around the gardens - canberra organic growers society (cogs)€¦ · in community interest in...

The quarterly publication of the Canberra Organic Growers Society Inc.

Congratulations Pauline Cairnduff OAM

Pardalote paradise • Around the gardens

Winter 2019: Vol 27 No 2 Issue 103

Canberra Organic Growers Society Garlic and onions harvested at Ange’s Charnwood plot

It is only just a few weeks since the Canberra Organic Growers Society (COGS) Annual

General Meeting and I am already completely engaged with my new role as your President. I appreciate the trust that has been shown in electing me to this position. I am committed to serving the objectives and best interests of the Society and its members, with all the skills and energy I can muster through the year ahead. While we are a small organisation there is much that we can achieve with and through our members. We can still grow, both in numbers and active participation, and not just in the community garden sphere. I would like all members of COGS to feel that belonging to the organisation is worthwhile and I am conscious of the need for members who do not make use of community gardens, to be recognised and encouraged. For our community gardens, I want to see a continuing close and constructive working relationship between the Executive Committee, garden committees and convenors. I feel a deep sense of duty to build on the great work of COGS’ founders and all those members who have committed to our goals as a leading community organisation in organic gardening practice, education and community engagement. One of my first tasks as President was to represent COGS at the Community Gardens’ Forum, co-hosted by COGS and Canberra City Farm on 7 April 2019. Organised by Sue McCarthy and Keith Colls (CCF President) around thirty representatives of community gardens from Canberra and surrounds were in attendance, including some COGS convenors. At this Forum, I learnt a lot about how different community gardens operate and common challenges they face, including at those gardens established in or on the roofs of urban and suburban apartment blocks. One of the aims of this get-together was to connect with the Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network (ACFCGN), to facilitate improved exchange of knowledge and experience in community garden management between like-minded organisations. It was good to meet other representatives and I was inspired by their achievements in stimulating productivity and a sense of common purpose in their gardens, and importantly, connecting with their local communities. Community gardens are all different, but we all share this challenge. COGS has many years of experience in the operation of community gardens. Our approach has adapted over time to a changing demographic and growth in community interest in growing food organically.

President's column

1Canberra Organic Winter 2019

While we should celebrate our successes and our good reputation, we should avoid complacency and pride. The ACT Government’s Guide to Community Gardens conveys expectations of these spaces being focused on growing fresh produce and being inclusive, with equitable access for all members of the community. As we look to the year ahead and the need to renegotiate our ACT Government licences, upon which most of our gardens operate, the time is right for us to look closely at how each of our gardens is performing. This includes the quality of our landscapes and the condition of infrastructure, as well as our practices, food productivity and the use of our spaces. It is important that COGS is welcoming to all and encourages a diverse membership base. This general appraisal of our performance needs the engagement of all garden committees and sets a background for our 2019-20 Budget process, which I am working on with our Treasurer, Andy Hrast.We are all interested in learning more about organic gardening, but we can feel swamped by the advice and tips from media programs, publications and the celebrity gurus and wizards. In gardening circles, everyone’s got an opinion. There are many good reliable sources of information around but I encourage you to be sceptical and be wary of “experts” who continue to sit on the fence on organics despite all the evidence of how unsustainable and environmentally damaging the alternatives are. For my part, I am an interested in the science of growing food organically and environmental sustainability. If you want to understand the essence of organic gardening and good basic techniques, such as managing soil fertility, go to the COGS website. The COGS Library has served members well over the years and we have had to close it down because of a lack of use. However, this magazine will continue to be a trusted source of information on organic gardening

(like our website) as well as great stories about our gardens and our people. I also encourage members to look to us for guidance and advice, whether it’s in your backyard or in a community garden.We are revising the very popular COGS Seasonal Growing Guides on our website to better reflect the growing conditions and changing climate of the Canberra region. The Bureau of Meteorology reported March as the hottest on record and the start of 2019 as the hottest start of the year – about 2.2 degrees above the long-term average for the first quarter. This stark reality is having a marked affect on what and when we plant (as well as water consumption) and is not temporary. As Dr Steven Crimp from the ANU said recently in an ABC News article: “...Climate change has most definitely affected the timing of those established rules of when you plant and when you don’t plant. Some of the old rules we’ve relied on for growing crops need to be revisited.”I am keen to get some help with the revision of the growing guides from

members who have know-how and experience that they would like to share, as well as some creative energy. Please get in touch with me if you are interested. As a final word for now, I’d like to quote the encouraging words of Diana Cozadinos from a past edition of this magazine:

“My challenge to you all is this: make the most of the community that is COGS. Attend a working bee or the always informative COGS monthly meetings, sign up to volunteer or become convenor at your garden’s or COGS’ next AGM, contribute a photo or article to the magazine, or just have a really good yarn with one of your garden neighbours.”

Thank you, Diana for your work as editor of Canberra Organic over 2017 and 2018 (8 editions!) and especially for your positivity and generosity in sharing your time and inspiration with us. An enthusiastic welcome to our new editor, Rebecca Travers. Good luck and have fun.—Neville Jackson

ISSN 2203-5125 (print) ISSN 2203-5133 (online)

Vol 27 No 2 Issue 103

Canberra Organic is the quarterly publication of the Canberra Organic Growers Society Inc.

It celebrates organic gardening, local produce, sustainability and information exchange in the Canberra region.

Articles may be reproduced for non-profit, educational purposes or with prior permission from COGS.

Editor: Rebecca Travers Layout: Matt Mawson Proofreading: Walter Steensby Neville Jackson Jenny Clark

The Canberra Organic Growers Society is a non-profit organisation providing a forum for organic growers to exchange information and supporting the adoption of organic growing methods in the community.

COGS encourages the use of natural methods to improve our soils, promote sustainability and produce fresh, nutritious food.

For information about COGS and organic gardening, visit the COGS website

www.cogs.asn.au

Enquiries [email protected]

Postal address COGS PO Box 347 Dickson ACT 2602

2

Canberra Organic Growers Society elected executive 2018–2019 President Neville Jackson — [email protected]

Vice president Susan McCarthy — [email protected]

Secretary Peter Weddell — [email protected]

Treasurer Andy Hrast — [email protected]

Membership secretary Bev O'Connell — [email protected]

Magazine editor Rebecca Travers — [email protected]

Gardens coordinator Joanne McMillan — [email protected]

Information officer Patricia Georgee

General members Narelle McLean Michelle Barson Terry Williams Sue-Anne Muggleton

Community gardensCOGS operates 12 community gardens in the Canberra region, with the support of the ACT Government. The convenors and contact email addresses are listed below.

