ABC Organic Gardener Magazine

Organic Gardener Magazine is a guide to organic gardening, providing informative and inspirational stories on everything you need to know to grow your own fruit and vegetables- without the use of harmful chemicals. Each issue includes practical tips and advice from leading organic gardening experts.

ABC Organic Gardener Magazine

Eternal questions

Sorry you’re leafing! • Here are a few farewell tributes to Steve Payne, who has been editor of Organic Gardener for 26 years.

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Growing ideas that will add to your organic garden success.

reviews • Great reads that will challenge and inspire.

The good blooms • Steve Payne looks at the cut flower industry and those who are aiming to make it more sustainable.

Flowers with pizzaz • Karen Sutherland finds some striking flowers that will bring life and pizzaz to your spring and summer garden.

Jump start your SPRING VEGIES • Giving your spring crops a head start will extend your harvest season and have your plants growing strong before the summer heat sets in. Phil Dudman tells how to do it and what to plant.

My herbal saviours • Penny Woodward has grown, used and written about herbs for decades, but has a group of ‘survival’ plants that never let her down.

Bring in the BUTTERFLIES • Gardener, educator and author Jaclyn Crupi wants us all to help protect and support native wildlife – starting in our own backyards and gardens. In this edited extract from her new book Planting for Native Birds, Bees and Butterflies, she zooms in on Australia’s amazing array of native butterflies, their lifecycle, common species and the plants they love, so you can enjoy their colour and magic.

Get rolling with OATS • Goal: Grow freshly rolled oats for breakfast and retain their nutritional value while reducing food miles to a short walk. Linda Cockburn gives oats a go.

Compost crisis help • Kate Flood visited home gardeners to help fix common compost problems and get them back on track producing this rich resource.

Joy for young gardeners • For more than 20 years, Stephanie Alexander has been inspiring students from around the country to get into gardening and discover the joys of fresh, nourishing food.

The seed keeper • On a study trip to India, Helen Cushing visits a seed saver and natural farmer helping to turn back the tide of chemical agriculture.

Millipede menaces • Denis Crawford explains why Portuguese millipedes can be a serious nuisance if they invade homes and gardens in large numbers.

Good preparations • Our experts give their top tips, must-do jobs and what to plant now as the warmer seasons approach.

Simply generous food • Melbourne-based cook and author Julia Busuttil Nishimura is influenced by her Maltese heritage and the wonders of Italian cooking after living in Tuscany for a time. She loves cooking with the seasons and fresh produce. She has written four cook books, her latest being Good Cooking Every Day – from which we’ve selected a few tantalising recipes.

On the watch • Georgia Angus tells how citizen science is vital to bird and wildlife monitoring.

Quirky QUAIL • They don’t make a racket, are cheap to keep, produce lots of yummy eggs and will even help out in the garden. No surprise Jessamy Miller thinks quails are a winner.

A NATURAL BUZZ • Natural beekeeping pioneer Tim Malfroy talks with Jacqueline Forster about his fascination with bees, the advantages of Warré hives and the honey they produce, and the global challenges facing beekeepers. Plus, tips for getting into natural beekeeping.

Sacred sauna • Helen Cushing immerses herself in a traditional Finnish sauna healing session in Hobart, transported by aromatic herbs.

The journey forward • In a final...