How to Improve the Local Area: Weed Control and the #1 Over-Used Plant

In the Clarinda area, the biggest weed problem would be the Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum), front yards have the grass invading garden beds and their removal is proven difficult when they’ve sprung up against Rose Bushes, almost knowingly growing amongst Rose thorns for protection...

In order to prevent/solve this problem neighbours should probably cooperatively weed to stop the Kikuyu creeping back and forth under the fence line. Following their removal, heavy mulching would help greatly and make Kikuyu seedlings relatively easy to pluck, (because it’s fixed itself poorly to the ground if it's even managed to germinate).

I’ll probably be hated by the Baby Boomer generation for saying this but, Roses are overdone. And ugly.  Almost every garden has Roses in it, and most of them can be considered ‘weeds’ because they look so horrible. The growth is scraggily and twiggy looking due to lack of intervention and they seem ‘out of place’ considering the plants they’ve been placed next to. Possible plants which can replace roses, which have similar blooms, include:

-Lisianthus (left), a blue rose looking perrenial.

-Camellias, although they are on the brink of being overused themselves...

-And best of all Ranunculus, a herbaceous perennial which is an excellent cut flower minus the thorns.

Blog virginity gone!

Hey there! I’m Mon, a uni student from Melbourne University’s Burnley campus, where I am doing an associate degree in environmental horticulture. I hope to end up with additional friends; a job involving creativity alongside horticulture and myself becoming filthy, filthy rich. 

My interest in this field started with the garden at home. After years and years of neglect, and a collection of poor design choices (sorry mum and dad, but the truth hurts ok?) I decided to do a little renovating, kind of, sort of, it involved me ripping out bin-fulls of retched Kikuyu grass which decided that it wanted more in life than to be just grass. Other things I did included trying to make the garden look harmonious… I respect and admire Australia’s take on multiculturalism, but in the garden, a bright yellow European fountain with a Buddha statue underneath chilling with 3 of the seven dwarfs, and a cactus plant just doesn’t look right. 

Now imagine all 3 of these things sitting together....

Thus concludes my story of why I appreciate neat/creative garden design and loathe Kikuyu grass. I’m planning to have fun re-designing the ridiculously huge garden and beating the guy next door (at garden design, not beating in an abusive way).

Plans for the garden’s future:

-A section with a blue and silver colour theme eg Lobelias and Lavender

Blue flowers are actually not that rare, just under appreciated and under used.

- An oriental section with a patio pond

There’s already a Maple Tree at this spot, and I’m sure Buddha would be more comfortable underneath the shade.

-Re-doing the backyard so I’ll have an edible garden

I’ve already propagated a bunch of herbs and collected berry plants from the market; I just need them to look harmonious together now…