The question is, "Where?"

Undoubtedly many lay where they were last used, bound together in large knots and causing all sorts of problems for later use and trip hazards for unsuspecting visitors. They risk perishing faster by cracking or splitting in the sun but without a hose holder they become an unwieldy tool in the garden.

So, the next question becomes, "What sort of hose holder?" Well, this is what this post is all about, contemporary and practical ways to store your garden hose. Here are seven options that might make this one task a little more simpler:

Pot Hose Holder

Hose Hanger

Hose Reel Holder

Hose Hide

Mobile Hose Reel

Concealed Hose Storage

Fire Hydrant Hose Holder

Choosing a hose holder is usually a discussion on practicalities, and while there are some points to consider why not have some fun with it at the same time.

It's no surprise, really. Our diminishing yard sizes and the limited space we now have to garden in primarily dictates the type of plants that we grow. No longer are home gardeners able to plant 2-3 citrus trees, plus a few other fruiting trees and ornamentals. Now we have the choice to select one small tree - and one only.

So, it makes sense that dwarf citrus trees are growing in popularity. Their small stature works in confined spaces yet their yields are disproportionate to their dwarfish size. Plus, if you're not into the idea of growing a fruit salad tree then it makes logical sense that dwarf is the way to go.

To define what a "dwarf" citrus tree is it makes sense to start with what it's not. Some gardeners can often be duped into buying so-called dwarf citrus trees that are really just immature versions of a larger tree.

True dwarfs are grafted onto smaller growing rootstock and produce same-sized fruit even though the tree remains small. It's almost impossible to identify from the graft whether the tree is a dwarf or not as most citrus are grown from grafted rootstock these days so it pays to buy from a reputable dealer that is willing to guarantee their stock.

Looking after dwarf citrus trees is a cinch and provided they are kept moist, fertilised twice annually and pruned every 2-3 years you can expect your tree to produce happily. They are no more susceptible to pests and diseases than their towering counterparts but they do have problems with branches breaking under the strain of the fruit. Therefore, it is wise to remove some of the fruit prior to maturity to aid the tree in supporting it all.

These trees are great pot specimens and can happily exist in containers for many years provided they are repotted every 2 years and their root structures trimmed back. Don't try this when they're fruiting but wait for their dormant period.

For instance, our main bedroom faces west where we get all the afternoon sun in the warmer months that could turn the room into a sauna. Instead, we planted a trio of silver birches that act as natural window shades during the summer yet allow warmth into the room in winter. And, the best part is that they require very little maintenance - if any at all.

There are very few situations where a deciduous tree or creeper couldn't help shade your windows. Even in an apartment an overhanging trellis could easily accomodate a creeper that offers relief during summer.

Window shades can be quite expensive, especially if the most of your windows are facing east or west. On the other hand, the alternative option - planting and growing a deciduous tree to offer shade can cost as little as $50 (maybe less) per window - that's some very cheap window shades. The ongoing maintenance off your window shades is also another concern and can be quite time-consuming. Compare that with raking a few leaves and the odds are certainly stacking up in the non-evergreen's corner.

Bamboo window shades

However, there are some smart operators that now offer bamboo window shades constructed entirely from renewable, organic bamboo. They're tough enough to last as long as hardwood timbers and still light enough to give aluminium a run for its money.

Hunter Douglas window shades are one company that not only offers bamboo as an option but also create reed, grass and natural replaceable woods. But, they're not the only ones. Many are now moving away from materials that can't be accessed organically and along with their fabric blinds offer consumers more choice in keeping their homes environmentally friendly.

Honeycomb window shades

Honeycomb window shades are another organic blind for a very different reason. They take the natural honeycomb shape and apply it to their window shades which offers a vast reduction in energy loss from the window itself. Also known as cell window shades, these blinds offer a hexagonal core flute that reduces the loss of warmth in the home and keeps it cool in winter.

This is a novel idea as it mimics natural ideas offering incredible results.

But, the flowers aren't admired for their beauty. Instead it's their essential oils that give it a star quality and makes it revered around the world by perfume and oil purveyors. The scent is not too dissimilar to jasmine but it offers deeper, richer notes that comfort the senses and makes it ideal as a massage oil.

