Prevention the key to fighting fungus

by Justin Russell on February 9, 2010

Thanks ex-tropical cyclone Olga. What beautiful rain you’ve delivered, and just in the nick of time too. After great falls in December, January was a much drier than average month as those northerly winds and hot temperatures kicked back in. My garden was starting to look completely frazzled. But you’ve given us what we really needed – some respectable follow up rain. If the bureau’s right and we get further decent falls throughout February, we’ll be set up for a classic Downs autumn.

With extended periods of wet weather like we’ve had recently, there is a downside for gardeners. A warm, rainy week equals fungal disease. While some fungi are actually beneficial, there are those caused by pathogens that can wreak damage on plants that lack built in resistance. Sometimes the effects are superficial, affecting the gardener more than the plant. Rust on frangipani or canna leaves, for example. Sometimes though, fungal diseases can seriously damage a plant or its fruit, causing crop failures and in extreme cases, death.

Some of the more common fungal diseases you might encounter this week include: powdery mildew, a particular problem with cucurbits, roses and some perennials; blackspot, the major fungal problem with roses;  brown rot, a major problem with stonefruit; and wilt, fungal diseases that particularly affect tomatoes. There are many others of course, and their causes vary.

Lots of fungal diseases manifest during, or shortly after, periods of wet weather. But some prefer dry conditions, others are spread by a “vector” such as insect pests, while others can reside in the soil and become a problem when waterlogging occurs. Phytophthora is an example of the latter, known colloquially as “die back”. Diagnosis of this, and many fungal diseases, is particularly problematic for amateur gardens and few people are prepared to send samples off to a laboratory for proper identification.

Fortunately, fungal diseases can often be effectively controlled without a specific diagnosis, and through a number of different means. As with the human body, the most effective way to deal with fungal problems is through prevention. This can take the form of traditional plant breeding, where nurserymen select and develop plant cultivars that have built-in resistance to specific fungi, or through good cultural practices on the part of the gardener.

A case can be made for having a reasonably tidy garden. By cleaning up fungus affected leaves of roses and fallen fruit, for example, the gardener can prevent outbreaks of fungal disease occurring in the first place. Another means of prevention is by controlling vector insects like aphids and beetles so that they are unable to transfer fungal disease from plant to plant. Increase air circulation around susceptible plants, an even better, practice building a healthy soil full of beneficial micro-organisms. This will help plants naturally resist disease.

Sometimes though, prevention is best achieved by spraying. Many of the fungal diseases affecting fruiting plants, particularly stonefruit and others in the rose (Rosaceae family), can be stopped in their tracks by applying an over wintering spray. Being an organic gardener, I recommend using products that are acceptable under the Australian Organic Standard and in pragmatic terms, this means using either a copper-based spray such as Bordeaux, or lime sulphur.

Neither is ideal, but of the two, lime sulphur is the preferred option. Copper is a heavy metal. This means that it can accumulate and persist in the soil, and research indicates that it’s particularly harmful to earthworms and soil-borne organisms. It is an acceptable input under the new Australian Certified Organic Standard, but it’s worth noting that the European Union has banned the use of copper sprays and other countries are heading in a similar direction. Both copper and lime must be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions as they can be harmful to plants when applied incorrectly.

For minor fungal infections, there are even “softer” options available. Milk sprays are effective in preventing powdery mildew on grapes, roses and cucurbits. Simply mix one part full cream milk to nine parts water (or 100ml milk topped up with water in a one litre container) and spray on the foliage of susceptible plants every week or two. Potassium bicarbonate (sold as EcoRose) is also effective in preventing a range of minor fungal diseases, and some gardeners get decent results by spraying foliage regularly with seaweed extract.

Above all, it’s worth remembering an old gardener’s rule of thumb: if a fungal disease has already presented itself, then it’s too late for prevention. Control the existing outbreak and resolve to get in earlier next year.

First published in The Chronicle 6th February, 2010.

