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 SCALY-BREASTED LORIKEET | GARDEN LIFE

PATRIOTIC
COLOURS
Common name: Scaly-breasted lorikeet
Scientific name: Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus
Words: Chris Stafford

E
ven among that noisy, gregarious,
riotously coloured tribe of little
parrots known as lorikeets, the scaly
stands out. That’s if you can actually
spot one, as its mostly green feathers
make it very hard to see as it chatters
and forages among the leaves and
flowers of its favoured eucalypts.
If you do catch sight of one, what
distinguishes it from other lorikeets,
besides its bright-red bill, are its green
head and scalloped yellow breast
feathers, which resemble scales.
Its call is a bit like that of a rainbow
lorikeet — with which it often forms
mixed flocks — only even higher in
pitch. These mischievous birds emit a
deafening screech as together they dart
across the outer-suburban backyards of
eastern Australia, often in a straight line,
a habit that unfortunately makes them
prone to window strike.
Bigstock

Good Organic Gardening | 3

 A bit of local colour
in the garden
THIS ISSUE
W
e gardeners are so lucky
to share our home spaces
with some of Earth’s
most beautiful creatures.
I mean, is there a better way to enjoy
a morning cup of coffee or afternoon
glass of wine than to sit outdoors
watching rainbow lorikeets jostling
for a dip in the birdbath or colourful
butterflies flitting around the garden?
And that’s just the visuals. Let’s not
forget the entrancing songs of magpies
and butcher birds contrasting with the
raucous squawking of cockatoos and the
high-pitched din of lorikeets.
We want more of it. So, in this issue,
Angus Stewart looks at some of the
best plants — mostly natives — for
attracting butterflies while Carrol Baker
runs through all the elements that can
make your garden a haven for our
beautiful birdlife.
Of course, what attracts butterflies
and birds will also bring in other highly
desirable visitors like native bees,
hoverflies, dragonflies and damselflies.
As her ornamentals for this issue,
Jennifer Stackhouse extols the pollinator-
pulling power of berries, which not only
attract the eye but are magnets for birds.
She also writes about lettuce, loquats
and broad beans as well as clever crops
gum arabic and pigface (yet another
favourite of pollinators).
Chloe Thomson has chosen asparagus,
feijoa and heirloom cabbages in all
their many guises, while Claire Bickle
/GoodOrganicGardeningMagazine
4 | Good Organic Gardening
profiles Artemisia, a large genus of hardy,
aromatic plants that includes wormwood,
mugwort, tarragon and sagebrush, many
of which repel unwanted garden pests
like moths and lice.
It goes without saying that all
gardens begin with the soil. Steve
McGrane canvasses the relative merits
of commercial potting mixes and shows
how to make your own. On a related
subject, permaculture expert Angelo
Eliades writes about the magical
properties of the plant-rooting tea you
can make simply by steeping willow
cuttings in water.
As always, we meet some fascinating
gardening folk, including a young family
who went off the grid to run a worm farm
business. And chicken whisperer Megg
Miller untangles the intriguing history
of the Hamburgh, an attractive, no-fuss
poultry breed with a lively disposition
and often sensational plumage.
Which brings us back to birds.
According to the annual Birdlife Australia
census, the rainbow lorikeet — one of
seven species of lorikeet — is our most
commonly reported bird. On one of
our Garden Life pages we feature its
lesser-known cousin, the scaly-breasted
lorikeet, whose head-to-toe green
livery makes it hard to spot among the
evergreen melaleucas it favours.
But we’re so glad it’s out there.
See you in winter
Ke rr y
infoGOG@umco.com.au
grow naturally, eat fresh, live sustainably
Editor Kerry Boyne Email: kboyne@umco.com.au
Designer Michaela Primiano
Contributors Anna Axisa Carrol Baker,
Claire Bickle, Dr Karen Bridgman,
Angelo Eliades, Jana Holmer, Jo Immig,
Steve McGrane, Megg Miller,
Jennifer Stackhouse, Chris Stafford,
Angus Stewart, Chloe Thomson
National Advertising Manager
Kelly McCann
Mb: 0413 260 213 Email: mccann@umco.com.au
Advertising Art Director Martha Rubazewicz
Advertising Production Co-ordinator
Shanya Peris
Cover Photo Getty Images
Chairman/CEO Prema Perera
Publisher Janice Williams
Chief Financial Officer Vicky Mahadeva
Associate Publisher Emma Perera
Circulation Business Development Manager
Mark McTaggart
Creative Director Kate Podger
Subscription enquiries: 1300 303 414
Circulation enquiries to our Sydney head office: (02) 9805 0399
Good Organic Gardening Vol. 14 No. 1 is published by Universal
Media Pty Ltd, Unit 5, 6–8 Byfield Street, North Ryde NSW 2113.
Phone: (02) 9805 0399, Fax: (02) 9805 0714. Melbourne office:
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72
CONTENTS
REGULARS
4 EDITOR’S NOTE
A roundup of what’s in the issue according to your climate
8 THE GRAPEVINE
Jo Immig reports on
international moves to reverse What’s what in your plot and
biodiversity loss, reduce
plastic pollution and “act
globally, act locally”
10 WHAT’S HOT
Chloe Thomson on a multi-
headed cauliflower, hardy
hakea, fast-growing climber
Hardenbergia and the new
book Super Bloom
12 GREEN NEWS
Kids in the garden grow a better
future, farmers welcome new
climate policy and a French
village runs on renewables
36 MOON CALENDAR
A basic guide to planting in
harmony with the phases of
the moon in May and June
6 | Good Organic Gardening
37 PLANT NOW
What to plant in May and June
zone and moon phases
80 THINGS TO DO
what needs doing right now
96 IN SEASON
The seasonal delights you’ll
find in shops and gardens in
May and June
102 BOOKS
Leafing through books for
gardeners and cooks
104 PICK OF THE CROP
Great products and services
from our advertisers
PLANTS
14 CLEVER CROPS
Jennifer Stackhouse writes
about mysterious gum
arabic and beach-loving
native pigface
56
20
16 PLANT PROFILE
Claire Bickle looks at
Artemisia, a large genus
of aromatic plants
including mugwort,
sagebrush, tarragon
and wormwood
20 FAMILY HEIRLOOM
Chloe gives us the heads
up on that most varied
and versatile of brassicas,
the much-loved cabbage
38 TIME TO PLANT
Jennifer’s putting in
broad beans, lettuce
and loquat while
Chloe’s planting
asparagus and feijoa
56 ORNAMENTALS
From cranberries and
crabapples to native
lilly pillies and midyim,
berry-bearing trees and
shrubs are an adornment
to any garden
PEOPLE
24 GARDENING FOLK
A young family goes off
the grid to a mountainside
property to build a regenerative
permaculture paradise and
commercial worm farm
28 GARDENING FOLK
A naturopath shows how
organic gardeners, by bringing
back biodiversity, can heal
nature and also heal themselves
and others
32 GARDENING FOLK
Even among Toowoomba’s
renowned gardens, this
couple’s pretty and productive
French-inspired potager
stands out
GARDEN LIFE
3 SCALY-BREASTED LORIKEET
This screeching garden visitor
is often hard to spot in a tree
as it’s green all over except for
its yellow “scales”

52 FLYING VISITS
Carrol Baker lists ways to
make your garden more
attractive to birds
60 GO NATIVE
Angus Stewart on planting the
right flowering plants to add
local colour to your garden in
the form of butterflies
72 FEATHERED FRIENDS
The Hamburgh is a bright,
flighty, heat-tolerant breed with
a long history as well as many
names and colour varieties
103 COMMON HOUSE GECKO
Usually heard but not seen,
this nocturnal lizard is not
often observed splashing
about in a coffee cup
FOOD
97 GARDEN TO TABLE
Nutritious recipes from Helen
Tzouganatos’ new book
Gluten-Free Mediterranean
60 97
PLOT PROJECTS,
PLANNING & page 24
MAINTENANCE
50 THE ARCHIVE
Top tips to zhoosh
up your garden(ing)
64 BACK TO BASICS page 32
The basics of soil quality page 28
and amending it where needed
WELLBEING
68 BACKYARD 84 NEWSFEED
PERMACULTURE What’s new in the
Angelo Eliades makes a world of wellbeing
propagating mixture by
steeping willow twigs in water 86 POWERPLANT
The health benefits of limes
76 THE UNDERGROUND
Steve McGrane discusses 88 FIRST AID GARDEN
commercial potting mix and Plants with medicinal propertiess
how to make your own and how to use them
Good Organic Gardening | 7
THE GRAPEVINE | NEWS
TH E
Grapevine
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS AND UPDATES COMPILED BY JO IMMIG
ACT GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
The phrase “think global, act local” came
into common usage in the 1970s as a
grassroots meme to galvanise community
action in the face of environmental
disasters that were already unfolding.
Implicit in the phrase is the
understanding that the planet is a living,
interconnected system and what we do in
one place impacts the whole.
It follows that our actions at a local
JO IMMIG level can also be a force for positive
Jo is an environmental change across the entire planet.
scientist, photographer While individual choices and actions
and writer. She has matter, we can’t solve the scale of the
worked in the environment threats to the planet alone — we must
movement for decades act in unison.
and is co-ordinator The hole in the ozone layer over the
of the National Toxics Antarctic was discovered by scientists
Network, an organisation in the 1980s. It was the first man-made
dedicated to creating existential threat humanity ever faced
a toxic-free future. She and it presented global leaders with a
has written many articles collective challenge.
for magazines and is the Without the protective ozone layer in
author of two books: the stratosphere shielding the Earth from
Toxic Playground and the sun’s harmful ultraviolet-B radiation,
Safer Solutions. complex life would not exist.
8 | Good Organic Gardening
The time has come to recast an
old environmental call to action
Scientists found the ozone hole
extended over a vast region of 20 million
square kilometres and quickly discovered
chemicals called CFCs used in aerosols
and refrigerants were responsible.
Political leaders acted and in 1987 the
Montreal Protocol was signed to end the
production and use of the chemicals.
The protocol is widely recognised as
among the most successful international
environmental agreements of all time.
The ozone hole is slowly healing, but
CFCs have atmospheric lifetimes of 50
years or more so the atmosphere will
not fully recover until after 2070, even
in the absence of further emissions.
More groups of ozone-impacting
chemicals have subsequently been
added to the protocol.
The decades have rolled on and here
we are at the edge of another precipice,
with a deepening climate emergency and
the sixth great extinction crisis unfolding.
Scientists and environmentalists are
pleading with leaders and humanity in
Bigstock
general to “act globally, act locally” to step
up climate activism all over the word.
 NEWS | THE GRAPEVINE

From left at COP15, David Cooper and

Inger Andersen of the UN with Huang Runqiu,
Chinese environment minister and president
of COP15, and Canadian environment minister
Steven Guilbeault. Getty Images

HISTORIC MOVE TO
PRESERVE BIODIVERSITY
Governments from around the world
came together in 2022 at the United
Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15)
in Montreal, where an historic agreement
was reached.
The Kunming-Montreal Global
Biodiversity Framework establishes 23
targets to guide global action to halt
and reverse nature loss by the end of
the decade.
Executive director of the UN
environment program Inger Andersen
said in no uncertain terms that “we are
committing suicide by proxy” and must
secure the future of our planetary life- Punta del Este Convention and Exhibition Centre, the venue for INC-1
support system.
The central agreement is to protect
30 per cent of Earth’s lands, oceans,
coastal areas and inland waters by 2030.
Leaders also agreed to halve global food
wastage and reduce overconsumption
and waste generation.
Harmful government subsidies
impacting biodiversity will be slashed by
$500 billion annually (yes, you read that
right) while funds to scale up positive
incentives for biodiversity’s conservation
and sustainable use will increase.
Another key area of agreement was
recognition of the impacts of pollution
on biodiversity, including pesticides
and nutrients. A goal was set to reduce
pollution risks and the negative impact
of pollution from all sources to levels
that are not harmful to biodiversity and
ecosystem functions and services.
There was recognition of the ACTION ON PLASTICS 2022 in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
cumulative impacts of pollution and a In March last year the UN Member Around 400 million tonnes of plastic
target set for reducing, by at least half, States met in Nairobi and agreed are produced annually and more than
excess nutrients lost to the environment. on a mandate to negotiate a legally 11 million metric tonnes flow into the
The overall risk from pesticides and binding global instrument to end plastic oceans each year. Plastic pollution
hazardous chemicals must also be at pollution worldwide. touches every part of the planet, from
least halved by 2030. Yet another historic decision, it was a the deepest seas to remote mountains as
The agreement was broadly welcomed major step towards dealing with not just well as inside animals, including humans.
by civil society and scientists, though the symptoms but the root causes of Plastics are made from fossil fuels
there were calls for more ambitious plastic pollution. and their future in a decarbonising
targets and faster timeframes to end The treaty framework will be world must be critically assessed,
species extinctions. negotiated through a series of meetings taking into account their entire lifecycle
The task ahead is to ensure the funds across the globe and is expected to be from production and product design to
are available to do what’s needed, in place by the end of 2024. waste management.
especially for transitioning economies. The first Intergovernmental Source: www.unep.org/news-and-
Source: unep.org/un-biodiversity- Negotiating Committee meeting (INC- stories/story/what-you-need-know-
conference-cop-15 1) took place in November-December about-plastic-pollution-resolution

Good Organic Gardening | 9

THE SEASONAL GARDEN | WITH CHLOE THOMSON

W hat’s hot
R I GH T NOW
PRESENTING SOME STUNNING-LOOKING PLANTS THAT WILL MAKE
EXCELLENT ADDITIONS TO YOUR GARDEN AT THIS TIME OF YEAR

CAULIFLOWER MULTI-HEAD, BRASSICA OLERACEA VAR. BOTRYTIS

The plant: What’s better than one cauliflower per plant? LOTS of cauliflowers on one plant! The Cauliflower
Multi-Head will develop one main head as well as 2–4 side heads. The sooner the main head is harvested, the
sooner the additional heads can be harvested.
Growing: The perfect cauliflower for small vegetable gardens, balconies or potted patches and best grown in
the cooler seasons of autumn and winter, it will reach 40cm in height. Allow 50cm between plants.
Floriana, floriana.com.au
CHLOE THOMSON
A horticulturist, writer,
presenter and passionate SUPER BLOOM
organic gardener, Chloe The book: A modern-day classic, Super Bloom is a flower and
uses her social media profile gardening encyclopaedia with 75 plant profiles of the most beautiful
Bean There Dug That to flowers and foliage to bring shape, colour and beauty to any garden.
educate and inform like- As well as information on each flower, including care and growing
minded gardeners, using fun, instructions, it lists where to source plants. Super Bloom also
creative videos and posts. contains an incredible list of Plant Partners for each flower so you
Find her on Facebook can build a garden that flowers in successions or group plants by
and Instagram height or colour.
@beantheredugthat The author: Jac Semmler is a leading plant specialist who’s keen to
revive the appeal of treasured, old-world beautiful flowers for the
modern garden. Her book aims to be a comprehensive gardening
how-to guide for beginners and experts alike.
Super Bloom by Jac Semmler, thesuperbloom.com.au

10 | Good Organic Gardening

 WITH CHLOE THOMSON | THE SEASONAL GARDEN

HARDENBERGIA ‘WHITE OUT’,

HARDENBERGIA VIOLACEA
The plant: This Australian native is a hardy,
fast-growing evergreen climber suitable for
any full-sun location. Masses of white flower
sprays appear from mid-winter to mid-spring.
Growing: Use hardenbergia to cover fences,
trellises, archways and pergolas. It will thrive in
most conditions with a well-drained soil. Prune
after flowering to encourage fresh, vigorous
growth. Fertilise in spring.
Plants Management Australia, pma.com.au

HAKEA ‘STOCKDALE
SENSATION’ PBR, HAKEA
LAURINA
The plant: For a profusion of pincushion
flowers in winter you can’t beat this hakea.
It’s a fast-growing, medium-sized show-
stopper of a tree or shrub with low water
requirements once established.
Growing: This hakea prefers a full-sun
position for optimum flowering but will
tolerate a part-shade spot, too. Choose
somewhere with free-draining soil that can
be deeply watered during extended periods
of heat. Prune to shape it as needed into a
dense screening plant or remove the lower
growth for a lollypop shape.
Plants Management Australia,
pma.com.au

Good Organic Gardening | 11

GREEN NEWS | SHORT SHOOTS
Green news
WHO IS GREENING OUR WORLD AND HOW THEY ARE DOING IT
KIDS IN GARDENS GROW
A BETTER FUTURE
The coming generation is the future of
the planet — so it makes sense that a
new school gardening project places
children at its centre.
Research from the University of
South Australia shows the simple
act of gardening can deliver unique
learning experiences for primary school
children, helping them engage with their
curriculum, connect with nature and
envisage a sustainable future.
For the project, schoolkids between
the ages of five and 10 grew their own
food in the Old School Community
Garden in Stirling. The three-hour-
a-week activity, researchers found,
had multiple learning benefits, from
transdisciplinary learning to fostering
sustainability and global citizenship.
“Gardening can open a whole new
world of interest and opportunity for
children,” said Dr David G Lloyd. “Working
in a community garden is not only about
growing edible food; it’s also about
connecting to place and nature, as well as
12 | Good Organic Gardening
The garden is the
best classroom
grasping the importance of sustainability.”
Associate professor Kathryn Paige
said gardening engaged students on
multiple levels, even incorporating
the school curriculum. She noted that
children “learnt maths when they
counted out plants and measured
distances between seedlings; chemistry,
when they tested the pH levels of soil
and diluted liquid fertilisers; science and
biology, when they discovered facts
about plants and ecosystems; plus,
literacy, when they read instructions and
retold their experiences at school.
“They also improved their social skills
as they engaged with their peers.”
She added: “We’re living in a time of
globalisation where we’re reaching social,
environmental and economic limits.
“The fundamental importance of this
activity was holistic learning: connecting
to the world around us, the community
in which we live, and understanding how
we all interact.”
unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/
2022/community-gardens-growing-
global-citizens-one-child-at-a-time/
FARMERS WELCOME
CLIMATE INITIATIVE
Farmers for Climate Action, a network
of more than 2900 farmers across NSW,
has welcomed the release of the state
Environmental Protection Agency’s
Climate Change Action Plan 2023–26.
The FCA’s Peter Holding, a third-
generation farmer from southwest NSW,
said considering climate change impacts
when planning made perfect sense.
“The farmers who grow Australia’s
food are being smashed by repeat
flooding, fires and drought being made
worse by climate change,” he said.
He added that insurance rarely
covers such events and is becoming
unaffordable, a fact that governments
need to consider when assessing projects
that could contribute to climate change.
He said the biggest polluters needed
to reduce their emissions: “The disasters
we’re now seeing are unnatural because
they are largely manmade.”
Regional Australia is becoming the
biggest beneficiary from emissions
reduction, he added, noting the thousands
of jobs that have and will come from
renewable energy projects.
“We are already seeing battery
manufacturing companies setting up
in regional areas,” Mr Holding said.
“Farmers will also receive vital income
during drought from carbon credits.
“We welcome the document and look
forward to words becoming action.”
netimes.com.au/2023/01/22/farmers-
for-climate-action-welcome-nsw-epa-
plan-to-consider-climate/
Harvesting
renewables
 GREEN NEWS | SHORT SHOOTS

CLEAN POWER TO THE PEOPLE Muttersholtz town hall:

It’s a model for communities everywhere: the seat of green power
a small village in northeast France
powered entirely by renewable energy.
Muttersholtz, population 2200, spent
€2 million revamping its electricity
supply and now, as power bills skyrocket
across Europe, the tiny town is paying
close to zero.
“We no longer have electricity bills,”
said deputy mayor Michel Renaudet.
“We are just subject to the tax for the
use of the public network.”
What Muttersholtz did was build three
turbines on its river, insulate its municipal
buildings and install solar panels on the
roofs of several buildings.
The town’s energy consumption
dropped by 40 per cent between 2008
and 2020. Public buildings such as
schools and council offices use just 10 officer Julien Rodrigues: “With today’s “Maybe everyone should follow the
per cent of the energy produced and the prices, we save €43,000 per year and example because it’s the future,” said
council sells the rest. the sale brings us around €60,000 even Muttersholtz local Joanny Malblanc.
The next stage will be to expand the with maintenance costs.” “We can’t continue with fossil
supply of energy to include private In 2017, Muttersholtz was named the fuels. It’s just not possible. We have
homes and businesses. This will require French village of biodiversity for its to find solutions.”
14 times the output already generated. pioneering use of solar and hydropower euronews.com/green/2023/02/03/
But so far the town’s municipal needs and the townspeople believe other this-french-village-enjoys-no-bills-after-
are covered, said chief administrative communities should take note. building-wind-turbines-and-solar-panels

LEADING
THE WAY
Ph 1800 32 33 34
Mob 0405 298 298
Email info@ecorus.com.au
www.ecorus.com.au WITH INNOVATION
IN SUSTAINABILITY
We sell products that are good for
the environment and many of which
are biodegradable, compostable
and break down. Some of our items
are also rechargeable and reusable
which makes them environmentally
friendly. Others are made of recycled
materials and help reduce waste
that end up in our landfills..

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Good Organic Gardening | 13

CLEVER CROP | GUM ARABIC
GOODY GUMDROPS
IT HAS A LONG HISTORY AND ITS EVERYDAY
APPLICATIONS ARE MANY, BUT MOST PEOPLE
HAVE NEVER HEARD OF GUM ARABIC
G
Words Jennifer Stackhouse
um arabic is a naturally
occurring gum harvested
from a thorny tree native to
sub-Saharan Africa. Most of
the commercial harvest comes from
war-torn Sudan.
There may be no other natural additive
that’s so pervasive in our lives yet barely
noticed and little known.
Unlike the gum that oozes from many
native Australian trees — acacias and
gumtrees in particular — gum arabic is
low in tannins so it’s sweet tasting rather
than bitter.
Gum arabic is harvested commercially
from cuts made in the bark but is often
seen on trees when the bark splits during
extremely dry times. Sap oozes from the
splits, forming hard balls or lumps known
as “tears”.
The gum is made into a powder
that can be found on the shelves of
supermarkets and hardware stores.
Though perhaps best known as a binding
GUM ARABIC IS WIDELY USED AS A THICKENER
IN CONFECTIONERY AND AS THE ADHESIVE
ON STAMPS AND ENVELOPES.
14 | Good Organic Gardening
Gum arabic label
Common names: G
um arabic, acacia
Senegal gum, gum gum,
sudani
Botanical name: Se
negalia senegal
agent in artists’ watercolours as well (formerly Acacia se
negal)
as commercial paints and inks, gum Family: Fabaceae
(pea family)
arabic is widely used as a thickener Aspect & soil: Sun;
deep, well-drained
in confectionery from M&Ms and Best climate: Trop soil
ics, subtropics, arid
marshmallows to gumdrops and as the Habit: Deciduous
tree
adhesive on stamps and envelopes. Propagation: Seed
It’s also found in chewing gum, icing Difficulty: Moderat
e
and some processed foods and is added
to fizzy drinks to make them foam.
Historically, gum arabic was valued for
its medicinal properties and used as a AVAILABILITY
topical treatment for wounds as well as a Gum arabic trees are not commerciallyi ll
cure for diarrhoea and catarrh. In the 19th available for sale in Australia and care
century, it was used as a coating for pills should be taken when searching for
and as an ingredient in cough medicines. seeds as Senegalia senegal is not
In arid areas, this dry-season deciduous included on the list of permitted seed
tree is also used for fodder. It can reach imports in Australia.
15–20m high with a broad spreading
canopy and thorns. A close relative of
acacia, it has spikes of wattle-like flowers DID YOU KNOW?
that are followed by large seed pods. Senegalia senegal was originally
Prickly mimosa (Vachellia nilotica) is classified as a species of Acacia.
also known as the gum arabic tree and After a botanical revision of the
is considered noxious — a “Weed of Acacia genus that was approved
National Significance” — in Australia. in 2011, it was decided to retain the
name acacia for the 900 species
in Australia and rename African
acacias, including gum arabic, as
Bigstock
either Senegalia or Vachellia spp.

