Good Organic Gardening Issue #11.4 - 2020

Natives: they’re really a nobrainer, aren’t they? Goodlooking, waterwise and, having adapted to our harsh climate, they’re as tough as old boots. They bring the beauty of the Australian bush into our backyards. Once, when we thought about planting natives, we invariably chose larger plants — grevilleas, callistemons, banksias, acacias, lilly pillies and the like — or groundcovers and grasses that could quickly become rampant. These days, there are so many smaller plants readily available, many of them so pretty you could achieve a cottage garden effect using nothing but natives, while at the same time providing habitat for small creatures and forage for pollinators. So, this issue, we’re going a bit native. Jennifer Stackhouse has chosen prostantheras as her ornamentals and coppiced blue gums for a useful clever crop. Steve McGrane…

Common name: Blue flower wasp, hairy flower wasp Scientific name: Scolia soror An eye-catching visitor to most Australian gardens, particularly on the east coast, the blue flower wasp can be observed buzzing around close to the ground near flowering plants, compost heaps or dead tree stumps. It’s actually black but its wings have a steely-blue sheen. Though a handy pollinator and keen consumer of nectar, this 3cm parasitoid has more than food on its mind. After mating, the female digs up to 15cm deep in search of a scarab beetle grub, which it stings and paralyses then lays its egg inside it. The wasp larva hatches to find itself surrounded by a living feast but feeds selectively so as not to kill its unlucky host too quickly. So, in its quietly grisly way, the…

CRAZY INVADERS THREATEN OZ It’s hard to imagine a small yellow ant could bring down a rainforest or the sugarcane industry — but that’s the level of concern over the yellow crazy ant, one of the world’s worst invasive species and now on Australian shores. Originally from Southeast Asia, the yellow crazy ant made its way into northern Australia via shipping ports. The Queensland wet tropics provide ideal conditions in which to gain a foothold. The battle is on to eradicate the insect, but experts warn that success will require a consistent and well-funded program. So far, the yellow crazy ants have travelled to numerous sites throughout Queensland, particularly around the Cairns region, and into Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. They were recently found in NSW at Terania Creek in the Lismore region,…

SEED GIFT BOXES FOR FLOWER LOVERS Get them the gift that keeps on giving this Christmas. The Edible Flowers Seed Gift Box contains a collection of seeds that will brighten any garden and can be picked and added to your favourite dishes for pops of colour and interest. The kit contains a packet of each of the following: Blue Borage, Calendula ‘Green Heart Orange’, Cornflower ‘Classic Romantic’, Viola ‘Heartease’, Marigold, Nasturtium and 10 labels, all packed in a beautiful box ready to give to the lucky gardener in your life. Perhaps you know a cut flower lover who’d enjoy growing their own. Then look out for the Cut Flowers Seed Box that will sprout into blooms to be enjoyed year round rather than just for a week. Diggers also offers a Cut…

Blue gums are native to southern parts of Australia and found in Tasmania, the Bass Strait islands, Victoria and along the southern reaches of the Great Dividing Range. While all these blue gums are classified as Eucalyptus globulus, four distinct subspecies are recognised from these different locations. Blue gums have large, cream gum blossom flowers followed by large gum nuts. The species name globulus refers to the spherical shape of the fruit, the gumnut. The tops of the gumnuts resemble large, flat buttons and are released as the seeds mature. Blue gums are not normally recommended for planting in suburban gardens. In the most favourable conditions they become towering forest trees, among the largest of all the gums at around 70m high when fully grown with a trunk diameter of 2m. They…

While a lemon, orange and mandarin tree are often found in backyards, there is a world of unusual citrus to grow — including the one known as chinotto, which may ring a bell if you like bitter drinks. Chinotto (pronounced “kee-not-to”) is also the name of the Italian carbonated soft drink derived from this tart citrus. Dark in colour, the drink looks more like a cola than an orange drink. Chinotto is also used to flavour Campari. Resembling small oranges, chinottos are bitter straight from the tree but are used to make marmalade and crystallised fruit as well as the soft drink. The common name of myrtle leaf and species name myrtifolia describe the tree’s small, narrow, pointed leaves that resemble those of the myrtle (Myrtus communis). CHINOTTO IS A VERY DECORATIVE PLANT TO…