Site Planning

Which vegetables, herbs and flowers put pollen into the air and which keep it close, what a pollen-free sunflower does and does not offer, and how to garden through grass pollen season in every Australian climate zone.

The bare, dusty ground under a big tree is mostly a root and rain problem, not just shade. How to plant there without harming the tree, what copes, and when pots and a chair are the better answer.

Where vegetable beds sit on a bushfire-prone block, what to build and mulch them with, how to water them, what to clear before the season, and what fire authorities and health departments say about produce after smoke, ash or firefighting chemicals.

Zinnias for colour, lavender for scent, lamb's ear for touch, snap peas for tasting and nigella pods that rattle. Here is how to sow a sensory garden that children, wheelchair users and people living with dementia can enjoy, and which plants to leave out.

Wind does most of the damage on a coastal or exposed block and salt finishes the job. How to read your site, build shelter that actually works, improve sandy soil, and pick crops that cope.

Most backyards hold several microclimates, from a warm sunny wall to a cold frost pocket. Here is how to read yours and plant to suit each spot.