ABC Organic Gardener

09/09/2025

Look at this duo of cuteness, 😍courtesy of our friends at the Australian Wildlife Conservancy 💚

Also a bit of info from the team to help us understand how these small marsupials survive:

"No pouches here! Numbat mums have their work cut out for them, with tiny babies clinging to her teats for their first 6-7 months of life. Once they’re too big for her to walk comfortably, she creches them in a nest, which she tends to regularly as they grow. These precocious pups are at the sunbathing stage — finally old enough to peek out of the burrow and soak up some rays. By December, they’ll be fully independent, just in time to become parents in January."

Thank you for sharing the cuteness! 🥰

📸 J Kern/AWC

08/09/2025

We thought you might like to meet our team of regular contributors to OG Magazine - introducing..... Steve Falcioni The Plant Addict, our new horticultural editor. As well as helping our editor, Chloe Thomson, plan and edit each issue - he's also a great writer, so you'll also find his articles within the magazine on a regular basis.

Steve's a qualified horticulturist with over 20 years’ experience, he has knowledge that spans landscaping, organic practices, community gardens and more. Throughout it all he’s been an advocate of all things organic and is pleased to see more and more people are gardening this way.

He lives in an inner city suburb of Sydney, growing all his favourites on his rooftop terrace while keeping an eye on his local community garden 🌱 You might even have seen both of these featured in a 2024 episode of Gardening Australia!

07/09/2025

This is Mark, our dep ed's brother-in-law, and his prolific patch of rhubarb. It is clearly happy due to its sunny spot but it has also had a whole lot of love over the years. 💚 Mark started his patch from crowns given to him by his dad, Don, who had been taking rhubarb plants with him from garden to garden over the years. Mark reckons there is about 60 years of history behind the rhubarb he grows today.

And so easy to cook up once grown! Mark harvests a few stalks at a time, chops into small pieces and puts straight into the sink, full of water for a rinse clean. Then the rhubarb is taken from sink to a pot (no need for extra water) and sugar added. Measurements are not exact but say you have 200 grams rhubarb, you need about 40 grams sugar. Cook on low with cover on (but slightly askew), giving a shake every so often. About 10 minutes later you have a tasty addition to your morning cereal! 😋

👉Anyone else out there with hand-me-down rhubarb? Tell us the story of your plants - and share your recipes! 😎

05/09/2025

Who has been admiring the many colourful wattle blossoms that are around at the moment? Maybe you're even inspired to plant one in your own garden? The team at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria shared this post with three surprising ways these plants can boost the health of your garden and the ecosystem around it 🌱 and we wanted to pass on their ideas (just in case you need convincing):

Water saver 💧
Wattles are resilient survivors. Once established, most species are tough and thrive with little to no watering.

Food source 🐝🕊️
Their blossoms and foliage provide food for local pollinators and attract a host of native birdlife to your backyard.

Soil improver 🌱
Wattles form partnerships with rhizobia bacteria in their roots, drawing nitrogen from the air and turning it into plant-available nutrients—enriching the soil for everything growing nearby.

👉 The RBGV team also pointed out that because wattles are so hardy, some species can spread beyond their intended area. For the best results, plant species local to your region—they’ll not only stay in balance but also have much greater chances of attracting local fauna to your garden!

💚 Thank you everyone at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria for sharing the wattle ideas!

04/09/2025

A proposal to remove 500 trees for a new data centre could be reworked to retain 300 mature habitat trees, according to Friends of Lane Cove National Park . ABC Sydney reports that the site was cleared and abandoned in 2009, where around 200 trees regrew alongside the 300 mature trees. The developer says they will plant 750 new trees to offset the removal - but is that enough? 🌳

A developer, claiming to be the first carbon-neutral property company, faces backlash from local conservationists concerned about the impact of removing 500 trees on a neighbouring national park.

03/09/2025

We are very excited here at team OG! 😀 We just sent our Spring issue to print 🌼🌱💚 To celebrate (and take a break from her desk), our dep ed, Leanne, went for a long walk, soaking up the sun and all that's blooming in her neighbourhood, even found a bee or two buzzing around. 🐝

Over the next couple of weeks we will be sharing more about the Spring issue with its fresh look and great growing ideas. In the meantime, we highly recommend soaking up the sun in your garden.☀️

BTW: The new, fresh issue is on sale from September 15 💚

28/08/2025

🪴This Saturday!🪴ABC Perth are all set to swap at Perth City Farm from 8am. Meet Amber Cunningham as she broadcasts live with Roots and Shoots' Sabrina Hahn - Hort with Heart and bring along your healthy, extra plants to swap for a new plant. Grab a coffee from the cafe and check out the farmers market while you're there! More info here 👉👉

Are you a gardening enthusiast who wants to increase your plant collection? Then join ABC Radio Perth on Saturday, 30 August for a Saturday Breakfast Plant Swap at Perth City Farm.

21/08/2025

We know gardening is the bees knees, but the benefits multiply when the village combines to help it thrive! 🌱This story from ABC Wide Bay shares the wonderful experiences of aged care residents sharing their knowledge with the next generation of gardeners - and everyone's a winner 😃🫛🌽🥕🥦

Joan French, 92, has been spending time in the garden of her aged care home with much younger company. Life experience and shared interests make good fodder for conversation.

19/08/2025

Penny Woodward has grown, used and written about herbs for decades, so she is often our go-to when looking for what to grow. 🌱One of her 'survival' herbs, the ones that never let her down, is purple sage - and with Penny's growing tips you could grow them in your garden. 👇

This herb is one of the group of ‘survival’ plants that never let Penny Woodward don, and you can easily grow the plant from cuttings.

18/08/2025

Griffith Spring Fest is back! For two weeks in October head to the colourful festival as the city gets set to celebrate its long history of being the centre of a renowned food and wine region. 🍊🍇 From October 12-25 enjoy the rich mix of culture, creativity and gourmet treats. 😋

There’s something for everyone, from over 60 displays made from locally grown oranges and grapefruit to a family-friendly street party! 🌞 Find out more at https://griffithspringfest.com.au/

12/08/2025

Stephanie Alexander and Alice Zaslavsky visited Elwood Primary School for a taste of kitchen garden magic before they have to start making some tough decisions as judges of the ! 🐝 Here they are with some of the many keen gardeners who enjoy digging deep in their patch at school. 🥰

You have until this Friday, 15 August at 9.30am, to enter, so there's still a chance to win one of NINE $4,000 prize packs for your school or service. 🌻

👉 The awards are open to ALL schools and early childhood services around Australia, and applying is quick and easy! For more information about how to enter, head to www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/national-kitchen-garden-awards-2025

11/08/2025

Our gardens can offer a haven to butterflies in many ways. 🦋What we plant can impact on whether they decide to stick around and help pollinate, and you'll find a list of butterfly-attracting plants in our latest issue (head to your newsagent to get a copy; look for the bright yellow cover with a bee buzzing around wattle🐝 ).

👇 In the meantime, this article offers tips on building a rock garden where they can land and bask in the sun. 🌞

Gardener and author Jaclyn Crupi wants us all to help protect and support native wildlife, starting with native butterflies.