Discuss.

OK, I confess: this thread was an excuse to make a post about one of my favourite organic garden/household suppliers...

I've just received, via snail mail, the latest copy of Green Harvest's Australian Organic Gardening Resource Guide....

For anyone who's interested, here's a link to their web-site: -

http://www.greenharvest.com.au/

http://www.greenharvest.com.au/images/Miscellaneous/header_graphic.jpg



Disclaimer: I am purely a long-term satisfied customer - I do not have any vested or other interest in promoting the business and I don't even know the proprietors.

Yeah it's a nice hobby. Personally I prefer the taste of genetically modified  food that's grown with lots of pesticides and herbicides to keep away all these nasty crawling things and bugs that make me ill.  :P

I also prefer Tuna that's not dolphin safe. It's cheaper and probably caught by the same fishing boats anyway. :P

I loved Phillip Adams' recent comment. Paraphrased - "Personally I'd prefer to feed cats to fish than the other way round"

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/latenightlive/stories/2010/2942498.htm

muso wrote on Jul 16^th, 2010 at 2:32pm:

Yeah it's a nice hobby. Personally I prefer the taste of genetically modified  food that's grown with lots of pesticides and herbicides to keep away all these nasty crawling things and bugs that make me ill.  :P I also prefer Tuna that's not dolphin safe. It's cheaper and probably caught by the same fishing boats anyway. :P I loved Phillip Adams' recent comment. Paraphrased - "Personally I'd prefer to feed cats to fish than the other way round" http://www.abc.net.au/rn/latenightlive/stories/2010/2942498.htm

I missed this the other day - ROFPMSL now  ::)

Meantime, back at the post office...I received another package...

This time, it was from another trusty mail order supplier Eden Seeds/Select Organic (dual supplier publication): -

http://www.edenseeds.com.au/cms/graphics/system/Title_EdenSelect.jpg

http://www.edenseeds.com.au/content/default.asp

http://www.selectorganic.com.au/content/default.asp

http://www.selectorganic.com.au/images/SelectOrganic_Packets_02.jpg


Disclaimer: I do not have any relationship or association with either entity - other than merely being a long-term satisfied customer.

that "edenseeds" site. It's gardeners porn.
i put in 5 grevilleas, 2 callestimons and a paperbark yesterday.

Will get some cow poo for the vege garden out the front soon, might ring up my local tree lopper again, see if he will drop off another  load of mulch for me.

new idea i saw/did lately.
With my wooden fence, screwed some rails up onto it to train tomatoes , passionfuit and beans up.
could even espailer fruiting shrubs/trees along it.

muso wrote on Jul 16^th, 2010 at 2:32pm:

Yeah it's a nice hobby. Personally I prefer the taste of genetically modified  food that's grown with lots of pesticides and herbicides to keep away all these nasty crawling things and bugs that make me ill.  :P I also prefer Tuna that's not dolphin safe. It's cheaper and probably caught by the same fishing boats anyway. :P I loved Phillip Adams' recent comment. Paraphrased - "Personally I'd prefer to feed cats to fish than the other way round" http://www.abc.net.au/rn/latenightlive/stories/2010/2942498.htm

I am constantly appalled at the enormous resourses that are required to stock the shelves of the petfood isles. Absolutely bloody shameful.

One of my favourite shows years ago...

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Quote:

I am constantly appalled at the enormous resourses that are required to stock the shelves of the petfood isles. Absolutely bloody shameful.

I'm not appalled by it or consider it shameful or anything, but I do think it's a waste of resources. Pets should be a lot rarer than they actually are. That's the thing; while declining fertility rates are seen as a sign we're becoming more environmentally conscious, the money that ordinarlly would have been used to raise human children is now being used on pets, cosmetic surgery and overseas travel.

I've always had a problem with 'Organic Food'....

It doesn't make any sense to me, as to why food that doesn't require expensive pesticides and fertilizers should cost TWICE what the food that uses pesticides and fertilizers......

I mean, what's that about.....Organic farmers DON'T spend $100.00 a year on chemicals....but charge 2 or 3 times as much as the farmers who DO???

Is it just a case of 'people are prepared to pay more for chemical free' or what????

It isn't chemical free. Organic crops use pesticides and herbicides like conventional crops do; so called 'organic' pesticides that aren't synthesized from petrochemicals. They're much less effective than synthetic pesticides so they have to be applied to crops in much larger amounts (and they're not exactly good for you either). Organic crop yields are usually much smaller and more labour intensive, hence the higher costs. High demand likely puts a premium on them also, as you pointed out.

Sprintcyclist wrote on Jul 19^th, 2010 at 1:00pm:

that "edenseeds" site. It's gardeners porn. i put in 5 grevilleas, 2 callestimons and a paperbark yesterday. Will get some cow poo for the vege garden out the front soon, might ring up my local tree lopper again, see if he will drop off another  load of mulch for me. new idea i saw/did lately. With my wooden fence, screwed some rails up onto it to train tomatoes , passionfuit and beans up. could even espailer fruiting shrubs/trees along it.

LOL...'gardeners porn'  ::)

I like your gardening style, SC - mine is similarly random...

I managed to upset the local mailman when I co-opted the nature strip a couple of years to grow bush tucker. I've had mixed success out there - being on Western-facing dry, stony and hydrophobic coastal soil - but my Warrigal Greens (Tetragonia tetragonoides, AKA New Zealand Spinach) are flourishing right now, to make an excellent living mulch...

well done thy, the front verge is the best place for fruit and veges.
Imagine a suburb where ever street has rows of fruit trees and veges growing wild.

My fruit vege garden is out the front. It's great, best place for one.
I have invited the local kids to take whatever passionfruit they want from the front of our place.
When the beans and tomatoes come ready, I'll offer the same inviatation.

They wave to me when I drive home and come over for a chat.

locutius wrote on Jul 19^th, 2010 at 3:56pm:

One of my favourite shows years ago...

Yes, it was a great show. I remember that Felicity Kendal fueled my adolescent fantasies too :)

I just planted a herb garden yesterday. Lots of Sweet Basil, Purple basil, Sage, Italian Parsley (The only parsley worth growing) and I already have Oregano as a ground cover.  

Muso what about Corriander...I remember you saying how much you loved the stuff.

locutius wrote on Sep 14^th, 2010 at 4:19pm:

Muso what about Corriander...I remember you saying how much you loved the stuff.

I did actually plant some coriander 2 weeks ago. I bought some at a Chinese market and stuck them in the ground. The soil had been shaken from the roots, but they still grew when I cut off most of the leaves.  Coriander seeds are worth harvesting and drying, unlike the leaves which have the taste of Hades. I use them for curries and also apfel strudel, along with cinnamon.
http://www.mysteriousetruscans.com/cgi-bin/Forum/YaBB.pl?action=downloadfile;file=DSC01334.JPG
(The sprig of coriander is just in front of the chives in this corner of my potager)

On the subject of cinnamon, I try to get Vietnamese Cinnamon sticks from the Asian shop. They have a stronger flavour than the supermarket variety. They are also great in curries. Just remember to take the stick out before you serve it up or you might end up with a dentist's bill.

Anybody interested in starting an organic foods recipe thread?