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grow | tea
By MEREDITH KIRTON Tea, which is the most popular drink in the world, is, like the saying (all the tea in China) suggests, native to the area. It is actually a type of Camellia, one of the best loved...
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grow | radish
By MEREDITH KIRTON Often I am asked what are the easiest of all veggies to grow, and radish would have to be up with the front runners for this award. It seems to grow in any climate, from cold to hot,...
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grow | ginger
By MEREDITH KIRTON Native to Asia and India, it is used in curries, stir fries, sweets, candied and of course, made into a fabulous thirst quenching beverage. To grow ginger, you can just obtain a...
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grow | banana
By MEREDITH KIRTON Bananas are the 3rd most eaten fruit, after apples and oranges, in the world but are also eaten like a vegetable when it comes to the larger, green plantains, which are great in...
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grow | watermelon
By MEREDITH KIRTON Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Almost nothing says summer like a watermelon. Cold from the fridge on a hot day, or still warm from growing out in the sun and then split open to...
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grow | tamarillo
By MEREDITH KIRTON Tamarillo (Cyphomandra betacea) The tree tomato, or tamarillo, is a fast growing fruit tree perfect for the backyard as it only gets about 3m tall and fruits beautifully after only...
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grow | nectarine
By MEREDITH KIRTON Nectarines and Peaches (Prunus persica) are one of the quintessential summer fruits, with the season running from late October right through to April, and a real glut coming onto...
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grow | vine leaves/grapes
By MEREDITH KIRTON Grapes have been cultivated for over 8000 years and evidence of them has even been found dating back before the last ice age and the Ancient Egyptians had realised how great they...
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By MEREDITH KIRTON Asian cuisine is becoming more and more mainstream, with many of the greens appearing on our supermarket shelves and even more to choose from the markets. For those in the know,...
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grow | pears
By MEREDITH KIRTON Pears are the new flavour of the month when it comes to ornamental street trees, but should we be looking closely at the fruit bearing types as well. Not only are they tough,...
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grow | bay
By MEREDITH KIRTON Bay trees (Laurus noblis) has been sacred since Ancient Greece and its healing properties are well documented and is has long been associated with wisdom, knowledge, glory and...
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grow | honey
By MEREDITH KIRTON Bees play a huge part in the food cycle, not just because of the honey they produce, but also because of the enormous job bees do in pollinating fruit trees and cropping vegetables...
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grow | kumera
By MEREDITH KIRTON The sweet potato (Ipomoea bataus) is actually native to the America’s though has found it way right across the Pacific through Polynesia and become a part of Island cuisine...
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grow | rosemary
By MEREDITH KIRTON Rosemary is a much loved herb and used to flavour many dishes, but especially Mediterranean ones from where the plant is a native. It is an evergreen, oil-rich plant that normally...
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Grow | Onions
By MEREDITH KIRTON Onions Onions (Allium cepa) have a long history and have been grown for so many years in so many countries it hard to tell where they are native, though its thought to be Asia....
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Grow | Green Beans
By MEREDITH KIRTON Got a fence? 2 metres of beans growing along it could feed your family all summer, and the kids will love going outside with a basket to cut their own greens for dinner, or just...
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Grow | Avocado
By MEREDITH KIRTON Growing an avocado in the home garden is not for the impatient, as from seed to fruiting it takes around 6 years. Luckily, grafted plants are available that not only give you a...
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Grow | Macadamias
By MEREDITH KIRTON Macadamias are the most successful ‘bush tucker’ export from Australia, with the oil-rich nuts being used in both sweet and savoury cooking. The two main species of macadamia are...
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Grow | Turnip & Kohlrabi
By MEREDITH KIRTON From farm fodder to fast becoming the hippest ingredient in town, these humble vegetables deserve recognition. Turnips, kohlrabi and swede are very cold hardy, and store well over...
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Grow | Kiwi Fruit
By MEREDITH KIRTON Kiwi fruit (Actinidia), or Chinese gooseberries as they are also known, are deciduous vines. They are ideal for people without a lot of space as, providing they are kept trimmed, the...
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