Focal tree, Canistel (Pouteria campechiana) accompanied by an understorey of turmeric, Salvia sp., Hemerocallis sp. and Taro ‘Black Magic’ (Images supplied by Pauline Haydock)
By Pauline Haydock
Australians have been avid gardeners for many decades. We have come a long way from the post war aesthetic of a front yard with a bed of roses, a cypress hedge and a competitively tended lawn. Things are changing.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Tania Harman and Daniel Knox
The Australian Government’s R&D Tax Incentive offers horticulture businesses a valuable opportunity to fund innovation and reduce costs. This practical guide explains how to prepare a successful claim, avoid common pitfalls and maximise benefits.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Daniel Fuller
Australia is home to many plant species that have fed people for thousands of years. Did you know that the following ornamental species are edible?
Dianella caerulea berries are almost like little blueberries with pleasantly crunchy seeds.… Continue reading
Read More
Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus (globe artichoke) (Image: Björn S via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)
By Patrick Regnault
During COVID-19, the popularity of growing one’s own food increased dramatically. However, food production to the level of self-sufficiency requires more land and effort than most people are willing to do or capable of making. That said, we can add trees, shrubs and climbers, or even aquatic plants to our plant palettes that will look good and produce food.… Continue reading
Read More
Joshua (left) and Mitchell (right) at The Landscape Association’s annual awards ceremony where their team also took out the Landscaper of the Year ‘Residential Construction’ category for their ‘Mosman Hideaway’ project (Image: Supplied by Mitchell Kushturian)
By Gabrielle Stannus
Sydney-based landscape designer Mitchell Kushturian was named Emerging Designer of the Year at last year’s Landscape Design Institute’s annual awards. I spoke with Mitchell recently about family, plants, landscaping and his award-winning design, ‘Grounds of Glossodia’.
Mitchell’s passion for design is contagious and started when he was young, thanks in great part to his family.… Continue reading
Read More
Dwarf fruit trees, including apples, have been highly popular home edibles in small spaces (Image: John Fitzsimmons)
By John Fitzsimmons
For the last couple of decades, the edibles category in garden centres has been one of this sector’s most consistent stars. However, this category remains dynamic as plant breeders refine and expand their catalogues, and retail buyers expand their skills and expectations.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Natalie MacGregor
Increasing global production of citrus offers opportunities for Australia’s little-known six native species, according to a University of Queensland researcher.
PhD candidate Joel Johnson at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation is investigating the chemical composition and nutritional potential of indigenous citrus species.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Clive Larkman
Plants are divided into a series of logical groups based on their botanical characteristics, a result of the work commenced by noted Swedish botanist and physician Carl Linnaeus in the early 18th century. Since that time, the science of classifying plants has developed greatly, and the decisions to move plants into or out of taxonomic categories are made based on increasingly smaller differences, thus becoming more technical.… Continue reading
Read More
The fruit of the blue lilly pilly (Syzygium oleosum) can be eaten raw or may be used to make jams, jellies, sauces, syrups, confectionery and wine (Image: Tucker Bush)
By Jennifer McQueen
During Covid, as isolating households experimented with vegetable seedlings and graduated to fruit trees, Australian native edimentals began to catch the public imagination. ‘Covid shifted the perception of native edimentals from “hippy fringe” to mainstream curious,’ says Mark Tucek, founder of Tucker Bush.… Continue reading
Read MoreIn this issue, we focus on the theme of technological advancement, be that greenhouses, equipment and/or artificial intelligence. In a fitting segue from our last issue which focussed on professional development, Patrick Regnault has taken the word equipment to mean: ‘to equip oneself with knowledge’.… Continue reading
Read More