Betty Cornhill [email protected]

Charnwood Teresa Rose — [email protected]

Cook Peter Weddell — [email protected]

Crace Peter Newbigin — [email protected]

Dickson Teresa McMaugh — [email protected]

Erindale Tracey Bool — [email protected]

Holder Margaret Stapper — [email protected]

Kaleen Joanne Widdup — [email protected]

Kambah Shirley Bolton — [email protected]

Mitchell Narelle McLean — [email protected]

Oaks Estate Brian Connell — [email protected]

O’Connor Bev McConnell & Paul Magarey — [email protected]

Canberra Organic Growers Society

(below) Holder community garden

mailto:[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]


[email protected]

[email protected]


[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]


President's column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside front coverCOGS committee and garden convenors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Editor’s note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Around the COGS gardens: Kambah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–5 Mitchell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Betty Cornhill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 O'Connor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Dickson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 –11My backyard garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12–13

Welcome to the Winter 2019 edition of Canberra Organic

and my first as editor. I’d like to begin by acknowledging our outgoing editor Diana Cozadinos for all her hard work over the past two years. She has done such an amazing job and I know you’ll join me in thanking her for her contribution.Organic gardening is relatively new to me, having only joined the Mitchell community garden in 2017. Prior to this, my experience only extended to my small-scale balcony garden. However, gardening is in my blood. My Grand-da was well known for his wonderful tomato crops and prize-winning leeks in the north of England and as a result it has always been something I have enjoyed and wanted to pursue.

Editor’s note

With that in mind, I have always found Canberra Organic to be such a wonderful source of information and I am so grateful to our regular contributors, who provide such

wisdom and insight into organic gardening through their articles. I hope that you will continue to share with me your stories, advice, recipes and ideas throughout future editions.In this edition, I particularly enjoyed reading the interview with Paulene Cairnduff OAM, who has just been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia on Australia Day for her service to horticulture. I also enjoyed the wonderful poems submitted by Gerry Jacobson and David Odell, as well as hearing about the wonderful produce being harvested and planted in our COGS gardens across Canberra. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed putting it together. Happy gardening!—Rebecca Travers

My gardening inspiration, my Grand-da and his tomatoes (c.1960s)

ContentsPardalote paradise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Globe artichokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15The perfect recipe for a healthy garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16–17Brainy gardeners (part two) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18–19Bugs and other life in the garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20The weather report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Poem: The gut and the root . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Poem: The house cow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Winter planting guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24What’s on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .inside back coverThis month’s cover: photo by Margaret Stapper.

throughout February. As Convener, I was just so grateful and proud of our members who did not hesitate to volunteer time, dollars and talents and effort. A net amount of $1,125.70 was raised and donated to Oz Harvest who very gratefully accepted this amount with a huge thanks for the hard work, dedication, and generosity of the gardeners at our Kambah garden.

4 Canberra Organic Growers Society

Open garden weekend

This year has been a busy, but fun time for our Kambah garden. COGS was approached by ‘Open Gardens Canberra Inc.’ with a request that one of the 12 gardens be opened along with the private home open gardens programmed for the early part of this year. Accordingly, our President at the time, Sue McCarthy asked if the Kambah garden would accommodate this request. So, as a team of gardeners, we set out to arrange a weekend-long Open Garden program. Held over the weekend of 2 and 3 March 2019, we enjoyed the last of the very hot weather, with Canberra throwing us 37-degree days! Regardless, we had a wonderfully successful two days with plants and seedlings for sale, a stand selling tea, coffee, cold drinks and cakes and a kids’ corner where children were shown how to make potato-heads and could colour in beautiful vegetable drawings produced by our members, Tony and Assunta Battaglia. We had two photo bocould ards, some hand-out brochures and free old gardening magazines and free seeds. We also had a sausage sizzle with the added attraction of egg and bacon rolls – a great hit with our visitors. There were approximately 500 guests through our gate over the two-day period and almost everyone commented on how lovely the garden was looking, how tidy it was, and more importantly, the wonderful, happy atmosphere displayed by all our garden members. One very interested guest just happened to have assisted the government in the original set-up of the Kambah garden and was an original Kambah garden member in 2001. The preparation for this special weekend took a lot of time and effort, especially by our gardeners who really came to the party in ensuring their plots were tidied, weeded, and producing well, despite the extremely hot lead time

Kambah community garden

Jenny McCormick and Cathy Morrison greeting visitors

(above) Ed Highley serving sausages(below) The plant sale


Welcomes and farewells

We have welcomed a few new gardeners over recent months, mostly lovely young families who have injected wonderful new vibrance into our garden. We have also farewelled a few members whose life pathways have taken them elsewhere. This, sadly, has included Lyn and Trevor Mills who joined the Kambah garden in 2003 and have been very committed family garden members. Unfortunately, failing health has meant that this wonderful couple are unable to maintain their garden in the manner that they would love to still do. As a group of gardeners, we want to thank them for everything they have given to the garden, their friends and family, their neighbours and many needy folk, over many years. We wish them better health and a happy future with lots of gardening in their own backyard.—Shirley Bolton (articles and photos)

(right) Lyn and Trevor have been members of the Kambah garden since 2003

Building a shelter

Since our Open Garden weekend, a handful of Kambah members have been really busy building our wonderful shelter. A huge thanks goes to the COGS Executive for funding this project. Thanks to our amazing Ed Highley, who was nominated as ‘project manager’ for the task. Ed poured over the very vague building instructions for many a restless hour, trying to comprehend a builders’ language that he’d never had dealings with in the past. Not only did he manage the project, but spent many an hour, with the assistance of a handful of member gardeners, up ladders, on the roof, drilling and screwing, until, on Saturday 6 March, the task was completed. Well done Ed and his team of willing helpers. We now have a wonderful asset that, on the day after it was completed, was ‘christened’ by one of our member families who enjoyed a little barbecue under it. It is hoped that Kambah can share the use of this shelter with other gardens and the local community in many different and positive ways over the ensuing years. Kambah gardeners enjoying their first meeting under the new shelter