MARINE GREENS
LIKE A SUNBATHER, THE SALTY, SUMMER-FLOWERING SUCCULENT
KNOWN AS PIGFACE CAN BE FOUND PROSTRATEATE AT THE BEACH
A
Words Jennifer Stackhouse
s you’ve walked across coastal
dunes or down that sandy
path to the beach, you may
have admired the tenacity
of a spreading succulent with vibrant
magenta flowers that somehow survives
in sand and salt winds.
The flowers are short lived and seen
mainly in spring and summer but they
leave behind a swollen, juicy red fruit.
Both the fruit and the fleshy leaves of
the plant are edible — its generic name
Carpobrotus comes from the Greek
words for “fruit” and “edible”.
The plant is a bushfood long harvested
by Indigenous Australians and still
popular today with wild food enthusiasts.
The leaves and fruits can be eaten
raw, cooked or, in the case of the narrow,
fleshy leaves, pickled. The fruit has a
sweet yet salty fruit flavour and the juice
of the leaves can be used to soothe
stings and burns.
Native pigface is just one of several
Carpobrotus species found around the
PIGFACE’S GENERIC NAME CARPOBROTUS COMES
Bigstock
FROM THE GREEK WORDS FOR “FRUIT” AND “EDIBLE”.
NATIVE PIGFACE | CLEVER CROP
world. They include some that are now
considered weedy, such as C. edulis, Native pigface label
which has yellow flowers and can also
Common name: N
be found on Australian beaches. ative pigface
Botanical name: Ca
Depending on where you are walking, rpobrotus glaucesc
ens
Family: Aizoaceae
you may encounter C. glaucescens, which h (fig-marigold family
)
Aspect & soil: Sun;
is native to eastern Australia, or C. rossii, well-drained soil
Best climate: All
which is distributed along our eastern,
Habit: Succulent
southern and south-western coastlines.
Propagation: Cutt
ing
Difficulty: Easy
GROW YOUR OWN
To grow native pigface, all that’s needed d
is a cutting or a small potted plant fromm
a native nursery.
Plant it in a spot with well-drained soil, ‘Hot White’ and bright-pink ‘Pink Passion’,
lots of sunshine and plenty of room to which are varieties of C. rossii, and ‘Aussie
creep. It makes a thick groundcover that Rambler’, a bright-pink variety of
spreads 2–3m across, ideal for difficult C. glaucescens with purple stems.
situations such as dry embankments or
beside a swimming pool.
Although as a succulent it’s drought DID YOU KNOW?
tolerant, give it an occasional watering to Native pigface is just one of
get it established and growing quickly. Australia’s edible coastal plants.
As well as the commonly found If you’re foraging for edibles or
shoreline species there are named simply taking a walk, look out for
varieties including the white-flowered New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia
tetragonioides), also known as
warrigal greens, a shrubby plant with
small spinach-like leaves.
Good Organic Gardening | 15
PLANT PROFILE | ARTEMISIA

WORMWOOD
& MUGWORT
... AND TARRAGON AND SAGEBRUSH. THEY’RE ALL
SPECIES OF ARTEMISIA, A GENUS OF HARDY, AROMATIC
HERBACEOUS PLANTS RICH IN ESSENTIAL OILS

16 | Good Organic Gardening


‘Silver Queen’
A
Words & photos Claire Bickle
rtemisia is a large and
diverse genus of interesting,
highly fragrant plants. They
belong to the daisy family,
Asteraceae, and their strong scent
comes from the concentrated essential
oils within the foliage.
Many are also grown for their fabulous
silvery or grey-green leaves, which are
often hirsute (furry) — an indication
that Artemisia species love dry weather
or, at the very least, tolerate it and are
genetically set up for it.
Their light colour reduces heat
absorption and reflects the sun,
making them ideal for hot areas and
sunny spots. The hairy foliage captures
Bigstock, Getty
water, which accounts for Artemisia’s
drought tolerance.
There are some 400-plus species of
Artemisia and examples are found on
every continent except Antarctica. Some
are annuals but most are longer-lived
woody perennials.
Perhaps the best known is A.
absinthium, or wormwood, from which
comes France’s famous, very alcoholic
spirit, absinthe. The aperitif vermouth
once contained wormwood as well.
As old as Father Time, wormwood
pops up often in the Bible and even gets
a mention in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The
word itself is believed to come from the
Middle English wormwode or wermode
(hence, via German, “vermouth”) and
refers to the plant’s antiparasitic effect in
helping the body expel worms.
As for Artemisia, it’s derived from
the name of the ancient Greek goddess
of the hunt, Artemis, a herbalist and
protector of the forest and children. She
also protected women, particularly those
experiencing childbirth.
ARTEMISIA | PLANT PROFILE
ARTEMISIA’S LEAVES
ARE USUALLY VERY
BITTER. ONLY A FEW
SPECIES ARE USED IN
TEAS AND ALCOHOL
PRODUCTION WHILE THE
MOST POPULAR IN THE
KITCHEN IS THE TASTY
HERB TARRAGON.
GROWING AND USES
Most species are very hardy, having
originated in arid or semi-arid regions
with poor soils and limited moisture.
They respond to a full-sun position and
most like a free-draining soil.
What they don’t like is wet feet or
the combination of humidity and hot
weather, so the tropics is not a favoured
climatic zone.
Usually fairly insignificant, their
flowers are yellow-cream, brown or
white in colour. Most species respond
well to a good prune after flowering to
maintain bushiness.
Not many hybrids produce viable seed
so are best propagated by cuttings.
Many species are reputed to have
a variety of medicinal uses and are
renowned for repelling moths, lice, fleas
and other pests.
Artemisia’s leaves are usually very
bitter. Only a few species are used in
teas and alcohol production while the
most popular in the kitchen is the tasty
herb tarragon.
The plants are highly valued in the
garden for their contrasting silver and
grey-green ornamental foliage. Depending
on species and variety, they can be used
as feature plants, potted specimens,
groundcovers and even hedges.
The foliage helps repel lice and
mites from poultry nesting boxes and
bedding. You can also add lemongrass,
rose petals, eucalyptus leaves, lavender,
rosemary and scented geraniums.
DID YOU KNOW?
In olden times, hanging Artemisia on
the door was a sign that a midwife
or herbalist was in residence.
Good Organic Gardening | 17
PLANT PROFILE | ARTEMISIA

SOME POPULAR SPECIES Wormwood

Wormwood, Artemisia absinthium
Origin: Temperate North America
and Eurasia
Height: 1–1.2m
This is the species most people think
of when talk turns to wormwood. The
foliage is soft and grey and, as with
most Artemisia, is good at repelling
moths and other insects, including lice
and mites in the chook house.
This species is known for its
anthelmintic or worm-expelling qualities.
Historically, its leaves were — and still
are — used to make absinthe (or “the
green fairy”), the potent French spirit.
The small flowers are pale yellow and
it’s a fabulous foliage contrast plant in
perennial flowering gardens and pots.

Tree wormwood, A. arborescens

Origin: Mediterranean
Height: 2–2.5m
This wormwood is often cultivated for Tree wormwood Roman/African wormwood
use in essential oils and perfumes.
Its foliage is glowing silver in colour
and the flowers are small and yellow.
Because of its height, it can be grown
as a hedging plant, a windbreak and
even a featured contrasting shrub.
To keep it looking its best, give it a good
annual prune in late summer to autumn.

Roman/African wormwood, A. pontica

Origin: South-eastern Europe
Height: 1–1.5m
The foliage is grey-green, soft and fernlike
in appearance and makes a great filler in
bouquets of fresh and dried flowers.
In craft, the pressed leaves are used as
decorations for cards, candles and more.
Its flowers are tiny and brown and
borne as long wispy spikes atop the Southernwood Tarragon
plant, which can be quite spreading in
its growth habit.
It is an ingredient of vermouth and
other alcoholic beverages.

Southernwood, lad’s love, A. abrotanum

Origin: Southern Europe
Height: 1m
The grey-green foliage is very fine, almost
threadlike, and often used in fresh and
dried floral arrangements.
The dried foliage can be used as a
moth repellent.
Southernwood can be kept neat and
bushy with regular pruning during spring
and summer. It can even be grown as
a hedge and is easily propagated by
cutting or layering.

18 | Good Organic Gardening

Mugwort

Aussie Gardener
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Tarragon, A. dracunculus
Origin: Europe and North America
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SECATEURS
This Artemisia is a popular culinary herb used in
a variety of savoury dishes including casseroles,
roasts, soups and stews and especially with A good solid pair of
chicken and fish. secateurs that feels
It rarely flowers and is frost sensitive. good in the ha
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y.
Mugwort, A. vulgaris
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Origin: Europe
Height: 50–100cm
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SOME ARTEMISIA CULTIVARS

A. alba ‘White Wormwood’
A. arborescens ‘Powis Castle’, fine-foliaged
form of common wormwood
A. ludoviciana ‘Valerie Finnis’, cultivar of
western mugwort
A. ludoviciana ‘Silver Queen’
A. schidtiana ‘Silver Mound’
A. stellerana ‘Beach Wormwood’
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Good Organic Gardening | 19

FAMILY HEIRLOOMS | CABBAGE

Cabbages are king

WHICHEVER WAY YOU SLICE THEM, THESE
BUNDLES OF LEAFY GOODNESS ARE EASY
TO GROW, HAVE A GOOD SHELF LIFE AND
ARE VERSATILE IN THE KITCHEN

20 | Good Organic Gardening

 CABBAGE | FAMILY HEIRLOOMS

Chinese Cannonball

FRESHLY HARVESTED Cabbage label

T
Words Chloe Thomson
hroughout history, some cultures
have considered cabbage a poor
CABBAGES WITH Common name
: Cabbage
man’s food while others prized it THEIR OUTER LEAVES Botanical nam
e: Brassica olera
as something special. cea
My Irish husband finds colcannon
ATTACHED WILL KEEP Family: Brassic
Aspect & soil:
aceae
Full sun; well-d
— boiled cabbage and ham on a bed IN THE FRIDGE FOR UP Habit: Biennial
vegetable
rained soil
of mashed potato — homely and
comforting. Unfortunately, I can’t cook it
TO TWO MONTHS. Propagation: S
Difficulty: Easy
eed, seedling

because the smell turns my stomach!

He contents himself with a bowlful Savoy
whenever we return to Ireland while I
prefer to serve cabbage raw in salads,
braised in stews or fermented.
When and where cabbage was
domesticated varies depending on
which history book you’re reading and
whether you’re considering heading or
open-leaf (non-heading) cabbages.
For the purposes of this article I’m
focusing on heading cabbages, which
are believed to have originated in Europe
around 1000 BCE.
While the ancient Romans thought
cabbage a luxurious vegetable, by the
17th or 18th century it was a staple
food across most of Europe while Or, if you’re lucky enough to have a cool • Cannonball: The commonest
sauerkraut was being used to prevent root cellar, you can place whole cabbage cabbage with a round, tightly
scurvy among Dutch, German and heads wrapped in newspaper on shelves formed head. It comes in white
Scandinavian seafarers. where they will last many months. or red forms and is perfect for
Cabbage first reached American shores Fermenting can preserve cabbage for boiling, braising, fermenting or
in the mid-16th century and by the 18th even longer. Many cultures have forms making coleslaw.
century it was a common crop. It travelled of fermented cabbage in their recipe • Savoy: A round cabbage with
to Australia with the First Fleet in 1788. books, sauerkraut and kimchi being the textured, crinkly leaves that form a
The popularity of cabbage wherever it most widely known. neat head but not as tightly formed
goes is probably thanks to its versatility As well as retaining the vegetable’s as cannonball cabbages. Popular
and long shelf life. Even in its raw state, vitamin C (which is why it was effective for French and Italian dishes.
Diggers Club, Bigstock

a full head of cabbage can be kept fresh
for long periods if placed in a cool spot.
Freshly harvested cabbages with their
Copper tape stops
outer leaves attached will keep in the
snails and slugs
fridge for up to two months.
against scurvy), fermented cabbage
is also rich in beneficial gut bacteria
known as probiotics.
There are three distinct types of
heading cabbages:
• Chinese: Also called wombok or
napa, this elongated, football-
shaped cabbage with tightly
compact light green leaves is used
in kimchi and other Asian dishes.

Good Organic Gardening | 21

FAMILY HEIRLOOMS | CABBAGE

1 From left, traditional sauerkraut, kimchi and red

cabbage sauerkraut 2 ‘Early Jersey Wakefield’ 1
3 ‘Copenhagen Market’ 4 ‘Verona Purple’
5 ‘Golden Acre’

GROWING AND CARE

Cabbages are most commonly grown
in the cooler months of the year when
white cabbage moths are less of a
threat. Cold temperatures are believed
to sweeten the veg, which is ready to
harvest 11–15 weeks after planting.
If you live in cool to warm regions, sow
seeds in mid-to-late summer for planting
out in autumn. In the subtropics and
tropics, cabbage is best grown in the
cooler months, from April to August.
Cabbages need a sunny spot in a
free-draining, compost-enriched soil
with a pH around 7.5, so add lime or
dolomite lime as needed. Sow seeds
into punnets and once the seedlings
have two sets of true leaves they can be
planted into the garden.
Heading cabbages can be grown in
large pots or planters — just choose
small or mini varieties.

PESTS AND DISEASES

Protect young cabbage seedlings from
slugs and snails with beer traps —
saucers filled with beer — or iron-based
certified organic slug and snail pellets.
White cabbage moths (or butterflies)
love laying their eggs on soft young
cabbage leaves and their green
caterpillars can decimate your young
seedlings overnight.
The most reliable way to keep the
moth off your cabbage leaves is to use
exclusion netting — but be sure to choose
a white, wildlife-safe net with fine mesh.
Stretch the netting over strong metal
ribbing or heavy-duty irrigation pipeline
to create frames over your cabbage crop.
You might find white plastic decoy
moths or butterflies sold in nurseries and
garden centres — and you can even make
your own out of an old yoghurt container.
However, after mixed results with these
in my own garden and seeing Australian
entomology researcher and author Denis
Crawford run an experiment to test their
effectiveness (spoiler: they didn’t work) I
now prefer to use exclusion netting.
Aphid outbreaks should be sprayed off
with a hose as a first mode of defence. I
then like to wait to see if any beneficial
bugs arrive to clean up the aphids.
If nothing arrives or the population
keeps growing, I’ll use a certified organic
spray like eco-oil to control their numbers.
COLD TEMPERATURES ARE BELIEVED TO
SWEETEN THE CABBAGE, WHICH IS READY TO
HARVEST 11–15 WEEKS AFTER PLANTING.
VARIETIES TO TRY 2
‘Early Jersey Wakefield’ First grown
in the 1840s in New Jersey, USA, this
is a favourite of both commercial and
home gardeners. It produces tight,
cone-shaped heads that are ideal for
small spaces.
‘Copenhagen Market’ This Dutch
heirloom variety with small, tight-leafed
heads around 15cm in diameter is good
cooked or raw in salads.
‘Verona Purple’ An old Italian Savoy-
style cabbage that produces large
purple heads up to 4kg each. Excellent
flavour and stores well.
‘Golden Acre’ A slow-bolting, heat-
tolerant heirloom that grows well in the
tropics and subtropics. Round, tight
heads to around 20cm in diameter with
a first-rate flavour.

22 | Good Organic Gardening

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Good Organic Gardening | 23
GARDENING FOLK | ANNA & PETER AXISA

HILL SIDE
WHEN ANNA AND PETER MOVED THEIR
YOUNG FAMILY TO A REMOTE FARM, THEY
WERE EXPECTING LOTS OF HARD WORK
BUT NOT A HEALTH SCARE. ANNA EVEN
WROTE A BOOK ABOUT IT

24 | Good Organic Gardening


Words Anna Axisa
W
Photos Lizz Pennings
ith my husband Peter Axisa
and our children Lacey
(13), Elke (5) and newborn
River, I live on 10 acres in
Killabakh in the Manning Valley on NSW’s
Mid North Coast.
We moved to this challenging, steep-
sloped, overgrown property in 2014.
It was completely off the grid with
no infrastructure or services but our
shared vision was to transform it into a
regenerative permaculture paradise and
WE ADOPTED A “FOOD AS MEDICINE” APPROACH
TO OUR LIVES AND ARE GRATEFUL TO THE
WORMS FOR PRODUCING FERTILE SOIL IN WHICH
TO GROW NUTRIENT-DENSE FOOD.
ANNA & PETER AXISA | GARDENING FOLK
forge a self-reliant future for our family.
We had dreamed of living on a farm
and were looking for a sign to point us in
the right direction. Then we got it! I came
across an online ad for a small, rundown
worm business that was for sale.
Neither Peter nor I had any prior
experience in vermiculture, only the desire
to work in harmony with nature and what
we thought we knew about living on
the land. The adventure had begun, and
worms quickly became our passion.
In 2016, at the age of 26, I was
diagnosed with a chronic immune
Opposite page Anna and Peter with Lacey (standing)
and Elke, with a view of their mountainside property
Left The productive wicking beds
Below The morning’s freshly laid eggs, courtesy of the
hardworking ISA browns (bottom of page)
Bottom left Elke helps Mum in the garden
disease — but it hasn’t stopped us
continuing to achieve our dreams. We
have adopted a “food as medicine”
approach to our lives and are grateful to
the worms for producing fertile soil in
which to grow nutrient-dense food.
We are passionate about growing
clean food that contains the maximum
amount of nutrients for good health.
And our family is proud to grow, pack
and deliver compost worms, bringing a
slice of sustainability to around 10,000
households per year.
Our business has allowed us transform
a seemingly unusable mountainside into
a resilient landscape of abundance.
TERRACED LAND
I lived my whole childhood in the same
house in a quiet suburban street. It
was just the three of us — my mum,
my younger brother and me — and it
remains dear to my heart how much
pride Mum took in the upkeep and
improvement of our home and garden.
She worked on a commercial herb
farm for many years and I remember the
pungent smell of potted herbs as my
brother and I ran through the nursery
tunnels. I also met many animals there,
which strengthened my desire to live on
my own farm one day.
In the nine years we’ve been here,
we’ve learned to live by the seasons
and adapt to minimal space on a steep
hillside. But our connection to nature
continues to strengthen. Homesteading
grounds me and, of course, puts us in
closer touch with our food. The garden is
my happy place.
Our property had to be terraced,
Good Organic Gardening | 25
GARDENING FOLK | ANNA & PETER AXISA

1 2 3

with a mix of level and sloped areas. powerhouse inside our cells. Hence my vermicompost to enrich our soils and
The earthworks involved creating a own healing journey and our family’s produce nutritious food. There’s no patch
number of flat, interconnected spaces overall health. of dirt we turn over that isn’t wriggling
for vegetable growing, commercial worm Often our homegrown vegies look and with worms.
production and rotational grazing for even taste a little different from what we They even make their way up to our
our two dairy cows and other animals, were used to in the supermarket. Our roof gutters and process the organic
mimicking natural herd migration. produce has bold, fresh flavours and rich material collected there into rich humus.
Even the steeper areas are colours and is sometimes marked by Rainfall has become unreliable here
productive with medicinal herbs, hungry insects. If you ask the kids, they’ll and there was no permanent water on
berries and other perennial tell you about the times I’ve accidentally site except for a small dam and seasonal
groundcovers surrounded by fruiting steamed a caterpillar or two! creek at the bottom of the hill. The worm
trees. Our approach includes allowing enterprise requires a large amount of
the soil periods for rest and recovery. WHERE THE WORMS TURN water to operate at high capacity, so
The main growing area consists of As a commercial worm farm, we’re we invested in bulk water storage by
14 raised wicking beds, each 4m long fortunate to have an abundance of constructing three dams.
by 1.5m wide, and the crops that thrive
here include citrus, tropical peaches, 4
bananas, brassicas and turmeric.
Eggplants are the one thing that
just won’t flourish! But we do get an
abundant garlic crop that sustains our
needs and produces enough to replant
for next season.
My favourite and most productive time
of year is early autumn, when the hot sun
has softened and preparations for the
winter garden begin.
We enjoy winter vegetables
throughout the season and aim to grow
enough to store, freeze, ferment and
preserve as well as consume over warmer
months when the garden isn’t as prolific.
Instead, we rely more on our perennial
crops and a few easy summer growers.
The winter garden is full of vegetables
high in vitamins and minerals that are
super beneficial to mitochondria, the

26 | Good Organic Gardening


HOMESTEADING
GROUNDS ME AND, OF
COURSE, PUTS US IN
CLOSER TOUCH WITH
OUR FOOD. THE GARDEN
IS MY HAPPY PLACE.
We began our operation growing worms
in bathtubs that came with the business.
After many adaptations and much trial and
error, we now produce more than 150kg
of compost worms per month, grown
in windrows (mounds) spread across
four terraces, with another level space
dedicated to compost production.
The worms are covered with shade cloth
to protect them from birds and the sun.
Our mission is to simplify the
process for people and provide them
with the confidence to get started on
their worm-farming journey — or have
another go if they’ve found it a little
challenging in the past.
If anyone had told me I’d be a worm
farmer one day, I would’ve seriously
questioned it. While Peter looks after the
majority of the farming and deliveries
these days, my main responsibility is
making good use of the worm castings
and compost for our own nutrient-dense
food garden.
Producing healthy food has become
one of the highest priorities for our
family. Organic gardening has added
so much value to our lives and Mother
Nature is a wonderful teacher. I cherish
working in partnership with her and
mirroring her natural systems.
I’m constantly tuning in to birdsong
and the hum of the bees. I bask in the
sunshine, getting my daily dose of
vitamin D, exercise and the opportunity
to meditate, be mindful and immerse
myself in the present moment.
Lacey and Elke often start alongside
me but eventually drift off into an
imaginary world, making mud pies or
foraging for garden treasure.
I’m sure that as they tend to their
own gardens throughout their lives their
memories of Mum in the garden will
make them smile.
• Anna’s book about her family’s
adventure, Homegrown Healthy
Living, is available from her website
homegrownhealth.com.au
• Facebook: myhomegrownhealth
ANNA & PETER AXISA | GARDENING FOLK
5
1 Lacey with the homestead’s “house cows”,
Jersey girls Milky and Nala
2 Garlic is one of their most consistent crops
2 Tomato passata coming right up
4 Anna and Peter packing the worm farm produce
5 The family enjoying the fruits (and vegetables)
of their labour
6 Harvesting honey
7 A healthy haul of turmeric from the wicking beds
6 2. Grow what you eat, eat what
7 could consider starting one up.
ANNA’S TOP TIPS
1. Introduce in-ground worm
farms throughout your garden.
The composting worms are
free to come and go from the
home area and will distribute
organic plant food in the form
of worm castings.
you grow. Rather than trying to
grow the whole fresh vegetable
section, focus on the foods you
actually eat, what grows well
for you and what you have the
space for.
3. Freeze, preserve, ferment
and share or barter any excess.
A local produce swap is also a
great way to meet like-minded
people and get affordable
nutrient-filled food. If there isn’t
one in your area perhaps you
4. Invest in healthy soil. Plants
are only as good as the soil
they’re grown in. To ensure your
organic produce is packed with
nutrients, enrich your soil with
organic matter such as worm
castings, compost and well-
rotted animal manures.
5. Try growing luffas, nature’s
own biodegradable bath or
kitchen sponge.
Good Organic Gardening | 27
GARDENING FOLK | TRACY LANSDELL

T HE HEA LI NG
A NATUROPATH SHOWS HOW
ORGANIC GARDENERS, BY BRINGING
BACK BIODIVERSITY, CAN HEAL
NATURE AND ALSO HEAL THEMSELVES
AND OTHERS

28 | Good Organic Gardening


T
Words & photos Jana Holmer
wenty-two years ago, while
Tracy Lansdell was studying
naturopathy in the city, she and
husband Mark began to feel a
strong pull back to the country.
Tracy had fond childhood memories
of her grandparents’ farm near Yealering
in the Western Australian Wheatbelt.
She remembers their vegie patch and
orchard, the farmhouse pantry filled
with homemade preserves and eating
juicy oranges straight off the tree with
her grandad.
Perhaps that’s why, years later,
she and Mark started devouring all
the info they could find on organic
gardening, permaculture, self-sufficiency
and eco footprints.
When Tracy conceived her first child,
FROM THE START, THEIR VISION WAS
TO RE-ESTABLISH A HEALTHY, VIBRANT
MINI-ECOLOGY WITH THE BIGGER-
PICTURE KNOWLEDGE THAT IT WOULD
IN TURN CARE FOR THEM.
Left Tracy with her
great-grandmother’s
harvest basket filled
with homegrown
goodies
Above right A field of
Californian poppies
the timing felt right. In 2005, the couple
moved to a property in rural North
Greenbushes in southeast WA.
Five acres of weedy paddocks and
more than 60 native trees planted around
35 years earlier, it was the perfect blank
canvas on which to build a rammed-earth
eco-home and begin weaving together all
they’d learned so far.
Despite her grandparents’ example,
Tracy didn’t start gardening until her
early 20s but wherever she and Mark
lived she’d plant herbs and vegies.
“For me, though, this property
feels like the beginning of being a real
gardener — or, more so, a guardian,” she
adds, noting that the traditional owners,
the Pibulmun and Kaneang, would’ve
met and traded in this area for tens of
thousands of years.
TRACY LANSDELL | GARDENING FOLK
BUILDING HABITAT
Everything about the Lansdells’ garden,
eco-home and Tracy’s naturopathy
business is a realisation of their dreams,
values and goals: self-reliance and
caring for the planet at a local level.
For instance, understanding the
consequences of applying biocides to
any ecosystem, they made a choice not
to introduce any to this land. From the
start, their vision was to re-establish a
healthy, vibrant mini-ecology with the
bigger-picture knowledge that it would
in turn care for them.
Essentially, they practise gardening
for biodiversity as much as for food and
herbal medicine production, so using
chemicals that destroy life simply makes
no sense.
To this end, they apply only natural
inputs such as seaweed and fish
emulsions. A firm believer in companion
planting, Tracy encourages a balanced
pest-to-predator ratio and regards
so-called pests as “vital parts of our
garden’s interdependent web of life”.
They don’t compost much these days
but, says Tracy, “Our septic is a giant worm
farm that filters black and grey water with
microbes. This water is then reused as
sub-irrigation to our orchards.”
Good Organic Gardening | 29
GARDENING FOLK | TRACY LANSDELL

1 2

With no town water, dams or bores,

their only source of water is what they
harvest in their 380,000L tank. They see
this as mostly positive because it makes
them treasure and conserve every drop.
The Lansdells’ conservation ideals
extend to habitat gardening. Tracy
mentions the nearby lithium mine that’s
clearing biodiversity for the sake of
green technology, whereas her own
garden shows how we can all contribute
to wildlife conservation, no matter the
size of the garden or where it is.
“Build habitat and they always
come,” she says. She plants densely and
continually fills in gaps wherever she can,
which reduces weed growth as well as
creating a haven for wildlife.
“The garden is bursting with life!” she
beams. “We have incredible biodiversity
3 4 with insects, birds, microbats, frogs,
bobtails, bungarras, skinks and other
lizards, plus quenda [bandicoots] that
come to stay each winter.
“I’ve counted over 35 different bird
species, 25 native bee species, 30 wasp
species and easily more than 40 different
species of spiders. We love and embrace
them all.”
Of course, there has to be a downside:
“Kangaroos are a challenge. They love to
eat new plants or just pull the tubestock
out of the ground and can strip our fruit
trees of leaves.”

GARLIC AND HERBS

In addition to more than 45 different
fruit and nut trees, the Lansdells grow
50-plus medicinal herbs and plenty of
seasonal veggies in a mixture of raised,
no-dig and wicking beds.
The queen of the crops is garlic: they

30 | Good Organic Gardening

 TRACY LANSDELL | GARDENING FOLK

1 Globe artichokes
5 2 A native bee hotel
3 Tracy’s great-grandmother’s harvest basket
4 Homegrown herb apothecary
5 Potted microclimate garden
6 Recycled garden art with succulents
7 Bee-attracting pelargonium
8 Bee hotel made from retro TV

harvest at least 1000 head a year. They 7 8

eat a lot of garlic and love to share it and
a thousand has worked out to be the
magic number.
Tracy sells around 200 heads a year to
fund any garden maintenance required
and retains another 200 as seed for
the next season. She freezes big jars of
separated bulbs so they never run out
during the growing season.
She also uses some in her relishes
and lacto-ferments, her favourite being
fermented garlic honey using honey from
local sources.
As a qualified naturopath, Tracy is
particularly focused on her herbs from
which she makes tinctures, oils, healing
balms, teas and hydrosols, depending on
what the harvest provides and what her
clients need. From the moment they took over
Pandemic shortages highlighted just guardianship of this land, the Lansdells
how vulnerable the supply chain can be wanted to restore its vitality and
for practitioner-grade herbal medicines. surround themselves with the restorative TRACY’S TOP TIPS
Tracy was already growing a lot of herbs power of nature. 1. Don’t worry if you don’t have a
but this really spurred her into action. Tracy loves the fact that her green thumb — you can grow one.
Her aim is to become as self-sufficient naturopathic clinic is here and clients 2. Take the time to listen to nature
in herbal medicine production as is are surrounded by the very garden and your backyard’s needs.
possible and sustainable, concentrating that grows the gorgeous tinctures in In between growing your own
on the plants that match the climate her apothecary. food, create habitat gardens.
and conditions to ensure their healing It is, she says, “a healing garden. It 3. Many species of native bees
properties remain potent. reveres and nurtures all life.” make their nests in the ground. Be
Herbal flowers such as calendula, sure to keep a patch of bare dirt in
California poppy and borage self-sow Tracy has a blog at your garden.
around the place, springing up all year greentreenaturopathy.com.au 4. The size of your garden doesn’t
round. Self-sown flowers are always more with articles on native bees, herbs, matter if you can see it as a
vibrant, says Tracy, who can “feel their medicines and wellbeing in general physical extension of yourself
happiness from being allowed to choose Facebook: Green Tree Naturopathy and create a mutual healing
where to grow”. Instagram: @green_tree_naturopathy relationship with it.

