Explore gardening

Should you sow seeds or seedlings? That depends! Does your vegetable or herb have a long seed germination period? If it’s quick (<7 days) and a fast-to-mature crop like lettuce, you can sow seeds, raise seedlings and harvest your crop while the weather is still cool.

April and May are prime planting times for our autumn and winter crops. We only have short seasons during autumn and winter (June/July) so it’s best to make the most of them.

Food Waste Loop, a Yandina Community Gardens (YCG) pilot program, is collecting food waste from local businesses and turning it into compost which is already in high demand.

See Permaculture principles and design ideas in action. Come along for an inspiring & informative tour of our gardens on the first Saturday of each month.

PLEASE NOTE: Parents are welcome to attend, but parent involvement is not necessary as teachers are qualified and numbers are restricted to cater for this.

Our Worm Lasagne method is energy efficient, blocks weeds and generates healthy organic produce. Then we will mix up a batch of “Magic Potion” that will enchant your soil with E.

The road verge is the area of land between your property boundary and the road. The typical road verge within our region consists of grass, footpath and a council provided street tree.

From adorning cakes to transforming a bowl of leafy greens, edible blooms are easy to grow and full of goodness. You may be surprised by just how many types of flowers can safely make the transition from garden to table.

Potter about your patio Anne Gibson, the Micro Gardener - introduction to growing microgreens It’s the perfect time to get dirty. Dirty hands that is, by digging deep into some micro gardening on your patio, veranda, landing, balcony, courtyard or deck.

Permaculture is the skill we all need to learn how to help us through this challenging period. The world urgently needs more permaculture gardens, designers and teachers everywhere.

Learn how to grow nutrient-dense organic food gardens in urban spaces. Dig in with quick, easy DIY tips and lessons by expert organic gardener, author and speaker, Anne Gibson.

This is the week, traditionally, when we pause to remember the 1,138 fast fashion workers who tragically lost their lives, with many more who were injured, at the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh on 24th April 2013.

The fashion industry is responsible for up to 10 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Watch this video for three ways you can reduce your fashion footprint and still dress to impress.

Vibrant, tasty and nutritious, microgreens can bring salads, smoothies and main meals to life. Their rich green and fuchsia hues are an ideal way to enliven a boring salad, garnish your favourite chargrilled meat or add verve to school lunchboxes.

With the outbreak of the serious virus COVID-19, known as coronavirus, we are naturally concerned about whether natural hand sanitisers will be as effective as synthetic chemicals.

It’s been a stressful time for many normally enthusiastic gardeners to sustain their garden, even without water restrictions. Whether you’re on town water, with the moisture available to keep gardens growing or relying solely on tank water, it’s a good time to reflect on your water management and consider implementing sustainable practices.

Whether you are new to op shopping for clothes or a regular, we thought we would share some useful tips from Emma Willmann, Statement Styling and Katie Roberts, Sustainability in Style who were facilitators for our recent fabric program Op Shop rambles in Maroochydore and Nambour.

Multigenerational housing has the potential to offer creative solutions to some of the social and environmental challenges of our time. A panel of experienced and emerging architects, along with community members with lived experience discussed the role multigenerational housing could play in shaping our communities of the future at the recent Sunshine Coast Open House forum held at the Innovation Centre.

“We are definitely coming back again next year” was the phrase heard repeatedly at Sunshine Coast Council’s National Tree Day celebrations. Families from across the Sunshine Coast had a fun morning at the tree planting event, with 196 adults and 159 children contributing their efforts.

With a number of the 50 events on offer already sold out, and registrations for The Food Fair increasing by the day, the event is proving popular with locals, and visitors to the Sunshine Coast.

Succulent plants are everywhere right now. You’ll find these quirky, fun splashes of greenery adorning tables in cafe’s and bringing colour to interior and exterior spaces.

Google “craft for kids” and you’ll find thousands of ideas to get you started including painting, drawing, sewing, needlework, pottery, paper crafts and card making.

This article is part of a series that draws on the latest research on back to school transitions. In it, experts explain how best to prepare children for school, and counter difficulties such as stress or bad behaviour.

It’s a perfect activity to get the kids interested in producing their own food as they can watch progress each day. Minimal equipment is needed and supplies are readily available at health food stores or online (see notes at the end of the article).

The 12 DOs of Christmas are twelve simple positive actions that everyone can use to help fight the festive war on waste. From green gifts, food and tech waste tips to sustainable summer holiday renovations and decluttering we’ve got it covered!

Living Smart speaks with The Micro Gardener, Anne Gibson on gardening for the seasons in our region. How would you describe our south-east Queensland climate?

The problem is once in a while has become too often, with the average NZ household eating takeaways 2-3 times a week (compared to the once a fortnight recommendation).

Here are a few pointers taken from my book Fresh Start (there are more in the book!), and some super fresh, healthy recipes that will fuel you with lots of goodness, and make you feel great!