Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue#8.5 - 2017 i Good Organic Gardening

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. ALLIUM ‘PINK PEPPER’ The plant: In flower, this is one show-stopping little plant. Unlike many of the taller-growing alliums, ‘Pink Pepper’ blooms for a long time, with masses of large globe-shaped, baby-pink flowers from spring to summer. Even out of flower it forms neat mounds of strappy foliage. Growing: To get the best result, grow ‘Pink Pepper’ in a sunny position in moist, welldrained soil. In colder areas foliage may disappear through winter but…

The oldest record of cauliflower dates back to the sixth century BCE. A member of the cabbage family, the word “cauliflower” comes from the Latin caulis, meaning “cabbage”, and floris, meaning “flower”. They are grown for their thick, undeveloped flowers and flower stalks, not for their leaves. Of all the brassicas, cauliflower is the most difficult to grow, which is why it tends to be more expensive at the greengrocer. Aim for at least six hours of full sun each day for your cauliflower — though the more the better, really. PROPAGATION Prepare the patch by digging organic matter through the soil, which should be rich, moist and freely draining with a pH of 6–6.5 (the yield will be reduced if the soil pH is below 6). Grow cauliflower from…

Magic happens when people come together with a shared dream and the courage to embrace change. And so it is with friends Jo Rushton, Susie Cameron and Greta Smith, who’ve combined forces as co-creators of Bhavana Organic Farm & Cooking School, located in the picturesque hinterland of Byron Bay, NSW. I was lucky enough to join them for their practice run and grand opening. Greta and her family first acquired the 125-acre property at Brooklet as a holiday home and working macadamia plantation, but a family health crisis was the impetus for change from their hectic city life. Once they moved to the property permanently, they began its transformation into a working organic farm, furthering their journey towards a more relaxed and healthful lifestyle. “Although the challenges have been immense,…

You don’t have to abandon your herb and flower patch when the heat hits. There are more herbs and edibles than you realise which, with a little care and good selection, can deliver flavour, colour, zest and zing to your meals and drinks all summer long, no matter how high the mercury rises. Topping the list of heat warriors, of course, are all the Mediterranean herbs — oregano, sage, rosemary, lavender, thyme. Basils aren’t far behind, either, coming to life once the heat arrives after a long, cold winter. Then we have the suite of subtropical Asian flavours: cardamom, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime and perennial coriander. Want more inspiration? Here are my summer-lovin’ top 10. THYME, THYMUS VULGARIS You can never have too much thyme, right? But there are…

SERVES 3 INGREDIENTS • 270g (6 cups) frozen baby spinach leaves • 3 frozen bananas • 945g (3 cups) frozen mango pieces • 750mL (3 cups) unsweetened vanilla almond milk, plus 250mL (1 cup) unsweetened vanilla almond milk extra METHOD 1 Place the spinach, banana, mango and 3 cups of almond milk in a blender and blend until smooth. Divide the mixture into three portions. 2 Divide portion 1 across three jars and freeze for 2 hours. 3 While portion 1 freezes, take portion 2 and add ¼ cup vanilla almond milk. Pour portion 2 on top of portion 1 in each jar and return it to the freezer. 4 Take portion 3 and add the remaining ¾ cup of vanilla almond milk. Pour portion 3 on top of portion…

SERVES 2 INGREDIENTS • 90g (2 cups) baby spinach leaves• 200g hot smoked trout, sliced• 1 large mango, thinly sliced• 115g (1 cup) bean sprouts• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced• 1 fresh red or green chilli, seeded & thinly sliced• 15g (½ cup) mint leaves, roughly torn• 15g (½ cup) coriander leaves, roughly torn Dressing (optional) • 1 garlic clove, crushed• 2 tbsp lime juice • 2 tbsp fish sauce• 2 tbsp rice-malt syrup• 2 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped• 1 fresh red chilli, seeded & finely chopped METHOD 1 In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the dressing. 2 On a platter, place the baby spinach leaves. Top with the trout, mango slices, sprouts, spring onion, chilli and herbs. 3 Spoon the dressing generously over the…

Monarch butterflies appear in large numbers during summer in the urban areas of eastern Australia, South Australia and southwest Western Australia, but are not native to this country. Known to be very strong fliers, they migrated extensively from North America, where they range from Mexico, California and the Gulf states all the way to the Canadian border. The first Australian sighting was recorded in Sydney in 1871 and the species became established with the introduction of its food plants, including poisonous milkweed. In the cooler months, like their American counterparts, the butterflies overwinter in their thousands in vast clusters until September, when they begin to mate and disperse to occupy their full summer range once more. Besides Australia, the monarch has been found as far afield as Bermuda, Hawaii and…

