Good Organic Gardening

It’s not quite the season for them yet, but it’s just around the corner, and it will be interesting to see how many survive to become the regular summer feature they have been all my life. I’m talking about Christmas beetles, those vibrant, shimmerin

French marigolds are small, cheery plants with hidden powers. Not only do they brighten up gardens with masses of small yellow, red or orange flowers; they can also help battle a serious soil pest. Root knot nematodes, microscopic soil-borne creature

Among extreme weather events, flooding is becoming more common. In 2021, major floods occurred in cities across China, USA, India, Belgium, Germany, Philippines and the UK. Serious flooding hit Australia and South Africa in early 2022. Meanwhile, oth

As one of its common names suggest, this little tropical plant has a long traditional use for controlling toothache pain. Used fresh or dried, the buds or flowers are chewed to stimulate saliva and numb the pain associated with all sorts of mouth pro

Surrounded by native peppermint and paperbark trees, the place we call “Holmer Homestead” is a secluded property in Dardanup West with six paddocks, a dam covered in exotic pink lilies, landscaped gardens, abundant bushland, cheeky wildlife and plent

You haven’t really been there, done that until you’ve grown heirloom beans. These versatile pulses can be used fresh or dried or as podding beans and the heirloom world is full of wondrous colours and patterns. Beans are among the oldest cultivated c

Celery is eaten all over the world and has been since antiquity. Unlike other ancient crops such as grapes and olives, the fibrous plant isn’t exactly a star but a plain food often used to bulk up soups and stews. It originated in the Mediterranean a

Issue after issue, our Gardening Folk features remind us that Australia is a land of immigrants. Take Marlena Salib, who came here from Poland aged six but remembers gardening with her mum back in the old country. After they arrived in Australia, her

Some gardeners start their journey down the garden path early in life. Take Colin and Mary-Ann, whose property — Hilltop Farm in King Scrub, in Queensland’s Moreton Bay hinterland — comprises three acres of cow pasture and two acres of garden. Both g

Spring is most gardeners’ favourite season. It’s such a joy to watch the whole world coming to life with new growth and colourful profusions of flowers. It’s high spring and all the hard work is starting to pay off. Regular feeding, consistent wateri

These maps are simplified versions adapted from climate maps by the Bureau of Meteorology and are only a rough guide. Microclimates can be formed anywhere. ■

There are many different plants that get called spinach. All have edible green leaves — which range in size and palatability — and most are easy and quick to grow and also highly nutritious. Many come from one plant family, Amaranthaceae, but there a

Perfectly petite pumpkins are a joy to grow and fun to eat — and now is the time to plant them. You’ll find the widest range of mini pumpkins as heirloom seeds — and in a rainbow of colours and shapes. So why plant baby pumpkins? They typically grow

Even if you’ve never grown cucamelons before, chances are you’ve spotted them on social media. During summer, these thumb-sized, green-striped mini-melons litter my Instagram feed. What’s all the fuss about? Resembling a miniature watermelon, the cuc

The COVID pandemic has raised awareness of the need to be more self-sustainable and particularly to have a homegrown supply of edibles. If you have the space and live in a warm climate, growing several different varieties of orange (Citrus × sinensis

Productive plants that come up by themselves in the garden are known as volunteers. They grow from seed produced by a previous crop that spread itself in the garden. Not only are they handy but they often perform very well. Cherry tomato, Cape gooseb

Many of us who live in warmer climate zones are resigned to the conventional wisdom that we can’t grow pome or stone fruits, which generally require many hours of temperatures below 7°C to set fruit. With a lot of the common varieties that we see in

A cool shady spot is lovely to escape to as the days warm up but, for the gardener who wants to grow sun-loving flowers and vegetables, that shady spot can be a real challenge. One interesting type of shade is found under the canopy of deciduous tree

Most gardeners are familiar with iconic natives such as banksias and grevilleas, but a lesser-known and perhaps underrated group of native plants called emu bushes is also on its way to becoming a household name. Some species have attracted other com

As every gardener knows, composting is a great way to recycle garden waste and return its nutrients to the soil. Traditional composting methods work well with soft green plant matter, twigs and thin branches that can be chopped quite finely to speed

Do you dream of earning a crust selling your own produce from home? Growing in popularity, microfarms are much easier to venture into than conventional farming. Here we share the stories, insights and advice of three Australians who took the plunge a

With incubator sales soaring, it may seem like the broody hen has been replaced by technology. It’s tempting to buy a small incubator and set it up so the family can follow the evolving embryos then watch the chicks hatch. But little chicks need broo

My childhood summer memories are imprinted with images of beetles that resembled Christmas tree decorations, their shiny bronzed shells massed around the light fittings as old St Nick supposedly descended our chimneys. But these days I see very few C

• The air may be warmer but the ground can still be cool. Hold off on mulching so new plantings get the most from the early spring sun. • It’s time to think about putting in some artichokes (globe and Jerusalem), cabbage, capsicum, chilli, cucumber,

• Spring is positively vaulting by now. By the end of the month, if the threat of frost has passed, you can put in sensitive crops like tomato and cucumber. Other summer vegies to plant now are beans, corn and squash. • October is a top month for pla

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss in older people, affects the central field of vision including the ability to recognise faces. Current treatments for intermediate stages of AMD include special dietary suppleme

Early in the past two years of pandemic lockdowns, one trend soon became apparent — and we’re not talking about the hoarding of toilet paper. Within weeks, garden centres sold out of seedlings, houseplants and point-of-lay chickens. News website The

Perilla is an Asian herbaceous plant, an aromatic leafy vegetable native to mountainous areas from India to China, but cultivated and consumed mainly in Korea, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. A member of the mint family, it has both culinary and medicin

Humans feed their skin with all kinds of beauty products. According to the Australian Academy of Science, off-theshelf products may contain up to 50 ingredients and women typically use as many as 15 preparations daily. This can add up to hundreds of

Nutritious and hearty root vegetables are a staple ingredient in many cuisines. Discover the benefits of our favourite and try our three delicious recipes to make the most of them. With its vibrant purple flesh, beetroot is loaded with essential vita

Apple (Lady Williams), blueberries, custard apple, grapefruit, lemon, lime, mandarin (Imperial), rockmelon, orange (blood, Navel), pawpaw, papaya, pineapple, pomelo, strawberries, tamarillo, tangelo Artichoke (globe), Asian greens, asparagus, beans,

Images and edited text from The Nutmeg Trail by Eleanor Ford, photography by Ola O Smit, published by Murdoch Books, rrp $49.99. SERVES 4 (OR MORE AS A SIDE) Urap is a dish uniquely of its Bali home. It is a true vegetal celebration, particularly goo

Common name: Neon cuckoo bee Scientific name: Thyreus nitidulus Ranging through northern and eastern Australia as well as New Guinea and Indonesia, the neon cuckoo bee is one of nature’s cheats. Bees of the Thyreus genus are sometimes called cloak-an

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