Episodes
Saturday Dec 18, 2021
Festive Drinks with Pineapple Sage in the Kitchen Garden
Saturday Dec 18, 2021
Saturday Dec 18, 2021
KITCHEN GARDEN
Festive Drinks with Pineapple Sage
I talk with Corinne Mossati about this wonderful culinary sage that is so useful in festive drinks.
You may be growing some lovely salvias in your garden but not realise that one of them in particular, can make a luscious and revitalising drink, just right for the festive season.
Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) is in the Lamiaceae or mint family.
Found growing naturally in forests quite high up but does well along the east coast of Australia.
A fast growing small shrub to 1.5m, that suits most regions of Australia with large leaves that are, distinctly veined and a bright lime-green in colour.
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Salvia elegans-pineapple sage |
Grow it in reasonably rich soil that has a good water holding capacity to keep it moving along during the warmest months of the year. Best in full sun.
Tip prune whenever you pass to keep your pineapple sage more compact and lush.
Flowers occur mainly in winter but will spot flower most of the year.
Let’s find out.
PLAY: Festive drinks with pineapple sage_8th December 202
That was Corinne Mossati founder and editor of the gourmantic garden and cocktails and bars websites.
Not only the leaves, but the flowers can be used to make drinks or flavour honey.
For a small 200ml jar, fill it up with pineapple sage flowers and then pour in the honey. Leave it to steep for one month and give it a give it a little stir every so often.
You can also use the flowers as garnish in salad, and because they have a pineapple flavour, they’ll make a fantastic addition to fruit salads, and sorbets.
Corinne's Tip:When you are working with aromatic plants, place the leaf on your palm, give it a little slap to release the volatile oils, before you garnish your cocktail, then inhale the aroma as you sip your drink.
Corinne's Pineapple Sage Cocktail |
Here are the links to the recipes Corinne mentions in the podcast:
The Sage Cuban: Pineapple Sage Cocktail: //www.cocktailsandbars.com/the-sage-cuban-pineapple-sage-cocktail/
Pineapple Sage Flower Honey: //www.thegourmanticgarden.com/pineapple-sage-flower-honey/
Simple Syrup: //www.cocktailsandbars.com/how-to-make-simple-syrup/
If you have any feedback why not write in or email www.realworldgardener.com
Saturday Dec 18, 2021
Dill versus Fennel: What‘s the Difference in Spice it Up
Saturday Dec 18, 2021
Saturday Dec 18, 2021
SPICE IT UP
Dill versus Fennel
How well do you know your herbs?
Have you ever used fresh dill in any recipes?
Perhaps a dill sauce, with smoked salmon or in a potato salad, but what about fennel.?
Those feathery fronds of dill, have a similar smell to fennel, so can they be used interchangeably? Dill is pictured here but it looks similar to the feather fronds of fennel doesn't it?
So how can you tell the difference between dill and fennel fronds?
Fennel bulb and frond |
Dill fronds are slightly finer and a darker green than fennel fronds.
Dill has a higher anise or licorice note when you crush the leaf.
Fennel has the same level of anethol (active enzyme) but tends to be sweeter.
- Seeds or both dill and fennel are used in cooking and are referred to as a spice.
- Seed flavour profiles differ from the fresh plant.
- Dill fronds are sometimes referred to as 'dill weed' in recipes.
Dill seeds are used a lot in pickles, but don’t have magical properties.
Ian’s great tip was when using fennel seeds, dry roast them which by the way gives satay sauce that special flavour. -
- My favourite use of fennel seeds is in home-made sausage rolls.
I mix 150 grams of beef mince with 300gms of pork mince, 1 grated carrot, 1 grated potato (raw), w teaspoons of chopped sage leaves, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, salt and pepper to season. Divide mixture onto puff pastry sheets and roll up with join side down onto baking trays. Bake for 15 minutes at 220 C until golden.
Dill or Fennel flowers? |
Let’s find out by listening to the podcast.
I'm talking with Ian Hemphill from www.herbies.com.au
If you have any feedback email
realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
Thursday Nov 25, 2021
Grafting Techniques part 2 on The Good Earth
Thursday Nov 25, 2021
Thursday Nov 25, 2021
GRAFTING TECHNIQUES Part 2
Approach grafting is an alternative method for citrus. |
In part 1 of grafting techniques Margaret Mossakowska and I talked about how growing from a tree such as an orange or lemon from seed isn’t all that successful unless you graft it onto hardy rootstock.
In this segment, we refresh some of those points and take you onto more grafting techniques.
There are many types of grafting that are available to be used, some more complex or more exacting than others.
My Take On Grafting
Cleft grafting I find is quite straight forward and easy to get right.
I've tried grafting Camellia reticulata scions onto Camellia sasanqua rootstock with a 100% success rate. Camellia reticulata has huge flowers, a feature I wanted growing in my garden.
