Dandelions a weed, medicinal herb and urban / rural edible

A COMMON AUSTRALIAN GARDEN RESIDENT

In Australia and probably many other parts of the world the common dandelion is easily recognized by its bright yellow flowers and fluffy seed head. Many lawns (unfortunately including my own) are full of dandelions and they seem to pop their heads up the next day after a mowing if the conditions are right. They can be an absolute pain to remove by hand as their tap root system can run very deep which anchors the plant into the ground. The whole tap root needs to be removed to kill the plant. If you want to clear a large lawn of dandelion a selective herbicide can be used which will kill the broadleaf weeds and hopefully not kill your grass. You have to be careful when doing this as buffalo grass is particularly sensitive to selective herbicide so if you have Buffalo grass you need a produce such as Yates buffalopro weed killer. There are several different species of dandelion (Taraxacum Sp) including Taraxacum californicum the endangered Californian dandelion. The word Dandelion is of French origin and means "lion's tooth". Dandelions are thought to have evolved over 30 million years ago in Eurasia.

A common sight in my lawn

DANDELIONS AS FOOD AND AS DRINK?

As hated as they are as a weed Dandelions can be used as a food source. The young leaves are edible although rather bland tasting. The young leaves can also be made into a tea. If you wash the roots and slowly roast them in the oven on a very low temperature they can then be ground up and brewed into a coffee like drink. I've tried both the Dandelion tea and Dandelion coffee. I found the tea a bit tasteless but the coffee actually wasn't too bad. The coffee like drink can be purchased some Australian shops. It is quite expensive, funny that what most consider a weed costs so much to buy as a product in the supermarket. 

The tough tap root system of a dandelion



DANDELIONS AS A MEDICINE

Dandelions have been used as a herbal medicine by humans for much of recorded history. Native Americans boiled dandelion in water and to treat skin problems, heartburn, kidney disease, swelling,  and upset stomach. In traditional Chinese medicine it has been used to treat appendicitis, stomach problems and breast problems, such as lack of milk flow or inflammation. Europeans have used it to remedy boils, eye problems, fever and diabetes.

They are tough little blighters. Look at this one growing in straight crushed rock at my home in Macedon.



WEED INFORMATION SUMMARY

COMMON NAME: DANDELION

BOTANICAL NAME: TARAXACUM SP

FAMILY: ASTERACEAE

DESCRIPTION

Dandelion is a very common broadleaf biennial weed plant in Australia. It will grow in most soil types. It is a prostrate plant with upright yellow flowers. It is a broadleaf plant with deep taproots. Dandelion is a warm season plant that dies back over winter.

METHOD OF SPREAD

It is mainly spread via airborne seed. Mature dandelion flowers are very light and easily transported by wind.

CONTROL

Hand weeding dandelion can be difficult even if the soil is moist and soft. The whole taproot needs to be removed or the plant can regenerate. Solarisation may an easier method to employ for controlling dandelion. Glyphosate will destroy this weed if a chemical control method is considered. Dandelion needs to be removed before the flowers mature and become transported by wind or other means. Repetitively scalping dandelion may work but it will take many scalps to totally destroy the plant.



My Macedon annual bed & the dangers of over thinking in the garden

“You may delay, but time will not”

- Benjamin Franklin 

Sometimes I find myself thinking and thinking about the best way to do things. Then realize that the time I've spent thinking and planning together with a dash of procrastination has meant that an opportunity has been let slip. This good old routine is one that I find can apply to my own garden at home if I let it. You can plan and think then plan some more and before you know it the season has changed and you've left your run too late. Then sometimes somebody will show you a more simple method and its like a revelation even though it seems so simple you feel idiotic for not trying it in the first place.

THE OLD WAIT, DREAM AND THEN ULTIMATELY RUN LATE ROUTINE

Anyway enough of the life advice what I'm referring to is sowing seeds and the timing involved. When faced with a small project eg (my annual bed at home) I used to sit down, look through books and look on the Internet for what was good in terms of timing the planting. I would then go buy the seeds (or even worse order them online creating more waiting time). Gather the packets and stare at them whilst considering where to plant them. I would then go buy some seed sowing mix. Sow the seeds. Then transplant them into larger pots after waiting for them to develop true leaves..... I think you get the picture, there was lots of planning, dreaming and waiting and not much action.

