An Open Day is a great way to get feedback from gardeners on what you’re growing and how you’re doing.

Despite the cool, showery weather, about 2,000 gardeners dropped by to check out my living larder.

All that is left to say is THANK YOU the visitor for supporting Open Gardens Australia, the not-for -profit charity that made this event possible and which supports community gardening projects with its surplus cash.

THANK YOU to the Open Gardens Australia volunteers who staffed the gate.

THANK YOU to Spring Fields Garden Centre for filling the demand for good quality and unusual plants that I do not grow and

THANK YOU to Slurp Tea for filling the refreshment gap!

BY POPULAR REQUEST – RECIPE FOR COCOYAM SOUP

Ingredients
spring onions, 100g;
tomatoes 200g;
chervil 50g (garnish)
tin coconut milk
one chilli 25g;
garlic 50g
diced cocoyam 300g
one vegetarian stock cube

Method
Simmer cocoyam until soft (15-20 mins) in a large saucepan.

Lightly fry spring onion, chilli, garlic in olive oil with a teaspoonful of sesame oil. Then add tomato, cover, simmer gently for five minutes.

In a blender, liquidise fried vegetables, add coconut milk, stock cube, and then gradually add cocoyam.

Pour into the large saucepan, return to gentle heat, adding water as necessary to make soup at your preferred consistency.

Serve garnished with chervil and crusty bread rolls…

Serves three, takes 40 minutes (digging not included)

Jerry Coleby-Williams

21st May 2013 

Sharing a surplus of organic food and seed comes top of the list. Last spring was exceedingly dry, conditions that made it the best spring seed harvest from winter crops. Though hot – and ultimately very wet – this summer was good for avocados in Bayside Brisbane. So this weekend, Chas and Gail, my neighbours, are giving me three crates of surplus organic avocados to give to our first visitors. Bayside Brisbane also had a good year for jackfruit, pomelo and other citrus. I’ve made jam with surplus citrus and rosella and have pomelo and mandarin seedlings.

This is the seventh year I’ve opened my garden through Open Gardens Australia. I try to share food culture – different ways to cook, and different crops to eat.

Organic gardening is good for the environment, and this weekend you can see an example of wildlife-friendly fruit tree netting. The standard, single filament fruit tree netting – the kind that every garden centre and hardware store sells – traps, maims and often kills birds and fruit bats. Once trapped, struggling animals then attract snakes, which also often get trapped. Gardeners trying to release trapped wildlife get bitten by poisonous snakes more frequently than you realise. So check out my bird and bat-friendly alternative netting technique and learn how to use it. Thanks to Bat Conservation & Rescue, Brisbane, this win/win keeps gardeners and fruit bats safe.

My 813 square metre garden is a result of (close to) ten years of organic gardening. Originally, the soil was worm-free and full of nutgrass. As you will see on this week’s ‘Gardening Australia’ show (ABC 1, Saturday 11th September at 6.30pm) my soil was once worm-free and hard enough to break the blade of a rotary hoe.

It took five years to create fertile soil and conditions that provide abundant, diverse foods. I also get sugarbag and products for healing, like Aloe vera. Visitors can see rare heritage crops, like ‘Parramatta Sweets’ mandarin (from NSW), ‘First Fleet’ coffee (from Rio de Janeiro, 1788) and the ‘First Fleet’ lettuce  that once fed convicts at Farm Cove. I’m pleased to say this lettuce has now been repatriated to the Royal Vegetable Garden in Balmoral, Scotland, with the approval of HRH Elizabeth II (in October 2011).

Another celebration is the maturing ecology of my food garden. The outlook is not good for pests, especially grubs and caterpillars. Normally anything up to six species of beetle grubs – curl grubs – chew into root crops, spoiling them. Here, Black hairy flower wasps have vanquished these grubs, and to keep things in my favour all I need do is use a special mulch under certain trees.

This summer, two special parasites moved in. One is an ecto-parasitic fly, a species that lays eggs on pest species of caterpillar. The other is a wasp that parasitises other wasps which in turn parasitise caterpillars. Entomologists have been unable to identify either, and they are probably new, undescribed species (see gallery below). I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

My garden is thrifty to run. Guinea pigs help maintain my lawn, and running the rest of the garden takes one person 8 – 10 hours a week.

I’ve learned not to rely on the potato. Instead, I grow yams, arrowroot, cassava, sweetpotato and cocoyam. They cope better with our droughts and floods.

I’ve learned how to prepare meals with green bananas instead of rice, I create experimental pestos and use green pawpaws instead of spuds.

Many of the two hundred food plants growing here are volunteers – self-sown seedlings. Volunteers make food growing easy, productive and reliable whatever the weather.

Mineral deficiencies have been overcome by active monitoring and soil improvement, and consequently my crops are healthy. I reckon food is my medicine, and garden fresh foods add vitality to my diet. If, like me, you have 117 different foods on the menu, who needs ‘superfood’ or vitamins?

Jerry Coleby-Williams
8th May 2013

Showery conditions have ceased and windy conditions have dried up dewfall. As a consequence, bacterial leaf spotting disease has ceased affecting my Chinese celery, eggplant and Good King Henry.

On the other hand, my West Indian gherkin have been obliterated by pumpkin beetle and my oriental greens have been heavily attacked by caterpillars and snails.