Camellia 'Red Crystal' is a cross between C.reticulata ‘Crimson Robe’ and C. japonica ‘Wildfire,’ however, both are slow growing. and don't grow so fast in temperate Sydney.
I find this is a faster alternative, plus Camellia sasanquas are very hardy and less prone to root rot.
Camellia 'Red Crystal' |
- Grafting citrus is essential in Australia because the table citrus that we love to eat are not native to Australia, and so are prone to many diseases.
The grafted union in most cases needs to be above the ground. There is one exception and that is with lilacs(Syringia vulgaris.). Lilacs tend to sucker if grown on their own rootstock so they are grafted onto privet rootstocks.
Things to Watch Out For.
- At first the graft union may seem all fine and dandy, but if you see shoots from below the graft union, you may have a problem Houston.
- Shoots from below the graft union could signal failure of the graft and the rootstock is trying to take over.
- Keep on rubbing off these shoots and hopefully it's only a minor abberration.
- If this persists, you may find the top part or scion is slowly dying, so time to start all over.
You’ll also need the correct root stock.
If you have any feedback email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
Thursday Nov 25, 2021
Grafting Ctirus a Technique in The Good Earth
Thursday Nov 25, 2021
Thursday Nov 25, 2021
THE GOOD EARTH
Grafting Techniques part 1 & 2
Lemon tree |
- Switch to grafting methods.
Practice makes perfect and I would recommend wearing gloves before attempting to do any type of grafting.
So What is Grafting?
- The scion has to be a particular size and be related botanically speaking to the rootstock. That means you can't graft an apple onto citrus rootstock, because apples are in the family 'rosaceae' and citrus are in the plant family 'rutaceae.'
- Margaret describes cleft grafting where the scion's base is cut as a 'V' and inserted into the same length slit into the rootstock. The cambium (green wood) of each must be aligned.
You’ll also need the correct root stock.
Let’s find out more by listening to the podcast. I'm talking with Margaret Mossakowska of www.mosshouse.com.au
Sunday Nov 07, 2021
Small Space Gardening in the Kitchen Garden
Sunday Nov 07, 2021
Sunday Nov 07, 2021
SMALL SPACE GARDENING-COURTYARD STYLE
Modern day gardens are much smaller than they used to be.
Be inspired
- Corinne has managed to squeeze in over 200 plants into a small paved courtyard-that doesn't even include duplicates of plants.
- A good start is with recycling crates from your local council, to give you an idea of what works for you. Alternatively, plant into lots of containers that can be moved around to follow the sun.Then venture into raised garden beds.
Making the right choice
- Before any planting, determine the movement of the sun in your small space and and note down the hours of sunlight and shade in each part of your small space/courtyard.
- Choose those edibles that like all day full sun for those spots that get 6 hours plus of sunlight such as tomatoes.
- Leafy vegetables such as lettuce, rocket, Swiss chard and kale, don't mind a bit of shade throughout the day if your have only 3-4 hours of sunlight.
- If you only have morning sun then choose vegetables such as carrots, celery, and dwarf beans.
- For those spots with morning shade and afternoon sun, the choice is climbing cucumbers, climbing peas and beans.
Soil prep is key for Corinne.
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The raised garden beds are made up with homemade compost, worm castings and bought in compost and other organic material.Grow cucumbers on a lattice made of string.
Think of vertical spaces
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Think about growing vines like cucumbers and zucchinis and even nasturtiums, vertically.
I'm talking with Corinne Mossati drinks writer and founder of the gourmantic garden website.
Don’t be put off by lack of space you may have because no space is too small to have plants, even if it’s just herbs on the kitchen windowsill.
If you have any feedback email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
Saturday Nov 06, 2021
Murnong Yam is Plant of the Week
Saturday Nov 06, 2021
Saturday Nov 06, 2021
PLANT OF THE WEEK Number 3
Scientific Name: Microseris Lanceolata
Common Name:Murnong Yam
Family:Asteraceae
Yam Daisy |
Native Habitat: found in a wide range of habitats in Australia: these inlcude mallee, slerophyll and sub-alpine communities.
Description:-Strappy, linear green leaves above underground tubers that emerge after rain in Autumn.
Height-Width: 30cm x 30cm
Flowering: yellow daisy flowers in spring-autumn.
Fruiting:fluffy seedheads (known as achenes), similar to dandelion seedhead.
Position: Full sun and part shade.
Attributes: Dry tolerant once established and can grow in sandy soil.
There are many bush tucker plants that are not that well known and this is another one of them.
- Yam daisy plant can be hard to identify in the wild because it looks like a lot of other yellow daisy plants, including dandelions and flatweed, also called cats ears.
- The main differences: flat weed has a rosette of hairy, wavy-edged leaves that sit flat on the ground, while murnong has upright lance-shaped leaves.
- Murnong flower stems have a curved, drooping top as the bud develops, then straighten as it opens, whereas flatweeds and dandelions are upright as the bud is forming. The white tubers are nutritious and sweet tasting They can be eaten raw or baked, mixed with other vegetables or turned into a paste for dessert.