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Berry delicious

by Justin Russell on February 4, 2010

RaspberriesI was tidying my office the other day in one of my semi-regular attempts to regain control of the mountains of paper that end up on my desk. What I hadn’t accounted for was the number of plant labels that had found a home beside the computer and under a stack of gardening magazines.

I keep all the labels from purchased plants as a reference. If I were to pull out the file they reside in and add them all up, I suppose there would be hundreds, probably thousands of individual labels describing hundreds of different plants species. They’re not always accurate, often carrying an incorrect botanical name or providing dodgy cultural advice, but they’re worth hanging on to nonetheless. You never know when you might need to refer to one.

Anyway, while tidying up the labels it got me thinking about some of my favourite plants. Apples top the list. I am, after all, the grandson of a man raised in Herefordshire, one of the world’s great apple growing regions. Salvias are up there. So are ornamental grasses, pear trees, roses and grevilleas. But one group of plants I’ve developed a recent affection for are berries.

I guess much of the enthusiasm is for the fruit, but I also have a genuine appreciation for the plants and their culture. I’m one of these weird people who has a dedicated berry patch in the garden, and because I enjoy training plants, one of my favourite jobs is to tie the raspberry canes to a wire trellis to keep them in some semblance of order and to make for easier picking.

And let me assure you, there will be plenty of picking. Raspberries in particular produce large yields of fruit for the small amount of space they require. My plants take up about six square metres, yet produce scores of punnets of plump, organically grown, absolutely delectable fruit. The kids graze on them most mornings, relatives and visitors to the garden always want a sample (one family likened the taste to raspberry cordial!), and still there are copious amounts of fruit to be picked. Blackberries are even more productive, but depending on the variety take up more space.

If berries are so productive and easy to grow, why do so few people have a berry patch in the backyard? I think one reason is the perception that cane berries can be invasive. This is true to some extent. Blackberries grow in wild thickets just down the road from my house, and left untended, they’d perform similarly in a garden setting. Raspberries sucker like mad. Some growers plant them in a contained bed, but the suckers are easy to dig up and provide plenty of new plants to give away. And while it’s true that some blackberries have vicious thorns, that’s never stopped rose growers and varieties such as ‘Waldo’ are thorn free.

I think the other reason people don’t grow them much is that they have a reputation for being cold climate plants. Again, this is only half true. Some raspberries and blackberries need cold winters to set fruit, but autumn fruiting raspberries such as the variety ‘Heritage’ tend to be low-chill. Plus, the red soils of Toowoomba, Highfields, Hampton and so on are ideal. Berries prefer rich, slightly acid soil and above all, excellent drainage.

The third reason most people don’t grow them is due to a perception that they’re hard to grow and need special training. Again, half true. Get the soil right (see above but also add lots of organic matter prior to planting), give them an aspect with full or morning sun, and a bit of water when dry, and you’re half way there. Training is a bit trickier, but not much.

Raspberries are classed as either summer or autumn fruiting. Summer varieties produce flowers (and therefore fruit) on second-year wood called floricanes. In the first year, these are called primocanes. Pruning is done in autumn and consists simply of cutting out all floricanes than have finished fruiting, leaving the pale green coloured primocanes to produce next summer’s crop. Blackberries are dealt with in a similar fashion. Autumn fruiting raspberries are even simpler. In winter you just cut all the canes back to ground level. They’ll shoot again in spring, and produce fruit on one year old wood.

Why buy those expensive packets of frozen berries from the supermarket when you can easily grow your own berries at home? In my view berries ought to be considered an essential plant in all but the warmest parts of the Downs. They deserve a bit of space alongside those other ubiquitous plants of the Aussie backyard, the lemon tree and the passionfruit vine.

First published in The Chronicle 30th January 2010. Photo by Justin Russell.

