ABC Organic Gardener Magazine Essential Guides Herbs & Spices - Issue 4

Featuring luscious colour photographs of organic plants and produce by renowned Australian photographers, plus organic gardening tips from leading horticulturalist Penny Woodward, the ABC Organic Gardener 2017 Calendar will delight with its rich mix of beautiful imagery and practical information. The ABC Organic Gardener 2017 Diary also features monthly planting guides, great tips, recipes and resources. On sale from September 1, 2016. Only $15.95 each, available from ABC Centres, ABC Shop Online and all good newsagents. Organic Gardener magazine has been printed using recycled paper certified against the FSC R Chain of custody standard. The text is printed on Leipa Ultralux Silk, which is an offset paper made of 100% waste paper that not only satisfies the highest quality requirements but is also 100% environment-friendly, as it uses only recycled fibres as…

In the last issue (July/August), we ran a page of book reviews on novels that brought climate change, the environment and the plight of the planet to the fore. As we go to press, Pulitzer Prize winning author Annie Proulx has joined the fray with the release of her new novel Barkskins, which centres among other things on the plight of the world’s forests. Proulx says that around 15 years ago while living in the Rocky Mountains, she witnessed some very hot years that led to infestations of bark beetles, which in turn killed great swathes of forest (as they have done in other parts of the world). She’s alarmed that humans have such “thick skins”, they don’t realise the damage they are doing and the consequences for our treasured forests. Trees…

FERTIGATION DEFINED In an otherwise excellent article called ‘Sweet as can be’ (May/June 2016), I feel some potential confusion creeps into the reference to fertigation in the box ‘Chemical versus organic fertilising’ The word ‘fertigation’ comes from fertiliser (nutrient) and irrigation water. To be clear, fertigation is a technique for applying either chemical or organic fertilisers through irrigation. The technique itself does not cause runoff, algal blooms or eutrophication; poor irrigation management and control can be the culprit. Of all the techniques used on the so-called ‘conventional’ farm, fertigation is deemed friendly to the environment as it can provide for precision nutrient and water placement, either for conventional or organic-based farming purposes and, in many cases, replaces broadcasting and hand spreading. For the home gardener, fertigation can be as simple as dispensing liquid fertiliser…

Australian Organic CEO Paul Stadhams says: “Just because the label says it is organic doesn’t always mean it is. The only true organic is certified organic. This is our message during September.” Australian Organic Awareness Month started in 2014 and has quickly grown in popularity over the past few years along with the recognition of the Australian Certified Organic (ACO) ‘Bud’ logo. “We know that our ACO Bud logo is the most recognised certified organic logo amongst shoppers, and during September we want to continue to encourage consumers to actively choose products that display our ACO Bud logo,” says Australian Organic Chairman Dr Andrew Monk. “This way they know that they are getting 100 per cent trusted and true certified organic products. Our industry is so diverse, it includes everything from fresh…

BRISBANE GARDEN SHOW IS BACK The Brisbane International Garden Show is back this October after a highly successful inaugural event last year. There will be display gardens, a sustainable organic kitchen garden, new-release plants and products, and inspiring talks by experts. WHERE: Pine Rivers Park, Strathpine, Brisbane WHEN: October 6– COST: Adult $20, concession $18, under 15 free DETAILS: 07 5441 4655; brisbanegardenshow.com.au NORWAY SAYS NO TO DEFORESTATION THE NORWEGIAN GOVERNMENT HAS PLEDGED TO NOT BUY ANY PRODUCTS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO DEFORESTATION. GOODS INCLUDING PALM OIL, TROPICAL TIMBER, SOY AND PAPER ARE LINKED TO RAINFOREST DESTRUCTION, SAYS THE RAINFOREST FOUNDATION NORWAY, WHICH HAS LONG CAMPAIGNED FOR THE POLICY AND HAILED IT AS A WORLD FIRST. NORWAY, GERMANY AND THE UK PLEDGED IN 2014 TO ADOPT ZERO-DEFORESTATION PUBLIC PROCUREMENT POLICIES, BUT AS YET NORWAY IS THE ONLY COUNTRY…

get the blues Not much space to grow your own food? No problem. All you need is a large pot to grow your own blueberries with this Australian-bred dwarf bush ‘Blueberry Burst’ from PlantNets. An evergreen variety, it produces large fruit and is suitable for all climates and available all year round. Prices vary from about $20 per plant. See plantnet.com.au or call 07 3491 9905 for stockists. art of the matter Thanks to Rosanne Bender’s talents, you can have your very own flowering gum inside! This creative Tasmanian-based artist combines photographic, painting, drawing and printmaking techniques for her fine art, which feature some of her favourite plants and trees. Pictured is ‘Flowering Gum’ which measures 23cm x 23cm (unframed) and is a unique edition of 50. Available for $99 from rosannebender.com; 0423…