Good Organic Gardening Issue #11.6 - 2021

It might seem odd to make such a humble weed this issue’s power plant, but you may be surprised to know how much it is valued for its nutritional qualities and culinary uses in the Mediterranean and Middle East. Although it occurs worldwide so is a cosmopolitan species, common purslane is widely regarded as a native. As such, it was valued by Indigenous Australians and early European settlers alike. These days, however, gardeners largely dismiss it as a weed and in agricultural settings it’s undoubtedly considered an invasive weed. Some years, I have had this plant running quietly rampant in just one vegie bed — not affecting the other beds at all — and you probably have, too. I used to pull it out constantly over summer and throw it away, though I…

If their names sound familiar, it’s because we visited Simone and Dave Jelley two years back (Good Organic Gardening Vol 9 No 5) on Macleay Island in Queensland’s Moreton Bay, where they were farming edible flowers for the restaurant trade as well as hosting the occasional tour of their farm. Around 12 months ago they moved their three children — Sasha, Emma and Thomas — and Buster the dog to the mainland where, on eight acres in Canungra, they combined their business Pretty Produce with a new venture called Wild Flower Forest. So why the move? Simone says they simply couldn’t sustain the farming enterprise with the land they had. Besides that, “Water availability was too fickle, with the bore running dry during periods of drought. Then there was the expense and…

Here’s a garden that’s unusual in that it graces a rental property whose owners agreed to allow locals to use the land to grow vegetables. A community-based organisation run by volunteers in Norlane, Victoria, it’s called The Farm Next Door. I spoke to Clarrie Smith, whose pal Lachie started the initiative. Clarrie lives a few doors down and works in the garden every day. His philosophy echoes economist Ernst F Schumacher’s dictum: “An ounce of practice is generally worth more than a ton of theory.” When Clarrie moved to Norlane about 18 months ago, Lachie introduced his friend to the project and now, with the help of volunteers, Clarrie runs the show. He puts his energy into maintaining the soil while the others run workshops on tool maintenance, seed saving, no-dig gardening and…

“A SENSIBLE GARDENER TAKES CARE OF THE TOOLS; A WISE GARDENER TAKES CARE OF HIS OR HER BODY AS WELL.”~ JENNI EVANS As an ageing gardener I’m always on the lookout for tools and strategies to ensure my gardening days can continue into older age. Like many others during the COVID period, I’ve been doing more gardening than ever and have come to the conclusion that the long-term sustainability of the gardener is often overlooked. We often forget the greatest tools we have as gardeners are our bodies. While we all develop ways of doing things and learning self-preservation techniques, the truth is most of us push ourselves beyond our limits and pay the price with aches, pains and injuries. This isn’t a lasting strategy! As an overachiever in the garden, I was thrilled…

MARCH 2021 Mid-autumn in most of Australia means there are still plenty of daytime high temperatures, which in turn means lots to plant in your vegie patch and herb garden. APRIL 2021 April brings more autumnal conditions as the days become shorter and the nights cooler, heralding the end of the wet season in northern tropical areas When the moon is waxing from new moon to full moon, it is increasing light and drawing sap flow upwards. During the waning from full moon back to new moon, light decreases and sap is drawn downwards. This movement of sap flow has an influence on how well new plants will grow. There are four phases, each lasting seven to eight days. Sowing, planting and taking cuttings should not be done in the 12 hours before…

COOL & HIGHLANDS MARCH beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, chives, collards, corn salad, endive, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, pak choy, radish, rocket, salsify, shallots (eschalots), silverbeet, swede, turnip APRIL Asian greens, beans, broad beans, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chives, collards, corn salad, garlic, kale, leek, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, onion, parsley, radish, rocket, shallot (eschalot), spinach, turnip TEMPERATE MARCH amaranth, Asian greens, beans, broad beans, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, burdock, cabbage, carrot, chives, collards, daikon, endive, fennel, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, radish, rocket, salsify, shallots (eschalots), silverbeet, spinach, swede, turnip APRIL Asian greens, beans, broad beans, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, burdock, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, chives, collards, corn salad, endive, fennel, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, mizuna, mustard greens, onion, peas, radish, rocket, shallots (eschalots), silverbeet, snow peas, spinach, swede, turnip SUBTROPICAL MARCH amaranth, Asian greens,…