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The Onion Family: Growing Alliums

onion-family

If there is a plant group considered a staple in the modern diet, the onion family is it. From the ubiquitous brown onion to edible chive flowers, the diversity in the onion family is matched only by the many uses and flavours it brings to the kitchen.

The alliums are a huge genus of plants. Up to 800 species are named throughout the world although many of them not edible, domesticated or well known. The edible alliums are what we commonly call the onion family, and include bulbing onions, shallots, spring onions, leeks, garlic and chives. Their distinctive aroma comes from an array of sulphur compounds with many purported health benefits, like the ability to lower cholesterol levels, triglycerides and blood pressure, anti-clotting properties, strong anti-inflammatory components, as well as antiviral and anti-bacterial properties – quite a powerhouse of a family.

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In The Garden – February-May

map of aussie

Seasonal garden guides for Australian climates

Moon planting

The moon’s phases and its associated gravitational pull has a significant effect on the behaviour of tidal oceans, so it’s easy to understand how the moon can have a similar effect on the moisture in our soils and plants. By planning what you sow to coincide with the phases of the moon best suited to the type of vegetable and how you’re planting, you’ll give yourself a higher chance of success as well as increase your yields.

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Observe & Interact: Soil Health Card

HEALTHY-SOIL

The Northern Rivers Soil Health Card was developed as a practical tool for the region’s farmers and landholders to use to monitor the health of their soils. While it was developed in partnership with NSW Agriculture, it’s got lots to offer home gardeners all around the country who want to better understand soil health.

The soil health card lists 10 straightforward visual tests performed with simple equipment and which can be carried out by one person. The card, which can be found online and printed out, provides space for you to record important details regarding the test site, as well as space to rate your own soils after carrying out the tests. By testing regularly and keeping the cards, you can build up a record of your soil health and get a better longterm picture of what’s happening beneath your feet, and importantly, why it’s happening.

Regular testing will show improvements in response to more sustainable practices, and allow early detection of developing soil problems. The soil health card is not intended to replace any regular testing you may already carry out, it is simply another tool to help you understand your soils and their productivity.

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Root-to-tip Eating: Whole Plant Harvest

whole-plant-ahrvest

You might score yourself highly when it comes to making sure you’re minimising food waste, but what about when you consider all the parts of a food-producing plant that are edible which end up either in the compost, the chicken coop or in the green bin?

We have all heard the phrase nose-to-tail eating, but the same philosophy can be applied to our vegetables. Just like there’s a move towards whole-animal eating, we need to be ‘honouring’ the whole plant and not eating just the popular parts of our fruit and vegetables.

So much of what we grow ends up being discarded while we are missing out on not only the opportunity to reduce waste, but also extra vitamins, fibre and nutrients. Many of the parts that we discard can also hold many hidden medicinal benefits. Here are a few ideas to get you celebrating your whole-plant harvest.

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Natural Ferments: Living Drinks

living-drinks

Homemade fermented drinks are a delicious and popular alternative to alcoholic beverages. And in this highly sanitised world we’ve found ourselves in, they’ve probably never been more important.

Low-alcohol alternatives are popping up all over the beverage market these days as people take a growing interest in healthier living. According to data from consumer analytics firm IRI, there’s been a 33 percent increase in the sales of low- and non-alcoholic beverages in Australia in the last 12 months, as people look at ways to reduce their alcohol intake.

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Building Materials: Natural Selection

building-materials

Whether you’re planning a new build or renovating your existing house, there are lots of natural materials to ensure an efficient, beautiful and healthy home.

When deciding which natural building material is best suited to your needs, there are things you need to consider. Local availability, the cost of materials compared to your budget and what thermal properties you need it to achieve. The ease of construction is something you also need to take into account, and some people may also be swayed by a particular product’s embodied energy, which is the total energy consumed by the processes of extracting, processing and delivering building materials to the site.

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Permie of the Year: Mandy Milburn

mandy

Dedicated to building resilience and food security through respectful community connections, Pip’s 2021 Permie of the Year recipient personifies the three key ethics.

‘Open hearted’ is how the 2021 Pip Permie of the Year Award recipient Mandy Milburn describes herself and, when you look at where the 49-year-old has found herself after a relatively tumultuous life, it’s pretty hard to argue.

These days, Mandy leads the team running the Kununurra Community Garden located in the eastern reaches of Western Australia’s Kimberley ranges. Just 45 km from the Northern Territory border, it’s a relatively small and remote community and its hot, semi-arid climate is extreme. She co-launched the Kununurra Community Kitchen five years ago and recently merged the two under the same not-for-profit banner, and now uses both entities to support, influence and nurture real and positive change within her diverse community.

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Permaculture Planting: Fruit Tree Guild

fruit-tree-guild

Create a thriving and productive mini ecosystem that supports your fruit tree by designing a guild – a permaculture technique in which a group of plants are chosen to complement and support a central plant.

Guilds are a great way to make the most of under-utilised space in the garden and to obtain a diverse yield. Whether your garden is small or your property vast and rambling, the space under and around your fruit trees is valuable real estate. Being mindful with what you plant there can bring many benefits to the fruit trees, to your other garden inhabitants and to yourself. A guild can bring higher yields as it adds nutrients, attracts pollinators, stabilises temperatures and controls pests and diseases. By creating a little food forest of mutually beneficial plants below your fruit trees you can obtain a bountiful mixed yield, while at the same time, reducing the amount of work you need to put into it. Win win!

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Storyteller: Cheryl Davison

cheryl-davidson

As a visual artist, a business owner and a creative director, Cheryl Davison is creating and maintaining beautiful and important cultural connections.

Cheryl Davison is a proud Walbunga and Ngarigo woman. She is an artist who expresses her creativity and connection to Country in many forms. Best known for her prints and paintings, she is also the Aboriginal Creative Director with Four Winds Festivals and has recently opened Mungala Bugaali Gallery in Central Tilba, New South Wales, where as well as selling her own artwork and products, she sells the wares of other local artists and producers.

‘I come from here,’ she starts. ‘There is nowhere else I come from. I was born in Bega, my mother was born in Nowra, my grandfather was born in Wallaga, my great grandfather was born in Wallaga, my great great grandfather was born in Wallaga. That’s a real connection for me.’

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Zero Waste: Kitchen Scrubbers

kitchen-scrubber

Produced using plastics and metals, today’s store-bought kitchen scourers can be notoriously bad for the environment. But by repurposing everyday household waste, you can very easily make your own

These homemade kitchen scrubbers pose a two-pronged attack in the war on dishes. They have a coarse side, which is perfect for scrubbing off tough baked-on stains, and a soft side which is suitable for wiping up spills or wiping down benches. And best of all, they can be made using items you’re likely to have lying around the house, making them a great addition to your zero-waste arsenal.

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