By Leigh McGaghey
Green puns abound when talking about the growth and spread of therapeutic horticulture in Australia. But growing it is, with people from the allied health and community services world branching into horticulture, gaining horticultural qualifications and spreading the benefits of nurturing plants to their clients.… Continue reading
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I find the early weeks of December so hectic that I feel my feet don’t hit the ground. After the visit from the red-suited gentleman and his reindeers, I usually have time to reflect on the year just passed. That’s when I realise that events that seemed so stressful at the time, were just another little bump in the road.… Continue reading
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By John Fitzsimmons
Trade visitors to Ball Australia’s 2022 Grower Trials were surely engaged and inspired by the dozens of new lines added to the company’s already hundreds-strong catalogue for 2023 and beyond. Colour and form were keynotes plus some new categories.… Continue reading
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By Michael Casey
With more than 70% of the global population projected to be living in cities by 2050, coupled with the need to meet sustainability targets in 2030 and 2050, government and city planners will have to rethink how the future of cities will need to look and work.… Continue reading
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By Gabrielle Stannus
Have you ever thought that your local creek was a little down at heel and that much more could be done to make it a community asset? I spoke with Gail Hall, Melbourne Water’s Healthy Waterways Strategy Co-delivery Coordinator to find out how creeks are being reimagined across that city, and how horticultural and landscape professionals can be part of that transformation.… Continue reading
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By John Fitzsimmons
Fruit trees are a perennially popular category and now is the time to finalise orders for mid-year deliveries.
“Edibles” has been a highly active and growing category over recent years and shows little sign of slowing down. While the focus has been heavily on annuals, within that group is a sub-category that is perennially popular – fruit trees.… Continue reading
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By Dan Austin
For many of us, the arrival of 2023 presented an exciting opportunity to celebrate, after a lengthy period mired by COVID19, and hopefully, a chance to recharge for the year ahead. However, while clearing pandemic clouds and a new year have been cause for celebration, the horticultural world continues to face numerous challenges.… Continue reading
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By Patrick Regnault
Humans and nature are a paradox. On one hand we talk of a need to find our place in nature but on the other we separate ourselves from it. Can we be of nature and distinct at the same time?… Continue reading
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By Clive Larkman
Over the last few years I have written about as many herbs and edible plants as I can find. Many of these are part of the Columbian Exchange. This was a major shift in the food and culture of the entire world.… Continue reading
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Horticultural Innovation Australia Limited
Introduced species of snails and slugs tend to be those commonly observed by people in Australia, some of which are major agricultural, landscape and nursery pests. For the most part, such species are introduced by ‘hitch hiking’ on potted plants, soil and fertilisers, pallets, and shipping containers on cargo and freight.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy John Corban
As business owners we are busy, often being more hands-on than we want to be, so when someone asks if you are happy with every aspect of your business, we might currently think ‘enquiries are good, sales are good, but systems could be better and I need to offload some of my tasks so I have time to manage my business’.… Continue reading
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Fifth Season Landscapes believes that great results come from working collaboratively, and winning six accolades for their Clareville Project alone, in the 2022 Landscape Excellence Awards, proves that their approach works.
Nestled seamlessly on Clareville Beach, Sydney, the Chatswood-based team created a relaxed haven for the owners that melds beautifully with the surrounding environment, subtly blending both beach and bush settings.… Continue reading
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School of thumb tests well in the market
School of Thumb, Greener Spaces Better Places’ horticultural content series, launched three episodes from Western Australia in September 2022 to increase demand for greenlife products. These episodes have been put through rigorous market testing by research agency Cubery on behalf of Hort Innovation.… Continue reading
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By Denis Crawford
Biological control may not be an instant pest solution, but it is a pest control option well worth pursuing.
Large parts of eastern Australia have just been through a very wet spring and early summer. That period of warm wet weather meant a boom time for mosquitoes, they were everywhere in huge numbers.… Continue reading
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By Daniel Fuller
Permaculture is a garden philosophy that works with nature, rather than against it. It is an attractive field for many horticulturists, but there aren’t many jobs available. How can you prepare so that your resume stands out when you find that one-in-a-million permaculture job?… Continue reading
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By Bruce Thompson
It’s all about supply and demand. With an oversupply of soft plastics collected and not enough of recycled products being purchased, we need to look at what is required to ensure the recycling program continues.
In late 2022, many Australians who had been diligently collecting their soft plastics and taking them to Woolworths, Coles and Aldi supermarkets to place into REDCycle bins, woke to the news that REDCycle had temporarily ceased their collection service.… Continue reading
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By Michael Elgey
In 2019 the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan (ABGMA) secured NSW State Government grant funding as part of the Greening Our City initiative. Our successful proposal was to plant 22,500 native trees and return a canopy that was unfortunately cleared during European colonisation.… Continue reading
Read MoreA lifetime passion for horticulture has recently seen Kellee Reissinger appointed Co-ordinator of the Geelong Botanic Gardens. She enthusiastically leads the way in introducing the Gardens to a broader audience, where the future is undefined and ready for the next evolutionary phase.… Continue reading
Read MoreAbstract: Polish allotment gardeners, who cultivate publicly owned urban space, constitute the largest group of city land managers in the country. Detailed studies about the uses of cultivated plants on allotment gardens do not exist.
The aims of (this) study are to document plant richness and diversity of allotment-garden use and to explore the (changing) purpose of such gardens.… Continue reading
Read MoreAfter ten years as Director and Chief Executive of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Tim Entwistle has decided to pursue other interests, “such as writing and speaking, and perhaps seek new civic roles”. He expects to depart in July, leaving plenty of time to find a successor.… Continue reading
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