Good Organic Gardening | 31

GARDENING FOLK | LEISA & SERGE ROSSIGNOL

COTTAGE ON
EVEN AMONG TOOWOOMBA’S RENOWNED GARDENS,
THIS COUPLE’S PRETTY AND PRODUCTIVE
FRENCH-INSPIRED POTAGER STANDS OUT

32 | Good Organic Gardening

 LEISA & SERGE ROSSIGNOL | GARDENING FOLK

SOME OF THE ORIGINAL PLANTINGS WERE

LEFT IN PLACE TO PROVIDE STRUCTURE WHILE
THE GARDEN WAS BEING RENOVATED.

Clockwise from far left Serge’s obelisk and

summerhouse; red cabbage; citrus is one of their
power crops; al fresco dining; Serge and Leisa at
the potting bench, as pictured in The Chronicle;
Virginia stock and yarrow; Iceland poppies

I
Words & photos Claire Bickle
n a charming street in Toowoomba,
on Queensland’s Darling Downs,
you’ll find charming Lorea House
and, hidden behind it, an even more
charming garden.
While the cottage itself is 115 years
old, Leisa and Serge Rossignol began
planning the flourishing potager garden
just four years ago, filling the compact
640m2 block with flowering perennials, “Nan and Pop always had chooks and grandparents’ place in Bordeaux
fruit trees and vegetable beds. a house cow that kept three families where they kept chickens and had a
Within two years, in 2021, their garden in milk,” she says. Her Nan had a lovely thriving kitchen garden. He remembers
had been named grand champion in country garden and Leisa fondly them as Pépé Tracteur (“Grandad
The Chronicle Garden Competition — remembers how there was always Tractor”) and Mémé Cocotte
centrepiece of Toowoomba’s famed something in a vase on the kitchen table. (“Grandma Chicken Casserole”).
Carnival of Flowers — and the year after Her other grandparents owned a dairy When his family moved to Australia,
that it won best back garden as well as farm and a variety of chooks. When her Serge says, “We started vegetable
most productive. grandfather retired, she says, “He had the farms north of Brisbane and we always
Leisa created her first garden some most wonderful flower, vegetable and fruit took our produce to the large Rocklea
36 years ago but it really began during garden. The produce was always preserved Farmers’ Markets.” He spent many a
her Darling Downs childhood as part of and used in one way or another.” weekend and school holidays helping
a seventh-generation farming family. French-born Serge used to visit his out on the family farm.

Good Organic Gardening | 33

GARDENING FOLK | LEISA & SERGE ROSSIGNOL
1 2
FROM THE GROUND UP
The garden was difficult early on, Serge
admits. They arrived there during a
dry spell and had to resist planting
straightaway before they got the bones
of the garden set. The design had to be
drawn and garden beds created and
prepared properly.
The potager beds were built in a grid
using timber edging and the couple
bought top-quality soil to fill them; other
beds were edged with old bricks. They
added pathways of river rocks.
Some of the original plantings were
left in place to provide structure while
the garden was being renovated, though
4 5
34 | Good Organic Gardening
they removed a large, invasive and
diseased Celtis in the back garden.
The day Serge announced he would
build a little summerhouse, Leisa knew all
her dreams and design ideas would come
to fruition.
She loves planning the garden plantings
each season, especially researching the
availability of plants and designing the
garden around the results. She says
growing vegetables and salad greens
alongside flowers to gift and sell is a joy.
Old-fashioned perennials, flowering
blossom trees, fruit trees and cottage-
style annuals are Leisa’s favourites. She
enjoys experimenting with new varieties
3
THE ROSSIGNOLS SAY IT’S
“AN ABSOLUTE JOY” TO
OPEN THEIR PRIZE-WINNING
GARDEN AND SHARE IT
WITH OTHERS.
and cultivars — and you should see their
fantastic row of citruses!
In spring they plant Iceland poppies,
ranunculus, anemone, foxglove, primula,
lobelia, delphinium, sweet peas,
calendula, pansies, stocks and violas; in
summer, it’s zinnias and dahlias.
The spring vegetable list contains
peas, red and white cabbage, broccoli,
cauliflower, spring onions and more,
while summer sees corn, lettuce, radish,
beans, plus a huge variety of herbs all
year round.
Everything is grown from seed; Leisa
saves seedlings and allows plants to self-
seed around the place.
With no room for rainwater tanks, the
couple ensure the rich, red volcanic soil
is full of organic matter in the form of
mushroom compost. They also mulch
thickly and continuously to conserve
soil moisture.
They use organic pelletised manure
and liquid seaweed on the gardens
regularly via a plug-on hose setup.
Naturally, no chemicals are used on
flowers and edibles. The only measure
the couple take is to hang fruit-fly
traps in the fruit trees and bag any
other fruit to protect it from birds and
other larger pests.
They also use wire cloches and old
birdcages to cover small plants. Leisa
cuts drink bottles in half and puts
them over young seedlings to prevent
cutworm and give the baby plants a
chance to get growing.
 LEISA & SERGE ROSSIGNOL | GARDENING FOLK

1 Potted showcase on the back verandah

6 2 Pollinators adore French lavender and Coreopsis
3 Beautiful blue borage, much loved by the bees
4 Wire cloches discourage marauding possums
5 The source of the Rossignols’ legendary orange
marmalade — 250 jars last year!
6 Serge’s pink summerhouse is a focal point
7 The potting bench: where the magic happens

THE HARVEST which celebrates their love of all things

The Rossignols say it’s “an absolute
joy” to open their prize-winning garden
and share it with others. And, when
friends and family drop in, they’re
happy to share their harvest.
There’s likely to be seven different
salad greens on the guests’ plates — not
to mention coleslaw and freshly chopped
herbs for the homemade pizza and breads.
They grow a huge amount of citrus,
particularly oranges, from which they
make cakes, juice and marmalade. Last
year they ended up with 250 bottles of
orange marmalade.
Leisa dries lemons for her lemon butter;
she also preserves or pickles beetroot and
cauliflower and freezes her excess corn,
beans, peas, carrots and brassicas.
The couple sell floral bouquets and
punnets of edible flowers. Together, they
run a pop-up business called Eleanor &
Ruby, named for Leisa’s grandmothers,
vintage and garden.
It features Leisa’s embroidery, slow
stitching, dressmaking and quilting with
beautiful antique French fabrics and lace
as well as locally sourced treasures for
home and garden.
Since building the lovely pink
summerhouse with its recycled stained-
glass windows and French doors, Serge
has also created gorgeous obelisks and
potting benches from found materials.
Future plans include dovecotes and
vintage-style beehives.
“Serge has been a wonderful
supporter of my ideas and he’s been
able to build or make everything,” says
Leisa. “We’re both pleased at how
everything has come together.”
Facebook: Eleanor & Ruby
Instagram: @eleanorandruby
Web: eleanorandruby.blogspot.com
LEISA & SERGE’S TOP TIPS
1. When planning the garden,
draw everything to scale on
graph paper. This ensures
the garden is used to its
full potential.
2. Use marking spray paint to
sketch out beds so you get a
better idea of what it will look
like. You can even use a garden
hose to create the shape of a
curved garden.
3. If you have to bring in outside
resources, use the best-quality
soil and potting mix.
4. Mulch, mulch, mulch and
mulch more.
5. Separate small seedlings
from punnets and pot up if tiny
until established enough to be
planted out. Leisa has had up to
16 plants in one six-cell punnet.

Good Organic Gardening | 35

MOON PLANTING | MAY/JUNE

MOON
PLANTING
MAY 2023  New moon Full moon
Late autumn is a great time in most regions to get brassicas and root vegies in  First quarter  Last quarter
the ground — and don’t forget the peas, including sugar snap and snowpeas
When the moon is waxing from new
MON TUES WED THU FRI SAT SUN moon to full moon, it is increasing
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 light and drawing sap flow upwards.
During the waning from full moon
back to new moon, light decreases
3:34am and sap is drawn downwards.
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 This movement of sap flow has an
influence on how well new plants will
grow. There are four phases, each
 12:28am lasting seven to eight days. Sowing,
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 planting and taking cuttings should
not be done in the 12 hours before
and after each phase. If you want
 1:53am to work in the garden at that time,
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 carry out general tasks and improve
your soil for planting.

 5:49pm FRUITING ANNUALS

29 30 31 Sow or plant annuals grown
for their fruits or seeds. This is best
done during the first quarter phase
between first quarter and full moon,
when sap is being drawn upwards.
JUNE 2023
Time to think about fruit trees and, although it’s a quieter time for planting ROOT CROPS
vegies in cooler regions, there’s plenty of options for warmer zones Sow or plant crops that
produce below the ground, and also
MON TUES WED THU FRI SAT SUN perennials. This is best done between
1 2 3 4 full moon and last quarter when sap
flow is being drawn downwards.

 1:41pm LEAFY GREENS

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Sow or plant crops that are
grown for their foliage. This is best
done during the new moon phase
 5:31am between new moon and first quarter
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 when sap is being drawn upwards.

AVOID PLANTING
 2:37pm The last quarter phase is
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 not a good period for sowing or
planting, so is best used working
on improving soil, weeding, making
compost and other general chores.
26 27 28 29 30

Times are Australian Eastern Standard Time

(AEST). Add 1 hour during daylight saving.
 5:49pm WA, SA & NT will need to adjust.

36 | Good Organic Gardening


TIME PLANT
CHECK YOUR CLIMATE ZONE TO FIND OUT ALL THE LOVELY
WINTER CROPS THAT CAN POPULATE YOUR PATCH
NDS
COOL & HIGHLA
MAY
Artichoke, broad beans, broccoli, Brussels
sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chives, coriander,
daikon, dill, endive, eschalot, garlic, Jerusalem
artichoke, kohlrabi, lettuce, mibuna, mizuna,
mustard greens, onion, radish, rocket, snow peas,
spinach, sugar snap peas, turnip
TEMPERATE
Artichoke, Asian greens, asparagus, broad beans,
broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot,
cauliflower, chives, coriander, corn salad, daikon,
dill, endive, eschalot, fennel, garlic, Jerusalem
artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, mint,
mizuna, mustard greens, onion, peas, radish,
rocket, silverbeet, snow peas, spring onion, sugar
snap peas, spinach, turnip
SUBTROPICAL Artichoke, Asian greens, asparagus, beans, beetroot,
broad beans, broccoli, burdock, cabbage, carrot,
cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, chives, collard,
coriander, daikon, dill, endive, eschalot, fennel, garlic,
kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, mizuna, onion, parsnip,
peas, potato, radish, rocket, silverbeet, snow peas,
spinach, spring onion, swede, tomato, turnip
TROPICAL
Asian greens, amaranth, artichoke, asparagus,
asparagus pea, basil, beans, beetroot, broccoli,
Brussels sprouts, cabbage, capsicum, carrot,
cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, chillies, Chinese
cabbage, chives, coriander, cucumber, daikon,
eggplant, endive, eschalot, fennel, garlic, ginger,
horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, marrow,
mizuna, okra, peas, potato, pumpkin, radish, rocket,
salsify, silverbeet, spring onion, squash, swede,
sweet corn, sweet potato (kumara), tarragon,
tomato, turnip, zucchini
ARID
Artichoke, Asian greens, asparagus, broad beans,
beetroot, broccoli, burdock, cabbage, carrot,
cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, chives, collard,
daikon, dill, endive, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce,
mint, mustard greens, onion, parsley, parsnip, peas,
radish, rocket, silverbeet, snow peas, spinach, spring
onions, sugar snap peas, swede, thyme, turnip
These maps are simplified versions adapted from climate maps by the Bureau of Meteorology and are only a rough guide. Microclimates can occur anywhere.
HERBS & VEGIES | PLANT NOW
JUNE
Artichoke, asparagus, broad beans,
broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower,
endive, garlic, Jerusalem artichoke, lettuce,
mustard greens, onion, radish, snow peas,
spinach, sugar snap peas
Artichoke, asparagus, broad beans, broccoli,
cabbage, chives, coriander, endive, garlic,
Jerusalem artichoke, kale, lettuce, mint, mustard
greens, onion, peas, radish, snow peas, spinach,
sugar snap peas
Artichoke, Asian greens, asparagus, beans,
beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrot,
cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, chives,
coriander, daikon, dill, endive, eschalot, fennel,
garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, mustard greens,
onion, parsnip, peas, potato, radish, rocket,
silverbeet, snow peas, spinach, spring onion,
tomato, turnip
Asian greens, amaranth, artichoke, asparagus,
asparagus pea, basil, beans, beetroot, broccoli,
Brussels sprouts, cabbage, capsicum, carrot,
celeriac, celery, chicory, chillies, Chinese
cabbage, chives, choko, coriander, cucumber,
daikon, dill, eggplant, endive, eschalot, fennel,
garlic, ginger, horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke,
kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, mizuna, mustard
greens, okra, onion, potato, pumpkin, radish,
rocket, silverbeet, spring onion, squash, swede,
sweet corn, sweet potato (kumara), tarragon,
tomatillo, tomato, turnip, zucchini
Artichoke, Asian greens, asparagus, broad
beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, carrot,
chicory, chives, collard, daikon, dill, endive,
garlic, horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke, kale,
kohlrabi, lemon balm, lettuce, mint, mustard
greens, onion, parsley, parsnip, peas, radish,
sage, savory, silverbeet, snow peas, spinach,
sugar snap peas, swede, turnip
Good Organic Gardening | 37
TIME TO PLANT | ASPARAGUS

SPARROW GRASS
KNOWN BY ITS RURAL ENGLISH FOLK NAME UNTIL FAIRLY
RECENTLY, ASPARAGUS HAS BEEN CULTIVATED AND ENJOYED
AS A VEGETABLE SINCE ANCIENT TIMES

Asparagus label

A
Words Chloe Thomson
sparagus is a quintessential
spring vegetable, best planted
in winter when the crown, or
root system, is dormant.
In its bare-rooted form, an asparagus
crown looks nothing like the tasty
spears that emerge in spring. You
could be forgiven for mistaking it for
a semi-dried octopus.
But I promise that, once planted
and established, that bizarre-looking
root system will turn into a spear-
producing machine!
Asparagus is a long-term proposition
and you’ll need to provide it with a
dedicated growing space as it doesn’t
like competing with other crops.
You’ll also have to wait two years or
more before you can harvest — but it’s
worth the wait because each plant can
keep on producing for up to 15 years.
GROWING
Asparagus enjoys a full-sun to part-
shade position and is typically grown
You can grow asparagus from seeds
but this will test your patience even more,
as you’ll need to wait 3–4 years before Common name
: Asparagus
harvesting your first crop of spears. Botanical nam
e: Asparagus o
fficinalis
Prepare your dedicated asparagus Family: Asparag
aceae (formerly
Liliaceae)
bed or space by mixing through plenty Aspect & soil:
Sun to part shad
e;
of compost and well-composted or well-drained so
il
pelletised animal manure. Suitable for: C
ool, Mediterrane
temperate, sub an,
Asparagus needs a soil with good tropical
drainage, so grow in raised beds or Habit: Herbaceo
us perennial
planter boxes to aid drainage if needed. Propagation: C
rowns, seed
To plant asparagus crowns: Difficulty: Mod
erate
1. Dig a trench 15–20cm deep by
30cm wide.
2. Space the crowns 30–50cm apart
at the bottom of the trench with each
sitting on its own mound of soil so the growth and retain moisture.
roots are spread out evenly. For the first two years, allow the
3. Backfill the trench to cover each crown crowns to complete their growth cycle
with 5cm of soil and continue to backfill without harvesting any spears. Patience
as the shoots emerge. at this early stage will pay dividends in
4. Once the trench is filled in, top the area the long-term health and productivity of
with sugarcane mulch to suppress weed your asparagus plants.
FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS, ALLOW THE CROWNS
TO COMPLETE THEIR GROWTH CYCLE WITHOUT
Bigstock

from two-year-old dormant crowns

planted during winter. HARVESTING ANY SPEARS.

38 | Good Organic Gardening

 ASPARAGUS | TIME TO PLANT

LOVE TIPS
The ancients considered asparagus an aphrodisiac while Madame
de Pompadour, mistress of 18th-century French king Louis XV,
famously enjoyed the plant’s very tips — “les points d’amour”— as
a culinary delicacy.

Top ‘Sweet Purple’ CARE

Below Left ‘Argenteuil’
Below ‘Mary Washington’
Bottom ‘Fat Bastard’
Once your asparagus crowns have
established for two years, it’s time to
begin the annual task of cutting back the
fronds each winter.
The edible spears grow in spring and,
depending on the variety, usually finish
in summer.
From midsummer onwards, allow the
spears to grow into tall fronds. These
will brown off through autumn and in
winter are cut off at ground level to
encourage new spears in spring.
Once you’ve cut them down, top-
dress the area, as already mentioned,
with compost and well-aged or
pelletised animal manure plus a layer of
organic sugarcane mulch.
Your asparagus is then all set for a
fresh crop of spears to emerge in spring.

HARVESTING
The best time to harvest asparagus spears
is when they’re the thickness of a pencil.
Left to grow too fat or too long, they’ll
lose their flavour and become tough.
Use a sharp knife to cut the spear off
at ground level or slightly below. Never
be tempted to harvest spears by pulling
on them as you might unearth the
whole crown or badly damage it.
The spears are sweetest and crispest
when harvested first thing in the morning.
Be ready to check on your asparagus bed
daily once the spears start coming in as
they’ll grow seemingly overnight!

VARIETIES TO TRY
‘Sweet Purple’ A highly productive
variety with a mild, earthy flavour. Said to
be less fibrous than the green varieties.
‘Fat Bastard’ As its name suggests, this
WHITE ASPARAGUS variety produces thick, tasty spears. It
White asparagus isn’t a separate has one of the highest yields as well as
variety — it’s just green or purple excellent resistance to rust.
asparagus that’s been “blanched” ‘Mary Washington’ A traditional open-
while growing. Cover the seedlings pollinated variety and a true garden
with a black plastic tub or a frame favourite. Excellent disease resistance
covered with thick, dark fabric. The and a reliable producer.
lack of sunlight stops the emerging ‘Argenteuil’ An old French heirloom
spears from changing colour, so variety with long, thick, tender green
they remain completely white. spears with purple tips. Matures early
with a great flavour.

Good Organic Gardening | 39

TIME TO PLANT | BROAD BEANS
DO YOURSELF A FAVA
HIGHLY NUTRITIOUS AND EASY TO GROW, BROAD BEANS CAN BE
A BIT OF A FIDDLE TO PREPARE BUT THEY’RE TOTALLY WORTH IT
I
Words Jennifer Stackhouse
f you are searching for an easy-to-
grow, high-value vegie to harvest
in winter and spring, don’t overlook
broad beans. They grow readily
from seed and produce a bountiful,
nutritious crop in a small space.
They have a short season and are
expensive to buy fresh, so having your
own makes sense (and cents). As well
as enjoying them in season, you can
easily freeze them for later.
While broad beans are very easy to
grow, they do come with baggage. That
would be the large green pod which, as
with peas, must be shelled to release
the starchy treat inside. (Mind you,
tender young beans can be cooked and
eaten whole.)
To get to the fresh pea-green broad
bean, a second process is needed: the
removal of the husk after the bean has
been boiled or steamed. If you can’t be
bothered, just serve them up as they are.
40 | Good Organic Gardening
GROWING TIPS
Broad beans grow from seed direct
sown from autumn to early spring. The
large seeds are easy to sow: simply push
them down into the prepared soil.
Beans prefer a soil pH of 6–7, which
is neutral. In acidic soils, dig in a
scattering of garden lime.
Sow seeds in rows about 5cm deep in
damp soil. Press them firmly into the soil
as they can push themselves up to the
surface when they start to germinate.
Space seeds or seedlings around
15–20cm apart. They shouldn’t need to
be watered until they start to pop out
of the soil.
If seeds fail to germinate after around
two weeks, check around where they
were sown as they may have been
eaten by mice. If the soil is very wet, the
seeds may also have rotted.
Sow more seeds or start the seeds
in punnets filled with seed-raising mix.
Once the seedlings are big enough
to handle, transplant them into the
prepared beds.
Large growers such as ‘Early Long
Pod’ and ‘Aquadulce’ need support in
the form of a trellis or climbing frame.
Grow dwarf broad beans such as
‘Coles Prolific’ in close rows surrounded
by a perimeter support of stakes and
string to keep the plants upright and less
likely to be broken in windy weather.
Broad beans aren’t the ideal choice
for container growing but, if space in
DID YOU KNOW?
While most broad beans have
white flowers, there are varieties
with attractive red to dark-purple
flowers. To add colour to the
vegetable patch, look for ‘Crimson
Flowered’ or ‘Black Flowered’
varieties. Despite the coloured
Bigstock
flowers, the beans are still green.

‘Crimson Flowered’
BEANS ARE SLOWER TO FORM IN COLD OR
FROSTY AREAS WHERE FLOWERING AND BEAN
FORMATION MAY NOT OCCUR UNTIL SPRING.
the ground is tight, plant seedlings in
a trough around 25cm deep or a pot
that’s at least 30–45cm wide and 25cm
deep. Space the plants 10–15cm apart
with stakes for support.
ONGOING CARE
Liquid-feed growing plants every two
weeks or apply a side dressing of organic
fertiliser along the row as the plants start
to grow. Keep the area between plants
weed free with regular gentle hoeing.
Broad beans start to flower and crop
in winter in frost-free zones and usually
60–120 days after sowing.
Beans are slower to form in cold or
frosty areas where flowering and bean
formation may not occur until spring.
Although harvest is later in cool
zones, a crop of broad beans planted
in early spring may still be cropping in
early summer.
Broad beans have few problems,
although aphids can attack the growing
tips. Control these pests organically by
squashing them with your fingers or
pinching out the infested growth.
‘Black Flowered’
Habit: Ann
Propagatio
Difficulty:
Broad beans are legumes, which
means they add nitrogen to the soil
as they grow. Make the most of this
natural and sustainable fertiliser by
following broad beans in crop rotation
with leafy vegetables such as lettuce,
spinach or silverbeet.
Even when broad beans have finished
cropping and are pulled up to make way
for spring and summer crops, they can
be fed to the chooks, added to compost
heaps or shredded as mulch.
Alternatively, just dig the plant matter
into the soil.
HARVESTING, STORING
AND PRESERVING
There are two opportunities for harvest.
For a fresh bean, harvest when pods are
6–8cm long and tender enough to eat
whole, like green beans.
Eating the young beans pod and
all provides a highly nutritious feast
as broad beans are rich in vitamin C,
potassium, iron and dietary fibre. Like
green beans, these beans are easier to
eat if stringed before they are cooked.
BROAD BEANS | TIME TO PLANT
Broad beans
in the pod
Broad bean
Common n
label
ames: Broa
Botanical d bean, fav
name: Vicia a bean
Family: Fa fa ba
baceae (pe
Aspect & s a and bean
oil: Sun; w family)
shelter fro ell-drained
m wind soil,
ual climbe
r or bush
n: Seed, se
edling
Easy
Alternatively, leave the pods to grow
to maturity. Once they’re long (20–25cm)
and plump, harvest and shell like peas.
Each pod contains up to eight large
beans, each of them in turn nestled in a
fibrous shell. Cook to eat as a vegetable,
add to a salad or blend as a soup.
Chop up the empty pods to add to
the chook bucket or compost heap.
Pick regularly to keep plants productive.
Stored in their pods in a plastic bag
in the refrigerator, broad beans keep for
several weeks. Large, mature beans must
be shelled to eat or store for longer.
To store, blanch the podded beans in
boiling water then freeze on a tray. The
frozen beans can be stored in bags so
they are loose and easy to use.
Beans can also be dried to add to
stews or soups. When cooked, they can
be blended to a hummus-like paste and
either eaten immediately or frozen.
DIETARY WARNING!
Some people have a genetically
transmitted enzyme deficiency
known as favism, which means
they can’t metabolise broad beans
and may develop a fatal anaemic
condition if they eat them.
Good Organic Gardening | 41
TIME TO PLANT | LETTUCE

SALAD DAYS
AFTER LAST YEAR’S PRICE SCARE, LETTUCE IS
BACK ON THE MENU — BUT IT’S EASIER, GREENER
EENER
AND CHEAPER TO GROW YOUR OWN
Lettuce label

I
Words Jennifer Stackhouse Other vegies with high greenhouse
Common na
t’s not easy being green — particularly gas emissions inputs per calorie include me: Lettuce
Botanical na
when you hear about a study that celery, cucumber and eggplant. me: Lactuca
sativa
Family: Aste
showed the commercial growing and The humble salad veg was also in raceae (daisy
family)
Aspect & soil
transport of lettuce creates more the spotlight last year when the price : Full sun; we
ll-drained
soil enriched
greenhouse gases than the production of iceberg lettuce hit double digits — it with compost
Habit: Annua
of bacon. never felt better to be able to harvest a l
Propagation
This astonishing figure is based on the home-grown salad. : Seed, seedli
ng
Difficulty: Ea
calorific value of each food. As lettuce is While 2022’s high retail prices were sy
low in calories, scientists estimate that related to floods, labour shortages,
consumers needed to eat more lettuce transport holdups and the cost of fuel,,
than bacon to get the same calories, it’s always good to have some lettuce
which — perhaps a little unfairly — handy in the garden.
pushes up its environmental footprint. THE KEY TO SUCCESS
The study suggested greenhouse gas GROW YOUR OWN GREENS WITH LETTUCE IS TO KEEP
emissions from the production, transport The good news is anyone can grow leafy
and storage of lettuce were three times greens such as lettuce. Energy invested IT GROWING STEADILY
higher per calorie than for bacon. in transport and refrigerated storage WITHOUT STRESS, SO
Now, not even the most committed is no longer an issue when you pick as
ENSURE PLANTS GET
Bigstock, Getty

vegetarian relies on lettuce for calories needed from the backyard and carry the
(or kilojoules) but the finding underlines leaves a few steps from garden to table. ADEQUATE WATER AND
the hidden energy costs involved in Lettuce can be planted and grown
bringing food to the table. all year round in most areas. It’s also REGULAR LIQUID FEEDING.

