Good Organic Gardening

The United Nations has declared a Decade on Ecosystem Restoration as an urgent rallying cry to heal the planet. It’s a monumental undertaking aimed at preventing further damage and halting or reversing the degradation of ecosystems on every continent

If you’re struggling to clear land of this persistent native fern you may never have thought of it as having any value. Certainly, bracken has many downsides, particularly for agriculture and horticulture, as it’s poisonous to livestock and also com

Rubus, often collectively called bramble bushes, are distinguishable from other berries by their fruit composed of an aggregate of drupelets. In plain English, you’ll know a rubus berry because the small fruits look like shiny pearls clustered togeth

One of my favourite childhood memories is Sunday night pie made with rhubarb straight from the garden. While we may think this plant has a European origin, it actually came from Asia over 5000 years ago and then found its way to the Middle East and o

Kakadu plum is a bush food that’s showing lots of commercial promise. It is very high in vitamin C, possibly the highest known natural source of this important vitamin. One recent study showed it to have 900 times more vitamin C than blueberries. Its

Over 10 years I lived in about 25 share houses, so when we landed in our home as owners in early 2013 we were more than ready to get stuck into it. After almost four years (and one baby) in our home with no driveway access, we managed to purchase the

Jetto’s Patch is Michele and Dario Franzinelli’s garden in Maida Vale, a suburb at the base of the foothills east of Perth. Home to every fruit, herb and vegetable you can imagine, it’s plainly the result of years of work. Both were introduced to gar

On an 800m2 block in Brisbane’s inner southern suburbs there’s a little family who’s all about gardening. Lee Sorbello, husband Charles and their two young children love playing and living in their garden. It’s their soul food in these crazy busy tim

Why not accompany those second crops of tomatoes with their natural flavour companion, basil? This fast-growing summer herb grows well while temperatures are warm and the days are long and sunny. It thrives in any warm garden, in a raised vegetable g

Mid-summer is a time of high productivity but the heat can be very harsh. Protect your plants with some shade and keep the watering consistent if the weather is dry. This month you can start thinking about sowing some cooler-season crops, but you may

Many people enjoy the tasty, salty and slightly floral flavour of capers without realising these tiny morsels are the edible unopened flower buds from the caper plant. From the same plant comes the caperberry, which is the fruit that arrives after fl

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. ■

Tomatoes are the stars of summer vegetable gardens everywhere. In midsummer, these tall, pungent vines are laden with fruit. Even as you harvest what’s ready to eat, there’s still time to plant a late crop now so you’ll have fresh, sun-ripened tomato

An easy and rewarding warm-season crop, sweet potato is not even remotely related to the potato but is a member of the morning glory family Convolvulaceae, originating in South America. It’s thought the perennial vine was domesticated around 2500 BCE

A promising crop of figs is starting to swell on my huge backyard fig tree. It’s a ‘Brown Turkey’ and it has already had one crop. Sadly, in my cold Tasmanian climate, this developing crop will come to nothing as the long hot days of summer give way

One of my absolute favourite fruits, but not often seen for sale in fruit shops because of its soft skin and perishability. Origin: Highland regions of Andes Mountains in Ecuador. Height: 2–2.5m. Climate: Subtropical to warm temperate. Light frost is

There is nothing as exotic as liliums, which are star plants in summer gardens due to their tall stems, large trumpet flowers and wonderful perfume. I grow many liliums in my garden and particularly enjoy the way the white and light-pink varieties se

There are so many Australian bush fruits available these days it’s possible to create an orchard solely based on the interesting flavours, textures and colours of the various species available. There’s also been a considerable amount of genetic impro

The health benefits of spending time in our gardens are well known. But when we can’t be outdoors among the greenery, we can still enjoy some of the benefits by bringing nature into our homes. Indoor plants don’t always have to be ornamental; they ca

Recently, after a night of gale-force winds, my friend Kaye sent me a photo of a cluster of ladybirds that had taken refuge under the loose bark on a gumtree but the bark had been dislodged by the wind. Kaye had no idea her garden was harbouring thes

Everyone loves frogs. For gardeners, the noisy presence of amphibian life doesn’t mean insomnia — it’s a sign that everything is green and hunky-dory in your patch. Ecologically speaking, the frog is like the proverbial canary in a coalmine: no frogs

Chooks are no longer birds that eke out a living up the back in a bare yard. We’ve realised that while they are small their personalities are huge. Besides laying eggs and producing fertiliser, fowls can be rewarding pets as well. Perhaps the biggest

