Good Organic Gardening

Gardening with goodness at its heart — fresh, organic and fun. This magazine is 100% real. We are unashamedly earthy, reflecting the spirit and culture of people who just love to get their hands dirty. Our emphasis is on productive gardening. We just love the satisfaction of growing your own and finding new ways to bring produce to the table. The magazine includes features such as Amazing Gardens, Celebrity Chefs, Celebrity Gardeners, Clever Crops, Flavours of the month, Garden solutions, Kids Corner, Living Organics, Weekend Gardening, What’s New and a guide to What’s on Where.

THIS ISSUE

Good Organic Gardening

THE Grapevine • ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS AND UPDATES

What’s hot RIGHT NOW • THE JUDGES HAVE SPOKEN! THESE ARE THE BEST-TASTING TOMS AS JUDGED AT THE 2024 30TH-ANNIVERSARY DIGGERS GREAT TOMATO TASTE TEST

Green news • WHO IS GREENING OUR WORLD AND HOW THEY ARE DOING IT

CHARLES DARWIN’S TOMATO • ON THE ORIGIN OF A RARE SPECIES OF SOLANACEAE, A TOUGH AND TASTY GIFT TO BREEDERS FROM THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

SLOE NEWS DAY • WHETHER YOU LIKE IT IN A FRUIT PIE OR A PINK GIN, SLOE IS AN OLD-SCHOOL THORNY FLOWERING PLANT WHOSE TIME HAS COME AGAIN

MELLOW YELLOW • THE DELICIOUS BANANA IS AN ANCIENT TROPICAL FRUIT THAT TOOK AROUND 10,000 YEARS TO COLONISE THE WORLD

The age of oranges • THE POPULAR SWEET CITRUS IS REALLY A MANDARIN-POMELO CROSS THAT DATES BACK LITTLE MORE THAN A COUPLE OF MILLENNIA

A PLOT WITH THE LOT • WITH THRIVING VEGIE BEDS AND FRUIT TREES, THIS SMALL SUBURBAN OASIS PUNCHES WELL ABOVE ITS WEIGHT

CARNIVAL OF EDIBLES • THIS SMALL BLOCK IN SUBURBAN TOOWOOMBA IS A WATERWISE JUNGLE OF BIODIVERSE, LOW-MAINTENANCE CROPS

GROWING LADS • TWO BROTHERS GROW VEGETABLES TOGETHER WHILE MANAGING AN AQUAPONICS GLASSHOUSE THAT OVERLOOKS PERTH’S CITY SKYLINE

MOON PLANTING

TIME TO PLANT • DEPENDING ON YOUR CLIMATE, THERE’S STILL PLENTY OF PLANTING TO BE DONE BEFORE THE COMING SPRING

THE GREEN NUT • ORIGINATING IN PERSIA AND GROWN COMMERCIALLY IN AUSTRALIA SINCE THE 1980S, PISTACHIOS TAKE A FEW YEARS TO CROP — BUT THEY’RE WORTH THE WAIT

SWEET AND CURVY • A HOMEGROWN PEAR TREE MIGHT NOT GIVE YOU A PARTRIDGE BUT IT WILL PROVIDE LOTS OF SWEET, NUTRITIOUS FRUIT YEAR AFTER YEAR

PEAR VARIETIES

SPEARS OF SPRING • RAW OR STEAMED, STIR-FRIED OR PICKLED, ASPARAGUS HAS BEEN A SEASONAL DELICACY SINCE THE DAYS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

FRUIT OF THE DIVINE • THOUGH NATIVE TO THE MEDITERRANEAN, GRAPES FOR THE TABLE (OR THE BOTTLE) ARE CULTIVATED ON EVERY CONTINENT EXCEPT ANTARCTICA

LIVING FOSSIL • MAIDENHAIR TREE IS THE LAST SURVIVING SPECIES IN AN ORDER OF PLANTS THAT FIRST APPEARED NEARLY 300 MILLION YEARS AGO

MORE HERBS OF YORE • TO FOLLOW LAST ISSUE’S MEDIEVAL HERBARIUM, HERE’S AN EXTRA HELPING OF HEALING AND CULINARY PLANTS DUE FOR A COMEBACK

Let’s talk plants • NOT ONLY ARE PLANTS SENSITIVE TO LIGHT AND TOUCH, THEY ALSO APPEAR TO COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER — AND US

Fan-tastic • UPRIGHT OR PROSTRATE, FABULOUS FAN-FLOWERS OR SCAEVOLA ARE TOLERANT OF PESTS AND WEATHER BUT ATTRACTIVE TO POLLINATORS

THE LOWDOWN ON WEE TREES • POPULAR IN FORMAL GARDENS IN THE UK, THE STEPOVER METHOD IS A LOVELY WAY TO GROW DWARF APPLES IN SMALL SPACES

FIGHTING FRUIT FLY • THEY’RE ONE OF THE BIGGEST THREATS TO THE WORLD’S CROPS — BUT ON YOUR PATCH, WITH A BIT OF EFFORT, THEY CAN BE MANAGED

MICRO-IRRIGATION MADE EASY • HOW TO SET UP AN EFFICIENT DRIP SYSTEM FOR POTS SO THAT EACH CONTAINER AUTOMATICALLY GETS THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF WATER

Small world • TURNING AN OLD AQUARIUM INTO A PALUDARIUM, INCORPORATING BOTH TERRESTRIAL AND AQUATIC ELEMENTS

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS TO YOUR PALUDARIUM

Black and true...