42 | Good Organic Gardening

 LETTUCE | TIME TO PLANT

THE HUMBLE SALAD VEG When titanic prices struck the iceberg
last year, one fast-food outlet tried
WAS IN THE SPOTLIGHT putting cabbage on its burgers

LAST YEAR WHEN THE

PRICE OF ICEBERG
LETTUCE HIT DOUBLE
DIGITS — IT NEVER FELT
BETTER TO HARVEST A
HOME-GROWN SALAD.
adaptable as it thrives in both garden
beds and containers, it tolerates light
shade — particularly during the heat
of summer — and it has few major
pests or diseases.
Lettuce ranges from the standard
iceberg lettuce with its crisp and
crunchy heart to the array of loose-
leaf or soft-hearted varieties such as
butter lettuce. There are also pretty and
colourful varieties with red or burgundy
tones or highly decorative leaves such
as ‘Frizzle’ and ‘Coral’, which look good
in both the garden and the salad bowl.
Loose-leaf varieties are the quickest
and easiest of all lettuces to grow and
a good starting point for beginners. As
they are cut-and-come-again, they also
provide leaves over a long period.
Start with seed or seedlings, which are
readily available in punnets from garden
centres. Planting a couple of seedlings or
sowing a few seeds every few weeks is
enough to keep a steady supply coming.
Leaves are ready to harvest within
a few weeks of planting seedlings
as long as you pick only a few outer
leaves. Allow the plants to mature for
another 6–8 weeks before harvesting occurs, the leaves become bitter and while you’re out in the garden. As
the entire plant. are no longer palatable. well as tasting good, the dark-green
Either leave the plants to self-seed leaves are also rich in iron and vitamins,
GROWING TIPS for a perpetual salad garden or rip them particularly vitamin C.
Space seedlings so that each has enough out to make room for more plants. Toss
room to reach its full size — usually the overgrown lettuce plants to the HARVEST AND STORAGE
around 20cm apart for loose-leaf lettuce chooks or onto the compost heap. Harvest lettuce leaf by leaf, starting with
and 30cm for icebergs. While growing lettuce at home to the older outer leaves — or, for a big
If direct sowing, carefully thin out reduce your global energy footprint, salad, take the entire plant.
seedlings that are too close together. add a few other easy greens to spice up To harvest the whole plant, cut the
Either eat the thinnings or transplant your salads. stem off just below the base of the leaves.
them to another part of the garden. Some to consider growing through The stem that remains may reshoot,
The key to success with lettuce is to the cooler months include spinach giving you more leafy greens for free.
keep it growing steadily without stress, (harvest the baby leaves), rocket, Wash well, checking for slugs, snails
so ensure plants get adequate water Japanese greens such as mizuna and and caterpillars that may also be dining
and regular liquid feeding. herbs including parsley. on your greens. Spin the washed lettuce
If lettuce plants do dry out repeatedly Also try a more unusual green, in a lettuce spinner or shake well to
or run short of nutrients, they start commonly known as lamb’s lettuce. remove excess water from leaves.
to flower in a bid to form seeds and It isn’t a true lettuce but can be used Keep lettuce fresh in a plastic bag in
perpetuate themselves. When this in salads or sandwiches or as a snack the crisper section of the fridge.

Good Organic Gardening | 43

TIME TO PLANT | LETTUCE

SALAD SMORGASBORD 1

Plant a selection of colours to add interest and flavour to the vegie patch.
For an easy mix of hues, textures and flavours, look for heritage seed or
seedling mixes.

Name Comment

1 ‘Amish Deer Tongue’ Long leaves, soft texture; heritage variety

2 ‘Butter Crunch’ Loose-leaf lettuce; good for cut and come again

Soft heart, loose-leaf. Each leaf has a wavy

3 ‘Coral’ edge (like a coral). Green but also red and
brown forms

Used in true Caesar salad. Long green leaves,

4 ‘Cos’ upright growth. ‘Little Gem’ is a mini form,
good for small spaces

Bitter lettuce (a type of chicory rather than a

5 Endive
true lettuce), long green leaves

Butter-style loose-leaf lettuce with soft heart;

6 ‘Freckles Bunte’
green leaves speckled with red

Very curly leaves; not a true lettuce but a type

7 ‘Frizzle’ (Frisée)
of endive
3
Large iceberg-style hearted lettuce;
8 ‘Great Lakes’
heat tolerant

9 ‘Iceberg’ Traditional salad lettuce; crunchy texture

Succulent leaves; heritage variety.

10 ‘Miner’s Lettuce’
Not a true lettuce

Soft heart, red leaves. Fast-growing heritage

11 ‘Red Velvet’
variety (harvest in 8 weeks)

Soft heart, loose-leaf. Thin bright-green

12 ‘Royal Oakleaf’
wavy leaves

44 | Good Organic Gardening

 LETTUCE | TIME TO PLANT

4 5 6

7 8 9

10 11

12

Good Organic Gardening | 45

TIME TO PLANT | FEIJOA
TROPICAL FIG
IT RESEMBLES A FIG, IS RELATED TO GUAVA AND
TASTES A BIT LIKE PINEAPPLE, WHICH MAKES
FEIJOA A FRUIT SALAD ALL ON ITS OWN
F
Words Chloe Thomson
eijoa, also known as pineapple
guava, is native to the highlands
of South America. Its fruit ripens
in autumn after most summer-
fruiting trees have finished, making it the
perfect autumn snack.
The sage-green, football-shaped fruit
contains a soft, pale flesh that tastes a
bit like a cross between a pineapple and
guava that’s been sprinkled with sherbet.
To avoid the bitter skin while eating
feijoas, slice them in half and use a
teaspoon to scoop out the soft, creamy
flesh and gelatinous seed pulp.
This very aromatic fruit can be made
into jam, jelly or chutney and used in
cakes and desserts.
The white and pink petals of the feijoa
flowers are also edible. Don’t remove all
the petals from a single flower — just
pluck one gently and place it on your
tongue for a sweet, musky pop of flavour.
You can also use the petals to decorate
cakes or desserts.
46 | Good Organic Gardening
Feijoas can grow 2–5 metres tall and
about the same in width but they can be
clipped from a young age into a screening
hedge or compact shrub shape.
If you really want to keep their growth
in check, plant them into a large pot at
least 50–60cm wide and deep.
Feijoa was first introduced to southern
Europe around 1890 and Queen Victoria
is said to have adored the tasty fruit. It
reached Australian shores around 1908.
Today, New Zealand is the world’s
leading commercial grower, producing
approximately 800 tonnes of fruit per year.
GROWING
Feijoa will grow in a range of climates
from as far south as Tasmania to the
subtropics of Queensland.
It prefers an open, sunny spot (part
shade conditions will reduce fruiting) in
a rich but well drained soil.
Prepare the soil for planting feijoas by
mixing through plenty of compost and a
little well-aged or pelletised animal manure.
 FEIJOA | TIME TO PLANT

Right Feijoa jam

Below right The flower petals are edible but
only take one from any flower

Autumn is the best time to plant feijoas

as the soil is still warm and the roots will
establish well.
You can find both seedlings and
grafted feijoas in nurseries. And although
grafted will be more expensive, you’re
buying a guaranteed cultivar that will
fruit faster than a seedling, which can
take up to 10 years to fruit.
Check if the cultivar you’ve chosen
to grow is self-fertile; even if it is, many
varieties will fruit better if you grow
multiple plants.

CARE
Use hedging shears or an electric pruner
to give your feijoa an overall gentle trim
after fruiting to maintain its shape and
promote a bushy growth.
Encourage flowering by fertilising in
spring with an organic-based potassium-
rich fertiliser.
You’ll be glad to learn that feijoas
are known for their hardiness: they’ll
tolerate a range of soil conditions and are
resistant to most pests and diseases.
To protect your crop from insect pests
like Queensland fruit fly, use wildlife-safe
netting after fruit set.
Likewise, if feathered or furry garden
visitors are also helping themselves to
your feijoas, use wildlife netting to cover
the crop.
FEIJOA WILL GROW IN A RANGE OF CLIMATES
HARVESTING FROM AS FAR SOUTH AS TASMANIA TO THE
Fruit falls to the ground when ready to
be harvested in autumn. You can give SUBTROPICS OF QUEENSLAND.
the tree or bush a gentle shake to see
what falls off. VARIETIES TO TRY
Alternatively, harvest any fruit that ‘Duffy’ A variety bred in Victoria with
comes away at the slightest touch.
Ripe fruit will have a floral bubblegum
individual fruit up to 200g each with a
very pleasant non-gritty flavour. Feijoa label a,
fragrance and the flesh inside will be soft ‘Unique’ A self-fertile variety from New : Fe ijo a, pineapple guav
m es
and creamy. Zealand. Great for small spaces, this Common na
Feijoas taste best freshly picked and compact but vigorous tree grows up guavasteen ellowiana
o tan ic al n ame: Acca s
at room temperature. They should last to 2.5m tall. Fruits ripen early and it B family)
m ily : M y rt a ceae (myrtle ed soil
2–4 weeks in your fridge or you can share produces well in cooler areas. Fa
o il : S un ; d eep, well-drain
excess fruit with friends and neighbours. ‘Apollo’ Medium to large fruit with a very Aspect & s cool
t c lim a te : Subtropical to
Before sharing, ensure fruit has not pleasant flavour on an upright, spreading Bes small tree
it : Ev e rg re en shrub or
been stung or infested with Queensland tall tree that’s vigorous and productive. Hab , grafting
a g a tio n : S eed, cutting
fruit fly. Cut open several fruits and Fruit ripens mid to late season. Prop
asy
inspect for maggots. If you find any, boil ‘White Goose’ Large fruit with a very Difficulty: E
Bigstock

the fruit for 10 minutes, bag and dispose sweet flavour and soft, smooth pulp.
of it in your rubbish bin. Early season, ripening in March/April.

Good Organic Gardening | 47

TIME TO PLANT | LOQUAT
ORNAMENTAL
ORIENTAL
WITH FRAGRANT FLOWERS IN AUTUMN AND
GOLDEN FRUIT IN SPRING, THE LOQUAT IS ALL
YOU COULD WANT IN AN EXOTIC TREE
L
Words Jennifer Stackhouse
oquats are better known in
Asia than Australia where,
despite more than 100 years of
cultivation, they are still viewed
as an exotic fruit.
The trees are often seen in old,
overgrown gardens, laden in late winter
and early spring with yellow fruit.
The loquat originated in China where it’s
known as pipa; its golden fruit symbolises
wealth. It has been long grown in Japan —
its specific name is japonica — and many
named varieties originated there.
These handsome evergreen trees
are normally 3–4m tall in gardens but,
if unpruned, can reach up to 10m in
height. They can also be grown as large
ornamental shrubs.
The large dark-green leaves are heavily
veined with a pleated look. The underside
of the leaf is brown and downy, as are
new shoots and fruit.
Loquats flower in autumn, producing
fragrant white to pink flowers with five
petals and golden stamens. Look closely
48 | Good Organic Gardening
at the flowers, which resemble roses —
like plums and apples, the tree is part of
the Rosaceae family.
The loquat is closely related to medlar,
an old-fashioned European fruit tree. Its
fruit is oval — reminiscent of a rosehip or
medlar — and about the size of a small
apricot or plum.
The fruit is low in calories and high in
dietary fibre. When ripe, it colours bright
golden yellow and inside is a sweet flesh
embedded with 1–4 large brown seeds.
Like those of apricots and apples,
loquat seeds contain very small amounts
of cyanogenic glycosides (the same
compound is also found in the young
leaves). The bitter taste is usually enough
to stop them being accidently eaten.
VARIETIES
Loquats are usually self-fertile so only
one is needed for a crop, though planting
more than one tree may increase the yield.
As they grow so easily from seed,
many trees in garden centres are
unnamed varieties with variable crops.
THE LOQUAT’S FRUIT IS
OVAL, REMINISCENT OF A
ROSEHIP OR MEDLAR, AND
ABOUT THE SIZE OF A
SMALL APRICOT OR PLUM.
Fruit skin, for example, can be smooth or
downy and may be yellow or orange. The
flesh inside varies from white to yellow or
orange, it can be sweet or acidic and the
size and number of seeds may also vary.
The key to selecting a loquat with
good fruit is to look for named varieties
with large fruit and comparatively small
seeds. ‘Bessell Brown’ has large orange
fruit with small seeds.
The Japanese variety ‘Nagasakiwase’
grows across a wide range of climates.
In the subtropics it crops twice a year, in
autumn and again in late winter.
For smaller gardens, look for trees
grafted on to dwarfing rootstock. ‘Dwarf
Nagasakiwase’ is grafted on to a dwarf
quince rootstock.
 LOQUAT | TIME TO PLANT

In China, the golden fruit

symbolises wealth
The seeds of ‘Mogi’ and ‘Tanaka’,
with their low levels of cyanide, are the
preferred choice for the bitter loquat
liqueur nespolino to avoid poisoning.

GROWING AND HARVEST

Give loquats room to spread by allowing
at least 4–5m around each tree. If space
is tight, trees can be pruned to reduce
their size. Prune in spring after the fruit
is harvested.
While loquats grow in most areas,
they are best in warm coastal zones with
neutral to slightly acidic soil. They tend to
do well wherever citrus thrive.
As they are evergreen, dense and
fast growing, loquats make excellent
protection for plants that are susceptible
to cold winds.
Trees that are well grown in good soil
Loquat leaves can be with regular water and fertiliser tend to
brewed as a herbal tea have larger fruit with a better flesh-to-seed
ratio than trees that are water stressed.

oq ua t lab el Apply an organic fruit fertiliser in

L spring and mix well-rotted manure into
mulch around the tree.
quat
name: Lo ponica Additional water is particularly
Common : E rio botrya ja
l na m e
Botanica se family
) important over long dry summers and to
c ea e ( ro ;
osa art shade encourage good autumn flowering.
Family: R s u n t o p
soil: Full Loquats ripen in early spring — perhaps
Aspect &
ed soil later in cooler areas. Mature fruit is yellow
well-drain
ate: All or orange and may be tinged with red.
Best clim ee
v e rgreen tr eed As an early crop that matures well
Hab it: E
ra ftin g ; cutting; s
ion: G
Propagat ahead of other fruits, loquat can provide
: Easy breeding grounds for fruit fly. In fruit-
Difficulty
fly zones, use splash baits to deter the
insects and collect fallen fruit to reduce a
spike in the population early in the season.
Birds also flock to this feast of ripe fruit.
Loquat’s five-petalled The fruit is generally eaten fresh or
flowers are sweet- poached. As it has a high level of pectin,
scented and decorative
it can be used to make jam, jelly and
chutney or fruit salsa. Try combining with
strawberries for an easy-set jam.
Loquats are also used to make wine
and the leaves are brewed as a herbal tea.
To cook with loquats, cut the fruit up
and remove the seeds. There’s no need
to peel the fruit unless you want a very
smooth-textured result.

WEED WARNING
In the subtropics, self-sown trees
can appear as weeds and loquat
is regarded as an environmental
weed in parts of Queensland and
Bigstock

northern New South Wales.

Good Organic Gardening | 49

FROM THE ARCHIVES | SHORT SHOOTS
Top tips
CLEVER IDEAS FOR YOUR GARDEN
WATCH YOUR ROSES
GO BANANAS
Rose growers in the know swear by
banana skins: just dig some in around
the roots of your roses and watch
them thrive. Banana peel is packed
with goodies missing from many soils
— phosphates, calcium, sulphur and
magnesium — and your blooms will
thank you. You can also make banana
water by soaking the peels and straining.
Throw the used peels on the compost.
Banana water
50 | Good Organic Gardening
Give your store-bought or
homegrown mushrooms a
15-minute burst of sunlight
DON’T KEEP MUSHROOMS
IN THE DARK
Exposing mushrooms to sunlight can
significantly boost their levels of beneficial
vitamin D. This is because mushrooms
are rich in ergosterol, which ultraviolet
radiation converts to ergocalciferol, also
called vitamin D2. Though more of a
problem in long northern winters, vitamin D
deficiency — blamed for many conditions
including diabetes, autism, psoriasis,
tuberculosis, osteoporosis, MS and, more
recently, serious illness with COVID — can
also result when people minimise their time
in the sun to avoid skin damage. While the
effects of vitamin-enriched mushrooms
can last a year or more in fresh or dried,
homegrown or store-bought varieties,
medical authorities still insist the best
source of vitamin D is direct exposure of
the skin to the sun.

SPIRAL OF SPUDS
If you want to grow potatoes and don’t
have a lot of room or don’t want to
devote a whole bed to them, roll some
chicken wire into a cylinder and use
tomato stakes or tent pegs to secure it
to the ground. Cover the seed potatoes
with a mix of straw, old manure, blood
and bone and compost, then water.
As they grow, continue mounding the
straw mixture on top, making sure any
forming potatoes are never exposed
to the light. Potatoes take about 14–16
weeks to harvest and are ready when
the plants begin to yellow and die back.
Using this method also means you can
rotate them to new spots every season.
Clockwise from top
left Vertical spuds;
strawberries in pipes;
water well before
mulching; raise your
seedlings in used toilet-
roll holders and plant
STRAWBERRY PIPES
Avoid having your strawberries covered
in soil and eaten by snails by growing
them in horizontal or vertical pipes! For
a horizontal planter, we took a length
of old 90mm PVC pipe and cut 90mm
holes in 40cm intervals along the length
of the pipe. We then propped the
pipe up up off the ground to keep the
plants out of harm’s way. We inserted
an irrigation hose with drippers to
help with watering the strawberries
consistently, then filled the pipe with
composted soil. We planted the little
strawberry plants and simply watched
them grow. Dirt-free strawberries for
everyone to enjoy!
SHORT SHOOTS | FROM THE ARCHIVES
WATER FIRST, THEN MULCH
It’s a great idea to water your garden
thoroughly before you put your mulch
down. This wets the soil and the mulch
keeps the moisture in. The best mulches
are those with a variety of large and
small particles, as this allows the oxygen
and moisture to penetrate through to
the plants’ roots. Evenly sized mulches
tend to compact and prevent oxygen
and moisture penetrating the soil.
STARRING ROLLS
If you want to cut down on using plastic
pots to raise your seeds, try using old
toilet roll holders. They make ideal
containers for raising all sorts of seeds.
The beauty of them is you don’t have to
disturb the seedling’s roots by taking it
out; instead you plant the entire tube
— gradually the cardboard will rot away
and your seedling won’t experience any
transplant shock.
Step 1: Soak the seeds in water and a
drop or two of liquid seaweed fertiliser
for a couple of hours. They will absorb the
water, which will help them start growing.
Step 2: Fill the toilet roll core to the
top with seed-raising mix. Gently tap
it down. If the seed is small, sprinkle it
on top and gently push it into the mix
to about 1cm depth. If the seed is large
push it down about 5cm. Water carefully.
Step 3: The tubes don’t stand up well by
themselves so stand them in a small box
that has holes in it to let the water drain
away. Place in a warm position that gets
morning sun and afternoon shade.
Step 4: When there are four to six
true leaves on the seedling, dig a hole,
plant the entire roll and water in well.
Good Organic Gardening | 51
GARDEN PLANNING | ATTRACTING BIRDLIFE

F L Y I N G VISITS
WITH THE RIGHT PLANTS IN THE RIGHT PLACE YOU
CAN MAKE YOUR BACKYARD BOTH A MAGNET AND
A TRANQUIL HAVEN FOR NATIVE BIRDS

52 | Good Organic Gardening

 ATTRACTING BIRDLIFE | GARDEN PLANNING

DESIGN A SPACE THAT

BECKONS BIRDS BY
CREATING A GARDEN
LANDSCAPE WITH PLANTS
OF STAGGERED HEIGHTS.
Opposite page A red-tailed black cockatoo
This page, clockwise from above Certain plants
invite local colour: a musk lorikeet on a callistemon
shrub; a rainbow lorikeet dines out on kangaroo
paw; and an eastern rosella forages for grass seeds

B
Words Carrol Baker
irds in the backyard not only
help pollinate flowers, disperse
seeds and keep insects under
control — they bring a host of
other benefits.
The beautiful sound of birdsong can
uplift the spirit and watching birds fly
gracefully from flower to flower in your
own backyard is balm to the soul.
To tempt feathered fauna into
your outdoor landscape, the key is to
create a space filled with rich biodiversity
that will offer food, water and shelter WHAT TO PLANT Cockatoos like to snack on banksia
from predators. Plants indigenous to your local area are seeds and the plant’s prickly form also
Design a space that beckons birds by always the best option as they’ll attract offers a safe haven from predators.
creating a garden landscape with plants native birds. Lemon myrtle offers similar protection
of staggered heights: a multi-tiered Some birds fly low to the ground and from noisy miners, which tend to bully
habitat with larger shrubs or trees, then forage; they like to snack on insects. Some other birds.
smaller shrubs and, in the foreground, are nectar lovers and prefer to flit from Native plants — kangaroo paw, Acacia
even smaller plants and groundcovers. flower to flower, while others eat seeds. species like wattle and native grasses —
This will not only draw the eye — with When planning your bird-attracting will also beckon a bevy of birds.
the right plants, birds will flock to it. garden, a good tip is to provide plants To entice small insect-eaters such as
Before planting your bird-friendly that flower at different times of the year swallows or eastern whipbirds, plant
garden, spend time outside, preferably so there will always be a food source. shrubs like tea tree.
in the early morning, with a cuppa in Plants rich in nectar such as If you can leave a small patch of grass
one hand and a notepad in the other. bottlebrush will attract the likes of (or a larger one if space permits) to go
Observe which birds frequent your spinebills. Eucalypti are a favourite wild and set seed, you’ll attract birds. It
backyard and note which plants they of parrots, which feed on the leaves offers shelter as they forage and you may
gravitate to. and nuts. even see some wildflowers emerge.

Good Organic Gardening | 53

GARDEN PLANNING | ATTRACTING BIRDLIFE

PROVIDE PLANTS THAT FLOWER AT

DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR SO THERE
WILL ALWAYS BE A FOOD SOURCE.

FEEDERS, NESTS
AND BIRDBATHS
There are commercial seed mixes you
can feed birds but you might find you
end up with an abundance of certain
species rather than a diverse array of
different ones.
Fill feeder trays with native plant
seeds and make sure you position them
high enough so pets can’t reach them.
Leafy trees offer places for birds to
build nests and the taller they are, the
safer they’ll feel. A selection of native
grasses such as tussock and kangaroo
grass will ensure birds have ample
material to create nests.
Position a small birdhouse in a sunny,
well-sheltered spot for birds to nest in.
Placing a birdbath under a shady tree
will keep the water cooler for birds in
summer as well as reducing evaporation
and algae growth.
If there’s somewhere you can position
a comfortable seat nearby, you’ll have
the perfect vantage point to sit and sip
a long cool drink on a warm afternoon
and watch birds play and preen in their
water oasis.
Shallow is better than deep — and a
few small stones in the water will give
your visitors somewhere to perch.
Freshen the water every few days and,
if algae start to appear, clean the bath.

54 | Good Organic Gardening

 ATTRACTING BIRDLIFE | GARDEN PLANNING

Clockwise from opposite page Birdbaths stay

cool when shaded by a tree; carpenter bees are
welcome, too; be careful not to overfeed visitors;
a striated pardalote happy in a shrub; police those
pesky pussycats; lorikeets safe in their treetop
nesting box

THINGS THAT HARM BIRDLIFE

Eco-friendly pest control is one way to
boost bird populations in your garden.
There are many natural treatments
available that won’t harm birdlife.
Fending off felines is a way to protect
birds. One of the reasons for the decline
in bird species over the last few decades
is loss of natural habitat, with more and
more housing estates turning farmland
into suburbs.
Where there are more houses, there are
more pets. A 2020 University of Sydney
report showed Australia’s domestic pets
kill 390 million animals per year including
reptiles, mammals and birds.
Keep cats indoors at night and in
outdoor cat runs during the day.

IT’S THEIR HOME, TOO

Mitre 10, gardenloversclub.com

Mi casa es su casa is Spanish for “my

house is your house” — or “make yourself
at home”. We can share our backyards
with our beautiful Aussie birdlife. By
planting the right flora, you will provide
both protection and food and invite an
avian abundance into your garden.

Good Organic Gardening | 55

ORNAMENTAL | BERRIES

Berried treasures
FROM CRANBERRIES AND CRABAPPLES TO NATIVE
LILLY PILLIES AND MIDYIM, BERRY-BEARING TREES
AND SHRUBS ARE AN ADORNMENT TO ANY GARDEN

56 | Good Organic Gardening

 BERRIES | ORNAMENTAL

Snowball bush

MANY VIBURNUMS DON’T FORM BERRIES BUT PROVIDE

P
Words Jennifer Stackhouse
lants that produce berries in
DISPLAYS OF CREAM TO WHITE FLOWERS IN SPRING.
autumn and early winter are
a boon for birds, providing
much-needed food as the
weather cools. They also bring colour
and interest to gardens at a time when
many plants are winding down.
The flip side of these bird-attracting
plants is that some popular ornamental
berries are now regarded as weeds and
no longer recommended for gardens.
Some to avoid include cotoneasters
— very popular in gardens up until the
1980s — as well as holly, pyracantha
and hawthorn, a prickly shrub or tree
Cranberrybush
that was widely used as hedging in
early agriculture.
But don’t give up on berry plants There are many viburnums for
altogether as there are many that gardens that don’t form berries but do TIPS FOR BERRY
deserve space in the garden and won’t provide spectacular displays of cream PRODUCTION
become weedy. Particularly lovely is to white flowers in spring, including the For a good show of berries,
cranberrybush viburnum (Viburnum snowball bush (V. opulus ‘Sterile’) and prune after fruiting. Don’t prune
trilobum), whose luminous red berries V. plicatum. immediately after flowering as this
hang on the shrub for many weeks. Non-sterile examples of V. opulus, removes the potential for fruit!
This tall shrub — it grows to around such as ‘Notcutt’s Variety’ or the smaller Avoid planting near hard surfaces
2–3m high and wide — also has attractive ‘Compactum’, produce clusters of red such as paths or paving where
maple-like leaves that colour in autumn berries in late summer and autumn. fallen berries can make a mess
Bigstock, Getty

and its berries look particularly lovely Some are evergreen and used as or even become trip hazards.
backlit by the autumn sunlight. Also look hedging plants. Grow the vigorous Use evergreen berry plants as
out for V. dentatum with its long-lasting V. odoratissimum in warm zones or productive hedges.
black berries. V. tinus in cooler areas.

