Photostory Photo a Day Challenge A Blur of Activity as Summer Holidays Draw to a Close Photo a Day Challenge: Week 59 — January 13th to January 19th As our Northern Hemisphere moves through Winter, we are in the height of Summer. Our five-week break over Christmas and New Year ended this week and the last two days were… Continue reading A Blur of Activity as Summer Holidays Draw to a Close
Tag: Garden
Lighthunting and its Rewards for a Lover of Nature
The quest to capture nature photos can be frustrating, but the reward is well worth the hours waiting for the shot. Nature photography is both frustrating and exhilerating. The list of must-have shots seems to grow faster than they are achieved. Today I got one of those shots. The Cairns Birdwing Butterfly (Ornithoptera euphorion) is Australia’s… Continue reading Lighthunting and its Rewards for a Lover of Nature
The Propagating Hack that Changed my Life
Water-wise and cheap to set up, propagating by cutting has become easier than it ever was before! As we prepared to move house, I found myself dismayed by the number of rare or difficult-to-get plants that were in the ground. I wanted to take them with me! The answer? Propagation by cuttings! This sounds like a… Continue reading The Propagating Hack that Changed my Life
An Introduction to Australian Bush Tucker
NEW eBook with 52 easy to read bush food profiles I’ve just published my first eBook! It’s a collection of profiles with information like alternative names, growing conditions, history, cultural uses and edible uses. You can find it on Etsy or by clicking here you will receive a 10% discount until January 22, 2023! Here’s… Continue reading An Introduction to Australian Bush Tucker
Native Ginger or Alpinia caerulea
Plant Profile Also known as: Growing Conditions: Propagation Uses This plant is a wonderful way to find buzz-pollinating bees in your garden. It delivered my first Teddy Bear Bee sighting and numerous Blue-banded Bee sightings. It is a classic understorey plant from subtropical and tropical rainforests and can therefore be used in shady places in… Continue reading Native Ginger or Alpinia caerulea
Hardenbergia violocea or Happy Wanderer
Plant Profile Did you know that Indigenous Australians have used this plant as a tea and medicine for thousands of years? It is known by many names: Hardenbergia violacea, False Sarsparilla, Purple Coral Pea, Wild Sarsparilla, Waraburra, Vine Lilac. This lovely vine clambers and wanders over anything in its path. It makes a great groundcover… Continue reading Hardenbergia violocea or Happy Wanderer
Sago Bush or Ozothamnus Diosmifolius
Plant Profile This plant is not hard to find in Tamborine Village. Ozothamnus diosmifolius is flowering beautifully this year. From my back patio It looks like the bushes are snow-topped as they cluster around our dam. The name comes from the Greek Ozo “to smell” and Thamnus “shrub” referring to the pungent smell of crushed… Continue reading Sago Bush or Ozothamnus Diosmifolius
Invite Some Garden Friends: Backyard Biodiversity Tip Four
Using nature to control weeds and pests is a great way to garden organically and improve the biodiversity in your garden. It’s been a long time coming, but here it is and it’s all about using nature to control weeds and pests. This is the fourth in a series. You can find the first three by… Continue reading Invite Some Garden Friends: Backyard Biodiversity Tip Four
Plant Profile – Native Mulberry – Pipturus argenteus
This plant is a biodiversity hub in my garden. A few moments of close observation on any given day reveals species galore. From the Eastern Sedge Frog family to Rainbow Lorikeets to countless insects, I am never disappointed. My children are also regularly drawn to the tree to gather and gobble the tiny sweet fruits… Continue reading Plant Profile – Native Mulberry – Pipturus argenteus
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
Jane Grows Garden Rooms 