Gardening Australia — Series 23

Mar 2012

On the Verge: New host, Costa introduces an inspirational community project which will be the cornerstone of Gardening Australia for the year. He will transform his nature strip into a productive and playful garden for the whole street to use and enjoy. He kicks it all off by bringing the community together to build a no-dig vegie garden. A Triumph Over Sand: Jane visits a gardener in a bay-side suburb of Melbourne who has spent over fifty years creating her lush and colourful oasis in almost pure sand. The Vegie Patch: Costa travels to Hobart's Royal Botanical Gardens to catch up with Tino and find out what is happening in the vegie patch, get some advice about what to plant on the verge and do a bit of harvesting. The Italian Feast: Costa and Tino take the harvest from the vegie patch and take a drive to Tino's Mum and Dad where they cook up an Italian feast.

Apr 2012

On the Verge Costa introduces his chickens and builds a mobile 'chook tractor' to enlist their help clearing the weeds on the verge. He and the community also plant the first crop of vegies in the new no-dig garden. Ned's Grand Plan Sophie meets a young gardener whose passion for plants has grown into a productive plan for his future. Autumn Jobs Josh is getting stuck into some timely autumn maintenance including pruning, rejuvenating his little lawn and clearing some dead wood. A Garden for Play Colin meets a couple who have created a playful and interactive garden to inspire their children to be outdoors.

Apr 2012

Building Community: Jerry meets a Vietnam vet who has converted a wasteland into a vibrant and productive garden for the local community. On the Verge - Water: Costa installs a simple watering system to supply the growing verge garden. Gardening for Life: Jane visits a thriving market garden in Melbourne and meets the gardener who has farmed a piece of Melbourne's history for over 65 years. Picking Local Plants: Costa talks to a native plant expert to find out about the original landscape of the Bondi area and pick out some local species to plant on the verge. Plants and Ponds: Josh visits a large productive water plant nursery to see how plants keep ponds clean and healthy.

Apr 2012

On the Verge: Costa makes the most of the sunniest spot on the verge by planting a Mediterranean herb maze. Going Green: Jerry takes advantage of the best growing season in the sub-tropics by planting fast growing Asian Greens. Get the Tropical Look: Sophie looks at a range of tropical looking plants perfectly suited to dry climate gardens. Banksias in Bloom: Josh visits King's Park to check out this iconic group of plants and marvels at some beauties. A Difficult Block: Colin visits a couple who have converted a series of awkward and exposed spaces into colourful garden rooms. The Vegie Patch: Tino looks at some of his successful experiments in The Vegie Patch and starts another, this time planting citrus in cool Tassie.

Apr 2012

On the Verge - Compost: Costa shows us his fantastic compost recipe using ingredients donated by the community. Magical Mushrooms: Keen to grow mushrooms at home, Tino meets a mushroom farmer in Tasmania to get some ideas. Home at Last: John discovers a beautiful garden in Melbourne that blends a formal garden design with the informality of surrounding bush. A World Inside a World: Costa and Angus take a closer look at the millions of individual organisms in compost and show us how to troubleshoot compost problems. A Day At The Zoo: Jane heads to the Melbourne zoological gardens to discover how all the green and brown waste is handled.

May 2012

Predators Wanted: Jerry plants a range of species to attract predator insects to help keep pests under control. Farming Worms: Costa visits a passionate recycler to find out how to turn household scraps into food for plants and soil. Baskets of Colour: Colin shows how to plant productive and colourful hanging baskets to attract pollinating insects into any space, no matter the size. Animal Attraction: Josh meets a carpenter who has turned his skills to building habitat and housing for a diverse range of animals. Olives and Naked Ladies: Sophie plants a dramatic and drought tolerant new entrance to her house garden.

May 2012

A New Verge: Costa heads down the street to help a few families get started on their very own verge garden full of vegies, herbs and Australian natives. Autumn Work: Tino harvests the last tomatoes, clears zucchini plants from the garden beds and does a spot of autumn fruit tree maintenance. The Vegie Guide: Find out what to plant in your climate zone. A Promise to Mum: Josh drops in on his mum to show us her stunning courtyard garden and home sanctuary that has been artfully designed for the seaside climate of Fremantle. Sophie's Tribe: Costa visits Sophie to take a tour of her new garden to see how it's going and find out what her plans are. He also meets her five kids. Planting for Winter: Tino plants some of the toughest, most productive and flavoursome winter vegies: the onions and the cabbages.

