Categories
Articles Get PermaCultured Kitchen Gardens

Top 10 Organic Gardening Terms Every Gardener Should Know

organic gardening terms
Planet – Jones Valley Urban Farm by Southernpixel

Whether you are switching from conventional gardening, or (like me) just jumping into organic gardening direct, it can be confusing to navigate the new and unfamiliar vocabulary. Knowing your organic gardening terms will help you feel confident when selecting your seeds, planning the garden or reading gardening magazines.

It seems only appropriate to address the meaning of the term ‘organic’ first. What does ‘organic gardening’ really mean?

Categories
Food Galleries Get Inspired Kitchen Gardens Plants

Five Ways to Beautiful and Productive Balcony Gardens

Rastafarian Balcony Garden - Jamacian radio station
Rastafarian Balcony Garden – Jamacian radio station by cecilia macaulay

Like millions of people, I live in a city apartment with limited access to land. Fortunately, like millions of people again, I have an outdoor balcony, and it’s a growing opportunity not to be missed.

This weekend I really took the time to clean my balcony, take stock of what pots I have, and decide what I want to grow this summer. My main objective is to produce the most food possible, but also to create a beautiful sanctuary, where I can enjoy my morning tea or read a book.

I wanted some inspiration for this project, so I went looking around the web for ideas on how other people created their balcony getaways. Here you go, a gallery of beautiful and inspiring balcony gardens we can learn from.

Categories
Food Galleries Get Inspired Get Started Kitchen Gardens Plants Sydney Local

What to plant in August around Sydney (temperate zone)

August is the time to bring out seed catalogues and start to envision what the garden will look like in the summer. Exciting! This year I am ordering my seeds and seedlings from Diggers, and I would highly recommend it to those looking for quality organic and heirloom seeds. Give your garden a strong and natural start!

On to the planting/planning list, graciously provided by Gardenate.

1. Asparagus

Asparagus
Asparagus by Bianca

Where: sow in garden, or plant as crowns; frost tender
Harvest: from 24 months (!!!)

Categories
Food Get PermaCultured Get Started Organizations Sydney Local

How to feed 3 adults for 20 dollars and help local farms

It’s a sunny mild morning in Sydney, a perfect day for a leisurely stroll to the local farmer’s market. While waiting for our free-range eggs and bacon to be lovingly prepared, I took a walk around the Taylor Square markets to chat with local sellers, and I came upon this emerging gem.

Rebecca Morgan, creator of Gourmand du Morgan
Rebecca Morgan, creator of Gourmand du Morgan

Rebecca Morgan is the “hands and heart” behind Courmand du Morgan, a company that prepares gourmet locally-sourced meals and delivers them to your door step. What a fantastic alternative to take-out!

Below are my top 5 reasons why you should think of Rebecca for your next take-out meal:

Categories
Get Inspired Plants Resources Videos

Three Fascinating TED Talks by Jonathan Drori

About Jonathan Drori
Jonathan Drori has dedicated his career to media and learning. As the Head of Commissioning for BBC Online, he commissioned the BBC’s very first websites! After almost two decades at the BBC, he’s now a director at Changing Media Ltd., a media and education consultancy, and is a visiting professor at University of Bristol, where he studies educational media and misperceptions in science. He continues to executive produce the occasional TV series, including 2004’s award-winning “The DNA Story” and 2009’s “Great Sperm Race.” He is on the boards of the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Woodland Trust.

(source: Jonathan Drori’s Bio on TED)

Jonathan Drori: Every pollen grain has a story


Pollen goes unnoticed by most of us, except when hay fever strikes. But microscopes reveal it comes in stunning colors and shapes — and travels remarkably well. Jonathan Drori gives an up-close glimpse of these fascinating flecks of plant courtship.