By John Fitzsimmons
When we are in landscape mode we often think of architectural plants, specimen trees, colour palettes, textures, borders and backdrops for impact and low maintenance. We should not however forget the visual impact and benefits of one of the most widely used landscape elements and approaches — mass plantings.… Continue reading
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Rhonda Sorensen, Coordinator of the Living Plant Collection Records, using Hortis (Image: Cheryl Cooper)
By Richard Ackland and Rhonda Sorensen
Over the past 18 months, the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden (NCRBG) in Coffs Harbour, northern NSW, has revolutionised the way it manages records of its living plant collection. As a sanctuary of biodiversity, the botanic garden has long been a guardian of rare and significant plant species, yet its record-keeping systems had become outdated and fragmented.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Brian Schwartz and Sameer Khanal
The warm season turfgrass breeding program at the University of Georgia’s Tifton Campus continues to foster its long-standing and impactful public private partnerships to address key challenges in the turfgrass industry through cultivar development.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Caleb Roberts
Botanical name: Phyllanthus embilica
Common name(s): Amla, Indian gooseberry
Family: Phyllanthaceae
Origin or native range: There is a saying about some medicines, that a strong taste means they must be doing something right! That certainly rings true for amla, otherwise known as the Indian gooseberry.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy John Corban
Lux Landscapes is a premium design, construction and maintenance business operating on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. I worked with Nick Abba in 2019 helping him improve his business. Nick has had great success and growth over the last six years.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Clive Larkman
The genus Salvia is one of the largest plant genera with over 1,000 species. It is a member of the Lamiaceae, the mint family, which includes most of our aromatic and many of our medicinal herbs. Salvia is the largest genus in the Lamiaceae and consists of annuals, perennials and evergreen shrubs that grow in full desert sun to moist woodland environments.… Continue reading
Read MoreBeing editor of Hort Journal allows me to travel across the country meeting other members of the horticultural industry. Attending Greenlife Industry Queensland’s 2025 Green Expo on the Gold Coast recently reminded me of the importance of these events in our increasingly busy calendars.… Continue reading
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The 2025 Green Expo was abuzz with people viewing the greenlife and horticultural products on display
By Gabrielle Stannus
Promotional material to market Greenlife Industry Queensland’s Green Expo certainly did not lie when it said this event brings together the best of the nursery and garden industry, with a wide range of displays and products all in one place.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Denis Crawford
In the Pest Files of May 2024, I detailed several invasive pests which have established in parts of Australia. My thesis was that those invasive pests have something in common, the ability to travel long distances in horticultural material.… Continue reading
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A rather unpleasant looking fungal contamination in a flask of lomandra; note the plants engulfed by the fungus are dying off (Image: Lisa Wightwick)
By Lisa Wightwick
Wherever plant tissue culture goes, so follows contamination. But what is culture contamination, where does it come from and why is it so undesirable?
In the context of plant tissue culture, ‘contamination’ is a broad term that describes a range of unwanted microorganisms that can have significant impacts on the health and success of the plants.… Continue reading
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