Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue#8.4 - 2017 i Good Organic Gardening

COOL & HIGHLANDS NOVEMBER Amaranth, artichokes, Asian greens, asparagus, beans, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, chilli, cucumber, daikon, eggplant, endive, fennel, horseradish, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, luff a, marrow, mint, mustard greens, NZ spinach, parsnip, potato, pumpkin, radish, rhubarb, rocket, salsify, silverbeet, spring onion, swede, sweet corn, tomato, turnip, winged bean (asparagus pea), yacon, yam/oka (also oca), zucchini DECEMBER Asian greens, beans, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, chilli, cucumber, eggplant, endive, fennel, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, marrow, mustard greens, parsnip, potato, pumpkin, radish, salsify, silverbeet, spring onion, squash, swede, sweet corn, tomato, turnip, warrigal greens, winged bean (asparagus pea), zucchini TEMPERATE Amaranth, artichoke (globe), Asian greens, asparagus, beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, cape gooseberry, capsicum,…

JO IMMIG Jo is an environmental scientist, photographer and writer. She has worked in the environment movement for decades and is co-ordinator of the National Toxics Network, an organisation dedicated to creating a toxicfree future. She has written many articles for magazines and is the author of two books: Toxic Playground and Safer Solutions. JOIN THE ZERO WASTE REVOLUTION In our age of hyper-consumerism Earth’s resources are being gobbled up at an unprecedented rate. All these manufactured products have to end up somewhere. Some get reused and recycled, but most are landfilled or incinerated. Single-use plastic items are a serious threat and are polluting the oceans and being feed to mega incinerators that pollute the atmosphere. What’s the answer? Nature doesn’t waste — everything gets recycled. We need to mimic…

Blueberry label Common name: Blueberry Botanical name: Vaccinium corymbosum Family: Ericaceae Aspect and soil: Sun to part shade; well-drained, organically enriched, acidic soil Climate: Cool to subtropical Habit: Perennial shrub Propagation: Hardwood cuttings, layering Difficulty: Easy Blueberries are delicious balls of sweetness power-packed with antioxidants. Their dark skin is so rich in disease-fighting compounds that, among other things, a handful of blueberries a day is said to improve your memory and help prevent the onset of brain diseases like Alzheimer’s. And what better way to have fresh, plump, organic “brain” berries at your fingertips than to grow them in your own backyard? I could sit out in the garden and snack on blueberries all day long, but if yours do make it inside, be sure to use them in everything from…

IN THE VEGIE PATCH Beans label Common name: Climbing bean, pole bean Botanical name: Phaseolus vulgaris Family: Fabaceae (pea or bean family) Requires: Full sun Dislikes: Frost; wind; sandy soils Climate: All Habit: 2m high Needs: Rich but well-drained soil Propagation: Seed Difficulty: Easy Climbing beans are an easy and nutritious crop even in a small space. All they ask for is sunshine and space to climb. Seeds are sown now with further crops sown to extend the harvest well into autumn. Beans of the Phaseolus genus are native to Central America but grow across all climates. Although they’re grown through summer in cool to temperate climates, they grow year round in warm, frost-free climates. VARIETIES There are many varieties of climbing beans with pods that are flat or round. No…

Rose label Common name: Rose Botanical name: Rosa spp. and hybrid cultivars Family: Rosaceae (rose family) Aspect and soil: Full sun; most soils Best climate: All Habit: Perennial shrub, climber Propagation: Cutting, grafting, potted plants Difficulty: Medium SPECIES ROSES There are more than 100 species roses but mostly it’s named hybrids that are grown in gardens. This is because many species roses form large, sprawling, thorny shrubs that are not ideal garden companions. Most species roses also only flower in spring. Gardeners are accustomed to growing hybrid roses that flower from spring to autumn. The banksia rose (R. banksiae) is a climbing rose with white or yellow flowers, few thorns and diseaseresistant growth, and is one gardenfriendly species rose. White banksias are fragrant. Banksia roses are tolerant of subtropical conditions where they…

It’s Australia and we like our Christmases — and our food — hot! Never mind the holly and mistletoe; make a wreath for your front door from what’s in season in the garden! Chillies are perfect for this simple project because of their vibrant colour and the interesting shapes and texture they develop when dried. If you don’t have the long ones in the garden this year, you can always buy some. If you want the traditional Christmas colours, you can alternate red and green. METHOD Lay your wreath frame flat and tack your dried chillies in place, each abutting its neighbours until you have worked all the way around. Then simply hang on your door. MATERIALS • Wreath frame • Tacks • About 40 long red chillies, dried &…

