Re: Book or Website for Syd garden plants

[Jane VR]

Nev wrote:

> My wife always has gardening questions which she can't find in any of her
> books.
>
> Examples of questions are:
>
> A screening plant to 3 metres without an aggressive root system for large
> planter box.
>
> Plants for the boundary of the yard which will not propagate into
> adjoining
> bushland.
>
> General descriptions of light required, soils, water requirements, etc.
>
> Any suggestions would be appreciated.
>
> Nev

For plants or books? I use Valerie Swane's _ Australian Gardening_ a
lot. The BetterHomes and Garden softback series (at the newsagents) is
nice too.

Plants for containers include camellias, James Sterling pittosporum,
lillypillies, hibiscus, oleander, banksias, clumping palms, NZ Christmas
bush, murraya, nandina, clumping bamboos, citrus. A climber would be
quicker, and more certain to reach the height you want, if that's
practicable.

How about some natives for next to the bush? The list of things that
don't spread aggressively is so long, it's probably easier to pick
something you like, then check if it's invasive.

Jane

[Chookie]

In article >,
"Nev" > wrote:

> My wife always has gardening questions which she can't find in any of her
> books.
>
> Examples of questions are:
>
> A screening plant to 3 metres without an aggressive root system for large
> planter box.

I have a reader's digest encyclopedia which is divided into different types of
plants (trees, shrubs, palms), then into sizes (S/M/L), then into colours and
times of year (eg pink in Spring). It's great for working out what you want
and whether it would suit your site.

Actually 3m is pretty big for a planter box -- it might blow over in a high
wind. How big is the box?

> Plants for the boundary of the yard which will not propagate into adjoining
> bushland.

I would suggest indigenous plants (local species from local seed stock). You
wouldn't have to worry then. Your council (or the body that controls the
bushland) may be able to help you.

> General descriptions of light required, soils, water requirements, etc.

Frankly, any gardening book which doesn't provide that kind of information
isn't a very good gardening book!

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"...children should continue to be breastfed... for up to two years of age
or beyond." -- Innocenti Declaration, Florence, 1 August 1990