Story Title: Hardy potted inspiration
Episode: One
Date: March 6th 2010.
Presenter: Matthew Leacy.

Matt gives us a few tips on how to add style and transform your balcony with hardy potted plantings that need little care.

Matt's tips

• Keep it simple. Don't go for a mass of pots.
• Choosing the right pot for your situation and plantings is very important:

• A terracotta pot retains heat and because its quite porous it will suck the moisture from the potting mix, so you would need to apply some sealant to the inside of the pot.
• Concrete pots usually come with waterproofing on the inside and don't heat up quite as much but they can be heavy.
• A fibre glass pot can be heavy or light and have a fairly regular temperature and if you're after alternative colours then they are the way to go.

• Leaching dirty water from the base of a pot is an awful sight and it eventually stains your tiles or pavers. To avoid this Matt likes to put a layer of gravel approximately 50mm thick at the base and then cover the gravel and the sides of the pot with Geo textile fabric, then he puts another layer of gravel or course sand, then the potting mix and the plant. And this just helps minimise leaching
• Choosing the right plant for the aspect and situation is paramount to successful potting – a couple of hardy choices that Matt suggests are Dracaena draco, Dracaena marginata and Yucca elephantipes.
• The best place to go if you are looking for hardy plants is Four Seasons Nursery. Four Seasons has been established since 1962 as a growing and retail nursery. Situated on almost 3 acres, they can provide you with everything you need for your garden or landscape project.

Contact
Landart Landscapes Pty Ltd
Address: 1/68 Tulloh St Willoughby 2068        
Phone: (02) 99580463
Email: info@landart.com.au
Website: www.landart.com.au  

Thanks to the following companies for supplying products.
Four Seasons Nursery and Garden Centre-Plants
Address:
200 Forest Way
Belrose NSW 2085.
Tel: (02) 9450 1606
Fax: (02) 9450 0555
email: fourseasnursery@optusnet.com.au
Website: www.fourseasonsnursery.com.au
Open: Mon - Sat 7 - 5 PM  
           Sun 8 - 5PM