6. Good Organic Gardening - November-December 2016 AvxHome.in

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THE SHED | Build a frog pond POND LIFE Providing food, water, shelter and habitat is arguably the best way to attract not just frogs but all sorts of wildlife to your garden Words & photos Sandra Tuszynska Many animal species that are essential to the health of our ecosystems are disappearing. This is largely due to our encroachment on their habitats, the pollution we create and the changing climatic conditions. The great news is we can play a key role in helping to conserve animals such as frogs and other amphibians, reptiles such as lizards, 68 | Good Organic Gardening
and mammals such as antechinus by creating habitat for them in our gardens. In doing so, we re-create the habitat we’ve taken away from these creatures. We also create wildlife corridors, which animals can use to travel from habitat to habitat, maintaining genetically diverse populations and thus aiding the survival of some threatened species. Frog ponds, when constructed with other animals in mind, can be a fantastic way to provide habitat in our gardens, as they offer water, food and shelter for various species. The following steps describe the creative process of building such a pond. The photos and the process were taken at Sean Morrow’s workshop at the Planting Festival, which has a strong focus on environmental sustainability and happens each year at Woodfordia, the home of the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland. Sean is a passionate wildlife habitat creator and gardener. His own garden is featured in our Gardening Folk story on page 32. 1 Constructing the pond Choose a suitable site where there is some sunlight but also some shade — aim for a balance between shade and sun. If the pond is fully exposed to the sun, algae will proliferate or the water will get too hot for frogs to breed in and their tadpoles will die. The water will also evaporate quickly and need constant refilling. Too much shade, on the other hand, will reduce plant growth, while fallen leaves may introduce too much organic matter at the bottom of the pond. If you have no shade, you can create a simple structure over the pond using shade cloth. 1. Dig a hole about 50cm deep and 1.5×1.5m wide. The size of the pond is up to you, depending on your budget. 2. Line the hole with carpet liner to protect the pond liner from any potential damage. 3. Carefully line the hole with pond liner. 4. Place rocks in the pond, being careful not to cause any damage to the liner. Add differentsized rocks on the bottom to provide a range Build a frog pond | THE SHED What you need 1. Mattock and shovel to dig a hole. 2. Pond liner — enough to cover the entirety of the hole and comfortably spill over the edges. For example, for a 1.5×1.5× 0.5m pond, you’ll need at least 3×3m liner. The quality of the liner you buy depends on your budget; the thicker it is, the more expensive it becomes. However, once the liner is completely covered with rocks and logs, it will last for many years. 3. Carpet liner the size of the pond liner (potentially available for free from carpet shops). 4. Scissors. 5. Rocks — enough to cover the entirety of the liner — 1m 3 of rocks should be enough for a 1.5m pond. These should range from fist size up to 30cm. 6. Logs — enough to decorate and stack up the outside of the pond. 7. Mulch to fill the gaps between the logs and around the pond. 8. Plants to grow around and in the pond (optional). 9. Hose connected to a water supply. 4 Sean explaining how to measure the length of the pond liner down and across the bottom 2 3 Covering the hole with carpet liner Adding the pond liner Snuggly fitting the liner into the hole Good Organic Gardening | 69
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grow naturally, eat fresh, live sus
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CONTENTS 18 16 Contents 8 Editor’
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grow naturally, eat fresh, live sus
Page 11 and 12:
News | THE GRAPEVINE small changes
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With melissa king | THE SEASONAL GA
Page 16 and 17:
CLEVER CROP | Gourd Oh my gourd Her
Page 18 and 19: PLANT PROFILE | Capsicum CanStockPh
Page 20 and 21: PLANT PROFILE | Capsicum — but so
Page 22 and 23: POWER PLANT | Rosemary wine o’clo
Page 24 and 25: FAMILY HEIRLOOMS | Zucchini Top per
Page 26 and 27: FAMILY HEIRLOOMS | Zucchini fruit t
Page 28 and 29: GARDENING FOLK | Ann & Steve Robert
Page 30 and 31: GARDENING FOLK | Ann & Steve Robert
Page 32 and 33: GARDENING FOLK | Sean Morrow wildli
Page 34 and 35: GARDENING FOLK | Sean Morrow which
Page 36 and 37: GARDENING FOLK | Frank & Anita Vell
Page 38 and 39: GARDENING FOLK | Frank & Anita Vell
Page 40 and 41: TIME TO PLANT | Celery - in the - v
Page 42 and 43: TIME TO PLANT | Parsley Words Jenni
Page 44 and 45: TIME TO PLANT | Scarlet runner bean
Page 46 and 47: TIME TO PLANT | Taro - in the - veg
Page 48 and 49: TIME TO PLANT | Honeydew melon - in
Page 50 and 51: WEEKEND GARDENING | Water wisdom WA
Page 52 and 53: WEEKEND GARDENING | Water wisdom I
Page 54 and 55: WEEKEND GARDENING | Summer shade TH
Page 56 and 57: WEEKEND GARDENING | Summer shade Su
Page 58 and 59: PEST PATROL | Beneficial insects We
Page 60 and 61: PEST PATROL | Beneficial insects Ea
Page 62 and 63: GARDENING COMMUNITY | future feeder
Page 64 and 65: GARDENING COMMUNITY | Future Feeder
Page 66 and 67: ONLINE GARDENING | The Gardenettes
Page 70 and 71: THE SHED | Build a frog pond 5 Cutt
Page 72 and 73: FEATHERED FRIENDS | Breeding tips B
Page 74 and 75: FEATHERED FRIENDS | Breeding tips C
Page 76 and 77: SHORT SHOOTS | Earthy ideas 10 Top
Page 78 and 79: GARDEN CALENDAR | Late spring Thing
Page 81 and 82: GARDEN CALENDAR | Early summer Thin
Page 83 and 84: GARDEN TO TABLE | Seasonal edibles
Page 85 and 86: COOKING WITH JOANNA RUSHTON | Basil
Page 87 and 88: COOKING WITH JOANNA RUSHTON | Capsi
Page 89 and 90: COOKING WITH JOANNA RUSHTON | Baby
Page 91 and 92: COOKING WITH JOANNA RUSHTON | Straw
Page 93 and 94: PRESERVING WITH JOANNA RUSHTON | Ch
Page 95 and 96: PICK OF THE CROP Are weeds taking o
Page 97 and 98: HLD_OFC_FINAL.indd 3 SPRING INTO 20
Page 99 and 100: Australians all let us rejoice THE
Page 101 and 102: Spring is here. Let us look after y
Page 103 and 104: ooks | REVIEWS Cover to cover Leafi
Page 105 and 106: Directory HUNTER DISTILLERY is a ce
Page 107: Directory Buy online at ... Austral
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