Leeks, spring onions, sweetpotato and eschallots are growing well, but Madagascan beans are not being very effectively pollinated and many pods are blind. Ceylon spinach, cocoyam, jackfruit, and pawpaws are growing vigorously and yams are now ready for harvest.

Cassava and citrus are looking magnificent. I’ve made 6 litres of Lemon & Lime marmalade (using a fifth of my crop), 6 litres of Kaffir Lime marmalade (almost all the crop), 3 litres of ‘Parramatta Sweets’ mandarin marmalade (one eighth of the estimated crop) and 6 litres of Rosella jam. The Rosella have all but finished cropping.

Jerusalem artichoke ‘Dwarf Sunray’ has almost died down and is ready for harvest. Basil is close to finishing – Genovese, Thai and sacred basil are still cropping and my first mushrooms of the season are pinning.

Edible roots
Aerial potato, Dioscorea batatas
Arrowroot, Canna edulis
Cassava, Manihot esculenta
Cassava, Manihot esculenta ‘Variegata’
Cocoyam, Xanthosoma saggitifolia
Eschallot, Allium cepa var. aggregatum
Jerusalem artichoke, Helianthus tuberosus ‘Dwarf Sunray’
Yam, Winged, Dioscorea alata

Edible leaves
Basil, lemon, Ocimum x citriodora
Basil, lime, Ocimum americanum ‘Lime’
Basil, sacred, Ocimum tenuiflorum
Basil, sweet Genovese, Ocimum basilicum
Basil, Thai, Ocimum americanum
Cassava, Manihot esculenta
Cassava, Manihot esculenta ‘Variegata’
Celery stem taro, aka Tahitian spinach, Alocasia esculenta
Chaplu, Piper methysticum
Chickweed, Stellaria media
Chinese cabbage, Brassica rapa var. pekinensis ‘Tokyo Bekana’
Chinese cabbage, Brassica rapa var. chinensis ‘Chokito’
Chinese cabbage, Brassica rapa var. chinensis ‘Red Choi’
Chinese celery, aka smallage, Apium graveolens
Chinese spinach, Amaranthus tricolor
Chinese spinach, Amaranthus tricolor ‘Flying Colours’
Chinese spinach, Amaranthus tricolor ‘Mekong Red’
Chinese spinach, Amaranthus tricolor ‘Red Callaloo’
Chives, Allium schoenoprasum
Curry leaf, Murraya koenigii
Curry leaf bush, Helichrysum italicum
French Tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus
Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum
Goldenrod, Solidago sp.
Good King Henry, aka Lincolnshire spinach, Chenopodium bonus-henricus
Green amaranth, Amaranthus viridis
Heart leaf ice-plant, Aptenia cordifolia
Huauzontle, Chenopodium berlandieri
Japanese parsley, Cryptotaenia japonica
Kaffir lime, Citrus hystrix
Kangkong, Ipomoea aquatica
Lagos spinach, Celosia cristata
Lebanese cress, Aethionema coridifolium
Leek, Multiplier, Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum
Lemongrass, Cymbopogon citratus
Lemongrass, Native, Cymbopogon flexuosus
Lettuce, Lactuca sativa ‘First Fleet’
Lettuce, Lactuca sativa ‘Purple Royal Oakleaf’
Lovage, Levisticum officinale
Love-lies-bleeding, Amaranthus caudatus
Mexican tree spinach, Cnidoscolus aconitifolius
Mint, apple, Mentha suaveolens
Mint, Moroccan, Mentha spicata ‘Nana’
Mint, native, Mentha satureoides
Mustard, Red, Brassica juncea
Okinawa spinach, Gynura bicolor
Parsley, Petroselenium crispum ‘Italian flat-leaved’
Parsley, Petroselenium crispum ‘Triple Curled’
Peperomia pellucida
Phillip Island hibiscus, Hibiscus insularis
Pumpkin, Cucurbita maxima ‘Tonda Padana’
Purslane, Portulaca oleracea
Purslane, Golden, Portulaca oleracea var. sativa
Radicchio, Cichorium intybus ‘Palla Rossa’
Radicchio, Cichorium intybus ‘Red Verona’
Radicchio, Cichorium intybus
Rosella, Hibiscus sabdariffa
Society garlic, Tulbaghia violacea ‘Variegata’
Society garlic, Tulbaghia violacea ‘Fairy Stars’
Stinking Roger, Tagetes minuta
Sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas ‘Ace of Spades’
Sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas ‘Marguerite’
Swinecress, Lepidium didymum
Thai coriander, Eryngium foetidum
Turmeric, Curcuma longa
Variegated four seasons herb, Plectranthus amboinicus ‘Variegatus’
Vietnamese mint, Persicaria odorata
Welsh onion, aka spring onion, scallion, Allium fistulosum
Perennial Welsh onion, aka perennial spring onion, scallion, Allium fistulosum
White peppermint, Mentha x piperita ‘Officinalis’
Wall or wild rocket, Diplotaxis tenuifolia
Warrigal greens, Tetragonia tetragonioides
Water hyssop, Bacopa caroliniana

Edible petals
Banana, Musa x sapientum ‘Lady Finger’
Begonia x semperflorens
French Marigold, Tagetes patula ‘Himalayan’
Goldenrod, Solidago sp.
Gourd, aka New Guinea bean, Lagenaria siceraria
Pigeon pea, Cajanus cajan
Pumpkin, Cucurbita maxima ‘Tonda Padana’

