January In Your Patch
Wondering what to do in January in your patch? What vegetables and herbs should you plant? It's the start of the New Year and whether it's time for a…
Christmas Beetles
Most of us would be familiar with the brightly coloured, glossy and sometimes iridescent Christmas beetles. We often see them dazed and confused,…
Controlling Mosquitoes Sustainably
Controlling mosquitoes sustainably in gardens is a challenge now that many parts of eastern Australia are experiencing such high rainfall.…
Harvesting and storing garlic
Garlic bulbs are ready to harvest in late spring or summer, from seven to eight months after they are planted. The outward signs are the green…
December In Your Patch
Life really starts ramping up festive wise at this time of year, so it is important to know some December gardening tips! Hopefully you’ve already…
November In Your Patch
We’re always being told to eat more fruit and veggies and get more exercise with this diet or that exercise program. If the thought of donning the…
Sweet Corn
Zea mays Is there anything sweeter than home grown corn? Corn on the cob, done on the barbie is a stunner, and adds some real height and interest to…
What to do for Flooded Gardens
What to do for flooded gardens is, unfortunately, a question more people need to ask. It seems that our climate is making extreme rainfall and…
Warrigal Greens
Warrigal greens Tetragonia tetragonioides are an edible Australian native groundcover. This bushfood is a member of the family Aizoaceae and is…
All About Weeds
Let’s find out more about why we call some plants weeds and why they are not all really bad. So that we can think usefully about removing unwanted…
Finger Limes
The fruit of the Australian finger lime Citrus australasica is sought after by top restaurants around the world. Often described as ‘lime caviar’ for…
Native Tamarind
Bushfood native tamarind Diploglottis australis, with its large velvety leaves, is an attractive rainforest tree that is valued for its prolific…
October In Your Patch
With the weather warming up nicely, there’s no better place to be than the backyard. October is a huge month in the patch. With so many varieties to…
Top Productive Perennials
Productive perennials provide solutions to many of today's gardening challenges. Top of the list is that they save time! Perennials don't need to be…
Cabbage White Butterfly
Hi, my name is: Cabbage White Butterfly Describe yourself: I am quite a striking white butterfly, Pieris rapae, with two lovely grey/black spots on…
September In Your Patch
September is fantastic for gardeners! So much to plant in most regions of the country. In southern parts, the chill is almost gone from the…
Gardening Fun
This story from Stephanie Tulai is a wonderful example of gardening fun. While listening to my favourite James Blunt playlist through the “buds” on…
Environmental Weeds: Native Invaders and Eager Exotics
We see them on the roadsides: vigorous, long-flowering, hardy and a splash of colour against the grey-green foliage of the native species. They are…
August In Your Patch
Days are getting longer, but not yet much warmer. Plants sense the changes in day length so, in temperate regions they are waking up, but further…