Tough Plants for Tough Places

This week on Muddy Boots, Keith shares some of his favourite plants for challenging garden conditions — from hot, dry and exposed sites to poor soil, coastal winds, heavy clay, frost and shade.

We cover how to choose plants for difficult microclimates, improve challenging soils, and select plants that can thrive rather than simply survive.

Plants mentioned

Hot, dry & exposed

• Plane tree — Platanus digitata
• Salvia — Salvia spp.
• Santolina — Santolina spp.
• Rosemary — Rosmarinus officinalis
• Lavender — Lavandula spp.
• Allard's lavender — Lavandula × allardii
• French lavender — Lavandula dentata
• Teucrium — Teucrium spp.
• Euphorbia — Euphorbia spp.
• Limonium — Limonium spp.
• Billy buttons — Pycnosorus globosus
• Artemisia — Artemisia spp.
• Bottlebrush — Callistemon spp.

Poor, dry & coastal soils

• Correa — Correa spp.
• Westringia — Westringia spp.
• Grevillea — Grevillea spp.
• Hakea — Hakea spp.
• Acacia — Acacia spp.
• Black she-oak — Allocasuarina littoralis
• Casuarina 'Cousin Itt' — Casuarina glauca
• Callitris — Callitris spp.

Succulents & dry-climate plants

• Senecio — Senecio serpens
• Cotyledon — Cotyledon orbiculata
• Aeonium 'Schwarzkopf' — Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop'
• Aloe — Aloe spp.
• Agave — Agave spp.
• Kalanchoe 'Bear's Paw' — Kalanchoe tomentosa

Frost & cold

• Crepe myrtle — Lagerstroemia spp.
• Olive 'Mission' — Olea europaea 'Mission'
• Chinese elm — Ulmus parvifolia
• Black locust — Robinia pseudoacacia
• River birch — Betula nigra

Also featured

• Miscanthus — Miscanthus spp.
• Rudbeckia — Rudbeckia spp.
• Verbena — Verbena bonariensis
• Helenium — Helenium spp.
• Choisya — Choisya spp.
• Astilbe — Astilbe spp.
• Daphne — Daphne spp.

Soil tips

Keith explains why soil preparation is critical, particularly for difficult sites. We discuss compost, broadforking, gypsum for appropriate clay soils, and improving sandy soils with lignite humate.

The episode also highlights the importance of understanding the microclimate before selecting plants — because the toughest plant isn't necessarily the right plant for every location.

Book recommendation

Tough Plants for Tough Places by Sharon Amos — a useful reference for gardeners looking for plants that can handle challenging conditions.

More information

The Plant Runner: theplantrunner.com
The Plant Runner's Great Australian Indoor Plant Survey is also open until 30 November, with a chance to win $1,000 worth of plants and plant care.

Muddy Boots: muddyboots.net.au

Thanks to Clyde Compost for sponsoring Muddy Boots. Use code MUDDY15 for 15% off your order.

Happy gardening! 🌱

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
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November is when the garden really starts to accelerate. With summer approaching, Keith and Elizabeth cover the jobs worth tackling now — from watering and mulching to planting, pruning, harvesting and getting ready for heat.

Prepare for summer

• Consider installing a water tank, including slimline tanks that can be connected together.
• Get irrigation systems set up before the heat arrives.
• Mulch garden beds to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
• Aerate compacted soil with a garden fork.
• Consider shade cloth for plants vulnerable to summer burn.

Weeds & mulch

• Firehawk is discussed as an organic weed-control option, including for suckers and unwanted growth.
• Fine pine bark is recommended as a garden-bed mulch.
• Granitic sand is another option, particularly as a fine top mulch.
• Avoid poor-quality green-waste mulch that may introduce weeds.

What to plant now

November is a great time for:

• Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)
• Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus)
• Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo)
• Capsicum (Capsicum annuum)
• Chillies (Capsicum annuum)
• Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)
• Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica)

For herbs, try growing them in pots using a quality potting mix:

• Marjoram (Origanum majorana)
• Vietnamese mint (Persicaria odorata)

Summer colour & beneficial insects

Plant potted colour en masse to create summer impact and attract beneficial insects:

• Marigolds (Tagetes spp.)
• Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
• Roses (Rosa spp.)

