Cabbages are a fantastic winter crop and are perfect for adding to soups, stews, and salads. Cabbages are planted from seeds or seedlings as the cooler season begins. Choosing the Right Variety Some of the most popular cabbage varieties grown include White (Cannonball), Savoy, Red cabbage and Chinese cabbage. White (Cannonball) cabbage is a compact...Read More

The world needs more trees. And Australia has so many beautiful trees that occur nowhere else on the planet. One such tree is the Ceratopetalum gummiferum, commonly known as the New South Wales Christmas Bush. This is a lovely tall shrub or small tree that gets its name from its bright red display at Christmas...Read More

There are some really lovely plants that are very easy and rewarding to grow, and yet are not very well known. One of these is the Abutilon, commonly known as ‘Chinese Lanterns’, thanks to the brightly coloured flowers that hang from the branches. They must be close to the perfect shrub – not too big...Read More

Azaleas maybe aren’t as popular as they used to be 10 or 20 years ago. I’m not sure why this is, because there’s lots to like about these lovely flowering shrubs. They don’t get too big, and they flower profusely over a long period, often a couple of times a year. They are at their...Read More

When we think about growing fruit in warmer parts of the country, we usually think of citrus trees and the classic tropical fruits such as mangoes, avocados, lychees, macadamias, pawpaws, and passionfruit. But many of the varieties we think of as cool climate fruits, like peaches and nectarines, can also be grown here. They are...Read More

Strawberries are delicious, and deserve a place in every home garden. They are easy-to-grow, short-lived perennials, producing fruit within a few months of planting. The plants are small, only 30-45cm tall and wide, so they don’t need much room at all. Pots are fine. But you do need several plants if you want a reasonable...Read More

The burst of colour that many of the flowering native plants bring to the garden in late winter seems to be happening earlier this year, perhaps because it’s been so mild. Grevilleas are starting, as well as wattles and kangaroo paw. But one of my absolute favourites is the flowering tea trees, Leptospermums. These small...Read More

Most of the vegetables we grow are annuals. They grow quickly, are ready for harvest in only a few months, and then we replace them. But there are some perennial vegetables, which will live and produce for years, and perhaps the most popular of these is asparagus. An asparagus plot can produce for over 15...Read More

Roses need a sunny position, with at least 6 hours per day. They also need good drainage, and plenty of organic matter in the soil. To minimise the risk of fungal diseases, ensure that there is plenty of airflow around the roses – they don’t like to be crowded out by other plants. To plant...Read More

Now is the perfect time to take a look at your garden and make major improvements. Winter is great for establishing new trees and shrubs, transplanting, pruning, and mulching. The days are warm but not too hot, so plants have time to get established and develop a nice strong root system before the hot weather...Read More