EDITORSLT
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Organic Gardener magazine has been printed
using recycled paper certified against the
FSC R Chain of custody standard. The text
is printed on Leipa Ultralux Silk, which is
an offset paper made of 100% waste paper
that not only satisfies the highest quality
requirements but is also 100% environment-
friendly, as it uses only recycled fibres as
raw material. This saves resources, energy and
therefore protects the environment as well.
W
e haveeverythingforyou this
issue, from tomatoes to toilet
paper along with a lot of
naturally great gardening ideas in between!
Tomatoes are ever-popular and the good news is that via the
Dwarf Tomato Project there are an amazing new group of tomato
cultivars coming out that will fi t into small spaces and containers.
As Karen Sutherland says in her article on page 24, they are great
for balconies, but also for anyone who wants to take advantage
of warm microclimates and move tomatoes easily to catch sun
and rain, or avoid wind and storms. Karen gives plenty of
practical advice about the special needs of tomatoes in
containers, and the range of cultivars available.
Also, Penny Woodward has dug up research into the health
benefi ts of orange/golden coloured tomatoes. We are learning that
the phytochemicals (the health-promoting components in the
colours of fruit and veg) of orange tomatoes are excellent for
cardiovascular and general health. Penny outlines the research
in her article ‘In Golden Health’ on page 30. Also, see an
updated version of Penny’s fi rst-ever article in OG (‘Scent to
Repel’ on page 20), which appeared 16 years ago. Penny is
now our horticultural editor and the magazine would not
be the same without her knowledge and integrity.
Another beauty this issue is Justin Russell’s article on melons
(the cantaloupes and rockmelon kind – sorry watermelons!), which
highlights the amazing array of heirloom melons now available.
There are many extraordinary looking melons, with textures
and fl avours few of us have dreamt of.
If turning your produce into tasty food is your thing, then
turn to page 64 for recipes from the new book by River Cottage
Australia’s Paul West. Paul has combined his love of farming
and growing food with his skills as a chef to create a book full
of inspiration and practical advice.
Summer is a season of extremes in Australia, so read Helen
McKerral’s article ‘Spring into Action’ for tips on preparing for
storms, fi re, wind and more. Also, our article on Aloe vera and
other plants that can help you repair your skin.
And lastly, on the small matter of toilet paper! I’ve been
frustrated to see how little progress has been made on converting
to recycled toilet paper brands. Still, only 3 per cent of toilet paper
sold in Australia is recycled with consumers more attracted to
super-white, fragranced and luxury brands. We investigate the
effects of toilet paper use on forest resources, plus the recycled
and more sustainable brands you can fi nd if you look.
And on that domestic note, enjoy the issue.A FEST O
SPRING AT CLES
CONTRIBUTORS
Pau Wet
Paul West is
best known as
the host of the
SBS TV series
River Cottage
Australia,
where he
demonstrated
sustainable
living on an
ex-dairy property on the NSW south
coast. But Paul says he is a chef by
trade and a gardener by choice. He
has just written a book – The Edible
Garden – that combines his advice on
organic gardening with recipes to
turn your produce into yummy meals.
See the Harvest section on page 64
for a sample of some of his recipesKan Sut and
Karen is
a regular
contributor to
OG, with her
specialist
knowledge in
permaculture
and native
plants in
particular
being a hit. Karen trained at Royal
Melbourne Zoological Gardens and
Burnley Horticultural College and
completed a permaculture design
course with Bill Mollison. This issue
Karen writes about edible, waterwise
succulents (page 17) and also on
growing dwarf and bush tomatoes
in containers (page 24).