Having recently created the Gardening With Angus seed range with the aim of bringing some of our uniquely beautiful Australian plants to the home gardener, I would like to make this newsletter about growing plants from seed. The thing about raising many plant species from seed is that each seedling is a genetically unique individual…

As we begin 2023 the desire to look after our environment is something we can all get excited and busy about at a personal level, and especially in our backyards and other local areas that we may be the custodians of. Biodiversity was the subject of a United Nations conference in Canada to bring down…

My family name of Stewart has its origins in being appointed as the steward or manager of properties, and as I trial new ways of managing my farm and garden, I like to pay my respects to the Aboriginal core concept of being custodians and managers rather than exploiters of the land. Their management systems…

New Book Launch – environmentally sustainable ways to grow more with less The launch of my new book, Future Proof Your Garden, co-authored with my daughter Emma Stewart, will be at Ryde Library on the 10th of November, from 7pm to 8.30pm. Attendees on the night have a chance to win a signed copy, along…

It has been a while since my last newsletter! Lately I have had my head down working on the farm preparing for the warmer growing months of the year. This is particularly important down here in Tasmania where the seasons are so much more distinct. Another thing I have been working on is a new…

As we embark upon a new year, it is an opportunity like no other for all of us to reflect on where we are going after the profoundly momentous year that 2020 turned out to be. The pandemic has highlighted a whole lot of things to the world about the place of humanity and how…

I spent my childhood  on the NSW Central Coast, and always celebrated the end of the year with big bunches of NSW Christmas bush, Ceratopetalum gummiferum, with its delicate burst of red bracts to brighten the occasion. Since moving to Tasmania I have been keenly exploring the plants of my adopted state and so it…

Tasmanian Bush Foods project Australian bush foods have captured the imagination of lots of Australian gardeners, and for good reason, as there are so many interesting species to explore, many of which are also very ornamental plants that fit beautifully into a garden setting. Since moving to Tasmania I have been exploring the many bush…

The poem ‘My Country’ by Dorothea McKellar and its lines about “A land of sweeping plains, Of rugged mountain ranges, Of drought and flooding rains” springs  to mind (pardon the Dad joke) as I reflect on my last newsletter.  I talked about how to use water efficiently, with a nod to our all too often…

Spring has sprung and the weather is getting warmer. With this in mind, I thought it would be good to share some of my water efficient garden ideas to help keep plants happy, healthy and productive. With water resources under ever increasing pressure, using water well and wisely should be on everyone’s to do list!…