May 2012

On the Verge - Traffic: Costa builds paths around and through the verge to prevent plants being trampled, and to allow car doors to open. The Palm Lady: Jane visits a passionate gardener who has filled her garden with palms from all over the world, and what's more remarkable is that she's done this in cool climate Melbourne. Potted Fruit: Colin plants small fruit trees in containers for easy access and low maintenance, so no matter how small a garden, fruit is still possible. A Cool House: Angus checks out a Sydney house and garden designed to be energy efficient and sustainable and which makes brilliant use of local plants to reduce the energy demands of the house. Grand Designs: John visits a spectacular Italian style villa on the Victorian coast whose formal design incorporates the production of fruit, vegetables and herbs.

May 2012

On the Verge - First Harvest: Costa and the kids are picking the first harvest from the verge, which they distribute to the residents of the street. A Helping Hand: Jerry met his neighbour Chass when he moved to Wynnum 8 years ago and now the pair share the harvest of their gardens, as well as knowledge and advice. Good Companions: Tino is planting companion vegies, herbs and flowers that thrive under similar conditions and which bring benefits to help each other thrive. Growing Community: Jane is at one of her favourite gardens in Mornington Peninsular where the locals have transformed a disused paddock into a thriving place for the community to grow vegetables and share their harvest. Sharing the Load: Colin visits a neighbourhood in the Brisbane hinterland where two families have bonded over their love of gardening. Frank and Fred: Costa visits neighbours in Wollongong's industrial heartland who have shared a fence, friendship and their gardens for over forty years.

Jun 2012

Ron's Place: Josh visits Ron Watkins, a third generation farmer in the Great Southern Region of WA, who over the last 30 years has transformed his approach to farming by dealing with the issues of salinity, water management and organics. As a result, he is a changed farmer. Food, Glorious Food: Sophie visits a small scale mixed farm on the outskirts of Adelaide that has been cleverly designed to make productive use of the local climate, site and resources. Based on permaculture principles, many of the features can be used in the home garden. Healing the Land: Costa visits an innovative young couple in country Victoria who have restored their land by working with and mimicking nature, the lessons of which can be easily applied by all gardeners. The Road Less Travelled: In Josh's follow up story with Ron Watkins, Josh visits the local farmers market, which Ron helped establish. Josh finds out why he did it, the tole it plays in the community and how his connections with people fuel his passion for organics and the land.

Jun 2012

The Colour of Autumn: John visits the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria to look at the spectacular autumn colour, find out why their leaves change and pick out a few of his favourite trees. Court in the Shade: Angus pays a visit to Costa to see first-hand how the On The Verge community project is going and to lend Costa a hand at a neighbour's place. A Shady Patch: Tino plants a shady spot in the patch with vegies that will produce a crop in low light conditions. A Potty Affair: Colin meets a passionate gardener in Brisbane with an extraordinary collection of shade loving plants in pots. The Hills Are Alive: Jane travels to the Yarra Valley to meet a gerbera grower to find out how he produces colourful flowers all year round.

Jun 2012

A Bountiful Balcony: Costa visits Indira Naidoo in inner Sydney to see how she has transformed her 13th floor balcony into a productive garden. Home Among the Gum Trees:Josh visits the home garden of Perth's botanical royalty to see what is in their own small shady backyard. Prepping for Winter: Jerry gets to work to ensure he gets the best from his garden throughout winter in the subtropics. An Ancient Landscape: Tino visits a couple whose collection of rare and unusual plants echo's our ancient landscape - when Australia was part of Gondwana. A Home Supermarket: Costa travels to the Adelaide Hills to meet a pair of passionate gardeners who have established a wildly productive fruit and veg garden.