The finished shelter


Mitchell community garden

As the cold morning’s start to creep in, the Mitchell garden is getting ready for winter. Kale, lettuces,

garlic and onions are already in the ground, surrounded by a thick layer of mulch to keep them warm once the frost hits.On 13 April 2019, we held our usual monthly working bee, which saw our gardeners work together to complete jobs around the garden. Whilst there were only a small number of gardeners in attendance at the working bee, their efforts were impressive. One of these jobs included the finalisation of the installation of two large rain water tanks, which are located at the rear of our shed. Like many of the COGS Gardens, one of the largest expenditure items at the Mitchell garden is the water used on the plots. The rain water tanks were purchased following the fundraising efforts of those in the garden, through our Bunnings BBQ and other donations. The installation of the water tanks will provide us with a way of recycling the rain water that runs off the shed roof over the winter months. It has been a great achievement to get these in and finished before winter really sets in. A big thank you to the working bee team.—Rebecca Travers (article and photos)

(above) The new water tanks at Mitchell garden(below) Flowers at Mitchell garden


It has been a huge learning curve (and a lot of hard work!) over the past year

setting up our allotment plot, starting from the ground up.The original plan was for Dave to set the garden up as his ‘retirement occupation’ and a way to reduce our food bills—especially the greens for our bunnies. With my involvement, we were able to bring the development of the plot forward by up to a year … it’s a shame that the same can’t be said about the retirement!Never in a million years would I have thought that I would get such joy from planning the garden, setting it all up and tending it, even though it was quite arduous in the extreme summer heat!There are several things I have learnt about myself that I never knew before – I love being out in the garden and growing veggies and I love the smell of the gardeners’ friend … horse poo!After our great effort, we are managing to grow greens (which the bunnies prefer to shop bought!) and enough veg to drastically reduce our weekly veg shop by approximately 75%. Being on a plant-based diet, that is a considerable amount.We have found the taste of home-grown is incredible, compared to shop bought, so no wonder the bunnies are pleased! It is also such a pleasure to be able to give surplus to our children and friends.We are looking forward to getting our second plot up and running and expanding on our range – who knows, maybe next year we will be producing 100%!—Jo Kirwan (article and photos)

Our first year at the Betty Cornhill garden


The O'Connor community garden is hosted by O'Connor Uniting Church, on what was previously

two tennis courts. COGS manage the garden, which is approximately 1,000 square metres which consists of 21 member plots as well as communal gardens.While our main focus earlier in the year was surviving the blistering summer, we have also reinvigorated several underused plots and improved the overall productivity of the garden. We have welcomed Hannah, Jo and Margaret and farewelled Alister. For the first time in ages, our plot waitlist is manageable.Thanks to the efforts of Giovanni, Alan and Paul, we have significantly increased our contribution to the Church’s community outreach activities. Fresh organic produce is regularly delivered to organisations and local neighbours in need with whom the Church has a relationship.Watering is a challenge at the garden due to the very free draining clay substrata of the old tennis courts. The soils dry out quickly and can become water repellent. Gardeners offset this by regular composting, mulching and manuring throughout the year. We also benefit from a Church environmental initiative in the mid 2000’s, to harvest rain water into two 45,000 litre tanks. A Commonwealth government community water grant funded the installation of the tanks, while COGS arranged the reticulation of the garden plots. This source

O’Connor community garden

of non-potable water also allows gardeners to use drip watering systems independently, if needed, of any water conservation measures in place.It is always interesting to see how our O’Connor gardeners use their plots. As well as a wide range of vegetables including heirloom varieties, this summer produced watermelons which have not been successfully grown to maturity before. Some gardeners have introduced high yielding berry cultivars such as the thornless ‘Waldo’ blackberry, a variety with large berries of exceptional flavour. The red currant ‘Reine de Versailles’ adapts well to shade and produces trusses of large red berries. It is rather tart, almost sour and goes well in Summer Pudding or sauces.—Bev McConnell (article) Bev McConnell and Deb Hamilton (photos)

(below) Giovanni and Barbara enjoying the first watermelons grown at O’Connor(right) O’Connor blackberries


At the Dickson community garden we have been building and improving our resources

and enhancing the garden space, and are now busy planting for winter and spring harvests. At a recent working bee, we collectively made our own potting mix ahead of growing seedlings for spring, and raising them in our glasshouse. We used a mixture of river sand, soaked coir and sieved compost. Our monthly working bees are also a time when we maintain our paths, by weeding and mulching with chip bark that is generously provided by Dickson College. The College grounds’ staff have also assisted by cutting down and removing a number of large invasive trees on our site, and will continue to work with us to repair plumbing and guttering of the storage rooms. We are refurbishing and expanding the number of our wet compost bins – progressing them from pallets to lining the bins with reused fence palings from a nearby property, and tucking the compost in with repurposed and waterproof woollen blankets.Our project of expanding our edible natives and developing our front border is coming along well. We now have both genders of Tasmanian pepper berry bushes (which are very attractive plants) and more native raspberries. We also have additional climbers and hedging plants that are native, have edible parts, provide screening or attract bees. A dripper system to support the front border was installed and has saved a lot of time from hand watering, which is instead spent working on our plots and other spaces.This year we are exploring options for installing wicking beds on a large concrete pad that is was part of the old agricultural school and plan to overhaul our trellising system for the berry patch.In our plots, we are busy growing winter (including Asian) greens and brassicas; snow, sugar snap and sweet peas; fenugreek; silverbeet and garlic. Our pumpkins, capsicums and parsnips are winding up and we have picked the last of our watermelon, which were surprisingly worth growing.Enjoy autumn everyone. The bounty of autumn leaves is coming soon.—Teresa McMaugh (article and photos)

Dickson community garden

(above) Flowers at Dickson community garden(below) The last of the watermelon


Waiting for winter at Holder community garden

The predicted average maximum and minimum temperatures for the Easter weekend this year was 25oC and 13ºC. We have had one very minor frost that has affected just a few of the pumpkin vines in the most exposed parts of the garden but many summer plants still have produce ripening. Chilli, eggplant beans, tomatoes, watermelon and pumpkins are all still being harvested. This is amazing for our garden. We all know that in Canberra we are not ‘allowed’ to turn our heaters on before ANZAC Day. This year that will not be a challenge if the weather forecast proves correct.It has been a difficult year for gardening as we were grappled with the drought and savage heat over a prolonged period. Many gardeners have shaded their produce, suffered crop loss or had crops very late in the season. Many are wondering if this will become the norm with climate change.Holder currently has a number of unused plots so we are hoping to see some new gardeners join us soon. When there is little rain, it is harder to find the time to water as well as keep up with the other tasks that ensure a productive garden. I wonder if this has been a factor?!—Margaret Stapper (article and photos)

Holder community garden

Chillis.jpg Chillis at Holder community gardenRaspberries at Holder.jpg Raspberries at Holder community gardenSilverbeet at Holder.jpg

Silverbeet at Holder community garden

(above) Chillis and (below) strawberries at Holder community garden


Paulene is a long-term gardener at the Holder community garden

and was recently awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) on Australia Day for her service to horticulture. You will understand why when you read all about what she has done for the Canberra community, when we interviewed her.

