Email from Michel: “We had an early start at 5.45am to get ready for a trip near to the swamps. It was the first time we took the main highland road. Clay and bumps, but much larger than our Koli stone-paved road. Tiny bit of traffic – mostly police and army. We visited eight families…
Author: Jerry Coleby-Williams
Freelance curator, sustainable horticulturist, conservationist, writer.
"Sometimes, the only thing more dangerous than a question is an answer."
208th Ferengi Law of Acquisition
Seedsavers In Papua New Guinea
Just received this email from Michel Fanton, relayed by his partner, Jude Fanton, both Co-Founders of the Seed Savers Network in Byron Bay. Michel is currently networking in PNG, one of the many international Seed Saver projects: “Even though the rain is falling on the southern highlands the HF email radio is working. All worked…
Subversion
A fast-food eating city apartment dweller was today caught eating food picked fresh from an organic garden in Bayside Brisbane. “I’m guilty” said Mr Andrews, perpetrator and customer service employee. First it was fresh mulberries warmed by the sun, next out popped some peas and then those really red, sweet cherry tomatoes…”
Rohin’s Organic Botanic Garden
An upcoming story on Gardening Australia will feature Rohin Miles, a Gardener of the Year Award entrant. The story features Rohin, a 20 year old gardener. His passions range from ornamentals, productive and heritage plants, exotics and natives. He’s an apprentice gardener with Tweed Shire Council in the Northern Rivers of NSW. We filmed at…
Vale The ‘Green Revolution’
A busy day in the garden…rain was forecast, so I cut and spread dolomite on George’s Sustainable Lawn, hoping it would wash it in. It didn’t, so I ended up rinsing it in with recycled water. I want it looking OK for this Sunday’s National Sustainable House Day. I knocked up a temporary bamboo screen…
The Drought In Management
Evolving about 350 million years ago, the Australian Lungfish (aka the Queensland Lungfish), Neoceratodus forsteri, represents an ancient animal line, more precious than the Wollemi Pine. Of the six living lungfish species found worldwide, our native species is the most ancient and distinctive. As a child I was fascinated by prehistoric creatures. Instead of fantasising…
Working With Winners
Who would have thought that Auntie’s long-running, bargain-basement gardening show would outlive and outperform the ‘Burke’s Backyard’ tv show and thrive as the ‘Sydney in Bloom’ expo folded? Drought has so far claimed over 11,000 jobs in horticulture in NSW alone. A water state of emergency has been declared in SE Qld. Petrol prices and…
Oil, Rust, Heat And Global Crises
Four days ago (the 8.8.06) British Petroleum closed Prudhoe Bay, the largest oilfield in the USA. BP’s public relations claim that this was due to ‘corroding pipelines’. No one gets nervous when you hear about a bit – or even a lot – of rust. But is it true or hype? The arctic tundra is…
Extraordinary Gardeners
Recently ‘Gardening Australia’ screened a segment filmed at Denise and Henk Horchner’s water-wise subtropical cottage garden. You can see that we get on well…they have a great sense of humour and I LOVE old-fashioned gardens and I LOVE discovering plants that I’ve never seen before. The Viola dissecta mentioned is only the second specimen I’ve…
In Production Today
We currently have 43 crops in production in our 400 square metre back garden. SE Queensland’s dams are around 70% empty, but we’ve got just enough recycled water to scrape by. Due to this I’m not using any town water as yet, thanks to the few showers of rain that fell over the past few…
Losing It In The Park
I’ve never before ‘lost it’ at a National Tree Day event. But today I did a number just before a few pupils from Lota State School turned up at Melaleuca Park, Clifton Street, Manly West.
Grandad’s Recipe For Lawn Sand
The Fact Sheet for this segment needs a little editing… To read the original go to the ABC Website at:http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1366394.htm After having recommended this recipe without any hitches for over twenty five years I discovered it has one weakness. In Australia sulphate of potash and sulphate of ammonia are sometimes sold in granular form. Either…
Jerry Coleby-Williams 