Jun 2012

On the Verge - Creating Waves: Costa's on the verge with his neighbour planting a range of colourful winter veggies in a wavy pattern. Building for Bugs: Josh is building specialised habitat to attract a range of critters into his son's play area. Bespoke Vegies: Jerry profiles some of his favourite home grown vegies that are hard to find at the greengrocers. Zoo with a View: Sophie visits Adelaide Zoo to see how they have increased their garden space using the roofs of their buildings. A Horticultural Wonderland: Jane uncovers a gardener who has snipped and shaped his garden into a topiary wonderland in Melbourne's West

Jun 2012

Growing Health: Angus meets a bloke who suffered a mid-life health scare and turned to the garden to successfully transform his diet and his health. Warding off the Cold: Jerry demonstrates how to grow some tried and true plants to help tackle the symptoms of a common cold. Bringing Back the Bush: Costa meets a volunteer group who are working to bring the native bushland on the shores of Sydney Harbour back to health. The Vegie Guide: What to plant in the vegie patch in your climate zone. Amanda's Garden: Josh meets a couple who have created a spectacular garden as a memorial for their daughter.

Jul 2012

Let There be Light: Costa removes an invasive tree species to allow more light to fuel the vegies on the verge. Back from the Brink: Tino meets a couple who have restored a formal garden on a windy wheat-belt, about an hour north of Hobart, for the whole community to enjoy. Gimme Shelter: Sophie is planting a number of windbreaks, to provide shelter to her vegie patch and orchard in the season to come and beyond. A Rainforest Retreat: Josh visits a gardener who has spent over 40 years creating a secluded rainforest retreat to hide away from Perth's hot and dry climate. Beside the Seaside: Jane Edmanson visits a creative couple who have built a lush, layered garden only a block from the beach.

Jul 2012

Schools In!: Costa helps a local school make productive use of small sunny space by helping to install an aquaponics system. Picking a Winner: Tino shows us how to select nursery stock that will perform best in the garden. From Small Beginnings: Sophie meets Tori Moreton who started an inspiring project for new gardeners to grow their own vegies. Starting a Verge: Costa lists the requirements for getting a verge garden started. Sitting Pretty: Josh builds a multi-purpose gabion rock seat in the garden. A Sucker for Salvias: John meets a gardener with a passion for salvias, one of the easiest colourful plants to grow in the garden.

Jul 2012

Helping Hands: Costa jumps on board with the Canterbury Garden Care volunteers to lend a hand assisting a passionate older gardener. Bomb-Proof Beauties: Colin picks his favourite plants for beginners and explains how best to use them. The Next Generation: Tino is out in the patch keeping fit during winter, digging in compost and planting the strongest crops for the season to come. Growing a Gardener: Jerry shares some of the best gardening tips he learned from his grandfathers. Educating Angus: Angus drops in on his old horticultural lecturer Dr Bill Greenhalgh and checks out the thriving community garden Bill is overseeing at the retirement village.

Jul 2012

Made in China: Jane meets the curator in charge of the diverse collection of Southern Chinese plants at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne to find out the story behind it. An Insatiable Appetite: Sophie meets an obsessive collector and breeder of carnivorous plants, who's travelled the world in search of the weirdest varieties. The Beauty of Begonias: Costa visits the stomping ground of the NSW Begonia Society to find out why they love begonias. The Vegie Guide: What to plant in the vegie patch in your climate zone. An Unusual Crop: Josh meets a farmer with an incredible and unexpected collection of eremophila whose passion has seen him travel the country in an attempt to complete his collection.

Aug 2012

Growing Connections: Sophie is on the rooftop of a community medical centre to see how the clients use a productive garden as part of their therapy. A Secret Garden: Costa is in inner city Paddington at the old reservoir that’s been transformed from derelict infrastructure into a sunken garden for all to enjoy. Room to Grow: John Patrick visits a park to look at trees that are too big for your average back yard but can be enjoyed in a public space. Going Up!: Tino makes a vertical garden out of a recycled pallet that anyone can recreate in a small or large space. A Working Garden: Jerry visits the CSIRO in Brisbane to see how the building has been designed to bring the garden into the workplace.

Aug 2012

The Italian Influence: Jane is at a heritage listed property on the outskirts of Melbourne that tells a story of the enduring legacy of Italian migration on Australia's food culture The Language of Gardening: Sophie visits a secondary school in Adelaide where students from diverse backgrounds learn English and share their experiences through gardening. A Remarkable Journey: Josh Byrne meets Peter Nguyen, a Vietnamese refugee, to find out how he came to be the curator of horticulture at the home of WA plants, Kings Park. Farming a Future: Costa visits Mamre House, a historic farm in Sydney's west that is providing a plot for refugees from around the world to grow traditional food and connect to community.