Edible seed
Chilean wine palm, Jubaea chilensis
Madagascan bean, Phaseolus lunatus

Fruit


Chilli, Capsicum annuum ‘Portuguese Peri Peri’
Chilli, Capsicum annuum ‘Siam Gold’
Chilli, Capsicum annuum ‘Red Cayenne’
Chilli, Capsicum annuum ‘Green Banana’
Eggplant, Solanum melongena ‘Caspar’
Eggplant, Solanum melongena ‘Early Purple’
Eggplant, Solanum melongena ‘Listada de Gandia’
Eggplant, Solanum melongena ‘Little Finger’
Finger lime, Citrus australasica
Gourd, aka New Guinea bean, Lagenaria siceraria
Kaffir lime, Citrus hystrix
Lemon, Citrus limon ‘Meyer’
Lime, Australian, Citrus x latifolia
Lime, Tahitian, Citrus x latifolia
Mandarin, Citrus reticulata ‘Parramatta Sweets’
Midyim, Austromyrtus dulcis
Mouse melon, Melothria scabra
Pepino, Solanum muricatum

Medicinal / Spices
Aloe vera – leaf juice used to heal sunburn, scratches
Bulbine frutescens – leaf juice used to treat burns, rashes, as an infusion for sore throats
Cinnamon, Cinnamomum verum
Cardamom, False, Alpinia nutans
Cardamon, True, Eletteria cardamomum
Galangal, Alpinia galangal – spice used like ginger with similar properties
Ginger, Zingiber official – spice that helps decongestion of catarrh, aids digestion, blood flow
Greater celandine, Chelidonium majus – stem juice kills warts on hands
Krachai, Boesenbergia rotunda
Phillip Island hibiscus, Hibiscus insularis – used as a tea to soothe sore throats
Rosemary, dwarf, Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Benenden Blue’
Rosemary, fastigiate, Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Miss Jessopp’
Skullcap, Scutellaria lateriflora – used as green tea to aid sleep
Thyme, Thymus serpyllum – antibiotic, used as a gargle against sore throats
Turmeric, Curcuma longa – spice with anti-cancer properties
117 taxa

Jerry Coleby-Williams

6th May 2013

Bat flowers belongs in the genus Tacca, a small group of 15-20 tropical perennials. They have been re-classified as a member of the yam family (Dioscoreaceae).

Australia has two native species, Tacca leontopetaloides and T. maculata. I’ve seen the former species fruiting on coastal hillsides between Cairns and Mossman, but the most commonly cultivated species in Australia is the Black Bat Flower (Tacca chantrieri).

The Black Bat flower comes from China. Their flowers have the longest ‘whiskers’, more correctly known as filamentous bracteoles, and they spread and curve downwards from the flowers.

The Black Bat Flower is a recently evolved member of this genus. In a review of the reproductive biology of the genus Tacca by the Institute of Botany at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2011), scientists agree the filamentous bracteoles are a modern evolutionary development. Since they take energy and resources to develop, they probably support reproductive success in the wild.

Beyond that are various competing hypotheses, all unsatisfactory to a degree. One is that the bracteoles are sacrificial. Grazing animals – possibly caterpillars – get their feed by eating them, and they are fully fed before they reach the developing seed. Another is that they encourage ants, providing a quick route to help them gather and disperse mature seed.

But research has revealed one evolutionary conundrum – as the genus has evolved modern species with longer bracteoles, the less these species rely on pollinators. The Black Bat plant is one of the most recently evolved and its flowers offer pollinators little pollen or nectar as a reward for their pollination services. Black Bat plants are fully capable of producing viable seed in the absence of pollinators in the wild.

The illustration is Tacca cristata from Curtis’ Botanical Magazine.

Jerry Coleby-Williams

19th April 2013

Pineapples have produced excellent fruit. Unfortunately rats ate every fruit whilst they were still green. Normally I ripen them indoors to avoid this. Perhaps the rats have caught on.

Leeks, spring onions, sweetpotato and eschallots have grown strongly, strawberries have been producing their runners. Madagascan beans have gone crazy, they’re into their second crop. Yams, Ceylon spinach, West Indian gherkin, cocoyam, jackfruit, and pawpaws are growing vigorously.

Cassava and citrus are looking magnificent, false cardamom has recovered from the spring to summer drought. I’m expecting a good crop from citrus and rosella this year. Basil is particularly good quality – Thai and sacred basil are performing particularly well, despite grasshopper attack. I’m delighted to see mantids big enough to take on larger grasshoppers.

Goldenrod, Cosmos sulphureus, Solenostemon hybrids and Jerusalem artichoke ‘Dwarf Sunray’ are flowering well, attracting a good range of beneficial insects including native bees (pollinators) and native wasps (predators and parasites of pests).

On the up side, everything is green and full looking. All the local trees have recovered from the salt spray damage generated by cyclone Oswald. My cuttings struck rapidly, and tropical perennials that I multiplied by division have recovered quickly. This compensates for seasonal losses to disease.

