Gardening Australia

Australia’s number one monthly gardening resource, ABC Gardening Australia magazine is packed with step-by-step advice and stunning design ideas from its popular team of experts. Whether you are a novice gardener or have a green thumb and years of experience, you’ll find the advice you need.

EDITOR’S LETTER

Gardening Australia

February • News and happenings for gardeners and nature lovers

PLANTS • Choose from a weed-conquering groundcover and a selection of fuss-free flowering perennials

BOOKS

habitat matters • Tips for wildlife-friendly gardens and healthy ecosystems

flow STATE • Created for outdoor living, this native garden is family-friendly, reflects its coastal environment and provides valuable habitat to local wildlife

next-gen gardens • The Australian garden has entered a new era, shaped by a growing appreciation for native plants and a clearer sense of what we want from our outdoor spaces. Today’s gardens are looser and more relaxed, using natural materials and unstructured planting to create flowing spaces that feel alive. They’re low-maintenance and family-friendly – places you can simply step into and enjoy. This shift embraces biodiversity, climate-suited plants and an easy, distinctly Australian way of living. Here, two leading designers share their insights into the contemporary Australian garden and how to bring it to life.

HIGH achievers • Climbers transform walls, fences, pergolas and other vertical surfaces into living works of art. Here, STEPHEN RYAN reveals 10 top performers

lilly-pilly love • They’re superb as screens, hedges or shade trees, but lilly pillies come with pest challenges. ANGUS STEWART explains how to manage them

for LEAF alone • With their dazzling and diverse leaf types, anthuriums offer a bold and dramatic addition to your indoor plant collection, writes STEVE FALCIONI. And many are easy to grow

LOW & lovely • Multi-talented groundcovers can perform a variety of roles in the garden – acting as living carpets, filling gaps and framing paths as well as curbing weeds. The key is to choose the best groundcover for each job, writes JOHN PATRICK

every drop counts • Water is our most precious resource – and when summer rains are elusive, growing a garden requires some tactical thinking, writes JACKIE FRENCH

PAWS for thought • Pets enjoy having access to a garden as much as humans do. But if you have an inquisitive dog or cat, beware: many plants are toxic to our furry friends. HELEN YOUNG explains what every pet owner needs to know – and how to minimise the risks

join the CHORUS • With a few simple tweaks to your garden, you can welcome more amphibian visitors – and capture every call, writes LOREN DESBRUSLAIS

HOME GROWN • Whether you have 15 minutes or an hour to spare, you can always put your time to good use in the productive garden. Check out these timed tasks...

good life • Hannah Moloney’s seasonal tips for the edible garden

bulb moment • Florence fennel is easy to grow in the garden and versatile in the kitchen, where its bulb, fronds and seeds can be used in a multiplicity of dishes, writes PHIL DUDMAN

what I’ve learnt about... starting cool-season crops in summer • The secret to planting your autumn and winter crops early is to replicate the mild conditions they love, writes PHIL DUDMAN

FEBRUARY a month in the GARDEN • more than 50 seasonal jobs to do

MAILBOX

PLANT PUZZLER • Ready for some plant-inspired sleuthing? Solve the crossword and unscramble the coloured letters to find the hidden word.

TV • The Gardening Australia team is back on air soon! Tune in on Friday, February 13, for a whole new season.

RADIO • Tune into your local ABC radio for...