Aug 2012

Taking a Tour: Jerry shows Costa around his garden to talk about the ways he uses plants. Streetsmarts: John visits a street in the Melbourne suburb of Ringwood, redesigned to stop flooding, catch and clean water using native plants, and grow edible plants for the locals.

Aug 2012

A Potato Famine: Jane visits a gardener who has great success with all manner of fruit and vegies in a small plot, save for one - potatoes. Jane gives her some tips to help.

Sept 2012

Thinking Local: Angus meets a young nurseryman whose passion for propagating and protecting native plants is restoring bushland in Sydney's West. An Aussie Verge: Costa brings a bit of colour to the street by helping his neighbours plant their verge with Australian native flowers. The Vegie Patch: With the help of a bush food expert, Tino is planting vegies native to Tasmania in The Vegie Patch. Proudly Australian: Josh meets a couple with a native garden and a bush block who are doing their bit to protect Australia's biodiversity in Mandurah. A Distant Affair: Jane Edmanson visits the Napoleon Exhibition at the NGV, to explore Napoleon and Josephine's extraordinary fascination with Australia and its plants.

Sept 2012

The Barefoot Farmer: Colin meets a market gardener who has joined up with the local primary school to help connect the kids with the garden and the food on their plate. Starting from Scratch: Jerry visits a newly established community garden to find out how it got started and give his top tips for getting one going from scratch. Life on the Street: Costa's meets a street of gardeners who have transformed their concrete nature strips into lush and playful gardens growing food, flowers and the community. Planting a Community: Sophie enlists the help of an herb expert to plant a community of beneficial plant species throughout her productive patch. The Club: Jane visits one of Australia's oldest horticultural societies to explore their extensive display gardens and meet some members.

Sept 2012

GARDENING AUSTRALIA SPECIAL - CONNECTION TO COUNTRY The Totem Garden: Costa and Clarence are in Katherine to help a local pre-school build a sensory garden for the kids to explore. Farmed by Community: Costa and Clarence visit a productive farm on the outskirts of Katherine that is growing fresh food, jobs, skills, and a future for the local community. Growing Health: Josh visits a school in the remote Kimberley town of Looma that has integrated gardening into the canteen and the classroom. Learning the Land: Costa and Clarence travel to King Valley where women Elders have planted a garden to pass on knowledge and culture and strengthen their community.

Oct 2012

In Love with Plants: Jerry visits a gardener in Wynnum to see how she has lovingly grown a garden brimming with plants, and gives her some advice on dealing with a persistent garden problem. Spring Into It: Tino is launching into the season by planting spring and summer vegies now the weather is warming up in The Vegie Patch. Dropping in on a Friend: Sophie visits a friend in the Adelaide Hills to see what she's growing and gain some inspiration for her own garden. A Nip and a Tuck: Josh learns a grafting technique from a man passionate about Eremophilas. Beyond the Black Stump: Angus is on the outskirts of Sydney to appreciate the labour of a lifetime that has gone into this stunning native garden, and demonstrates how to propagate native plants that will add to this gardener's collection.

Oct 2012

Jumping the Fence: Jerry is with an environmental weed expert in a patch of local Brisbane bush to take a look at plants that have escaped from home gardens. Wild Food: Costa meets a suburban forager who's passionate about edible plants in the wild. A Looming Threat: John visits John Arnott at the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne to find out more about myrtle rust, a new fungal disease that could threaten a huge range of Australian plant species. Growing Health: Josh gets stuck into some spring work in his garden to ensure a healthy season, free of pests and disease. A Simple Solution: Sophie visits a lettuce farm to see how cleverly designed native planting has reduced pest and disease problems.

Oct 2012

A Positive Path: Costa visits a community garden that's providing horticultural skills to juvenile offenders. A Plant Revival: Tino is in his garden providing tips and tricks for reviving unhealthy or neglected plants. The Secret Garden: Angus is in a garden tucked away in Sydney's North West, treasured by people of all abilities who come to enjoy the surrounds and grow plants. Core Gardening: Sophie's gets tips from a physiotherapist on ways to prevent injuring yourself when gardening. A Garden for Life: Jane Edmanson meets a young gardener whose plot has nurtured and nourished her through treatment for breast cancer.