Edible roots
Arrowroot, Canna edulis
Cocoyam, Xanthosoma saggitifolia
Eschallot, Allium cepa var. aggregatum
Turnip, Brassica rapa subsp. rapa ‘Gold Ball’

Edible leaves
Basil, lemon, Ocimum x citriodora
Basil, lime, Ocimum americanum ‘Lime’
Basil, sacred, Ocimum tenuiflorum
Basil, sweet Genovese, Ocimum basilicum
Basil, Thai, Ocimum americanum
Cassava, Manihot esculenta
Cassava, Manihot esculenta ‘Variegata’
Celery stem taro, aka Tahitian spinach, Alocasia esculenta
Chaplu, Piper methysticum
Chickweed, Stellaria media

Chinese celery, aka smallage, Apium graveolens
Chinese spinach, Amaranthus tricolor
Chinese spinach, Amaranthus tricolor ‘Flying Colours’
Chinese spinach, Amaranthus tricolor ‘Mekong Red’
Chinese spinach, Amaranthus tricolor ‘Red Callaloo’
Chives, Allium schoenoprasum
Curry leaf, Murraya koenigii
Curry leaf bush, Helichrysum italicum
French Tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus
Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum
Goldenrod, Solidago sp.
Good King Henry, aka Lincolnshire spinach, Chenopodium bonus-henricus
Green amaranth, Amaranthus viridis
Heart leaf ice-plant, Aptenia cordifolia
Huauzontle, Chenopodium berlandieri
Japanese parsley, Cryptotaenia japonica
Kaffir lime, Citrus hystrix
Kangkong, Ipomoea aquatica
Lagos spinach, Celosia cristata
Lebanese cress, Aethionema coridifolium
Lemongrass, Cymbopogon flexuosus
Lettuce, Lactuca sativa ‘Purple Royal Oakleaf’
Lovage, Levisticum officinale
Love-lies-bleeding, Amaranthus caudatus
Mint, apple, Mentha suaveolens
Mint, Moroccan, Mentha spicata ‘Nana’
Mint, native, Mentha satureoides
Multiplier leek, Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum
Mustard, Red, Brassica juncea
Okinawa spinach, Gynura bicolor
Parsley, Petroselenium crispum ‘Italian flat-leaved’
Parsley, Petroselenium crispum ‘Triple Curled’
Peperomia pellucida
Phillip Island hibiscus, Hibiscus insularis
Pumpkin, Cucurbita maxima ‘Tonda Padana’

Purslane, Portulaca oleracea
Radicchio, Cichorium intybus ‘Palla Rossa’
Radicchio, Cichorium intybus ‘Red Verona’
Radicchio, Cichorium intybus
Rosella, Hibiscus sabdariffa
Society garlic, Tulbaghia violacea ‘Variegata’
Society garlic, Tulbaghia violacea ‘Fairy Stars’
Stinking Roger, Tagetes minuta
Sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas ‘Ace of Spades’
Sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas ‘Marguerite’
Swinecress, Lepidium didymum
Thai coriander, Eryngium foetidum
Turmeric, Curcuma longa
Variegated four seasons herb, Plectranthus amboinicus ‘Variegatus’
Vietnamese mint, Persicaria odorata
Welsh onion, aka spring onion, scallion, Allium fistulosum
White peppermint, Mentha x piperita ‘Officinalis’
Wall or wild rocket, Diplotaxis tenuifolia
Warrigal greens, Tetragonia tetragonioides
Water hyssop, Bacopa caroliniana

Edible petals
Banana, Musa x sapientum ‘Lady Finger’
Begonia x semperflorens
French Marigold, Tagetes patula ‘Himalayan’
Goldenrod, Solidago sp.
Gourd, aka New Guinea bean, Lagenaria siceraria
Pumpkin, Cucurbita maxima ‘Tonda Padana’

Edible seed
Madagascan bean, Phaseolus lunatus

Fruit
Banana, Musa x sapientum ‘Java Blue’
Chilli, Capsicum annuum ‘Siam Gold’
Chilli, Capsicum annuum ‘Red Cayenne’
Chilli, Capsicum annuum ‘Green Banana’
Eggplant, Solanum melongena ‘Caspar’
Eggplant, Solanum melongena ‘Early Purple’
Eggplant, Solanum melongena ‘Listada de Gandia’
Eggplant, Solanum melongena ‘Little Finger’
Finger lime, Citrus australasica
Kaffir lime, Citrus hystrix
Lemon, Citrus limon ‘Meyer’
Lime, Citrus x latifolia
Mouse melon, Melothria scabra
Naranjilla, Solanum quitoense
West Indian Gherkin, Cucumis anguria

Medicinal / Spices

Aloe vera – leaf juice used to heal sunburn, scratches
Brahmi herb, Bacopa monnieri (blue-flowered form) – traditional cure for inflammation
Bulbine frutescens – leaf juice used to treat burns, rashes, as an infusion for sore throats
Cinnamon, Cinnamomum verum
Cardamom, False, Alpinia nutans
Cardamon, True, Eletteria cardamomum
Galangal, Alpinia galangal – spice used like ginger with similar properties
Ginger, Zingiber official – spice that helps decongestion of catarrh, aids digestion, blood flow
Greater celandine, Chelidonium majus – stem juice kills warts on hands
Krachai, Boesenbergia rotunda
Phillip Island hibiscus, Hibiscus insularis – used as a tea to soothe sore throats
Rosemary, dwarf, Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Benenden Blue’
Rosemary, fastigiate, Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Miss Jessopp’
Skullcap, Scutellaria lateriflora – used as green tea to aid sleep
Thyme, Thymus serpyllum – antibiotic, used as a gargle against sore throats
Turmeric, Curcuma longa – spice with anti-cancer properties

104 taxa

Click to view slideshow.