COOL & HIGHLANDS JANUARY Basil, beans (dwarf), beetroot, burdock, cabbage, carrot, celeriac, celery, chives, collards, French tarragon, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, marrow, mustard greens, oregano, parsley, radish, salsify, shallots (eschalots), silverbeet, squash, sweet corn, turnip, zucchini FEBRUARY Beetroot, broccoli, burdock, carrot, cauliflower, chives, collards, fennel, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens, onion, oregano, parsley, radish, salsify, shallots (eschalots), silverbeet, swede, turnip TEMPERATE Amaranth, asparagus pea, beans (climbing, runner beans, dwarf), beetroot, burdock, carrot, chives, cucumber, eggplant, kohlrabi, lettuce, marrow, mustard greens, okra, radish, rosella, salsify, silverbeet, sunflower, swede, sweet corn, turnip, zucchini Amaranth, beans (dwarf), beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, burdock, carrot, cauliflower, chives, collards, cucumber, endive, fennel, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens, onion, radish, rosella, salsify, silverbeet, swede, turnip SUBTROPICAL Amaranth, asparagus pea, basil, beans (climbing, runner, dwarf), beetroot, burdock, cape…

IN THE VEGIE PATCH With cultivar names like ‘Welsh Wonder’, ‘Colossal’ and ‘Unique’, leeks are staking their claim as large, robust and striking vegetables. The bit that’s eaten is the white part of the lower stem (above the root and below the tough green leaf tops). While rigid and usually called a stem or stalk, it isn’t a true stem but is made up of leaf bases tightly overlapping. Although part of the onion family, leeks don’t form bulbs. Like onions, leeks are cool-season crops which grow best in the temperature range of 13°C–24°C. Leeks are a must-have ingredient to make warming bowls of leek and potato soup and are an alternative to onions. In cool and temperate areas, seed is sown from late summer to early autumn. Seedlings are…

IN THE VEGIE PATCH Swedes and turnips are closely related but, while turnips have become a sexy and hip vegetable, swedes are still languishing on the “old-fashioned vegie” shelf. Many people consider them little better than pig food. Swedes are a lumpy looking root vegetable that’s usually creamy yellow with a purple top. It has a deep, earthy flavour. Its positive features are that it’s easy to grow and stores well. It’s also versatile as it can be added to soups or casseroles, or served by itself mashed or steamed. ‘American Purple Top’ is an heirloom variety with a long pedigree that dates back to 1871. ‘Champion Purple Top’ is a variety that’s commonly available. GETTING STARTED If you want to try this generous root vegetable and you live in…

Growing in bathtubs, laundry tubs and larger vessels If you are growing your edible aquatics in one of the abovementioned containers, it’s best to fill two-thirds of the container with a mix of 70 per cent good-quality garden soil and 30 per cent compost or well-rotted manure. Be sure to allow for the correct water depth needed for your chosen aquatic plants. Growing in ponds When growing plants in ponds, if there’s no depth of soil and gravel at the bottom of the pond you can easily grow your aquatics in large pots filled with the soil/compost mix. Then plant your chosen aquatic plant into the pot and place some sand and gravel on top to keep the soil mix in place. Next, submerge them to the required depth in…

If you’ve always wanted a herb spiral but don’t have the space, here’s how you can make a scaled-down tiered version for a balcony or deck. While it would look great in terracotta pots, the benefits of using plastic are that it’s much lighter to move around and, of course, cheaper. You simply need a series of pots in different sizes — four are used here — along with a potting medium such as compost or potting soil and a selection of small herb plants or seedlings. Choose those you use regularly in your cooking so that frequent picking keeps them compact. Don’t plant anything that will grow large or want to spread itself far and wide. Over time, when any of the plants needs re-potting or has reached its…

SERVES 2 INGREDIENTS • 75g (½ cup) quinoa• 125mL (½ cup) unsweetened coconut milk (carton variety)• 4 medjool dates, seeded & roughly chopped• 1 tsp ground cinnamon• Pinch nutmeg• Pinch ground cardamom• 2 tsp sunflower seeds• 2 tbsp moist coconut flakes, plus extra for serving (optional)• 125g punnet blueberries• 250g punnet strawberries METHOD 1 Rinse the quinoa under cold water until the water runs clear. (Make sure the holes in your sieve aren’t bigger than the quinoa — Maha learnt this the hard way!) 2 Put the quinoa into a saucepan with 375mL (1 ½ cups) of water, the coconut milk and chopped dates. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 15–20 minutes. Stir occasionally, making sure the quinoa doesn’t stick to the bottom…

On a hot summer’s day, a chilled slice of watermelon is right up there with an ice-cold glass of lemonade. Oh-so refreshing! Watermelons are mostly water, so munching your way through a few slices is a pleasant way to hydrate, but did you know that this sweet, succulent fruit is also soaked with nutrients, antioxidants and amino acids? You can crunch on it, eat it by the spoonful as sorbet, slurp it in an ice-cold cocktail or even serve it up in a savoury salad or appetiser. In the garden, watermelon is a bit of a space hog, with sprawling vines that need room, but there are more compact growing varieties you can grow, like ‘Sugar Baby’. It’s an heirloom favourite that’s been around since the 1950s. The small, round…

