Sabrina Does it in the Garden

Sabrina Hahn is the great gardening oracle; the one West Australians turn to when we want to know how to keep our plants thriving.

Her energy and passion is infectious: after listening to her, we can’t wait to throw on the gloves and start digging and planting.

Sabrina’s new book, How To Do it In The Garden, offers loads of tips for everyone seeking greener thumbs.

In her interview with The Starfish, Sabrina tells us what’s good to have in the garden, what to avoid (including harmful chemicals), and how we can help prevent the spread of the awful shot hole borer beetle. Plus, she tells us of her all-time favourite plants!

Congrats on this new book. What in particular will it teach the amateur gardener?

That we all start somewhere. Choose a small project to begin with; talk to nursery staff to get the right information for the plant or area you want to grow.

What are the most common mistakes people make in the garden?

Taking on too much when time is limited and expecting everything to grow without pest or disease issues. Do one section at a time and do it well before moving onto the next.

You have a chapter on the easiest veggies and herbs to grow. What are a couple of must-haves that even a garden dumbo can manage?

Everyone can grow parsley, basil, thyme, silverbeet, peas and chillies, they are basically bomb proof regardless of soil type. Fresh greens are wonderful to have in the garden and herbs are used every day in cooking.

If you moved to a new place, in say, sandy Cottesloe, and had to start from scratch, building a garden, what would be the first plant you’d put in to beautify your surrounds?

Definitely plant a tree; it  creates shade, provides a wind break introduces birds and insects into the garden that help to control unwanted insects. Select trees that cope with alkaline sandy soil like Eucalyptus foecunda, a small mallee to 3 metres.

You’re clearly not a fan of toxic chemicals in the garden. How hard is it to persuade people that killing a weed also kills the soil, insects and other creatures in the food chain?

Herbicides such as glyphosate have an ongoing detrimental affect on the soil, microbial activity and other nearby plants. Organic weed killers like Slasher and Beat-a-Weed are safe to use around children and pets. Most people want their own garden to be safe for themselves, their families, pets and other species.

You’re fascinated with insects and once said if you hadn’t become a garden expert, you may have liked to become an entomologist. Sadly, these days, we see far less insects in the garden. Eg, when we were kids, we’d hear cicadas everywhere in summer. Now where we live, we rarely hear them.) Why is this, and what can we do to help overcome this?

The drastic decrease in insect population and species is directly linked to pesticide and insecticide use. Many pesticides and insecticides kill everything, particularly the systemic ones that are translocated throughout the entire plant system, including pollen. There are many organic solutions to pest control  now and gardeners in particular are aware the important role insects play in  pollination and as a food reserve for other species like birds and frogs. Without insects the planet could not survive. Gardeners have to stop using harmful chemicals that are broad spectrum.

Gradually, more councils seem to be banning harmful weedkillers.  Are you encouraged by this? 

It’s encouraging to see councils using less harmful herbicides and treating weeds with weed killers rather than broad spectrum herbicides like Roundup.

Can you see a day when Glyphosate would ever be completely banned in Australia?

Roundup will never be banned in Australia because of its use in agriculture. However the home gardener does not need to resort to using it, there are other options including hand weeding and burning in paved areas.

Your book has a chapter on common plant diseases. Are you noticing with climate change, that some diseases are becoming more common?

Fungal diseases have loved our warmer winters and tend to persist during the autumn and winter. The hotter and drier summers are putting extra stress on plants that are more susceptible to disease attack.

In regard to the destructive polyphagus shot hole borer beetle.  Is this the worst thing to happen to WA flora in decades And what more can be done to stop it?

If the PSHB can be at least controlled there is some hope to find a solution. I am very pessimistic that it will be eradicated in the short term. Dieback (Phytophthora cinnamomi) is still the most destructive pathogen that is destroying huge areas of native bush with no end in site.

How can we all play a role in ensuring it doesn’t spread beyond Perth and in particular, down to our southern forests?

To help control PSHB we have to stop the movement of plants from the metropolitan area into regional WA. Do not take firewood or any pruning from Perth to outside the quarantine area. Every person needs to check their trees on a monthly basis and report any signs of symptoms. Don’t use wood chip mulch unless it has been treated or you know it comes from healthy trees. Check DPIRD website for updates in the host plants and movement of the borer.

On a happier note, what’s your all time favourite plant?

I love trees and I have 2 favourites: the WA Snottygobble tree (Persoonia longifolia) and Poinciana (Delonix regia). The Snottygobble has beautiful flaky, papery bark that peels to reveal red underneath. The brilliant green pendulous leaves and bright orange flowers that turn into edible fruits make it a winner for me. The enormous canopy and flamboyant red flowers of the Poinciana tree are a show stopper and this cools my house down by at least 10 degrees in summer.

With Christmas approaching, who should be gifted How To Do It In The Garden?

This book is for anyone that wants to have a bit of nature in their lives. It’s for the novice gardener who knows absolutely nothing who’s been too frightened to try and the experienced gardener who wants to climate-proof their garden or increase their gardening kills. How to do it in the Garden is for people who want a soft footprint on the planet and want to contribute to habitat and increase biodiversity in their neighbourhood.

How can we not be inspired by this woman? How To Do It In The Garden, Fremantle Press, is out now.