What's on

The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is Ecosystem Restorationand will launch the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. How does this relate to us here at Gro Urban Oasis?  Growing trees, greening cities, rewilding gardens – all these things are topics we aspire to.

At Gro Urban Oasis we believe in Enriching People’s Lives With Plants. Our recent Sustainability Festival brought together experts, community groups, and our neighbours and councils to present talks, workshops, walks and films.  Some key learnings from these about things you can do RIGHT NOW are:

• Insects are our friends! Encourage native bees – even get a hive, and be ok with spiders – they are great garden guardians.  You can even put in some butterflyattracting plants and other beneficial insects.  Learn about them here.
• Plant more trees and include more Australian Native plants. Even if you live with a balcony or potted garden, there are native that will suit your space that you can find out about here.
• Keep your cats inside and dogs under control, and provide places for lizards to escape attack from pets and prey.
• Encourage birds with a variety of native plants and by putting out clean water.
• There are many edibles in your neighbourhood growing wild if you know where to look.Growing your own food can reduce green miles, increase freshness and flavour.
• Recycle your organic waste rather than throw it out – get a worm farm or start a compost.
• Reduce your use of personal, household and garden chemicals.

Read more on our 5 Steps to a Sustainable LifeBlog

This June, our NEW IN range will launch instore and online and bring with it a lot of fresh looks across pots, vases and glassware.  Our bestselling tripods are back in new colours and styles and are just perfect for when you are looking to elevate your plants.

There will be 25% off all baskets storewide making it the ideal time to buy 3 to create your own cluster!  Zanzibar gems will also be 25% off from June 1-23.  

Our new plant and basket combo will feature the stunning Peace Lily paired with the Arlo basket, available in Small and Medium.  Peace lilies are known for more than just their good looks as they are one of the best plants for wellness with air purifying superpowers. They are also perfect for beginners as they tell you when they need a drink by their lush leaves looking sad and they can be placed in areas with lower light.

Visit us instore or online today and be inspired.

25% OFF ZANZIBARS

With their striking, oval, dark green leaves and their easy going personality the ZZ plant, or Zanzibar Gem, could easily be your next best friend.  They don’t give you any hassle and quite happily thrive on neglect, making them the perfect accessory to your busy life. When you do happen to give them some attention, give their lovely leaves a shine with a damp washcloth as nobody looks good with blocked pores!

NEW WELLNESS DUO

Our new duo features the absolute queen of the plant wellness world - the Peace Lily paired in our best-selling ARLO basket. This plant beauty is an absolute all-rounder, delivering maximum air purification through its lush glossy leaves and is one of the few indoor plants to reveal a stunning tall white flower in Spring.

Our best-selling ARLO basket is hand made in natural fibres and comes in a neutral colour.

Available in 2 sizes these wellness duos are a must-have for any home or make an incredible gift for someone special.

Bees are crucial to food security, with many of the world’s main food crops pollinated by them.  Australia has honeybees, imported not long after colonization, but also thousands of species of native bees, the majority of which are solitary bees, rather than live in hives.  These are vital in pollinating our Australian native plants or form a key part of our ecosystem.

As gardeners, your role is vital.  Not only can you include a variety of nectar rich plants in your yard and even balcony, but you can also provide a home by including a bee hotel somewhere at your place. Shallow bowls of water with pebbles and a stick in them, to make sure bees have access to clean water and don’t drown.  Probably the most important thing you can do is be mindful of the chemicals you use and when they are applied.  They should NEVER be used when bees are foraging, and systemic poisons should not be used when plants are in flower.  Even simple things like mowing your grass in the evening after bees have ‘gone to bed’ will help and allowing the clover in your lawn to flower.

Flowers of course are where all the action takes place as far as bees are concerned.  Native plants like bottlebrush, grevilleas, native rosemary and tea trees are preference by native bees, but they also love some exotics like daisies, buddleia, lavender, rosemary, salvia and abelia, which are also favourites of the honeybee.

One of the most important things to prioritize if you want to have a healthy bee population is to be careful about your use of any pesticides or herbicides. Bees are particularly sensitive to poisoning, so avoid chemicals if possible and certainly never use them when bees are foraging.  Remember some are system, meaning the active constituent is within the plant and travels to all parts including the flowers, which can then accidentally be transferred to bees when they are feeding.  These are best avoided completely.

If you can, buy local honey and honey products that supports your local beekeepers.  Always buy Australian made honey rather than imported honey.  If you want to have a hive of your own, contact your local beekeepers association and join; they will guide you through the intricacies of having your own apiary.  More broadly, supporting farmers using sustainable farming practices also helps bees, as these support biodiversity.

Lastly, for a bit of fun, why not join the 2021 global Waggle Dance Challenge, which is an attempt to get 20,000 ‘waggle dance’ videos uploaded from 20 countries in 20 days.  You can upload your video anytime till 7pm on the 15^th May, and it’s free and fun!

By Meredith Kirton

Eden Unearthed returns for its fifth year of stunning installations among flowers and foliage at Macquarie Park Eden Unearthed, the largest privately funded exhibition of its kind in Australia, returns to Macquarie Parks’ Eden Gardens in Spring. This showcase of works spans over 2.5 acres and prides its self on being philanthropic, unique and thought provoking.

We ask you to submit your idea for a SITE SPECIFIC and SITE RESPONSIVE artwork.  These can range from sculptural pieces, textile to tactical works, interactive sound installations, all capturing something exceptional and ephemeral about our environment, often utilising recycled materials and plant products. We invite works to focusing on the sustainability issues we are currently facing, sparking conversations about recycling, drought and more.

Allan Giddy, one of the Eden Unearthed judges and Director of The Environmental Research Initiative for Art (ERIA) UNSW A&D said, “Opportunities like this, arising out of a genuine desire to support and propagate (to use a horticultural metaphor) visual art, serve both to expand the field of practice, and also to expose the general public to the latest in 21st century visual thinking.” This sprawling exhibition is free to all and runs for a six-month period with the first prize being awarded $10,000.

Student and practising artists are invited to submit their works.  For more information, or to book into to an explanatory tour at 10am Saturday 29^th May, 2021.  contact the curator@edengardens.com.au.  Other times can be arranged by appointment on the 20^th, 21^st, 27^th and 28^th May. 

For more information check out our application pack here https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r_y7ccE7RnzBrbMnrcVz-t051YPn3gCp7YaRfKOoDGI/edit?usp=sharing

Over 50 years ago on the 22^{nd of}April, 1970 the first Earth Day took place.  In our gardens and balconies, we can still do our bit to encourage backyard biodiversity and do our bit to reduce water waste, cut our use of dangerous chemicals and make sustainable lifestyle choices that are good for both our well-being and that of the Earth’s.

Some key learnings from these about things you can do RIGHT NOW are:

• Encourage native bees – even get a hive.
• Keep your cats inside and dogs under control.
• Provide places for lizards to escape attack from pets and prey.
• Encourage birds with a variety of native plants and by putting out clean water.
• Be ok with spiders – they are great garden guardians.
• If you want to keep honeybees, join your local bee keeping group and get involved first.
• There are many edibles in your neighbourhood growing wild if you know where to look.
• Growing your own food can reduce green miles, increase freshness and flavour.
• Recycle your organic waste rather than throw it out – get a worm farm or start a compost.
• Reduce your use of personal, household and garden chemicals.

Read more on our 5 Steps to a Sustainable Life Blog

 By: Meredith Kirton