Good Organic Gardening

Words Jennifer Stackhouse Stone pine label Common names: Stone pine, umbrella pine Botanical name: Pinus pinea Family: Pinaceae (pine family) Aspect & soil: Full sun to part shade, well-drained soil Best climate: Cool, Mediterranean, temperate Habit:

Words Melissa King Cumquat label Common name: Cumquat or kumquat Botanical name: Fortunella japonica (syn. Citrus japonica) Family: Rutaceae Aspect & soil: Sun; well-drained soil Best climate: Most areas Habit: Evergreen tree Propagation: Seed, cutti

By Jennifer Stackhouse For those who want to make the most of the cooler conditions for an early-spring harvest, plant broad beans, peas and brassicas. In very cold areas, postpone planting peas until late winter. Broad beans are tall, brittle plants

The aroma of a fresh quince is sweet, delicate and almost citrusy — and it’s de finitely unique. Peeling releases their fragrant, almost-floral scent, and spiced cooked quinces will fill your home with the nicest aroma! Pairing quince with coconut va

Words Jennifer Stackhouse Tamarind label Common name: Tamarind Botanical name: Tamarindus indica Family: Fabaceae (pea family) Aspect & soil: Full sun to light shade; moist soil Best climate: All Habit: Evergreen tree (may be briefly deciduous in dry

Words & photos Claire Bickle Natural handcrafts are back in vogue with more people wanting to reduce their carbon footprint, avoid plastics, reject consumerism and return to some of the old ways of living. Weaving is a great example — and a way to ut

Words Melissa King Loquat label Common name: Loquat, Japanese medlar, Chinese plum Botanical name: Eriobotrya japonica Family: Rosaceae Aspect & soil: Sun; well-drained soil Best climate: All areas Habit: Evergreen shrub or tree Propagation: Seed, cu

Words Jennifer Stackhouse Chilli label Common name: Chilli, pepper Botanical name: Capsicum annuum Family: Solanaceae Aspect & soil: Sun; well-drained soil Best climate: Cool to tropical Habit: Biennial vegetable Propagation: Seed, seedling Difficult

Words Melissa King If you’ve got room for just one crop in the garden, make it leafy and green. Lettuces are quick and easy to grow and bring a variety of colour and flavour to the garden and plate. On the menu of varieties, you’ll find hearting type

Words Linda Brennan Many of the bees you see buzzing around your garden, busily collecting nectar and pollen are Apis mellifera, or honey bees. The first hive of these foreign honey bees was brought to Tasmania from Liverpool, England, in 1821 on the

COMMON NAME: COMMON SPOTTED LADYBIRD SCIENTIFIC NAME: HARMONIA CONFORMIS, FAMILY COCCINELLIDAE The common spotted ladybird is one of the largest of the worldwide family of coccinellids, named for the Latin word for scarlet, though here it can be more

Words Jennifer Stackhouse Garlic label Common name: Garlic Botanical name: Allium sativum Family: Amaryllidaceae (formerly Alliaceae) Aspect & soil: Sun; well-drained soil enriched with compost Habit: Bulb Needs: Regular water Propagation: Bulb Diffi

JUST $49 A YEAR We are Australia’s most popular garden magazine and our club has more members than our leading AFLclub. Our members are inspired by visiting three of Australia’s finest summer gardens with espalier orchards and subtropical food border

Words Kerry Boyne Beetroot label Common name: Beetroot, table beet Botanical name: Beta vulgaris Family: Chenopodiaceae (spinach family) Requires: Sun, well-drained soil free of lumps Best climate: All Habit: Annual Propagation: Seed, seedling Diffic

Apples, avocado, banana, cumquat, custard apple, dates, feijoa, grapes, kiwifruit, lemon, lime, mandarin, nashi, (chestnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, (Navel), nuts azelnuts, walnuts), orange vel), pears, persimmon, pomegranate, quince, rhubarb Asian green

COMPILED BY JO IMMIG A recent spray drift incident involving the notorious herbicide 2,4-D, which damaged more than 5000 hectares of cotton crops in Northern NSW, has once again put the spotlight on the environmental dangers and financial impacts of

Words & photos Jana Holmer Gillian’s vegie garden is just 15m2 of a quarter-acre block in the Geelong suburb of Belmont, but you could say farming is in her blood. She can’t remember when she started gardening — possibly at seven or eight years old.

Words Jennifer Stackhouse Wasabi label Common name: Wasabi, Japanese horseradish Botanical name: Eutrema japonicum syn. Wasabia japonica Family: Brassicaceae Aspect & soil: Well-watered pot or hydroponic Best climate: Cool (around 16°C) Habit: Slow-g

Words Jennifer Stackhouse Frangipani label Common names: Frangipani, plumeria Botanical name: Plumeria rubra Family: Apocynaceae (dogbane family) Aspect & soil: Full sun to part shade; well-drained soil Best climate: Mediterranean to tropical Habit:

Words & photos Sandra Tuszynska CYCADS HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN GRAHAME’S HEART. “THEY ONCE COVERED AUSTRALIA AND WERE A PRIMARY FOOD SOURCE FOR SOME DINOSAUR SPECIES.” In 2010, the desire for a tree change took Grahame and Cathy Jackson to Peachester

Words & photos Angelo Eliades BEING UNIVERSAL, THESE PRINCIPLES CAN BE APPLIED TO ANY LOCATION, CLIMATE AND CULTURE, AS WELL AS ANY SCALE, FROM AN APARTMENT BALCONY TO A LARGE-SCALE FARM OR VILLAGE. As organic gardeners, we aspire to garden in ways t

Words Kerry Boyne Photos Lauren Booth & Kerry Boyne When Lauren Booth and I sit down to lunch at Bellbird Dining & Bar, almost everything on our plates has been grown by her, less than 100m from where we sit. The restaurant is part of the Casula Powe

Late autumn means it’s still a good time in most regions to get all those lovely health-giving brassicas and root vegetables into the garden. Winter has officially arrived and, while it’s a quieter time for planting in cooler regions, there’s lots to

Words Megg Miller Guinea fowl are the landowner’s friend. They avidly hunt grasshoppers and other insects and will tackle all weed seed you can provide. These busy birds put in a good day’s work and are prepared to offer 24-hour watchdog skills as we

By Jennifer Stackhouse Brassicas, including kale, cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, are magnets for cabbage white butterflies and their larvae. They can destroy entire crops. Regularly inspect the leaves and stems for these very hungry green ca

I’m going back to my Italian roots with soft garlic polenta here, a wintry dish that’s both hearty and light. The sweet balsamic beet cheeks and red onion just melt in your mouth and the black olives add a salty balance. It definitely will impress di