Good Organic Gardening

I’ve never kept geese — only chooks — but I have a friend who always owns a pair of Chinese geese. I put it that way because every once in a while, sadly, something happens to one and she has to replace her or him. But she would never be without them

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

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

Used to make bland biscuits and invalid food and as a substitute for potato, arrowroot is a plant with a long history in Australia. Gluten free, rich in carbs and best known here as Queensland arrowroot, it was the original source of flour for arrowr

Common names: rooibos, red bush Botanical name: Aspalathus lineraris Family: Fabaceae (pea family) Aspect & soil: Full sun; well-drained sandy soil Best climate: Mediterranean Habit: Shrub Propagation: Seed Difficulty: High Fans of Alexander McCall S

Kale has become so pervasive in our culture it’s hard to remember a time when it wasn’t all over trendy menus and being juiced by the megalitre in smoothies. It’s hailed as a “superfood” and for once that overused epithet seems entirely justified. Lo

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 in growing season Propagation: Bulb Difficulty: Medium I’m sur

Common name: Chamomile Botanical name: Matricaria recutita (German), Chamaemelum nobile (Roman) Family: Asteraceae (daisy family) Aspect & soil: Full sun to part shade; well-drained soil Best climate: Cool, temperate, subtropical Habit: Flowering ann

In its exposed location on the Hunter coast, Fern Bay is either the northernmost suburb of Newcastle or the southernmost region of Port Stephens. Officially, it’s the latter. A high-flying bird would see wetlands and reclaimed dunes bisected by the t

The Bribie Island Butterfly House is in sleepy Bongaree, a suburb on the west side of the Island in Queensland’s Moreton Bay. On a sunny day you can expect to see 50,000 to 100,000 butterfly takeoffs and landings. This fast-growing tourist attraction

1 Ulysses, Papilio ulysses Wingspan: 100–130mm. This very elusive butterfly, with the most divine iridescent turquoise-blue topside wings, is found in the tropics of North Queensland as well as the northern islands of Australia and PNG. Host plants:

Maude is a small rural hamlet half an hour northwest of Geelong. There, Anita and Cable Belousoff have worked hard for three years to get their slice of Victoria into shape. The country is rugged and exposed to heavy winds. Summers are hot and dry an

Mid-autumn in most of Australia means there are still plenty of daytime high temperatures, which in turn means lots to plant in your vegie patch and herb garden. April brings more autumnal conditions as the days become shorter and the nights cooler,

Common name: Apple Botanical name: Malus domestica Family: Rosaceae (rose family) Aspect & soil: Full sun; well-drained soil Best climate: Cool, temperate, subtropical Habit: Deciduous fruiting tree Propagation: Grafting, potted or bare-rooted plants

We are so used to buying a bag of peas from the freezer section of the supermarket that it seems strange to remember that peas grown in the garden come in pods not packets! Fresh peas have lots of appeal because they are sweet and crunchy. Children w

Common name: Fennel, finocchio Botanical name: Foeniculum vulgare Family: Apiaceae Aspect & soil: Sun; well-drained soil Best climate: Cool to subtropical Habit: Perennial herb Propagation: Seed Difficulty: Easy Fabulously fragrant fennel is a deligh

Common names: Leek Botanical name: Allium ampeloprasum Porrum Group (syn. A. pourrum) Family: Alliaceae Aspect & soil: Full sun; regular moisture Climate: All Habit: Annual bulb Propagation: Seed, seedling Difficulty: Easy Leeks are, in my opinion, t

Common name: Hazelnut, cobnut, filbert Botanical name: Corylus avellana Family: Betulaceae (birch family) Aspect & soil: Full sun; well-drained soil Best climate: Cool Habit: Deciduous shrub or small tree Propagation: Whips or suckers Difficulty: Med

A field of rippling grass moving in the wind always grabs my attention — but trying to mimic that look in the garden isn’t easy. Lawn grasses just look untidy when they’re long and most of us don’t want long grass swamping the garden, especially if i

As insect populations plummet and the world, in particular Europe, discusses the alarming prospect of an impending “Insectageddon” or “Insectapocalypse”, are most people even really aware of their growing absence? Do people just see insects as creepy

You’ve probably heard me sell the virtues of aquaponics, which combines fish and plants in a reticulated system. Benefits include low input, minimal water use (only 10 per cent of that used in conventional gardens), low maintenance and reduced fertil

According to the writings of Pliny the Elder, the first-century Roman emperor Tiberius was so fond of cucumbers he demanded his kitchen supply them all year round. A tall order, even in sunny Italy. This the gardeners did by growing the veg in movabl

Consumer choice is what drives organic sales and this is why the OCCAs are a great opportunity for businesses involved to reach out to their customers. By encouraging participation in voting, companies raise awareness of their products, services and

The idea of working in harmony with nature may appeal to many gardeners but that isn’t necessarily how it plays out in in practice. Generally, horticulture and agriculture are taught from the perspective that we are in a perpetual battle against natu

Geese can hiss and flap and appear very frightening, but there is more to them than bluff and bravado. In fact, these intelligent birds can be invaluable on a rural property. You may be allowed to keep them in peri-urban areas but their loud honking

This is one of the most bountiful times in the vegie garden! Keep picking beans, corn, cucumber, squash, tomato and zucchini. Share, swap, bottle and preserve excess harvest — you’ll be pleased you did when winter hits. As autumn progresses summer ve

Collect seed from open-pollinated crops to save for sowing in spring or early summer. Make sure seed is clean and dry, then store it in an airtight container. Clearly label the seed and include the date it was collected. It’s probably time to give up

Both fungal infections and low levels of copper can have big impacts on many plants, including vegetables and fruit. These are conditions that must be addressed — but how best to do that? It has been known for centuries that copper is an effective co

Apples, bananas, berries (raspberry, strawberry), breadfruit, dates, figs, finger limes, grapes, guava, kiwifruit, lemons, limes, mangosteens, melons (honeydew, rockmelon, watermelon), nashi, nectarines, olives, oranges (Valencia), passionfruit, pawp

This dish is a great starter to any meal. The choice of vegetables is up to you. I think the tomato sauce gives the fritters a real lift. Serves 4–6 as part of a shared feast • 2 leeks, finely chopped• butter & olive oil, for frying• 1 carrot, grated

This ku ku dish looks spectacular left whole and cut at the table. It’s also perfect to take on a picnic. Serves 6 • 4 young, firm eggplants, finely sliced with a mandolin• Olive oil & butter, for frying & baking• 3 red onions, finely sliced• 3 garli

This is one of the more famous dishes in Persian cooking. There are many different ways to prepare this very festive dish. I use sour plums to give the sweet-sour flavour that is so prized. The use of fresh herbs is not traditional, but to me it adds

These little, distinctively flavoured biscuits are very easy to make. I have made them a little less sweeter than the Persian taste. You can leave them plain or, as I did, push a little pistachio sliver in the middle, or even a few rose petals. Makes

By David J Mabberley, NewSouth Books, $89.99 When Charles Darwin breezed into Sydney in 1836, he noted “the woods of scrubby trees that bespoke useless sterility” and observed that “everyone complains of the high rents & difficulty in procuring a hou

Stop breaking your back trying to dig your clay soil, stop wasting water trying to keep plants from dying in the hot summer months and start using Earthlife Garden Mate. This easy-to-use, simple soil conditioner combines several products in one. Eart