in normal soil.
Gardenias, Camelias and Azaleas can use some fertiliser right now as they are about to bloom!

Click here to view a chart of various possible deficiencies in plants. 

Pests and Disease

Humid and cool conditions can cause a proliferation of pests and diseases in the garden. Identify them early, treat them, and keep your plants healthy all through Autumn and Winter.

Cabbage Butterflies and Moths are the most common at the end of Autumn. White Cabbage butterflies lay their eggs on our Brassicas, such as broccoli and cauliflower. Little green caterpillars hatch from these eggs and then get to work chewing holes through the plants. There are several ways to control them:

-Netting- You can protect your young crop by covering them with netting that would prevent the butterflies from reaching them.

-Companion plants- Plant some strong-smelling herbs such as lavender, sage, and rosemary that seem to discourage cabbage moths from settling and laying eggs. Try planting them around the edges of your patch to form an odour barrier. You can also plant decoy plants such as nasturtiums, dill, and mustard, which will draw egg layers away from your main crops.

–Using decoy ‘Scarecrows‘- Cabbage moths are highly territorial and will avoid laying eggs where there’s already competition for food. Use little decoys around brassicas to send them somewhere else. Here is a great little printable template that you can use. Click Here to see the template. This template was created by the Australian Butterfly Conservation.

– Dipel – An organic biological insecticide based on Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki, which is an insecticide derived from beneficial bacteria found in soil, on plant surfaces and also in insects. It specifically targets caterpillars and is safe for beneficial insects such as ladybirds and bees.

Blackspot and Rust commonly affect Rose plants. If you notice any of those on your roses, you can cut them back lightly, remove the diseased leaves, spray the remaining leaves with some organic copper-based fungicide, and also fertilize them to encourage new growth and blooms.

Powdery mildew is one of the most commonly occurring plant problems at this time of the year. It is a fungal disease that affects plant leaves and stems, coating them in what looks like a white or grey powder-like substance. In severe cases, powdery mildew can even spread to the buds, flowers, and fruits of plants. A simple remedy is a good spray of the following mix: 1 tablespoon baking soda with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon dish soap in 1 gallon of water. Another option is a mix of 1 part milk with 10 parts of water. If this natural remedy fails to get rid of it, you can look into Sulphur based fungicides.

Root rot and Wet Feet are the most damaging ailments our houseplants can suffer from, and one of the most common. An infection can destroy a plant literally from the ground up. It spreads quickly, and without prompt action, it’s soon too late. Roots of plants affected by root rot may turn from firm and white to black/brown and soft. Affected roots may also fall off the plant when touched. The leaves of affected plants may also wilt, become small or discoloured. Affected plants may also look stunted due to poor growth, develop cankers or ooze sap. Once root rot is identified, you must determine if the plant can be saved. If the entire root system has already become mushy, it is too late to save the plant. However, if some healthy, white, firm roots exist, try to bring the plant back to good health by replanting in fresh soil with good drainage.Click here to read more about wetfeet.

Here are our best sellers that are heavily discounted!

That’s all for this month! Thanks for reading our Gardening in May Article. 🙂

See you in-store here at 1477 Sydney Road, Campbellfield!

Gardening in Autumn, May in the Garden. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

In autumn many deciduous plants transform from their lush green summer coats to hues of yellow, red, purple and gold. These warm colours gracefully transition us from the warmth of summer to the cold of winter.

Many of us have gardens that are on the smaller side, and if you don’t have that much space for big trees, there are always alternatives like shrubs, bushes or even dwarf trees that are nice and compact and will fit any sized garden.

England Gardens Walsall Garden Shrubs

Top 10 most beautiful Autumn Foliage Shrubs.

1. Berberis
2. Nandina
3. Witch hazel
4. Beautyberry
5. Oak-leaf Hydrangea
6. Dogwood
7. Physocarpus
8. Viburnum opulus ‘Nana’
9. Currants (Ribes)
10. Blueberry

A few more beautiful Autumn Shrubs and climbers:

• Dwarf Maples
• Euonymus ‘Burning Bush’
• Spiraea ‘Double White May Bush’
• Parthenocissus ‘Virginia Creeper’
• Parthenocissus ‘Boston Ivy’

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Berberis

Nothing says autumn colour like Berberis! Small delicate green, purple or variegated leaves turn crimson, amber and gold as the temperature gets cooler. They make wonderful seasonal features and suit Cottage or Woodland garden styles. 

Berberis grow a maximum of 2m high but can be kept all the way down to 50-70cm. Small birds love to hide amongst the branches!

Nandina

A hardy, easy to grow evergreen garden favourite, the Nandina or Sacred Bamboo comes in a few varieties. The Dwarf and Moon Bay varieties are compact and colourful, only growing to 1m tall. Their foliage is lush lime green in the warmer months, turning a deep crimson as it gets colder.