The only downside to ylang ylang massage oil is it's price. Obviously an economical supply and demand issue, obtaining good quality oil is getting harder to achieve. The Javan's have begun production of Cananga oil, a far less superior alternative by using flowers from C. odorata var. macrophylla, as flower production from the much more perfumed C. odorata (Annonaceae) starts to dissipate.

For every 1kg of flowers that the cananga tree produces 20ml of ylang ylang oil is extracted and a mature tree only produces 10-15kg of flowers per year - resulting in a mere 250ml each year. Second, third and fourth distillations can happen extracting more oil and these are referred to as Ylang Ylang 1, 2 and 3 respectively. The first "press" is known as 'extra' much like EVOO.

Once your tree is producing enough flowers to make it worthwhile you can begin thinking about how your going to extract the essential oils from them. The best known method is via steam distillation. This process requires a steam distillation kit consisting of a few glass flasks, some rubber tubing, a method of heating (your gas stove may be adequate) and some plant material - namely your ylang ylang flowers.

The first vial contains water and sits on the stove or bunsen burner simmering away. The steam then passes into the second vial where the flowers are placed and it begins to "sweat" the flowers into giving up their essential oil. The steam, mixed with the oils, then passes through a condenser tube effectively cooling the steam mixture until it begins to condensate. This process begins to turn the steam back to a liquid and the oils begin to solidify a little.

From there, the steam distillation process leads to the final point - where a separatory funnel is required. This final process separates the ylang ylang essential oil from the hydrosol (flower water) and gives you the final product.

This process can be used for a myriad of other plants including lavender, roses, jasmine and even some of your herbs.

Once you have extracted the essential oils from the ylang ylang, massage oil creation is the final step. The oil is a concentrated extract and needs to be mixed with another fat such as kukui nut oil, jojoba, almond oil or even Shea butter oil - which are often readily available at health & body shops. The ratio of mix is usually 6 teaspoons of "carrier oil" to 6 drops of essential oil.

Landscaping with pea gravel is a very common improvement material but it does come with some downsides. Here are some problems you may encounter, or hopefully consider, when installing this in your yard;

1. Firstly, pea gravel rolls - or at least it has the ability to. While it doesn't have the same effect as laying marbles on your driveway it's not that distant to be incomparable. Paths made with pea gravel can obviously become hazards for toddlers (learning to walk), the elderly (trying to keep a surefoot) and women in heels. If you can guarantee that members from any of those groups aren't likely to traverse your pathways then pour them on - otherwise, in this day and age, brace yourself for a possible lawsuit.
2. Next, while you may lay pea gravel to a depth of 6" or more it still won't stop the weeds coming through. Laying plastic underneath will eventually dissipate and a rug or carpet may grow mould before finally disintegrating. Compared to other rock, stone or pebble materials there is no difference but if you're looking for some maintenance-free surface then pea gravel is not the greatest option.
3. Regardless of whether the pea gravel is washed it will still leech ochre tainting as rainfall and irrigation runs off it. This will discolour other paths, the bottom of fences, your clothes - or those of your children, and maybe even your street if run-off meanders onto it.
4. How much does pea gravel cost? This is another item to consider in your decision-making process. If it's not readily available in your area then the extra cost for heavy haulage may impede your decision. Plus, you may need to top it up every few years as much of it will shift and mix with the soil below it.

It's becoming more common for parents to create a pea gravel playground for their children and while this may seem like a neat option it also has many downfalls. Speaking of falls, this is one area where pea gravel fails as a softfall alternative. In order to make it completely safe parents need to lay it to a depth of least 1ft and ensure that it gets raked prior to each occassion the children want to play in it. Otherwise it has a tendency to compact and little pebbles can easily lodge themselves in soft knees and elbows.

But, there are benefits too for using pea gravel. Landscaping with this material offers some stunning contrasts between lawns and garden beds and can look neat without too much effort. Some gardeners have been using it to create a pea gravel patio and this can be a benefit as the gravel offsets heat much better than paving and needs less cleaning than its hard counterpart.

So, while pea gravel has some major disadvantages, used in the right context it can provide stunning results in most gardens.

For what many gardeners see as a weed, herbalists have been capitalising on its many benefits and drinking its tonic-like properties for millenia. We're talking about dandelion tea, of course. It's a herbal tea produced from this annual weed that has some wonderful characteristics and beneficial qualities.

