Our Blog

Make a broad bean custard

08 August 2019 | Lucio Galletto & Robin Powell

The broad bean’s short and sweet season is celebrated by Italian home cooks and chefs. In this recipe, Sydney restaurateur, Lucio Galletto turns the humble bean into something really special - a broad bean custard.

Best crops for small pots

08 August 2019 | Linda Ross

Even the smallest balcony plots can produce crops from an interesting range of small-fruited, ‘patio’-sized vegetables. Linda Ross shares tips on making it work.

Small space: big ideas

08 August 2019 | Robin Powell

Courtyard and balcony gardens are less forgiving than suburban gardens. A big garden can ramble a bit, drawing you past a bit of a dead patch with the lure of the something great glimpsed just around the corner. But in a small garden everything is on show, all the time.

How to: declutter your balcony

07 August 2019 | Linda Ross

As obsessive plant collectors we can’t help bringing home interesting plants from friends and fellow plant-lovers. Our enthusiasm had resulted in an unlovely clutter of pots. Something had to be done. Here are our tips for turning Plant Lovers’ Clutter into a pleasing display.

Know your:Balcony flowers

07 August 2019 | Linda Ross

Add some summer dazzle to a sunny balcony with these pot-loving beauties.

Brussels sprouts: 3 ways

01 August 2019 | Robin Powell

Need new delicious ways to serve Brussels sprouts? We’ve got 3 simple ways that will wow the crowd.

Handy guide: Magnolias

01 August 2019 | Linda Ross

Deciduous magnolias thrill us in winter with cup-shaped blooms on bare grey stems.

How to: arrange flowers

01 August 2019 | Annabelle Hickson

If I could print Constance Spry's 1953 book How to Do the Flowers here in full, I would. It is not a big book, but it is a thoughtful one, and full of very good information. It is this book that first got me thinking about ‘arranging’ flowers, as opposed to simply plonking them in a vase.

Meet Mark Jury, magnolia breeder

01 August 2019 | Robin Powell

If there’s a stunning deciduous magnolia in your garden with enormous cup-shaped blooms and rich colour, chances are it was bred by New Zealand plantsman, Mark Jury.

Magic Magnolia Mulch

01 August 2019 | Sandra Ross

Magnolia not happy? Try a Magic Magnolia Mulch. Sandra's special recipe does magical things to sulking magnolias!

I love a star magnolia

01 August 2019 | Graham Ross

Magnolias can languish in their formative years, but perseverance will be rewarded. Here Graham discusses his favourite magnolia's story.

Roasted cauliflower salad

25 July 2019 | Robin Powell

Match our cauliflower salad with roast chicken or barbecued lamb. My Nanna never served cauliflower that wasn’t boiled and drowned in a thick white sauce.

Cauliflower soup

25 July 2019 | Robin Powell

Got an abundance of cauliflower?Give this delicious soup a go. Perfect for a cool winter's night

Caramel pineapple upside-down cake

25 July 2019 | Robin Powell

Sweet pineapple and toasty coconut are always a happy combination and they make this cake mouth-wateringly delicious. The Ross Family celebrates any occasion with something freshly baked.

Know your: Roses for warm areas

25 July 2019 | Robin Powell

Some of the best performing roses for warm climates are old favourites -and we mean old. Search out these hardy centurions for fragrance, generosity and trouble-free beauty.

Relaxed style: Marcia Hosking

25 July 2019 | Chris Pearson

Sydney-based designer Marcia Hosking gave a holiday vibe to this compact garden.

Meet: Pat and Bill Rhodin, Tulip Tops gardeners

25 July 2019 | Robin Powell

Meet Pat and Bill Rhodin, Tulip Tops gardeners. They work hard all year to make this garden's spring display something memorable

Red Earth Bulb's Lilium 2019 Collection

18 July 2019 | Linda Ross

Add a splash of summer colour to your garden with Garden and Oriental Lilies. Each bulb produces 30-40 flowers per stem and just keeps on giving every single year. Our friend Tim Drewitt from Red Earth Bulbs has Liliums going at unbelievable prices. Drum roll please.