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Monster carrot!

by Justin Russell on January 28, 2010

Giant CarrotI’m not one to blow my own trumpet, nor do I buy into the whole competitive vegetable growing thing. But I just had to post this photo of a carrot recently pulled from the vegie patch. It measures 15cm long by a tick under 7cm in diameter. It was by far the fattest carrot I’ve ever seen.

The variety is ‘Royal Chantenay’. The truth is, this variety has a propensity for developing ample girth, so it’s not all my own doing. But carrots aren’t the easiest things in the world to grow, and I’m feeling a bit pleased with my efforts. Not smug, just satisfied.

And for those who are wondering: unlike most monster vegies, it was delicious!

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In praise of common plants

by Justin Russell on January 28, 2010

Agapanthus Purple CloudIn one of Aesop’s most well known fables, the fox encounters a lion for the first time, is terribly frightened, and hides in the wood. The second time the fox encounters the lion, he stops at a safe distance and watches the king of beasts pass by. The third time the fox encounters the lion, he passes the time of day with him, asking after his family and wishing him well before turning tail and parting with little ceremony.

The moral of the story is “familiarity breeds contempt”. This is interpreted as meaning either: the more you get to know something or someone, the more scornful you become about that thing’s, or person’s, faults; or alternatively, the longer you live with someone or something, the more passé you become.

In the garden, this idiom plays out in a number of ways. It’s certainly true of our approach to native Australian plants, where we’ll often overlook a familiar stunner right under our feet as we gaze wistfully on beauties from far off lands. I think it’s also a defining characteristic of gardening elitism. I’ve come across more than a couple of plant snobs who boast about the exoticism of their collection while readily heaping scorn on common plants grown by common people.

My response to this kind of horticultural hoity-toity is to say: spare me your pompousness. I’ve never bought into this notion that youth rules, newness is all and the sooner familiar stuff is replaced the better. I happen to like old stuff, and sympathise with Thoreau, who said “do not trouble yourself much to get new things. Turn the old; return to them.” I’m also with Thoreau’s mentor Emerson, who said that “the invariable mark of wisdom is the ability to see the miraculous in the common.”

The practical implications of this kind of belief are twofold. Firstly, most gardeners are simply interested in growing plants that are “gardenworthy”, caring little about fashion, or newness for its own sake. If a new release plant has qualities that make it especially worthy of a place in our gardens, fair enough. Bring it on. But from where I sit, I see less and less regard for the fashion advice dished out by Melbourne’s latest hotshot garden designer. All plants are worthy of respect, and lots (but not all) are worthy of a spot in the garden, be they familiar or not.

The other implication is this, and you’re probably sick of hearing me say it: the best gardens are idiosyncratic. They’re not cookie cutter landscapes made by cookie cutter landscape designers. The best gardens clearly bear the mark of their creator/s, reflecting their personality and tastes, their values and passions. They’re made over many years by real life people. They’ve got soul.

So my point in writing this article is to encourage you to set your garden (and yourself) free from the shackles of designer culture and the dodgy advice that comes from on high about what’s in and what’s out. Today’s trendy plant is just as likely to be tomorrow’s compost.  The sad part about this disposable approach to gardening is that otherwise excellent plants get ripped out simply because they’ve become commonplace. You ought to have no qualms in growing whatever suits your fancy, not theirs.

Make the garden your own. If you’re keen to grow agapathus along the driveway, ignore the fashion police who’ll smugly tell you that such a move is oh so daggy. Aggies are a great plant with a long history of cultivation in our gardens and they work brilliantly lining a driveway. Do what you like. Personally, I favour tried and true, old fashioned favourites over the latest and greatest. Commonplace plants cost me a lot less money than the latest releases, and because I’ve got little time to mollycoddle plants, I’m after things that are reliable performers in our finicky climate.

