Good Organic Gardening Issue #10.4 - 2019

When we came to our property in the Hunter Valley it was clearfelled pasture and had been so for half a century or more. There was so little standing timber that a friend dubbed it One Tree Hill and the name almost stuck. And yet, against all expectations, the birds came, if only to filch food from our chooks. Not just tuneful, soberly dressed magpies, currawongs and willie wagtails (that’s a wagtail nest opposite) but also flashy rainbow lorikeets; swirling flights of tiny, chittering robins and wrens; mobs of pastel-coloured galahs waddling gravely across the grass; nervous, squeaky-winged crested pigeons and flocks of boofhead wood ducks. Further away, white egrets scoured the paddocks right under the heels of the neighbours’ cattle while bald ibises, so shabby and awkward on foot, massed in…

The nest of the willie wagtail tells you a lot about this tiny but fearless black-and-white insect hunter. Wagtails are really into soft furnishings, neatly weaving their cup-shaped homes from fur and hair — often snitched boldly off the backs of large animals such as sheep — and binding it together with grass, bark and spider web. In these comfy surroundings, a pair of wagtails may raise up to four successive clutches in a season. The vociferous wagtail is widespread across mainland Australia, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and early settlers noted how unperturbed it was by the proximity of humans. Ornithologists have theorised that its tameness may be due to long familiarity with the First Australians, who cast the bird in various walk-on roles in Dreamtime stories. They regarded…

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. IS THERE LIFE ON EARTH? A major obstacle in coming to terms with climate chaos is the pervasive idea that humans are not powerful enough to affect the entire planet. It’s a belief that lets us off the hook because responsibility lies elsewhere. The fact is we are responsible and we need to fess up to it rather quickly. By belching excessive greenhouse gases into the atmosphere over a relatively short time span we’ve unquestionably altered the planet’s response to…

CHLOE THOMSON A horticulturist, writer and passionate organic gardener, Chloe is co-owner and presenter of the web-based series The Gardenettes and has been a regular presenter on The Garden Gurus. The mother of two little boys, she has a great following of Australian gardeners on her social media profile Bean There Dug That. DIGGERS ‘KITCHEN GARDEN COLLECTION’ The plants: This is the ultimate collection of must-haves for any gardener who loves to cook: 10 all-time favourite, fragrant and flavoursome plants including mint, lemon verbena, rosemary ‘Tuscan Blue’, purple sage, golden marjoram, Greek oregano, Vietnamese mint, common thyme and lemon thyme. Growing: Plant lemon verbena, rosemary, sage, marjoram, oregano and both thymes in a full-sun spot; if space is limited, they are just as happy in pots. Mint and Vietnamese mint will prefer a part-sunny…

In late spring the old kowhai tree outside my kitchen window (pictured)is heavy with flowers and filled with buzzing bees and squabbling wattlebirds that relish the nectar in the flowers. Kowhai isn’t a common tree in Australia but where it is grown it produces a welcome crop of nectar-rich, boldly coloured flowers. It forms a magnificent, long-lived, multi-branched small tree about 8m high. The one in my garden is at least 70 years old and was grown from seed. Kowhai is native to New Zealand where it’s seen in bushland and along roadsides as well as in parks and gardens. The common name is a Maori word that describes the golden yellow colour of the blossoms. The flowers produce a yellow dye, which is just one of its clever attributes. The bark is…

Lilly pilly is a native fruiting plant that makes a clever edible hedge or even a living Christmas tree. There are many different plants known as lilly pilly and lots of named varieties, many selected for their compact growth and size. The species grows as a rainforest tree, preferring a sheltered position in a moist location such as near a creek. Named varieties are much smaller than these species but still prefer shelter and regular watering for best growth. For an edible hedge, select a compact variety and plant around 60-90cm apart. Water the young plants regularly to encourage strong growth. As the hedge grows it can be trimmed to encourage a dense, bushy shape. When shaping a lilly pilly it is also possible to create interesting forms such as spirals or even…