Sambucus australisica – Australia – Yellow Elderberry Also known as: Growing conditions: Propagation: Despite its preference for moist soil, this plant has been one of my drought survivors. It recovers quickly from wilt making it easy to judge when it has reached its point of tolerance. That tolerance was much higher than I expected or… Continue reading Plant Profile – Native Elderberry
Category: Edible Gardening
Plant Profile – Warrigal Greens
Also known as: Growing conditions: Propagation: This plant has been used as a Spinach substitute on the coasts of Australia, New Zealand and East Asia for centuries. There aren’t many records of it being consumed by Australian Aborigines, but it’s prevalent in Maori cooking in New Zealand. The Australian colonists used it and that use… Continue reading Plant Profile – Warrigal Greens
Garden to Kitchen – Choc-Mint Ice-cream
This recipe is a companion piece to my plant profile for Mint species coming soon! A vlog version is also available Garden to Kitchen – Choc-Mint Ice-cream on the Jane Grows Garden Rooms YouTube channel. NEW – short version of the vlog. Ingredients: 1 cup cream 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint (I like a chocolate… Continue reading Garden to Kitchen – Choc-Mint Ice-cream
Plant Profile – Lebanese Cucumber
My first cucumber harvest! Also known as: Cucumis sativus Growing conditions: Sun/Part shade Fertile, well drained soil Sow 40cm apart Propagation: Seeds Tropics/subtropics plant year round Temperate and cold climates plant after the last frost My daughter is a fussy eater. It’s probably karma. I know my own mother had many frustrating evenings trying to… Continue reading Plant Profile – Lebanese Cucumber
Plant Profile: Slender Mint – Mentha diemenica
Also known as: Growing conditions: Propagation: Named after Tasmania when it was Van Diemens Land, this herb is found on that cool temperate island, as well as in Victoria and New South Wales. Some sites list Queensland as well, but this could be as a result of the confusion with its cousin, Mentha satureoides. With… Continue reading Plant Profile: Slender Mint – Mentha diemenica
Plant Profile: Mother of Herbs
Also known as: Why so many names? This plant has been cultivated and used for so long that its origins are unclear. It’s believed to originate in Africa, but is now naturalized in many countries around the world. This, combined with the complications of classification for plants in the Lamiaceae family, means that even its… Continue reading Plant Profile: Mother of Herbs
Plant Profile: Lemon Sherbet Coleus
Coleus bellus, Plectranthus bellus, Australia Also known as This plant profile is now also available as a on my YouTube channel. Growing conditions Brush past the leaves, a faint lemon spritz slips through the air and teases the senses. Pick a leaf, lemon scent drifts lazily around the stalk and lingers on the leaf. Crush… Continue reading Plant Profile: Lemon Sherbet Coleus
Garden to Kitchen: Garden Salad including Australian Natives
Native Australian Ingredients – Bush Tucker There’s something magical about harvesting for a meal you’re about to eat. I love the process of wandering through the garden spying what I can harvest and imagining how fresh and tasty the resulting meal will be. Last night I did this for a delicious garden salad to accompany… Continue reading Garden to Kitchen: Garden Salad including Australian Natives
Garden Days: edible flower garden
Last year I grew an edible flower garden and my daughter started harvesting and making salads for the family dinner table and, even more surprisingly, my son ate them! As a general rule, my daughter only eats raw fruit and vegetables and my son mostly prefers cooked vegetables. They both love edible flowers and were… Continue reading Garden Days: edible flower garden
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