]

Jerry Coleby-Williams
27^th March 2013

“A garden is not an indulgence” says Millie Ross. I couldn’t agree more.

It’s been a long time coming, but finally Australia has a decent landscaping book for ordinary folk.

Few books ever aim to help tenant gardeners and this is where Millie Ross makes her mark, dissolving the financial constraints that deter many from reinventing their home and garden.

Another thing that sets this work aside from conventional home landscaping books is that ‘The Thrifty Gardener’ combines both style and substance with commonsense, cool climate gardening. Ross’s joyous enthusiasm for experimentation, energy-efficiency and recycling jump out from every leaf.

Grow your own teepee, discover what makes a fire pit work, and learn to avoid the ‘bucket of death’. Whether it’s a turfed playspace for kids, a quest for leafy privacy, or a plot crafted around a guard dog, Ross delivers some pretty nifty, thrifty solutions.

‘The Thrifty Gardener’ also explores critical issues too often neglected by professionals. Millie’s explanation of the function and value of a tree protection zone during reconstruction might have saved several heritage trees in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney – and a truckload of wasted money – when the Harbour Tunnel was constructed.

Hear! Hear! for the ‘biodegrading’ look!

Jerry Coleby-Williams

25th March 2013

‘The Thrifty Gardener’ by Millie Ross. Publisher: ABC Books, ISBN 9780733330995, 2012.

This fundamental inequality is partly due to exclusion, and also because the contribution of women wasn’t recorded.

In Scotland, the official history of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, from 1670 to 1970, the only recorded contributions by women are a temporary job, an artist, and a visit by the Queen.

In England it was not until 1891 that the first women were accepted into horticultural colleges. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, started employing women gardeners in 1898. But there was a caveat:  women gardeners had to wear breeches, and on the way to and from work they had to wear overcoats as well to thoroughly disguise their sexual identity.

In Australia, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, owes its procurement and the laying out of Mrs Macquaries Road to Elizabeth Macquarie, wife of the Governor. Australia owes to her influence the foundation of its oldest scientific organisation, its first street trees and, until recently, the Wishing Tree, its most famous tree.

Mt Tomah Botanic Garden (NSW) owes its initiation, in 1970, to Mrs Effie Brunet, who transferred her land to the Government for $1.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney’s first recorded customer, Mrs Emily Morriset, requested plants to grow on Norfolk Island (ca 1828-31). The earliest book I could find in their botanic library that had been written by a woman is ‘A Flower Hunter in Queensland and New Zealand’ by Mrs Rowan, published in 1898. Unusually for the time, Mrs Rowan travelled alone. Perhaps her husband was better left at home.

Miss Sarah Hynes started work as second in charge of the National Herbarium of NSW in 1900, but on being found guilty of insubordination in 1910, she was fined and transferred to another Department. The evil Miss Hynes had apparently thrown away a basketful of labels.

In 1901 Miss Margaret Flockton, appointed as an artist at $1.20 a day (ten shillings), also collected plants. In her spare time, (the working week was six days), she tutored the Director’s daughter, Mary Maiden. Miss Flockton appears to have the most detailed record for any of Sydney Gardens’  women employees up to the Second World War.

Other women stand out further still. Appointed as an Assistant Botanist in 1936, Miss Joyce Vickery MSc, became the first woman ever to be appointed to a professional position in the NSW Public Service. The first recorded women trade staff were cleaners, Mrs Miller, Mrs Cole and Mrs Kain of 1906.

But it was not until 1975 that Ruth Murray became the first ever woman horticultural apprentice, ending an embarrassing 74 year head- start by scientific staff at Sydney Gardens.

International Women’s Day is celebrated on Friday 8th March 2013. International Men’s Day starts on 9th March 2013, and ends 364 days later on 7th March 2014.

First written in 1998 when I was the ‘head gardener’ at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. It was published in the Garden’s newsletter.

Jerry Coleby-Williams
8th March 2013

This kind of seed can respond differently when grown in different parts of the country. For example, if a seed crop of, say, pumpkin, has been acclimatised to one specific climate zone, such as cool temperate Europe, and a packet is sown in tropical Darwin, dry temperate Perth and subtropical Brisbane, gardeners might get variable results. This is exactly what has just happened to my heritage Italian pumpkin ‘Tonda Padana‘. It’s brilliant in a temperate climate but it cannot cope with a subtropical summer. After a bright start, it’s rotting outside in my Brisbane garden.

Australia still has a reasonable range of seed retailers, and there’s a increasing range of local Seed Saver groups, called Local Seed Networks (LSN’s). There’s over fifty Australia-wide. Unlike seed retailers, community-based LSN’s offer seed of crops that are being ‘localised’ – they are being adapted to suit local soils and conditions. LSN’s share their seed stock free amongst members.

Generally, the diversity of seed suppliers, and the range of plants they sell as seed, is declining because multinational companies acquire and combine smaller seed and fertiliser companies. The Seed Savers’ Network developed in response to this declining diversity, especially with traditional crops.

Business regards gardeners as consumers, and they treat customers as either ‘hunters’ or ‘gatherers’. ‘Hunters’ know what they want and dislike distractions when buying, while ‘gatherers’ regard shopping as recreational. Hunters bring a shopping list and stick to it. Gatherers enjoy browsing.