A caveat for the nursery industry: not for one second am I suggesting that all new release plants are bad. Breeders have an important role in developing gardenworthy plants, and indeed, many exceptional plants have been developed. I am saying though, that some new releases aren’t as special as the marketers would have us believe, and lots have little genuine need to be released at all. I’d rather use a familiar plant creatively than fork out for a whiz bang release that’s not that whiz bang just for the sake of keeping up appearances. The world of old plants is vast and full of opportunity. Why not explore it instead?

First published in The Chronicle 23rd January 2010. Photo by Justin Russell.

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Advice for new home growers

by Justin Russell on January 27, 2010

Picking CornHow many of you have this resolution stuck on your fridge at the dawn of a new year: “Grow some fruit and vegies.”? Lots of you, I hope, because of all the resolutions you could possibly make, home growing is not only one of the most do-able, it’s also one of the most exciting. There’s the promise of basket loads of delicious food for starters, which I can guarantee will be better tasting and infinitely fresher than the stuff on offer at the supermarket.

But there’s more to it than just physical pleasure. For me, home growing is one of the most deeply satisfying things I do. This is due in part to the nature of the work, whereby good stuff is produced through gratifying toil, but even more profound is the sense that you’re tapping into ancient rhythms. With lives dominated by a 24 hour news cycle rather than the cycles of night and day, full moon and new, summer and winter, the choice to take up home growing is a choice to reconnect.

Ahead of you then, new home growers, is an exhilarating, and occasionally frustrating journey. The best advice I can give is to start out brimming with enthusiasm. Let no one temper it. You’re right to be excited, and the best way to get started is to simply get stuck in and have a go. Vegetable growing isn’t as difficult as some gardeners claim, so chances are good that your initial efforts will be rewarded with admirable results. In turn, these results will spur you on to a new level of competency.

In practical terms, how should you actually make a start? Well, the very first thing you ought to do is spend some time laying out your plot. Make it as simple or elaborate as you wish. Perhaps start small and leave room for expansion, but don’t feel that you need to skimp on design just because you’re planning a vegetable patch. Make it beautiful and functional. Once the layout is in place it’s time to work on that most miraculous building block of life, the soil.

The very best thing you can do is improve existing site soil by adding plenty of compost and rotted manure, checking to make the pH is neither too acidic or too alkaline. If you’ve built raised beds and need to bring soil in, try to buy real soil rather than one of the soil-less mixes. Either way, get plenty of organic matter into your plot for good long term results.

Now that you’ve improved the soil, it’s time for plants. This is where most new home growers totally lose the plot and buy a boot load of this, that and everything else. Well, so be it. Who am I to tell you shouldn’t go a bit overboard in your first season? Kylie and I did. We grew lots of things we didn’t really eat, but the experimentation was brilliant fun and what we didn’t like using ourselves got donated to friends and rellies. I’d call that a good outcome, wouldn’t you. I repeat, let no one temper your enthusiasm.

Try growing some crops from seed. Some easy plants to start with are beans, corn, rocket, beetroot and pumpkin. Sow just beneath the surface of finely prepared soil, and keep evenly moist until seedlings appear in about seven days. When they’re up and have grown a second set of leaves, thin the seedlings out to the spacings recommended on the packet.

Now comes the trickiest part – maintenance. Some garden writers will tell you that vegetables are prone to all manner of pests and diseases. This is only half true. For a new garden’s first couple of seasons, pests will be yet to really discover your plot. In subsequent years this will change, so use the opportunity now to practise some organic control measures. Most importantly, don’t flip out every time a hole appears in a leaf. Most problems aren’t serious and can either be controlled or ignored. Keep the soil well fed and well watered. My approach to pest control is a combination of prevention, building biodiversity, treating acute problems, and practising the fine art of turning a blind eye.

Above all else, go for it! You’re about to take up one of life’s truly noble pursuits, a source of endless joy and boundless satisfaction. Tune into the seasons, don a straw hat, take up a spade and start digging. Long live the home grower!

First published in The Chronicle 16th January, 2010. Photo by Justin Russell.

