Good Organic Gardening

We live in the large area that was declared the Red Zone when the varroa outbreak was first detected in the Port of Newcastle. Some of my friends had to kill their honeybees and have their hives stand empty. The authorities, meanwhile, euthanised lar

A study of oysters in the Richmond River estuary in the NSW Northern Rivers has detected 21 pesticides including herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. Each oyster had on average detectable levels of nine different pesticides, among them diuron, at

The plant: A large-headed kale with leaves as decorative as they are delicious, this is a stunning addition to the vegie patch or parterre. The white central leaves are encircled by bright-green foliage, heavily rippled to create an eye-catching disp

Weevils are rarely considered beneficial insects but scientists at Australia’s CSIRO have identified some that use their powers for good — not evil. Of our thousands of native species, only 4110 of which have been described, many are outright pests t

Okra is an unusual vegetable as it is part of the hibiscus family and related to cotton and ornamental hibiscus. It’s also both ornamental and productive and can be grown in the vegie patch, in the garden or even in a large pot. The part we eat is th

Quandong is a parasitic tree that thrives in harsh conditions to produce edible fruit. The number of local names for it (see label) indicates its extensive use, especially among desert communities. It is also a very ancient tree that was once widespr

Run out of spinach? Has your own crop bolted to flower or are this week’s supermarket offerings below par? Have your leafy greens gone to mush at the back of the fridge or are you simply — perish the thought — tired of spinach? There’s no shortage of

Parsnip is an old-fashioned root vegetable that often gets overlooked in comparison to its more popular cousin the carrot. A slow-growing crop, it thrives in areas with cool to cold winters and the sweetest parsnips will be those kissed by a good win

Dynes Austin’s Tamborine Mountain garden was already well underway when he finally bit the bullet and did a 12-week permaculture design course, something he’d been hankering to do for some time. Since then, everything he does has been influenced by p

Galloway Springs is a thriving 200-acre farming enterprise near Bridgetown, around 270km south of Perth. Raquel and Murray Johnson, who bought the property eight years ago, run four land leases, a farm shop that sells their own produce as well as tha

Friends and family thought Donna and Kevin Easton were crazy when they relocated from Dalyellup to Woorree, an eastern suburb of Geraldton in Western Australia. She resolved to move her dragonfruit plants there, too, as well as many varieties of figs

Late autumn is a great time in most regions to get brassicas and root vegies in the ground — and don’t forget the peas, including sugar snap and snowpeas Time to think about fruit trees and, although it’s a quieter time for planting vegies in cooler

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

Late spring and early summer would not be complete without a backyard mulberry feast: standing beneath the tree enjoying handfuls of the sun-warmed ripe, dark-purple fruit — preferably not wearing white. If stained fingers, faces and clothes aren’t y

Many of the peas you see in the supermarket freezer are grown near where I live in rural northwest Tasmania. Harvest time is usually through the night as the fields are picked and the peas podded and snap frozen before being trucked off to the factor

Many ripe fruits have a delicious scent — strawberry, mango, pineapple, peach and tomato, to name a few favourites — but tamarillo has a heady perfume when the plant flowers. It’s a real surprise to smell such an exotic perfume wafting through the ve

It’s hard to think of a dinner I cook that doesn’t include garlic. I love the stuff — and homegrown really does taste so much better than store bought. It may be a slow grower but the great thing about it is that in a 1m2 space, with very little effo

If you’re a mum or a grandmother, you may well be enjoying a cyclamen in pride of place indoors right now. In Australia, a cyclamen in a pot is a popular gift for Mother’s Day, which falls when these charming potted plants are at peak blooming. In re

There are few more pleasing sights than a boronia in full bloom in the Australian bush, often acting as a harbinger of springtime. Mass displays of colourful blossoms combined with delicate floral perfumes and cut-flower qualities add to the allure o

Pollination is all the buzz, if you’ll excuse the pun, and that buzz is all about bees. Got fruit trees? Pollination is vital if you want to harvest a crop. While most flowers need pollination to develop fruit, many fruit trees make pollination far f

People often ask me, “How is it that you are able to harvest fruit in the first year of planting a young tree, while our trees are five years old and half the size with no fruit?” When I tell them the formula I have developed they’re surprised. Conve

In urban and suburban environments, gardeners face the perennial challenge of growing edible plants in shaded areas. You can’t always choose how much sun your patch gets when there are neighbouring buildings, fences and trees blocking the sun and thr

When you keep poultry there are always jobs to be done, such as lice and mite control and the occasional pedicure. And if you keep a breed that yearns for the high life, some judicious wing trimming will keep both feet on the ground. These basic task

• If you haven’t already tried it, drop everything and start growing garlic, a slow but rewarding crop. A good rule of thumb: plant on Anzac Day, harvest around Remembrance Day. Simply stick separate cloves of organic garlic — skin on, pointy end up

• Continue planting out brassicas — broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower — to ensure constant cropping through the cooler months before the cabbage white butterflies get busy. Consider some sage as a companion for brassicas as it’s said t

This is an edited extract from Healthiest Vegetables by Emily Ezekiel, published by Hardie Grant Books. Available in stores nationally. Photography by Issy Croker. Healthiest Vegetables focuses on 15 of the most nutrient-rich vegetables, including sw

MAKES: 9 LARGE MUFFINS PREP / COOK TIME: 15 min. / 20 min. VEGETARIAN / NUT-FREE These fluffy, light, and zesty muffins are great for picnics, light lunches, and snacks. They are full of vitamin C. Serve with a zesty green salad. • 6½ cups (200g) bab

SERVES: 2 PREP / COOK TIME: 10 MIN. / 20 MIN. VEGETARIAN / GLUTEN-FREE This is a warming green breakfast/brunch, all done in one pan and with minimal prep. Serve with warm flatbreads and steaming coffee to start the day. • 4 tablespoons (60mL) olive

SERVES: 4 PREP / COOK TIME: 10 MIN. / 20 MIN. GLUTEN-FREE Serve this simple frittata with a light green salad and a dollop of Dijon mustard for a summer lunch, if you like. • 2¼ cups (200g) purple (or green) sprouting broccoli• ½ bunch of flat-leaf p

SERVES: 4 PREP / COOK TIME: 15 MIN. / 25 MIN. VEGAN / GLUTEN-FREE / NUT-FREE This soup is a brilliant all-rounder, great for lunch and dinner. Serve with crusty bread, rice and tortilla chips if you need extra carbs. Double it and freeze the soup for

Common name: Green long-legged fly Scientific name: Austrosciapus connexus Among the vast order of insects loosely known as flies — estimated at around a million species — the green long-legged fly stands head and feelers above the rest even though i

The team at Aussie Gardener have made it really easy to grow your own vegetable seedlings at home and put an end to all the plastic waste that happens from buying punnets at the nursery. This complete kit contains: a year’s worth of seed, large propa

12 ISSUES OF Good Organic Gardening magazine RRP $119.40 PLUS TWO BONUS Gardening Books RRP $39.90 TOTAL VALUE $159.30 ONLY $99 (Save $60.30) From garden to table, Good Organic Gardening will inspire you to be in charge of your own fresh food. If you