Jerry Coleby-Williams

Growing Naranjilla Sustainably

How A Distinctive Taste of South America Can Be Grown Sustainably, Keeping its Growers Healthier and Better Off… On our tour of Ecuador, courtesy of The Adventure Traveller, we visited Carlos, a naranjilla farmer at Archidona in the foothills of the Andes. Naranjilla, Solanum quitoense, is a short-lived tropical perennial related to tomato. It is…

Norfolk Island Plant Communities

This spring, I toured Norfolk Island, courtesy of The Adventure Traveller. This biodiverse island occupies 35 square kilometres and is situated 1,412 km due east of Evans Head (NSW, Australia). It is a heavily eroded former volcano, 2.3 to 3 million years old, surrounded by reefs, sitting atop the Norfolk Ridge which links New Caledonia…

What is an Ecotype?

Gardeners are familiar with different plant phenotypes. For example, I grow White Icicle carrot which has a white root. It is a distinct and different cultivar of carrot. It was selected in a garden for horticulture because of its distinctive phenotype. Gardeners know tomatoes come in many sizes, forms and colours. Each is a distinctive…

Arrowroot vs Comfrey Trial – Which Is Better For Growing Biomass In A Warm Climate?

In a trial in subtropical Brisbane, I found that Queensland arrowroot (Canna edulis) requires 1/5th of the water to produce twice the biomass of comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum).

A Garden Rescue

When asked to rescue a neglected garden, the weeds were up, over and under the fence invading neighbouring gardens. Thick undergrowth made it hard for its elderly owner to safely reach the letterbox, let alone stroll around the garden. Where to start?

Book review: Starting With Bromeliads by the Bromeliad Society of Queensland Inc.

“The most important reason why a home gardener should own a copy of ‘Starting with Bromeliads’ is because within its pages is the wisdom of lived experience of dedicated enthusiasts and collectors.

This second, revised edition updates essential information for bromeliad culture in the climatically varied Australian state of Queensland, where no season exactly repeats.

This easy to read guide is aimed at novice bromeliad growers, and it is a great investment in their successful cultivation and display. Including both general advice for whole collections and specific advice for some of the most popular varieties, this is a handy, practical and affordable guide”.

Jerry Coleby-Williams, 26th September 2021

Fly, my pretties! Natural biosecurity for your brassicas. Stand by your cabbages, and give nature a nudge.

Certain cabbage caterpillars are so voracious, they can wipe out a cabbage crop almost overnight, too fast even for some organic remedies to help. What to do? Nudge nature into action and let her take the anxiety out of raising brilliant brassicas. Garden allies Earlier this week as I was clearing my winter cabbages, I…

Introducing the Australian native famous for producing Chinese Green Tea

Yes, the title of this blog sounds like Spam. The first sentence in a blog is supposed to entice the reader to read on, so I’m risking all by saying this remarkable plant looks so unremarkable, I have never given it a second thought. It makes such an inoffensive green tea, few would drink it…

How could cow manure threaten a successful spring flower display?

Most gardeners understand that well dug, compost rich, freely draining soil suits the cultivation of many plants, so what could possibly go wrong when adding cow manure to a flower bed? In this example, digging industrially produced cow manure resulted in a series of unexpected issues for an inexperienced gardener as he tried to continue…

Pesticides In Focus: A Conversation With Australia’s National Toxics Network.

Occasionally, a nation has an opportunity to improve the regulation of pesticides. The Australian government gave itself that opportunity and the result will put profit and easier access to chemicals before human, animal and environmental health. What is at stake, and why is this such a lost opportunity?

Avery Hill Mansion and Winter Garden: Recollections of a Fading Part of London’s Horticultural Heritage.

In the late 1970’s, I had the great fortune of working at Avery Hill Nursery and Winter Garden. My first full time job was at the premier horticultural estate in south east London. To my knowledge, Avery Hill Winter Garden was the last place in SE London where school children could taste fresh sugarcane, pineapple or bananas, or smell the fragrant blossom of frangipani.

Meet the Zingiberales

Every gardener is familiar with some members of the Zingiberales, you’re likely to find examples of six of these families in every street and garden centre in Queensland. You may even know their families are related. Plant a few and your garden can have its own source of attractively shaped, delightfully coloured and sometimes fragrant cut flowers and foliage.