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Some other news

Here are few news items, which to provide some content for the page until there are more listings. These are slightly edited versions of news (without the illustrations) that was covered in past editions of Get Results Gardening.

Gold Coast Joining the Conservation Dots

The City of Gold Coast has announced the purchase of land in the Tallebudgera Valley which not only adds to the total amount of habitat for plants and animals, but provides an important link between two conservation reserves already owned by the council. The Dalton Road property became the seventh in the City's Natural Areas Acquisition Program. Sites are chosen for their high conservation values including linkages that improve ecological viability overall. "We are committed to protecting our native wildlife by connecting and restoring critical nature corridors and 51 per cent native vegetation cover as a part of the Our Natural City Strategy," said Mayor Tom Tate. Read more: City’s move to protect native plant and animal habitat (City of Gold Coast, November 2024)

Green Relief From City Heat Stress

Greenery in a city can help human well being in many ways. One getting increasing attention is the possibility that in urban areas, more trees and parks could reduce heat-related stress and even save lives during heatwaves. A recent review of of research (including studies conducted in Australia) supports this idea, particularly for vulnerable people (the very young and the very old, plus people with predisposing health conditions). Green space can help through the cooling effects of vegetation. However, the review's authors also note that mental health benefits could also be helping people cope. Read more: Abundant urban green space linked to lower rates of heat related illness and death, BMJ Group, October 2024)

More Bushcare for Ipswich

Ipswich City Council as announced three new volunteer-led groups in their Bushcare program. "These groups have started through the passion of local residents who have put their hands up to volunteer and help improve the natural environment at these important sites,” said Councillor Jim Madden. "We encourage residents to head down to a working bee and try out Bushcare. It’s a great way to meet like-minded people and council provides equipment for registered volunteers." There are now twelve groups across Ipswich. Read more: Three new Bushcare groups launch in Ipswich 11 October 2024 (Ipswich City Council, October 2024)

Enjoying Nature: It's Only Human

Queensland's Griffith University has been part of an international study suggesting that, regardless of culture, the senses of humans are much alike in their positive response to nature - things like the sight of plants, the sound of birds or the feel of stone. "We asked what specific sensory experiences in nature people found important and memorable, and how that might differ between different people in Australia, Japan, Chile and China," said Prof. Emeritus Ralf Buckley. Information like this is important in developing prescriptible nature therapies for mental health. Read more: Study finds sensory enjoyment of nature is universal (Griffith University, September 2024)

Seed Libraries Sprouting on Sunshine Coast

You can now check out more than books at Council libraries on the Sunshine Coast. Library members can see what seeds are available. Following success of seed libraries at Maleny and Kawana, they're now available at all Sunshine Coast Libraries. "It's easy to get involved, library members can grab up to four seed packets per month and once your plants have matured, you can harvest some seeds and donate them back to the Seed Library, " explained Councillor David Law. The seeds can be for edible crops, ornamental flowers or native plants. It's not just about saving money, it's a way of ensuring that heirloom varieties - which could include local varieties - are perpetuated and accessible by the community. Read more: Growing well, Seed Library blooms region-wide (Sunshine Coast Council, September 2024) -->

Pialba Figs in Decline

Fraser Coast Regional Council has advised that in spite of efforts to preserve them, the health of fig trees on Hervey Bay Esplanade has declined so much that two will be removed for the sake of public safety. Replacement trees have already been installed and cuttings taken so that the heritage trees can live on in another way. Seven remaining trees will undergo pruning and soil improvement. Read more: Unhealthy fig trees to be removed for public safety (Fraser Coast Regional Council, September 2024)

Ipswich Arbour Trial

A new arbour has been installed in East Street, Ipswich as part of a trial funded by the Department of Transport and Main Roads. Ipswich City Council are implementing the arbour as part of their Ipswich Central Revitalisation project. The aim is that vines growing in connected boxes will eventually cover the steel-framed arbour. In the meantime, shade will be provided by shade cloth. The planter boxes will have wicking beds to facilitate watering. Read more (and view a photograph of the installation): Urban arbour to cool Ipswich streets in new trial (Ipswich City Council, September 2024)

