 Growing Gardens
with Julia Hancock
Why do we Need Plants?
It's a fact that the welfare of this planet is dependent on biodiversity, particularly in the plant world, but why is it important to have so many different species? A few minutes pondering their place in our lives demonstrates why plants are essential to life on earth.
Without plants our supermarket shelves would be empty because they make up the bulk of our foodstuffs. Apart from eating them fresh, plants are also processed into all the other foods and drinks we consume. Plants also feed the marine life and animals the carnivores among us eat. From birds, mammals, insects and reptiles come the other ingredients that contribute to a healthy diet - protein-based products such as milk, eggs and meat.
Our physical and mental health is maintained by using drugs and medication largely derived from plants. A few centuries ago plants were the only medicine, and knowledge of their healing properties was passed down from generation to generation. Fortunes have been amassed and are continuing to be made on patenting plant extracts for experimentation in scientific laboratories in the seemingly never ending search for the next wonder drug or elixir of youth.
On the domestic front, plants provide the materials from which we build our houses and landscape our gardens. They also help us to keep our living environment and ourselves clean by giving us waxes, oils and fragrances upon which we base cleaning products and soaps. Plants keep us warm (log fires, oil, peat) and their fibres are converted into the fabric we use to clothe ourselves and make our homes and institutions more comfortable and attractive.
Plants entertain us by being fashioned into the instruments that allow us to play music and the books that stimulate our minds; their dyes offer us the colours of the rainbow; and they give us the bouquets of flowers that express our feelings better than any words can.
Lismore Garden Club News
The Lismore Garden Club meets on the first Thursday of each month at 1.30pm at the Lismore Workers Club. All welcome. For further info phone Mary on 6621 5293.
The widespread rain has been an incredible blessing. Considering the price of vegetables many will be tempted to plant some now. Remember that there is every chance that we will still experience quite a bit of dry weather before autumn and drought breaking rain.
However it is worth taking a chance planting say Grosselisse and/or Cherry Tomatoes, mignonette lettuce, Herbs and brown beauty dwarf of broad beans. Then wait until the first week of April to plant winter vegies, providing we get follow up rain.
Jobs to do now
Ants in the lawn can be handled in one of two ways. 1) As they build mounds, smooth them over. 2) Sprinkle mounds with a granular anticide.
Gardening tip
If you choose to smooth over the mounds, take a six ft tomato stake and screw a two ft floor board across the end. Then walk up and down the lawn pulling the device and smoothing out the mounds while top dressing the lawn at the same time.
Happy Gardening
Ron Burns
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