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

What’s hot RIGHT NOW • PRESENTING SOME STUNNING-LOOKING PLANTS THAT WILL MAKE EXCELLENT ADDITIONS TO YOUR GARDEN AT THIS TIME OF YEAR

Nature strip • IMAGINE A GREEN CORRIDOR FOR BEES AND OTHER POLLINATORS STRETCHING FROM PORT MELBOURNE TO THE BOTANIC GARDENS

SHADY REPUTATION • THE BEAUTYLEAF OR BEACH CALOPHYLLUM IS PRIZED ACROSS ASIA AS A SHADE TREE BUT IT ALSO HAS A DARK SIDE

NATIVE CITRUS • UNLIKE MANY OTHER ENDEMIC BUSH FOODS, LEMON ASPEN IS WIDELY CULTIVATED AND ITS TANGY FRUIT IS IN HIGH DEMAND

Red jewels • IF EGGPLANT IS THE “CRAZY APPLE”, POMEGRANATE IS APPARENTLY THE “SEEDED APPLE”, SO NAMED FOR ITS CRIMSON GEM-LIKE ARILS, THE ONLY EDIBLE PART OF THE PLANT

Food of the gourds • WATERMELON, CANTALOUPE, CASABA, HONEYDEW, MUSKMELON — WHATEVER YOUR TASTE, THERE’S A SWEET, JUICY CUCURBIT JUST RIGHT FOR YOU

INNER-CITY FOREST • ANOTHER REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR INVITES US INTO HIS BACKYARD, A PERMACULTURE FOOD-FOREST SYSTEM THAT SHOWS ECOLOGICAL GARDENING REALLY WORKS

BEYOND THE SUBURBS • ON A DIFFICULT SEMIRURAL BLOCK, A COUPLE CREATE A THRIVING FOOD FOREST AND FORGE TIES WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WILDLIFE

THE DISTANT GROVE • FAR FROM SICILY, AN OLIVE-GROWING DYNASTY TAKES ROOT IN WA, WHICH INEVITABLY LEADS TO … EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL GELATO!

MOON PLANTING

TIME TO PLANT • LATE SPRING/EARLY SUMMER IS THE TIME TO GO ALL OUT WITH NEW VEGETABLE CROPS, EXCEPT IN THE HOTTEST REGIONS

COOL AS A CUKE • IT’S THE CUCUMBER’S HIGH WATER CONTENT THAT MAKES IT TASTE COOL AS IT ADDS A FRESH CRUNCH TO SALADS

SPROUTS IN SPACE • ONE OF THE WORLD’S OLDEST CROPS IS NOW BEING TRIALLED AS A FUTURE VITAMIN-RICH ASTRONAUT FOOD

THE UPRIGHT ONION • TALL AND SKINNY, SPRING ONIONS JUST KEEP ON SPRINGING UP AND THEY DON’T TAKE UP MUCH SPACE

PETALS ON PLATES • WHEN YOU’RE HARVESTING FOR DINNER, DON’T IGNORE THOSE PRETTY FLOWERS — MANY OF THEM ARE EDIBLE AS WELL AS DECORATIVE

SOCIAL CLIMBER • WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF GRAPES, IS THERE A MORE POPULAR VINE IN THE AUSSIE BACKYARD THAN PASSIONFRUIT?

10 tips • SOME CLEVER LITTLE IDEAS FOR YOUR GARDENING

Bush salad • BUSH TUCKER GREENS GROW WILD AND PLENTIFUL AND THEY WILL RAISE YOUR GARDEN — AND YOUR SALAD — TO THE NEXT LEVEL

China rose • AMONG THE HUNDREDS OF HIBISCUS SPECIES ARE THE HAWAIIAN ONE (CHINESE, ACTUALLY) AND SEVERAL NATIVE TO AUSTRALIA

Living carpets • A SELECTION OF NATIVE GROUNDCOVERS WILL SUPPRESS WEEDS, ATTRACT BIRDLIFE AND ADD YEAR-ROUND COLOUR TO THE GARDEN

Mind your beeswax • A SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE TO SINGLE-USE PLASTICS, BEESWAX WRAPS ARE EASY TO MAKE AND THE USES ARE ENDLESS

HOW TO BUILD A WORM TUNNEL • AN IN-GROUND WORM FARM IS A COST-EFFECTIVE, NO-MAINTENANCE DEVICE THAT CAN BE CONSTRUCTED IN MINUTES. EARTHWORMS DO THE REST

Point of sale • WHEN BUYING BIRDS, IT PAYS TO HEED THE SCOUT’S MOTTO AND BE PREPARED — BEFORE THEY COME HOME TO ROOST

We’ve got it covered • THERE’S A BIT MORE TO MULCH THAN JUST CHUCKING IT ON THE GARDEN AND HOPING FOR THE BEST. LET’S TAKE A LOOK

THINGS TO DO IN NOVEMBER...