Good Organic Gardening | 57

ORNAMENTAL | BERRIES

1 2

1 Himalayan dogwood 2 Crabapple flowers

3 Juniper 4 Spindleberry 5 Amelanchier
6 Beauty bush 7 Lilly pilly 8 Blueberry ash flowers
9 Pepperberry 10 Midyim

OTHER CHOICES AS WELL AS LOOKING GOOD AND FEEDING

Eye catching in autumn are crabapples,
with tiny apple-like fruits known as
WILDLIFE, CRABAPPLES CAN BE HARVESTED TO
“crabs” that give these pretty spring- MAKE JELLY OR BOILED TO EXTRACT PECTIN,
flowering trees their common name.
There are many crabapples, from tall
WHICH IS HANDY FOR JAM MAKING.
trees like Malus floribunda to smaller confined spaces and is best suited to a colourful and attractive shrub to enjoy in
growers for courtyard or street plantings cool, temperate gardens. the garden for its red and orange berries.
such as M. ioensis ‘Plena’. Many have Berries are not only red. The black late- Beauty bush or purple beautyberry
been bred for their attractive fruit so, summer-to-autumn berries of the elder (Callicarpa dichotoma) brings yet
for a spectacular show of golden-yellow are useful for making elderberry cordial. another colour to gardens. This arching
crabs, look out for ‘Hornet’. These berries are highly attractive to birds shrub’s tiny violet berries, packed tightly
The succulent red berries on so be quick to harvest what you need. on slender stems, glow in autumn like
evergreen or Himalayan dogwood Spindleberry (Euonymus europaeus) is small amethysts.
(Cornus capitata) are a magnet for
native parrots and other birds. Red with 3 4
a yellow interior and resembling a large
strawberry, the fruit is edible but not
particularly palatable.
It’s not only the birds that enjoy eating
autumn berries. As well as looking good
and feeding wildlife, crabapples can be
harvested to make crabapple jelly or
boiled to extract pectin, which is handy
for jam making.
Juniper (Juniperus communis) is
another evergreen tree with berries that
are a vital ingredient in gin. Aficionados 5 6
may also like to plant sloe (Prunus
spinosa), a thorny plum relative with
small, dark-purple berries. Grow a hedge
and use the fruit to make sloe gin.
Amelanchier, also known as
serviceberry, is gaining a following
among gardeners as it’s a tree for all
seasons, with pretty white flowers in
spring, shade in summer and red berries
and coloured foliage in autumn and
winter. As a small tree, it fits well into

58 | Good Organic Gardening

 BERRIES | ORNAMENTAL

7 8

9 NATIVE BERRIES
Of Australia’s berries, lilly pilly is one
of the best known. The red or purple
berries are not only attractive but also
useful for making lilly pilly jelly — or just
leave them for the birds to enjoy.
There are many different lilly pillies but
the riberry (Syzygium luehmannii), with
clusters of pink-red berries among its
glossy green leaves, is a standout
for gardens.
Lilly pillies are rainforest trees in their
native habitat but can be kept shrubby
with regular pruning or by selecting
small-growing cultivars. They are
evergreen and make fast-growing, dense
hedges and privacy screens.
Another option for tall screens,
especially in a shaded location, is the
aptly named blueberry ash (Elaeocarpus
reticulatus). Another native evergreen, it
produces clusters of dark-blue berries that
follow its very pretty white or pink flowers.
10
Also evergreen is pepperberry
(Tasmannia lanceolata), a shrub or small
tree that’s becoming better known in
gardens and is an ideal choice for a
dense, productive hedge.
Its black berries form on female plants
so, when planting, include at least one
male plant to fertilise the female flowers
and ensure masses of berries to harvest
as a pepper substitute.
For a sweeter taste, investigate
midyim (Austromyrtus dulcis), another
Australian rainforest plant. This tree,
which thrives in most cool to temperate
areas, has small, whitish-mauve berries
that ripen in summer and autumn after
the plant’s small white flowers.
Midyim or midgin berries are sweet
Bigstock, Getty

straight from the bush (eat them

seed and all) — or use them in jams,
preserves or even in a pie combined with
traditional fruits such as apple.

Good Organic Gardening | 59

GO NATIVE | BUTTERFLY PLANTS

Catching butterflies
WITH THE RIGHT FLOWERING PLANTS
YOU CAN ADD SOME LOCAL COLOUR TO
YOUR GARDEN BY MAKING IT A HAVEN
FOR FLUTTERING POLLINATORS

60 | Good Organic Gardening

 BUTTERFLY PLANTS | GO NATIVE

An imperial Jezebel
heads straight for
butterfly bush

T
Words & photos Angus Stewart
he sight of a brightly hued
butterfly fluttering through
your garden is one of those
delightful everyday encounters
with nature that can make your day.
But the joy we get from these beautiful
creatures is overshadowed by the news
that entomologists around the world are
ringing alarm bells about the decline in
insect populations. It’s a reminder that we
cannot take for granted the continued
existence of our six-legged friends.
Butterflies’ close relatives the moths
are also fascinating visitors to observe.
Together, they belong to the order
Lepidoptera (literally, “scaly wings”). It’s
these minute scales that are responsible
for the often brightly coloured wings we AUSTRALIA HAS THOUSANDS OF SPECIES OF
find so enchanting in the garden. BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS BUT MANY OF THEM,
An even more important reason to
encourage these beautiful insects into SUCH AS THE WELL-KNOWN BOGONG MOTH,
your garden is their role as pollinators, ARE DISAPPEARING.
a vital process in the edible garden as
well as in the wider agricultural and
horticultural world. Monarch butterflies
Australia has thousands of species feeding on a grevillea
of butterflies and moths but many of
them, such as the well-known bogong
moth, are disappearing, threatened
by loss of bushland habitat and the
indiscriminate use of pesticides across
their geographical ranges.
By paying attention to a few important
needs of our winged friends in our
gardens, we can help provide “stepping
stones” between natural habitats in
national parks and other natural areas.

LURING THEM IN
Adults have a long tongue-like proboscis
that they use to feed on the nectar found
in the flowers of many plant species. The
nectar provides a concentrated source of
energy necessary for the breeding and
reproduction stage of their lifecycle.
Generally speaking, large butterflies
and moths are attracted to larger
flowers such as those of grevilleas,
bottlebrushes and banksias, while smaller
ones prefer smaller flowers: native
daisies (Brachyscome), everlastings

Good Organic Gardening | 61

GO NATIVE | BUTTERFLY PLANTS

1 Varied sword-grass brown on kunzea flower

2 The beautiful Richmond birdwing butterfly
3 Richmond birdwing caterpillar
2
4 A black jezebel feeds on callistemon
5 Cup moth caterpillar shows its yellow stingers
6 Hummingbird moth pollinates butterfly bush
7 Meadow argus on aniseed boronia

(Xerochrysum and Rhodanthe) and fan A STUNNING ENDANGERED SPECIES CALLED THE
flowers (Scaevola), to name a few.
Of course, they’re also drawn to
RICHMOND BIRDWING BUTTERFLY HAS BEEN BROUGHT
many nectar-rich exotic species such as BACK FROM THE BRINK OF POSSIBLE EXTINCTION.
butterfly bush (Buddleia), lavender and
herbs including marjoram and thyme. the Richmond birdwing butterfly has A captive breeding program to release
Another opportunity is to invite been brought back from the brink of the butterfly — coupled with various
butterflies and moths to breed in your possible extinction. nurseries making the host vine available
garden by choosing plants that the larvae Habitat destruction has caused the to gardeners — has resulted in an
(caterpillars) use for food and then to loss of much of its very specific host apparent increase in numbers of one of
pupate in their often-fascinating cocoons. plant, the Richmond birdwing butterfly the world’s more spectacular butterflies.
You will need to be prepared to tolerate vine (Pararistolochia praevenosa), which There is even a Richmond Birdwing
some damage as the larvae often eat is endemic to the subtropical areas of Conservation Network you can contact
through quite a bit of vegetation. southeast Queensland and northeast that distributes seed of the host plant
That said, the larval stage of their New South Wales. and actively plants vines as well.
life cycle is seasonal and your plants
will generally recover completely from
3
the temporary loss of some foliage. It’s
a sacrifice well worth making to help
preserve the precious biodiversity that
these insects can bring to our gardens.
In addition, many caterpillars
are spectacular in appearance and
are particularly good for educating
youngsters about nature.
Their cocoons can be quite a feature
as well — take the case moth, with its
fascinating home made from sticks and
other plant debris glued together with silk.

IT REALLY WORKS
There’s a wonderful example of the
possibilities of how well gardening for
butterflies can work. It’s the story of how
a stunning endangered species called

62 | Good Organic Gardening

 BUTTERFLY PLANTS | GO NATIVE

4 5

6 AND THAT’S NOT ALL

Here are some more general tips on
how to create a butterfly- and moth-
friendly garden:
• Avoid wherever possible the use
of pesticides. As well as potentially
killing butterflies and moths, pesticides
can also poison bird populations and
eliminate beneficial insects such as
ladybirds that control pests like aphids.
If caterpillars start to do too much
damage, we can usually keep the
damage to a minimum by hand-picking
them — great to feed to chooks if you
have them.
• Butterflies love warmth, so growing
your nectar-rich plants in sunny, sheltered
spaces in your garden will be much more
attractive to them.
• A succession of flowers through the
year (depending on where you garden)
will give you the maximum chance of
attracting the widest range of species
7 from your geographical region. The
warmer parts of northern Australia
naturally see greater activity throughout
the year than is observed in colder climes
such as Tasmania.
• Deadheading your flowering plants to
encourage them to bloom again will also
help promote your garden as a source of
nectar for passing butterflies and moths.
Bigstock, Getty, Sandra Tuszynska

We can all get involved in preserving

biodiversity at a local level with projects
such as butterfly-friendly gardening while
also teaching our children about the
wonders of nature. What a win/win for us
and the environment.

• Richmond Birdwing Conservation

Network, richmondbirdwing.org.au

Good Organic Gardening | 63

BACK TO BASICS | SOIL QUALITY
D I R T RICH
THE HEALTHIER THE SOIL, THE MORE BOUNTIFUL
THE LIFE THAT GROWS IN IT AND FROM IT
W
hen we make the decision
to start growing our
own food, often we are
impatient to get plants
in immediately so we can see results as
soon as possible. This can be the novice
gardener’s first big mistake. Before
planting anything, it’s crucial to create
the right environment for it to flourish
— and that means getting the soil right.
In fact, it’s impossible to overstate
the importance of healthy, balanced,
mineralised, living soil.
The nutrients in our food come
directly from the soil. A mantra of
organic gardening is compost, compost,
compost, but it’s only part of the story.
Added organic matter is great, but if the
64 | Good Organic Gardening
compost comes from plants that have
been grown in mineral-depleted soil it
may do little to remineralise soil that has
given up its nutrients to plants.
Nobel Prize winner Dr Alexis Carrel
said a century ago, “Minerals in the
soil control the metabolism of plants,
animals and man. All of life will be
either healthy or unhealthy according
to the fertility of the soil.” His message
is even more important today because
of the disrespectful ways we have
“MINERALS IN THE SOIL CONTROL THE METABOLISM
OF PLANTS, ANIMALS AND MAN. ALL OF LIFE WILL BE
EITHER HEALTHY OR UNHEALTHY ACCORDING TO THE
FERTILITY OF THE SOIL.”
been treating soil in agriculture and
gardening in modern times.
Getting the soil right is always a work
in progress as each crop depletes it of
some nutrients while adding others —
one of the reasons for crop rotation. A
garden is a reservoir of soil nutrients;
the levels go up and down and regularly
need adjusting. Your edible plants — the
annuals, at least — will come and go but
your soil will always be there, so you
need to know it and its needs intimately.
Bigstock
 SOIL QUALITY | BACK TO BASICS

Clockwise from top Mulching adds organic matter,

which improves all types of soil; sugarcane and
straw mulches are best; to check pH take several
samples from different spots

SOIL TEXTURE
Soil texture falls into three main categories:
• Sandy: Very small particles, drains well
but nutrients can be washed away.
• Silt: Smaller particles.
• Clay: Even smaller particles that
compact, leaving no room for air
and water to move through.
Sandy loam is a mix of all three.
For healthy plant roots, a good ratio
of the three allows the right balance
of good drainage and adequate
water-holding capacity.
A quick way to find out what kind of
soil you have is to moisten it slightly and
squeeze a lump of it in your hand. If it
breaks up easily, it’s sandy. If it can take
a bit of pressure before it breaks, it’s
silt. If it doesn’t break up, it’s clay. Good
arable soil should be crumbly enough to MINERAL MAGIC
allow air and water to pass through but Rock dust is finely crushed rock containing minerals and trace elements. It’s
not so porous as to allow everything to usually limestone but may also be basalt. Rock dust is used in agriculture to
leach away. remineralise soil and so produce healthier plants.
Sandy soil will benefit from the In a nutshell, the theory behind using rock dust in agriculture and on
addition of organic matter in the form of gardens is that, because Australia didn’t experience the last ice age, our soil
compost and animal manures which, in was not remineralised by the action of glaciers, which grind rock down to
time, will give it structure. Some types become what we know as soil. So our soils are old and generally quite poor.
of clay soil may be corrected over time Rock dust can make up for this by providing up to 100 minerals, trace
with the addition of gypsum, which elements and micronutrients, including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus
will make it more workable. Clay also and potassium. Benefits from using it include:
benefits from the addition of organic • Increased moisture-holding properties
matter to loosen the particles. • Improved cation exchange
Nitrogen-rich mulches such as pea • Better soil structure
straw and sugar cane will help to • Better soil drainage
correct both sandy and clay soils. A • More nutrient-dense plants
thick layer of mulch helps to keep the • Stronger immunity to pests and disease in plants
soil at a good temperature, reduces The advantages of rock dust are it’s simple to apply, you can use it as often
moisture loss through evaporation, as you wish, it’s safe for pets and you don’t need to be a horticulturist to
suppresses weeds and encourages the know what to do with it. You can also spread a bit on the compost heap to
growth of beneficial bacteria and other speed up the process and in the chook yard for better eggs.
soil life, including worms.

Good Organic Gardening | 65

BACK TO BASICS | SOIL QUALITY

ADDED ORGANIC MATTER

IS GREAT BUT IF THE
COMPOST COMES FROM
PLANTS (AND WEEDS)
THAT HAVE BEEN GROWN
IN MINERAL-DEPLETED
SOIL IT MAY DO LITTLE
TO REMINERALISE SOIL
THAT HAS GIVEN UP ITS
NUTRIENTS TO PLANTS.

If your soil is very heavy clay 2

or extremely sandy, or has been
contaminated with things like building
waste, you may decide to look at options
such as above-ground beds and no-dig
gardening for your edibles rather than
struggle with poor or toxic soil.
In that case, buy the best-quality
organic soil you can afford and keep it
good with organic matter, conditioners
and remineralisers. Start off a new bed
with a 50/50 mix of soil and compost.
If planting in pots, see Steve McGrane’s
article on page 76.

SOIL PH
Soil pH is a measure of its acidity or
alkalinity. The scale is 0–14, with neutral
at 7. Lower numbers mean more acid,
while higher numbers indicate more
alkalinity. Acidity is associated with an
increase in hydrogen ions, alkalinity with
an increase in hydroxyl ions.
On the scale, 7 is neutral because
there’s an even concentration of both.
As the numbers go down from 7, the
hydrogen ions increase and the soil
becomes more acidic; as they go up
from 7 the hydroxyl ions increase and
the soil becomes more alkaline. Most
plants will grow well in the range of 5–7,
though some prefer a slightly acidic
soil while others like it more alkaline.
Vegetables tend to like it at 6–7.
pH affects nutrient uptake by plants
so that, even if you have applied all
the things you think will make your soil
better, the minerals and other nutrients
may not be available if the pH is wrong
for the plants you wish to grow.
THE LIFE IN YOUR SOIL
There is more life beneath the soil surface than
there is above it. In fact, one teaspoon of soil
contains literally millions of organisms. Life
under the soil includes bacteria, fungi, algae,
protozoa, insects, earthworms, nematodes,
arthropods, gastropods and minute organisms
not visible to the eye. When we condition and
improve soil with organic matter like manure
and compost, add minerals and adjust the pH
where needed, the life in the soil increases and
further improves it by breaking it up, tunnelling
through it to create channels for the passage of
water and nutrients, and by its own excreting
and decomposing actions. Soil life can be
injured by many things, including over-tilling,
too much compaction and high temperatures,
which is why mulching is important.

66 | Good Organic Gardening


3 2 Test pH of several samples using a kit or meter
YOUR EDIBLE PLANTS — THE ANNUALS AT LEAST
— WILL COME AND GO BUT YOUR SOIL WILL
ALWAYS BE THERE, SO YOU NEED TO KNOW IT
AND ITS NEEDS INTIMATELY.
4 so you can match it against the colour
SOIL QUALITY | BACK TO BASICS
1 Sprinkle some rock minerals on the compost
3 Mixing good-quality compost into soil improves
both texture and pH
4 Seaweed is a great conditioner for all soils
Nitrogen, for example, is less available
at both extremes of the scale, while
phosphorus, potassium, sulphur,
calcium, magnesium and molybdenum
are locked up in acidic soils. Plants also
need minute amounts of other minerals,
including iron and zinc. Although the
ideal pH for these elements varies, a
pH of 6.5 is usually adequate to make
sufficient amounts available.
TESTING pH
Kits like the one shown here are
inexpensive and available in nurseries
and hardware stores. The kit includes a
small plate, colour chart, bottle of liquid
and container of powder.
To test your soil, you take a sample,
place it on the plate and mix a few
drops of the liquid in to make a paste.
Then you dust it with the powder, which
will immediately make it change colour
chart to determine the pH.
ADJUSTING pH
If the soil is too alkaline, the acid level
can be increased by mixing in materials
such as peat moss or sulphur. Clay soils
will need even more correction.
The low pH of acid soils can be adjusted
by mixing in crushed limestone or wood
ash. The amount needed depends on the
pH change and the soil texture.
All types of soil benefit from the
addition of organic matter. Good-quality
compost should have a neutral pH, so it
will help to bring soil towards the sweet
spot for vegie-growing. Manures, if not
in the form of pellets, need to be well
rotted in the paddock, though, as fresh
manure is too acidic. Seaweed extract
is also good for all types of soil and is
especially good for the organisms that
live in it.
American author and farmer Wendell
Berry can have the last word on the
subject: “The soil is the great connector
of lives, the source and destination
of all. It is the healer and restorer and
resurrector, by which disease passes
into health, age into youth, death into
life. Without proper care for it we can
have no community, because without
proper care for it we can have no life.”
Good Organic Gardening | 67
BACKYARD PERMACULTURE | WILLOW WATER

S T E E P I N G
WILLOW
PROPAGATING PLANTS FROM CUTTINGS?
THE HORMONES RELEASED BY WILLOW SOAKED
IN WATER COULD BE JUST THEIR CUP OF TEA

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 WILLOW WATER | BACKYARD PERMACULTURE

Opposite page Willow tree, Salix babylonica

Right Julep mint cuttings rooting in water; the
control (left) is only rooting at the leaf nodes at the
top and bottom, while the cutting soaked overnight
in willow water (right) has rooted at the leaf nodes,
too, and also all along the stem between the nodes,
creating a more extensive root system
Bottom right What you need to make your
willow water

W
Words & photos Angelo Eliades
illows are fast-growing
deciduous trees of the
genus Salix. Mostly native
to the temperate areas of
the Northern Hemisphere, they grow in
regions with moist soils but are adaptable
to almost any soil conditions.
Valued as shade trees, willows are also
prized for erosion control and timber
production. Historically, their bark was
used as a pain remedy and, indeed, it
contains compounds similar to aspirin.
The weeping willow (Salix babylonica)
is probably one of the most recognisable
of the species, quite unmistakable with ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING PROPERTIES OF
its characteristic graceful, pendulous
branches, short trunk, broad rounded
WILLOWS IS THEIR CAPACITY FOR GROWTH.
crown and thin narrow leaves, often with A BROKEN BRANCH LEFT IN WATER WILL
paler undersides.
One of the most amazing properties
GROW ROOTS VERY QUICKLY.
of willows is their capacity for growth.
A broken willow branch left in water
will grow roots very quickly. Even thick
pieces of the willow trunk as big as a
human thigh will root when put into
damp soil and cuttings will grow even
if planted upside-down!
This phenomenal ability to regrow
roots is because the bark of all willow
trees contains natural plant-rooting
hormones that can be extracted and
used to induce rooting in cuttings of
plants we wish to propagate.

HOW TO MAKE WILLOW WATER

Willow water is a homemade plant-
rooting hormone that can be made from
cuttings of any willow tree or shrub
and used to increase the strike rate of
cuttings you’re trying to propagate.
Making willow water is much like
making tea: it’s an infusion of plant
material steeped in water to extract the
plant-rooting hormones.

Good Organic Gardening | 69

BACKYARD PERMACULTURE | WILLOW WATER

1 Cutting the young twigs

2 Stripping them of their leaves 1
3 Cutting into small pieces for soaking
4 Adding pieces to a clean jar
5 Submerging the pieces in water
6 Straining off after soaking

The procedure is simple and

straightforward:
1. Collect young first-year twigs and
branches from any willow species.
They should have green or yellow
bark — don’t use older growth with
brown or grey-coloured bark.
2. Remove all the leaves, which can be
composted or thrown onto garden
beds as mulch.
3. Cut the twigs into short pieces
around 2.5cm long. 2
4. Place the chopped willow twigs into
a jar, filling it almost to the top.
5. Either fill the jar with boiling water
to cover the twigs and allow to
stand overnight or use unheated
tap water and leave them to soak
for several days.
6. Separate the liquid from the willow
twigs by pouring through a strainer
or sieve. The willow water is now
ready to use for rooting cuttings.
The willow water can be kept for up
to two months if placed in a jar with
a tight-fitting lid and stored in the
refrigerator.
Since willow water is a clear liquid,
it’s a good idea to label the sealed
jar. Include the date it was made and
perhaps the use-by date, which is two
months later. 3
One thing to remember is that making
willow water is not an exact science,
so feel free to experiment. Using a
greater quantity of willow twigs in the
jar or leaving them to soak for longer in
the water will create a stronger plant-
rooting hormone solution.
When using cold water for extraction,
some sources suggest soaking times
as long as four or more weeks. Boiling
water followed by a 24-hour soak is a
much faster and easier method.
Tip: To avoid glass jars cracking due
to thermal shock from boiling water,
preheat them under the hot-water tap.

HOW TO USE WILLOW WATER

When preparing cuttings for
propagation, the common practice is to
strip away the leaves from the lower two-

70 | Good Organic Gardening

 WILLOW WATER | BACKYARD PERMACULTURE

thirds of the cutting at the end where it

4 was severed from the parent plant.
With many small-leafed plants, the
foliage can be removed quickly and easily
by pinching the cutting between the
thumb and forefinger then pulling down
towards the cut end. With large-leafed
plants, snap off the leaf stems or cut
them off with pruning snips or scissors.
There are two ways to use willow
water when propagating cuttings:
Method 1: Pour some willow water
into a small jar and place the cuttings
into it with the cut ends sitting in the
liquid like flowers in a vase. Leave to
soak overnight while they take up the
plant-rooting hormone. The cuttings
can then be planted into a propagating
medium or potting mix with the lower
two-thirds inserted into the medium to
5 grow roots.
Method 2: Use willow water to
moisten the propagating medium into
which the cuttings have been inserted.
Watering the cuttings twice with willow
water should be sufficient to stimulate
new root growth.

HOW WILLOW WATER WORKS

The efficacy of willow water can be
attributed to two substances that
can be found within the Salix genus:
indolebutyric acid and salicylic acid.
Indolebutyric acid (IBA) is a plant
hormone that stimulates root growth
and is present in high concentrations
in the growing tips of willow branches.
By cutting these actively growing parts
and soaking them in water, we cause
significant quantities of IBA to leach out
6 into the liquid.
Salicylic acid (SA), a chemical
compound similar to aspirin, is a plant
hormone involved in signalling a plant’s
defences. It has a role in a process called
systemic acquired resistance, where an
attack on one part of the plant triggers
internal defences in other parts of
the plant. It can also induce defence
responses in nearby plants by converting
SA into a volatile chemical form.
One of the biggest threats to newly
propagated cuttings is infection by
bacteria and fungi. SA helps plants fight
off infection, giving cuttings a better
chance of survival.
When plants are attacked by infectious
pathogens, they usually don’t produce
SA quickly enough to defend themselves,
so providing them with SA in the willow
water can be particularly beneficial.

Good Organic Gardening | 71

FEATHERED FRIENDS | HAMBURGHS

Hamburgh
with the lot
BRIGHT AND FLIGHTY, HEAT TOLERANT
AND HAPPIEST WHEN FREE-RANGING, THIS
BEAUTIFUL BREED HAS A RICH HISTORY

72 | Good Organic Gardening

 HAMBURGHS | FEATHERED FRIENDS

Words Megg Miller

A pair of bantams: one Gold

M
Main photo Jodie Herring and one Citron Spangled
ention the word Hamburgh
and what springs to mind
for many people is an image
of the sensational Silver
Spangled Hamburgh.
But there are other colour varieties
as well: Gold Spangled, Silver and Gold
Pencilled plus solid colours like black,
white and blue. And you have the option
of standard or bantam-sized birds.
Hamburgh fowl are best described as
a tribe. While various members share
the same name and a similar appearance
they actually have very different origins.
The Spangled and solid-coloured
varieties have an English background
while the Pencilled varieties hail from
the continent. We’ll probably never
discover exactly how this came to be.

