Muddy Boots

This week we meet Jo Henley from Henley's Rustics and hear about her garden journey, how she came to meet Keith and the story of her family business creating rustic garden beds.A self described ‘novice gardener’, Jo and her father Lindsay now create rustic garden beds using reclaimed corrugated iron from local farms. Hand crafted using recycled materials, each garden bed is unique and the range includes a variety of designs including self watering wicking beds. Made in Ungarie, NSW, Henl...

Succulents - a huge number of varieties, succulents are easy to grow and add colour and interest to any garden. Succulents prefer an open, well drained soil and grow well in pots. Succulents are low maintenance and don’t require a lot of water.Today we hear what Keith’s Top 10 Succulents are:1.Tree Aloe, Aloe Barberae, - grows up to 6-9 metres x 3-6 meters. Long straight trunk with a huge succulent head. Pest and disease free.2. Kalanchoe beharensis, sometimes known as Elephant Ear Kalan...

Q&A time again! Who will be this month’s lucky winner of the fabulous prize donated by The Plant Runner?What to line our planter boxes with? Any HDPE (High-density polyethylene) is safe for Pinapple guava lining planter boxes. The thicker the better!Where to find Lignite Humate? Keith can’t recommend Clyde's Compost and Clyde’s lignite highly enough, now available at selected Bunnings stores (in Vic). Failing that, Keith suggests BioChar (try Charman) - 2 litres per 2 sq.m and Neutrog Gog...

What are the challenges of gardening on a large, rural property? Today we meet Cass Hooke, garden consultant, to tell us more about her experience about building a new garden from scratch.From her family upbringing to her first paid job with gardener Robert Boyle, Cass has immersed herself with landscaping and gardening. With a passion for conservation and the protection of threatened species, we hear about Cass’s journey and the creation of her garden with all the challenges of low rainfall,...

A garden without birds, bees and butterflies, just isn’t a garden’, says Elisabeth. Today we talk about the importance of attracting pollinators!Australia is home to over 1500 bees and pollinating insects.Here are some of the ‘bee magnet’ flowering plants.SalviasBuddleia (also a favourite with butterflies)Echium (check out the wildpretii variety)PoppiesCosmosAlyssumQueen Anne’s LaceCalendulaDaisiesPenstemonNatives such as wattles, bottle brushes, westringia, grevilleaHerbs such as - borage, r...

Tomatoes - Australia’s most grown vegetable (or fruit, actually)! Today we learn Keith’s Top 10 tomatoes.Easy to grow as long as they are given plenty of feed and plenty of sun. Lots of top tips today to tomato growing before we hear about Keith’s recommended varietiesBlue BeautyJuane FlammeWapsipinicon PeachSan MarzanoSantoriniTasmanian ChocolateBlack RussianBlack TruffleMortgage LifterTommy ToeSpecial mention too to the Tigerella variety - Keith’s recommendation if you are looking for ...

Q&A time again! Who will be this month’s lucky winner of the fabulous prize donated by The Plant Runner?Leggy seedlings? Likely your newly germinated seeds are looking for as much light as possibleKeith suggests mowing and hedge clipping by the Moon calendar (ie during low sap flow period) to reduce growth rateTips for ‘Little Gem’ magnolia - often sparse up to 1.5m. Keith suggests underplanting with shade tolerant plants. Magnolias are heavy feeders so suggest products like Neutrog...

This episode, Elisabeth and Keith provide invaluable insights into all things lavender. From understanding the importance of well-drained soil and ample sunlight to identifying the best locations for successful cultivation, we'll unveil the secrets to nurturing thriving lavender plants.Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!BRAND NEW WEBSITE: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/ Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook

The benefits of a plant based diet are well known. Today we meet Samantha Gowing from Food, Health, Wealth, renowned chef and nutritionist who is passionate about the health benefits of plants.A fascinating discussion covering the importance of seasonal produce, the myths of ‘super foods’, the medicinal benefits of many plants and striving for the umami flavour for a satisfying plant based diet.Sam talks about the benefits of some of our basic herbs including parsley, watercress, turmeric, gi...

Needing privacy from neighbours, a wind break or visual separation to divide your garden into rooms or hide a shed? Hear Keith’s Top 10 screening plants for the suburban garden.Laurus Nobilis ‘Baby Bay’ - 1.2 wide x 2m tallOlive - Mediterranean Midget - 1.5m - 2.5m tallSyzygium Australe Straight and Narrow - 1.2m wide x 6m tallThuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’ - 1.2m wide x 2m tallChoisya Ternata (Mexican Orange Blossom) - 1.5m wide x 1.8m tallSyzygium Australe Pinnacle - 1.5m wide x 6m tallCallis...

Start of Spring is a great time to get going with planning for your Spring/Summer Veggie garden.Check what climate zone you are in. Keith recommends The Seed Collection’s MapCool Climate Area (most of Vic) - Beans (including Lazy House Wife, Scarlet Runner), Keith will be trialling new dwarf varieties of tomatoes - stay tuned for Keith’s observationsConsider climbing frames for vegetables like cucumbers and pumpkins allowing more space underneath for other plantingRemove finished Winter ...

Q&A time again! Who will be this month’s lucky winner of the fabulous prize donated by The Plant Runner?Organic Weed Killers - follow the directions precisely! Keith recommends Slasher, Bioweed or SlayerBanksia’s not flowering? Banksia’s prefer a sandy soil and may take several years to flowerPrune lavender after they’ve finished flowering. Lightly trim back to 4-6 leaves of new growthLawn vs gravel between garden beds - Keith explains why he has opted for grass.Raised beds - timber or co...

Citrus is one of the most talked about topics on Muddy Boots. Don’t already have a citrus or thinking of adding a new on to your garden? Today we learn Keith’s Top 10 varieties as well as some tips on caring for your citrus.Citrus like lots of heat, full sun and lots of moisture. In areas prone to frost, look to grow near a ‘heat sink’ (such as a brick wall or a body of water like a pond). Leave frost affected leaves on the plant to protect from further frost until the frost period is finishe...

Following on from last week’s Moon Calendar episode, today we hear more about propagating from seed.Keith suggests finding out your ‘cool zone’ and ‘heat zone’ to assist with understanding when to plant your seeds.Seeds can be purchased online via Diggers Club, Seeds of Plenty, Seed Freaks, The Seed Collection, Before beginning, check the moon calendar to guide when to sow the seeds for best results. Seeds can be sown either directly or into punnets (check the packet for recommendat...

As regular listeners would know, Keith raves about an easy to use Moon calendar. Today we meet Sheree Scott whose parents developed this handy, easy to use Moon calendar wheel.This traditional agrarian practice of observing the effect of the gravitational force of the moon has many sceptics in the modern world. This handy, easy to use 1 page moon calendar is a simple way to try this for yourself to observe increased germination rates and plan your gardening guided by the moon phases. Th...