Category: Gardeners

Book Review: ‘The Thrifty Gardener’ By Millie Ross, ABC Books

“Building the garden you want with whatever you’ve got”

International Women’s Day

Despite the amount of gardening and botanical research carried out by women, their roles and influences in horticulture are not shared in recorded history as equally or as well as the efforts of men.

Port Moresby: A Gritty City with Heart

Before leaving for a week’s trip, I read my Lonely Planet guide. It describes Port Moresby as a gritty city and advises tourists not to flaunt their wealth. I survived living in London’s seedy Surrey Docks (1984 – 85) and I work for our national broadcaster, so I consider myself to be (somewhat) street-wise and I’ve plenty…

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Farewell, Friends

Basil and Mary died. Last weekend. The world is poorer without them, and I have a heavy heart. Where to start?

Review: Edible School Gardens DVD

“If they grow it, they will eat it”, that’s Leonie Shanahan’s positive message for parents and schools. But how to get an affordable school food garden started?

Sumptuous Pomelo

At last weekend’s open day, Rosa, a gardening neighbour, gave me two pomelo fruit. So I had two opportunities: to grow my own tree and to make refreshing pomelo salad.

Open Day At Bellis

Almost 1,700 people visited my garden last weekend. And what a very friendly, gentle, respectful and very inquisitive mob they all were. I found the first visitor snoozing in her car as the dawn mist was rising. People arrived gradually at first, but as Brisbane turned on one of its magical autumn days, things began…

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So You Want To Create A Community Garden?

A gardening friend is getting ready to breathe life into a neglected communal food garden, so I’ve sent him these notes I prepared for Gardening Australia. In 2007 – 2008, there was a spike in oil prices. Since the bulk of food is produced using petrol-dependant technology (oil-based fertilisers and pesticides, petrol powered irrigation, harvesting,…

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