You see them in every gardening magazine – page after page of autumn glories, trees in every shade of red, orange, purple, gold and yellow. But sadly in Australia you need ‘two jumpers and a pair of long Johns’ winters to really get great autumn foliage – and even then, the chances are that your […]

I hated cabbage till the day I discovered they didn’t have to be boiled. Boiled cabbage looks like wet washing — and smells a lot worse. But stir—fried cabbage, with garlic and olive oil and a touch of soya sauce, is wonderful or, better still, broccoli or brocollini with olive oil and lemon juice, steamed […]

This is not a reason to pull out your paving, or not all of it. (I have paving around the house too – it’s also a great way to see the snakes before they see us.) Instead, try cooling your paving down so you gain all the great advantages of paving, minus the heat. Plant […]

What do you get the person who has everything? A gift from the garden of course! Jackie French shares her favourite homemade Christmas presents. Christmas used to be a midwinter feast – a time to brighten up the darkest winter with all the good things from the harvest. And somehow – among all the other […]

When your life is hectic it’s time to just sit and enjoy your garden — a place of serenity where the bustle of the outside world is stilled. Or at least that’s what a garden can be like. Too often, though, the thought of ‘time in the garden’ means weeding, watering, mowing — the very […]

In old gardens- ones planted at least thirty years ago- you’ll often find a strange tall tree, with big leathery leaves and clumps of round orange fruit each spring, much loved by birds and flying foxes. Often new owners will cut the tree down and plant a nice gaudy azalea in its place, or at […]

Ever looked up at a block of flats, all bare and boring…and seen one that looked like a small piece of paradise among the concrete? Anyone can have a glorious balcony or patio. It just needs a bit of planning- and five minutes work a week. Choose the right plants. Balconies get hotter, colder, and […]

One dreary winter’s day… One dreary office desk… Add one pot of bright pink cyclamen… Okay, you won’t get a miracle, but I bet you’ll get at least a smile every time you look at those ridiculously pink pink PINK blooms peering up over the leaves. Winter flowering cyclamens brighten up any office desk, kitchen […]

Camellias are perhaps our best loved winter bloomer, cheering up many a grey winter day. But often gardeners wonder why next door’s camellia is covered with blooms, while their’s rarely has a flower, or looks brown leafed and dingy. The answer? Many gardeners don’t know what sort of camellia they’re growing. But a camellia is […]

A gorgeous garden costs money – or does it? All our garden plants once grew wild – and managed to create new plants all by themselves. Some of today’s plants are hybrids – if you collect their seed they won’t grow like their parents. But a surprising number of common garden plants are veryeasy to […]