Lemon and yoghurt cake

17 July 2019 | Robin Powell

Back in 2015 we declared it the Year of the Cake with this mouth-watering recipe.

It's time to plant Liliums

17 July 2019 | Linda Ross

For wow factor in the summer garden it’s hard to go past lilies, and a new bunch of liliums is now opening bold big blooms across the country.

How to: divide upside down orchids

12 July 2019 | Graham Ross

Graham’s upside-down orchid (Stanhopea tigrina) has grown old and unproductive, and this year treated us all with only five flower spikes, instead of the usual 30!

How to: create an orchid tree

11 July 2019 | Graham Ross

Inspired by a trip to Singapore and the gorgeous Gardens of the Bay, Graham decided to create an orchid tree.

Know Your Orchids

11 July 2019 | Linda Ross

The orchid family is so extensive, and so wonderful in the garden. Here we introduce just the essential exotics for your garden. The exciting native orchids we’ll save for another day.

How to: reflower a moth orchid

11 July 2019 | Mez Woodward

One of our most-asked questions to the Garden Clinic helpline and to radio is about caring for moth orchids so they flower again. Here are our top tips.

Handy Guide: Orchids

11 July 2019 | Linda Ross

Orchids are found in every corner of the planet and come from the biggest family of cultivated plants on earth: 30,000 wild species. There are twice as many orchid species as there are species of birds! Orchids have had a 200-year journey from the tropical jungles to become the nation's most popular houseplant.

Federal Gov authority to de-register common home-garden insecticides containing Chlorpyrifos

05 July 2019 | Graham Ross

A special gazette published by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) last month detailed the proposal to cancel the registrations of the 27 chemical products containing the active ingredient chlorpyrifos

How to: Grow tomatoes

04 July 2019 | Linda Ross

For home-grown tomato tragics like Linda late winter doesn’t signal a time to ramp up the gym membership and line up a fake tan. Rather she is busy germinating heirloom tomatoes seeds. Whether you are joining her in growing from seed, or skipping that step with seedlings from the nursery, here are her top tips for growing a great feed of tomatoes this summer.

5 steps to starting a veggie patch from scratch

04 July 2019 | Linda Ross

Ever wanted to grow your own veggies but never knew where to start? Here are five steps to consider when starting a patch from scratch.

How to make Power Soil

04 July 2019 | Linda Ross

Give the warm season vegetable patch a big boost before seedlings go in. Use our Power Soil recipe and get ready for take-off!

How to make a veggie stock

01 July 2019 | Linda Ross

If you planted out root vegetables in early autumn you’ll be harvesting them now. While roots make great side dishes for whatever you’re cooking for dinner, your home-grown produce also makes the best stock.

Mickey's Kitchen Garden

01 July 2019 | Mickey Robertson

Mickey Robertson gardens at Glenmore House near Camden. Sounds like a scene out of Pride and Prejudice? Well yes, you do feel as though you've traveled back in time where women wear linen and the air smells clean. Winter, she says, is crisp mornings thawing to glorious blue-sky days. Early morning reveal traces of frost on cabbage and kale leaves; and sometimes, just sometimes, the paddocks blanketed in white. Evenings also have a rhythm all their own as woodsmoke trails through the valley. Here she shares glimpses of days in her winter garden.

How to grow veggies from seed

01 July 2019 | Arno King

Planting punnets of vegetable seedlings is easy, but it is much more cost-effective and more fulfilling - not to mention offering wider choice and better results - to sow seed directly into the garden. The key is to sow plants suited to your climate, at the appropriate time of year.

In the garden: July

27 June 2019 | Linda Ross

The winter chill is settling on the garden. It's time to enjoy winter flowers, sharpen up the pruning tools and get those spring bulbs in

Orange and whisky self-saucing pudding

27 June 2019 | Robin Powell

What’s not to love about a self-saucing pudding? There’s the magic trick of pouring liquid over batter and having it transform, a short time later, to become a thick, luscious sauce under a fluffy, crisp-topped cake.