Hoverflies are already active in the garden and their larvae can help control aphids naturally.

Pruning & maintenance

After spring flowering, consider deadheading:

• Camellias (Camellia spp.)
• Rhododendrons (Rhododendron spp.)
• Gardenias (Gardenia spp.)
• Leucadendrons (Leucadendron spp.)
• Leucospermums (Leucospermum spp.)

When pruning leucadendrons and leucospermums, leave 6–8 leaves behind the cut so the plant can recover.

Keep an eye on pests

Fruit fly is a major concern as the weather warms, particularly around:

• Lemons (Citrus × limon)
• Limes (Citrus spp.)
• Oranges (Citrus × sinensis)

The episode discusses Wild May Fruit Fly Attractant, along with physical exclusion netting for fruit trees and tomatoes.

For tomatoes and other crops, 2 mm insect exclusion netting is recommended.

Other pest-management tips include physical barriers for codling moth and elm leaf beetle, and Eco-Neem for chewing pests.

Other plants mentioned

• Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)
• Elm (Ulmus spp.)
• Verbena (Verbena spp.)

The three big jobs before summer

1. Get your water sorted.
2. Get irrigation in place.
3. Get the mulch down.

And, importantly, don't forget to enjoy the garden!

Products & resources

MycoGold – BioStim
Used when planting or around established plants to support root development and plant establishment.
BioStim MycoGold

Wild May Fruit Fly Attractant
Discussed for managing Queensland fruit fly.
Wild May – Sage Horticultural

Clyde Compost
For quality compost and potting mix mentioned in the episode.
Clyde Compost

More Muddy Boots: muddyboots.net.au

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/
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Muddy Boots: The Wonderful World of Roses

This week on Muddy Boots, we’re talking all things roses with Stephanie Williams, International Business Development Manager for David Austin Roses.

We explore what makes a great rose, how roses are bred, choosing roses for Australian conditions, soil health, feeding, watering, pruning, pests and disease — and why roses may be much easier to grow than you think.

In this episode

• What makes a great rose — beauty, fragrance, vigour and disease resistance
• How new roses are bred and why it can take 12 years to develop one
• Choosing the right rose for Australian conditions
• Soil preparation, compost, mulch and feeding
• Watering deeply and less frequently once established
• Growing roses in pots and containers
• How and when to prune shrub and climbing roses
• Deadheading and encouraging repeat flowering
• Managing black spot, powdery mildew and aphids naturally
• Why biodiversity and beneficial insects are so important
• Why a rose can be a great choice for beginner gardeners

Roses mentioned

• Constance Spry — Rosa 'Constance Spry'
• Graham Thomas — Rosa 'Graham Thomas'
• Lark Ascending — Rosa 'Lark Ascending'
• Olivia Rose Austin — Rosa 'Olivia Rose Austin'
• Emily Brontë — Rosa 'Emily Brontë'
• Queen of Sweden — Rosa 'Queen of Sweden'
• Tottering-by-Gently — Rosa 'Tottering-by-Gently'
• Princess Alexandra of Kent — Rosa 'Princess Alexandra of Kent'
• Gertrude Jekyll — Rosa 'Gertrude Jekyll'

Products & resources

• Clyde Compost — use code MUDDY15 for 15% off
• Neutrog Sudden Impact for Roses
• Seaweed products for supporting healthy plants
• Leaf mould and well-rotted horse manure/pony poo for mulching

Key takeaway

Choose the right rose for the right place, give it healthy soil, adequate water, good airflow and a little regular care — and you can enjoy beautiful blooms and fragrance for years.

Thanks to Stephanie for joining us from the UK — and to Clyde Compost for sponsoring Muddy Boots.

For more information, visit muddyboots.net.au.

Happy gardening!

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/
Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook

This episode covers flea beetles, tree borers, climbing pumpkins and melons, soil health, stink bugs, fruit fly, worms, wicking beds and a struggling magnolia.