Phytophthora Tree Threat

Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) is alert to Phytophthora infections of trees in Queens Park and elsewhere in Toowoomba city. Investigations are underway to determine the species, which will help in the development of a Phytophthora Management Plan to help preserve these valuable assets. "Council seeks to inform the public and commercial operators of the presence of the plant pathogen and encourage individuals and operators to manage the risk of carrying the pathogen back to their own gardens or to natural areas that may be significantly affected by dieback," said Councillor Tim McMahon. He also said that other local authorities across South East Queensland are experiencing similar outbreaks. Read more:TRC investigating extent of plant pathogen outbreak, Toowoomba Regional Council

A Way to De-Prickle Plants Discovered

Botanically, prickles are sharp outgrowths that arise from what is essentially a plant's skin, the epidermis. The so-called thorns of a rose are actually prickles, but they are produced by a wide range of other plants, too (more on this subject in the article below). New research into prickle development has not only shed light on their evolution but may have opened the door to prickle reduction through genetic engineering. This in turn could make one Australian native plant a serious contender as a commercial bushfood. Sometimes prickles are lost during domestication of crops as more easily-handled mutants are preferentially cultivated. To find associated genes in Solanum, the researchers compared the common culinary eggplant (S. melongena), its prickly wild relative S. insanum plus various other types of domesticated eggplant. The significance of the mutations discovered - which involve a type of plant hormone - extends beyond Solanum, as some were also found in a diverse range of other plants including roses and rice. It appears that in this case prickles evolved within many groups independently (rather than being inherited from a common ancestor). Technology for manipulating Solanum species is well advanced. As an example of how prickly plants might be made more suitable for cultivation by targeting the genes responsible, the researchers "edited" Solanum cleistogamum to suppress prickle formation without affecting other characteristics. Read more: Every rose has its thorns … or does it? (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, August 2024)

Traditional Attention

Over in America, real estate website Zillow® and building services website Thumbtack have used their data to come up with a top ten list of budget-friendly, add-on renovations (no major demolition required) to attract interest from prospective buyers. Seven out the ten projects concerned the outside of the house, reflecting the current zeal for outdoor living and the huge importance of kerb appeal. Ranked highest of all was the traditional window box. This is also consistent with number four, "Vintage touches and finishes" and the love of an old-fashioned picket fence (number six). Read more: Top 10 No-Demo Renovation Projects of 2024 (Zillow Group, Inc., July, 2024)

Buffer Zoned

Aided by a grant from the Australian Government Saving Native Species Program, the City of Logan continues to participate in protection of Gossia gonoclada with the planting of 104 saplings across the city. Funding is also being used to create buffer gardens around existing trees at three Logan parks. Gossia gonoclada (family Myrtaceae) naturally occurs almost entirely within the SE Qld municipality's boundary. Read more: Funding keeps native tree flowering for the future (Logan City Council, July 2024)

Lithic Mulching and the Easter Island Population

A popular theory that the collapse of the civilisation on Easter Island (Rapa Nui) was caused by population expansion and unsustainable use of natural resources is being challenged by new research. In adapting to the climatic and geographic limitations of Rapa Nui, the Polynesian settlers used a form of gardening called "lithic mulching". Rocks placed on the surface helped to modify the microclimate and manually-broken fragments of the mineral-rich volcanic rock improved soil through weathering of the freshly exposed surfaces. Nutritious sweet potatoes were planted between the stones. Researchers have completed a new inventory of the island's "rock gardens" using on-the-ground surveys and shortwave infrared satellite imagery. They postulate that the total area cultivated, when factoring in supplementary foods such as taro and fish, would have only ever supported a population of about 3,000 people. This number is consistent with estimates by the first European visitors. Read more: Study Challenges Popular Idea That Easter Islanders Committed ‘Ecocide’ (Columbia University, June 2024)

Questionable Teabag Compostibility

One type of biodegradeable plastic becoming common is polylactic acid (PLA), which is manufactured from plant starch. A UK study recently investigated how degradable some PLA teabags were when buried in soil for seven months. The researchers found that bags made entirely from PLA remained unaffected after this time, while two types that were a mix of cellulose and PLA disintegrated. However, the PLA component persisted. Tests with a species of earthworm demonstrated that there was indeed potential for harmful consequences from incorporating improperly composted PLA into soil. The study's authors note the importance of accurate information about suitable disposal methods on product pacakaging. If waste materials are not suitable for home composting (versus municipal/commercial setups), this needs to be clear to consumers who may be confused by terms like "biodegradeable" or "plant-based plastic". Read more: Study suggests ‘biodegradable’ teabags don’t readily deteriorate in the environment and can adversely affect terrestrial species (University of Plymouth, May 2024)

