Australian Plants Society Blue Mountains Group members Ann Dent, Teresa Bernacki and Daphne Mitchell who help manage Glenbrook Native Plant Nursery and maintain the Reserve.
Story and photos by Julie Nance
There are many steps you can take to protect your garden from the impacts of hot, dry conditions. Although an El Nino summer is not the ideal time to plant, even newbies in your garden can survive if you are prepared to invest some TLC. Glenbrook Native Plant Nursery and Reserve volunteers share their advice on how to help native plants thrive and, in turn, cool down your home environment.
Key Points:
Native plants are best able to withstand the harsh El Nino conditions.
Planting in summer requires more time and effort but keeping plants alive and healthy is possible with careful planning, water-wise practices and vigilance.
Avoid your plants experiencing heat stress by using items around your home to provide shade.
After more than 20 years volunteering at the Glenbrook Native Plant Reserve and Nursery, manager Teresa has lost none of her enthusiasm for gardening and sharing hints with the public. I met up with her one morning at the nursery, along with Ann Dent and Daphne Mitchell, two of her many fellow volunteers. The trio help to maintain the reserve and manage the small nursery which has been operating since 1967. It specialises in Australian plants and those indigenous to the Blue Mountains.
While the advice they have provided is geared to native plants, there are many tips that are helpful for your garden generally, as we look ahead to predictions of scorching temperatures and possible water restrictions.
What to plant in summer: what is the most forgiving?
Autumn, winter and early spring are the best times to plant because it gives plants the highest chance to establish. However, if you must plant in summer, choose native plants that are going to be the hardiest and most drought resistant.
A good hint is to walk around your area, including the local bush, and see what plants appear happy and not under stress. Suggested plants include:
Grevilleas. These withstand really hot weather, including westerly sun, but they need to be shaded when you first plant them.
Banksias are good, as are Acacias.
Baeckeas do well anywhere.
Paper daisy seems to go OK.
Kunzea ambigua is a local shrub that gets beautiful gum-blossom type flowers that the bees and butterflies love.
The Callistemon (bottlebrush) seems to cope well too.
Examples of plants able to withstand drought conditions well: Endemic species, Callistemon, Banksia and a Grevillea cultivar such as Lemon Daze.
A Banksia thriving near the entrance to the nursery and reserve.
New plants
If you are planting in summer, it’s a good idea to soak the plant first in a bucket of tonic e.g. well-diluted seaweed solution. Do this for at least 10 minutes until all the bubbles have come out of the plant pot. After digging the hole for the plant, pour the bucket of water into the hole and let it soak down.
When planting, create a little saucer shape/indentation around the stem, rather than having the soil level. This will help keep the water from flowing away. After planting, water it again and sprinkle a bit of slow-release native fertilizer. Put mulch on top, but keep it away from the stem of the plant.
Positioning, shade and a watchful eye
A northerly aspect is ideal. Try to avoid planting in spots that receive the full force of the westerly sun which is incredibly harsh. If you have no option and that’s the way your garden is oriented, shade the new plant. You can use an old umbrella or, if you’re trimming a shrub, poke the trimmings into the ground next to the plant so it’s getting some shade. You can also net with a bit of shade cloth, over and around the plant. You don’t have to buy expensive things; just use anything you’ve got at home, including fallen tree branches.
No matter what the position, you need to keep an eye on the new plant. You could have a plant in a northern position that has a driveway and a concrete patio next to it, with the reflection and heat off hard surfaces a killer for plants. It just radiates heat for hours and hours after the sun has gone. Plants near hard surfaces need extra care.
Teresa, Daphne and Ann and other nursery volunteers are happy to share advice on how to keep your plants healthy, even in the harshest of conditions.
A nutritional boost
Before and during summer give your plants a seaweed mix which will help them resist disease. If you see a new or established plant looking a bit sad, you may want to put seaweed solution in a watering can and spray it over the whole plant. It will absorb the solution through the leaves and give it a boost.
Wise watering
Even natives may need regular watering in summer. Once a week is a good idea until the plants are established, because watering more often would result in the plant developing shallow roots. Deep root systems are better able to withstand drought conditions and watering less often makes the plant send down roots looking for water. If the plant looks like it’s under stress, it will need watering more often. Choose cooler parts of the day to water e.g. early morning or late afternoon, to avoid evaporation.
For new plants and those under stress, a slow soak is best. Put the hose on a tiny trickle and leave it under the plant. You can set an alarm and move the hose onto the next plant after a few minutes. If you see the water running off, you’ve got the hose on too hard. Another option is to set up a drip irrigation system that minimises water waste and evaporation.
