Bromeliads and other new arrivals

Well the Spring season is getting underway with a calm day today after too many days of strong winds. a bit tough on the garden as well as gardeners. if you are out and about looking for plants to add to your patch then perhaps you could try some lovely landscape bearded iris that we still have available.they are potted so easy to take and home and plant when you have some spare time.I'm excited about the new plants that have come out of the propagation beds and really pleased to see the gorgeous foliage of the Bromeliads that are coming up for sale.. these will be snapped up fast so if you love that flamboyant colour be quick to come and see.  Roses are doing really well and as usual Bendigo during the racing season is the time to look for your favourite rose colour.. We have a few 2 year old red varieties for sale.

 Plants-On-Binks has a Facebook page     please visit  for pictures of other plants that are for sale.

Succulents for colour in the garden

Beautiful Sedum Autumn Joy,
Lampranthus ( commonly called pigface) a good selection of colours and not all flower at the same time.. orange is usually the first to flower.

Suculent packs for wedding guests OR vertical wall plantings

Succulent cuttings
50 cuttings for $30.00 posted.
100 cuttings for $45.00 posted.
150 succulent cuttings for just $69.00 posted
lots of different varieties in each pack.
great value AND includes POSTAGE.
 
 We have been collecting and growing succulents for over 10 years and have some really unusual varieties.
there will be 5 or more of each variety in the 150 lots and each package can be tailored to be pot/ groundcover/ colour co ordinated/ shrubby etc.
Do you have a wedding coming where you would like each guest to receive a small potted succulent then these packs will will prepared with you in mind.. just let us know in advance.
this is our most popular package and the timing is right to get these beauties growing and create a stunning display.Or why not try your hand at a vertical garden.

About Us

Plants on Binks is a small, locally owned wholesale plant nursery in Central Victoria,  just 15 mins drive from the CBD of Bendigo along the McIvor Highway ..

Our plants are grown in a peaceful, bush setting along with the local wallabies and kangaroos and our collection of REX guinea pigs.  Our garden is planted with many display plants so you, our customer, can see how these plants might perform in your own garden.  We offer good quality locally grown plants at a reasonable price. Come and check us out soon. 

 Many plant varieties are available including colourful baskets of annuals,  Bulbs, Herbs, Native Grasses, Perennials, Collector Succulents, Shrubs and Trees, both Native and Exotic all suited to local conditions. Pot sizes range from seedlings in 50mm to the larger yuccas in 40 cm pots with 100’s of plants available at just $4.97

                           Landscapers and new home owners enquiries welcome.

               MAIL order also  Vic, NSW, SA and QLD. Subject to AQIS regulations.

  

 Interested in learning more about growing plants for supplementary income or as a hobby?  I have been an avid gardener since childhood and though I have learned a lot from trial and error and "handed down" information I have learned so much more over the past 5 years by using the knowledge gained from years of practical application by Mike @ Freeplants.com. This sharing of information has enabled me to create my own backyard wholesale plant nursery:  Plants on Binks. 

 http://japanesemaplelovers.com   for friendly information on growing plants.

Some of the IRIS we have for sale

Iris Standard Dwarf Bearded "SPICE SISTER"             $5.50 ea bare rooted

Spice Sister 8" to 15" tall a lovely iris for borders

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Naomi of Mara   $5.50 ea bare rooted 

(E. S. Fankhauser, R. 1989). Sdlg. ABM-16-81-A. AB, 18" (45 cm), E. S. rich red violet, some veining; F. same, slightly blended brown near hafts; beard brown on blue violet base. Cherry Garden X AB-11-60-A: (Kalifa Baltis x (Kalifa Gulnare x Beisan Aga)). Tempo Two, 1990/91.

Iris Standard Intermediate Bearded "LOCAL HERO"

$5.50 ea bare rooted

A frilly flower with mustard standards and white falls edged by a broad band of mustard. Bronze beards

Iris tall Bearded "Honky Tonk Blues"

$5.50 ea bare rooted

 

(Schreiner's 1988) Tall bearded iris, (94 cm), Mid season. Flowers are ruffled hyacinth blue, white grey streaking and edge on falls.; hyacinth blue beard. Popular ruffled blue flowers!