Oct 2012

Springing To Life: Costa enlists an army of helpers to help with spring planting more vegies on the verge. Nurturing the Landscape: Tino is planting out his front garden with indigenous and rare native plants to create shelter for local wildlife. Regenerating Connection: Angus meets a Ranger at Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park who works with young men to help them reconnect with their culture. Spring Cleaning: Jane takes advantage of the warm spring weather by pruning, feeding and mulching to rejuvenate some tired and overgrown plants. Flooded With Help: Jerry meets a gardener in Brisbane who, with the help of some dedicated volunteers, has rebuilt his garden after the devastating 2011 floods.

Nov 2012

Marion's Sanctum: Josh meets an Australian horticultural legend in Perth who has spent her lifetime creating sanctuaries for both people and plants. Growing Up: John visits an inner city garden perched high above the streets of Melbourne. A Suburban Retreat: Costa meets a passionate gardener who's created her own sanctuary in the Western suburbs of Sydney. A Room of One's Own: Sophie plants an area in her garden with frivolous pretties where she will be able to relax and take in the view. Memory Lane: Jane visits an aged care facility in Melbourne to meet a gardener who has created garden areas that are places for rejuvenation and reflection for the residents.

Nov 2012

**** SPECIAL - Gardening Australia's Gardener of the Year finalists **** A Mediterranean Gardener: Tino meets a gardener who has styled her block in rural Victoria after the Mediterranean landscape she and her husband love. They also share their garden with people from diverse backgrounds and abilities. A Dryland Gardener: Sophie visits a spectacular Australian plant garden about two hours from Adelaide that was cleverly designed and built to thrive in the local conditions. A Coastal Gardener: Costa meets a gardener in Jervis Bay who's planted and nurtured a thriving coastal garden and taken her passion beyond her own block by helping to revegetate local dunes. A City Gardener: Jane visits the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre in Melbourne to meet a gardener who has created stunning sensory gardens for patients, staff and visitors to the Centre. A Tropical Gardener: Jerry travels to Cairns to visit a lush tropical garden created with hard work, creativity and cuttings.

Nov 2012

High on a Hill: Tino meets a gardener growing rare and unusual plants from Tasmania's wilderness in her garden on Mount Wellington. A Mini Citrus Grove: Costa helps his neighbours plant a mini citrus orchard on their verge. Landscapes in Miniature: Sophie explores a Japanese garden in Adelaide to see how it's designed to evoke the landscape of another place. A Taste of the Andes: Tino's in The Vegie Patch planting vegies that originated from the Andes. Tackling Terrain: John Patrick explains the design principles that can be used to tackle a sloping site.

Nov 2012

Toughing It Out: Sophie picks and plants some spectacular performers for the dry South Australian summer conditions. Beating the Heat: Angus demonstrates how to prepare plants to survive summer. Cooling Our Streets: Costa hits the streets of Sydney to find out about the cooling effects of plants and trees. Tips for Summer: Jerry shows us how he plants, prunes and protects his garden for the subtropical heat. Against the Odds: Josh travels to Geraldton in W.A. to meet a gardener whose productive block is designed to thrive in the dry climate.

Dec 2012

Creating A Buzz: Costa's installing a hive of native bees in his backyard to help with pollination. Life On The Farm: Josh visits a farm in Perth's city centre that's growing flower clusters to attract a diversity of insects to keep the garden blooming. Bless The Mess: Jerry and entomologist Dr Tim Heard look at the benefits of a messy garden, which provides food and habitat to the little creatures. A Fertile Experiment: Tino uses lettuce to experiment with three liquid fertilisers: worm juice, seaweed extract and fish emulsion - to find out which is the most effective. A Grassland Haven: Jane visits a grassland at Werribee zoo to see the work being done to restore one of Australia's most bio-diverse and threatened plant and animal communities.

Dec 2012

How We Have Grown: Costa looks back on a successful first year On The Verge and celebrates with his neighbours with a street party. Celebrating Tasmanian Plants: Tino visits a regional botanic garden built by the community near Hobart that showcases the diversity, colour and adaptability of plants from Tasmania's South East. Gardener of the Year: Costa announces the 2012 Gardening Australia 'Gardener of the Year'. Summer at Home: Sophie brings herbs and flowers to the table with a specially built planter inserted in the middle and has friends over for lunch to celebrate the start of summer. A Tribute to Colin: Gardening Australia celebrates the life of much loved presenter Colin Campbell who passed away in August, and looks at the enduring contribution he made to Australian gardening.