- It is possible to buy the seeds of yam daisy plant online.
- To find out more listen to the podcast. I'm talking with Adrian O'Malley horticulturist
Thursday Nov 04, 2021
Australian Native Raspberry in Plant of the Week
Thursday Nov 04, 2021
Thursday Nov 04, 2021
PLANT OF THE WEEK
Scientific Name: Rubus parvifolia
Rubus parvifolia |
Not all fruiting vines or canes come from the northern hemisphere, Australia has quite a lot of its own.
These plants have similar fruits and are easier to grow than there northern counterparts so why are we growing them more?
My experience is observing one such plant in Sydney Botanic gardens, scrambling on a stream bank near the Palm House. This plant is part of the native garden along with banksias, grass trees, lomandras, carpobrotus and many others, including a peppermint gum.
The habit of rubus species is to keep suckering and spreading, much like the non-native blackberry bushes, so take care where exactly you plant it in your garden.
Listen to the podcast to find out more.
I'm talking with horticulturist and native plant afficionado, Adrian O’Malley
PLAY : Rubus parvifolius_25th August 2021
Tuesday Oct 05, 2021
Hidden Talents of Nasturtiums on Real World Gardener
Tuesday Oct 05, 2021
Tuesday Oct 05, 2021
Nasturtiums
with Corinne Mossati
Quite often we gardener have flowering plants in the garden but never think about bringing them into the kitchen to make something.
They may be just fillers or self-seeders, but in this case, the nasturtium, has so many extra uses other than ornamental, you’ll be inspired to do something.
Corrine find it takes between 14-21 days.
Eating Nasturtiums-Corinnes'tips:
and Cocktails & Bars: //www.cocktailsandbars.com
If you have any feedback email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
Winter Savoryvs Thyme in Spice it Up
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
SPICE IT UP
SAVORY VS THYME
Often there’s a couple of herbs that look alike and even have similar flavour profiles.
If you had them growing together in the herb garden, you may even confuse the two because of how closely they look to each other.
If you rubbed both herbs without knowing which was which, you would most likely think they both were the same herb.
- Winter savory, unlike thyme, is not sold as a cut herb in the produce aisle of your supermarket.
- Confusingly there is a 'summer savory' which tends to die off in winter and usually not come back.
- I've never seen the seeds of savory being sold however if you have a pot of winter savory that's overgrown and become leggy, follow these tips to refresh it.
- Dividing the roots in spring, will rejuvenate the plant.
- Start off by trimming about a third of any wrapped or circling roots.
- Divide the root ball into thirds or quarters, making sure that each section has a healthy piece of root and stems with green leaves attached.
- Remove one-third of the top growth, and trim away any dead or damaged stems and leaves.
- Re-pot into new containers and gift some to your friends.
But can you substitute one for the other?
Wild thyme growing amongst a rocky outcrop |
- Did you know there are over 100 varieties of thyme?
- The wild thyme of Provence is known for its strength of flavour. Think 'herbs de Provence' is a blend with this wild thyme.
- You will find winter savory, Satureja (sat-you-rea) montana, as a plant sold in most garden centres.
- So time to get some of your own.
I'm talking with Ian Hemphill from www.herbies.com.au
If you have any feedback email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
Control of Fungus Gnats in Plant Doctor
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
PLANT DOCTOR
FUNGUS GNATS
These tiny flying things can swarm around your indoor plants but other than annoyance, are they killing your plants?
Those tiny little flies that hang around your fruit bowl or indoor plants aren’t always that same thing.
Sometimes they’re confused with fruit flies, or even ordinary house flies, but none of those two are correct. Inevitably they’re up to no good but how to tell them apart?
- There are fungus gnats and fermentation flies.
- they are attracted to different things.
- Fermentation or vinegar flies tend to hang around the fruit bowl, especially if you've got overripe fruit because vinegar flies are attracted to sugars.
- Fungus gnats are smaller, flitting around erratically: the adults of which are attracted to moisture.
- the adults are doing much if anything to your plants other than laying lots of eggs, although there is evidence that they can transmit plant diseases.
- The larvae can be the problem because the feed on the roots of your plants.
Fungus gnats -magnified heaps. |
- Remember: Vinegar or fermentation flies are attracted to sugary treats, such as over-ripe fruits, whereas fungus gnats are attracted to moisture such as overly wet potting medium.
- Greenhouses can also have an outbreak of fungus gnats.
- Keep your soil medium a bit on the dry side.
- Drench the potting mix with neem oil which will control the juvenile stages.
- Make a sticky trap using vaseline to trap the adults.
- Use a type of mulch the prevents the adult fungus gnats burrowing into the soil to lay the eggs.
- Worst case, repot with fresh potting mix.
- Greenhouse control can be with predatory insects.
If you have any feedback email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675