Dr Chris Brosnan and Dr Don Gardiner in the University of Queensland (UQ) laboratory (Image: Megan-Pope, UQ)
By Natalie MacGregor
University of Queensland (UQ) research has revealed that double-stranded RNA-based biopesticides (dsRNA) sprayed on plant leaves can travel right down into root systems. Led by Dr Chris Brosnan at UQ’s Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), the work also disproves a long-standing misconception that dsRNA directly enters plant cells.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Daniel Fuller
Plants infected with myrtle rust are still specified and sold in humid and subtropical parts of Australia every day. Once established in the landscape, the results are unmistakable with plants showing yellow powdery lesions, purple pustules and distorted new growth.… Continue reading
Read MoreUsing practical technology to ease pressure in production nurseries
INTRODUCTION
Production nurseries are operating in an environment of sustained pressure. Labour shortages, rising input costs, increasing regulatory requirements and heightened biosecurity expectations have combined to make day-to-day management more complex than it was even a few years ago.… Continue reading
By John Corban
Since 2009, Phil Antcliff and Jack Hayes have operated Fifth Season Landscapes, a multi-award-winning residential landscape design, construction and maintenance business based on Sydney’s North Shore. In a recent online discussion with my coaching clients, Phil and Jack generously answered questions about how they have built and sustained their business.… Continue reading
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Engaging experienced contractor Baden to build this gravity rock wall rather than ourselves allowed us to save time and money for the client (Image: Patrick Regnault)
By Patrick Regnault
We are working in a very volatile period, politically and economically. Global change is afoot and as business owners, managers and workers we need to adapt to uncertain conditions. Added to that unpredictability is the real threat of climate change.… Continue reading
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Council staff and apprentices on site installing the new Sir Grange Zoysia turf on the roundabout at Croome Rd, Shellharbour (Image source: Turfco Australia)
By Nathan Edwards
In the pursuit of sustainable urban landscapes, local councils are increasingly turning to turf solutions that combine visual appeal with long-term efficiency. Shellharbour City Council’s roundabout redevelopments in Oak Flats and Shellharbour, NSW, provide a striking example of how the right turf selection can deliver lasting benefits for both communities and maintenance teams.… Continue reading
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Coastal ecologies self-organising into Fractal Buffering Succession Zones to survive harsh exposures (Image: Erik van Zuilekom)
By Erik van Zuilekom
Nature does not repeat itself randomly. Look closely at a river delta, a fern frond or the branching of your own arteries and you will see the same geometric logic recurring at every scale. When this principle is applied to landscape design, integrated ecologies do not simply persist, they multiply.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Clive Larkman
Living in Melbourne means permanent access to great coffee and a culture of having this staple drink with every meal. However, many people seem to have little knowledge of the plant itself. Plants in the Coffea genus provide the source of the world’s most popular morning drink, as well as some very attractive shrubs.… Continue reading
Read MoreIn this issue of Hort Journal, we celebrate ornamentals and the people who grow, trial and champion them. We also turn the spotlight on women in horticulture, recognising their contribution across production, design and leadership.
My personal taste in ornamental plants leans heavily towards those that are also edible, so potted colour is usually not the first thing to attract my attention.… Continue reading
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Banksias and grass trees provide a uniquely Australian beauty to this garden (Image: John Fitzsimmons)
By John Fitzsimmons
If our theme this issue is ‘Ornamentals: Beauty that endures’ then surely, we must start by defining ‘beauty’ and that raises more questions than answers. On such a theme, just where do we start? Beauty is a subjective and multi-faceted quality that evokes pleasure, admiration or deep emotional responses.… Continue reading
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