While you may have been cursing it growing throughout your garden, perhaps even spraying it with a selective herbicide or worse - glyphosate, many gardeners are beginning to latch onto the idea that this oft free gift is just that - a free gift. I've never heard any gardener complain that they couldn't get dandelions to grow in their yard. Usually, it's the opposite viewpoint.

Yet, with a change of perspective, those dandelions could be seen as the ultimate natural ingredient for many of our ailments. Those dreaded yellow flowers can easily become the elixir-of-life known as 'dandelion tea'. Pregnancy, menstruation pains and bloating, constipation, liver complaints and even weight-loss have been eased by drinking regular cups of this tea - and by regular, I mean one per day. It's a natural herbal tonic that offers laxative and diuretic properties and helps reduce toxins and gases in the body.

So, how do you make dandelion tea?

Most dandelion tea is made from the root of the dandelion weed or the yellow flowers. Dig up a few of these weeds, wash out any grit and soil and then cut away the foliage. Then the roots and flower petals can be steeped in boiling water for 2-3 minutes before being drained off. You can leave them in the pot for longer but the bitterness will increase if you leave them too long.

As dandelions mainly grow and flower towards the end of winter through late summer there will be a period where fresh stock can't be obtained. In this case, dry some surplus roots and store in a cool location to get you through the autumn and winter months. Dandelion tea made with dried root will taste considerably stronger, so you shouldn't need to use as much, but it will also have a darker colour - mere aesthetics.

Dandelion tea bags are another option for months when this herb doesn't grow and they are often sold in grocers or online. The tea bags usually come in packs of 30 allowing you a month's worth of stored tea.

Are there any side effects to drinking dandelion tea? Sure, like anything it should only be taken in moderation. If you consume numerous cups per day then instead of benefiting your inner organs you could instead be harming them considerably. Also, if you've used chemical herbicides or pesticides on these plants then more rigorous washing is needed before you make a tea out of them. In fact, I would even suggest that you leave them alone altogether, just to be safe, and then begin harvesting dandelions from the next season onwards.

It goes without saying that dandelions found in public open spaces may also be contaminated and should probably be left alone as well.

But, this is the very reason that a garden chiminea is a perfect buy. While uncontained fires will become illegal very soon, contained fires - especially those kept within a chimenea - are permitted throughout the year and only discouraged in times of severe high risk.

Plus, the best time to start stoking up a fire and enjoying your chiminea is right now, in the in-between seasons of spring and autumn. The nights are still cool enough to enjoy sitting 'round a fire but not too hot that it becomes pointless or too cold that you find yourself actually sitting on the embers in order to keep warm.

So, how do you go about finding the perfect chiminea for your garden?

Firstly, chimeneas come in different shapes and sizes and one-size definitely doesn't fit all. Some gardeners opt to build their own hardcast versions that sit on their verandahs and can't be moved. Others prefer the more mobile types that can be carted between locations without too much effort and there are others who buy garden chimineas that can be moved but never are.

The next reason why some would buy a garden chiminea is for its cooking ability. Ancient Aztecs, Myans and Incas used these vessels as cooking implements long before we thought about placing one in the garden and sitting around it for warmth. While most chimineas are built from either clay or cast iron they both offer very different heat. Some purists swear by the clay versions but the cast iron has the ability to keep its heat longer and to get much hotter than its predecessor allowing meals to be cooked quicker.

Then there's the design to consider. Do you sit it up on its legs or let it sit on the ground without any support? Will it be the traditional shape garden chiminea or one of the new contemporary models that seem to be taking off? When you consider the design it also pays to think through how you plan to use it.

If you're considering keeping it on your decked patio then an unsupported clay chiminea is probably going to leave some ghastly marks on your floorboards. But, it you've created a firepit in your yard and are looking for a chiminea to dwell within it, then a copper chiminea with filigree wrought iron work is probably a waste.

Finally, the last point to consider when choosing a garden chiminea is where all that smoke will go. Once the fire inside gets hot enough the chimenea will stop smoking but from the time you start it until then you will have some problems diffusing its output. Fortunately, it has a chimney that will guide the smoke in a certain direction but even then if it were contained undercover this could get very messy.

If you plan to keep it undercover then adding a flange with its own chimney to expel the smoke through the roof is probably the best option.

