Gardening Australia

Australia’s number one monthly gardening resource, ABC Gardening Australia magazine is packed with step-by-step advice and stunning design ideas from its popular team of experts. Whether you are a novice gardener or have a green thumb and years of experience, you’ll find the advice you need.

welcome

Gardening Australia

February • News and happenings for gardeners and nature lovers

PLANTS • A selection of vibrant flowers to add to your garden

BOOKS

Zest for life • When life gives you lemons… it’s a lovely thing indeed! Now’s the time to nurture your citrus trees in order to reap delicious, health-giving fruit from autumn to spring, says JENNIFER STACKHOUSE

Lush & lovely • If you’re seeking luxuriant greenery for your interior spaces, look no further than philodendrons. With their striking leaves and intriguing growth habits, they add just the right amount of drama, writes TAMMY HUYNH

Butterfly beacon • This small tree packs a pretty pink punch in summer, and is one of the most versatile subtropical and tropical rainforest trees, writes CLAIRE BICKLE

Pretty in pink • Perennials, roses and a mix of formal and meadow-like plantings infuse this garden with joy and abundance

Balcony scene • Horticulturist and keen plantsman Steve Falcioni has created a balcony garden that bursts with colour and year-round interest, proving size is no limitation when it comes to a love of plants, writes TAMMY HUYNH

Meet the gardener • This enthusiastic succulent collector has built up a spectacular display, despite the less-than-ideal growing conditions, writes KIRSTEN WILKINS

restoring BALANCE • After a decades-long revegetation program, a barren former guano mine is once again a biodiverse haven. AB BISHOP shares the inspiring ecological rags to riches tale of Lady Elliot Island

marvellous MULCH • From the aesthetic to the practical to the downright beneficial, mulch is an all-rounder that has you – and your garden – covered, writes CHLOE FOSTER

free & easy • Some of the most satisfying plants in the garden are the ones that ‘take’ easily and provide endless gifts for friends. Here are the best plants for maximum returns, writes JACKIE FRENCH

DRYING times • Grow and dry your own herbs, and you’ll always have the makings of a gourmet meal on hand. Here, HANNAH MOLONEY shares three herb-drying methods

CAULI good show! • From cauliflower cheese to pie crusts and buffalo wings, this shapeshifter veg is never boring and isn’t very hard to grow, writes PHIL DUDMAN

cutting EDGE • If you don’t have the time or money to install a solid brick or timber edge on your patch, try a good old-fashioned spade edge to keep the grass out. PHIL DUDMAN demonstrates how to create and maintain one

PATCH ACTION • Whether you have 15 minutes or an hour to spare, you can still achieve good things in your productive garden. Here are a few suggestions…

MYTH or FACT? • Do fruits need exposure to sunlight to ripen? We’ve done the investigating for you…

BEETLE BATTLE • Hypervigilance and organic methods are key to combating figleaf beetle

FEBRUARY a month in the GARDEN • More than 50 seasonal jobs to do

MAILBOX

take a break! • Put the kettle on – it’s time to relax! Solve our puzzle to be in the running to win a Tumbleweed Cube prize pack

radio • Tune into your local ABC radio for gardening advice from the experts. See times below. For more details about coverage in your area, phone 139 994 or visit reception.abc.net.au.

The big picture • While evergreens are beautiful and provide welcome shade in the heat, it’s deciduous trees that really shine in a cool-climate garden, writes MICHAEL McCOY