Good Organic Gardening Issue #11.5 - 2020

“In summer, the song sings itself,” wrote the poet William Carlos Williams. Lately, though, it seems the melody has taken some unpredictable turns as our summers swing from one extreme to another: too dry, too wet, too hot … too bad. Bushfires one minute, floods the next. We prepared this issue during a glorious spring of bright sunshine and gentle rain. The long-awaited return of La Niña after eight harsh years brings the breaking of the drought and the promise of a temperate season — but, really, who knows where the song will go next? Your summer garden won’t prepare itself. To that end, our permaculture expert Angelo Eliades explains how to build some resilience into your garden to help it handle climate extremes — not just summer heatwaves but also the…

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. MICRO- AND NANOPLASTICS IN EDIBLE PRODUCE An apple a day may no longer keep the doctor away. In a first-of-its-kind investigation, researchers conducted a peer-reviewed dietary-risk assessment for general population exposure to micro- and nanoplastics found in fruits and vegetables. Micro- and nanoplastics represent a public health concern simply because their toxicity has not been fully investigated. They have been found in other food sources before such as sea salt, beer, water (bottled in particular), shellfish, sugar, soil and even…

Comfrey has fallen in and out of favour. Once commonly used as a herbal remedy, its internal medicinal use was banned when it was shown to cause liver toxicity and the plant has since been listed as a poison. In ancient times, it was considered so helpful in the repair of fractures it was widely known by the name knitbone. Even its genus name Symphytum refers to the growing together of bones, as does “comfrey” itself (from Latin conferva, or “knitting together”). First in China and later in Europe, the leaves were used as a poultice around the damaged area. Given time and immobility, bones will knit together, but perhaps comfrey assisted. It was also said to help heal lacerations, which earned it another common name, woundheal. Comfrey leaves are also made into…

Panama berry sounds a bit too good to be true. It’s a fast-growing tropical shade tree with a slightly weeping habit. It produces white flowers with prominent yellow stamens, followed by sweet, tasty red fruit. Even more, it flowers and fruits for most of the year and lives up to its promises. The fruits are small — about the size of a small cherry — with a red skin and a pulpy light-brown flesh with masses of tiny seeds. They are sweet and can be eaten fresh or made into jams or pies. Organic grower and contributor to this magazine, Linda Brennan of Ecobotanica (ecobotanica.com.au), is a big fan of the tree and its fruit and has grown it in her own garden and also recommended it for other gardens, especially for…

I first encountered okra as the allimportant green in gumbo, that piquant stew that symbolises the multicultural mix of New Orleans but is served all over the American South. The ingredients vary but usually include a base of filé, a Choctaw Indian invention made from ground sassafras; Spanish chorizo or French sausage; shrimp and other shellfish from the Gulf; and okra from who knows where, though the word itself is probably of Nigerian origin and was first recorded in Virginia in 1679. Controversy rages among food historians as to whether okra travelled north then east from Ethiopia or west from India, but it was well known in the Middle East and around the Mediterranean some 800 years ago (its generic name Abelmoschus is a Latin translation of an Arabic phrase meaning “father…

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. CHILLI BITE ‘SEVILLE’, CAPSICUM ANNUUM VAR. FASCICULATUM The plant: If you’re looking for a sweet and mildly spicy chilli on a compact plant, keep an eye out for ‘Seville’. It produces very mild, yet tasty fruit that turns from yellow through purple and finally apricot in colour. This irresistible chilli is just as pretty in the vegie garden as it is in a decorative pot on your outdoor entertaining table. Growing: Grow ‘Seville’ in a full-sun spot in welldrained soil or…