Good Organic Gardening Issue #13.3 - 2022

It’s not quite the season for them yet, but it’s just around the corner, and it will be interesting to see how many survive to become the regular summer feature they have been all my life. I’m talking about Christmas beetles, those vibrant, shimmering little critters that appear at the beginning of summer and whose numbers reach their height around Yuletide. They’re so pretty they could almost be tree decorations. Why are we featuring them in this issue? Because we’ve noticed for a few years now that their numbers are declining. Steve McGrane has looked into why this might be and why it should concern us all. One clue might be in their two-stage development, which also means two different food sources. The not-so-cute babies, or larvae, which develop underground and feed mainly…

CITIES SOAKING UP FLOODWATER Among extreme weather events, flooding is becoming more common. In 2021, major floods occurred in cities across China, USA, India, Belgium, Germany, Philippines and the UK. Serious flooding hit Australia and South Africa in early 2022. Meanwhile, other parts of the world are in the grip of droughts and water shortages. Extreme events are pushing water infrastructure well beyond its limits. There’s an urgent need to implement solutions to help buffer impacts — and “sponge cities” may provide a way forward. The sponge city concept was developed by Chinese researchers in 2000. It’s not new if we look at how nature works with numerous wetlands. It has sparked a global movement for green infrastructure and low-impact developments that look to nature-based solutions in urban construction models to manage floodwaters,…

DREAMERIA ‘DREAMLAND’, PSEUDARMERIA HYBRID The plant: This beautiful Armeria was awarded a silver medal, winning second place in the RHS Plant of the Year Award at Chelsea in 2022. And it’s easy to see why it’s so loved. Boasting masses of large, salmon-pink, globe-shaped blooms neatly held atop sturdy and upright stems, ‘Dreamland’ is a tightly mounded, dry-tolerant plant that’s ideal for rockeries and coastal conditions. Growing: This is one of the earliest and brightest flowers of spring, so plant ‘Dreamland’ where it can be appreciated. It’s ideal in the forefront of garden beds, low border edging, rockeries or containers. The cut flowers last well indoors, too. Once established, ‘Dreamland’ has low to medium water demands but it will appreciate a deep soak in extended dry periods. Fertilise in late winter for optimum…

Early in the past two years of pandemic lockdowns, one trend soon became apparent — and we’re not talking about the hoarding of toilet paper. Within weeks, garden centres sold out of seedlings, houseplants and point-of-lay chickens. News website The Conversation reports that one British online plant store saw a 500 per cent sales increase during lockdown. Clearly, something profound was happening. While the catastrophisers among us worried about global supply chains and local food security, there was a simpler explanation: during lockdown, people rediscovered the tranquil appeal of houseplants and gardens. Even more to the point, they suddenly found themselves with the time to look after them. Greener Spaces Better Places, the rebranded platform of not-for-profit initiative Plant Life Balance, is about “mobilising Australians of all ages to create and style greener indoor…

French marigolds are small, cheery plants with hidden powers. Not only do they brighten up gardens with masses of small yellow, red or orange flowers; they can also help battle a serious soil pest. Root knot nematodes, microscopic soil-borne creatures that damage root systems and cause plants to wilt and die, don’t attack marigolds. However, they do like many productive plants including tomatoes and are often prevalent in sandy soils. Also called eelworms, nematodes, despite their common name, are neither worms nor eels. While they can’t be seen by the naked eye, you can sure see the damage they cause: infected plants develop nobbled and knotted roots. To control them, remove infected plants and burn or bin them — don’t put them in compost heaps — and plant a crop of marigolds. Without…

As one of its common names suggest, this little tropical plant has a long traditional use for controlling toothache pain. Used fresh or dried, the buds or flowers are chewed to stimulate saliva and numb the pain associated with all sorts of mouth problems, from toothache to swollen gums. Recent research also suggests that spilanthol, an alkaloid found in the plant, has other medicinal properties including antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, local anaesthetic, anti-convulsant, antioxidant, analgesic, antimicrobial, diuretic and vasorelaxant effects. Spilanthol is also thought to be an aphrodisiac and can increase testosterone — a type of natural Viagra. Another important role for this attractive plant could be to combat drug-resistant bacteria. It is known to inhibit Candida albicans. As well as having some interesting medicinal properties, this is a very curious but attractive plant. Its…