Jane Grows Garden Rooms

Finishing this book was like Leaving an Inspiring Mentor… A review of the audiobook version of Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Braiding Sweetgrass is a series of stories about combining Native American botanical knowledge with Scientific knowledge. The stories told by Robin Wall Kimmerer are sourced from her personal experiences and detail her struggles to… Continue reading A Review of Braiding Sweetgrass

Caterpillars. They are the best pets for children. This is my opinion after six months with the delightful species, Jezebel Nymph or Mynes geoffroyi. My children have been enchanted from the time that they discovered the eggs. We watched them grow and then transferred two-thirds of the caterpillars into a cage. My children did research,… Continue reading Which pets create “blazes of excitement”?

Exploring Far North Queensland Australia Purtaboi Island Adventure Exploring a tiny paradise just off the Cassowary Coast, Australia. If you’ve never heard of Purtaboi Island, you’re not alone. If you’ve never stepped foot on the shore, you’re in an even bigger group. Yesterday, my family and I stepped out of both of these groups to… Continue reading Purtaboi Island Adventure

Australian Bush Tucker Bites presents a Lemon Myrtle Roast Chicken Recipe. Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) is one of Australia’s best known bush food ingredients. Here’s one way that I use the nutritious leaves and powder in the kitchen. You will need: a chicken, 3 teaspoons Lemon Myrtle powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 40 grams of… Continue reading Aussie Roast Chicken that’s perfect for a family dinner!

Drop this one in your champagne! Australian Bush Tucker Bites presents Wild Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa). This plant is not strictly Australian. Depending on the source you read, it was introduced many hundreds of years ago by Regardless, it has been around long enough for the indigenous populations in Tropical Australia to incorporate it into their… Continue reading Hibiscus sabdariffa – Wild Hibiscus – Rosella

Tetragonula hockingsi Journal The Bees Have Arrived: activate meliponiculture adventure! Day One of my Meliponiculture Journey 11:30am I saw the van and my heart leapt in excitement! The bees had finally arrived! I took the box, thanked the courier and took it to the front porch where it would be placed. With alarm I noticed… Continue reading Native Stingless Bee Hive

Forget the Thyme and go for the Honey! Australian Bush Tucker Bites presents Thyme Honey Myrtle (Melaleuca thymifolia). The small leaves that cover this variable shrub give it both parts of its common name (Thyme) and its scientific name (thymifolia or leaves that are like thyme). The Thyme-like leaves have a medicinal value like most… Continue reading Thyme Honey Myrtle: Melaleuca thymifolia

Whether you call it Native Mint or Native Oregano, you’ll call it delicious in butter! Native Australian Bush Tucker Bites presents Prostanthera rotundifolia. This pretty, purple flowering, short-lived shrub is packed with volatile oils that are antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory. Indigenous Australians used it to treat headaches and colds. The pungent smell is released at… Continue reading Native Oregano: Prostanthera rotundifolia

A Bee’s Life in Australia Photo a Day Challenge: Week 49 — November 11th to November 17th So what happens in a bee’s life? They’re fascinating little creatures. To be clear, I’m talking about Australian bees, not European Honey Bees. The feature photo shows an Australian social bee. Australia has more than 1700 species of bee, but very… Continue reading Australian Native Bees: A Photo Story