Finding a chiminea that suits your garden isn't a hard task but considering how you will use it may take a few more thought processes.

The best defence is always preparation. Selecting trees that have a history of shallow or exposed roots is fine provided you know where they can go in the garden without disturbing infastructure. Keeping them away from fences, walls, paths, septic tanks and sewer pipes is all common sense but easy to miss in the excitement of planting a new tree.

Once the problem of exposed tree roots has surfaced (pun intentional!) it can be just a matter of trimming some of them in order to keep the issue under control. If ignored the problems may become exacerbated and in some situations begin to cost you enormously.

How to remove tree roots

Tree roots are the anchor for the tree's trunk so removing any of them is a balancing act - literally - and can be fraught with peril should you make the wrong move. First, start by digging a trench 1ft in (provided it's a large tree) from the tree's drip-line (where the leaves end). This should uncover any serious threats and at this point it is safe enough to trim the tree's roots without harming the tree itself.

While the trench is still open it may help to install some barrier that will impinge on the tree root's further growth. You may even want to consider realigning any pipes that the roots are headed for or paths that might be in its future trajectory.

Removing tree roots is not a solve-all solution. Trees have a habit of growing, as do their roots, and over time the tree will continue its growing journey even where it was cut back. Therefore, cutting its roots will be an exercise that's required every few years or so just to keep them under control.

Whatever you do, never cut tree roots back to the trunk. This will make it completely unstable and susceptible to disease, or death and could result in it toppling over and doing even more damage. If the only way to fix the problem is to cut the roots that close to the trunk then it might be time to call in the professionals to remove it altogether.

In fact, growing broad beans, or fava beans as they're commonly known, is as easy as popping a seed in the ground, watering it, and then picking the produce once they're ripe. That's it. End of story.

Yet, if that were the entire post on how to grow broad beans you can bet the comments to swell asking for all kinds of further information and advice. Queries would range from "I'm getting a lot of flowers but no beans" to "How do you know when they're ripe?" or even "How should I cultivate the soil before I plant the bean seeds?" The answer: see above.

To grow broad beans successfully they require 5 simple things; a growing medium, water, sun, support and a little patience - in that order.

1. The Growing Medium - broad beans can grow in almost any growing medium; soil (whether it's sandy, loamy or clay), hydroponic gravel beds and even containers (provided they're deep enough). The growing medium doesn't need to be rich in humus or nourished with fertilisers. Instead, the broad beans will grow in the most impoverished soils and add nitrogen back to it as it matures.

   If you have soils that really need some serious amending then growing a few crops of broad beans will certainly assist the process for you.



2. Water - as broad beans are a cool season legume annual rainfall is usually enough moisture to satisfy the needs of these beans. However, as they ripen off in spring they will often require some supplementary watering. If you cater for them every 2-3 days then this should be enough to keep the plant healthy and the beans growing.


3. Sun - like most vegetables, broad beans need at least a few hours of full sunlight per day so growing them in the shade is not going to be too effective. They will grow in partial shade but the plants are often stunted in height and more susceptible to disease. Plus, the beans take much longer to mature.


4. Support - all beans need some support. Either some trellis against the side of a wall, a climbing frame or even a teepee will suffice. Broad beans are much stronger than many other legumes but they still have a habit of falling over once they're laden with fruit. The best way to keep them supported is to loosely tie them as a bunch against their support. This should keep them growing upright and not snapping at the base.

Once the broad bean plant starts growing past germination it's quite quick that their flowers will start to bloom in readiness for pollination. However, it can seem like months before any of those flowers start to produce bean seeds. Then, its another few weeks before they grow large enough and their shell begins to harden off somewhat before they're ready to be picked.

But the best part of growing broad beans is that you can save a few, dry them out and then replant for next year's harvest. They truly are one of the easiest beans to grow in your garden.

Most of the nazi garden gnomes, appropriately titled the "Poisoned Gnome", are made from black plastic but there are 20 that are also painted gold. Set out en masse throughout the public display it must be a formidable vision to behold and one that obviously begs controversy.

While Hörl doesn't want to inflict his own ideologies on to his viewing patrons he does make this poignant remark;

The Poisoned Gnome reminds us that people can coalesce into large and dangerous groups if rituals and gestures are used that under certain conditions are more signs of contempt rather than being socially beneficial.