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Pumpkin ‘Marina di Chioggia’

by Justin Russell on January 27, 2010

Pumpkin FlowersWhat a difference a few weeks make. This time a month ago the tanks were empty, the lawn was brown, trees were dropping leaves and the view from my office window looked more like Alice Springs than Hampton. Today, 170mm of rainfall later, the landscape is utterly transformed. Everything looks fresh and I sense a potency about the garden that was absent during the hot and dusty days of spring. Plants that were limp now appear desperate to grow and flower and fruit.

At times like this I itch to get outside between the showers and take a walk. In addition to checking the rain gauge I just have to see with my own eyes how much things have grown. I never cease to be amazed. Besides the lawn, which seems to have developed megalomaniac tendencies despite the attentions of the mower, the award for fastest growing plant of the last month has to go to the pumpkins.

This year we planted an heirloom Tuscan variety with a reputation for vigour. When I see that word in relation to pumpkins my response is one of hesitancy, because I know from previous experience that pumpkins are vigorous enough without having the attribute emphasised on a seed packet. So knowing I wouldn’t have the space in the veg garden we planted them out the front in generous patch of cultivated land that was sitting idle. I’ve come to the conclusion that ‘Marina de Chioggia’ is a romantic sounding name for a brute of a plant. They’ve gone berserk!

I should know better of course. Give a pumpkin free reign and it’ll start to resemble a giant octopus that spreads its tentacles across the lawn and over the fence, pulling down and swamping every plant in its path. I plant mine at least a couple of metres apart, and even then I’ll end up pruning off lots of tentacles. If you’re pushed for space, why not look to the heavens. Not necessarily for divine inspiration, but for precious vertical space that tends to get easily overlooked. All but the largest fruiting varieties will happily grow up a strong trellis, using very little space at ground level.

Like all members of the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes watermelon, cucumber and zucchini, pumpkin is an easy plant to grow from seed. I like to raise seedlings in the greenhouse where there’s protection from late frost, transplanting into the garden late in October for harvest in autumn. Sowing directly into the garden is just as viable. Just wait until the soil has warmed to about 20C. Being heavy feeders with a long growing season, rich conditions are appreciated but poor drainage won’t be tolerated – it’s a good idea to plant on a low mound built from a mix of soil and composted manure. Water frequently during dry weather and mulch.

Pollination can be hit and miss. Pumpkins are monoecious, producing male and female flowers on the one plant. Bees are the main pollinators, but if the weather’s too hot or cold, windy or wet, they can have trouble going about their business and fruit set may be poor as a result. This is where the gardener can pick up the slack. Start by identifying the male and female flowers (the females have an ovary like swelling at the base). Pick a male flower, remove the petals, and brush the pollen on the stigma of the female flowers. A bit trickier than sitting back watching a bee do its work but not much.

Cucurbits are particularly prone to powdery mildew. This is a fungus that spreads via spores, loves extended periods of humidity, and appears as a grey, powdery coating on the leaf surface. It’s hard to eradicate, but can be controlled organically by spraying EcoRose (potassium bicarbonate) or better still, a simple milk spray made from one part full cream milk to about 10 parts water. Apply to the entire plant once per week as a preventative. Avoid spraying the foliage when you water the plants, and water only in the morning to avoid damp foliage during the night.

I’m not that fussed on some of the other members of the cucurbit family – one can only eat so many zucchinis – but pumpkins are another story. They’re delicious and versatile. They’ll store beautifully for months, look nice sitting on a kitchen bench, and can be cooked in all sorts of ways. I prefer them roasted, but if you ask my six-year-old daughter what her favourite food is, she’ll probably reply “pumpkin soup”. Served on a winter’s night with a dollop of sour cream and crusty homemade bread, I’d be hard pressed to come up with an alternative.

First published in The Chronicle 9th January, 2010. Photo by Justin Russell.

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New Year Greetings

by Justin Russell on January 16, 2010

Happy New Year to one and all! We trust that you had a thoroughly enjoyable Christmas season, and have started the new year (new decade!) in a spirit of enthusiasm and hope.

