Black Mulberry

                                                  Morus nigra

When I moved to my new house, I didn’t know what the names of the plants were that we had.  When summer came around, I discovered that a smallish tree at the front of our house had berries on it that looked like they could be edible, but I wasn’t sure if they were.  I soon learnt from our neighbour that they were edible and that the tree was in fact a mulberry tree.  The leaves on this tree were really bright green in summer, but now they are turning yellow and losing their leaves because it’s now autumn. 

Back in summer the tree had lots and lots of mulberries on it, which I collected.  I used the berries to put on top of things such as icecream, pavlova and cheese cake, and in desserts like apple crumble.  It tasted absolutely delicious.  I think that mulberries can also be used in jams as well.  I’ve also learnt that mulberry trees take about five or more years for them to actually start fruiting, which obviously means that this small tree is about five or more years old.

Overall, I believe that mulberry trees are great plants to have in a backyard (so as long as there is plenty of room for it when it gets really big).  It not only produces tasty food, but when it gets older it will provide great shade in the garden on hot summer days.   

References

j-Web Design & Development 2010, The Mulberry, informative webpage, j-Web Design & Development, viewed 27 May 2012,

<http://www.j-web.com.au/jpage/mulberry-tree-mulberries.aspx>.

The University of Melbourne 2012, Morus nigra, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, viewed 27 May 2012,

<http://www.bpg.unimelb.edu.au>.

Bonsai’s

For the past few years that we have gone to the Melbourne Flower and Garden Show, my family and I always come back with a bonsai, because we find them such an incredible little plant.  At the moment we have got four.  We did have others, but through trial and error of learning how to look after them, some made it through and others did not.  However, the bonsai’s that we do have are: two Ulmus parvifolia or The Chinese Elm, one Ficus microcarpa retusa or Grafted Banyan Fig and one Juniperus squamata prostata ‘Pingii’ or Juniper.

Ficus microcarpa retusa or Grafted Banyan Fig 

Ulmus parvifolia or The Chinese Elm

Juniperus squamata prostata ‘Pingii’ or Juniper

Ulmus parvifolia or The Chinese Elm

The Chinese Elm is a deciduous bonsai that has yellow, orange and brown leaves in Autumn, which can be really pretty.  My favourite bonsai is the Grafted Banyan Fig because, I like the shape of the trunk and its little rounded, dark green leaves.  At one point a few of the leaves went yellow and weren’t looking too good, so I just carefully pinched them off.  After a while the plant was looking good again and went back to normal.  You can also cut off branches of the bonsai with little pruner-like things to shape the bonsai how you want it, but I haven’t done this to any of the bonsai’s.  

I think bonsai’s are a great idea for an inside plant because, they’re not a high maintenance plant, they’re not messy and it brings a little bit of the outside, inside.     

Plants in my Suburb and in my Garden.

Having just moved to the suburb Croydon I’ve discovered that a lot of the houses and gardens in my neighbourhood share a similar thing….they all have the same plants growing in their gardens.  These plants that I’m talking about are plants such as Agapanthus praecox subsp. orientalis also known as Lily of the Nile, Anemone ×hybrida or Japanese Anemone, Hedychium greenii or Green’s Ginger Lily, Plumbago auriculata also known as Plumbago, Ulmus glabra or Wych Elm, Betula pendula also known as Silver Birch and many different kinds of roses. 

Hedychium greenii
Green’s Ginger Lily

Anemone ×hybrida Japanese Anemone

Plumbago auriculata
Plumbago

To me, many of these plants, such as the roses and the Japanese Anemone, look like they would belong in an English garden with little cottages.  Some of the other plants such as Green’s Ginger Lily, look as though they would suit quite nicely in a tropical garden, more in Queensland than in Victoria.  

A tropical looking plant near a eucalyptus tree.

It saddens me a little to see people using plants from Japan, South Africa and the Himalayas, when I feel we should be using more of the Australian native plants in our gardens.  

This is what I think we should see more of in  residential gardens.

What has happened to the good old Australian backyard where children play under the eucalypts and run through the Australian grasses?  This is an image that almost seems a memory of the past, if it weren’t for the landscape designers who are trying to bring it back to life again.

Overall, I believe that we should be celebrating our Australian native plants more in our gardens, rather than using plants that look like they don’t belong, because they don’t blend in with the surrounding environment.  

References:

The University of Melbourne 2012, Agapanthus praecox subsp. orientalis, The university of Melbourne, viewed 22 April 2012,

<http://www.bpg.unimelb.edu.au>.

The University of Melbourne 2012, Anemone ×hybrida, The university of Melbourne, viewed 22 April 2012,

<http://www.bpg.unimelb.edu.au>.

The University of Melbourne 2012, Hedychium greenii, The university of Melbourne, viewed 22 April 2012,

<http://www.bpg.unimelb.edu.au>. 

The University of Melbourne 2012, Plumbago auriculata, The university of Melbourne, viewed 22 April 2012,

<http://www.bpg.unimelb.edu.au>.

The University of Melbourne 2012, Ulmus glabra, The university of Melbourne, viewed 22 April 2012,

<http://www.bpg.unimelb.edu.au>.

Huds 1996-2010, Ulmus glabra-Huds., informative paper, Plants For A Future, viewed 23 April 2012,

<http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ulmus+glabra>.

Roth 1996-2010, Betula pendula-Roth., informative paper, Plants For A Future, viewed 23 April 2012,

<http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Betula+pendula>.