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Summer has hit with full force, and while we are happy to see some rain, it looks like we are in for a few summer storms as well. In this addition, as
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Summer has hit with full force, and while we are happy to see some rain, it looks like we are in for a few summer storms as well. In this addition, as usual, we will be giving you some hints and tips on your garden but also some information on how to prepare your yard for storm season. As always we hope you all enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together. |
At this time of year it is really important to make sure your property is ready for the storm season ahead. Here are some basic things you can do to make sure your property will be as safe and secure as it can be when another big storm hits. |
1. Cut back all branches close to or over hanging your property.
If you did not have time for a spring garden clean, now is the time to get in and give all the trees a good cut back. Make sure you remove all branches that are close to your home or are overhanging your gutters or roof. Also, have a look around and remove any branches that may be above fences or overhanging the driveway.
2. Clean your gutters
It’s time to get out and give your gutters a good clean out. Gutters are designed to be free-flowing, quickly taking rainwater from the roof of your home to storm water drains. If your gutters are clogged or blocked, during heavy storms, water can back up under your tiles or metal sheeting and flood your roof cavity, causing extensive damage to your plasterboard ceilings, light fittings and furniture. Even in minor storms, water can repeatedly seep under your roofline, and over time, that results in rotting your wooden fascia and beams.
3. Identify loose objects in your yard
It’s really important to identify loose objects in your yard and secure them appropriately! Loose palings on the fence or sheets of tin on the shed can become detached in high winds and turn in to missiles in a storm. Make sure you have a good check around your property and perform all those little maintenance tasks so everything is secure and sturdy. Take any rubbish, branches, old building materials etc. to the tip so these cannot blow around the yard and become a safety hazard. |
If you didn’t get time for a spring clean-up, feel free to give us a call and let us do it for you! We can prune, trim back trees and bushes, weed the gardens, clear out all the leaves and dead matter, mow, edge the lawns, water blast the paths and driveway, and just give your property the clean up it deserves so it looking its best for all the BBQ’s and parties you will be having over the Christmas/New Year period. To make sure your gardens really look their best we can also mulch! There are many types of mulch to choose from depending on requirements and budget, we are happy to discuss all options with you to assist you in making the best choice for you and your garden.
If you would like further information on any of these extra services or would like to make a booking, please call the office today. |
While December & January may seem a little late in the season for planting veggies, it is not. Brisbane has such wonderful long summers you still have plenty of time to plant some veggies.
You may have to be very protective of veggies you plant in December and January because of the heat. Just make sure you give them plenty of water and if they are getting too much sun, try to erect a temporary cover with shade cloth.
In December you can plant: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, eggplant, leeks, capsicums, chillies, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce (be sure to select the more heat-tolerant varieties), beetroot, silverbeet and beans. |
You can grow all types of capsicums and chillies from the seeds, which you usually remove when you use them in your recipes at home. Simply collect the seeds from your capsicum or chilli and plant them in a pot with good quality organic potting mix. Keep in direct sunlight inside or place them in a warm sunny spot outside. Plants will grow in 4 – 6 weeks and you should be able to harvest fruit in 12 weeks.
Capsicum and chillies are perennial plants (go dormant in winter and regrow the following season) so they are generally less productive as years go by, so for best results replace each season with fresh seedlings. Just make sure you keep some seeds when you harvest your fruit to replant and keep the cycle going.
Did you know….. Green, yellow, orange and red capsicums are exactly the same fruit of the capsicum plant, only the green is picked earlier and when the green matures it goes yellow, then orange and finally red! As with any mature fruit the longer it is on the plant the sweeter it will get. Red capsicum also contain far more nutrients than green. Try harvesting your capsicums at different stages of ripening to see which you prefer. |
COMPARISON BETWEEN GREEN, RED AND YELLOW BELL PEPPERS |
* Most other vitamins and minerals are comparable for the two varieties. All quantities and % daily values (DV) are based on one cup (92g) of raw capsicum. No daily values for beta-carotene are currently available. |
If you would like a veggie patch in your back yard, but do not have the time to set it up, why don’t you give our office a call. We can come and discuss your needs and provide a quote for our friendly and qualified staff to come and do all the hard work for you. |
Your next tea party may just turn into a remove rust from you gardening tools party now that you know this trick. Removing rust from your gardening tools with this method is actually a very simple method. Just follow the four steps below.
Step 1- Brew the tea
Yep, step one is that easy. Simply brew enough tea to completely cover all of the garden tools that you plan on de-rusting. This may mean, you need to boil a few kettles’ worth of tea. Let the tea cool and then proceed on to step 2.
Step 2- Make your bucket of tea
Once cooled, you will want to pour the brewed tea into a bucket to make it easier for you to fully dip the tools from top to bottom. Then gather your gardening tools and place them into the bucket of tea.
To get all the rust off the tools, you need to leave the tools for soak for several hours.
Step 3- Dry the tools
After letting the tools soak for a few hours, return to the bucket with a cleaning cloth. As you take each tool out of the tea, rub them thoroughly with the cloth. This will not only dry the tools, but also any rust that remains on the tool. You will notice that the rest of the rust comes off on the cloth with little effort involved.
Step 4- Triple Check
Before returning the tools back to storage, make sure the tools are bone dry to prevent them from re-rusting.
Once back to their usual place, it’s time to make yourself a cuppa tea, sit back and relax. |
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