Gardenfest is finished for another year and in spite of the limited time organisers had to prepare it was another resounding success with good crowds out to enjoy some superb autumn weather. Thanks to all those Secret Garden readers who came up to say hello – it was a privilege to meet you and hopefully [...]
The Wonders of Comfrey
Very few plants in the home garden can justifiably be described as “wonder plants”. Quinoa, ...
Last Call for Propagation Workshop
We still have places remaining for our “Propagating Food Plants” workshop this Saturday, which Kylie and I are running as part of the Hampton Food and Arts Festival (which is on the following day, Sun 20th!). We’ll kick things off with a guided tour of our edible garden, then learn the various techniques that can [...]
Gardens are the Stuff of Life
One of the more interesting gardens I’ve come across is ‘Prospect Cottage’ home of the late British film-maker Derek Jarman. Built around an austere fisherman’s cottage at Dungeness, a shingle headland that juts out into the English Channel between Dover and Hastings, Jarman’s garden interests me for a few reasons. One is that it is [...]
Catch Justin at Gardenfest This Weekend
Gardenfest is Toowoomba’s premier gardening event, and Radish readers have the opportunity to catch me at various times over the weekend. I’ll be doing some stints on the plant clinic, so come armed with questions and problems (preferably of the gardening kind!), and I have three speaking sessions spread over the three days. I’d love [...]
Persimmon Passion
If any culture has an eye for an attractive plant, it’s that of Japan. The Land of the Rising Sun has given us such beauties as camellias, ornamental cherries, Japanese maples, azaleas and…persimmons. I bet you did a double take on that last one. Persimmons? Too right! Though the oriental persimmon is native to China, [...]
Rosemary for Remembrance
Hello Radishers, To celebrate Anzac Day I want to share one of my favourite articles of the last six years, written back in April 2008. It’s a favourite for a few reasons, not the least of which is that it made my Mum cry. The article must have hit some right notes, so I hope [...]
The Joys of Being a Producer
There’s a little corner of my vegie garden, a patch no more than a metre square, that’s driving me up the wall. I’ve had five attempts at planting it so far this autumn. On each occasion my efforts have come to nought. First it was the slugs, which happily gobbled up all my emerging seedlings [...]
The Wonders of Comfrey
Very few plants in the home garden can justifiably be described as “wonder plants”. Quinoa, aloe vera, goji berry, and hemp are sometimes bestowed with the title, but in my view, the botanical wonder of wonders is comfrey. It has a long history of use in northern Europe as a medicinal herb, and until recent [...]
What’s Green Manure?
I had a question the other day from Amber in Sydney who asked, “what is green manure”. It’s an excellent question, Amber, and even though I gave a quick response in the comments section of The Radish, it warrants a longer post. And besides, I’m a bit evangelistic about soil, and one of the best [...]
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