Good Organic Gardening

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

Mid-summer is a time of growth and productivity, but you may need to protect your new plants with some shade and give them plenty of water if the weather is dry. This month there will be a definite focus on starting off your cooler-season crops from

Basil, beans (dwarf), beetroot, burdock, cabbage, carrot, celeriac, celery, chives, collards, French tarragon, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, marrow, mustard greens, oregano, parsley, radish, salsify, shallots (eschalots), silverbeet, squash, sweet corn, t

• 30cm taro stem, peeled & thinly sliced • 500mL water or chicken stock • 2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped • ¼ pineapple, cubed • Juice 1 lime • 1 tbsp sugar • 1 tbsp fish sauce • 2 fillets bass or salmon • 2 shallots, diced • 2 garlic cloves, finely cho

Words Jennifer Stackhouse Aloe vera is a small succulent with spiky grey-green leaves. It originated in northern Africa and has naturalised through much of Africa and around the Mediterranean. It’s very easy to grow as it readily produces “pups”, or

Words Melissa King IN ITS OWN SPOT Mention the name purple cone flower to most people and you’re likely to get a blank look, but if you talk about echinacea you will probably get instant recognition. It’s a little unusual, I guess, for the scientific

Back in my uni years when I was studying fine arts, I loved the early 20th-century impressionists, chief among them that French master of colour and light, Claude Monet. So when Jennifer Stackhouse suggested waterlilies as her ornamentals feature for

Words Jennifer Stackhouse The bewitching scented oil we know as ylang ylang (pronounced ee-lang ee-lang) is derived from the very fragrant flowers of a tropical tree. The flowers have long, slender, streamer-like petals and smell like a cross between

Words Jennifer Stackhouse IN THE VEGIE PATCH If you’re looking at that jar of gherkins and wondering what they are so you can grow your own, stop wondering and read on. A gherkin is just a small cucumber and is grown in the same way cucumbers are gro

Monarch butterflies appear in large numbers during summer in the urban areas of eastern Australia, South Australia and southwest Western Australia, but are not native to this country. Known to be very strong fliers, they migrated extensively from Nor

Words & photos Fabian Capomolla The oldest record of cauliflower dates back to the sixth century BCE. A member of the cabbage family, the word “cauliflower” comes from the Latin caulis, meaning “cabbage”, and floris, meaning “flower”. They are grown

SERVES 2 • 90g (2 cups) baby spinach leaves • 200g hot smoked trout, sliced • 1 large mango, thinly sliced • 115g (1 cup) bean sprouts • 2 spring onions, thinly sliced • 1 fresh red or green chilli, seeded & thinly sliced • 15g (½ cup) mint leaves,

Words Kerry Boyne This intriguing native spice was first introduced to me on a long-ago visit to Tasmania, where it’s proudly touted as a Tassie specialty. In fact, it’s also native to Victoria and parts of NSW, particularly highland and mountainous

Words Chris Stafford Tired of finding feline calling cards in your garden? Here are four simple solutions. Make a repellent by combining two parts cayenne pepper, three parts dry mustard and five parts flour. Simply mix together and sprinkle. Cats do

Words Melissa King IN THE ORCHARD The pomegranate is among the oldest cultivated fruits, originating from Persia, Afghanistan and surrounding areas. The fruit is striking to look at hanging on the tree, but even more beautiful when you cut it open to

Words Melissa King On a hot summer’s day, a chilled slice of watermelon is right up there with an ice-cold glass of lemonade. Oh-so refreshing! Watermelons are mostly water, so munching your way through a few slices is a pleasant way to hydrate, but

• 2 × 100g skinless chicken breasts • 62g (½ cup) pearl (big) couscous • 1 tsp olive oil • 1 bunch broccolini • Greek-style yoghurt, to serve (optional) Marinade • 2 tsp ground chilli • 2 tsp Middle Eastern spice blend • 2 tsp rice-malt syrup • 2 tsp

By Jennifer Stackhouse The number-one job is to protect soft vegies (such as tomatoes and capsicum) from fruit-fly attack in fruit-fly zones. These pests become more active and prevalent as summer progresses. Use organic fruit-fly baits or traps and,

Words Jennifer Stackhouse IN THE VEGIE PATCH Never be without a few plants of silverbeet in the garden. This long-lasting and easy-to-grow leafy vegetable will ensure there’s always something green and nutritious to harvest for dinner. Silverbeet is

Words & photos Jo Immig Magic happens when people come together with a shared dream and the courage to embrace change. And so it is with friends Jo Rushton, Susie Cameron and Greta Smith, who’ve combined forces as co-creators of Bhavana Organic Farm

By Jennifer Stackhouse Mozzies spoil time in the garden, especially in late summer. In addition to wearing long sleeves and repellents for protection, regularly empty water that’s collected in containers. This removes breeding grounds and reduces mos

Words Carrol Baker Photos Rebecca Leaver & Nick McKinlay AARON USES RAISED GARDEN BEDS AT 10-20CM TO CAPTURE THE SUNLIGHT AND INCREASE DRAINAGE, WITH HOT COMPOST FOR A NUTRIENT BOOST. The sound of wine glasses clinking together amid the soft laughter

Words Megg Miller Global warming is going to make a remarkable difference to animal keeping and, in particular, poultry. The breeds we keep may need to be re-evaluated or tremendous losses may occur; housing will have survival as a driver and owners

Words Jennifer Stackhouse The Impressionist artist Claude Monet made waterlilies famous as garden plants. He grew hardy waterlilies in the large ponds in his garden at Giverny in France and carefully managed the plants to achieve an appealing balance

Words & photos Sandra Tuszynska Zenko and Janine Vukelic are the first people in Australia to be experimenting with growing their home from mulberry trees. Biotecture is not a new concept — rather, it’s a common practice in north-east India, where li

Words Claire Bickle Last issue, we were only just getting started — wetting your appetite, so to speak — with our showcase of aquatic and bog plants that are edible and easily grown, in even the smallest of spaces. Here’s another top five to add to t