You can tell when your feathered friends are feeling the heat in summer: they will have their wings out and beaks open and panting. This is how they reduce body heat because they don’t perspire like humans. Once these signs occur, they’re a signal that the flock are above their heat tolerance range. Panting usually occurs at 30°C and above. When the thermometer rises to 35°C, you need to spray the henhouse roof and mist the hens and litter. Above 38°C, poultry become distressed and are in serious danger. When 40°C is reached, losses from heat prostration occur. This is what can happen, but there is much we can do to increase the resilience of our birds. IN AN EMERGENCY • Stressed heavily panting birds should be quickly but gently…

In season NOVEMBER FRUITS Apples (Lady Williams), avocados, bananas, blueberries, cherries, grapefruit, loquats, lychees, mangoes, melons, mulberries, nectarines, oranges (Valencia), papaya, passionfruit, pawpaw, peaches, pineapples, starfruit (carambola), strawberries, youngberries VEGIES Artichoke, Asian greens, asparagus, beans, cucumbers, chillies, lettuce, onions, peas, potatoes, silverbeet, snowpeas, spinach, spring onions, sugar snap peas, sweet corn, tomatoes, watercress, zucchini, zucchini flowers In season DECEMBER FRUITS Apples (Lady Williams), apricots, avocados, banana, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, currants, grapes, lemons, lychees, mangoes, melons, nectarines, oranges (Valencia), papaya, passionfruit, pawpaw, peaches, pineapple, rambutans, raspberries, starfruit (carambola), strawberries VEGIES Asparagus, beans, capsicum, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peas, radish, snowpeas, sweet corn, spinach, spring onions, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, watercress, zucchini SEASONAL TIP Cherries and berries of all kinds are in season now and what could be a better…

This is a party in your mouth! Not everyone likes rockmelon, but combined with pineapple, ginger, lime and bubbly kombucha, this little summer slushie is refreshing and cleansing. For more adult fun, add a half measure of vodka. Makes: 2 large slushies (400mL each) Preparation time: 5 mins INGREDIENTS • 2 cups frozen chopped rockmelon (you’ll need 1 small rockmelon) • 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple • 2cm piece fresh ginger • 1 lime, peeled, skin discarded • 11⁄4 cups kombucha* * You’ll find this ingredient at your local healthfood store or online — or you can make it yourself. METHOD 1 Place all ingredients in a blender and whiz to the consistency of a slushie. Pour into 2 large glasses and serve. 2 For adults, add a little vodka…

Here’s my version of fried rice — without the frying. Cleaner, healthier and lighter, it’s my standard quick lunch, often made with leftovers. Full of vegies served with an awesome dressing, it’s a delicious bowl of goodness. Makes: 4 serves Preparation time: 20–25 mins Cooking time: 30–35 mins INGREDIENTS • 1 cup short-grain brown rice • 2–21⁄2 cups filtered water, plus 1L extra, for blanching • 12 snow peas, trimmed & cut into 1cmthick slices • 1 corn cob, kernels removed • 12 green beans, trimmed & chopped • 1 medium carrot, diced • 1⁄2 cup sunflower seeds • 4 radishes, sliced into julienne strips • 1⁄2 cup bought fried shallots Soy & Ginger Dressing • 1⁄4 cup lime juice • 1 tbsp finely grated ginger • 2 tbsp toasted…

THE NEW AUSTRALIAN GARDEN By Michael Bates, Murdoch Books, $59.99 Full of stunning images, this handsome volume presents a close-up look at 18 of the 1000-plus gardens Michael Bates has created. Originally a horticulturalist, Bates was mentored by Japanese master landscape architect Masayoshi Uchiyama, so it comes as no surprise that his own approach is to integrate architecture into its surroundings using clean lines, dramatic, sculptural contours and innovative plantings. Lawns, liberated from their traditional bowling-green flatness, are reshaped and reimagined in daring ways while pools, water features and fire pits turn gardens into liveable sanctuaries and inspiring backdrops for everyday life. The results are a strange mix of visual excitement and Zen calm. GROW. FOOD. ANYWHERE. By Mat Pember & Dillon Seitchik-Reardon, Hardie Grant, $45 The playful comic-book design…

MELISSA KING Melissa is a horticulturist, TV presenter and writer. She has been a regular on Gardening Australia, Melbourne Weekender, Garden Angels and The Circle. She currently appears on The Garden Gurus and has launched an online show, The Gardenettes. She has written for top magazines and newspapers and is author of the book, Garden Feast. BIDENS ‘CAMPFIRE’ The plant: Bidens ‘Campfire’ gives the garden a warm glow with masses of burnt-orange daisy-like flowers and soft fern-like foliage. It’s a new form selected for bigger blooms, compact habit and a long flowering period with an abundance of blooms from summer right through to autumn. It’s a low-growing plant, to around 20cm tall, so it makes a dramatic statement in pots and hanging baskets. Growing: ‘Campfire’ does best in full sun…

