As supported by the Helen McPherson Smith Trust

In response to the 2009 bushfires’ tragedy, the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust established a special $2 million Bushfires Grants Fund to assist those Victorians affected by the tragedy. In 2010, Sustainable Gardening Australia received $1m from this fund to deliver a 3 year project that will establish and promote community based gardening across Victorian bushfire areas.

This project is designed to contribute to the community recovery process of those Victorians who were directly affected by the Black Saturday bushfires in February 2009. It aims to provide a lasting contribution by helping to rebuild and regenerate through sustainable gardening activities. The project is a partnership between the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust, SGA and bushfire affected communities as defined by the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (VBRRA). To find out more about this amazing project, click here.

Irrigation in an Arid Nation

So, you’ve probably heard the news – water restrictions in many parts of Australia have been, or soon will be, reduced/lifted/altered. While this may be good news for the nursery industry, landscapers, gardeners and associated businesses who have struggled through some dry times, many people believe we may be putting the political cart in front of the H2O horse.

Whatever your view, it’s important that all Australians’ remember that water is a finite resource – that is, there is X amount of it to go around, and we need to use it wisely. Pipelines, pumping, desal and dams are all good and well, but the best water management and conservation strategies start at home. This month, we encourage people to resist the urge to purge – no four hour showers, no water wasting sprinklers, no unnecessary car washing, no wally watering of gardens. Let’s look after our water – just say “No” to wasting H2O! Hints and Tips here!

Avocado – ‘Ave an Avo!

All hail the awesome avocado – key ingredient of the greatest dip/side dish/condiment on earth, guacamole! Apart from being amazingly tasty, avocados are darned good for us – high in vitamin C, chock full of anti-oxidants, great for our skin and a good source of beneficial mono-unsaturated fats. Oh, and for the blokes, they are a great liver cleanser and may also help prevent hair lose due to their high content of folic acid. Is there anything this fab fruit can’t do?‘Ave an Avo ‘ere!.

Don’t Be A Drip – Sub-Surface Sustainable Irrigation

For many of us, watering the garden has always been a bit of a “hit and miss”, and all too often it seems like too much hard work. To take the stress out of watering (for both you and your garden), why not whack in a subsurface watering system, one that delivers water directly to the roots of the plant via drippers. They are neat, tidy and sustainable and will help to reduce water wastage in the garden. But best of all they are not that hard to install. Our sustainable subsurface irrigation installation guide will help you make the most of your water in the patch. Wet yourself here

The Great Indoors – Get Into Indoor Plants

AOn average, every Australian spends around 90% of their time indoors, be it at work, at home, at the shops or the local pub, a figure that I found astonishing (but it did explain my total lack of tan)! The other thing I find astonishing is the lack of plants indoors (real ones, not plastic). Sure, indoor plants can pretty up the place, but they can play a far more serious role in prevention of illness and sick days associated with the air inside. Read on to discover how a pot plant or two can make you more productive in the great indoors. Click here.

Grand Designs – Sustainable Garden Design Part 4

A plant’s suitability for the job, the site and the position, is the rule for all plant selection in sustainable design. By this we mean that the plant will do what you want it to do (for example, provide shade or screening), its suitability for the climate and microclimate (for example, roses might be very suitable for your climate, but not if they will be sitting under full shade all summer long), and, most importantly, the soil.Check out our Plant Selection guide here.

September In Your Patch

Pull on the gardening gloves, dust off the shovel, and get gardening this September! Start your Spring Fling by checking out what to do in your piece of paradise this month. Super September Starts Here!

Lettuce – Lettuce Into Your Life

It’s great, it’s green, and it goes with just about everything….it’s lettuce, and it’s time to pop it into the patch. Easy to grow and even easier to eat, lettuce tell you all about this incredible edible here.

Larvae Life – Aphids Suck

They’re tiny but don’t let that fool you! Aphids are serious plant destroying machines that arrive with the start of warm weather and they are heading to a garden near you. Get up close and personal with these little (sap)suckers!