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Jac’s Pork n Black Beans
IS yummy and it IS easy.
Spiders in the garden
Readers may recall the column about ants. This time it is about spiders. Like ants, spiders can be a mixed blessing and we are guaranteed to have spiders in our gardens. Spiders do a wonderful job at keeping insects in check. Most spiders spin webs to ensnare insects, some spiders
Late April start for footy in 1975
Front page news in April was all about local football upheavals, as the Heathcote League commenced without Tooborac, which had been on-again, off-again, right up to the first bounce. The withdrawal left just Elmore, Heathcote, Colbinabbin, Rushworth, and Mt Pleasant which was given a bye in the opening round. Photographed
As the seasons change...
Gosh! Where did spring/summer season go? It feels like the busy season has been a bit of a blur. The weather is shifting, leaning towards much cooler nights, shorter days and longer nights. The flow of baby birds has ceased but the gathering of plover pairs on nature strips
Logistics
There was plenty of demand for firewood from Melbourne, with the bulk of the transport needs being met by the railways up until World War 2. Looking back to the pre-war years, The Argus newspaper estimated that Melbourne needed 500-600,000 tons of firewood each year, as well as 100,
Dire wolves, de-extinct?
Dire wolves were not a fictional species of wolf created for Game of Thrones. Dire wolves (Aencyon dirus) actually existed in the Americas and went extinct as recently as 10,000 years ago. Their remains show they were bigger and lighter in colour than the modern-day grey wolf (Canis lupis)
April 17, 2025
Forest yarns
It is hard to understate the amount of timber that was used for firewood in the early days, before people had access to electricity and gas. Almost every house had a wood stove in the kitchen, as well as fireplaces in other parts of the house. Many workplaces required timber
Anne’s chocolate cake
I’ve told you before that I can’t do light and fluffy – which is why I don’t cook sponges or cakes much. But my daughter’s friend, Anne, assured me that this was an easy-peasy, one bowl, one spoon chocolate cake – that ANYONE could make.
The majestic mountain ash
By Neil Laurie
Tragedy and heroism at Basin outlet
By Alan McLean
Garden Hints & Tips
Grow rhubarb for delicious pies, preserves and jams
One of the most rewarding plants for the little effort it requires is rhubarb, a hardy perennial plant grown for its tart (but delicious) edible stalks. It’s supposed to prefer a cooler climate for good results but it can certainly thrive in our climate (although it can get a
Garden Hints & Tips
What plant is that?
It is important to know what plants you have in your garden. Is the plant a pest species? Will the tree be too big once it grows? Is it poisonous? These are just some of the reasons you need to know what plants are in your garden, not to mention
Garden Hints & Tips
Spring is blossoming
September is a great time to be out in the garden or paddock after a cold cloudy winter. The ground is moist and warming up. We have a lovely selection of flowering native plants that will encourage wildlife into your property. Imagine sitting at your table and watching wrens and
Garden Hints & Tips
Spring is in the air......
Finally the days are getting longer and the temperatures are rising although only in little bursts! Gardens are starting to come to life with bulbs popping up all over the place bringing an end to that winter gloom. Roses should have been pruned by now and signs of new growth
Garden Hints & Tips
It’s rose planting time!
Greek poets praised roses with their sweet perfume and profuse blooms as “perfume of the gods” and “queen of flowers
Garden Hints & Tips
It’s a good time to get your native plants in the ground
The ground is wet and the days short. It’s good timing to get your native plants in the ground so the root system has time to establish in readiness for a flush of growth in spring. Our stock supply is moving fast with many species already sold out. There
Garden Hints & Tips
Let’s do an autopsy!
I need to do a plant autopsy! The victim was a well established grevillea. It was a needle leaf variety so there were no warning signs of droopy leaves.
Garden Hints & Tips
Potting mix – to buy or not to buy?
Most gardeners who have at least some pot plants on the go will have discovered potting mixes available (especially at the popular big chain store) vary greatly in quality. It doesn’t need the frequent encouragement from Gardening Australia to ‘look for the red ticks’ – the temptation to opt for
Garden Hints & Tips
Choose native plants for containers
The warmer days bring the opportunity to spruce up your garden, and to give a little TLC to tired looking pot plants and hanging baskets.
Garden Hints & Tips
Jobs, jobs and jobs!
Without a doubt the wetter season has been good for the garden, but combined with the ending of the year, it has meant that there is a long list of jobs to do in the garden and too little time to do them.
