Good Organic Gardening

Words Chris Stafford The term “Asian greens” loosely describes any leafy green veg that might find its way into a bowl anywhere from Seoul to Shanghai, from Kolkata to Kyoto. Or from Cairns to Cabramatta, for that matter. Asian greens have peppery, e

Words Kerry Boyne In any discussion of superfoods, celery rarely gets a mention, yet it was a medicinal plant many centuries before it was a culinary one. It was namechecked in Homer’s Odyssey, recommended by Hippocrates and found in traditional Chin

Words Melissa King Apple berry, native to the eastern states of Australia, grows wild in bushland near the town where I grew up. As a child I remember seeing it clambering over other plants or sprawling along the ground in our local state forest, gro

Words Melissa King If you’ve only ever experienced cabbages that have been overcooked to the point of soggy, you might find it hard to get excited about a whole patch full of them Believe me, though, there’s far more to love about this ancient leafy

Words & photos Claire Bickle There’s nothing like popping out to the garden or verandah and brushing your hands over aromatic and scented plants to relieve the stresses of the day. Herbs are wonderful for that — as well as for your cooking, of course

Words & photos Jana Holmer Seven years ago, Julie (pictured opposite) and Andrew Stafford sacrificed some of their back garden for an in-ground pool. Before construction began, Julie moved her rarer plants to a place she thought would be safe from th

As we head towards the cooler months when we tend to spend a bit more time indoors, why not think about extending your gardening knowledge? Hopefully our magazine is a big help, but there are many ways to get informed and educated, from simply joinin

Words Megg Miller Quail! Their diminutive size and excellent egg lay make them a practical addition to even the smallest backyard. They’re relatively hardy, the hens are quiet, and if you don’t plan to breed them you won’t need Mr Quail. There are nu

COMMON NAME: PAINTED CUP MOTH SCIENTIFIC NAME: DORATIFERA OXLEYI, FAMILY LIMACODIDAE Most caterpillars dream of one day bursting forth from their cocoons as beautiful moths or butterflies. In the case of the slightly dowdy Painted Cup Moth, a denizen

Words & photos Claire Bickle Around 6000 species of worms, from 20 families, exist in the world, with eight families found in Australia. A mix of native and introduced species live in soils and leaf litter, under logs and stones and in trees. There a

Apples, bananas, berries (raspberry, strawberry), breadfruit, dates, figs, finger limes, grapes, guava, kiwifruit, lemons, limes, mangosteens, melons (honeydew, rockmelon, watermelon), nashi, nectarines, olives, oranges (Valencia), passionfruit, pawp

COMPILED BY JO IMMIG Jo is an environmental scientist, photographer and writer. She has worked in the environment movement for decades and is co-ordinator of the National Toxics Network, an organisation dedicated to creating a toxicfree future. She h

Words & photos Linda Brennan Labyrinths are ancient patterns re-created in landscapes to provide a space for a walking meditation or as part of a religious ritual. Traditionally, they have been used to reduce stress and induce feelings of calm, spiri

Words Jennifer Stackhouse Autumn is planting time for members of the brassica family. Broccoli is one of the many brassicas grown in backyards during winter and is one of the easiest of all to grow. Their green heads are often called “trees” by mums

Words Jennifer Stackhouse Fuchsias are best known for their dainty, ballerina-like flowers, but some species and varieties have another string to their bow: they produce black, red or purple edible berries. Fuchsia magellanica is a good source of ber

By Jennifer Stackhouse COOL & TEMPERATE The warm soils of early autumn provide ideal conditions for planting crops for winter and spring harvests. Over the month ahead, night-time temperatures get colder and so will the soil. For now, though, summer

Words & photos Sandra Tuszynska Universities are hubs of innovation, environments that encourage thinking outside the square. While gardening is not conventionally thought of as a valuable study resource in tertiary education, the Monash Permaculture

By Jennifer Stackhouse COOL & TEMPERATE Pumpkins are ready to eat and store. Ripe pumpkins are heavy and sound drummy when rapped with the knuckles. To store them over winter, harvest with a small piece of stem attached. Carefully inspect fruit and o

Words Jennifer Stackhouse Though best known in Australia as inula, this familiar yellow flower has several other common names, including one with a fairytale ring to it: elecampane. Other names, such as elfdock, elfwort and horse-heal, sound straight

Words Melissa King Lilly pilly is native to rainforests along the east coast of Australia from northern Queensland to Victoria and even King Island, but for a rainforest tree it is surprisingly versatile and can be grown in warmer and cooler areas an

Words Carrol Baker Photos Carrol Baker & Fittons Meet James and Abi, two pintsized gardeners who love nothing more than hanging out in the patch, planting, weeding and harvesting, ably assisted by Mum and Dad, Carol and Shaun Fitton. Digging in the e

Kim had been an avid vegie gardener for a number of years and knew by trial and error what mostly did well in her patch. But she wanted to know why some things flourished sometimes and failed miserably at other times. Then a “Suggested Post” popped u

It may officially be mid-autumn, but there are still plenty of high temperatures and lots to plant in your vegie patch and herb garden. This month we’ll see more autumn-type weather as the days get shorter and the nights cooler, and the end of the we

Words Jennifer Stackhouse If you think of a radish as a small, round, crunchy red vegetable, you may need to think again. Radishes are round but they can also be cylindrical or long and slightly tapering. They also vary in colour. There’s the well-kn

Make the most of your garden after sunset with the HOLMAN app-operated Bluetooth range of garden lighting. It’s 100-per-cent DIY-friendly and easy to install as a weekend project. The range features spotlights, deck lights and path lights, which are

Words Jennifer Stackhouse As we move from the long, warm days of summer to the shorter, cooler days of autumn, it’s time to think about providing flowers for nectar and pollen for bees and other insects through the colder months ahead. In areas with