TEXTILE WORKERS’ FAVOURITE

Birds called Black Pheasants and
Mooneys — the Black and the Spangled
Hamburghs respectively — are believed to
have been bred for centuries in northern
England and were popular with textile
workers in Yorkshire and Lancashire.
My theory on their origin involves the
Huguenots, French Protestants who,
in the 17th century, fled to England’s
north and elsewhere to avoid religious
persecution. Many of these early
refugees were textile workers.
That they brought fowl with them
would explain the physical similarities
the Hamburgh shares with many
European poultry breeds.
The Black Pheasants and the Mooneys
are recorded as the first poultry breeds
to be shown in the UK.
It became customary to pass lines of
birds down through families and female
specimens would be exhibited weekly
at the local inn. Following judging,
the winner took home a highly prized
copper kettle.
Not surprisingly, when the first
poultry show in London was held in
1845, Hamburghs were present, though
it’s not clear when the term Hamburgh
replaced the northern breed names.
EVERYDAY LAYER
The Dutch Everyday or Everlasting
Layer, the Pencilled Hamburgh, arrived
in England in the early decades of the
19th century.
Its physical similarity to the Hamburghs
from the north unsettled the poultry
HAMBURGH FOWL ARE BEST DESCRIBED AS A TRIBE.
WHILE VARIOUS MEMBERS SHARE THE SAME NAME
AND A SIMILAR APPEARANCE THEY ACTUALLY HAVE
VERY DIFFERENT ORIGINS.
community: same appearance but
different origins.
Surprisingly, though, Everlasting
Layers were embraced by northern
poultry keepers and given names like
the Bolton Bay, Silver or Copper Moss
or even Chittiprat.
When the passion for poultry showing
grew, it became obvious that the
Hamburgh males, especially of Pencilled
varieties, needed to be bred separately
from the females to achieve exhibition-
quality plumage markings.
This led to dwindling interest in the
Pencilled variety and even today it’s
regarded as a very difficult show bird
to breed.
BEHAVIOUR
Regardless of the colour variety,
Hamburghs are flighty. They are bright,
active, opportunistic birds, so facilities
need to be spacious and well built and
the fowlyard netted over.
They are very responsive to regular
attention and training and become
tractable. But locked up with an automatic
feeder and waterer and rarely visited, they A splendid Silver
Spangled pullet
become wild and easily spooked.

Good Organic Gardening | 73

FEATHERED FRIENDS | HAMBURGHS

A small neat rose HAMBURGHS ARE BRIGHT, ACTIVE,

comb on this
Hamburgh pullet OPPORTUNISTIC BIRDS, SO FACILITIES NEED
TO BE SPACIOUS AND WELL BUILT AND THE
FOWLYARD NETTED OVER.

Hamburghs lay
white-shelled eggs

The bantams can make great inner- PLUMAGE COLOURS distinctly pencilled straight across with
city layers that won’t necessarily invade The Spangled varieties have either a pure parallel lines of rich black.
neighbours’ yards. Your presence and silver or rich bay ground colour overlaid In effect, the markings look like barring
relationship with them should keep with lustrous black spangles at the ends but are described as pencilling because
them as homebodies and trimming wing of the feathers. The size of the spangles they result from a different gene.
feathers will dissuade flight. varies, depending on body part. You may be disappointed with
Males, if kept, are usually genial and The Silver Pencilled variety also has a the male’s plumage — the only
too busy to be aggressive. silver ground colour but, with the Gold ornamentation on the ground colour is
variety, colour varies from bright-red the black on the tail feathers and black
APPEARANCE bay to golden chestnut. lacing on tail coverts and sickles.
Neat and svelte describes Hamburghs. Unlike the Spangled birds, whose Solid-coloured varieties are the one
Classed a light breed, they are fine markings are relatively similar in both colour all over, the Blue variety having a
boned and close feathered. genders, only the female Pencilleds slightly darker shade on the male’s back,
They display a bold, erect carriage display precise barring. Each feather is hackles and wing bows.
and have a moderately long body, wide
shoulders and a well-rounded breast. Spangled varieties
Wings are large (which explains their even display rows of
spangles on wing bars
superior flying ability) and carried high,
legs are slender and of medium length
and the tail is carried well up.
The tail is long, with elegantly
sweeping sickles on the male and well
spread on the female.
The head is very distinctive and
the rose comb is the breed’s chief
adornment. Medium sized, square
fronted, the top is covered evenly with
small points while the rear forms a
tapering spike. The rear section mustn’t
droop but form a straight long point.
The large, white earlobes are rounded
and flat and the wattles round, smooth
and red.
Regardless of plumage colour,
Hamburghs should have red eyes and
Bigstock

feet and legs that are lead-blue on all but

the Black variety, which has black legs.

74 | Good Organic Gardening

 HAMBURGHS | FEATHERED FRIENDS

Silver Spangled
rooster

REGARDLESS OF
PLUMAGE COLOUR,
HAMBURGHS SHOULD
HAVE RED EYES AND
FEET AND LEGS THAT
ARE LEAD-BLUE ON ALL
BUT THE BLACK VARIETY,
WHICH HAS BLACK LEGS.
MANAGEMENT
Being so active, Hamburghs need plenty
of space in their house and yard with
high fencing and covered yards to foil
any ideas of escaping.
The covering will also exclude wild
birds and so minimise the spread of
unwanted ectoparasites.
Hamburghs enjoy a high perch and,
if you use the ladder style, the birds will
be able to burn off energy hopping from
rung to rung.
If you’re not able to let this breed out
to range around, a wheelbarrow full of
weeds or raked-up leaves will provide
Blue Hamburgh days of entertainment.
Boredom busters such as sections of
lucerne hay, half a cabbage or marrow,
hanging corn cobs or apples — anything
along this line of distraction will engage
and delight them.
They are economical eaters but won’t
say no to a few household treats and
they should have access to clean shell
grit so their egg shells stay strong.
Broodiness is rare so you won’t
have to contend with clucking hens
dominating nests, plus their tolerance of
high temperatures is very good.
Of course, they’ll need cool water and
dampened soil to rest in but will rarely
become stressed and need special
summer care.
Hamburghs are real beauties and you
have the luxury of a range of stunning
colours to choose from.
They’re such happy busy birds, you
won’t be content with one or two —
you’ll want a flock. And you’re sure to
love their delicious, white-shelled eggs.

Good Organic Gardening | 75

THE UNDERGROUND | POTTING MIXES

The tricks of the mix

EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED
TO KNOW ABOUT POTTING MIXES,
INCLUDING HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN

76 | Good Organic Gardening


H
Words Steve McGrane
ave you ever wondered if one
potting mix is better than
another — and how would
you know?
Ever pondered whether it’s necessary
to use specific potting mixes for particular
plant types: for instance, succulents or
indoor plants? It’s all just dirt, right?
Can you make your own potting
mix and does it deteriorate over time,
whether in the bag or in the pot? When
should you replace your potting mix?
Read on.
IS ONE BETTER THAN ANOTHER?
Thankfully, there is an Australian Standard
for potting mixes. So, let’s sum it up by
saying there are roughly five unofficial
classifications of potting mix — listed
below — including four that are certified
to a national standard and one that isn’t.
Note that the price guides are based
on a 25L bag of potting mix — except
in the case of speciality potting mixes,
which can vary between 10 and 25 litres.
Super-premium potting mixes
(Red Tick plus extras)
These cost approximately $16–20 and are
often organically certified, which means
they source inputs free from pesticides,
herbicides, heavy metals or other known
toxic chemical residues.
Only certified organic fertiliser and
wetting agents (which prevent the mix
from repelling water) are included.
Super Premium potting mixes last
between four and 12 months and provide
a full spectrum of nutrients: nitrogen,
phosphorus, potassium, iron, calcium,
magnesium and trace elements.
Organic potting mixes are labelled
“certified organic” with proof of their
organic status: eg NASAA, ACO, AOL etc.
Red Tick is the highest-quality
certification, unless combined with
organic certification as described above.
Premium potting mixes
(Red Tick without organic certification)
Red Tick potting mixes without organic
certification cost around $12–15. They
contain major nutrients and trace
elements and last up to 12 months,
depending on conditions.
They also include wetting agents,
sawdust and coco peat. The air porosity is
13 per cent and pH is a stable and neutral 7.
THERE ARE ROUGHLY FIVE UNOFFICIAL CLASSIFICATIONS
OF POTTING MIX, INCLUDING FOUR THAT ARE CERTIFIED
TO A NATIONAL STANDARD AND ONE THAT ISN’T.
POTTING MIXES | THE UNDERGROUND
Clockwise
from top left
Specialist native
potting mix;
the Red Tick;
Southern Cross
(SX) organic
Allowed Input
logo; Australian
Certified Organic
(ACO); the Black
Tick for “regular”
potting mix
Black Tick potting mixes
Black Tick Australian Standard potting
mixes cost around $8–12. The contents
are “similar” to a Red Tick. They have
a stable pH but do not include starter
nutrients or wetting agents.
Tip: To replace the missing starter
nutrients and wetting agents in a Black
Tick standard potting mix, add 5g per
litre of slow-release fertiliser (preferably
organically certified) to provide 4–6
months of fertilising — depending on the
additive. Also, add some organic wetting
agent to prevent Black Tick mixes from
becoming water repellent.
Speciality potting mixes
Speciality potting mixes are designed for
specific plant types: for instance, cacti,
orchids, indoor plants, bonsai, natives or
acid-loving plants like azaleas.
The contents are tailored to achieve
the required drainage and water
retention, pH and nutrient levels
appropriate to a particular plant type.
Specialty potting mixes almost
always display Black or Red ticks as
evidence of quality.
Non-certified potting mixes
Budget potting mixes with no ticks often
have a variant composition with more
fillers like bark; they usually lack iron.
The pH is potentially unstable. Wetting
agents, essential for plant and soil health,
are omitted. Some include inputs that are
undesirable (see box over page).
Good Organic Gardening | 77
THE UNDERGROUND | POTTING MIXES

1 2

UNDESIRABLE INPUTS
With potting mixes, you get what
you pay for. While you can improve
uncertified “budget” potting
mixes by adding quality compost
and specific inputs like iron and
calcium plus trace elements, their
application remains questionable for
the following reasons:
• They may contain chunky wood
chips which, though possibly
suitable for the garden, can play
havoc in pots
• They sometimes contain excessive
levels of salt or nutrients from local
peats or animal wastes
• They may contain toxic
chemicals such as copper chrome
arsenate, PCP or boric acid from
timber treatments, phenols as in
uncomposted pine bark or even
heavy metals from sewage sludge,
which is a cheap alternative to
higher-quality sources of nutrients
• They can include gravels, soils and
sand from dieback-infected areas (a
likely source of Phytophthora)
Tip: Follow health warnings on
bags of potting mix and wear a
mask and gloves. Deadly diseases
like Legionella can reside in all
potting mixes.
CAN I USE POTTING MIXES
IN GARDEN BEDS?
Well, yes and no. Firstly, it’s an expensive
solution and, secondly, potting mixes are
designed to drain more freely, which is
often counterproductive in the garden.
Plus, potting mixes contain materials
like bark, sawdust and others that break
down more quickly in the garden than
in a pot.
Though it takes a shovel load of cash
to fill a garden bed with potting mix,
it may be justified for a raised bed to
avoid weeds or other contaminants —
or simply for convenience.
Alternatively, purchase a bag of garden
soil and compost to refresh garden beds.
The exception might be for native plants,
where a specialist potting mix may be
appropriate, even in the garden.
DO POTTING MIXES DEGRADE?
The short answer is yes. Within six
months, an open bag of potting mix has
significantly degraded. The bark breaks
down, nutrients dissolve and zillions of
hungry microbes have munched their
way through it.
Porosity and pH will fluctuate, impacting
plant health as the potting mix ages. Also,
wetting agents, synthetic or biological
(such as agar), will also degrade, leading
to the mix becoming water repellent.
Check the date of manufacture on all
bags of potting mix; a freshly packed mix
has a higher retention of nutrients. Buy your
potting mix from a source with a high sales
turnover — and avoid faded bags that might
have been stored in the sun.
It’s best to replace the potting mix every
12–18 months.

78 | Good Organic Gardening

 POTTING MIXES | THE UNDERGROUND

1 A selection of premium Red Tick mixes

2 DIY potting mix, including perlite
3 Wear a mask and gloves when handling soil
4 Sometimes it’s OK (but expensive) to use
potting mix in the garden

MAKE YOUR OWN

This is a basic recipe for potted plants.
Add equal parts of the following:
• Sterilised garden soil. Gather friable
soil from your garden that’s been heat
treated in a black compost bin in the sun
for several weeks at a temperature above
65°C to kill weeds and pathogens. Sift
before use to ensure consistent size of
soil particles
• Peat moss (use coir peat as a cheaper,
4 more sustainable alternative)
• Perlite
• Coarse river sand
Mix the ingredients thoroughly before
use and add a range of organic fertilising
agents such as NPK and trace elements
to feed the soil microbes and plants.
Tip: You can make your own potting
mix to suit specific plant species such
as orchids or indoor plants. It’s usually
just a case of adjusting the ratios and pH
for each plant type. There’s a range of
homemade potting mix recipes online.

Acknowledgement
Thanks to Kevin Handreck for his
exceptional knowledge, his years of
service to the horticultural industry
and his outstanding contribution to the
development of potting mix standards.

Good Organic Gardening | 79


GARDEN CALENDAR | LATE AUTUMN
THINGS TO DO IN
AS AUTUMN HEADS TOWARDS WINTER, THE CHANGE OF
SEASON HERALDS A CHANGE OF GEARS IN THE GARDEN
ATE
COOL & TEMPER
VEGIES
∙ 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 — in well-
prepped soil 10–15cm apart.
∙ It’s time for some cool-season crops:
leafy and salad greens such as Asian
greens, brassicas (broccoli, cabbage,
cauliflower, kale), mustard and rocket;
fruiting veg such as broad beans,
fennel, peas and snowpeas; root
crops (beetroot, carrots, leeks, spring
onion, onions, parsnip, radish, swedes,
turnips); and herbs (coriander, chives,
dill, mints, parsley, thyme).
∙ Remove summer crops that are
finishing or near done. Divide
overcrowded perennials such as
asparagus and artichoke by digging
them up and replanting into soil
that’s has been revived with aged
manure, compost or worm castings.
∙ Plant flowers for winter colour and
pollinators: eg violas and dianthus, or
nasturtiums to brighten up salads.
80 | Good Organic Gardening
M AY
FRUIT
∙ Now is the time to think about
what bare-rooted fruit trees you
might plant this season. They’ll
soon be available in nurseries,
so start preparing your soil now
by adding rich organic matter,
moisture and mulch in readiness.
∙ Cool-climate trees to consider:
almonds, apples, apricots, cherries,
feijoas, figs, mulberries, nectarines,
olives, peaches, pears, plums,
pomegranates, quinces and walnuts.
∙ Repot or plant container-grown
trees and move cold- and wind-
sensitive plants to a more sheltered
spot: perhaps a greenhouse or
verandah, or against a north-facing
wall for reflected warmth.
∙ As soon as deciduous fruiting vines
such as kiwifruit and grapevines
start losing their leaves, give them a
good pruning ahead of winter.
∙ Plant strawberries in well-prepared
soil and mulch with straw to
protect fruit and keep it clean. If
you need to protect them from
pests and pets, try hanging or
otherwise elevated containers.
1
COMPOST & SOIL
∙ Wake up and smell the compost! It’s
the season when deciduous trees are
dropping their autumn gold, so add
those fallen leaves to your compost.
Ask your neighbours for their
unwanted leaves, too.
∙ Top up your mulch to give the soil
a good cover over the cold months
and suppress the weeds that can
run rampant this time of year. Water
first, then mulch to a depth of around
7cm — but avoid getting too close to
plant stems, especially seedlings.
∙ Reapply other soil improvers such
as biochar and manure and consider
growing some green manure or cover
crops: fava beans, field peas and
oats will improve that dormant patch
ahead of next season’s heavy feeders.
∙ Check your soil pH before planting
new crops and adjust if needed by
adding lime to increase the pH (make
it less acidic) or organic matter such
as manure and compost to decrease
it (make it more acidic).
∙ Regular applications of seaweed will
Bigstock
help all plants stand up to the harsher
conditions of winter.

TROPICAL
VEGIES
∙ Autumn is the time to plant some
winter winners. Cooler conditions
are ideal for the likes of beetroot,
broccoli, cabbage, carrots,
cauliflower, celery, kale, kohlrabi,
onions, silverbeet and turnips.
∙ Peas are good to go, too, as long
as you keep them away from garlic,
leeks and onions. Alliums tend to
stunt peas’ growth.
∙ The weather is also right for crops
that don’t thrive in the heat and
humidity of the wet season: say,
cucumber, pumpkin, spinach and
zucchini as well as herbs and large-
fruited tomatoes.
∙ Herbs to plant right now include
chamomile, lemongrass, mint,
rosemary and thyme. Some lemon
balm in a pot near the kitchen door is
a great mosquito deterrent.
∙ Plant potatoes as well as colourful
sweet potatoes, which double as the
perfect living groundcover.
1 Plant flowers like dianthus and violas for bursts of colour and to keep the pollinators happy 2 Now is a good time to move container-grown trees to
warmer, more sheltered positions 3 A pot of lemon balm, or melissa, strategically situated near the door will help to deter mosquitoes
2 3
FRUIT
∙ With the Dry comes the danger of
fruit trees (and vegies) going thirsty.
Make sure you water smartly: first
thing in the morning is best and a
couple of deep soaks a week will
always beat a daily quickie.
∙ Fruit trees always appreciate a feed
at this time of year — pawpaw in
particular. Use seaweed tea or a
high-potassium fertiliser and apply
early in the morning, following the
instructions on the packet.
∙ Look for stonefruit cultivars that
are adapted to warm climates. The
Tropical Sensations range includes
low-chill and dwarf forms of peach
and nectarine.
∙ There are also dwarf forms of
avocado, coconut, custard apple,
macadamia, mango and papaya.
Not only do dwarf trees save space;
it’s a simple matter to throw a pest-
proof net over them and they’re
way easier to harvest and prune.
LATE AUTUMN | GARDEN CALENDAR
COMPOST & SOIL
∙ Autumn into winter is a good time
to consider planting a cool-season
green manure crop in a resting or
depleted bed to add nitrogen and
build organic matter. Combine a
legume such as chickpea or lupin
with a cereal grass such as oat or
buckwheat, or buy a commercial
autumn green manure seed mix.
∙ Another way to improve soil fertility
is to sprinkle blood and bone or
other organic fertiliser over the soil
before planting the next crop. Water
well then spread a layer of compost
or well-rotted manure. Finish with a
layer of coarse mulch.
∙ In warm areas, the winter dry spell
can go on for a while, so keep the
water up to beds, trees and pots.
∙ Don’t let the worm farm dry out,
either. Give it some water at least
once a week. And keep compost
moist — but not too wet or it won’t
break down properly.
Good Organic Gardening | 81

GARDEN CALENDAR | EARLY WINTER
THINGS TO DO IN
AS THE COLD SEASON STARTS, DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT
HIBERNATING — THERE’S PLENTY TO DO IN THE WINTER GARDEN
ATE
COOL & TEMPER
VEGIES
∙ 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
to repel caterpillars and moths. Plus
those grey-green leaves look so good!
∙ Go on putting in alliums including
onions, spring onions, garlic, leeks,
eschalots and chives — but keep
them well away from peas as they can
retard the growth of legumes.
∙ Winter is prime time for planting leafy
greens like lettuce, collard greens
(which are actually brassicas), mustard
greens, silverbeet and spinach. Corn
salad may be one to try if you’ve never
grown it before.
∙ 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 —
and set aside some space for some
rhubarb and asparagus crowns. These
perennials will need spots where they
can remain in place for a few years.
82 | Good Organic Gardening
J UNE
FRUIT
∙ Bare-rooted fruit trees and shrubs
should be available from your local
nursery right now; they will be
dormant and unstressed. Pick trees
with a good shape and prune before
planting (or get the nursery to do so).
Prepare the spot by adding compost
and well-rotted manure. Mulch after
planting but don’t let it touch trunks.
∙ Prune any deciduous trees or
vines you already have, taking out
crossover branches in the centre
to allow good airflow. Also cut off
any dead or diseased wood. If you
have deciduous plants you want to
relocate to a better spot, move them
now while they’re dormant
∙ When buying new fruit trees,
always check whether they’re self-
pollinating or need a companion for
cross-pollination.
∙ Protect new plantings from harmful
cold winds by installing windbreaks
such as tree guards around them.
∙ Fertilise citrus trees now with a
specialised organic citrus food or
use an all-purpose fertiliser such as
pelletised chicken manure. Water
thoroughly before feeding.
1
COMPOST & SOIL
∙ It’s the season for general maintenance
and bed preparation for the coming
spring plantings. Dig in green manure
crops that are ready and also dig in
mature compost.
∙ Even though weeds may have slowed
down for winter, don’t take your eye
off the weeding — get rid of those
interlopers before the weather starts
warming up again. Use them to make
some weed tea for your garden.
∙ Treat newly planted seedlings to a
feed of seaweed tea. Apply early in
the morning in the concentration
recommended on the label.
∙ When preparing beds and adding
organic matter to soil for new
plantings, add gypsum if needed to
improve drainage in clay soil.
∙ Top up mulch but keep it light
enough for the sun’s warmth to
penetrate to the soil, as too thick
a cover can keep the soil cold and
damp for too long.
∙ Reduce watering of container-grown
plants over the colder months. When
you do water, adding a little warm
Bigstock
water will take the chill off and reduce
shock to the plant roots.

TROPICAL
VEGIES
∙ Winter crops can go in now, including
Asian greens and brassicas (broccoli,
Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower,
kale) as well as beetroot, carrots, celery,
onions, silverbeet and spinach. Keep a
watchful eye on those brassicas for the
eggs and caterpillars of cabbage white
moth and dispose of them manually.
∙ Keep planting spring onions, peas (both
dwarf and climbing), radish, sweet corn,
capsicums, tomatoes, zucchini and
eggplants. Sweet potatoes and seed
potatoes can also go into well-drained
soil. Regular watering will reward you
with larger tubers.
∙ Put in some coriander for warming
winter curries and soups, and
chamomile for a soothing cuppa.
∙ Add welcome colour to the winter
garden with pollinator-friendly flowers
such as marigolds and nasturtiums.
Sunflowers are particularly useful
for shading heat-sensitive plants like
lettuce and siverbeet.
1 Strong-smelling herbs such as sage and rosemary deter cabbage moths from settling and laying eggs, so plant near brassicas 2 Top up mulch to give a
good covering for the cooler months 3 In tropical areas start off watermelon and rockmelon but allow plenty of room to spread
2 3
EARLY WINTER | GARDEN CALENDAR
FRUIT
∙ Check grafted citrus and passionfruit
for suckers appearing on the
understock below the graft and
remove them so they don’t overtake
the productive part of the plant.
∙ Time for some mixed nuts: pistachio,
almond or pecan can go in now.
For urban backyards, macadamia
‘Pinkalicious’ is a manageable size.
You could also consider figs and
kiwifruit — but note the latter requires
both sexes for cross-pollination.
∙ Sow seeds of rockmelon and
watermelon, allowing plenty of room
to grow, especially the long vines of
watermelon. Look for the yellow and
orange heirloom watermelon varieties
as well as the familiar pink/red ones.
∙ Liquid-feed strawberries and tuck
mulch under the ripening fruit to
reduce fungal diseases.
∙ Panama varieties of passionfruit are
best for tropical areas. They produce
large fruit with a lot of pulp.
COMPOST & SOIL
∙ Clean up old and straggly plants and
chop up unwanted matter to add to
the compost, along with fallen leaves.
∙ Don’t neglect the weeds just because
there’s fewer of them this time of
year. Collect them in a bucket and
make weed tea by adding water and
allowing it to sit for a week or two. It’s
a gentle way to feed plants and return
nutrients to the soil.
∙ Make a raised bed out of straw bales
and fill it with an organic garden mix
— or use weed-free garden soil mixed
with compost and aged manure.
∙ Water smart at this dry time of year.
A deep drink a couple of times a week
beats more frequent light watering.
∙ Plant a green manure crop to improve
soil quality in resting beds, especially
any that have been overworked. There
are commercial seed mixes available
or simply combine a legume such as
chickpea or soybean with a cereal
grass such as oat or millet.
Good Organic Gardening | 83
WELLBEING NEWSFEED | HEALTH BITES

Health news
FROM TH E WEL LBEI NG DES K
EAT RIGHT, SAVE THE PLANET
Research has shown us that at least 30 per cent of the
environmental impacts humans generate comes from
the food we eat. For a new study, researchers surveyed
young British adults. Subjects were asked questions about
their understanding of what a sustainable diet is and their
willingness to make changes. The UN defines a sustainable
diet as one that has a low environmental impact and that
contributes to nutrition security and health for current and
future generations. However, the survey showed that many
subjects did not know what a sustainable diet was and were
not considering sustainability at all when making food choices.
Yet they were willing to make changes to their diet to reduce
climate impact when told it could be done. As a Good Organic
Gardening reader you are aware of the impact of food choices
but not everyone will be. It points to a need to promote greater
awareness of how eating habits can help the planet.
Source: Appetite

Wildlife watch
WHEN BIRD MEETS WINDOW
Large glass windows are trending in new housing developments
worldwide. Simultaneously, backyard bird feeding surged during
the pandemic as people sought to draw wildlife into the homes
where they were spending so much more time. All this means
birds are being drawn into high-risk settings for collisions with
windows, a major source of bird injury and mortality. Hoping
to understand more about the nature of these collisions with a
view to reducing them, researchers analysed audio- and motion-
triggered video from home bird feeders and birdbaths showing
the moments leading up to birds hitting or just missing windows.
They found that flying at a faster speed and being perpendicular
to the window increased chances of a collision. The researchers
proposed that feeders and baths be placed close to windows to
reduce bird velocity; they also recommended the use of “fritted
glass” or “art glass” to make the windows more visible.
Source: PeerJ
Bigstock