Paulene, tell us about your gardening journey…I grew up on the east coast of Tasmania, on a farm where all our own fruit and vegetables were grown. This is where I developed my appreciation of fresh food and home cooking.I graduated from the School of Horticulture at Weston Campus in 1981 and worked at the Pialligo Plant Farm in Pialligo for 23 years as Senior Horticulturist.After semi-retiring I became a support teacher for horticulture students with disability. I also currently co-host the ‘Garden Gurus’ programme on 2CC every Saturday and Sunday morning.I have volunteered in many horticulture organisations including the Phoenix Gardening Group (which was active in restoring gardens after the 2003 fires), the Australian National Botanic Garden, the National Arboretum, the committee of Friends of Fetherston Gardens, and as President of First Canberra Garden ClubI also enjoy gardening at the Holder community garden.

Paulene, on behalf of our Holder members, thank you!Paulene is on the garden committee at Holder and has the task of showing prospective new gardeners around. She is the welcoming face for our garden and is always incredibly generous in sharing her knowledge with us all. We are blessed to have you with us Paulene. —Margaret Stapper (interview and photo)

Paulene, do you have a favourite recipe that uses your winter produce?Yes, I do. This is a favourite ‘must-have’ in the freezer:Pea and Bean SpreadIngredients• equal quantities of steamed green peas and broad beans• mint, finely chopped• crushed garlic• parmesan cheese, grated• olive oil• sea salt and pepperMethod1. Puree the green peas, broad beans, mint and garlic together. 2. Add lots of grated parmesan cheese and olive oil to make a paste.3. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.4. Enjoy with crackers or on toasted sourdough bread.

Congratulations to Paulene Cairnduff


I’d like to say that the garden looks pretty good this summer, despite

the hot conditions of late. We have an 894-square metre block in the lower part of Narrabundah, so we get lots of hard frosts. Not very conducive to citrus growing, but by tucking a grapefruit tree and a lemon tree under the warm northwest corner of the house and the lime against our north wall, we have managed some fruit each year.When we bought here 30 years ago, I was attracted by the six mature fruit trees in the backyard. We still have the blood plum and one of the peaches. Last year the plum gave us a bumper crop, but only half a dozen fruits this year. This season, it’s the turn of the peach, though only after some threats towards the possums which come in every night for dinner from the park across the road. I tried covering groups of fruit with orange net bags, but the tree is far too big (about five metres) to net everything. Then I bought an owl which flashes its huge yellow eyes and emits its mournful cry on detecting movements. At least it is helping to deter the possums enough to get a harvest. Which reminds me, I have bought my last full-size fruit

tree! From now on I am buying only dwarf trees—this year a dwarf peach called Fresno, developed in California. After 30 years, I am over pruning five-metre trees from the top of a two-metre step ladder, swaying around in the icy wind! And why is it that when you are pruning, no matter which way you look, the sun is always in your eyes?In my experience, stone fruits don’t keep all that long once picked, so what to do with the excess? When it comes to the kitchen, I am fairly lazy. The quickest way to deal with excess fruit (plus tomatoes in our case) is to freeze them after a quick blanching for a minute or two in boiling water, then tip into ice cream or other containers for use over winter. We usually put the tomatoes into 150 or 200ml dip containers to make a good size to add to pasta, risotto, stews, or just about anything. This year we harvested about 75 apricots from our three-year-old Moorpark tree, up from 25 last

year. It is in the middle of the front lawn, and doesn’t seem to mind the constant winds from the parkland and ovals across the road. What’s even better, the birds don’t seem to have discovered it yet. They can be picked when slightly unripe, and will ripen indoors in a few days. The birds know about the Blackboy cherry nearby, but by picking them slightly under-ripe, we get some and they get some. This year we got several kilos, our best harvest yet. Our Greengage plum is finally carrying a respectable amount of fruit this year, after about eight years. The trick was to give up trying to espalier it to the fence, and to plant a Damson plum nearby to ensure good pollination. The two persimmons are fruiting well this year after having a lean year last season. I have learnt that it is very important to keep the water up from as soon as the first buds appear in mid spring till harvest in late March, and they will reward you bountifully. If you like the taste, persimmons are one the easiest fruit trees to grow in

My backyard garden

Peter's backyard vegie garden and blood plum tree

The owl guarding the fruit

13Canberra Organic c Winter 2019

emulsion with the watering can till they have finished fruiting. This gives them a boost and helps to strengthen the plants against insect attack. I also like to throw a few handfuls of old manure (preferably cow) around the fruit trees, especially the citrus, and roses during the growing season. Other than that, I top up the vegie beds and some of the flower beds each year with my own compost. I have two green gedye bins, and 3 open bins of about one cubic metre each, made from old pallets and fence boards. Due to the high cost of town water, we have the drip irrigation switched off for much of the year, but for the last three weeks it’s been set for a half hour twice a week. Up until then, I was bucketing out water from our small bathtub (one of my daily luxuries). It’s amazing how far this will stretch for much of the year. I can supplement it with some water from our two 1700 litre rainwater tanks, but these are also used to top up the small pond, the wicking beds, the toilet and washing machine . The washing machine water is then recycled via a 11/4 inch polypipe to the newly-planted front lawn.All in all, it looks like being a very good season. —Peter Cornhill (article and photos)

Canberra. Once established, they require very little attention pruning-wise, and seem to be free from insect attack. Ours are both nearly 30 years old and still bear well. The fruit can be picked when partly ripe (green with a tinge of orange) in autumn when less other fruit is ripening. Kept in a cool spot, they will ripen to a rich red after a few days or weeks (and not all at once), and can be frozen if there is excess. Make sure, if you buy an astringent variety, that the fruits are completely soft before eating, or the tanins will make your mouth curl! The blueberry and jostaberry plants I bought last winter have been quite badly burned off by the sun, so I’m not sure how permanent they will be.