There’s lots to look forward to this year. We’re looking forward to some favourable growing weather over autumn and winter for one, but I’m also tipping that 2010 will be the year that the whole idea of “home growing” really starts to resonate. I’ll be posting some updates over the next couple of days that tap into this theme, so keep an eye out.

For the clan here at Thistlebrook, the last month or so has been a whirlwind of family gatherings, busy days spent gardening, and thanks to a couple of rainy weeks, more than a few quiet moments spend inside reading books. After our very dry spring, the rain was welcomed with open arms. Since December 20, 170mm has fallen into the gauge, a very respectable total and enough to really stimulate plants into strong growth plus top up all our rainwater tanks. The net result is that the garden is looking the best it ever has.

What does the New Year hold for Thistlebrook? Bare root fruit trees for sure. Our second catalogue of varieties ideal for home growers will be out in early March, and delivery will again commence in early July. We’ve grafted an expanded range of heritage apples this year, which we’re excited to offer, in addition to a broader range of nut trees, stonefruit, and pome fruit. All being well, we’ll have a few rarer trees for sale as well, including medlars and weeping apples.

Plans are also afoot to substantially increase our range of potted food producing plants. These, along with a small range of heirloom vegie seedlings, will be offered for sale by appointment at the nursery, by local delivery, and hopefully at local markets.

One piece of disappointing news: it looks like the workshops are off, at least in the proposed format. To date we’ve had a total lack of interest from the punters, which suggests that something is amiss (possibly our timing), so after much consideration we’re decided that the best option is to look at a less regular workshop schedule, perhaps seasonally. Still thinking it through, and details will be posted in due course.

This is by no means the end of the world. Kylie and I always planned for Thistlebrook to be a dynamic, fluid, responsive enterprise that can swiftly alter course and change to meet demand. We’ve got no plans to become giant corporate schmucks. Instead, we’re seeking to run our business the in much the same way we try to run our lives – with humility, passion, honesty, and joy. We’d love for you to join us in whatever capacity you can, be it purchasing a couple of fruit trees for backyard, or simply by signing up for our free regular updates (you’ll find a couple of subscription options in the right hand column of this website).

Thanks again for your support and let’s all raise a glass to a big year of home growing in 2010!

cheers,

Justin

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Justin’s Gardening A to Z for 2010

by Justin Russell on January 13, 2010

Apples. The recent 39 degree temperatures proved how resilient apple trees really are. Give them adequate water for the first few years, and they’ll provide sweet rewards for the next couple of hundred.

Berries. Soft fruit like raspberries are delightfully easy to grow given the right conditions, and they’ll fit in all kinds of awkward spaces. Plus, they’re delicious!

Colour. Colour can energise those parts of the garden that need excitement, and provide a sense of relaxed calm in other parts. Or, you can break all the rules and do your own thing.

Dam Levels. Those gardeners connected to Toowoomba’s water supply can look forward to a relaxation of water restrictions in 2010. Let’s not get too carried away though. Water is our most precious resource, and we still need to find ways to use it wisely.

Enthusiasm. If you’re a beginning gardener, don’t let the garden snobs put you off. As far as I’m concerned gardening is a pursuit open to all who have the enthusiasm to give it a go.

Frogs. I believe that gardeners have a responsibility to make a home for wildlife, particularly struggling species like native frogs. Ditch the chemicals and create some habitat.

Global Warming. It’s real, it’s happening, and it will affect Downs gardeners in all sorts of unforeseen ways. Experiment with plants that can handle the booms and busts.

Healing. Don’t underestimate the role gardening can play in healing the body or a busted heart. As garden writer Michael McCoy says “We’re nurtured as we nurture”.

Imperfection. Gardens are alive. They are, therefore, imperfect. This is hard for neat freaks to accept, but on occasions it’s worth letting nature have its head.

