Earthwise Gardening

Mould with itchy feet

Often, when people find out I’m interested in fungi, they’ll ask me to identify something weird, disgusting or horrible in their garden. If the thing in question is also described...

Crop rotation – myth or reality?

Once again I’ve read in a magazine on organic gardening that it is good practice to use crop rotation. There are lots of reasons for this, particularly as it helps...

No phos for us!

There’s a popular garden myth that states that native plants don’t like fertiliser. That’s really not true – most plants will benefit from fertiliser, there are just a few types...

Brazilian spinach – a leafy green vegetable for the subtropics

I can’t remember where my first plant of Brazilian spinach arrived from as I feel like it has always been in the garden, a truly remarkable standby. It is a...

Raised garden beds – pros and cons

I’ve got several pre-fabricated raised beds in my garden – the ‘tank’ type – and having used them for a few years, have got an idea of the good and...

Small spaces – are never too small!

I recently returned from a lovely holiday in New Zealand. I stayed with my Aunt for some of the time and travelled the glorious East and West coast of the...

A pumpkin like no other

One of my colleagues brought into the office the other day the pumpkin ‘Galeux D’Eysines’. Bringing in veges to the office is something we often do – sharing in the...

Hot chooks – or cool chicks

It’s very rewarding keeping chickens – they help recycle nutrients, keep pests down and provide us with food and amusement. We, in turn have a responsibility to keep them healthy,...

Summer citrus care – give your citrus some new year cheer

I was fortunate to get a good harvest from my citrus this year. I had so many lemons I was able to preserve them, add them to barley water to...

Pungent goodness – garlic

We have just had our first delivery of lovely organic garlic at Green Harvest this afternoon and we haven’t stopped talking about how to grow it! How to eat it!...

Think of the critters

The extremes of weather are being felt all over Australia at present – bushfires and relentless high temperatures, floods and torrential rain. And it’s not just us humans being affected....

The sweetest pea of all

Sweet Peas really are to me one of the sweetest to look at and deliciously fragrant annuals you can grow in the garden. And it’s getting close to planting time!...

Mummified

When is a mummy not a mummy? When it’s a daddy or a dried up piece of fruit! In this case it’s mummified fruit on a very sick nectarine tree...

A winter treat – Peruvian ground apple

Yacon – otherwise known as the Peruvian ground apple, strawberry jicama, Bolivian sunroot, llacon, sweet-root and ground pear – is ready to harvest now. We eat its sweet, juicy tubers...

Survival of the fittest – help your seedlings survive the heat

It’s a very satisfying sight –you’ve just planted out a bed full of healthy, vital seedlings, beautiful and full of potential. You can already taste the delicious, crunchy salad greens!...

Pumpkin Paradise

This festive season, why not roast a crown of thorns as part of your Christmas dinner? Or hunt down Red October to use as a table decoration? It’s not as...

The Beet goes on

Remember the soggy sandwich made of white bread, coloured by mum’s tinned beetroot, sitting in plastic wrap at the bottom of your lunchbox? That lunch box ‘treat’ almost succeeded in...

Luffas – a whole new angle - Green Harvest

Angled luffa is a very popular ingredient in Asian cooking, especially in Thai or Chinese dishes. There are lots of yummy-sounding stir-fries, soups and noodle dishes featuring this versatile vegetable,...

Tomatoes – the next generation!

With the last of the glorious, sweet summer tomatoes gracing our salad bowls, it’s time to save the seeds of our favourite types. If possible, save seed from the best-looking...

White Asparagus – heavenly!

I’ve just recently returned from a wonderful trip to Spain. My partner and I decided that the main aim of the trip was to eat and drink our way around...

Calendula – make a date

You might find the name of this flower a bit confusing as it is also called Pot Marigold or English Marigold, without actually being a marigold at all. I like...

Fennel – lovely fennel

Fennel is one of those vegetables that shouts Mediterranean cuisine to me. If you like aniseed flavour as I do, add some finely chopped to dishes such as ratatouille, or...