Certainly one can see that he is hiding from the debate (sic).

Regardless of the political views expressed, or not expressed - whatever the case may be, these darling little nazi gnomes will be available for sale via Hörl's website once the display is finished. They will retail for 45 euros or signed by Hörl for 120 euros.

The big question is, "Will you be putting one in your garden?"

Source: Deutsche Welle

In fact, it would be interesting to see some research on how many people set out to live the self-sustainable life but reverted back due to discouragement and disillusionment. I'm sure that many start out with grandiose plans to change the world, or at least theirs, but within a few years realise that supplementing their lifestyle with organic produce instead of remaining completely self-sustainable is probably a better option.

Let's assume that the self-sustainable lifers have a 5-acre plot from which to exist. On this piece of land they have ample space to grow a few different varieties of fruit trees, operate a decent-sized veggie patch, run some chickens, ducks and other poultry and even have a cow or a few goats or a couple of sheep. One could assume that this would be sustainable enough with a few changes to the diet.

However, where are the grains: the wheat, barley and rice that we consume on an almost daily basis? Sure, you could remove the animals, and the veggies and possibly the fruit trees to make way for growing these bare essentials but then your diet becomes even more restrictive.

If there's no wheat, then there becomes no flour. No flour = no bread, no cakes, no biscuits and definitely no pancakes on a Sunday morning dripping with maple syrup. Then, if there's no rice you're limited to potatoes as your staple carbohydrate.

Sure, these items don't have to remain in your dietary lifestyle but it does beg the question, "Are you prepared to limit yourself that much for the sake of a truly self-sustainable life?"

My theory is that there are very few self-sustainable life purists. Instead, it would seem that the few I know supplement their sustainable lifestyle with delicacies and staples from the consumerist's table while at the same time pointing the finger at those who don't choose their lifestyle path.

So, if you were faced with having to living completely off your own piece of land, could you do it? And what would be the hardest thing to sacrifice in doing so?

However, the one thing all these garden games require is space. Large expanses of lawn are best but even a mud pitch, with the right people and the right game, could suffice.

So, if you're running out of activities to enjoy in your yard, here are eight garden games that should offer hours of entertainment.

1. Gnome Bowling

A word of caution: don't use ceramic gnomes - they may not last the length of the game.

2. Croquet

The beauty of this game is that it is so easy to set up, play and pack away. Keeping a croquet set in your shed is the perfect excuse to take some time out.

3. Petanque (Boules)

4. Mini-Golf

If you have the space then why not try creating a few different courses throughout your yard and experiment with various obstacles for each.

5. Giant Chess

6. Backyard Cricket

7. Inflatable football pitch

The only downside is having the spare acreage to contain one.

8. Quoits (Horseshoe Tossing)

Another variation on the theme is horseshoe tossing - you guessed it, it just replaces the quoits with horseshoes.

And there you have it. Eight garden games to help enjoy your garden in ways other than just planting and composting.

Desert gardening is anything but for the courageous - or those who don't have a choice. Water restrictions, or the lack of a sustainable water source, may force gardeners to create a desert garden but this shouldn't limit the creativity that can be injected into such a yard. Quite the contrary, really.

A desert garden may not have yards of soft turf for the kids to roll around on, or borders of flowering annuals to keep the warmer months amusing but it does still offer a challenge for any gardener. Especially a gardener with children. Creating spaces, and shade, for them to play can be a tad vexing - a sandpit left in the midday sun is rarely appealing to any child.

So, with all its dust, arid aspects and minimal soaking rains what can desert gardening offer that's enticing to create such a style?

Firstly, it's a low maintenance garden - please don't read "NO Maintenance". Most of your plants, once established, will no longer require watering. That means no irrigation problems, kinked hoses or AWOL watering cans. Even fertilising, pruning and possibly weeding will be tasks that aren't required anymore.

Second, desert gardening offers year-round vistas that more gardeners only enjoy for a season or two. While desert garden plants still produce seasonal blooms they are more prized for their shape, texture and foliage while a flourish of flowers is an additional plus.

And finally, a desert garden is much more economical with the world's resources than any other type of garden. Fewer pests and less diseases result in reduced chemical usage and limiting your water consumption can only ever be a good thing.