BEETROOT CAN BE GROWN ALL YEAR ROUND IN MOST CLIMATES BUT IS BEST PLANTED IN WINTER OR SPRING. Beetroot label Common name: Beetroot, table beet Botanical name: Beta vulgaris Family: Chenopodiaceae (spinach family) Requires: Sun, well-drained soil free of lumps Best climate: All Habit: Annual Propagation: Seed, seedling Difficulty: Easy to moderate In November 2008, when the president-elect confessed to Associated Press that he was in the habit of avoiding what Americans call table beets, it touched off a controversy among US foodies and launched headlines like “Obama’s Red Scare”. More than one commentator recalled George Bush Sr’s similar attack on broccoli and suggested Mr Obama “would recoil at one of the starters on quite possibly three-quarters of the ‘new American’ menus around Manhattan”. It’s hard to imagine such a brouhaha…

The Yandina Community Gardens, with its cosy Blue House community centre and friendly volunteer staff , is something of a haven. Situated on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, it promotes environmentally sustainable, affordable and healthy living based on permaculture principles. As former president Michelle Parry begins to explain a thing or two about this wonderful place and her role in the organisation, we’re standing under a golden penda (Xanthostemon chrysanthus) in full yellow bloom while pollinating insects buzz within it. Michelle recently resigned as YCG president. “I just loved it so much that the rest of my life went on hold,” she says, “so I had to step down to get some balance.” Her current role as promotions, media and publicity co-ordinator suits her well. Michelle exudes passion for the gardens, their…

Galangal label Common names: Galangal, Thai ginger Botanical name: Alpinia galangal Family: Zingiberaceae (ginger family) Aspect and soil: Part shade; deep, moist, fertile soil Best climate: Warm temperate, Mediterranean, subtropical, tropical Habit: Perennial Propagation: Rhizome, division Difficulty: Easy IN THE HERB GARDEN There are some foods and spices you assume have to be bought from a shop because they are too weird or exotic to grow in an ordinary garden. One of those is galangal, a tasty ingredient in Thai and Asian cooking generally. But, despite its odd shape and tropical origins, it can be grown in many parts of Australia. Galangal is native to China and widely grown in Asia. It’s a near relative of ginger, another exotic Asian ingredient that can be grown in our gardens, vegie patches or…

Growing your own fruit, vegies and herbs doesn’t have to stop at what can be planted in the soil. Bodies of water big and small can offer other opportunities to grow your own edible crops. It needn’t be big dams or ponds, either. Most edible aquatic plants will happily grow in pots. You just need to fill the drainage holes with styrofoam and then seal with a waterproofing sealer and fill with water. I have many glazed water bowls and pots around our garden as ornamental and practical water-plant vessels. Old concrete laundry tubs, old bathtubs ... virtually anything that will hold water can be turned into a mini pond. Consider digging out an area in your yard and sinking these larger vessels into the soil. Then you can landscape…

Use raw materials straight from your garden to make these cute little miniature Christmas trees to decorate your table. These examples are made from privet leaves, but any firm leaves may be used. Citrus or bay leaves will give a subtle but pleasant aroma. MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT • Cutting board • Card • Scalpel • Pins • String • Ruler • Pen • Leaves METHOD…

Images and recipes from HUNGRY FOR MORE CRAZY GOOD VEGAN FOOD By Anthea Amore HUNGRY for more crazy good vegan food is the second recipe book from leading Byron Bay-based vegan chef, Anthea Amore. HUNGRY follows the wild success of her first book PASSION organic vegan recipes to live for, which was released in 2015 and reached Australian best seller status. HUNGRY elevates vegan food to new heights with Anthea’s bold flavour combinations and ingenuity in the kitchen. All of the 150 recipes are inspiringly 100 per cent plant-based, cane sugar free and 95 per cent gluten free. HUNGRY (self published) is available for purchase on organicpassioncatering.com and in select health food and book stores across Australia for RRP$39.95 (flexi cover) and RRP$49.95 (hard cover).…

This is like a pina colada without the rum — unless, of course, you want to add the rum. This tropical trio of pineapple, lime and coconut is a combination one simply cannot tire of — it just works. Serve with cocktail umbrellas for the real tropical island vibes. Makes: 4 serves Soaking time: overnight or 3 hrs minimum Preparation time: 5–10 mins INGREDIENTS • 1⁄2 cup chia seeds • 400mL coconut cream • 1⁄2 cup filtered water • 1⁄3 cup lime juice • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste* • 1⁄2 cup light agave syrup* or coconut nectar* • 1 cup pineapple pieces, cut into fan-like shapes about 2mm thick • 2 large passionfruit, pulp removed • 12–15 fresh or frozen raspberries, to serve * You’ll find these ingredients at…