Sustainable Gardening Australia Newsletter, Edition 82: February 2010
Get Festive with Great Green Gifts!
The United Nations (doers of good all over the world) have declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity, and we couldn’t be more excited! Biodiverdsity is essentially the variety of life on earth, and we humans have the ability to protect it or destroy it. Australia is a recognised global hotspot for biodiversity, with over 85 distinct bioregions that sustain 22,000 native plant species, 86,000 insect species, 800 bird species, 900 reptile species and much else besides. To celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity, and help you get pumping in your patch, SGA are kicking of the year with some biodiverse backyard bushfoods, allowing you to have your habitat and eat it too!
http://www.sgaonline.org.au/info_bushfood.html
Gardening in 2010 – New Yard Resolutions
We’ve all been there – 12.05am on the first day of the New Year always seems the perfect time to make bold announcements about what we are or are not going to do for the upcoming year. But, as the Dutch Courage wears off and January turns to February, New Years Resolutions seem to fade into the past like slurred verses of Auld Lang Syne. So, this year, instead of making a series of personal resolutions you won’t keep, why not turn your attentions to the garden? To give you a kickstart, we’ve whacked together a list of New Yards Resolutions – ten top tips for the patch and the planet in 2010. No bad singing, cheap champagne or party hats required!
http://www.sgaonline.org.au/newyards.html
Food Security – A Global Problem with Local Solutions
Food security is a term that, like global warming and climate change, we are going to hear a lot of in 2010, and with good reason. But, unlike a lot of earth threatening issues that seem just too big for an individual to make a real difference, there is so much each and every one of us can do to ensure food security for our families, our communities and the planet. Find out about food security, and how we can all make a difference here.
http://www.sgaonline.org.au/info_security.html
Parsley – Grow Your Own Garnish
As herbs go, parsley is generally not regarded as one of the more exciting plants in the patch, but the reality is far different. Like the author, parsley is versatile, good looking, hardy, easy to grow and doesn’t drink much (ok, that’s where the similarities ended). Have a go at growing your very own garnish this month. Parsley – you can’t go past it.
http://www.sgaonline.org.au/yy_parsley.html
Early Blight of Tomatoes
As our tomatoes begin to bear the fruits of their (and our) labours, unlucky gardeners may notice this little blighter about the place. As attractive fungi go, Early Blight of Tomatoes ain’t going to win any prizes, and can be downright disastrous to toms at this time of year. Get up close and personal with this freaky looking fungus here:
http://www.sgaonline.org.au/info_tomatoblight.html
Cool Tips for a Hot Month of gardening – February in your Patch
As we ease back into the new year after a lovely break, it’s time to hit the patch with a wee bit of planting and a whole lot of planning. Brave the heat and show your garden you care this month – hug a tree, whack a weed, maintain your mulch, watch your watering and fix up fallow beds. For all your fab Feb tips and tricks, check out this month’s February in your Patch, perfect for wherever you happen to be across Australia!
http://www.sgaonline.org.au/info_inyourpatch_february.html
Mary Trigger – SGA CEO is G Magazine Eco Hero!
“Faster than a speeding snail!
More powerful than a home made chilli spray!
Able to leap tall poppies in a single bound!”
Our very own Mary Trigger is now officially a sustainability superhero!
The unsung guru of the gardening world, SGA CEO Mary Trigger has been named as one of G Magazine’s Top 20 Eco Heroes, an accolade that celebrates Australians paving green paths, inspiring others and achieving big things in sustainability. Mary has been recognised for her fantastic work at the helm of SGA, and the great work she, and the organisation, have done in bringing sustainability to gardeners across Australia.
On the award, Mary said “I am truly honoured by this accolade, and while SGA have achieved great things so far, there is a lot more to come from this organisation and my fantastic team. After all, we do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children”. Good on you Mary, we always knew you were a legend!
The SGA Crew Head to the Zoo – Werribee Workshops Autumn 2010
Sustainable Gardening Australia is presenting a series of four workshops at Werribee Open Range Zoo (VIC) during Autumn 2010. These workshops have a Werribee Plains focus and are designed to encourage participants to become more sustainable within their own backyards and local community. Each workshop will focus on a different topic such as Sustainable Garden Design; Garden Plants for the Werribee Plains; Creating Habitat Gardens and Gardening in Low Rainfall Areas.
Workshops are $10 each, or $35 for all 4. Included in the workshop cost are zoo entry and walking tours that will be conducted in the Zoo’s sustainable gardens. Local friends groups will also be on hand to assist participants in learning about the uniqueness of the Werribee Plains area. Please refer to the flyer below for details of each workshop.
Click here to book a workshop.
Click here for more information, session times and dates etc.
Shop til you drop… in the comfort of your own home!
Sustainable Gardening Australia is proud to announce that we have boldly leapt into the 21st century with the launch of our very own ONLINE SHOP! There are a range of products available, including our enormously popular Yummy Yards book and our fantastic SGA Companion Planting Chart, with more SGA items being added weekly. Our secure online payment system (thanks NAB) and prompt shipping service (thanks Helen) mean that the SGA Online Shop is the place to be for all your sustainable gardening purchases. Check it out today… http://sgaonline.cart.net.au/
Become an SGA Champion of Change… make a difference today!
People are becoming increasingly concerned about climate change and the state of our planet. But what to do to make a difference? By gardening sustainably we can all make a positive contribution to the health of our planet. Signing up as an SGA Champion of Change can have an immediate and lasting impact on our environmental footprint. With your help we can influence government to adopt more sustainable practices in your community. Read all about it and register online at www.sgaonline.org.au/champions.html
Talk it up!
Got a gardening question you need answered? Want to connect with other gardeners in your neck of the woods? Want to have a yarn about the bigger issues, share some photos, and make some new friends? Well, SGA has just the thing! Check out our online discussion forum, with hundreds of members just itching to have a chat and discuss your (gardening) problems. So go on, what are you waiting for… get chatting at www.sgaonline.org.au/phpbb/
PLEASE – TELL YOUR FRIENDS!
We now have over 10,000 subscribers to Cuttings, but we’d like a lot more. So please spread the word – Cuttings is free and there are no strings attached! www.sgaonline.org.au/spreadtheword.html
DIARY DATES
For all event & workshop information go to http://www.sgaonline.org.au/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=18. To advertise a gardening event for free, contact helen@sgaonline.org.au
CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE GARDEN CENTRES
For a full list of SGA Certified Garden Centres visit www.sgaonline.org.au/certifiedgardencentres.html
SGA is a Carbon Neutral Organisation
Transport is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in Australia (Australian Greenhouse Office). Research has shown that trees, over time, absorb carbon dioxide emissions. SGA staff record their fuel consumption each year and plant the equivalent number of indigenous plants to offset those emissions. To find out how many trees you need to plant check out the Carbon Neutral Program Calculator at www.carbonneutral.com.au. More info at www.sgaonline.org.au/carbonneutral.html
Visit SGA on the web at www.sgaonline.org.au