So, what about gardeners who don't enjoy endure the heat and reduced annual rainfall? Is it still possible for them to commence desert gardening? The answer is not as straight-forward as the question. For most gardening ideas, it is often possible to achieve anything you want but it always comes with a price. For those wanting to create a desert garden in areas that suffer from frost or even snow then the required microclimate can only be achieved indoors or in a greenhouse. Creating this style outdoors can only result in tears - and possibly gnashing of teeth.

Those in temperate climates - hot summers and cool winters - are very well suited to this garden style. Sure, these regions enjoy more rainfall than arid zones but in most cases similar plants can still survive, and thrive, in these areas.

Here's the base definition - Desert Gardening: A style of gardening that utilises a region's limited annual rainfall. It often includes the use of succulents, cacti and other drought-tolerant plantings.

In effect, desert gardening reduces plant choices to anything that can sustain itself without any additional watering. If it requires ongoing irrigation, other than what drops from the sky, then it's highly likely that it won't survive in this styled garden.

Commonly known as a cranesbill for their efforts at attracting pollinators, the geranium plant is a much loved bloomer from yesteryear. You don't see them in gardens much these days, especially newly established ones, as landscapers often pass them over due to their lengthy stretches as leggy twigs. Without the flowers a geranium plant can look ordinary at best and often look very scraggly characters.

Yet, with more than 400 different varieties available as annuals, biennials and perenials there is definitely at least one geranium suitable for any garden situation. Geraniums are great container plants which makes them all the more attractive for the home gardener who can exhibit them when flowering and hide them when they're not.

Geranium Plant Care

Geranium care is somewhat an oxymoron because they seem to thrive on neglect far more than they do on fussy-preening. Fertilising them with a slow-release fertiliser is far better than heaping mobs of manure around their base or better still soak them with a liquid fertiliser before their blooms begin to open.

Once a bloom has been spent you can deadhead just the dead flower, or if there are no other blooms left on the stalk then cut it back by a third. Depending on your climate and whether you enjoy an extended flowering period may result in a second flourish of blooms. Otherwise, it will just prepare your geranium plant for its dormant period.

And propagating these plants is a cinch. Take a length of the stalk, minus any blooms, and place it in some potting mix - or directly in the soil - and cover if colder weather is on its way. At the start of spring, buds will begin to form on the stalk and you will have produced a brand new geranium plant.

One of the reasons we love returning to Guildford is for its heritage buildings and being able to fossick through their second-hand and antique stores. In one such shop I came across a collection of gardening books that were all ridiculously priced low.

For instance, I picked up W.E Shewell-Cooper's The A. B. C. of Gardening for $1 - in hardcover and in excellent condition. The man was a brilliant organic horticulturalist who was the pioneer of the no-dig garden. His ABC series covered everything from fruit, flowers, vegetables and even cloche gardening.

While many of the English climactic nuances have little relevance here there is still a depth of knowledge that suggests many aspects of gardening are transferable no matter where in the world you live. A few days away only permitted me enough time to read the first few chapters but I'm keen to get into this little book even more.

The second book, costing a mere $3, was Jane Taylor's Climbing Plants, one of the Kew Gardening Guides series. It's an illustrated hardcover published in 1992 with a wealth of information on anything to do with creepers and climbing plants. Many of the climbers that she discusses are available here in Australia and while the growing conditions are vastly different there is a ton of information that can be derived from this gem. The impetus for buying this one is the struggle that I've had growing a few climbers in locations where they keep dying. Hopefully this book will have some remedy for their survival.

The final book was Lance Hattatt's, The Gardening Year. It's a beautiful illustrated hardcover that was published in 1997. This was the most expensive of the three - a humble $4 - but certainly aims to be one that I look forward to reading through soon. Of course, the English "Gardening Year" is the opposite of ours but I figured that if I transposed January for July I should be able to source some helpful tips and ideas.

It was quite a revelation to me to buy older books instead of the current, faddy garden books that line bookstore windows. In fact, I put one back on the shelf at Dymocks that was retailing for $45 knowing that I would be able to pick it up for $8 when it came through the book club at work - I know, I'm a scrooge. But the real interest for choosing some of these older books was to learn about their authors, gardeners who I had never heard of but had obviously trodden the garden path once or twice before me.

All in all, I left that store with eight dollars less in my pocket but a wealth of information in my hands.