Thirty four years ago, I graduated at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Category: Gardening Australia
Autumn Open Day at Bellis
Every time I open my garden there is something to celebrate about organic gardening and seed saving.
Book Review: ‘The Thrifty Gardener’ By Millie Ross, ABC Books
“Building the garden you want with whatever you’ve got”
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.
Scrub Turkey Trouble?
Question Hi Jerry, I have just moved to Byron Bay and have a Scrub Turkey (aka Australian Bush Turkey) problem. Do you have any clues as to what I should do to get my veggie garden going? Me and my veggie-head friend in Sydney love your work, Vicki
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,…
Citrus: Avoiding The ‘Danger Zone’ To Achieve Abundance
Trish & Malcolm have finally solved their citrus fruit drop problem. Autumn is an important season for citrus maintenance, especially if they’re growing in areas with summer rainfall. This is because heavy rainfall leaches nutrients through the soil and citrus are really quick to show they’ve got deficiencies. For a quick nutrient fix: To four…
Threatened Lunch…‘Convict’ Lettuce And Subtropical Leeks
Today I received confirmation from the head gardener at Buckingham Palace that the Royal Household will be growing ‘First Fleet’ lettuce once more in Britain. Carried from Britain by the First Fleet to be cultivated at Sydney’s First Farm in 1788, this doughty traditional vegetable has since disappeared from Britain’s market gardens. I love this…
More Yam Please: Growing Alternatives To Potato
Yams are warm climate, winter herbaceous, perennial vines. The swollen, starch-rich tuber is their food store, and this is what most people grow them for – they use them as a potato alternative, baked, boiled, mashed or as chips.
King Tides Now – Commoners By 2050
Rising sea levels have major implications for coastal gardens. Yesterday’s king tide gave us the perfect opportunity to see what will be commonplace by 2050. One corner of the world that is experiencing greater than average sea level rises is north eastern Australia. Even if all greenhouse gas emissions ceased immediately, oceans respond more slowly….
Jerry’s ‘Bellis Garden’
The Gardening Australia expo, Brisbane, was a big success. Better plants, better displays and keen gardeners determined to succeed, whatever drought may bring. We were there too, mostly at ‘Jerry’s Bellis garden’ display. I’d like to say a big thank you to Expertise Events – to Gary, Dawn, Matt and Rudi – the team who…
Environmental Heroes Honoured
From the Federal government’s Australian honours website: Name: CUNDALL, Peter Award: Member of the Order of Australia Date granted: 26 January 2007 State: Tas Suburb: Rosevears Citation: For service to the environment, particularly the protection of wilderness areas in Tasmania, and to horticulture as a presenter of gardening programs on television and radio.
Jerry Coleby-Williams 