Zenko and Janine Vukelic are the first people in Australia to be experimenting with growing their home from mulberry trees. Biotecture is not a new concept — rather, it’s a common practice in north-east India, where living bridges grown from aerial roots of rubber trees have been supporting river crossings for hundreds of years, becoming stronger and larger with time. Some tree species grow by the natural process of inosculation. This is when the branches and roots grow into each other, becoming one (it’s biologically similar to grafting). Another example is a strangler fig naturally forming a netlike weave by growing into itself. This behaviour can be encouraged by a process called pleaching: manually interlacing the branches of inosculating tree species. A friend of Zenko and Janine, Chris Piper, co-f…

The Impressionist artist Claude Monet made waterlilies famous as garden plants. He grew hardy waterlilies in the large ponds in his garden at Giverny in France and carefully managed the plants to achieve an appealing balance between the clumps of lilies and the open stretches of water. Waterlilies in different lights and conditions became the subject of many of Monet’s paintings. Monet’s inspirational water garden can still be seen growing as he painted it. The garden is open from April to October (see giverny.org). Water in the form of a pond is a vital element in an organic garden as it creates habitat for beneficial insects as well as attracting birds, frogs and reptiles. Part of creating a natural habitat in and around a pond is to plant the margins…

INGREDIENTS • 30cm taro stem, peeled & thinly sliced• 500mL water or chicken stock• 2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped• ¼ pineapple, cubed• Juice 1 lime• 1 tbsp sugar• 1 tbsp fish sauce• 2 fillets bass or salmon• 2 shallots, diced• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped• 50g bean sprouts• 1 chilli, sliced METHOD 1 In a large saucepan, bring the water or stock to the boil and add the tomato, pineapple and lime juice. 2 Add the sugar and fish sauce. Taste and adjust the balance. Add more sour if too sweet, more sugar if too salty and salt if too sweet. 3 Bring to the boil for a further 2 mins, then add the fillets or whole fish. Bring to the boil for another 2 mins. 4 In a separate frypan,…

With petite-sized house blocks and the rise of apartment-style living, many would-be home gardeners don’t have enough room to swing a cat, let alone grow a vegetable patch. The good news is you don’t need a lot of room to cultivate fresh produce. With vertical gardening, the only way to grow is up! Growing vertical edibles allows you to produce more for less. Because of the nature of vertical gardening you can cultivate bigger yields with a smaller footprint. With a vertical garden it’s possible to take an uninspiring wall and turn it into a productive green space. Or, you can use it as an attractive green screen for privacy or a way to segment spaces. And if you choose to grow edibles, you can also bring fresh homegrown produce…

Images and recipes from SUPER GREEN SIMPLE AND LEAN Sisters Sally Obermeder and Maha Koraiem co-founded and run the lifestyle blog SWIISH.com. Sally is also the author of Never Stop Believing (2013) and co-author, with Maha, of Super Green Smoothies, The Good Life and now this latest book, Super Green Simple and Lean. Sally is a TV presenter and Maha is a certified health and nutrition coach and writer. They are passionate about cooking, creating recipes and good health.…

SERVES 2 INGREDIENTS • 2 large zucchini, spiralised• 1 large carrot, spiralised• 150g (2 cups) shredded red cabbage• 50g (2 cups) kale ribbons, massaged• 1 red capsicum, thinly sliced• 1 yellow capsicum, thinly sliced• 3 tbsp chia seeds (black and white) Dressing (optional) • 2 tsp fish sauce• 2 tbsp soy sauce• 80mL lime juice• 1 tbsp rice-malt syrup• 2 tsp sesame seeds METHOD 1 Put all the salad ingredients into a large bowl. 2 Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small jar and shaking well. 3 Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss to ensure the salad is well coated. Serve immediately and enjoy. Tip: How do you massage kale? Simply take the leaves once they’ve been chopped or sliced and use your hands…

DREAMSCAPES By Claire Takacs, Hardie Grant, $70 Australian photographer Claire Takacs has created what must be the ultimate coffee-table book for gardeners. Subtitled Inspiration and Beauty in Gardens Near and Far, it looks at more than 50 stunningly designed gardens across the world, around a quarter of them in Australia. To get your creative juices flowing without the expense of an airline ticket, she features the likes of Le Jardin Plume in Normandy, Santa Barbara’s Lotusland, Japan’s Kenrokuen, Hermannshof in Germany and Bryan’s Ground in Herefordshire, all looking their absolute best, as well as local examples like Cloudehill, Frogmore and Pear Tree Walk — each with extensive notes. PLANT SOCIETY By Jason Chongue, Hardie Grant, $29.99 Plant society? Well, indoor plants are social. As architect and interior designer Jason Chongue…