Sweet Basil
Abundant bunches of lush green leaves with rich fragrance.
RECIPE BY SAMMY & BELLA (Serves 4)
For the strawberry:
For the shortcake:
For the cream:
How to grow the ingredients at home…
STRAWBERRIES
Strawberries are easy to grow in a sunny spot on the deck or patio. They also take up hardly any room – you can grow them in a container or a hanging basket. Strawberries have pretty white flowers and the red fruit is very decorative (if you can stop yourself from eating them). You can harvest strawberries within six months of planting new plants.
When to plant: Strawberries can be planted at any time of year, but do best when planted between late autumn and winter.
Strawberry pest watch: Snails and slugs loving chewing into strawberries. I recommend keeping them well mulched with pea and sugar cane straw which helps keep the berries up off the soil. Lightly spray with a snail and slug repellent around the strawberry patch to help attract and kill damaging snails and slugs.
BASIL
Basil has such a rich fragrance and intense flavour and can be used in so many different ways that it’s no wonder it’s one of Australia’s most popular herbs. Why not grow your own bunches of lush green basil?
Sweet Basil is quick and easy to grow and within six weeks you’ll have delicious bowls full of leaves.
Here are the easy how-to steps for growing your very own basil in a pot or planter box:
More tips on how to create your own kitchen garden.
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With this seasonal abundance of atmospheric moisture it’s easy to see why this is the time of year for fungal diseases.
Autumn’s a pleasant season in the garden. There’s still growth and activity in the plant world, but the worst of the heat is over for the year.
Gardeners are usually concerned about the pests that attack their plants, but autumn’s the season when other pests can also become troublesome in our homes and gardens.
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