Soil wetters and mulch
If your garden is very dry, using a ‘soil wetter’ can help the soil absorb and retain water. A natural non-chemical option is agar agar, a thickening agent, as recommended by conservationist and horticulturist Jerry Coleby-Williams on ABC’s Gardening Australia.
Mulch also helps support the soil, reduces evaporation and allows the water to slowly seep down. It breaks down in the long term, providing nutrients. Don’t pile the mulch up around the stem or trunk because it can cause it to rot; leave a bit of space. Finer mulch is best. You can also add leaves from around your garden, running over them first with your mower if you don’t want big pieces sticking up.
Mulch and leaves help to keep the moisture in and weeds down.
Maintaining an even temperature
There seems to be a move towards people having lower growing plants in their gardens. However, when you have tall trees and denser shrubbery that provide shade, your garden can be 10 degrees cooler than the street. You’ll notice if you have a plant that grows near a brick wall, it will cool it down in summer.
A combination of trees and ground cover is ideal. Ground cover smothers weeds and keeps the ground cooler and the moisture in. It provides habitat for ground-dwelling animals such as insects and lizards. There will always be a ground cover that works well in your area; it’s like a living mulch. Good examples are Dichondra repens, Viola hederacea or Chrysocephalum, which has a soft leaf but it’s hardy and seems to cope quite well.
Daphne showing off the excellent ground cover: Oplismenus hirtellus (basket grass).
Combatting bugs
If you have a range of different plants growing in your garden and you’ve got your habitat for insects, lizards and birds, they generally keep bugs down. No sprays are used in the nursery and reserve.
If you are establishing a garden and don’t have that big combination, you can use water to spray bugs away or even squash them with your hands. A plant under stress will be open to more issues including insects attacking it. Give the plant a boost using a seawood treatment and don’t forget to water!
The entrance to the reserve, a beautiful picnic spot featuring paths throughout the bushland.
Take Action:
Visit Glenbrook Native Plant Nursery and Reserve at 41 Great Western Highway, Glenbrook, opposite the Tourist Information Centre. Open 12pm-4pm on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Entry is free. Funds raised through native plant sales are put back into maintenance and management of the reserve.
Get involved in the Bushcare Group at the Reserve which meets on the first and third Saturday of each month (except January): 9am-12pm. The Wednesday group meets each Wednesday 12pm-4pm.
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
At the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium on August 2nd, Robert Tickner AO, the Ambassador for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), will explain how ICAN is building a powerful global groundswell of public support for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Dr Siswo Pramono, the Indonesian Ambassador, will explain why Indonesia ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in September 2024. They will both discuss the implications of the Treaty for regional and global peace. This discussion is part of a full day of activities at the Planetary Health Centre at which you can join the global groundswell for peace! View the program and get your tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-peace-symposium (link in profile)
We`re thrilled that the Bearded Ladies Community Choir will be performing at the Peace Picnic which is part of the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium on Saturday 2 August. Check out the full day program and book your ticket here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-peace-symposium
We`re offering a great opportunity for 6-8 yr olds to learn some fun basic textile skills next Thursday 17 July, that will give them the confidence and inspiration to eventually learn how to sew, upcycle and repair! You can book a place here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/weaving-and-embroidery-workshop-for-6-8yr-olds
Did you know that the Peace Symbol, designed by Gerald Holtom in 1958, is based on flag semaphore signals? The vertical line represents the semaphore signal for "D" (for disarmament), and the downward lines represent "N" (for nuclear). Design and make your own Peace Badge at the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium and Peace Picnic on Saturday 2nd August at the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre (bookings here (link in profile: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-peace-symposium).
On another one of the badges below, the phrase "Hell no, we won`t go" is one which gained prominence in Australia during the Vietnam War, when conscription was introduced. Many young men refused to be conscripted, leading to protests, demonstrations, and the formation of anti-war movements. These movements, including the Moratorium campaigns, played a significant role in shaping public opinion and ultimately contributing to the end of Australia`s involvement in the war.
The Planetary Health Peace Symposium is bringing together veterans of the Peace Movement (including an organiser of the Moratorium campaign), Rotary and Quakers, Robert Tickner AO (ambassador for ICAN: the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons), Mayor Mark Greenhill, a signatory of Mayors for Peace, Susan Templeman MP, Indonesian Ambassador Dr Siswo Pramono on Indonesia’s ratification of the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty, as well as community members concerned about a world increasingly consumed by war. On the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, participate in a program of talks, film, stalls, music, art and a Community Peace Picnic as, together, we take urgent action for nuclear disarmament and peace.
