Muddy Boots

What’s growing in Keith’s garden?  Flowers, trees and of course lots of edibles. This week we take a closer look at what’s happening in his beloved garden. The trial garden - what’s living up to expectation and what’s not! Some disappointing new varieties of Rudbeckia . Agastache and salvias are always winners and eryngium (Sea Holly) also performing well. Keith’s edible garden - late tomatoes due...

Today we go back to one of Keith’s favourite topics! Where everything in a good garden starts - the soil. Finally an easy guide to why we should we be composting, getting started and maintaining a perfect, odour-free compost.  We learn about the Carbon:Nitrogen ratio (ideally 1 part carbon to 3 parts nitrogen) the role of microbes in breaking down compost.  What can and can’t go into the compost b...

Today we explore the world of native and exotic plants. What is a native plant? What is an exotic plant?  How can we integrate these different designs into our garden spaces? Keith outlines some of the benefits of growing natives and exotics in the one garden. These include: Ability to grow different combinations by creating micro climates from exotic tree canopies Aesthetic appeal - creating colo...

Our first Muddy Boots Q&A for the year! Find out who will be this month’s Q&A winner of The Plant Runner ’s prize! Types of nutrient rich mulch - what to choose? Mushroom, Lucerne, Pea straw? Keith recommends Who Flung Dung   Poppy seeds - an easy one to grow by sowing directly into your garden Wanting to try gardening with a Moon Calendar? Try this simple calendar readily available online...

Elisabeth is ready to fill her new raised beds and start her veggie patch. Maybe you are too? This month, Keith gives us some great advice on getting started with growing your own food. Location, location, location - lots of sun is an absolute must! Type of veggie patch - options include a raised bed or building into existing lawn or garden bed. Eradicating grasses and weeds with a herbicide like...

No garden is complete without trees! This month Keith shares his top 10 favourite trees for the Australian garden. Full moon maple - Acer japonicum vitifolium - well suited smaller garden Norway Maple or Designer Maple Acer platinoides globosum - well suited smaller garden Acer platinoides Crimson Sentry -well suited smaller garden Persimon fuyu - delicious orange fruit tree Flat top elm Ulmus gla...

Our last Muddy Boots Podcast for the year! Thank you to our loyal listeners this year! Find out who will be this month’s Q&A winner of The Plant Runner ’s prize? After a climbing rose in yellow or orange hues? Keith suggestions -  Banksia rose , Maigold , Summertime , Golden Showers Removing leaves and pinching tomatoes? Keep a single main trunk,  reduce leaves and pinch out above the last tru...

Drought tolerant gardens. There are plants that, once established, are drought tolerant, however, there are ways of creating conditions for making your plants and garden less reliant on water. Where you can find all things Muddy Boots! Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/  Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook  

For regular listeners the name Clyde's Compost will be familiar. But did you know Clyde’s Compost has a brand new product? Lignite Humates is what Keith would call a “game changer”.  Hear from Vince from Clydes about both the original Clyde’s compost and his brand new product. Why Clyde’s Compost? Originally created for the family’s intense vegetable gardening farm,  Clyde’s Compost has been...

This week Elisabeth asks Keith to share some tips on how to encourage wildlife into her new garden. Grow it and they shall come! Both a perennial or natives style garden can be created to maximise wildlife. Birdbaths, rocks and nesting logs will all assist with creating places for wildlife to enjoy. Plants like Dianella Revoluta with edible berries will attract birds. Looking to treat pests withou...

This week is all about deadheading - why & how to deadhead to keep your flowers flourishing! Why do we deadhead? Looks tidier, helps keep plants healthy and can prolong the flowering period.  How to deadhead? Hand pinch or use secateurs. Cut just above the next set of leaves or nodes. What to deadhead? Keith and Elisabeth share their list with some extra tips. Keith advisse that some (like aga...

Meet the Jim in Jim’s Mowing . Hear the incredible journey of Jim’s Mowing and how it has grown from a backyard business to over 5000 franchisees. Hear what has contributed to the success. Listen to Keith and Jim’s banter as Keith shares a couple of his favourite products with Jim including Clyde’s Lignite Humates ,  MycoGold , Munash Rock Dust and Jim shares his approach.  The Muddy Boots team an...

From citrus, avocado and eucalyptus trees to garden design and ponds. Hear this week’s questions answered and hear who our lucky Plant Runner prize winner is. How to get rid of Bacterial Brown spot on Eucalyptus Caesia      . Treat Citrus Leaf Miner or gall wasps with Eco Oil and ECO Neem weekly Got a pond and need advice? Contact Garden World Top tips for getting an Wurtz Avocado started. Plannin...