84 | Good Organic Gardening

 HEALTH BITES | WELLBEING NEWSFEED

QUINOA FOR BETTER BISCUITS

Researchers have found that the seed quinoa has the
potential to make biscuits healthier and taste better at the
same time. For the study, researchers used quinoa flour
to make “sugar cookies”: simple biscuits made with sugar,
flour, eggs, butter and baking soda. This meant the taste of
the substituted quinoa flour would not be masked by things
like chocolate. Substituting quinoa flour in differing ratios
for wheat flour, the researchers found the biscuit dough had
good “spreadability” and that people preferred the taste
of sugar cookies made with 10 per cent quinoa flour over
those made with 100 per cent wheat flour. Using up to 25
per cent quinoa flour yielded satisfactory results, though
at 100 per cent quinoa the biscuits tended to crumble. The
nutty flavour of quinoa — plus its protein, fibre and nutrient
hit — makes it a candidate for some healthier baking.
Source: Journal of Food Science

HIBISCUS FOR ALZHEIMER’S

Alzheimer’s disease is initiated when amyloid-beta and tau
proteins accumulate and form deposits in the brain. Immune
cells called microglia engulf such deposits to protect the
brain, but ongoing exposure to amyloid-beta will eventually
overwhelm the microglia, leading to chronic inflammation and
damage to nerve cells. This damage results in cognitive decline
and memory loss. In a new study looking for treatments for
Alzheimer’s without side-effects, researchers focused on
gossypetin, a flavonoid found in hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa).
Mice with Alzheimer’s were given gossypetin for three months,
after which their memory and cognition returned to normal.
There was also a corresponding decrease in amyloid-beta
aggregates. The researchers expect that gossypetin from
hibiscus will contribute to a safe and affordable drug for
Alzheimer’s. In the meantime, hibiscus tea won’t hurt.
Source: Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy

HYDRATE AND STAY YOUNG

In a new study, researchers gathered data from more than
11,000 subjects over 30 years and analysed the link between
blood sodium levels and overall health. They found that
adults with levels of sodium in their blood that were at the
high end of the “normal” range were more likely to show
signs of faster biological ageing. This is based on factors
such as cardiovascular health, lung function and levels of
inflammation. People with sodium levels above 142mEq/L
(milliequivalents per litre) were 15 per cent more likely to be
biologically older than their chronological age compared
to those in the 137–142mEq/L range. Those with levels
above 144mEq/L were 50 per cent more likely to show that
disparity. The single most common factor that increases
blood sodium levels is decreased body water, which is why
the researchers say that staying well hydrated may slow
down the ageing process.
Source: eBioMedicine

Good Organic Gardening | 85

WELLBEING | POWERPLANT — LIME
THE ZESTY CITRUS
LIMES ARE BEAUTIFULLY REFRESHING IN A COOL DRINK, BUT BOTH
JUICE AND PEEL ALSO HAVE A RANGE OF HEALING PROPERTIES
L
Words Dr Karen Bridgman
imes are hybrid citrus fruits
and there are several varieties,
categorised in two groups: acid
or sour and acidless or sweet.
The tangy fruit is often used in cooking
to accentuate flavour and is integral in
Southeast Asian and Mexican cuisines.
The most commonly grown lime
variety is the Persian or Tahitian lime
(Citrus × latifolia), but there are other
familiar varieties such as Key lime (C. ×
aurantifolia), which is rounder and more
acidic, and kaffir lime (C. hystrix), with
a distinctive flavour and leaves that are
used more than the fruit.
There are also Australian examples
such as native desert lime (C. glauca) and
finger lime (C. australasica).
The wild lime is believed to have
originated in Indonesia, Southeast Asia
or northern India. The modern lime is
86 | Good Organic Gardening
invariably a hybrid of two or more citruses.
Limes are believed to be one of the
first citrus fruits to be carried from the
east by the Crusaders.
During the 18th and 19th centuries,
British sailors were issued a daily
allowance of lemons, then limes. This
was initially a closely guarded military
secret as it prevented the development
of scurvy and allowed crews to remain
at sea for long periods of time. From
this practice came the English sailor’s
nickname “limey”.
NUTRITION
Limes have a higher content of sugars
and acids than lemons. The juice of
one lime (approx. 44g) contains 46kJ,
4g of carbohydrates, no protein but
35 per cent of the recommended daily
consumption of vitamin C. One gram of
lime zest contains about 5 per cent of
your daily recommended vitamin C.
Limes also contain citrus flavonones,
polyphenols and terpenes. Both the flesh
and the peel are useful. The flavanone
hesperetin/hesperidin is the major
component in fresh limes.
The antioxidant activity of the
flavanones in limes is related to not only
their free-radical scavenging activity
but also to their ability to regulate the
expression of antioxidant (cytoprotective)
genes and increase glutathione levels.
HEALING LIMES
There is a direct correlation between the
consumption of foods rich in flavonoids,
such as citrus fruits, and the decreased
risk of chronic illness in humans, including
conditions such as cardiovascular
disease, diabetes and cancer.
Bigtock
Diets high in flavonoids — supplying
a high level of antioxidants — play a key

Key limes,
Citrus × aurantifolia
role in combatting the ageing process,
reducing tissue damage and inflammation.
Citrus fruits are a main source.
Lime extracts and essential oils are
used in perfumes, cleaning products and
aromatherapy. Limes have antibacterial
and antifungal properties plus a range of
healing effects.
Cardiovascular
Limes have been shown in various studies
to be cardioprotective due to their
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
Lime juice and peel decrease both
systolic and diastolic blood pressure in
rats, reduce cholesterol and triglycerides
and decrease platelet aggregation.
They have also been shown to reduce
the oxidation of the LDL component
of cholesterol, increasing effects with
increasing doses. This is important as the
oxidation of LDLs constitutes a major
cardiovascular risk factor.
Research on animals has been
positive in showing decreased fatty
streaks found in coronary arteries —
the indicators of plaque buildup and
hardening of the arteries.
Another study in humans showed lime
juice (with its high vitamin C content)
reduced the risk of stroke in women.
Anti-inflammatory
Limes have been shown to reduce pain
through their anti-inflammatory activity.
The oil also possesses important
LIMES ARE BELIEVED TO BE ONE OF THE
FIRST CITRUS FRUITS TO BE CARRIED
FROM THE EAST BY THE CRUSADERS.
Native finger lime,
Citrus australasica
antispasmodic properties, largely due
to the limonene and terpinene content.
The high flavonoid and high
essential oil activities are largely
responsible for both the antioxidant
and anti-inflammatory properties.
Diabetes
Limes exhibit antidiabetic activity. The
citrus flavonoids play an important
role in preventing the progression of
hyperglycaemia, by several actions:
binding to starches, increasing liver
glycolysis and glycogen concentration,
and reducing gluconeogenesis in the liver.
Central nervous system
Lime consumption (particularly of
the peel) has been shown to reduce
neurodegeneration and ageing, with
antioxidant and anticholinesterase
activity in the central nervous system.
Research shows neuroprotective
(antioxidant and reducing neurotoxins)
and anti-depressant effects. This activity
may also improve the symptoms of
Parkinson’s disease.
Cancer
Animal studies show that citrus
flavanones inhibit cell proliferation
and angiogenesis as well as activating
sluggish lymphocytes.
Lime juice has also been shown to
trigger apoptosis in pancreatic cancer
cells: in other words, its antioxidant
POWERPLANT — LIME | WELLBEING
activity inhibits abnormal cell growth.
These effects are more controversial
in humans due to the large variability
in absorption and metabolism — both
critical processes mediated by the
gut microbiota.
Antimicrobial
Lime juice and essential oils from the
peel are active against three different
Helicobacter pylori strains as well as a
variety of other pathogenic organisms,
including cholera.
Kaffir lime leaves have been shown to
inhibit biofilm growth in streptococcal
infections such as scarlet fever.
CAUTIONS
After extensive contact with lime
juice, human skin, when exposed to
sunlight, can display a reaction called
phytophotodermatitis.
This tends to be more of a problem in
those who handle limes (and lime peel)
occupationally, bartenders being a good
example. Sometimes called “margarita
burn”, it’s thought to be due to the
phototoxic coumarins found in higher
concentrations in lime peel.
Apart from this rare skin condition,
limes are generally considered safe for
human consumption.
Dr Karen Bridgman was a naturopath and
academic who is now semi-retired with a
new focus on growing medicinal gardens.
Good Organic Gardening | 87
WELLBEING | MEDICINAL PLANTS

F I R S T - A I D EDEN
ANY GARDEN CAN BE A REPOSITORY OF HEALING HERBS AND
MEDICINAL PLANTS. HERE’S HOW TO IDENTIFY, GROW AND
USE THE RIGHT ONES FOR YOUR FAMILY’S HEALTH

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 MEDICINAL PLANTS | WELLBEING

B
Words Dr Karen Bridgman Aloe vera
oth humans and animals have
long used plants as medicines.
About 80 per cent of our
pharmaceutical drugs are
derived from plants and the World
Health Organization estimates that
more than 70 per cent of the world’s
people still use herbal remedies as their
primary medicines.
With knowledge of the uses of
common plants you can deal with a large
number of minor illnesses.
There are many useful plants you can
grow in your own garden or even on a
balcony — but you need to know how to
identify, grow and use them to maintain
your family’s health.
You may be growing many of
them already and using them to spice
up your cooking, not realising their
hidden potential.
Traditional healers grew many plants
for medicines and knew where to find
the wild plants they also used. The wise
women (the herb-wyves) had a store of
plants that could keep their families —
and often the whole village — healthy. GROWING YOUR OWN HERBAL PREPARATIONS
While knowledge of wild plants is still
invaluable for a healer, today many of us
(KNOWN AS “SIMPLES”) IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO
live in large cities where medicinal plants HAVE THE THINGS YOU NEED AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
are either rare or treated as weeds and
poisoned out of existence.
AND DEVELOP A SENSE OF BEING IN TOUCH WITH
To have a secure supply of these YOUR BODY AND YOUR ENVIRONMENT.
plants, you can grow and process your
own. Growing your own first-aid “kit” and I have given the botanical names for PLANTS TO GROW FOR
herbal preparations (known as “simples”) the plants mentioned so you can check A FIRST-AID KIT
is an effective way to have the things you for accuracy with a local horticulturist or The plants in the popular song —
need at your fingertips and develop a plant nursery. Note which part to use as parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme —
sense of being in touch with your body well — leaves, flowers, barks, seeds and play major roles in a first-aid garden
and your environment. roots can be used in different ways in kit. I discuss these plus a few simples in
Medicinal plants are often ones we are different plants. alphabetical order.
familiar with. Many of the plants we can All the herbs discussed here can be Some of the plants mentioned are also
use in a first-aid kit are those used to used singly or mixed together. From weeds — or naturalised plants. These can
season or spice up our foods, the main the perspective of a herbalist, carefully also be effective herbal remedies.
difference being the dose, the frequency selecting and combining plants generates Note: When using a medicine topically
and sometimes the preparation method. a synergistic effect that gives a more — usually on the affected area — always
When we use herbs as foods, we beneficial result than using just one. try it first on a small section of healthy
consume them once or twice a week — Health and healing are no great secrets. skin to ensure there’s no allergic reaction.
for example, sage or thyme in chicken These days we have handed our disease Aloe vera (Aloe vera) leaf gel is used
stuffing or turmeric in curries. If using over to an external, authoritative system topically for burns and wound healing.
them as therapeutic substances, they and largely forgotten the beneficial use For this you need to peel off the outer
need to be taken more frequently: up to of plants, but those we call “simples” skin, remove the yellow “juice” (which is
three to four times a day, often for several are easy to use and safe for the minor the laxative component) and use only the
weeks, but in a more accurately measured ailments that beset us. sticky gel. Apply to affected area. Aloe
dose and preparation. Of course, for complex or long-term vera appears to have an anti-inflammatory
When using plants as medicine, it’s conditions it’s imperative to consult property when applied locally.
critically important you have the correct a practitioner. But for common, mild Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) leaf
plant as many have similar common ailments, plants selected wisely may be has been shown to be calming. So, if
names but entirely different activities. safer to use than pharmaceuticals — and feeling stressed and anxious, drink basil
Some may even be toxic. will certainly have fewer side-effects. as a tea with lemon balm leaves and

Good Organic Gardening | 89

WELLBEING | MEDICINAL PLANTS

AUSTRALIAN MEDICINAL Chamomile

PLANTS, IF CHOSEN
WELL, OFTEN NEED
LESS WATER THAN THEIR
EUROPEAN OR ASIAN
COUNTERPARTS.

lavender and chamomile flowers for a

relaxing, delicious drink.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
flowers are wound healing and
antiseptic. They can be made into a
tea to aid digestion and lymphatic
cleansing. Topically, the cooled tea
can be used as a wash for acne and
skin eruptions. Calendula can be made
into a salve to heal cuts and abrasions
— many of the old wound-healing
creams had calendula petals as a base.
It has also been researched for its Fennel seed
effectiveness in reducing skin damage
during radiotherapy.
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) (aka
German chamomile) flowers are calming
and digestive when drunk as a tea.
The anti-inflammatory properties of
chamomile help reduce the symptoms
of allergies and it is excellent as a wash,
a bath or a cream for sensitive skin
conditions. Chamomile is ideal for children
or infants as it has very low toxicity.
Chickweed (Stellaria media) aerial
parts are used to improve digestion
when eaten in salads and soothe itchy
skin rashes when used topically as a
wash or cream. I add chickweed to
foods as a green vegetable as it is
highly nutritious. It’s safe for children,
especially as a cream or a wash for itchy
skin conditions.
Lavender (Lavandula officinalis)
flowers are calming, reduce headaches Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Tea-tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
and have antiseptic properties. Lavender leaf in a tea improves memory and leaf has antiseptic properties so can
oil can be used topically to reduce the digestion, is an antioxidant and helps be useful for wound disinfection and
itch of insect bites and help remove relieve tension headaches. “Rosemary for healing. Tea-tree oil must be diluted in
ticks. Lavender flowers can be used as a remembrance” is a common saying on a neutral oil such as olive oil. Tea-tree
tea, or soak a cloth in the tea and apply memorial occasions such as Anzac Day, leaves as a wash can be effective. Tea
to the head to relieve headache. The when sprigs are frequently worn. tree is more often used topically and is
flowers can also be added to a pillow Sage (Salvia officinalis) leaf is a rarely swallowed.
slip for a good night’s sleep. traditional remedy for sore throats, Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) leaf is
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) leaf is tonsillitis and menopausal hot flushes. useful as an antibacterial for colds
Bigstock, Getty, Kerry Boyne

a highly mineralised (nutritional) plant
that’s good for urinary tract health and
has diuretic and digestive properties.
The root can also be used for similar
activity. Parsley root is more effective as
a remedy if picked in its second year of
growth and before flowering.
Sage is specific for night sweats of
whatever origin, whether from infection
or hormonal imbalance. It has also been
called the singer’s remedy as it helps
with voice loss from overuse. Sage has
been used to improve memory, along
with lemon balm and rosemary.
and flu. It is expectorant so helps
remove mucus from the lungs and its
antispasmodic activity helps reduce
the tickly (spasmodic) coughs. It is also
anti-inflammatory so can be helpful for
bronchitis as well as inflammation of the
digestive system.

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Tea-tree oil
OTHER COMMON HERBS
FOR MINOR AILMENTS
These are also worth considering
for your garden as they treat minor
problems, though they might not qualify
strictly as “first aid”.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) leaf
is a safe, effective diuretic with a high
mineral content, including potassium
and magnesium, which are commonly
lost with diuretics. Dandelion leaf can
work as a mineral supplement while
still assisting in the removal of the
unwanted fluid. It’s safe to drink at the
recommended doses during pregnancy
where there is fluid retention.
Dandelion (T. officinale) root is often
roasted and prepared like coffee and
is useful for maintaining a healthy liver
and digestive system. It therefore helps
reduce constipation if it’s a liver problem.
The best roots are 2–3 years old: pick,
slice and roast them in a slow oven until
brown then grind to a powder. Dandelion
root was once a casserole vegetable and
is delicious when cooked.
Echinacea or cone flower is a popular
flowering plant that can be used for its
immune-modulating properties. The
varieties used are E. angustifolia (its
root is the strongest of the echinacea
varieties), E. purpurea and E. alba. The
root and the aerial parts (leaves and
flowers) are used. Drink a tea of the
flowers or leaves for a boost during cold
Chickweed
and flu season. Be careful with echinacea
if allergic to the daisy family of plants.
Elder (Sambucus nigra) flowers are
useful for sinus problems and their
antiviral effect makes them as a mild cold
and flu preventative. Elder flowers also
reduce inflammation, which is what makes
people feel so ill with these conditions.
You can be quite creative in how you
prepare them. I have made elderflower
champagne (low alcohol, fragrant and
delicious) as well as elderflower sorbets
for my husband’s spring pollen allergies.
Elder (S. nigra) berries have similar
properties to elderflowers in protecting
against viral colds and flus but are used
more frequently to protect the lungs
from viruses and as cough medicines.
Elderberries are frequently made into
syrups for this purpose. There are even
commercially made elderberry cough
syrups and lozenges.
Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) leaf is
antibacterial and can be used to relieve
the symptoms of coughs, colds and flu.
Make into a hot tea with elderflowers,
thyme and manuka honey. A little added
lemon juice, ginger or chilli will also help.
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed was
traditionally used for reducing wind
and bloating and as a digestive. It has
also been drunk to improve breastmilk
quality. It’s very safe and can reduce
colic in babies when consumed by
breastfeeding mums.
MEDICINAL PLANTS | WELLBEING
Garlic (Allium sativum) bulb has a
multitude of uses. A plant that has been
extensively researched, it has been
shown to be antibacterial for colds,
tummy bugs and infections generally
as well as worms and parasites. There
is also research on garlic’s protective
effect against cardiovascular disease.
The smell of garlic is disliked by many
so, if using it raw, eat parsley or other
greens immediately after as chlorophyll
helps neutralise the odour. The soft-neck
varieties grow better in warmer climates
and the hard-neck varieties in cooler
climates. They all have similar activity
but the stronger the flavour, the more
beneficial it is.
Heartsease (Viola tricolor) leaf
and flower have anti-inflammatory
properties and can be used as a wash
for eczema and other skin conditions.
This pretty plant has also been called
wild pansy and Johnny-jump-up.
Olive (Olea europaea) leaf is antiviral,
antimicrobial, antifungal and digestive.
Olive leaf has also been shown to help
reduce moderately high blood pressure
in some, while the oil also has well-
documented health benefits. Make a
herbal tea with the leaves.
Pennywort (Centella asiatica), also
known as gotu kola or arthritis plant, is
excellent for reducing inflammation. It
also has digestive properties and has
been called the Ayurvedic herb of
Good Organic Gardening | 91
WELLBEING | MEDICINAL PLANTS

Olive leaf tea Grow a medicinal/culinary herb border

around your vegetable patch with basil,
garlic, onions, calendula, thyme and
rosemary. A 3D herb spiral, using the
extra height for planting space, not only
looks attractive but improves the use of
space in small gardens.
If you have a large space, formal herb
gardens can be designed along the lines
of European kitchen gardens. Many
sustainable gardens mix vegetables and
herbs together in the one spot and the
flowers also attract pollinators.
Most herbs can be grown in
containers. While they don’t need much
looking after, in the strong heat of
summer they’ll probably prefer a self-
watering pot.

COLLECTING AND STORING

longevity. It is classed as an adaptogen, with cholesterol regulation. Turmeric You’ll need some plants all year round
which generally means an overall tonic has been extensively researched and for your first-aid kit, so here’s how to
with multiple uses. A few leaves in your new potential uses are regularly being harvest, dry and store them.
salad every day can help improve your discovered. The root is also a strong dye, Leaves and flowers: Pick leaves from
health long term. Grow it in a pot as it so use it carefully to prevent implements the plant just before flowers are fully
can take over the garden. (and fingers) being stained yellow. open. Pick flowers in the early morning
Peppermint (Mentha × piperita) leaf when the sun is just on them, the dew is
is a digestive, reduces wind and is HOW TO GROW HERBS gone and essential oils are at their peak.
calming. Research on peppermint oil has Most herbs need a good friable soil and • Spread in a single layer on sheets of
shown positive results in reducing the the more sun the better, though many wrapping paper or newspaper and
symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can adjust to intermittent shade plus a turn them frequently — 3–4 times a
(IBS). The oil is more potent than the regular supply of water. day in the first few days. The ideal
leaf, but three cups a day of strong Australian medicinal plants, if chosen temperature for the first 24 hours
tea will help. Peppermint tea has been well, often need less water than their is 32–34°C, then 25–27°C for the
shown to reduce radiation damage by European or Asian counterparts. Once next 3–5 days. Larger amounts need
helping protect the gut lining. herbs are established, they can be quite some sort of mesh stretched over
Spearmint (Mentha spicata) leaf hardy and need little attention. a frame to get the air circulating
has similar properties to those of
peppermint but a sweeter flavour. It is Stevia
calming, reduces cramps and spasms,
relieves digestive symptoms and is good
to drink for fever, colds and influenza.
The leaves can be crushed and used as a
poultice on sore and cramped muscles.
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) leaf is an
excellent sugar alternative. It also has
beneficial effects on the pancreas
and will take away cravings for sugars
and fats. Using the plant rather than
powders, liquids or pills that contain
only the sweet glycoside will confer
increased health benefits. Chewing a
few leaves directly from the plant or
adding them to hot water to make a tea
can help reduce sugar cravings that are
common mid-afternoon. Stevia tea can
also be used to sweeten other liquids.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) root
improves liver function, has been shown
to have significant antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory properties and assists

92 | Good Organic Gardening


around the plant material. Dry
plants indoors or in a shady place
with good air circulation.
• Alternatively, bunch plants together,
tie stems with string and hang
upside down in an airy, shady
position. Label clearly!
• Low humidity is important. The
plants can also be dried in the
oven on low heat or in an airing
cupboard. They will need to be
spread out thinly or, if in thick
clumps, turned frequently.
• The plant material (leaves and
flowers) is dry when it snaps
between the fingers. Rub or crush
with a rolling pin and discard stalks.
Roots: Pull up at the end of the growing
season. They may need to be sliced. Dry
in a slow oven so they don’t go mouldy.
Many, such as dandelion and chicory, can
also be roasted to make coffee substitutes.
Grind roots, seeds and bark in a spice
grinder or coffee mill. It’s more difficult to
tell when roots are properly dry, so leave
them a little longer.
Make sure you clean all equipment
before and between different types and
batches of herbs.
Store in an airtight container of
darkened glass or wood. Plastic bags are
not suitable.
THE PLANTS IN THE POPULAR SONG —
PARSLEY, SAGE, ROSEMARY AND THYME — PLAY
MAJOR ROLES IN A FIRST-AID GARDEN KIT.
Chicory root coffee
Correctly dried and stored properly,
herbs should last several years. However,
if you have a good supply and haven’t
used them up in a year, it’s better to dry
a new batch of the current crop as they
will be fresher.
You can rotate crops and grow some
herbs every second or third year to
increase the variety you have available.
HOW TO USE
Herbs can be made into infusions (teas),
decoctions (simmered in water), washes,
compresses, lotions, creams, ointments,
poultices, tinctures and extracts (alcohol
or glycerine based), capsules — and
many of these preparations can be made
in the kitchen.
Using herbs topically can be very
effective and, as you’re not swallowing a
medicinal plant, there is much less risk of
interference with other medications.
When using herbs topically there is
also less risk of overdosing. However,
plants you may be allergic to should not
be taken internally or used topically.
Dosages vary from plant to plant but
generally they follow common rules. But
always check a herb book for the correct
dosage as a few of them, such as ginseng,
are very strong and only a low dose is
needed — even for acute conditions.
MEDICINAL PLANTS | WELLBEING
Flowers and leaves (aerial parts):
Infusion 3–5g (about 1 teaspoon) per
cup of dried whole leaf or flower three
times a day. An infusion is the same as
a tea in that boiling water is poured over
the plant material and it’s left to steep
for 5–10 minutes. A small teapot with
a built-in infuser is ideal. Flowers are
usually very light, so the volume used
should be greater than for the same
weight of roots and seeds.
Dried berries/hips: An infusion dose is
10g of berries or hips such as rosehips in
1 cup of hot water, several times a day.
This will equate to about a teaspoon
as these are heavier than the aerial
parts (especially if ground to a coarse
powder). You can also eat many berries,
rehydrate them if dried and add them
to cereal at breakfast. If eating the more
medicinal berries such as elderberries
and hawthorn berries, be aware of the
dose recommended and make sure
they’re ripe as some unripe berries can
have a strong laxative effect.
Dried roots: All roots are prepared as a
decoction, which means simmering the
plant material in water for a specified
time. As the plant material is hard and
the active ingredients are more difficult
to obtain than from leaves and flowers,
you will need to simmer them for 15–20
minutes, cool and strain, then drink
the liquid. Another method is to place
a heaped teaspoon of the hard plant
material in a thermos of boiling water
overnight. Next day, strain and drink.
Good Organic Gardening | 93
WELLBEING | MEDICINAL PLANTS
Traditional herb
drying method
Barks or hard dried seeds need to be
made into a decoction, as with roots.
Hard plant material stores well as whole
seeds or larger chunks of root or bark.
A coffee and spice grinder can be
invaluable, as you can grind them to a
powder quickly then make a tea in a
plunger. It’s recommended these plant
components be ground just before use so
that few of the active ingredients are lost.
Fresh vs dried: If using freshly picked
herbs instead of dried, you’ll need about
twice the amount as dehydrated herbs
are more concentrated than fresh ones.
Fluid extracts and tinctures: Alcohol- or
alcohol-and-water-based preparations
are usually about 45–60 per cent
alcohol and concentrated. The simplest
way to make a tincture is to chop
the plant into small pieces — or grind
it — and stuff it into a jar very tightly
until full. Fill the jar to the top with
94 | Good Organic Gardening
a commercial vodka. (You can put
it through a blender at this stage if
you wish.) Cap the jar tightly. Agitate
frequently for 14 days, let sit another
day, then decant. Press the liquid from
the herb, filter the liquid, bottle and
tightly cap. For most herbs in tincture
form, the dose is 5mL three times a day.
Syrups are usually made by boiling a
herb for 20–30 minutes, cooling the
mixture, straining it (and pressing the
liquid out of the remaining herb) then
measuring the volume of fluid left and
adding an equal quantity of sugar.
This sounds like a lot of sugar but it is
needed as a preservative. Honey can
be used but must not be boiled. Sugar
is a better preservative than honey,
although a good raw honey or manuka
honey will have added health benefits. I
have also used panela or rapadura sugar
for their improved nutrient density. The
GROW A MEDICINAL/
CULINARY HERB BORDER
AROUND YOUR VEGETABLE
PATCH WITH BASIL, GARLIC,
ONIONS, CALENDULA,
THYME AND ROSEMARY.
dose is usually 2 teaspoons 3 times a
day. Syrups are soothing for coughs and
sore throats. They should be kept in the
refrigerator in sterilised bottles.
Oxymels: This ancient preparation
is a herb, vinegar and honey mixture
that can be delicious and used as a
medicine, cordial or even salad dressing
or marinade. A general recipe for an
oxymel is 1kg of dried herb (finely
chopped), 1 litre of apple cider vinegar
(this has health benefits over other
vinegars) and 1kg of honey. Macerate
the herb in the vinegar for 3–7 days,
strain then add the honey. Mix until all
the honey is dissolved then transfer to
sterilised bottles. Ginger and turmeric
make excellent oxymels but any herb
can be used.
Children’s doses should be diluted. The
old rule of thumb: 14-year-olds can take
three-quarters of the adult dose, seven-
year-olds half and infants a quarter. This
doesn’t take size into account, nor does
it account for individual sensitivities.
Always err on the side of caution and
check with a practitioner if unsure.
HOME-MADE TOPICAL
APPLICATIONS
There are many recipes for making
creams, salves and ointments. (Lotions
are made in a similar manner but are
more liquid.) These may take time but
you can make sure they contain none
of the chemicals and preservatives
commonly used in commercial products.
As they contain no preservatives, it’s
best to keep refrigerated and use within
three months. Discard if they change
colour or start growing mould.
Creams: The quickest way to make a
cream is to obtain a neutral base cream
such as cold cream, aqueous cream or
vitamin E cream from the chemist and
add a small amount of herb concentrate
(a tincture or extract is best) and stir
in very slowly, drop by drop, until it
emulsifies. Use about 50:50 herb extract
to base cream. Commercial creams are

