Christine and Bob (Manly West, Queensland)

Christine and Bob Brimson are passionate about their garden in Manly West, Queensland.

Bob describes Christine as the green thumb and at Neutrog, we hear that a lot. One partner describes the other in that way; but at Neutrog, we know it’s team work. Someone dreams and plans and someone brings those ideas to life.

Christine is an ardent follower of Graham Ross, listening to him every weekend, taking on board his advice and also travelling on Graham Ross Garden Tours with either Graham or his crew. Last year they visited the Chelsea Flower Show and also visited some wonderful gardens around the south of England including Prince Charles garden at Cornwall. Christine also enjoyed a visit with Graham early this year, to India.

Planting Strawberries

Strawberries are such a wonderful fruit with a very diverse range of uses. Here at Neutrog, some of our favourite ways to enjoy them are freshly sliced over pancakes, mixed into a smoothie, or bobbing around in a glass of champagne.

One of our Neutrog team shared with us a story that we felt you all deserved to hear. This team member received a surprise delivery on their doorstep from a very kind neighbour, a whole bag of strawberry runners ready to be planted. Sadly, after recently losing their beloved family dog, our team member was a little down in the dumps and the idea of planting out these strawberries was a little overwhelming.

Growing Turmeric

People with a passion – regardless of what that is – inspire others. It would be difficult to think of anyone more passionate about a Neutrog product than Allan Lane who lives in Perth W.A. and loves Seamungus. But hey, we are open to finding that person!

Allan grows turmeric, bamboo, ginger and rosemary in pots, as well as in the ground. His passion is turmeric, followed closely by bamboo. We asked Allan what led him to taking such an interest in this member of the ginger family.

Fertilising non-flowering plants

Often when we think about fertiliser we only look at things like flowers, fruit trees, vegetables and lawns, but what about all of the plants in your garden that you may be growing as a privacy screen, hedge or as ornamental foliage plants? People often forget that these plants, just like any other, also need fertiliser.

Mica Grange, Victoria

Perched amongst granite rocks on the foothills of Mount Alexander in Victoria sits Mica Grange, with its stunning panoramic views across the Sutton Grange valley. Mica Grange is a 40 hectare property and the pride and joy of Mary and Bede Gibson.

Fourteen years ago, Mary and Bede had just sold their house in Sydney when they received a phone call from their daughter asking them if they would look after Mica Grange while she resettled in Melbourne. Reluctantly they agreed, but only on the basis that it would be for no longer than a year. Instead, they fell in love with the property, purchased it and set out on a project to create a studio/catering facility and a vast garden using the contours of the land.

September Birth Flower

Much like birthstones, birth flowers signify the month someone is born. Many people believe the flowers reflect certain personalities. September babies are lucky to have a few options as their birth flower.

First is the gorgeous Aster which is well recognised as the September birth flower. Asters are a group of perennials and annuals with starry-shaped flower heads. They bring delightful colour to the garden throughout late summer and autumn when many other summer blooms may be fading. The name Aster comes from the Ancient Greek word άστήρ meaning “star”, referring to the shape of the flower head. There are many species and varieties, all of which are popular garden plants due to their attractive and colourful flowers. The Aster flower comes in many shades of pink, purple and white. Various butterflies and moths will find the flowers a great food source.

Annuals

The seedling section of your garden centre is where you go to dream. To dream of how wonderful you could make your garden. We can all appreciate the enormous amount of work which goes into the floral displays which are often highlighting public parks and gardens. Areas such as these make a positive impact upon you as you’re driving or walking around them. They can be so inspiring. Colours might be blended to complement each other, other patches may be a beautiful burst of every colour imaginable and you may even have a mix of colours which you wouldn’t have ever considered; but somehow, they work.

Artificial Orchid

Here’s a little light relief and a giggle for you all.
Artificial flowers and plants have reached new heights in their “realness”. They look so true to form that you reach out; to touch; to smell……..
Which of the Neutrog crew kept this beautiful artificial Phalaenopsis in their bathroom – for two years – watered it and fertilised with Strike Back for Orchids – before realising that it was in fact, not the real deal? Oh dear….

Feeding Citrus

This is Helen Lovel here from Neutrog, with a sad tale and even sadder photos of my potted citrus. At garden clubs and training sessions, my colleagues and I are always talking about the importance of feeding on a regular – at least seasonal – basis. One of the group of plants which we particularly emphasise the importance of feeding, are citrus. They are very heavy feeders, and an application of Gyganic for Veggies Fruit and Citrus every 8 weeks, along with GOGO Juice fortnightly will make a huge difference to the growth of your citrus. You will see an improvement in flowering, as will fruit size, quality and flavour.

Transplanting and the role of soil microbes

In this article, Microbiologist and R&D Manager, Dr. Uwe Stroeher talks about transplanting your plants and what role soil microbes play.

It might seem strange to think about this in August, but before we know it, the weather will warm up and then it’s really too late to move many plants. The stress of moving them, together with the potential for a very warm day or two is probably is not worth the risk to wait too much longer.

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