Our buying habits are further mapped out in stores. Racks of packaged seed displays are positioned to please both hunter and gatherer. Obvious, well signed displays of common cultivars, from alyssum to zucchini, are strategically placed next to the seed trays, propagating mixes and fertilisers for the hunters. Smaller displays of popular seeds and novelty mixes jostle with the greetings cards and magazines by the till – special deals to tempt the gatherer before they leave.

This setup is perfect for the novice. Buying seed is a simple over the counter transaction. Stock is fresh, secure in air- and water-tight packaging, with clearly displayed instructions and a ‘use by date’. In these circumstances, buying old, dead, or mouldy seed is unlikely.

Check the use by date. Grass seed, whether of species or mixes for lawns, should be sown before expiry because seed of this plant family rapidly deteriorates beyond a certain point. Use by dates are as important for plants with tiny seed, like lobelia, shiso and poppy. Tiny seed has minuscule energy reserves, and storing them at room temperature can literally wear them out faster than large seed, such as pea or bean seed.

Speciality fruit and vegetable shops, oriental food stores in particular, can be sources of unusual and interesting plants. Health food stores are economical sources of bulk seed for green manures and vegetables, like sunflower, peanut, various peas and grains. Such seed is often certified organic, and only chemical-free seed is suitable for growing as sprouts. Buying the pods of true cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) in a health food store is often the only way you can grow the genuine species as so many nurseries sell misidentified, mislabelled false cardamom.

Mail order seed catalogues greatly expand choice, and many provide useful growing tips as well. Gatherers can compare prices and quantities offered. Over time you’ll discover who’s seed produces the best quality plants and who’s seed is less likely to  germinate well. Discovering what’s new in each successive catalogue is great fun in itself.

There’s a general belief that seed is a safe way of moving plants between countries, because there’s a lower risk of seed carrying pests and diseases. This belief is misplaced. It only applies where seed is ‘clean’, and that requires professional handling. Amateurs tempted to bring plant souvenirs back from overseas holidays risk the health of entire industries, as well as stiff fines and possible imprisonment.

Internet shopping tempts inadvertent, illegal seed importation. Reputable companies will not supply to Australia – they know of our strict quarantine laws. We also have interstate quarantine, designed to limit the spread of pests, diseases and potential weeds. The best suppliers indicate which plants cannot be sold to WA or Tasmanian gardeners.

Expect to pay a premium for ‘new release’ cultivars – you’re covering the cost of promotional advertising and plant breeder rights. Expect premium prices for unusual or rare plants too. You’ll probably get fewer seeds than usual. There’s also a possibility that, because of limited demand, rare plant seed may have been stored for lengthy periods and their viability reduced.

Hybrid seed is costly because of the production involved. An ‘F1 hybrid’ is seed produced by the first, controlled cross pollination of two parent varieties, so their hybrid offspring combines the best qualities of both parents. ‘F2 hybrid’ seed is a result of saving seed produced by the F1 generation. Bedding geranium seed (Pelargonium x hortorum) is one example where F1 and F2 hybrid seed is sold, but many hybrids, like F1 sweetcorn, don’t produce seed worth saving or selling.

There are several small, keen seed subcultures on the rise. More Australian plants than ever before are available as seed, often in bulk for mass plantings. The variety of paper daisies available is one example of how the native seed industry has expanded its range. Legal harvesting of wild Australian plant seed supports revegetation networks who are combatting dryland salinity, soil erosion and restoring wild communities to health.

Heritage plants support a growing subculture. Some gardeners are abandoning hybrids for old-fashioned , heritage or ‘open pollinated’ plants. These are generally easier to grow, their seed is easy to save at home, and saving seed connects the gardener to annual growing cycles. Lacking the uniformity of hybrids, and generally no less productive, open pollinated plants tend to be more robust and need less food and pesticides to produce something worthwhile. Fertiliser and pesticides are a hidden cost, and a common consequence of growing modern hybrids for farmers.

Membership-based ‘Seed Saver’ networks make additional efforts far beyond offering unusual seed: they offer education, planning, advice and events, as well as free seed to Local Seed Network members. Seed Savers deliberately adapt their cultivars to suit local conditions and soils. With our enormously varied climates and soils, locally adapted Australian-grown seed can offer practical advantages over foreign seed grown in just the one climate.

Most important of all, as our climate changes, gardeners and farmers who practice seed saving techniques are able to improve their crops. Seed Saving supports local food security in a warming world.

Seed Sources (please note contact details are subject to change)

1 Native Seed:

 The Australian Native Plant Society maintains a seed supplier list.

