Book by John Mason - second edition just released
John Mason, principal of the ACS Distance Education in Queensland, has recently had the second edition of his best selling book, Growing Australian Natives released. This book draws on a combined wealth of knowledge, and years of experience in growing Australian native plants.
The variety of Australian native plants is enormous. They are found in just about any situation, from deserts to rainforests to alpine regions. Many are tolerant of saline conditions, some of arid conditions; others make excellent windbreaks, withstand pollution, or tolerate flooding and frost. So it doesn’t matter where you live, there is a wide selection to suit your conditions. The book is divided in to two parts - Part 1 focuses on basic information, including choosing the correct plants, landscaping with natives, caring for them, taking cuttings and tackling problems. Part 2 is an extensive plant encyclopaedia that covers all the main genera of Australian plants, their habits and cultivation requirements.
Gaillardia ‘Fanfare’ from Plant Growers AustraliaGaillardia ‘Fanfare’ is an aptly named new release because the flowers resemble clusters of tiny trumpets fanning out from the glowing centres. The flowers on this new Gaillardia are just fabulous, grabbing your attention with great performance in the summer sunshine, with numerous repeat flowerings, stopping only in the depths of winter. Whilst Gaillardias have tended to be somewhat straggly in the past, ‘Fanfare’ grows as a dense, compact plant. It appreciates full sun and tolerates dry conditions once established.
This new release will be available in all states of Australia from March this year, with an expected retail cost of $10 - $14 AUD for 14cm pots. For more information go to www.pga.com.au.
Fashionable reliable Cordylines from Ramm Botanicals
Cordylines are easy to grow and provide reliable colour foliage all year round. These three new releases from Ramm Botanicals provide elegant foliage variation. ‘Kiwi’ has a strong upright habit with lime and dark green leaves edged with a bright red highlight. ‘Rumba’ is very symmetrical with crimson streaked dark leaves. ‘Tango has a well branched form featuring irregular fluorescent crimson patterns against a dark background.
For more information go to www.ramm.com.au
SELF WATERING POTS
Planter Technology’s container irrigation system consists of self watering pots with an innovative design to regulate water supply to the plant root-zone. The pots consist of a reservoir and self-irrigating apertures that supply water directly to the plant root zone. Water supply is regulated by a vacuum-sensor that precisely monitors the soil moisture level. They are perfect for people who forget to water their indoor plants.
These self-irrigating pots are suitable for all kinds of potted plants, and can be used for home hydroponics systems. Indoor and outdoor models are available, as well as kits to convert existing planter pots to vacuum-sensor self irrigating systems.
The Planters are distributed in Australia and New Zealand by A2Z Planter Technology, 48 Clagiraba Road, Clagiraba QLD 4211, Australia. For more information, go to www.a2zplantertechnology.com. The pots are manufactured by Planter Technology Inc, 30681 Huntwood Ave, Hayard Ave, Hayward, California 94544, United States. For more information, go to www.plantertechnology.com
INTELLIGENT MOWERS FROM ARIENS
A new range of intelligent mowers on the market is offering a greater range of options for commercial mowing operators. The PM272 Z, 31-horsepower, turbo diesel mower is an extra powerful model which features the Eye-Q productivity system. This system keeps a record of who is using the mower, their efficiency, how they have treated the mower and any upkeep that is needed.
The Eye-Q system offers owners potential savings by keeping track of service and usage details. This system comes standard on the 31-horsepower PM272Z, a solidly built model with a 1.8 metre Air-Flo Deck and zero turn performance. I features a 53 litre fuel tank, adjustable height rollers and seat suspension, a hydraulic deck life and a productivity rating of almost four hectares an hour.
For more information go to www.allpower.com.au