• In cooler areas, where the sun isn’t too warm, try putting in some herbs (basil, parsely, sage, dill), though coriander will probably go straight to seed.• Vegies to consider as the weather heats up include spring onions, leeks, lettuce and zucchin

• While it’s still warm, put in some lettuce, spinach and silverbeet. Asian greens can go in at the end of the month as can broccoli, leeks and spring onions as nights start to cool down. The same with garlic, but best hold off on herbs for now — tho

Native to Asian wetlands, gotu kola — also known as Indian or Asiatic pennywort, arthritis plant or centella (its botanical name is Centella asiatica) — is a member of the parsley family. In India it’s revered as the mother of all herbs and the most

This study included 49,400 women and 27,800 men who were followed for more than 20 years. The subjects completed questionnaires about their intake of various foods as well as undertaking assessments of their cognitive abilities. Food intake allowed t

When I say “fry-up”, what do you think of? Fried eggs and sausages smothered in tomato sauce? The smell of sizzling, smoky bacon wafting through the room? Or maybe the crispiness of a hash brown straight out of the oven? Now, take a minute to reflect

Before cosmetic products existed, people used herbs, oils, spices, mud and even insects in their beauty regimes. Cleopatra’s go to shade of lipstick was created from ground carmine beetles or mud mixed with water. Many of these beauty ingredients hav

1 cup organic olive oil¼ cup chamomile flowers¼ cup calendula flowers ¼ cup infused oil¼ cup beeswax There are three options detailed below for making the infused oil for the healing balm: solar infusion, time infusion and heat infusion. In a clean 1

98 Italian-style Spinach Torte 99 Ramen Noodle Salad with Chicken, Ginger & Spring Onion 100 Prawn, Tomato, Nectarine & Hazelnut Salad 101 Raspberry & Vanilla Bavarois Images and text from Everything I Love to Cook by Neil Perry, photography by Petri

Apricot, avocado, banana, berries, carambola (starfruit), cherry (Morello sour), currants (red currant, black currant), grapes, lemon, limes, lychee, mango, melons, nectarine, passionfruit, peach, pear (Paradise, Williams), pineapple, plum, prickly p

SERVES 4 This free-form pie is delicious and simple. For a great little side to go with it, cut up some cherry tomatoes and dress with good olive oil and red wine vinegar, then sprinkle with shichimi togarashi. 1. First make the pastry. Put the flour

SERVES 4 AS PART OF A SHARED MEAL, OR 2 AS A ONE-DISH MEAL Ramen noodles are wheat noodles that contain no egg but instead use lye water to bind them, giving them their prized chewiness. You might not think it when you read the menu, but for me this

SERVES 4 Ripe tomatoes and nectarines make a killer combination in summer: at the peak of their season, both are deliciously sweet, especially when matched with the natural sweetness of prawns. The sharpness of lime off sets all the sweetness, and th

SERVES 8–10 This bavarois was on my first dessert menu at Barrenjoey House in Palm Beach, way back in 1982, but this cracker of a summertime dessert is just as relevant today as it was all those years ago. • 4 gelatine leaves• 5 egg yolks• 200g caste

By Costa Georgiadis, HarperCollins, $45 “I believe in gardening the soil as well as the soul.” Behind Costa Georgiadis’ affable and hirsute exterior beats the heart of an eco-philosopher. One of Australia’s most loved TV presenters, the Gardening Aus

Common name: Passionvine hopper Scientific name: Scolypopa australis With its delicate lacework wings, the passionvine hopper may look cute but it’s considered a pest both in its native Australia and in New Zealand, where it arrived 150 years ago. Li

As the new year unfolds, so do the exquisite gardens we have found to inspire you throughout the year. Featuring striking photography and illustrations of beautiful blooms, grand gardens and outback oases, these 2022 calendars and diaries capture the

the latest trends, inspiration and projects from the country’s top designs and creatives the latest products the leading professionals who can help your renovation, no matter how big or small

As the New Year unfolds, so do the exquisite gardens we have found to inspire you throughout the year, with each week enhanced by inspiring words from literary greats, keen gardeners through the ages and some surprising celebrities. Featuring strikin

I once knew someone who was seriously bothered by the sound of frogs. It’s the thing I remember most about this person. He claimed he couldn’t sleep through the noise of even one frog in his neighbourhood — and the problem was a few of the close neig