Eyre Native Seeds, PO Box 1334, Port Lincoln, SA 5606. Ph: 08 8682 6233; Email: saseeds@chariot.net.au

Goozeff Seeds, PO Box 3022, North Nowra, NSW 2541. Ph: 02 4421 0731; Email: sales@goozeffseeds.com

Nindethana Seed Service, P/L, PO Box 2121, Albany, WA 6331. Ph:  08 9844 3533; Email: nindseed@iinet.net.au

2 Vegetables, herbs, fruit and spices:

Arthur Yates & Co Ltd, PO Box 6672, Silverwater BC, NSW 1811. Ph: 02 9763 9200;

Eden Seeds, M.S. 905, Lower Beechmont, Qld 4211. Ph: (07) 5533 1107;

Green Harvest, PO Box 92, Maleny, QLD 4552; http://www.greenharvest.com.au. Free call 1800 681014 (orders only)

Greenpatch Organic Seeds, 109 Old Bar Road, Glenthorne, NSW. Ph/Fax: 02 6551 4240; Email: enquiries@greenpatchseeds.com.au

New Gippsland Seeds, PO Box 1, Silvan, VIC 3795. Ph: 03 9737 9560;

Phoenix Seeds, PO Box 207, Snug, Tasmania 7054; Ph:  03 62 679 663; Web: www.phoenixseeds.net.au

Royston Petrie Seeds, P/L, PO Box 1152, Mudgee, NSW 2850. Ph: 02 6372 7800; Email: roseed@bigpond.com

Seed Savers’ Network, PO Box 975, Byron Bay, NSW 2481. Ph: 02 6685 7560; Email: info@seedsavers.net

Jerry Coleby-Williams

1st March 2013

Oswald may have been an ‘ex’ cyclone, but it pummelled the east coast of Australia (between 25^th – 28^th January).

Bayside Brisbane, where I live, experienced some heavy rain with Oswald, but it was the gusting winds that caused most damage between 27^{th -} 28^th January. More damage occurred on the morning of 28^th than at any other time because the topsoil had become soaked and provided little anchorage for roots. Trees, and the bamboo (Bambusa oldhamii) opposite the house, slumped in the wind.

Two weeks later, salt spray damage to trees, especially Forest Red gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis) and jacaranda, became evident. Damage extended 2km inland, alarming gardeners.

Storm surges saturated properties along the Moreton Bay foreshore. Affected trees and soil will gradually recover, but the salt spray damage to foliage looks like heat damage from a cool bushfire.

Oswald took my young fig tree, Ficus carica ‘Preston’s Prolific’, a heritage cultivar from Melbourne. Also went two fruiting stems of banana, luckily the ‘Java Blue’ bananas are mature enough to eat green. The ‘First Fleet’ coffee tree has lost 80% of its cherries, the golden oregano (Origanum vulgare ‘Aureum’) and purple fennel have rotted (Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’).

After the storm damage had been tidied up, the sun, wind and heat returned, drying out the topsoil so daily watering became essential once again.

The garden looks quite lush and the menu has increased to 92 taxa, but as I write, an East Coast Low weather system now threatens further destructive winds…

Edible roots
Arrowroot, Canna edulis
Cocoyam, Xanthosoma saggitifolia
Carrot, Daucus carota ‘Paris Market’
Turnip, Brassica rapa subsp. rapa ‘Gold Ball’

Edible leaves
Basil, lemon, Ocimum x citriodora
Basil, lime, Ocimum americanum ‘Lime’
Basil, sacred, Ocimum tenuiflorum
Basil, sweet Genovese, Ocimum basilicum
Basil, Thai, Ocimum americanum
Cassava, Manihot esculenta
Cassava, Manihot esculenta ‘Variegata’
Celery stem taro, aka Tahitian spinach, Alocasia esculenta
Chaplu, Piper methysticum
Chinese celery, aka smallage, Apium graveolens
Chinese spinach, Amaranthus tricolor
Chinese spinach, Amaranthus tricolor ‘Flying Colours’
Chinese spinach, Amaranthus tricolor ‘Mekong Red’
Chinese spinach, Amaranthus tricolor ‘Red Callaloo’
Chives, Allium schoenoprasum
Curry leaf, Murraya koenigii
Curry leaf bush, Helichrysum italicum
French Tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus
Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum
Goldenrod, Solidago sp.
Good King Henry, aka Lincolnshire spinach, Chenopodium bonus-henricus
Green amaranth, Amaranthus viridis
Gourd, Lagenaria siceraria
Heart leaf ice-plant, Aptenia cordifolia
Huauzontle, Chenopodium berlandieri
Japanese parsley, Cryptotaenia japonica
Kaffir lime, Citrus hystrix
Kale, Tuscan, Brassica oleracea Acephala Group ‘Laciniato’
Kale, variegated, Brassica oleracea Acephala Group
Kohl rabi, Brassica acephala Gongyloides group ‘White Vienna’
Lebanese cress, Aethionema coridifolium
Lemongrass, Cymbopogon flexuosus
Lovage, Levisticum officinale
Love-lies-bleeding, Amaranthus caudatus
Moroccan mint, Mentha spicata ‘Nana’
Multiplier spring onion (aka multiplier scallion) Allium fistulosum
Multiplier leek, Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum
Mustard, Red, Brassica juncea
Native mint, Mentha satureioides
Parsley, Petroselenium crispum ‘Italian flat-leaved’
Parsley, Petroselenium crispum ‘Triple Curled’
Phillip Island hibiscus, Hibiscus insularis
Pumpkin, Cucurbita maxima ‘Tonda Padana’
Purslane, Portulaca oleracea
Radicchio, Cichorium intybus ‘Palla Rossa’
Radicchio, Cichorium intybus ‘Red Verona’
Radicchio, Cichorium intybus
Rosella, Hibiscus sabdariffa
Society garlic, Tulbaghia violacea ‘Variegata’
Society garlic, Tulbaghia violacea ‘Fairy Stars’
Stinking Roger, Tagetes minuta
Sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas ‘Ace of Spades’
Sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas ‘Marguerite’
Thai coriander, Eryngium foetidum
Turmeric, Curcuma longa
Variegated four seasons herb, Plectranthus amboinicus ‘Variegatus’
Vietnamese mint, Persicaria odorata
Welsh onion, aka spring onion, scallion, Allium fistulosum
White peppermint, Mentha x piperita ‘Officinalis’
Wall or wild rocket, Diplotaxis tenuifolia
Warrigal greens, Tetragonia tetragonioides