It`s been 80 years since the horror of nuclear weapons was first unleashed with the US bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Find out how we can work together to stop this madness and grow a Movement for Peace at the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium on Saturday 2nd August. The day will include presentations by Robert Tickner AO, the Ambassador for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN); Mayor Mark Greenhill on Mayors for Peace; Susan Templeman MP; Dr Siswo Pramano: Indonesian Ambassador; veterans of the Peace Movement and young activists; Rowe Morrow OAM from Quakers; Jennifer Scott AM from Rotary International; journalist Harumi Hayakawa; and Dharug man Chris Tobin. It will also include a film screening, and a Community Peace Picnic with food, exhibition, stalls, badge and origami crane making and live music with the Bearded Ladies Community Choir. The Symposium has been organised by the Blue Mountains Peace Collective and the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative. Please share to help us grow a movement and book your tickets at the link below (link in profile):
The Bushcare Seed Collectors are meeting today from 10am to 3pm at the Planetary Health Centre. It`s a great way to learn more about propagating native plants. Watch our video below and read more in Katoomba Area Local News: https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/bushcare-seed-collectors/...
The Bushcare Seed Collectors are meeting today from 10am to 3pm at the Planetary Health Centre. It`s a great way to learn more about propagating native plants. Read more in Katoomba Area Local News: https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/bushcare-seed-collectors/ (link in profile)
We are holding School Holiday workshops for young people on Thursday 17 July. In these fun workshops with Sherlie Mcmillan (known for her Fashion Upcycling and Women`s Shed workshops) young people will be introduced to woodwork and textile crafts with a great teacher! Accompanying adults welcome.
Book for the Weaving and Embroidery Workshop for 6-8 yr olds here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/weaving-and-embroidery-workshop-for-6-8yr-olds
Book for the Workshop for 8-12 yr olds to Create a Pom Pom Launcher, Pom Poms and Headband here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/create-a-pom-pom-launcher-pom-poms-and-headband
Our new Planetary Health Newsletter includes the Blue Mountains Peace Symposium, School Holiday Workshops, today`s Planetary Health Bushcare, a story about a Men`s Group in Lawson, a workshop on Designing Your Future Home, and information on how to prepare for Bushfire Season with Council`s chipping service. You can read it here: https://bit.ly/3TkWGRj (link in profile) #planetaryhealth #peace #peacesymposium #bluemountains #schoolholidayworkshops #hope #solutions #mensgroup #katoomba...
The Community Tree Planting Day for the Glossy Black Cockatoo is on this Saturday 5 July near Cowra! Learn more about how you can help grow connected landscapes to save the Glossy Black, including more about the Community Tree Planting Day, by fast forwarding to 48mins in our video "Falling in Love with Glossy Black Cockatoos" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCERdF21Ud0&t=2075s
Register your interest to join everyone at the Tree Planting Day here:
Join us for this fabulous workshop: Designing Your Future Home on Saturday 19 July (10am-12 noon) Create a Healthy, Comfortable and Energy-Efficient Home
Join local Passive House Designer Karina Rafailov from Earthy Haus for a relaxed, interactive, and inspiring workshop. Whether you’re planning a new build or thinking about a renovation, this session will empower you with the knowledge to create a home that’s healthier for your family and kinder to the planet.
Places are strictly limited in this hands-on workshop so bookings essential here (link in profile): https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/workshop-designing-your-future-home-tickets-1417752157869
As an increasing number of people are being affected by winter viruses, we’re offering a free session of Tai Chi and Qigong on Saturday 5 July in the warmth of our beautiful Frogs of the Blue Mountains exhibition. Places are limited so book in early here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/40fnGW2 Learn more about these Chinese medicine movement practices in the video interview with Virginia Field on our YouTube channel (link in profile) and read about how Chinese medicine helped her overcome illness as a young woman in our story: Healing Body, Mind and Spirit with Tai Chi and Qigong here (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/tai-chi-and-qigong/
Julie Nance is a community storyteller with the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative. In her coverage of the Lower Mountains area, she brings 30 years’ experience in communications, publishing and journalism.
After specialising in health and social issues as a journalist, Julie led creative teams in the government and not-for-profit sectors including the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, YMCA NSW, Cancer Council NSW and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Julie is passionate about empowering people with quality information to help them make informed choices.
Julie Nance invited her 82-year-old mum to join her on outings in Lower Mountains parks, after months of being confined to home due to sickness. With fond memories of family picnics growing up, their quality time together in nature gave them both a much-needed lift.
