Author Archive
Teaching impulse and self-control – Karen Phillips
Just as dogs come in all shapes and sizes, they also come with wide and varied personalities. Their temperaments are often influenced by their breed’s natural instincts but even dogs of the same breed have their own unique behaviours and quirks. Some of us love dogs to be a little crazy. I’m one of them! […]
Gardening in Glass – Sue McDougall
Creating table centre pieces with mixed flowering and foliage plants in large glass vases is easy to do and becomes a feature that looks good for months longer than a bunch of flowers. Follow these easy steps: Select a large vase, jar or container, preferably with a base that’s wide enough to get your […]
Camellias – Sue McDougall
Over recent years the humble camellia has fallen out of favour due to the misconception that it is a water guzzling species. In fact nothing could be further from the truth. Camellias, once established, are hardy and will thrive with only a little care. For warmer positions, plant Camellia sasanqua varieties which will flower early […]
Jerusalem Artichokes – Sue McDougall
Many gardeners would know the globe artichoke, a close relative to the thistle family and commonly served in restaurants, but may not be familiar with Jerusalem artichokes. These plants are very closely related to the sunflower and are often mistaken for one when they develop their bright yellow flowers in autumn. It’s not the flowers […]
Training mischievous puppies – Karen Phillips
Teaching the foundation agility class to puppies at the Agility Club of WA always provides me with some great questions on how to deal with problem puppy behaviours. A lot of people end up at agility class with their young dogs because they are over the top, crazy exuberant which means that they get up […]
Winter colour, pruning and moon planting – Sue McDougall
PRUNING IN WINTER It’s time to pull out the pruning saw and the secateurs and give them the once over before embarking on the pruning tasks. Sharp tools make pruning bearable and easy. Deciduous fruiting trees and roses are pruned in winter and often the branches to be removed are quite large. When this is […]
Have a Garden and a Dog Too – Karen Murphy
Having dogs and a nice garden as well often seems to be an impossible dream. Dogs love to dig, play with branches and sticks and run for the sheer joy of it. Success can be had but it does involve management, planning and supervision to blend your dog’s natural doggy behaviour with their surroundings. The […]
“Must haves” for dog owners – Karen Phillips
As a passionate dog owner, agility competitor and dog trainer I often get asked what things are a “must have” for dog owners. This got me thinking about some specific things that I just couldn’t do without when it comes to everyday living with my own dogs. Top of my list would have to be […]
Dealing with Clay Soil – Sue McDougall
Sticky clay soil lacks structure and needs to be improved before most plants will thrive but this can be challenging. Although WA is known for its sandy soil there are still many areas, especially along the river line, that have to deal with very heavy clay soil. Clay soil will benefit from the addition of […]
Birds for Natural Insect Control – Sue McDougall
For any fauna to live in your garden there needs to be a food source and our native birds are some of the hardest working animals in the backyard so they are definitely worth encouraging. This style of gardening is based around using mainly native plants to help provide food, shelter and support to our […]