Witch hazel

Bright blooms with wiggly petals pop up in late autumn in the nursery, causing customers to exclaim “what is THAT plant?” That is the often understated Witch Hazel! This medicinal plant produces phenomenal autumn colour and a really weird but staggeringly beautiful and fragrant flower. A must-have for the autumn garden.

Beautyberry

This fun plant isn’t on this list for its autumnal foliage (though it does produce a gorgeous yellow and amber glow!) The Beautyberry, or Callicarpa bodinieri, sprouts dazzling clusters of purple berries along the branches against the gold backdrop, creating an incredible contrast in colour! Beautyberry grows roughly 2 metres in height.

Oak-leaf Hydrangea

A small flowering shrub with leaves like that of an Oak tree. The Oak-leaf Hydrangea flowers during the spring and summer, its leaves turning crimson, carmine, amber, maroon and purple in the autumn. A truly versatile shrub.

Dogwood

There are Dogwood trees and Dogwood shrubs. The trees are renowned for their autumn colour and beautiful summer flowers, whereas some shrub varieties also have vibrant autumnal foliage, but the branches underneath are the real show stoppers. Seen in autumn and winter are gorgeous, almost fluorescent stems of red or yellow. These shrubs grow from 1-2m tall.

Physocarpus 

Varieties of Physocarpus or, commonly named, Ninebark come in beautiful purples, greens and golds, all of which convert to the rich colours of autumn when it begins to get cooler. The colours on the large leaves change from the edge inward making little artworks on each leaf. Suitable for pots and small gardens, growing anywhere between 1-3 metres tall.

Viburnum opulus ‘Nana’

A striking, small deciduous shrub that turns a rich purple and crimson red in autumn, the Viburnum opulus ‘Nana’ or European Cranberry Bush, grows only 30-60cm tall and compact. It is ideal for edging and borders, Cottage style gardens or pots! Unlike other viburnums, this one very rarely produces flowers or berries and hence requires far less maintenance.

Currants (Ribes)

The next two are not only colourful but produce delicious berries in the summertime. Ribes nigrum or the humble Black Currant turns gorgeous reds, oranges and yellows in the autumn time. Ribes grow approximately 1-2 metres tall and should be pruned during the winter when they’re bare.

Blueberry

Bearing delicious, juicy blueberries in the summer under lush green foliage, the Blueberry bush is often forgotten for its autumn colour. Small, soft leaves change to gorgeous autumn colours. Blueberries grow best in acidic soil, benefit from a good trim and grow anywhere between 1-3 metres depending on the variety. Since different varieties produce berries at slightly different times of the year, planting a few different ones will extent the harvest period.

A few more beautiful Autumn Shrubs and climbers:

Besides the gorgeous plants mentioned above, here are a few others that are worth including in this list.

Dwarf Maples

Dwarf Japanese maples are excellent choices for smaller gardens because of their small stature and ability to thrive in small spaces.  Dwarf Japanese maples can be used in miniature conifer beds and rock gardens to provide dynamic contrast throughout the season. Dwarf Japanese maples can also be used in patio containers and bonsai.

Euonymus ‘Burning Bush’

A compact spreading deciduous shrub with stunning burning red foliage and ornamental berries.
Great as a feature plant or hedge that will add vibrant colour to your garden in autumn.
Plant in well-drained soil in a full sun to part shaded position. Approx growth 3mx3m. Frost and drought tolerant.

Spiraea ‘Double White May Bush’

Spirea is a semi-deciduous shrub with arching stems, lanceolate small green leaves and gorgeous white pompom flowers from spring to late summer. The leaves will change to a yellowish red colour in autumn before falling off. It will grow in coastal gardens and once established will tolerate frost, neglect and drought. Mature growth 2x2m

Parthenocissus ‘Virginia Creeper’

Virginia Creeper is a large deciduous climber that is very vigorous. Its foliage turns a bright red and orange in autumn. Given the space, it will ultimately grow higher than 12 meters with a spread of 4-8 meters.

Virginia Creeper thrives in a position of moist, well-drained soil and can handle both full shade and full sunlight. This vine makes for a gorgeous sight. It is generally easy to care for and is disease-free.

Parthenocissus ‘Boston Ivy’

Boston Ivy is a beautiful, classy small-leaved climber that is great for covering exposed or ugly walls, unattractive sheds, pergolas, arbours, rotundas, and trellises. The shiny green three lobed leaves turn spectacular shades of red and purple in autumn.

Check out some other articles that you may like:

Top 10 Autumn Garden Colour Shrubs 2022. Melbourne, Victoria. Australia.

Hello Hello Plants. 1477 Sydney Road, Campbellfield.