ABC Organic Gardener Magazine September 2018

There’s a year of inspiring organic gardening in the 2019 ABC Organic Gardener Diary and Calendar. Filled with a rich mix of colourful photographs and practical advice, the 2019 ABC Organic Gardener Diary and Calendar you out and get growing! Featuring beautiful images of organic plants, produce and poultry, plus recipes and handy hints for maintaining your patch by the magazine’s expert horticultural writers, the ABC Organic Gardener Diary and Calendar will delight and inform your organic gardening journey. Available from newsagents, ABC Centres and ABC Shop online for only $17.95 each. Pre-order now at shop.abc.net.au…

Have you noticed the buzz about bees lately? They pollinate an estimated per our crops, yield my lifeline, coffee. As bee numbers are falling worldwide, due to disease, modern agricultural practices and climate change, more and more backyarders are stepping up to help. I spent many weekends in my early childhood bouncing around in my dad’s old red truck as he moved 200 hives between sites. Being his assistant apiarist gave me a love of the bush, an eye for a flowering gum, and a weakness for natural raw honey. I jumped at the chance to take on a neighbour’s beehive a few years ago, reading books and doing courses to polish up my beekeeping knowledge. Bees have become an integral part of my sustainable backyard, along with quail, vegies, fruit trees…

AFRICAN TULIP TREES KILL BEES Given our focus on bees this issue, we felt it important to remind readers that the very popular African tulip tree (Spathodea campanulata) prevalent in northern Queensland and some subtropical areas of NSW, is a major threat to native Australian bees. The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) has it listed as a ‘restricted invasive plant’ saying it is now common as an ornamental garden and street tree due to its showy and colourful tulip-shaped flowers. It is very attractive to bees, birds, bats and butterflies as it produces large amounts of nectar. Unfortunately, when the nectar in the flower ferments it becomes toxic to Aussie bees, killing them. On top of this it is very invasive, spreading by seeds and suckers, and causing damage…

CAMDEN FESTIVAL Learn how to grow your own food, design your own backyard, or stock up on plants and fresh produce at the inaugural Camden Garden Festival this September. Camden is the home of Australia’s first horticulturist, William Macarthur, neighbours The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, has a thriving community garden and is also home to Mickey Robertson’s spectacular Glenmore House kitchen garden. All will feature at the event. WHEN: 21–23 September WHERE: Camden, NSW DETAILS: camdengardenfestival.com WILDFLOWER BONANZA Now is the perfect time to witness the wildflowers of south-west WA. Also, take a look at the Busselton Wildflower Exhibition with expert botanists on hand to answer questions and wonderful flower displays. More than 8000 species of wildflowers bloom in the region between August and November. WHEN: 4–5 October, 9am–4pm WHERE: Uniting Church, Kent Street, Busselton, south-west WA DETAILS:…

BOTANIC PODCAST A new ‘Branch Out’ podcast from the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney sees science communicator Vanessa Fuchs investigating scientific projects and the scientists who work within and for The Gardens. To date, each episode is charmingly nerdy with scientists getting excited by Cassowary poo (and the seeds Cassowary eat and spread), as well as plant diseases and the CSI-like behaviour needed to identify them, focusing on the poisonous black bean tree and how it’s used in medicine. According to Fuchs, the aim of the five-episode series is to help listeners understand just how vital plants are and what scientists are doing to protect their future, and ours. To tune in head to rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/science/branch-out…

A cup to keep Disposable coffee cups are having a devastating impact on our environment, so it’s time to ditch the single-use cups and go BYO on the daily caffeine run. KeepCups have a great range of reusable plastic and glass cups that come in a variety of colours and sizes. Prices range from $14 and are available from keepcup.com; 03 8417 1100. Going up Made from 100 per cent recycled plastic, the Ergo Raised Garden Bed is suitable for growing your own fruit and vegies, as well as being used as a composter and to grow potatoes. The height and length can be adjusted to suit your space using plug connectors. Starter kits are available for $99 from birdiesgardenproducts.com.au; 07 5593 5133. Clothing to last Etiko is an ethical clothing brand whose products are…