VegiesI have found that by harvesting your vegies early where possible, you can avoid some insect attack. Tomatoes for example will ripen indoors in a few days as long as they have a tinge of pink. That way I avoid the worst of the vegetable bugs, which can devastate the fruit. This year I planted Romas and Mortage Lifters. The latter were on sale at a large hardware chain, in the section with Heritage Herbs, for about $5 a punnet. Sounds expensive, but there were 27 plants in the punnet, so they work out much cheaper than the punnets in the vegie section. You can swap the excess with

friends or give some away as early Christmas presents. Usually I have cherry tomatoes coming up from last year’s seed, but there are hardly any this year-don’t know why. All my tomato, capsicum, eggplant, basil, celery and parsley seedlings I buy fairly cheaply in small punnets in September. I then pot them on into 150mm pots in a mixture of my own compost and a little old cow manure and keep in the greenhouse, watering every day till a week or so before Melbourne Cup Day. Then they go out in a sheltered part of the garden, gradually being moved into more direct sun to ‘harden up’ before planting them out. This year I planted California Wonder and Long Yellow capsicums, and Lebanese eggplants in one of my two wicking beds. They are already producing good crops in early January. I have found that plants in these beds, despite having a ‘well’ in the bottom half of the bed, benefit from extra water from the drip irrigation system that runs throughout the whole garden. All the cucurbits, sweet corn and beans can be seeded directly in late October or November when the soil has warmed up.Pots with vegie seedlings and planted crops are watered with a weak solution each week, or ‘weakly weekly’, as Cedric Bryant likes to say, with a seaweed solution or fish

The apricot tree Lebanese eggplants Netted peaches


Spotted Pardalotes (Pardalotus punctatus) are reasonably

common around Canberra and their distinctive calls can often be heard in our gardens. With their flashy golden breasts and tiny stature, they are a welcome break from Indian Mynas (introduced feral pests) and the very aggressive Noisy Miners, which, though native, are dramatically expanding their range. These aggressively territorial birds drive out all smaller birds. Over the past few years, any stockpile of garden earth I’ve had has been occupied by Spotted Pardalotes from mid-winter; they claim it for several months. So in early July 2018, I made them their own permanent mound. Using old bricks I made a circular structure about 1m across and filled it with earth, packed down gently. I left the front bare and poked in a couple of twigs to act as potential perches. Within a few days, a pair of Pardalotes had investigated the mound and were busily burrowing (they will burrow up to 1.5m if they have room). Their nesting chamber is at the end of the tunnel; they incubate 3-4 eggs for 19 days and the nestlings spend another 21 days in the nest. Both birds burrow and care for the young.I also share my Hills Hoist with them; this is close to their mound. Frequently, while I’m hanging out washing, a Pardalote will appear on

the wire with some morsel in its beak. After pivoting around for a couple of minutes, it will suddenly dash into its burrow.In early December I returned from a three-week holiday and saw no activity at the mound. Had they reared young successfully? I hoped so. As I presumed they had finished for the season, I planted three Golden Nugget seedlings on the top of the mound. So I was surprised and delighted when, in early January, I saw Pardalotes once again using the mound. Throughout January I observed them delivering food morsels, clearly rearing a second clutch. So I trained the pumpkin vines away from the burrow entrance; this is organic gardening with biodiversity benefits! At the end of January, activity ceased again; no Pardalotes visited the mound, nor were they active around the garden. If birds had fledged, I had clearly once again missed the critical event.More recently (22 April 2019), a pair of Pardalotes briefly visited the mound. The female made two quick visits to the now-collapsed burrow entrance, then both birds flew into the large Hakeas behind the clothesline

The Spotted Pardalote (photo by Roger Curnow)

Pardalote paradise

(below) Sally’s purpose built mound for breeding spotted pardalotes

and disappeared once again. Perhaps they are just checking that their real estate is ready for them, when they need it later in winter!Even though Spotted Pardalotes have nested in my garden for several years, I have yet to determine how successful they are. Early in the season, when they are attracting mates, they are very obvious with their constant calling and prominent perching. When they are burrowing or feeding young in the nest, they are also visible as they come and go, though they can be very swift. But then they seem to disappear. I have no idea if they have bred successfully, and if so, where the adults and fledglings have gone. I’d be interested to hear of the experience of others.Anyone can build a Pardalote mound in the garden. Give it a go!Footnote: Sonja Lenz and Kevin McCue of the National Parks Association (NPA) recently told me that they observed three baby Pardalotes emerge from a burrow in their garden. Within minutes they had made their first wobbly appearance, then flew off, not to be seen again. —Sally Stephens (article and photos)


I love to grow globe artichokes for their majestic sculptural

form, large grey serrated leaves and spectacular giant thistle-like flowers and also because they remind me of my childhood!Globe artichokes (carciofi, in Italian) were grown by my parents in their extensive and productive fruit and vegetable garden at O’Connor from the early 1960’s. At that time, artichokes were not well known or grown in Canberra except by migrants who came mainly from around the Mediterranean region. Today, globe artichokes feature in many cafe and restaurant menus and are readily available in shops and markets, both fresh and processed.Fresh: The way we ate them fresh was to pick them when they were smallish so they were not too tough, washed them, removed the outer tough petals and cut off the thorny ends. We would peel a petal off, dip it in a dipping bowl of olive oil, salt and red wine vinegar and eat it, leaving the top bit if tough. Another way was to prepare them as above and to slice them thinly into a mixed green garden salad dressed with olive oil, salt and red wine vinegar.Cooked: When in season, my Mother would make stuffed artichokes in a tomato sauce (Carciofi ripieni con

sugo) using a mixture of seasoned breadcrumbs, egg and herbs. She would start from the outer petals, filling around and towards the centre. She would then fry these in olive oil until browned, set them aside and make the tomato sauce using garlic, a red chilli, tomato passata, some water and salt and pepper. When the sauce had cooked for about 15 to 20 minutes, the artichokes would be placed in the pot and cooked until tender for about 30 to 45 minutes. Sometimes my mother would also