Edible petals
Banana, Musa x sapientum ‘Lady Finger’
Begonia x semperflorens
French Marigold, Tagetes patula ‘Himalayan’
Goldenrod, Solidago sp.
Gourd, aka New Guinea bean, Lagenaria siceraria
Pumpkin, Cucurbita maxima ‘Tonda Padana’
Turmeric, Curcuma longa

Edible seed
Madagascan bean, Phaseolus lunatus

Fruit
Banana, Musa x sapientum ‘Dwarf Ducasse’
Banana, Musa x sapientum ‘Java Blue’
Chilli, Capsicum annuum ‘Siam Gold’
Chilli, Capsicum annuum ‘Red Cayenne’
Eggplant, Solanum melongena ‘Caspar’
Finger lime, Citrus australasica
Kaffir lime, Citrus hystrix
Lime, Citrus x latifolia
Mouse melon, Melothria scabra
Naranjilla, Solanum quitoense
Pepino, Solanum muricatum
Pineapple, Ananas comosus ‘Queensland Rough’
Tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum ‘Sweet Bite’
West Indian Gherkin, Cucumis anguria
Winter melon, Benincasa hispida

Medicinal / Spices
Aloe vera – leaf juice used to heal sunburn, scratches
Bulbine frutescens – leaf juice used to treat burns, rashes, as an infusion for sore throats
Cinnamon, Cinnamomum verum
Cardamom, False, Alpinia nutans
Cardamon, True, Eletteria cardamomum
Galangal, Alpinia galangal – spice used like ginger with similar properties
Ginger, Zingiber official – spice that helps decongestion of catarrh, aids digestion, blood flow
Greater celandine, Chelidonium majus – stem juice kills warts on hands
Phillip Island hibiscus, Hibiscus insularis – used as a tea to soothe sore throats
Rosemary, dwarf, Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Benenden Blue’
Rosemary, fastigiate, Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Miss Jessopp’
Skullcap, Scutellaria lateriflora – used as green tea to aid sleep
Summer savoury, Satureja hortensis – herb used like sage
Thyme, Thymus serpyllum – antibiotic, used as a gargle against sore throats
Turmeric, Curcuma longa – spice with anti-cancer properties

92 taxa

Jerry Coleby-Williams

19th February 2013

Many of you will be familiar with False cardamom (Alpinia nutans). Landscapers love it since it survives cold and desiccating winds and erratic rainfall. It grows well in frost-free gardens along from Moruya (south coast of NSW) to Cairns. So when I was positive mine were false, I divided the clump up and planted it against the fence. By placing a few crotons in front I recreated the boundary planting I had seen at the village meeting place whilst visiting the Smol Numbas on Malekula Island (Vanuatu).

Old stems can be chopped up for compost making or used as a surface mulch around trees and shrub borders. The flowers are edible and are sometimes added to decorate salads and stir fries, or preserved in sugar to decorate cakes.

If you’re renting, keep your investment in this spice mobile – grow it in a container. A shallow bowl is preferable to a standard pot because gingers are surface rooting. Their roots may rot in the base of a deep pot during cold, wintry conditions.

Use fresh potting or seed raising mix for sowing and growing seedlings. While young, they’re susceptible to various fungal diseases. Don’t expect fungicides to save them. Mulch plants with compost, topping up pots as the potting mix decomposes and the level drops.

You can use the leaves of false cardamom for flavouring food and its flowers are edible. But, in my opinion, the ground seed and pods taste disgusting and are no substitute for true cardamom spice. False cardamom is tough, drought tolerant and chopped stems make good mulch and compost.

If you want the real deal, buy whole, organic cardamom pods from a health food store. Cut the pods in half (use a sharp knife). Sow the seeds in fresh potting mix, just burying them. Place in a warm, sheltered spot, like a windowsill. Keep the mix evenly damp.

Pot up seedlings individually into tubes or small pots. Feed with seaweed, keeping plants sheltered and exposed to morning sunshine. True cardamom is a tropical plant, best grown in a frost-free, coastal climate. False cardamom grows better inland, and once stablished clumps will cope with occasional frosts to -3C.

Whichever you grow, for best results provide compost rich soil, an a sheltered spot with dappled shade all day, or full morning sunshine. Mulch these woodland perennials with sugarcane, dried lawn clippings, mushroom compost, or your own garden compost.

My one year old seedlings are starting to sucker, so I’ve potted them up from tubes into 100mm pots.

The young, aromatic leaves of both kinds of cardamom may be wrapped around fish or chicken and baked or steamed to add flavour. I enjoy baking fish with cardamom leaf with added lime juice or finger lime pulp, whole chillies or pepper.

I have no idea it might take to coax my true cardamom to flowering stage, but I’d like to make spice. Then it’ll be perfect for flavouring ginger cake, smoothies and curries.

Jerry Coleby-Williams
17th February 2013