Good Organic Gardening

Everything old is new again. The future of farming just might be the way it was done in the past: on small holdings with a variety of crops aimed at feeding a local community. These days, the buzzword is microfarming. For a century or more, farming h

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 toxic-free future. She has written many arti

Every year the National Trust of South Australia holds a national competition to find the country’s best marmalade. The winning marmalade then gains entry to the world stage via a competition known as the World’s Original Marmalade Awards, held at Da

A horticulturist, writer and passionate organic gardener, Chloe is co-owner and presenter of the web-based series The Gardenettes and has been a regular presenter on The Garden Gurus. The mother of two little boys, she has a great following of Austra

Collards are the oldest members of the brassica family. Often thought to have originated in the eastern Mediterranean, they’re more likely to have descended from Asian wild cabbages before recorded history. The greens made their way to Africa where t

When David Zhao and Susan Liu sold their milk bar in Highton, Victoria, and moved with daughters Amy and Angel to a house nearby where David could pursue his love of gardening, in a real sense it was a return to his childhood roots. David’s mother Pe

Western Australian radio listeners with the slightest interest in gardening will know who Sabrina Hahn is. A horticultural journalist and consultant, urban forest planner, landscape designer, tour guide and podcaster, she’s been a presenter on ABC Ra

There are more than 30 species of paper wasps in Australia but the native paper wasp is the only one that builds its nest in plain sight. And what a grand design it is: a combo of plant fibres mixed with saliva and chewed to the consistency of papier

As I sit down to interview Rob Pekin, I cast my mind back to when I first met him, more than 10 years ago. I had invited him to speak to my students on the topic of sustainable business ideas. He was on a mission to change the world one food box at a

Originating in eastern Europe, the Mediterranean and southern Russia, dill has been enjoyed for thousands of years and is ubiquitous in the cuisines of those regions as well as Scandinavia. Its flavour is like a cross between fennel and caraway. Alth

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

Arnica is one of those well-known remedies that many keep in the medicine cupboard. If you sustain a bad bruise, you might reach for a tube of arnica — but have you ever stopped to wonder just what it is? Before it gets into that useful tube of ointm

I blame Popeye. He was the one who popularised spinach as a superfood, creating ongoing confusion for Australian gardeners because here silverbeet is commonly called spinach and spinach is less well known. Gardeners can be forgiven for the confusion

Unless you’re a herb enthusiast, chervil is one you might never have come across, let alone used. I’d describe it as parsley’s more delicate, lesser-known cousin. The flavour is like a gentle cross between aniseedy tarragon and parsley but, unlike th

“Millions of peaches, peaches for me …” If you’d like to be singing this while picking armfuls of peaches from your own tree in summer, now is a great time to plant one — or two! During winter, when the trees are dormant, peaches are available barero

Cumquats are the smallest of the citrus clan but each little fruit’s sour but tangy flavour packs a punch. Neat, tidy and evergreen, they are also extremely ornamental, bedecked with golden fruit during winter when we’re in need of a bit of garden ch

Breathtaking photographs of row upon row of purple flowers have helped lavender capture the public imagination. These are commercial crops of English lavender grown and harvested for oil as well as for their fragrant flowers and many such farms are n

Nature and art are synonymous with creativity and health benefits. So what better than a piece of living art that will grow on you (or for you)! It takes few tools, little effort and not many dollars to produce an aesthetically and emotionally pleasi

It’s easy to fall for peafowl. They’re often colourful and exotic additions to the grounds of historic houses or public gardens, the hens sitting around indolently while the males shimmer and shake to all and sundry. How gorgeous! Stop! Put the walle

ome of our wildlife species have learned to adapt to urban areas and outer fringes and some have even thrived there. Many, unfortunately, have not. With knowledge, careful planning, understanding and consideration, every person in every backyard can

The underlying foundation of sustainable gardening is the natural harmony that exists between species in the wild. Many plants have evolved to grow better alongside certain others and we emulate this phenomenon in the practice of companion planting.

Just over 18 years ago, southwest of Hobart in the foothills of Mount Wellington, James Hutchinson set up Longley Organic Farm. It was an idea whose time had certainly come. James could see shortfalls in the longevity and business feasibility of comm

Apple, avocado, banana, cumquat, custard apple, dates, feijoa, grapes, kiwifruit, lemon, lime, mandarin, nashi, nuts (chestnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, walnuts), orange (navel), pear, persimmon, pomegranate, quince, rhubarb Asian greens, beetroot, brocc

84 Overnight Loaded Pumpkin Shakshuka 85 Kale & Mushroom Strata 86 Twelve-Hour Pork & Sobrasada with Tomato, White Wine & Pecorino 87 Yuzu Lemon Pudding with Lemon Crumble This is an edited extract from Slow Victories by Katrina Meynink published by

• Plant a good range of brassicas including Asian greens. Broccoli, cabbage and kale are particularly easy growers, but cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are well worth the effort.• Put in plenty of peas, including sugar snap and snowpeas, as well as

SERVES 6 The addition of pumpkin is a win here, sort of like it has always belonged. And if ever there was a versatile brunch dish, this is it. If you need to bulk it out, try stirring through some Israeli couscous and some roughly torn cavolo nero.

SERVES 6 • 2 tbsp olive oil• 30g butter• ½ onion, finely chopped• 225g mixed mushrooms• 2 tbsp marjoram or lemon thyme leaves• 200g (4 cups) cubed, day-old sourdough (crusts on)• 150g (2 cups) chopped cavolo nero• 6 eggs• 250mL (1 cup) full-cream (wh

• 1½ tbsp olive oil• 1 onion, finely chopped• 1 leek, washed, white part only, finely sliced• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped• 200g mild sobrasada (cured pork sausage), finely chopped• 1kg boneless pork shoulder, cut into pieces• 200mL white wine• 2 ×

SERVES 4-6 A little bit of a spin on the old-school lemon pud. Such a spectacular favourite and, here, the punch of yuzu adds a depth and complexity of flavour. I absolutely adore yuzu. It can be a little hard to source, so I have made this dish both

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By Lucy Legan, Planet Schooling Press, $45 Lucy Legan has spent 20 years working with children and young adults at Epocentro IPEC, a permaculture learning facility in Brazil. Conceived during lockdown and crowdfunded online, Planet Schooling is an En

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• Dig up and divide perennial vegies if you haven’t already done so and plant some new ones. Try something different such as Jerusalem artichoke — great for creamy winter soups.• Continue planting brassicas and peas of all kinds to ensure constant cr

Warming and soothing Chai is a centuries-old beverage and an important part of everyday Indian life. Black tea and pepper boost the immune and digestive systems, while Ceylon cinnamon and cloves help retain good mental health and boost immunity. Chai

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When I was a child I was always intrigued by the nursery rhyme Little Nut Tree that featured the lines, “I had a little nut tree and nothing would it bear / But a silver nutmeg and a golden pear.” Even back then it didn’t make sense and a quick Googl

Australian flora is unusual among ornamentals in that it’s almost exclusively evergreen, meaning of course that our plants do not go dormant in winter — indeed, there are a number that flower profusely through the coldest season. Not only does this p