a c e s
maygardening
what’s new.
..
ideas and plants for you and your garden
Products,
in print
Garden historian
and curator Richard
Aitken examines the
Australian love affair
with gardens in
The
Garden of Ideas:
Four Centuries of
Australian Style
(Miegunyah Press,
$64.99). From the gardens of the first
colonists to the backyard plots of 21st
century green thumbs, the author’s
inspiring study is supported by a wealth
of images, many never before published.
in gardening sunnies
If you’re fed up with glare, it’s time
to check out Fitovers with PDX anti-
glare tints. An Australian concept,
the hard-coated polarised lenses will
help protect your eyes from harmful
UV rays, making them ideal for use in
the garden. Designed to be
worn over prescription
glasses, they cost
about $75 and come
in a range of styles.
For stockist details,
call Jonathan Paul
Eyewear on 1800 068 828.
in solar lights
Looking a little like an old gas lantern,
HPM’s DIY Petria pathlight has a
gentle LED glow, great for a relaxing
garden atmosphere. Solar-powered, the
light is made of stainless steel and has a
stake for anchoring
it in the ground.
Petria comes in
a twin pack and
is available from
hardware stores
for about $32. For
more details, call
1300 369 777.
AT THE NURSERY
Hardy geraniums
(Pelargonium
sp.), the type Granny grew in
pots by the back door, have
taken a leap forward with the
release of Calliope geranium
‘Big Red’. The best-selling
geranium in the US market
for the past two years, it’s
a cross between the normal
zonal (upright) geranium and
the ivy (trailing) geranium.
Boasting eye-catching
semi-double, deep-red
flowers and a semi-trailing
habit, the blooms stand up
to full sun and, unlike some
other geraniums, do not shatter
easily. It has a vigorous spreading habit, strong rich-green foliage
and flowers through spring, summer and autumn. Calliope
geraniums are
available from
major nurseries
and Bunnings
stores. For more
details, visit www.
bigredgeranium.
com.au
B
m
tr
' • •
-
Height
Width
Full sun
Part shade
30-40cm
40-50cm
.
-y
t l
V
Fertilise
in spring
Suitable for
Suitable
hanging baskets
for pots
All zones
QJ
V h
Is it a sculpture or an
outdoor fireplace? The
boundaries are blurred
with this intriguing creation
by Melbourne metal artists
Robyn Johnson and Aaron
Wilson. Called ‘Obelisk’
and made from 8mm solid
steel, it includes a grill,
tray and wood storage
compartment. It comes
in two standard sizes,
1.8m high ($1600) and
2.4m high ($1850), or
can be made to order.
For details, phone (03)
9584 4277 or email
►
88 BETTER
HOMES AND
GARDENS, MAY
2011
bhg.com
.au