Globe artichokes (Cynara scolymus L.)

cook spaghetti, sprinkled with grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, to go with the artichokes and sauce. Delicious! (There are many recipes on the internet for stuffed artichokes either braised in sauce or baked in the oven. For meat lovers, some recipes use minced meat for the stuffing instead of just the breadcrumbs).Preserved: When there was an abundance of artichokes they would be preserved. This was done by removing the tough outer petals, trimming off the thorny ends and stalks and quartered. The artichokes were then cooked for a few minutes in boiling white wine vinegar and water, drained, cooled, seasoned with crushed dried oregano, sliced garlic, salt and dried chilli flakes. They were then packed into sterilised jars, topped with olive oil and sealed tightly. These marinated artichoke hearts were served with antipasti.I have not given precise measurements as the above recipes were not written down and were made from memory. However, there are many recipes for preparing, cooking and preserving artichokes on the internet. —Ange McNeilly (article and photos)

Globe artichokes, harvested mid-November 2018 at Ange’s Charnwood plot

Globe artichoke flowers are very decorative when dried either in their natural state or they can be spray painted in bright colours for a wonderful arrangement


At the Dickson garden we make our own compost, plant

fertilisers and tonics. Here’s what we do:Firstly we make our own compost from spent plants from our plots and inputs we obtain from other sources, such as coffee grounds from cafes, horse manure from the racetrack, fresh grass clippings and leaf litter in Autumn. Using a method many of you would find familiar we are able to have a new batch of compost every few months. Our setup uses wooden pallots arranged in three bays, with each bay about one cubic metre. Initially the compost needs feeding, then some time to mature and then it can be used—hence three composting bays. We use these signs to identify at which stage of the process the compost bay is at: Feed me, Leave me and Use me.The compost is turned regularly and new layers added whilst in the feed me stage. Layers of brown and green (carbon and nitrogen) are used. Brown material would be leaves, hay or lucerne, spent plants and older lawn clippings and the green would be horse manure, coffee grounds and fresh lawn clippings. The compost is kept moist and turned every two weeks until the pile is quite high. It is then left to rest and mature into lovely friable humus.

We had been using carpet to keep the compost moist but recently found out that this is prohibited in COGS gardens due to leaching of nasty chemicals, so we have changed over to woollen blankets that are readily available at the many op shops around Canberra. Thanks to Teresa, our convener for organising their purchase. Dickson garden also has three worm farms lovingly doted on by a group of plot holders. They are fed regularly, though onions and citrus are not included in the worm’s diet. A chop of their food helps it be chewed through by the worms more quickly.

The results are worm wee by the bucket for the plants in our plots. Occasionally we also have a pile of very rich worm castings that can be added to potting mix, seed raising mix or in the garden plots. A little of this goes a long way. Ray, our resident handyman sadly moved to Victoria, but he very kindly left behind a system that makes liquid fertiliser. Simply place some manure into a hessian bag and leave dangling by a cord in the barrel filled with water for about two weeks, maybe a little longer in colder months. The resulting brew is high in nitrogen and great for leafy greens

The perfect recipe for a healthy garden

Leave me; Use me; Feed me

Humus Chopped food The worm farms


and plants just starting out. The contents of the sack can be placed on the compost. Alternatives to the manure are comfrey and nettles. The latter brew is good for flowering and plant health.Finally, the gardeners at Dickson are keen to reduce land fill waste and have been developing a system to kill off the never ending couch population in our paths and unfortunately some plots. This pervasive weed cannot be used on the compost but what about making weed juice with it. We have four plastic garbage bins that we place the couch in until it is crammed full. Next a brick is placed on top and the bin fill with water. Make sure the couch is completely covered with water (the brick will keep it

Veronica

submerged) and the lid is on tight as the anaerobic activity that breaks down the couch gets really smelly. The breaking down of the couch takes about six months and works best when the couch is submerged

Ray's system for making liquid fertiliser

as a fresh green plant. The resulting juice can be strained off and used as a tonic for plants to reduce transplant shock, reduce heat stress and as a general pick me up. The couch can be safely placed on the compost to be broken down further or as a mulch on garden beds and around fruit trees. Note that all these brews should be diluted in water, about half a cup in a bucket of water.I would like to extend a thank you on behalf of all the Dickson gardeners to Veronica, who has been managing the compost system since arriving at Dickson three years ago. Unfortunately this physical job has become a little too much for Veronica to manage so I have taken over. Hope I can do as good a job as The Mighty V. P.S. Veronica is 95 years old. —Michele England (article and photos)

Couch and its nemesis, the humble plastic garbage bin


Part two: Legumes, beetroot dip and herb pesto

Legumes, such as beans, are good for the brain. They contain slow

released carbohydrate for energy for the brain and nervous system, and protein for muscles, along with lots of fibre, minerals and B-vitamins especially folate. Folate, or Vitamin B 9, can improve verbal and memory performance and possibly delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Autumn is the time to plant broad beans. Pick them and freeze them if you have excess. Likewise, you can freeze whole beans grown in summer. Some types of French beans are grown for the young seeds rather than the pods, others are grown for drying. By choosing the right variety and preserving the beans

you can have beans all year ground. I have tried growing chick peas in Canberra. They went the way of the peanuts—looked promising but did not produce a crop. By the way, Aussies eat Vegemite for a reason—it’s full of B vitamins—B1, B2, B3 and B9. It is worth noting that Vitamin B12 is only found in animal products. Grow beetroots all year round. Plant in autumn and spring. As well as having lots of anti-oxidants, beetroots contain nitrates which help to boost blood flow to the brain, and choline which helps memory. Raw is best apparently and you could juice them with sweeter vegetables such as carrots and tomatoes. Try to pick your beetroots when they are at their peak and therefore tender rather than huge, ugly and as tough as old boots. Spinach, celery, lettuce, radishes and Chinese cabbages also good sources

of nitrates so plant some of these so that you always have some high nitrate food to add to your salads.A delicious way to eat raw beetroot is to make a beetroot dip. Simply wash, peel and finely grate a medium sized beetroot, mix in a mashed garlic clove (roasted or blanched garlic has a milder flavour), ½ cup of plain yoghurt, lemon juice to taste and some chopped dill and seasoning. You can replace the yoghurt with a tablespoon of tahini and a tablespoon of olive oil. A food processor will give a smoother finish. You can also make raw beetroot borsch and serve it ice cold. Simply finely grate some 4 medium beetroots, as well as a small Lebanese cucumber and an eating apple. Add the juice of an orange and enough water to make a soup-like consistency. You can put the ingredients into a food processor for a