Below is my annual bed in Macedon. The Hollyhocks, pansies and Amaranthus are all at the end of their life. I'm leaving them in there until the new seedlings are ready to go. This will suppress weeds and hopefully make the old annuals drop a whole lot of seed so some will emerge next spring. I have already sneaked some Nasturtiums in there (sown directly in place).

HERE IS THE FAST AND MORE PRODUCTIVE ROUTINE 

• Go to the store and choose some seeds (If I don't know I just check the sow time on the back of the pack), then come home and dump half a pack in a 6 or 10 inch plastic pot filled with regular potting mix. 
• I then water them in and its all done. I can get it all done in a matter of an hour if I'm rushing. Then whilst waiting for them to shoot I dream of where they will be planted out. 
• When it comes to timing when to plant them out I just wait for the seedlings to develop true leaves then wait maybe another week or so. I then know they can photosynthesize and grow.
• I then plant out about 2 thirds of the seedlings and leave the rest in the pot. Any that die after planting out can be replaced by the remaining 1 third of seedlings left in the pot as backup plants.

BONUSES OF THIS METHOD

• Planting them in regular potting mix means that if you do end up leaving them a bit too long they have the nutrients of the potting mix to keep them alive (seed raising mix isn't nutrient rich and serves only as a growing medium up to the point of the plant developing its first true leaves).
• You inevitably spend less time waiting and procrastinating.
• You save money. Instead of paying $5 for a single small punnet of annual flowers you can get hundreds for about half that price and that includes the price of the potting mix. You also eliminate the cost of buying seed raising mix.
• You get a planted out garden bed instead of a patch of dirt.

Below are what will become hundred of seedling of annual flowers (double cornflowers, giant pansies, larkspurs, poppys and giant asters). I planted them about one and a half weeks ago. The packets cost only about $2 each.

I'M NOT SAYING DON'T PLAN YOUR GARDEN

Planning is necessary and even the way I approach this now does involve some planning in selecting the plants and planting location. For example I bought some tall plants for the back of the bed and some smaller ones for the front. I also tried to get a mix of shapes and colours because I'm aiming for a bit of variety as opposed to uniformity. If you are an incredible disciplined gardener who can keep to a schedule no matter what then maybe this method will not help you. I suppose this can all be summarized (maybe a little too simply) in the old adages 'We don't need a thinker we need a doer' and 'The time for planning is over it's now time for action'. If you are a bit of a dreamer who's tendency for over planning and perfectionism sometimes outweighs the need for action then maybe this will help you to no end. I know it definitely helps me. Now go plant some seeds :)

Gaura lindheimeri Butterfly flower a drought tolerant option for gardens

Gaura lindheimeri is another plant I had to research for my plant indentification and culture class. It is part of the Onagraceae family which also contains the lovely Fuchsia plant. It originates from North America and is also known by the common name of Butterfly flower. Gaura is a clumping shrub which flowers betwen September and December in Australia. It can grow 1.5 metres high with a spread of about 1 metre. It can be propagated by seed, cuttings or commonly by division. It can be cut back hard after flowering and bounce back. It can be used as a feature plant but I think it would be better suited as a backdrop plant or a border plant (along side the driveway for example). It requires very little water and is very drought tolerant. The pictures I've taken are an example of what not to do in terms of pruning. This plant was not pruned back hard after flowering last year and has become spindly. When properly pruned it can produce a tight clumping growth habit and look quite nice. It likes well drained soil and full sun.

A close up of the flowers 

A very spindly example which is the result of poor maintenance

Anigozanthos flavidus Kangaroo paw an Australian native plant

As always I have had an about face when it comes to my taste in plants. After being shown a less common Australian natives I'm now beginning to become more interested in them. As suggested by my plant identification teacher I'm going to join the Australian Native Plant Society (ANSPA) http://asgap.org.au/ to further my knowledge. Hopefully I'll  be propagating some less common native species at home in the future. Having just said that this blog entry is on a very common Australian native plant :) 