Make Friends With Microbes

In a recent Finnish study, gardening boosted markers of immunity levels in participants, provided they were using a growing medium rich in microbes. No changes were seen if a microbially poor, peat-based medium was used. That results were seen after just one month and the gardening was done indoors during the winter shows that city living or unfavourable seasons need not prevent access to such benefits year-round. Besides private homes, this form of nature exposure could be adopted by schools and even hospitals. Read more: Urban gardening may improve human health – Research subjects benefitted from microbial exposure that boosts the immune system (University of Helsinki, May 2024)

A Rainforest for The Spit

Littoral (coastal) rainforest is returning to the Gold Coast with reforestation of The Spit. Federal, state and local government have contributed funding. "This is one of Australia’s largest beach front restoration projects,” said City of Gold Coast's Councillor Darren Taylor. "By restoring this coastal rainforest we will help increase valuable greenspace, provide habitat for native wildlife, and create nature-based space for residents and visitors to enjoy." Since 2019, more than 100 different species and thousands of individual plants have been planted. Professionals have been involved in the project, but volunteers have been responsible for planting an estimated 29,500 plants so far. It's expected that eventually some 350,000 plants will be used over 37 hectares, helped by the recycled water irrigation system that was installed last year. Read more: Coastal rainforest restoration a step closer with plant milestone (City of Gold Coast, May 2024)

Mustard Terroir

Terroir, the combination of environmental characteristics in any given location that's said to influence the final flavour of wine produced from it, could apply to other beverages and foods too. An investigation into the flavour of mustard looked at one possible contributing factor - soil microbiology. Potted plants were inoculated with microbe mixtures derived from various locations and habitats in Colorado. The plants were grown in a greenhouse, which meant other environmental factors such as temperature, moisture and even the starting soil itself was the same. After harvesting the mustard seeds, the researchers measured the amount of a major glucosinolate, avoiding the subjectivity of human taste-testing. Glucosinolates are the sulfur-containing compounds that give mustard and horseradish their spiciness and are contained in other brassicas such as cabbage. And the results? There was a indeed a relationship between certain microbes and spiciness. There is still much to be learnt about how microbes could affect flavour, but they could explain part of the terroir effect. The results also suggest that inoculating soil with microbes for other reasons could potentially impact flavour as well. Read more: How spicy does mustard get depending on the soil? (Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder, April 2024)

Make Wildlife Feel at Home

Want to attract more wildlife to your garden? The "Turning Gardeners into Conservationists" project aimed to find the best structures to add in the south west of Western Australia, and the results have just been released. The collaboration between University of Western Australia and Perth NRM (natural resource management) recruited members of the public to perform surveys of vertebrate wildlife using various nest boxes, shelters and water sources at their properties. The results suggest that water is the single most important thing that a gardener in a hot dry climate can provide to support wildlife, but that adding various shelters to the garden will help, too. It's not a one-way street, either. Surveys and interviews of participants indicated improvements in health and wellbeing over the 18 month project compared to a control group as they became physically and mentally engaged, learned more about nature and experienced the delight of observing new visitors to the garden. You can read more by downloading the community report "Turning Gardeners into Conservationists" from perthnrm.com/project/gardening-for-wildlife/ (Perth NRM, may 2024)

Towards a Bunya Farming Future

Research led by the University of Queensland could be opening the door to a new commercial bushfood industry - the bunya nut. Indigenous Australians highly valued the seeds of Araucaria bidwillii, actually a type of conifer, and the current research is showing just how nutritious they are. Nuts from South American Araucaria species are being produced commercially, so a bunya nut industry in Australia is certainly a possibility. It could create businesses and employment opportunities for Indigenous communities and help ensure the survival of Araucaria bidwillii. One of the threats this species currently faces is Phytophthora root rot. "It’s critical new trees are planted, as well as grafted to speed up fruiting to within five or six years," said Dr Jaqueline Moura Nadolny from UQ’s Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation. "In South America, grafting has helped boost production." Read more: Bringing new life to an ancient nut (The University of Queensland, April 2024)>

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Get Results Gardening 05-06-2026

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