Tall Bearded Iris "Abbey Road"

$5.50 ea bare rooted

(David Silverberg, R. 1994). Sdlg. 85-34C. TB, 35" (89 cm), Midseason bloom. Standards creamy yellow; Falls warm white, creamy yellow shoulders; beards yellow, tipped cream.

tall Bearded Iris are available as potted plants for $8.00 ea.

How to grow agave from seed

How to grow agave from seed

AGAVE seeds are flat - usually - and black in colour. They can also vary considerably in size, usually reflecting the size of the mature plant. As with most plants, the fresher the seeds, the greater the percentage of germination.

The compost mix for agave seedlings is very simple, mix equal parts of sifted sterilised top soil  and crushed granite/horticultural grit. Using a seed tray or individual pots, fill with the compost mix then sow the seeds giving each seed a couple of inches spacing.

 

Easter Gardening Jobs to do.

Easter is a great time to get some of the bigger jobs done before the cold weather comes in. Lawns usually need some extra work and if you are organised you will be able to get some top soil in and spread that over the lawn to even up the bumps and bare patches. Oversow with a lawn repair mix and keep moist. Over the next few weeks the weather will be cooling down over night and with the soil still warm, germination will quickly fill in the bare spots again. Give the established lawns a light feed to pick them up and have them lush and healthy again in no time. Bulbs can be planted now.  Any that are in the garden may need to be lifted and replanted lower in the soil especially if they have been in the same spot for a few years. Trim off any dead foliage and trim up shrubs ready for the new flush of leaves. Add them to the compost heap or shred to return the goodness back to the soil. In the vege patch tidy up and remove stakes from tomato bushes that have finished. Stack the stakes away carefully and put any tomato plant foliage out in the rubbish bin to prevent the spread of any virus that may be on the plants. In my garden we are still harvesting cucumber and tomatoes, the zucchini are a bit slow and the potatoes are fattening up. The Jerusalem artichokes are in flower and look amazing this year. The rhubarb is getting bigger and a few extra plants will be available soon. We are in the process of covering over the vege garden area to protect the plants from the extreme summers we have been having so next year we should have a better story to tell. the beans took a hiding this year as did the sweet corn. too many days over 40c.. Will be taking some rose cuttings earlier this year and hope to have better success than taking them at pruning time..  In the herb garden I will be trimming back and dividing up for new plants and last year I threaded the excess foliage in and out of the wire mesh that the cucumbers grow on. ..makes a pleasant surprise when it is brushed up against later on and also prevents any pieces of mint getting into the garden where they could be a nuisance.   Check the water systems that you have in place… take a length of brightly coloured plant tie to mark where you need to return to is a great idea and saves time . tap washers can perish and water leaks can create an unexpected bill.  Make a list for when you go to the hardware store next time and replace washers and make any repairs that were spotted when you did your check. 

Our Agave is going to flower.

This Agave took 13 months to grow the flower stem. this first burst was after 5inches of rain and was the first time we saw it. seed is available for sale.
sadly these plants live just to flower so this was the end of the plant as you see in this picture. we did however get one pup from the base before the parent plant finally died.

Chinese Pistachio
Pistacia chinensis

  The Chinese Pistachio is a medium sized ornamental tree from China and Taiwan

This species is planted as a street tree in temperate areas worldwide due to its attractive fruit and autumn foliage.

It is extremely winter hardy and has a superior level of drought, heat and wind tolerance.

In the summer the female Chinese Pistachio produces panicles of inconspicuous red dish flowers that are followed by small green berries that turn red to reddish-purple in the autumn, which are relished by birds.

• Prior to sowing remove the seed from the soft surrounding fruit . Soak the seeds in a bowl of warm water for three to four days to soften. Remove the seeds from the bowl of water and lay them on a paper towel to dry

• Fill a plastic zip bag 1/2 full with damp peat moss. Drop the fertile Chinese pistache seeds in the bag and seal it tightly. Place the bag in the refrigerator for 60 days to chill. This chilling process, known as stratification, will expedite germination.

• Fill 4-inch pots 3/4 full with organic potting soil. Remove the bag  from the refrigerator and place one  seed in the centre of each pot, 3/4 inch down into the potting soil. germination occurs best at temperatures of 26 degrees Celsius.

•  seed  available?   yes