Jimbour Station. One of the most inspiring gardens on the Downs. It’s spacious, immaculately maintained and the 19th century style veg garden is a stunner.

Kids. Minimalist, formal style gardens are hostile to lots of things, but none more so than kids. My advice is to loosen up. Make time and space for children.

Labiates. In 2009 I found plants in the Lamiaceae or mint family to be especially useful. Salvias are a favourite, but the family includes agastaches, westringia and many more gardenworthy plants.

Makeovers. The noughties were all about the garden makeover, which has little in common with actual garden making. I’m guessing that the next decade will see the backyard fruit and veg garden make a big comeback.

Nasturtiums. It’s time to rediscover nasturtiums. They’re dead easy to grow, edible and beautiful to boot. I like the old fashioned varieties that scramble all over the place.

Olives. One of the most adaptable plants is the humble European olive tree. Plant them in groves, use them for hedges, or plant one a single specimen tree. They’re worth it.

Poultry. Keeping a few chooks in the garden is a decision few people regret. They’re an outstanding source of manure and a charming presence to have clucking around.

Quercus. One of the most magnificent trees I’ve ever seen is a southern live oak Quercus virginiana, in the grounds of Geham State School. Absolutely worth a spot in a large garden.

Recycle. It’s easy to produce lots of gardening waste, but with some care and thought, it’s possible to minimise what goes into landfill by recycling. Ditch your green bin – compost instead.

Soil. The big dust storm in September ought to be a stark reminder that soil is vital to human life, but if we treat it mean it can blow away, wash down the creek, or fill with salt.

Time. Despite our protestations and fertilisations, plants take time to get established. In 2010, I’m resolving to relish the journey, rather than anticipating the destination.

Ugliness. Modern society dishes out ugliness in droves, be it in the form of buildings, street violence, fashion or electrical retailer ads. Fight back by making your garden beautiful.

Vegies. If you thought 2009 was a big year for home vegie growing, wait until 2010. My tip is that old fashioned veg gardens will be springing up in backyards all over Toowoomba and beyond.

Whining. One of my dad’s favourite sayings is “no-one likes a whinger”. Instead of longing for greener pastures, let’s resolve to make the most of what we’ve got.

X-Factor. To set your garden apart from the crowd, have the confidence to let it truly reflect the personality of you, and your family. The best gardens bear the signature of their owners.

Generation Y. Never before has a generation been so disconnected from nature. Those of us who are experienced growers would be smart to pass on our knowledge and love of gardening.

Zzzz. That’s quite enough for one year. Happy gardening in 2010!

First published in The Chronicle, 26th December 2009.

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Christmas Traditions

by Justin Russell on January 13, 2010

Just six days to go and our household will be waking at the crack of dawn to three very excited children. Christmas is nearly here, and with it will come all the paraphernalia that is now associated with one of our few remaining ancient festivals. There’ll be lots of long standing traditions as well, many involving plants, but in the hub-bub of presents and food we don’t tend to dwell upon those. Do you ever stop to think about why on earth we decorate a plastic pine tree? What’s with the tradition of hanging a holly wreath at the front door?

To understand the meaning behind many of these traditions, we have to first put Christmas in a geographical context. In Australia we’re blessed with a wealth of evergreen plants able to survive our relatively mild winters, but in Europe, evergreen plants are actually quite limited in number. Conifers such as yew and fir are the mainstay because of their fine leaves, while others like holly, box, and ivy had tough enough foliage to withstand heavy frosts and snow. Little wonder that in a mostly drab winterscape, people felt the need to bring a bit of greenery into the house. In fifteenth century London it was recorded that at Christmas, every house and parish church was “decked with holm, ivy, bays, and whatsoever the season of the year afforded to be green”.

Our Christmas tradition of adorning a conifer with baubles and other decorations dates back to the Middle Ages, when the Church would hang apples from a tree on Christmas eve, a date on the Medieval calendar known as “Adam and Eve Day”. The chosen tree was an evergreen, most likely a fir tree because it would hold its leaves throughout the European winter, symbolising life and renewal.

