By Stuart Elder
In my first days as Curator at Rockhampton Botanic Garden last September, I was struck with a very welcoming and familiar sight dressed in bright pink shirts, the Friends of the Botanic Gardens!
Having worked for many years in various roles for The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, I was very familiar with the various programs that were run under the Foundation and Friends Inc.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy John Fitzsimmons
Centuries of growing experience and science have gone into today’s knowledge of plant nutrition, recorded in innumerable texts, digital records and oral histories. While science is science, the foregoing has also resulted in many interpretations and opinions. This is not the time or channel for a comprehensive review but we can consider a few basic ideas and definitions.… Continue reading
Read MoreBACKGROUND: As part of the levy-funded project ‘Ensuring business continuity during biosecurity incursions – social and economic research learnings for the production nursery industry’ (NY18010) a survey of production nurseries was undertaken which sought to examine the social and economic impacts of biosecurity incursions.… Continue reading
Read MoreMelbourne-based Bardee, founded in 2019 by ex-architect Phoebe Gardner, and entomologist Alex Arnold, along with their team of entomologists, technicians, operators and leaders have created a world-first vertical farming system that prevents food waste turning into methane and recycles the nutrients back into the food system using insects.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Dan Austin
It is an unfortunate reality that to help us remember things easily, sometimes topics are over-simplified. The five food groups and the proportions we were told to eat growing up for example. Teachings that were simple but have since been adjusted, and found to be far more complex or even downright wrong.… Continue reading
Read MoreNew Plant Selection Tool Launched to Promote Climate Ready Urban Greening
Local governments, landscape architects and urban greening professionals are now able to use a new tool to determine which plants will survive in the Australian urban landscapes, not only now but under future climate scenarios.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Denis Crawford
Varroa mite, the invasive parasite of European honey bees, has been detected in NSW. The current outbreak is very concerning but is there possibly a silver lining to this outbreak?
At the time of writing this article, the NSW outbreak of varroa mite (Varroa destructor) appears to be contained.… Continue reading
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The lilly pilly beetle (Paropsides calypso) eats the leaves of species and cultivars of the Syzygium genus, causing foliar damage
(Image: Courtesy of Denis Crawford)
By Gabrielle Stannus
Most of us understand integrated pest management (IPM) as an environmentally sensitive way of managing pests and diseases in plants, be they in productive, environmental, or ornamental landscapes. IPM includes cultural, chemical, biological, genetic, and physical methods to control garden and landscape pests.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Clive Larkman
For many of us, one of the best things in life is the opportunity to eat food from all over the world. Stimulating the taste buds also helps us enjoy life and push through good and bad times.… Continue reading
Read MoreFleming’s Nurseries, Australia’s leading grower of ornamental, fruit and native Australian trees and plants is delighted to introduce ‘Distylium,’ an exciting new all-rounder shrub to the Australian market.
To quote legendary plantsman and breeder Dr Michael Dirr, “These are the best plants that you have never heard of.”… Continue reading
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