This week the team talk to artist Anna Tronson about the work of co-host Keith Edwards. As we know Keith is a landscape consultant. Check hime out at https://keithedwards.com.au/   and https://www.instagram.com/ke_landscape_consultant/ .  From the initial interview, site inspections and research through to creating a detailed plan on paper; we learn in this episode about the process from start to...

Love the idea of a wildflower meadow as part of your garden design? Not sure how to get started or how this can be incorporated into a domestic garden? Let Keith & Elisabeth inspire you! Wildflowers need plenty of sun and it’s important to get rid of all grass and weeds before planting. Be patient, this process may take 2 years! Don’t want to wait? Once grasses are smothered, seeds can be dire...

This week Keith and Elisabeth follow up on the recent episode that listed Keith’s Top 10 fruit trees! Now we are stepped through a step by step guide to growing beautiful fruit trees Choosing the right location Preparing the hole for planting - with Clyde's Compost , MycoGold , Munash Rock Dust Clyde’s lignite Planting and staking your new tree & finishing with good quality mulch like Who...

Check out this week’s Q&A and learn who will win the prize, donated by The Plant Runner Great questions as always and some excellent suggestions from Keith and Elisabeth including: -   :Keep an eye out for Gumleaf Skeletoniser ( Uraba Lugens ) that can destroy eucalypts in Winter & Early spring -   Tips for using the moon calendar to guide pruning times -   Ant mounds? Try a 50/50 mix of v...

Keith’s Top 10 Fruit Trees Already growing your own fruit trees or love the idea but haven’t yet tried? Be inspired by Keith, the “the fruit tree aficionado”! Before selecting your trees, be sure to research what will grow in your area. Consider frosts, soil type, available sunlight and your available space and design preferences. Be sure to know which fruit trees need partners for cross-pollinati...

Meet Marco Baretta from ModBOX , expert in all there is to know about raised garden beds. So why raised beds? Raised beds are attractive, ergonomic and make soil control & maintenance a lot easier. When designing raised beds, Keith & Marco recommend a height of approximately 450mm,  no wider than 600mm if against a wall or 1200mm if it is accessible from all sides. Learn the pros and cons...

Some warm weather already and predicted to be a warm Spring and hot Summer. How should we prepare for the months ahead? Think about putting in an irrigation system - drip line irrigation, micro sprinklers or pop up sprinklers. Build up your soil with organic matter, compost and Biochar and top with 75mm of mulch such as granitic sand. Wetting agents such as Seasol Super Soil Wetter and Conditioner...

Check out this week’s Q&A and learn who will win the prize, donated by The Plant Runner Great questions as always and some excellent suggestions from Keith and Elisabeth including: -   Kickstarting Mock orange hedge with Scotts Osmocote Compost and Neutrog Gyganic -   Looking to plant Camellias in full sun? Go for the Sasanqua variety -   Spanish Lavender ( Lavandula Stoechas ) is a good choic...

Episode Notes Elisabeth and Keith share the benefits of Native plants and share their top 10  (or so) Australian Natives for the Garden. Recommended Native Ground Covers: Casuarina glauca – common name, Cousin It. Chrysocephalum apiculatum - common name Everlasting or Yellow Buttons. Xerochrysum ‘Sundaze White’ commonly known as the Everlasting Daisy.  Recommended Native Grasses: Poa labillardiere...

Special guest Chris England from Merrywood joins Elisabeth and Keith to talk about Espalier plants. Will Elisabeth finally learn how to pronounce the word ESPALIER? uh·spae·lee·uh Chris demystifies the ancient technique of the espaliering trees and uncovers the benefits for the home gardener. Did you know citrus, fruit and ornamental plants are all suited to espaliering? Hear the benefits of this...

Only 2 days of Winter left. What are Keith & Elisabeth’s recommendations for early Spring gardening? Clean up tools with Lanox & oil handles Add compost. If you don’t have your own, try Clyde's Compost Weed, feed and mulch Prune your perennials & ornamental grasses Use a soil thermometer to check for optimum planting time  Divide and replant perennials Treat fruit trees as require...

Q&A August 22, 2023 Check out this week’s Q&A and learn who will win the prize, donated by The Plant Runner at https://theplantrunner.com/ In this week’s Q&A we learn that: The Jacaranda is actually an evergreen tree There's no need to add worms to a wicking bed Plant Feijoa “Duffy” with another pollinating variety such as Apollo, Mammoth or Nazematze Kocide or lime sulphur are an...