Making a salve
often 10 per cent herb or less, so this
will be strong.
Easy salve: A simple salve can be made
using 1 cup fixed oil (olive, almond etc),
adding 60g coarsely ground dried
herbs (there should be enough herb for
it all to become wet). Place in a very
low oven (60°C) for 3–5 hours, stirring
frequently. When infused, strain through
muslin to remove the spent herbs. Press
out remaining oil. Measure amount of
infused oil, place in a saucepan over low
heat and add shaved beeswax (30g per
cup of oil). Stir to required thickness
(test by placing oil-covered spoon
in freezer for a couple of minutes to
harden). Once required consistency is
achieved, remove from stove, pour into
sterilised jars, cap and let cool.
Poultices and compresses are generally
crushed fresh plants (or rehydrated
dried plants) mixed with hot water,
placed between strips of cloth and
applied to the affected area. Poultices
rely on warmth and dampness for
effectiveness. Compresses can be cold.
Washes: Herbs made up as teas
(infusions or decoctions) can be applied
to the skin, either warm or cooled.
Calendula flower wash is great for acne
as it is antiseptic and tightens the pores.
Herb baths: The herbs are usually
placed in something like an old sock
(so you don’t have floaty bits to clean
up), which is tied and either put under
the tap or soaked in bathwater before
bathing in it.
FIRST-AID KIT
Now you’ve grown and prepared the
plants, why not make up a little first-aid kit
that will be useful in many circumstances?
Start with the usual equipment:
bandages and Band-Aids of varying sizes
or Micropore tape and sterile gauze,
sterile saline in disposable packs, small
splints, scissors, tweezers and eyepads.
Herbal components might include
calendula cream (wounds), aloe vera
gel (burns), tea-tree cream, wash or
oil (antiseptic), a multi-use cream
containing calendula, St John’s wort, aloe
vera and comfrey. Lavender oil can also
be useful for bites and stings, as well as
peppermint or fennel tea for digestion
and relaxing. This will cover most bases.
MEDICINAL PLANTS | WELLBEING
A first-aid course will give you the
basic practical skills needed to use these
“simples” most effectively.
It must always be remembered
that plants with medicinal properties
may interact with pharmaceutical
medications. If in any doubt at all, speak
to your pharmacist or practitioner
before consuming.
A large proportion of pharmaceuticals
were developed from plants so they will
work along similar biochemical pathways
in the body. Interactions may be
beneficial but they can also be negative.
An occasional cup of herbal tea is
unlikely to cause a problem but, if using
the plants in a more concentrated form
or more frequently, always check for
interactions.
Dr Karen Bridgman was a naturopath
and academic who is now semi-retired
with a new focus on growing medicinal
gardens and researching ways to
effectively utilise preparations from
these plants. Travelling to gain further
plant and preparation knowledge is also
part of this process.
Good Organic Gardening | 95
 FRUIT & VEG | IN SEASON

FR ESH LO C AL
THESE FRUIT AND VEG ARE THE FRESHEST AND BEST IN OUR
SHOPS AND GARDENS DURING THE COOLER MONTHS

IN SEASON
MAY
FRUITS VEGIES
Apple, avocado, banana, Asian greens, beetroot,
cumquat, custard apple, broccoli, Brussels sprouts,
dates, feijoa, grapes, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower,
kiwifruit, lemon, lime, celeriac, celery, daikon,
mandarin, nashi, nuts eggplant, eschalot, fennel,
(chestnuts, hazelnuts, garlic, ginger, horseradish,
peanuts, walnuts), orange kale, leek, lettuce,
(navel), pear, persimmon, mushrooms, okra, olives,
pomegranate, quince, onion, spring onion, parsnip,
rhubarb peas, potato, pumpkin,
silverbeet, snow peas,
spinach, squash, sugar snap
peas, swede, sweet corn,
sweet potato, taro, tomato,
turnip, witlof, zucchini
IN SEASON
JUNE
FRUITS
Apple, avocado, banana,
custard apple, dates,
grapefruit, kiwifruit,
lemon, lime, mandarin,
nashi, nuts (chestnuts,
hazelnuts, walnuts), orange
(navel), passionfruit, pear,
persimmon, pomelo,
quince, rhubarb
VEGIES
Asian greens, beetroot,
broccoli, Brussels
sprouts, cabbage, carrot,
cauliflower, celeriac,
celery, eschalot, fennel,
garlic, ginger, horseradish,
Jerusalem artichoke, kale,
kohlrabi, leek, mushrooms,
okra, olives, onion, parsnip,
peas, potato, pumpkin,
silverbeet, snow peas,
spinach, sugar snap peas
swede, sweet potato
(kumara), turnip, witlof

SEASONAL TIP
Dates instead of sugar in recipes
As a concentrated source of sugar dates can be used as
a sugar substitute in cooking. The fibre in these luscious
fruits balances out the sugar and prevents extreme blood-
sugar spikes. You can make date sugar by grinding whole,
pitted dehydrated dates. The fibre doesn’t dissolve in baked
goods and imparts a sweet butterscotch flavour not unlike
brown sugar. Another method is to make date syrup, which
involves boiling and reducing the dates to the consistency
of honey. When replacing sugar with dates in recipes, use
roughly one-third less. Dates can also be blended as a
mineral-rich sweetener in smoothies and sauces.

Good Organic Gardening | 96

 GARDEN TO TABLE

The Mediterranean diet is largely gluten-free as it’s based on whole, unprocessed foods.
The main challenge is to avoid bakery items like those sneaky breadcrumbs in meatballs.

98 Vegan Moussaka

99 Lamb & Spinach Gözleme

100
10
00 Baked Lemon Snapper with Green Olives & Potato

101 Pumpkin Pie with Walnut & Honey

These recipes are from Gluten-Free Mediterranean by Helen Tzouganatos,

published by Plum, RRP $44.99, photography by Jeremy Simons.

Good Organic Gardening | 97

GARDEN TO TABLE | EGGPLANT

VEG AN M OUSSAKA
DF, GF, VG SERVES 8
During religious fasting periods, many iconic Greek dishes are given a vegan makeover to eliminate animal products.
This is my healthy and delicious vegan moussaka. You get all those familiar flavours, but instead of a creamy bechamel,
I finish it with a light and fluffy vegetable mash — and it works beautifully. Loaded with vegetables, this express
moussaka is a good option any time of the year when you want something hearty and comforting. You can assemble
the moussaka a day ahead if you wish and just pop it in the oven after work.

INGREDIENTS
• 2 eggplants, finely sliced, patted dry
• 2 zucchini, finely sliced, patted dry
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for pan-frying
• 2 large all-purpose potatoes
(such as Sebago), peeled, finely sliced
& steamed (see Note)
Tomato sauce
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• Sea salt flakes
& freshly ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 80mL (1⁄3 cup) red wine
• 400g can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
Pumpkin & cauliflower mash
• 600g butternut pumpkin,
peeled & cut into 3cm cubes
• 400g cauliflower, broken into florets
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
METHOD
1. To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium
heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 10
minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another
minute. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, stirring to release any caramelised
bits caught on the base, and simmer for 1 minute or until reduced by half. Stir
in the crushed tomatoes, oregano and 125mL (½ cup) of water and season with
black pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste
and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
2. While the sauce is simmering, sprinkle the eggplant and zucchini slices with salt
and set aside to rest for 5 minutes (this reduces the bitterness). Pat dry. Place
a frying pan over medium–high heat, drizzle in some olive oil and pan-fry the
eggplant and zucchini separately and in batches until golden on both sides,
adding more oil as needed. Drain on paper towel.
3. To make the mash, cook the pumpkin in a large saucepan of salted boiling
water for 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Drain well, then transfer the vegetables to a food processor. Add the olive oil,
cinnamon and salt and blitz to form a smooth mash.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan-forced). Grease a 30cm × 25cm deep roasting dish.
5. To assemble, spread a ladleful of tomato sauce over the base of the dish.
Arrange eggplant slices on top of the tomato sauce, then follow with zucchini
slices. Top with remaining tomato sauce. Arrange potato slices on top of the
sauce and cover with the mash. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden. Remove
from the oven and let moussaka rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Note: Potato slices can be steamed in the microwave or in a steamer basket on
the stovetop. Steam for about 10 minutes to par cook.

98 | Good Organic Gardening

 SPINACH | GARDEN TO TABLE

LAM B & SP IN AC H GÖZ LE ME

DFO, GF SERVES 6
Crispy, golden gluten-free Turkish gözleme can be easily whipped up in
less than 20 minutes, so it’s the perfect after-school snack. The dough
comes together very quickly and, while it’s resting, you can quickly
make your filling of choice. I love a spiced lamb mince filling when I feel
like a break from spinach and feta, but you can get as creative as you
wish. Don’t overfill the gözleme — the flatter the parcel, the crispier it
will get when it hits the hot frying pan.

INGREDIENTS Lamb & spinach filling

• Olive oil, for pan-frying
• Lemon wedges, to serve
Dough
• 260g (2 cups) gluten-free
self-raising flour
• 90g (1⁄3 cup) Greek yoghurt
(or coconut yoghurt for dairy free)
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp sea salt flakes
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• Pinch sea salt flakes
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 250g lamb mince
• Large handful baby spinach leaves

METHOD
1. Combine all the dough ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted
with the dough hook attachment, add 125mL (½ cup) of warm water and
mix on medium speed for 1 minute to form a smooth dough. If the mixture
is too dry, add a little more water and mix again. Set the dough aside to
rest, uncovered, while you make the filling.
2. To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
Add the onion and salt and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Stir in the garlic,
paprika, cumin and black pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Add the lamb
and cook, breaking up any chunks with a wooden spoon, for 3 minutes or
until browned. Add the spinach, stir and cook for 1 minute to wilt. Remove
from the heat and set aside.
3. Divide the dough into 6 balls. Working with one ball at a time, roll out the
dough between 2 sheets of baking paper to form a paper-thin rectangle
about 20cm × 30cm in size. Scatter 3 tablespoons of the lamb and spinach.
4. Place the filling in the centre, leaving a clear border of roughly 8cm around
the edges. Fold the dough over the filling to enclose. Cover with baking
paper and very gently roll out again to flatten and thin out the gözleme.
Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
5. Place a heavy-based frying pan over high heat and allow it to heat
up. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the very hot pan and cook the
gözleme, one at a time, adding more oil as needed, for 2–3 minutes on
each side until golden and crispy. Serve with lemon wedges.

Filling Variations
• Spinach & feta: combine 135g (3 cups) baby spinach,
3 sliced spring onions and 200g crumbled feta.
• Potato & cheese: combine 460g (2 cups) mashed potato,
150g grated mozzarella, a handful of finely chopped flat-leaf
parsley leaves, ½ tsp paprika and salt and pepper.

Good Organic Gardening | 99

GARDEN TO TABLE | POTATO

B AKED LEMON
SNAPPER W ITH GREEN
OLI VES & POTATO
DF, GF SERVES 4
Snapper is my favourite fish to cook whole because of
its slightly sweet, delicate, juicy flesh and crispy skin. Not
only does a whole piece of fish look super impressive
as a dinner-table centrepiece, it requires minimal
effort and only a handful of pantry staples. For classic
Mediterranean flavours, simply season your fish with
salt, pepper, oregano and olive oil and sit it on a bed of
finely sliced lemon. When roasted, the lemon magically
caramelises, releasing sweetness into the tray juices —
delicious spooned over your moist, flaky fish.

INGREDIENTS
• 1.6kg whole snapper, scaled and cleaned (see Notes)
• 80mL (1⁄3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pinches dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 lemon, finely sliced
• 500g chat potatoes, cut in half
• 90g (½ cup) green Sicilian olives

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan-forced).
2. Thoroughly dry the fish with paper towel. Brush both
sides of the skin with half the olive oil and season the
skin and cavity with a generous pinch of salt, pepper
and oregano. Lightly score three diagonal incisions on
one side of the fish then press the garlic slices into the
incisions. Place three lemon slices in the fish cavity.
3. Arrange the remaining lemon slices in the centre of a
large deep baking tray and place the fish on top. Scatter
the potato around the fish, drizzle the remaining oil over
them, season with salt and another pinch of oregano
and scatter in the green olives. Bake, turning the potato
halfway through cooking, for 30 minutes or until the
fish is opaque when flaked with a fork and the potato is
crispy. Spoon the tray juices and caramelised lemon over
the fish and serve.

Notes: Your fishmonger can scale, gut and clean a whole

fish for you so half the work is already done.
A whole snapper will yield about 50 per cent meat
once the bones are discarded: a 1.6kg snapper will yield
800g total meat or 200g per person. If cooking for two,
use an 800g whole fish instead and reduce the baking
time by 10 minutes.

100 | Good Organic Gardening

 PUMPKIN | GARDEN TO TABLE

OLIVE OIL PASTRY

KO LOK ITHO PI TA
P U M PK I N P IE WITH
WA LN U T & H ONE Y
DF, GF, V SERVES 8–10
Of all the coiled pastry recipes my mother has taught me, this
is probably my favourite. There are many different versions
of Greek pumpkin pie (kolokithi meaning pumpkin and pita
meaning pie), some sweet, some savoury. I’m obsessed with
the sweet version because it tastes just like baklava with the
added bonus of soft cinnamon-spiked pumpkin in the filling.
The contrasting textures and flavours are just spectacular.
My olive oil pastry works perfectly here as a gluten-free and
dairy-free alternative to traditional filo.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 quantity Olive Oil Pastry (see box)
• Light olive oil, for brushing
• ½ tsp caster sugar mixed with ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 115g (1⁄3 cup) honey
DF, GF, V
MAKES 16 INDIVIDUAL PIES
OR 1 LARGE 30CM PIE
• 260g (2 cups) gluten-free plain flour
• ½ tsp gluten-free baking powder
• Pinch sea salt flakes
• 2 large eggs
• 125mL (½ cup) light olive oil
1. Place the flour, baking powder and salt in a large
bowl and mix well.
2. Whisk the eggs and olive oil together in another bowl.
3. Add the egg mixture and 3 tablespoons of warm
water to the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
Use your hands to knead the dough for a minute
to form a smooth ball. Cover the bowl and rest the
dough in the fridge for 1 hour before using.

Pumpkin filling
• 300g butternut pumpkin, finely grated,
excess moisture squeezed out
• 100g (1 cup) walnuts, coarsely crushed,
plus extra for sprinkling
• 80g (1⁄3 cup) caster sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting
• ¼ tsp ground cloves

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan-forced) and grease a 24cm
round cake tin with olive oil.
2. Combine pumpkin filling ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Divide the cold pastry into four portions. Working with one
portion at a time, place the pastry between two large sheets
of baking paper. Roll out the pastry to the shape of a paper-
thin rectangle roughly 50cm × 10cm. Remove the top layer of
baking paper and place one-quarter of the pumpkin filling in
a log shape along the long edge of the pastry closest to you.
Using the bottom sheet of baking paper to help, lift the dough
and roll it over the filling to enclose and seal (allow only a 2cm
pastry overlap at the seam to keep the pastry fairly thin). Sit
the log along the outer edge of the tin to create the outer coil.
Repeat this process with the remaining dough and filling to
create an inward spiral.
4. Brush the top of the coil with olive oil and sprinkle on the
cinnamon sugar. Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is
golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and immediately
drizzle the honey over the top. Sprinkle on the extra walnuts
and add a dusting of cinnamon. Set aside for 30 minutes so
the pastry can soak up the syrup, then slice and serve. Store
in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Variation: You might like to add raisins or currants

to your filling.

Good Organic Gardening | 101

REVIEWS | BOOKS
COVER
TO
COVER
Leafing
through books
for gardeners
and cooks
Reviews Chris Stafford
100 AUSTRALIAN BUTTERFLIES,
BEES, BEETLES & BUGS
By Georgia Angus, Hardie Grant, $29.99
The world knows something about our weird
and wacky mammals, but Australia also
punches above its weight when it comes to the
wonderful world of insects. Of the estimated
200,000-plus native species, only 62,000
have been named. Self-described “sucker for
nature” Georgia Angus has collected 100 of her
favourite pollen snufflers, nectar slurpers and
sapsuckers, from bogong moths to witjuti grubs,
from the yellow admiral butterfly to the graphic
flutterer dragonfly. Each entry comes with her
own beautiful drawings, a distribution map and,
in many cases, with the help of First Nations
contributors, a snippet of traditional knowledge
as well as the bug’s name in language. The
grandiloquently styled Pelecorhynchus
nigripennis, for example, is cut down to size —
roughly the length of one finger joint — by its
name in Gumbaynggirr language: muli, or “fly”.
102 | Good Organic Gardening
ABORIGINAL PEOPLES AND
BIRDS IN AUSTRALIA
By Philip A Clarke, CSIRO Publishing, $59.99
Among the earliest Australian birds identified
by Europeans were brush bronzewing pigeons
(described as “grey turtle-doves”) and black
swans, both spotted by Dutch explorers. The first
emu was seen — and promptly shot — in Sydney
Cove in 1788. But before colonisation, the
original inhabitants had been connected with
native birds for millennia: as totemic ancestors
and spirit beings as well as through the use of
avian materials to make food, medicine and
artefacts. As Ngarrindjeri elder Mark Koolmatrie
writes, “Since the dawn of time our people
have had a spiritual, environmental and cultural
connection to all birds and their habitats ...
through our storylines and songlines, as a food
source, as a material source or as a transmitter
of messages. This book encompasses all that is
our connection to Country and self.”
THE LITTLE BOX OF VEG
By Alice Zaslavsky, Murdoch Books, $29.99
A companion to ABC presenter and food
writer Alice Zaslavsky’s bestseller In Praise
of Veg, this box of colour-co-ordinated
cards showcases 48 vegetables, organised
seasonally, and upwards of 100 recipes.
Each card presents a “hero” ingredient with
advice on choosing, storing and prepping,
quick cooking ideas and a feature recipe
so you can create something wonderful
with whatever’s in your kitchen or hiding in
your fridge. With ginger, for example, you
get a recipe for Ginger Stir-Fried Greens,
instructions on how best to keep the root
(wrapped whole and stored in the fridge
door), cooking hints (you really don’t have
to peel it and, if you grind it, you need to use
much less) and how to pickle young ginger
to serve with sushi or “spike a salad or poke
bowl”. It’s a box of tricks to turn you into a
veritable vegetable ninja.
FROM SALT TO JAM
By Katrina Meynink, Hardie Grant, $40
The secret weapon in every recipe is that
crucial ingredient, whether it be a dash of
chicken salt or a spoonful of harissa, that adds
a flavour bomb to the simplest of meals. As a
busy mother, Queensland food writer Katrina
Meynink knows well the challenge of putting
a tasty dinner on the table every weeknight
and From Salt To Jam selects 20 condiments
— pastes, marinades, seasonings, relishes —
that turn plain food into something special.
Among the 100 no-fuss recipes are cauliflower
hash browns transformed by a dollop of tahini
yoghurt, French toast zhooshed up with some
olive tapenade and a meringue spiked with
lemon curd. Learn to make the ultimate ranch
dressing, the zestiest jalapeño jam, the perfect
caramel sauce or a spicy, deep-flavoured
chermoula, throw it in the slow cooker and
stand well back. Saucy!
TEKEBASH AND SABA
By Saba Alemayoh, Murdoch Books, $45
“This is not your regular cookbook,” writes
Saba Alemayoh. Indeed. Though presented as
a mouth-watering introduction to Ethiopian
cooking, the book is structured to tell the
stories of Saba and her “extraordinary mother”,
Tekebash Gebre, who was born in Ethiopia’s
northernmost state Tigray and fled its
communist regime for Sudan, where Saba was
born. After Sudan erupted in turmoil, mother
and daughter became refugees, eventually
arriving in Australia. Saba served in the ADF
before opening an eponymous restaurant in
Melbourne, where her mother ran the kitchen
and “cooked by taste, touch and memory”.
This book, beautifully illustrated with photos
of the dishes and scenes from the homeland, is
Tekebash’s legacy, a simple but vibrant cuisine
driven by such basic ingredients as vegetables,
legumes, eggs, feta and linseed. “It’s our story,”
says Saba, “and it’s my tribute.”
 COMMON HOUSE GECKO | GARDEN LIFE

ESPRESSO
GECKO
Common name: Common house gecko, Pacific (or Asian) house gecko
Scientific name: Hemidactylus frenatus
Words: Chris Stafford

O
ne morning last summer, when our resident gecko fell
off the verandah ceiling and landed right in my coffee
cup, I don’t know which of us was the more startled.
I was surprised because up until then it had been
more heard than seen, its cheery “chick-chick-chick!” resounding
through the house from its hiding place in the walls as it dined
on summer bugs. In addition, the common house gecko, native
to most of Southeast Asia and moving slowly from Australia’s
Top End to more southerly climes, is primarily nocturnal —
definitely not a morning person.
On the Subcontinent it’s considered a good omen if a gecko
falls on a person’s right shoulder, rather than the left. I’m not
sure what it means when one lands in your espresso, except
to say he or she scuttled away like lightning. Maybe it was the
coffee buzz.
Getty

Good Organic Gardening | 103

PICK OF THE CROP

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tools required. See the full range at and vegetables — in fact, all plants. Fleming. “We created ‘Pick of the Crop’
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BRING ENVIRONMENTAL There are so many improved
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The range stocked by Eco R Us has been carefully to plan great
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104 | Good Organic Gardening

Joseph Ayoub, microbiologist
and founder of multi-award-
winning Swift Grow fertiliser
SWIFT GROW
CONTINUING THE SWIFT GROW STORY: HOW
IT BRINGS DEAD SOIL ROARING BACK TO LIFE
S
wift Grow is a fertiliser purified and
sold in concentrated liquid and
dried slow-release forms.
As outlined in the last issue of
Good Organic Gardening, Swift Grow’s
benefits include its ability to:
• Restore dead soil
• Increase crop yields
• Restore colour, scent
and flavour to food
• Increase farm productivity
and bee immunity
• Provide a solution to climate change
In this issue, we focus on Swift Grow’s
capacity to revive dead soil — a process
that begins after just one application and
which has been confirmed in thousands of
field trials. A scientifically controlled UAE
study showed Swift Grow outperformed
synthetic NPK on 13 plant varieties.
The biological engine of fertile soil is the
dynamic community of its micro-organisms
— its soil microbiota — that thrive in a
symbiotic relationship with soil and plants.
Beneficial micro-organisms include
those that create mutual associations with
plant roots — bacteria, yeasts, algae, fungi,
actinomycetes — which also promote
SWIFT GROW | GOOD ORGANIC GARDENING PROMOTION
nutrient mineralisation and bio-availability,
produce plant growth hormones and fight
off pests, parasites and diseases.
A teaspoon of fertile soil contains up to 1
billion bacteria, and a tonne of microscopic
bacteria may be active in each acre of soil.
Thus, maintaining healthy soil microbiota
isn’t just important for the plants; it’s
critical for the highly integrated ecosystem
of soil, water and air.
Soil with healthy microbiota activity
helps to rapidly detect, capture and trap
the excess carbon dioxide known to
contribute to climate change.
This is how nature has always worked
and maintained the Earth’s highly
calibrated climate equilibrium.
Over the past 70 years, the use of
synthetic fertilisers and pesticides has been
killing off beneficial micro-organisms in the
soil, depleting it of its natural microbiota
and its ability to capture and retain excess
atmospheric CO2 as beneficial soil carbon.
Large-scale farming increases yield while
depleting the soil, leaving the land mineral
locked. The soil then acts as a CO2 emitter
rather than a sink, thereby accelerating
desertification and creating a vicious cycle.
Derived from the natural metabolic food
breakdown process of barramundi — with
zero manmade energy input — Swift Grow
restores the micro-organisms that have
been lost due to over-farming and overuse
of chemicals.
Depleted soils start to regenerate after
one application and this increased fertility
leads to faster, stronger growth of plants
and lawns.
In more good news, the cost of Swift
Grow at commercial volumes is less than
half that of synthetic fertiliser!
Plus, one litre of Swift Grow, produced
by a single barramundi in four hours, can
restore the soil bioactivity of one hectare
of land, which in turn can sequester up to
three tonnes of carbon per year.
When soils have higher fertility they
are able to support higher productivity of
plants. As a living fertiliser, Swift Grow can
increase crop yield in the same land area
by up to 200 per cent. It can also reduce
water consumption by up to 40 per cent.
In the next instalment of the Swift Grow
story, we explain in detail how this product
is able to increase crop yield using the
same land area. Visit swiftgrow.com.au
Good Organic Gardening | 105
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