Common name: Kangaroo paw

Botanical name: Anigozanthos flavidus

This very popular and easily identified Australian native plant is commonly known as Kangaroo paw. This particular species is called Anigozanthos flavidus and is located in Fairfield, Victoria, Australia. Its flower stalks can reach about 2 metres high. Cutting the dead leaves down to their base and dead heading the spent flower stalks keeps these plants looking their best so I wouldn't say that they are a maintenance free plant. They are a clumping perennial plant but they tend to only perform at their flowering peak for 3 to 5 years after which they decline. The flowers are used as cut flowers and they are grown commercially for such purposes in several different countries. Propagation can be done by seed or by dividing the clump. Digging them up to divide is a challenge as the fibrous root ball needs to be complete dug around and under before the plant can be lifted. They are sometimes described as drought tolerant but they do in fact need some water in the hotter months in Australia. They like full sun and well drained soil. While their are some frost hardy cultivars Kangaroo paws are mostly frost sensitive plants. I do have some growing up in the colder climate of Macedon but they do get frost damaged in the cool seasons. I don't really mind as they always come booming back into action come spring. They are indiginous to Western Australia.

Below are fully mature clumps of Anigozanthos flavidus in full bloom with the sun shining on them during a 30+ degree Celcius day. They would look better with the dead leaves removed.

A close up of the flower which some say resembles a Kangaroo paw.

Grass plant Miscanthus sinensis 'Flamingo'

Lately I've been admiring several Miscanthus sinensis varieties as they are all in flower currently in Melbourne. I've grown to prefer them over the native grass plants which are presently popular. I also think they can serve the same sort of purpose as the flax plants that are seen planted in almost every new kits home's garden near the entrance.

Miscanthus plants are native to China and Japan. They go by the common names Chinese silvergrass, Suzuki grass, Porcupine grass and Maiden grass. They are a great plant to use for providing the often forgotten element of movement in your garden as the flower heads sway around in the breeze when the wind picks up. They also look stunning with the sun shining behind the flower heads. As with many grass plants propagation can be easily achieved by dividing this clumping plant. They respond well after trasnplanting and you don't have to be overly careful after pulling them up. Digging the plant out of the ground is the hardest part. They have a dense fibrous root system that needs to be dug around and under to lift the plant. They are tall plants that can grow to roughly 2 metres depending on the cultivar. I would describe their water usage as low / medium. 

There are several cultivars of Miscanthus. There are around 4 different cultivars at my work and I will endeavour to post pictures of them all. The one below is a Miscanthus sinensis 'Flamingo' plant in full bloom.

Hedging plant Loropetalum chinense in Fairfield

As part of my horticulture certification I'm doing a class on plant identification and information re plants and their culture. This is my first plant. It's Loropetalum chinense 'China pink' which goes by the common name of Fringe flower. It originates from China and Japan and is used as an ornamental bush or as in this case, a hedge. Fringe flower plants can grow to 8 metres high with a spread of roughly 3 metres. They like need full sun and well drained soil. The water requirements for Loropetalum chinense are average. They are drought sensitive so irrigation is needed in times of prolonged dryness. They tolerate frost. This particular cultivar 'China pink' has pink flowers instead of white. It also has dark red / pinkish foliage but this only shows in new growth. This one has been recently trimmed which is why the foliage is nearly all green. It flowers in spring.

This Loropetalum hedge is growing in Fairfield, Victoria, Australia. Shortly before I photographed the hedge it was trimmed which explains the lack of flowers.

Well at least there were a couple of flowers on the hedge.

 Here is an example of what the new growth foliage looks like. Unfortunately it had been recently trimmed so it was nearly all green.

Annual bed in Parkville reloaded

 

 

Finally the front annual garden bed in Parkville is reborn. Outgoing plants are Tulips, Cinerarias, Mizuna and Primulas. The new annuals are Marigolds and Zinnias. The weather has been incredibly hot here lately as we are at the peak of Summer. It has also been very dry and we have had to diligently water this bed to keep it alive and thriving.

 

 

 

Below are gold old Marigolds. They had a bit of a rough start as we didn't plant them out for some time after we bought them. The mushroom compost they are planted in combined with regular watering bought them back with a vengeance.

 

 

We originally didn't plan for these Zinnias to be planted in the front garden bed. First off I planted some Celosias here but they failed to thrive so we planted Zinnias instead. Their vivid colours make them really stand out. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last of all is the Morning Glory cultivar called 'heavenly blue'. Finally we have utilized the wires that were installed on the back wall. This particular flower is a bit withered as it was 30+ Celsius the day I took these pictures. The Morning Glory was added as an afterthought. The whole design of the annual bed this time has really been a bit of a fluke. Certain plants failed and we made do with what we had on hand. I think it's figured out just fine, really colourfull and packed with different shapes and forms.