GARDEN guru, author, radio host and song-and-dance man.
Bill Lewis wears a number of caps and is as active as ever in retirement.
During his working career, he was a senior technical officer at the CSIRO for three decades, specialising in citrus, dried grapes and avocados.
He also wrote a CSIRO booklet called Grafting & Budding – A practical guide for fruit and nut plants and ornamentals.
Bill was also a popular figure when he worked for 16 years in Mildura Bunnings’ garden centre before hanging up the olive green apron three years ago.
He’s best known to Sunraysia ABC Radio listeners, though, for this regular Tuesday morning gardening spot, just before the 10am news, with Red Cliffs horticulturist Tom Fagan and Sunraysia Garden Club’s Dianne Dalla Santa.
He backs this up with a Facebook page called Garden guru Bill, where he provides tips for his green-thumb followers.
And now that COVID-19 restrictions are starting to ease, he is preparing to return to the stage with the Musical Society Mildura for its next show, Mamma Mia!, scheduled to open in September.
Previously, he had been a soldier in the local production of Les Miserables and was the Wizard of Oz in Wicked.
Bill comes across as being more cheeky than wicked. But one thing is for sure: he has a lot of gardening know-how, particularly what grows well in his neck of the woods at Mildura South, where he has lived for the past 47 years.
“The soil at my property, as it is for a lot of South Mildura, is not great,” he said.
“This area was originally saltbush flats with the occasional gum tree.
“The soil’s very high in lime, so you have to be careful of what you plant, because not everything will grow in this area.
“There are a lot of choices (for growing plants) though. Native plants, gum trees and the smaller eucalypts will do well.
“Exotic plants that go well here are rosemary, which is very lime-tolerant. I actually have a collection of seven different rosemary varieties.
“There are a few others, like Jerusalem sage, certain daisies and lavender that are good-performing plants here.”
Bill also has fruit trees at his property, including a seedling apple. It is now covered with a fruit-fly net.
“The net works like a charm,” he said. “Not a fruit fly in sight.
“We also have some nice shade trees, with two different types of golden rain trees.
“The front garden is a bit of a wilderness though,” he added with a laugh.
“It needs to be fixed up a bit. That’s a job for another day.”
Do you – or do you know someone who does – have a garden that is worthy of being featured in Sunraysia Daily? Email mtaylor@sunraysiadaily.com.au.
Gardening tips with Emma Marks – Plan your vegie garden
START planning and planting now for your winter crops to ensure a bumper harvest.
Try to get all brassicas, such as cabbage, kale, Asian greens, broccoli and cauliflower in by the start of April.
Nothing beats home-grown vegies, and it’s a great activity to get the whole family involved in.
Plant, plant, plant
WITH air temperatures cooling, the soil still warm and hopefully increased rainfall to increase soil moisture, this makes autumn an ideal time of year to plant, particularly trees, shrubs and perennials.
When the soil is moist and warm, new plantings will establish good root growth before slowing down in winter.
Happy planting.
Emma Marks is the owner of Mildura Garden Supplies, Ontario Avenue