Brainy gardeners


smoother texture. You can add a pinch of sugar or a dash of balsamic vinegar to suit your taste. Chill thoroughly. Season and add some chopped dill or chives and a dollop of yoghurt. Using tahini to make dips is a great idea because tahini contains a very high amount of mono and polyunsaturated fat as well as magnesium, phosphorus, iron and calcium. It also contains phytosterols and lignans called sesamin and sesamol, which have a similar structure to estrogen, are antioxidants which help to support the immune system, reduce cholesterol. It is easier for the body to access these goodies from tahini rather than from whole sesame seeds. So make tahini based dips with your beetroot, eggplants and chickpeas (should you have been fortunate to have grown them to maturity). Use these healthy dips as a condiment with your main meals rather than as just snacks.Colourful vegetables are good too. Grow lots of carrots all year round, put in a pumpkin in summer (the dried seeds are great brain food) and even try sweet potato. They need a long time to mature but my attempts to grow them in Canberra were successful although you should protect them from late frosts. Red cabbages are great to grow in autumn and early winter and then again in spring (providing you keep the white cabbage butterfly at bay). Tomatoes, capsicums and chillies provide lots of colour in summer and can be preserved quite successfully. Freeze chillies whole in a snap lock bag.A very healthy, easy and colourful and delicious salad can be made by finely slicing red cabbage, finely grating some raw tender beetroot and carrot into a bowl and tossing together in a dressing of 1/3 part cider vinegar to 2/3 parts virgin olive oil.And don’t forget herbs in your brain healthy garden patch. They are packed with vitamins and minerals and other goodies. Try making

pesto, a very healthy combination of herbs, nuts, virgin olive oil, garlic and a touch of cheese. Avoid a bitter tasting pesto by using garlic cloves that have been blanched or roasted, a mild tasting olive oil and add finely grated Parmesan just before serving. I also recommend that you dip the herbs in and out of boiling water very briefly as this will preserve their green colour. Cool them down in iced water immediately after. After making the pesto, put it into ice cube trays and freeze, pack the cubes into zip lock bags and store in freezer. Pesto can be added to pasta or used as a topping for meat, vegetables or soup. Used as a condiment it adds zest to any dish and is good for your brain as well. Place a couple of cups of loosely packed herbs—basil or rocket or parsley—in a food processor. Add 1/3 cup of nuts —walnuts, pinenuts, macadamias,

cashews. Add about 2/3 cup of virgin olive oil and a large clove of garlic. Season to taste. If serving immediately add 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Blend to from a paste, but not too smooth.Socialising with fellow gardeners after a hard day at the plot is good for your brain too especially if you have a glass of red wine as well. And if you make vegetables the hero of your meals and eat them with oily fish, eggs, poultry and whole grains you will be helping your brain remember all those tricky Latin names for plants for a long time to come.—Elizabeth Dangerfield (article and photos)This series explores how investing in your garden’s layout is also an investment in your health. Part One (Autumn 2019) explored berries, leafy greens and nuts.


Bugs and other life in the gardenOver the Summer and Autumn many different insects—beneficial and non-beneficial—visit the garden

—Photos and captions by Heather Campbell

Other pests such as cockatoos are attracted to plants such a sunflowers and can damage fruit on nearby plants such as fruit trees that are not protected by netting

The Green Vegetable Bug, Nezara Virdula, has different stages and markings

Grasshoppers and sap sucking bugs are around

Paper Wasps should be avoided as if disturbed they will sting but if left alone will do no damage

Bees are busy pollinators in our gardens

The Green Fiddler Beetle and Jezabel Butterfly can also be found at times


Short-lived El Niño remains likely

The Bureau of Meteorology Report released on 16 April says the chance of El Niño developing in the coming months is

approximately 70%; around triple the normal likelihood.While climate models forecast El Niño-like ocean temperatures during May, most models indicate a cooling through winter, with only three of eight models still forecasting El Niño-like warmth in spring. This indicates that if El Niño does develop, it is likely to be short lived and weak.El Niño typically brings drier than average conditions for eastern Australia during winter–spring, and warmer days across southern Australia. During the autumn months, the influence of El Niño tends to be weaker, but can bring drier conditions to the south of the country.In the Indian Ocean, most climate models indicate the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is likely to be neutral for the remainder of the austral autumn, with the possibility of a positive IOD in winter or spring. A positive IOD typically means drier than average conditions for southern and central Australia during winter-spring.—Andy Hrast

Dam levels in the Canberra region and capital cities

% FULL % FULL January '19 January '18

ACT storages 60 73Murray–Darling Basin 33 52Burrinjuck Dam 31 40Blowering Dam 26 47

% FULL % FULL January '19 January '18

Sydney 56 74Melbourne 53 61Brisbane 69 82Adelaide 42 51Perth 42 35

The gut and the root

Sometimes a book falls off the shelf, and it’s at just the right time. It may be life changing. A

few years ago there was a book on haiku fell off the shelf at ‘Better Read than Dead’ in Newtown; it led me into discovering my own poetry. And then there was a book on gut health that led me into making sauerkraut and kombucha.

solid core of bacteria and yeast … my thin skin thickens daily turning sourMore recently a book fell off the Civic Library shelf: The Hidden Half of Nature by D.R. Montgomery and Anne Biklé. David Montgomery is a geologist, as I am. Anne Biklé is a biologist and also a cancer survivor. They describe restoring the health of a clapped-out block of land in northern USA using mulch of various organic materials. Together they have reviewed the (2016) soil research literature and I find their account quite convincing. The pioneers of organic gardening, people like Albert Howard, Eve Balfour, and William Albrecht knew that they were right. They got results in field and lab trials, but they didn’t know why. Eighty years later, advances in genetics and microbiology show why organic gardening works.Long-term soil fertility arises from soil ecology. Soil microbes (fungi, bacteria) break down organic matter. They supply and distribute the nutrients, trace elements and organic acids that plants need. These invisible soil micro-organisms are more abundant near plant roots (the rhizosphere).The biological processes that link the soil, roots and rhizophere, and help suppress plant diseases, are mirrored by processes in the gut and associated immune system. The human gut is like a parallel universe; it is home to microbes that specialise in decomposing plant matter and convert it to beneficial compounds. Gut and root have a common theme of communication and exchanges with microbes. So, the fibre we eat is analogous to the organic mulch we put on our gardens. It is probiotic. And the quality of the food we eat is central to our health. The quality of soil and what we feed the soil microbes with, is central to plant health.

