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.

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ABC Organic Gardener Magazine

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Get ready for summer in your garden.

For the insects! • By summer’s zenith, gardens can look lacklustre, and beneficial insects can have trouble finding flowers that haven’t succumbed to the heat. To keep your garden colourful and your insect friends happy, Karen Sutherland suggests these hardy, heat-tolerant plants from the daisy family to plant now in sunny spots.

Care for a cordial? • On sun-drenched days or sweltering nights, we tend to reach for cool, flavourful drinks to rehydrate and refresh. This summer, why not use Australian native leaves and fruits for a chilled drink with a difference? Here are three of Karen Sutherland’s favourites that are easily grown so you can make your own.

The heat lovers • From amaranth to corn, there are plenty of vegies that do well in the heat of summer, while providing abundant food, shade and colour, writes Jian Liu.

A ROARING SUCCESS • Connie Cao explains how to grow your own delicious dragon fruit, even in cooler climates, and maximise flavour.

Going all-in on ORGANICS • Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience, creating an eco-friendly garden is easier than ever, with a deepening knowledge of key organic gardening techniques and an expanding range of non-toxic products, writes Phil Dudman.

URBAN sanctuary • Jacqueline Forster visits an urban farm helping former refugees and young people connect with their community while learning about growing food.

Seeking cover • Gardening is our go-to activity when we have spare time but it carries with it a few hazards to watch out for: too much sun, biting insects, and minor cuts and scrapes that could lead to infection. Leanne Croker outlines simple ways to protect yourself.

Time for giving • Presents from your garden or preserves from your harvests, will make welcome gifts. Plus, save seed, share and start DIY projects.

In all sweetness • Pippa and Michael James are dedicated to connecting people, place and planet through food. In their new book Sweet Seasons they offer more than 80 scrumptious recipes that allow us to embrace the creativity of seasonal cooking.

Summer in a bottle! • Mara Ripani explains the process of bottling summer fruits so you can enjoy your harvest for months to come.

Ready, set HARVEST! • Phil Dudman explains how to maximise your summer fruit crop and flavour, and reduce pest damage.

Nurturing young gardeners • Costa Georgiadis is passionate about getting kids into gardening and has plenty of ideas on how to do it. He’s also just written the first of a children’s book series, Costa’s Garden: Flowers, to get them inspired.

We did it our way • Brenna Quinlan tells how she and partner Charlie Mgee built a straw bale home in Denmark, WA, with all the off-grid trappings, from solar power, to rainwater and food gardens.

King Island conserver • Steve Payne visits family on King Island in the Bass Strait, where he discovers an extraordinary conserver, Kate Armstrong, whose land containing endangered species is protected by covenant in perpetuity.

The troublemakers • Georgia Angus looks at the birds that can devour our fruit and drive out smaller desirable birds, and how we can help the latter with diverse habitat.

PETER SINGER OUR PLANET AND OTHER ANIMALS • Has the ethical treatment of animals improved in...