Good Organic Gardening Issue #10.1 - 2019

You’ll no doubt agree that one of the greatest joys of gardening is meeting daily all the creatures big and minuscule that share your little patch of Earth, from butterflies and damselflies (see opposite page) to birds and goannas. It’s why we have so many ‘Garden Life’ pages in this magazine. Bees of all kinds, of course, rank right at the very top, though those gorgeous little brilliant-blue damselflies are not far behind on my scale. But we all have our favourites and high on my list are frogs, so I had no hesitation when Steve McGrane suggested an article on some of the more common Australian frog species you might find in your patch. Steve says he has had a fascination with these cute creatures since early childhood, so I’m guessing…

Common name: Bluetail damselfly Scientific name: Ischnura heterosticta Seen mostly in summer and even in winter in northern parts, the common bluetail damselfly, Ischnura heterosticta, is found throughout Australia. With their excellent vision, toothed jaws and superb flying skills, these fiercely beautiful predators may resemble tiny brilliant-blue jet fighters, yet they belong to an ancient and very successful order, Odonata, which according to fossil records has changed little in 300 million years. Damselflies can be distinguished from dragonflies by their widely separated eyes, their more delicate, needlelike abdomens and the way they hold their wings when at rest, folded along the body rather than horizontally spread. Never far from water and consuming large quantities of mosquitoes, midges and moths, these beneficial insects should be welcome in any garden.…

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 toxic-free future. She has written many articles for magazines and is the author of two books: Toxic Playground and Safer Solutions. GARDENERS: MAY YOU LIVE TO 100! What if your health professional prescribed gardening to relieve stress, reduce your risk of dementia and extend your life expectancy? According to research, it would be wise advice. In fact, Scottish doctors can now prescribe a walk in nature as a remedy to reduce high blood pressure and relieve stress. A Dutch study* tested the idea that gardening has stress-relieving effects. Thirty gardeners were given a stressful task and then randomly assigned to 30 minutes…

CHLOE THOMSON A horticulturist, presenter and passionate organic gardener, Chloe is co-owner and presenter of the web-based series The Gardenettes and she has been a regular presenter on The Garden Gurus. A mum of two little boys, she has a great following of Australian gardeners on her social media profile Bean There Dug That. HELLEBORE ‘ANNA’S RED’ The plant: Anna’s Red is an absolute breakthrough variety with outstanding performance. Stunning red to burgundy flowers appear from early winter through until early spring each year. The flower stems grow through the foliage to make a dramatic impact above the lush, dark-green, tough, leathery foliage. This will be a talking point in your winter garden. Growing: ‘Anna’s Red’ grows well in either a decorative container or garden beds large and small. Despite vigorous growth, the plant…

Blackcurrant label Common name: Blackcurrant Botanical name: Ribes nigrum Family: Grossulariaceae Aspect & soil: Full sun to part shade; well-drained soil Best climate: Cold Habit: Deciduous shrub Propagation: Hardwood cuttings, potted plants Difficulty: Easy One of the best garden discoveries I’ve ever made happened when I was weeding an overgrown area. It was summer and we’d only owned the property for a few months. Weeds were entangled in a large shrub and, as I pulled them away, I discovered not one but three blackcurrant bushes laden with round, black, juicy fruit. The birds hadn’t found them so blackcurrant cordial was suddenly on the menu. Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) is a clever backyard crop for cold zones as it tolerates shade and grows happily where other fruiting plants would struggle. My rogue blackcurrants enjoy winter sun but by mid-spring are partially shaded. Blackcurrants…

Breadfruit label Common names: Breadfruit, canoe plant, poi, ulu Botanical name: Artocarpus altilis Family: Moraceae Aspect & soil: Full sun to part shade; well-drained soil Best climate: Tropics, subtropics Habit: Evergreen tree Propagation: Seed Difficulty: Moderate Breadfruit is so strongly associated with dramatic historical events it’s hard to think of it as an edible plant to grow in the modern garden. It features in the sad story of slavery and also makes a cameo appearance in Australia’s early history. The dispersal of breadfruit across the Pacific is used to chart the spread of peoples through the region. Genetic models suggest that this nutritious fruiting tree is related to the breadnut, a tree from New Guinea, and spread from there across the Pacific. It has been grown in Hawaii for more than 1000 years. The fruit captured the interest of Europeans in…