How to use seaweed in the garden

27 June 2019 | Kirsten Bradley and Nick Ritar

In their new book ‘Milkwood’, permaculture gardeners Kirsten Bradley and Nick Ritar devote a whole chapter to the glories of seaweed. Beyond its uses in the kitchen, seaweed is great in the garden.

The rebirth of New York's High Line

24 June 2019 | Robin Powell & Michael McCoy

Back in 2013 workers removed the last remaining bits of Sydney’s monorail. After 25 years the unpopular transport project has been relegated to memory. How different the decommissioning of New York’s old freight rail, the High Line, and the transformation into a most exciting horticultural tourist attraction, revitalising a city and utilising the worlds premiere perennial plantsman.

Bake a whole Orange Cake

20 June 2019 | Robin Powell

From Linda’s go-to collection, a dead-easy cake that she makes in triple quantities. One cake is eaten fresh and the other two go into the freezer for entertaining emergencies.

Grow better Oranges with our handy guide

20 June 2019 | Justin Russell & Linda Ross

Orange trees are jewels for the home garden with shiny green foliage, sweet-smelling blossom and glowing winter fruit.

Coping with a deluge

13 June 2019 | Arno King

While subsoil drainage, such as drainage grates, gravel pits and sumps, are effective in light rain, heavy downpours overwhelm pipes and the water sheets across the landscape. Arno King has some tips top help cope when the heavens open up.

How to Make Magic Mix

12 June 2019 | Robin Powell

At a Garden Clinic class held at Honeysuckle Nursery in Mosman we wondered aloud at all the plants bursting with health and vitality, with shiny, glossy leaves and so much energy they seemed about to leap off the shelves. The answer? This Magic Mix!

Know your flowering trees

11 June 2019 | Paul Urquart

Love tropical flowering trees? Paul Urquart knows all the tropical trees that will thrive in Sydney

Six great plants for summer

05 June 2019 | Peter Nixon

Peter Nixon traded in his inner-city Sydney courtyard for a Sea-change paradise. Here he givces us six plants that make this central coast garden sing

Sea-changer

04 June 2019 | Peter Nixon and Robin Powell

Four years ago garden designer Peter Nixon traded in his inner-city Sydney courtyard for a big blank corner block on the Central Coast and turned it into this!

Broughton Hall: Six plants I love

29 May 2019 | David Musker

David Husker is busy this winter maintaining his stunning garden, Broughton Hall Here David gives us 6 plants he loves that look their best in winter

Winter in Broughton Hall, Victoria

29 May 2019 | David Musker

Winter is a busy time in the garden as we prepare for the big show that is spring. Find out what David Musker is up to at the stunning Garden at Broughton Hall in Victoria.

6 Plants for Autumn

09 May 2019 | Ali Mentesh

Mature trees, sharp hedges and a passion for roses shape the unfolding beauty of Mittagong's Red Cow Farm. Here Ali Mentesh gives us 6 plants for autumn.

Picardy Garden Pea Risotto

08 February 2019 | Robin Powell

One of my favourite gardens in Victoria is Picardy, a romantic French provincial style garden in the picturesque hills of Neerim. Marian and Bryce Somes had always been Francophiles - mad for French food, in love with the language - but it was a trip to France to celebrate a significant birthday year in 1986 that confirmed a passion for French style.

Know your indoor plants

22 November 2018 | Linda Ross

Plants make indoor spaces beautiful and people happy. Here are a few easy-care options to start - or enlarge! - your indoor garden.

How to brew a Compost Tea

15 November 2018 | Arno King

When I was a child all our neighbours and friends had a large tub - generally an old enamel washing machine tub - buried close to the vegetable garden. This was the ‘brew’ tub. Ingredients for the brew - compost, manures and seaweed - were widely discussed and benefits widely acclaimed. And it turns out these gardeners were onto something!

Meet Marianne Farrer, The Secret Garden and Nursery

06 September 2018 | Robin Powell

The Secret Garden and Nursery is a not-for-profit community and therapy garden that allows variously abled people to work together in a beautiful space. It’s also a great local nursery, with plants at bargain prices.

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