Christmas is also about the pear tree. One 18th century tradition during the twelve day Christmas festival was to go “wassailing” in local pear and apple orchards. The term wassail means be whole or be in good health, and wassailers would pour cider, perry, honey, spices and pulp from baked apples around trees in the orchard in the hope that they might thrive and produce bumper crops. An old rhyme goes: “Wassaile the trees, that they may beare / You many a Plum and many a Peare: / For more or lesse fruits they will bring, / As you do give them Wassailing.”

Rural folklore tells us that the male partridge was once considered in the same light as the rabbit is today – a lusty suitor capable of producing many offspring. So a partridge in a pear tree had connotations of fertility, one of the most common pagan preoccupations. Then there’s the Christian tradition, which suggests that the partridge represents Jesus Christ, the gift of Christmas, and the pear tree symbolising the cross on which he died.

Oliver Cromwell and his post-Reformation Puritan cronies tried to put an end to all this frivolity in the mid 1600’s. Moralisers and wowsers to a man, the Puritans believed that Christmas was a Catholic festival with pagan practices and no biblical basis. So, in 1647 they passed an ordinance banning Christmas. As with most bans, the festival simply went underground. Clandestine church services were held on December 25th and violent clashes occurred in places like Canterbury and London between supporters and opponents of Christmas. Songs such as the Twelve Days of Christmas became radical protest anthems.

The next time you hang a bauble from a pine tree, it’s worth remembering that Christmas has a lot more going for it than spend-ups and booze-ups. Its traditions are deeper and richer than just family get togethers, and its history can help inform the way we live our lives in the future. Decorate your home with evergreens. Bake some apples. Hang a wreath of native holly from the front door. Get beyond the superficiality of what’s become a festival of commerce, and reclaim the old ways of celebrating the 12 day festival the Medievals called Christmastide.

To loyal readers of Secret Garden: a sincere thankyou for supporting the column again in 2009. I count it a great privilege to write about something I love every week, and hope that you’ve caught a bit of my passion for gardening, the seasons and the natural world. Best wishes for a happy and meaningful Christmas, and here’s to a big year of home growing in 2010.

First published in The Chronicle 19th December 2009.

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Stop Press! Workshops Starting in February

by Justin Russell on December 7, 2009

Marley pullings carrots, December 2008

Marley pulling carrots, December 2008

Back in early October we announced that our gardening workshops were being put on hold for the foreseeable future. Well, we’ve had a change of heart. It’s all systems go here at Thistlebrook as we prepare for our first workshop next February. Lots of people expressed their disappointment that our courses weren’t going ahead as planned, which convinces Kylie and I that there are plenty of you out there who’ve been bitten by the home growing bug like we have, but need some guidance getting started, just like we did. The weather over the last five months has been poor so our garden may not look as lush as it can do after good rain, but the most important bits (like the vegie patch and espalier orchard) will be in top form when you visit. We’re absolutely raring to go!

Our debut workshop will be held on February 6th 2010. In the following months we’ll be hosting a workshop every fortnight on topics such as “Patch From Scratch”, “Homegrown Fruit”, “Soil and Compost” and “Organic Pest Control”.  Check out the full workshop calendar, and get in touch if you have any questions or want to make a booking. All our workshops will include hands-on experience and practical demonstrations, helpful take-home course notes, and delicious home-made fare using our own produce and the best ingredients from local farmers. Plus, our on-site, “gastronomic plants” nursery will be open to workshop attendees, so it’s a great opportunity to pick up some of the plants you need to start Growing It Yourself.

So why not spend an inspirational day with us here at Thistlebrook, or better still, purchase a gift voucher for a gardening friend and attend a workshop together. You’ll head home full of enthusiasm for one of life’s most satisfying pursuits – growing organic fruit and vegies right in your own backyard.

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