autumn begins with a new compost heap collecting weeds and manure to fertilise the future

—Gerry Jacobson

Canberra Organic Winter 2019 23

Global WormingBungendore Road, Tarago NSW 2580

Email: [email protected] 0408 496 767

The pack also includesjuvenile worms and

worm capsules (eggs)

1000 worms (0.25 kg)

2000 worms (0.5 kg)

4000 worms (1.0 kg)

$30.00$50.00$90.00

Pack contains adult composting worms consistingof three varieties; Red wriggler, Tiger and Indian blue

Worms will consume over half of their body weightin a day

Worms produce a casting (vermicaste) that is richwith nutrients and full of microbial activity

The house cow

Birds are song against the blue,

Morn is crisp, the heavy dew

lays patterned on the ground.

The cow awaits (with limpid eye)

to bucket milk, and therefore I, with

due respect, prepare oblation

and worship the cow with

the golden calf.

Fingers flying warming to

the rhythm of the milk:

Idly thinking: Am I Master? Am I Slave?

What to do with this day’s work?

There is milk of course

but cream as well

(buttered scones and homemade jam)

with cream in dollops on the top.

Yoghurt perhaps? Or maybe cheese?

Making milk immortal with my choice.

Cheddar is firm but I like Brie

or Camembert for taste,

but truly my delight is mouldy Blue

(a gourmet’s choice will not be waste).

Mine is the land of milk and honey

Thanks to She, the “poor man’s” dairy cow.

Dra

win

g by

Mat

t Maw

son

This poem was written following reflections whilst milking Abigail, the cow. Milking is a semi-hypnotic practice which provides more control over life and the way in which life was directed—a more purposeful direction towards self-sufficiency. —David Odell

http://www.slowfoodcanberra.com


These crops include artichokes (Globe and Jerusalem), beetroot, cabbage, carrots, potatoes and radish.Frost-sensitive vegetables such as capsicum, eggplant and tomatoes can be started early in August indoors but may need a heated glasshouse or warm spot to germinate and will certainly need protection before being planted out in spring.

FRUITWinter is the usual time to plant and prune soft fruits including:

StrawberriesPlant certified stock or propagate from runners (not from plants more than two years old) in a soil enriched with compost or well-rotted manure. Remove old leaves and excess runners to tidy up the plants in winter.

BerriesRaspberries, youngberries, boysenberries etc can be planted during winter while they are dormant.Remember, these bear fruit on canes grown in the previous year so to prune remove all the old canes in autumn or winter making sure to leave the current season’s growth for next year’s fruit. Autumn fruiting raspberries bear on the current year’s growth so are cut to the ground in winter after they have fruited.

CurrantsRed, white or black currants are easy bushes to grow in Canberra as they withstand very cold weather and don’t mind heavy clay soil. Currants produce a fruit rarely available commercially. They need to be pruned in winter to remove dead wood and around a third of the oldest branches to encourage new growth and allow for good air circulation.

VEGETABLES

AsparagusPrepare the bed before you buy the crowns to plant in late winter/early spring. Since this is a perennial crop which can last for up to 20 years it is well worth the effort of establish-ing properly. Asparagus needs good drainage and plentiful food and can be planted very successfully in a raised bed enriched with compost and well rotted manure. Seaweed is an excellent mulch.

The crowns are planted in a trench, but with the roots straddling a ridge. Cover so dormant shoots are about 4 cm below the surface. Do not harvest spears the first year, and only harvest for a few weeks the second year.

Remember this is a long-term investment.

Broad beansLate plantings of broad beans in June may be very slow to germinate. Better results are usually achieved with an autumn or early spring planting.

KohlrabiPrepare the soil well with lots of organic matter. Needs rapid growth for flavour.

LettuceOnly plant winter varieties of lettuces (cos, salad bowl, oakleaf, butterhead and mignonette varieties).

OnionsMid-season varieties are often sown late autumn or early winter and long-keeping varieties in winter. However, the timing of mid- or late-season varieties is well worth experi-menting with by making successive plantings to determine the best time in your specific locality.

PeasPeas can be planted in August/September for an early summer crop but may be very slow to germinate if the ground is still very cold or wet.

RhubarbThis is a perennial but plants generally only produce well for a few years, then fresh plants need to be started from sub-divided crowns planted in late winter or early spring. It is very hardy, but it is a gross feeder and will appreciate lots of compost or well rotted manure and plenty of water.

Other possibilitiesGrowers may wish to start a number of crops in late winter rather than early spring if the winter is mild or if they have a sheltered garden bed.

JUN JUL AUG

Artichokes T T

Asparagus T ST

Broad beans S S

Kohlrabi S

Lettuce S

Onions T

Peas ST ST S

Rhubarb T

Silverbeet T S

Snowpeas ST

Spinach T T S

S = seed sowing; T = transplanting

Want to contribute? We’d love to hear from you!

Please send contributions to:

[email protected]

Deadline Published

Autumn mid-January mid-February

Winter mid-April mid-May

Spring mid-July mid-August

Summer mid-October mid-November

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Canberra Organic is a unique way to reach people in the Canberra region who have an interest in organics, gardening and the environment. Our circulation is around 700.

Advertising ratesPayment is to be made in advance. COGS members are eligible for the price in brackets.Size Issue 4 Issues⅛ page $9 ($7) $30 ($25) 1/4 page $18 ($15) $60 ($50) ½ page $36 ($30) $120 ($100) Full page $72 ($60) $240 ($200)Please contact [email protected] in the magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of COGS. Advertised products and services are not specifically endorsed by COGS.



Rod’s ‘bunch of worms’A few of Rod Burridge’s many

tromboncinos (zucchetta tromboncino) which were purchased as seedling pumpkins and planted in Kambah

community garden (photo by Shirley Bolton)

around the gardens - canberra organic growers society (cogs)€¦ · in community interest in...

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