Plants Mentioned

Vegetables & fruit

• Eggplant — Solanum melongena
• Apple — Malus domestica
• Rockmelon — Cucumis melo
• Pumpkin — Cucurbita spp.
• Butternut Pumpkin — Cucurbita moschata
• Potimarron Pumpkin — Cucurbita maxima
• Wee Be Little Pumpkin — Cucurbita pepo
• Jack Be Little Pumpkin — Cucurbita pepo
• Tomato — Solanum lycopersicum
• Broccoli — Brassica oleracea var. italica
• Cauliflower — Brassica oleracea var. botrytis
• Capsicum — Capsicum annuum
• Chilli — Capsicum spp.
• Passionfruit — Passiflora edulis

Trees & ornamentals

• Elm — Ulmus spp.
• Oak — Quercus spp.
• Pepperina — Schinus molle
• Fig — Ficus spp.
• Magnolia — Magnolia spp.

Questions Covered

• Flea beetles: Managing infestations on eggplants using Eco-Neem, sticky traps and soil treatment.

• Tree borers: What to do when borers attack mature trees, including pruning, aeration and soil health.

• Growing over arches: Delicious rockmelon and pumpkin varieties suited to vertical growing.

• Soil health: pH, compost, rock dust, broadforking and building healthy soil biology.

• Stink bugs: Simple methods to control these persistent pests.

• Worms: Why worms may come to the surface after adding soil amendments and how to distinguish earthworms from compost worms.

• Brassicas: Why broccoli and cauliflower can remain netted throughout the growing season.

• Queensland fruit fly: Netting, attractants and identifying fruit fly damage.

• White grubs: How to distinguish beneficial orange/yellow-headed grubs from damaging black-headed grubs.

• Magnolia: Helping a mature tree recover after extreme heat and drought.

Products & Resources

• Clyde Compost — https://clydecompost.com.au
  Use code MUDDY15 for 15% off.
• Neutrog Go-Go Juice
• Neutrog Populate
• Seasol
• Eco-Neem
• Eco-Oil
• MycoGold — https://biostim.com.au/shop/myco-gold
• Digger's Club
• The Plant Runner — https://theplantrunner.com

Plant Runner giveaway: Congratulations this month's winner.

Live Q&A: Join Elizabeth and Keith at Frankston Library at 1pm on Wednesday 21 October.

For more information, visit muddyboots.net.au.

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/
Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/
Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook

This video is about MBP - October's Garden - RD 22 Sep 2026

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/
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Shade Loving plants.

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Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
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Brought to you by The Plant Runner, Keith and Elizabeth answer listener questions on phosphorus levels in wool-industry by-products, fast-growing screening plants, alkaline compost readings, camellias struggling in pots, vegetable garden design, moving Hardenbergia, sooty mould and cat-contaminated garden beds. The episode focuses on practical ways to choose plants, improve soil, manage pests and diseases, and design a productive, low-maintenance garden.

Plants recommended in episode

Grevillea spp - Take extra care with phosphorus levels, as grevilleas can be more phosphorus-sensitive than many other Australian natives.

Banksia spp - Another group to monitor when using products containing phosphorus.

-Syzygium australe ‘Straight and Narrow’ Recommended for dense screening; plant approximately 1.2 metres apart

-Escallonia ‘Iveyi’ - A non-native screening option with dark green foliage; plant approximately 1.2 metres apart.

- Viburnum odoratissimum - Suggested where a taller, wider screening plant is required; plant approximately 1.5 metres apart

- Cupressus ‘Arctic Green’ - Recommended for a tall, dense screen; plant approximately 2.2 metres apart.

- Camellia japonica- Planting in the ground is preferred to growing in pots in hot conditions.

- Espaliered fruit trees - Suggested for lining a redesigned vegetable garden.

- Pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchinis and melons - Recommended for growing over tunnels or archways between raised beds.

- Hardenbergia - Can be moved with care; prune it back by approximately one-third, retain as large a root ball as possible and replant promptly.

Products and gardening materials

MycoGold

Weed Gunnel

Clyde's Compost

Munash Rock Dust

ECO Neem

Eco Oil

Neutrog Popul8

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/
Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook