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The occasional pop of vegetables won’t go astray, even if you don’t intend to keep a veggie patch. We recommend Warrine, Native Wintercress, Warrigal Greens, and any species of native flowers to help support Australia’s vulnerable native bees.

We had a hard time picking the best of the bunch here, since so much of our range occurs naturally in this part of Australia. So to celebrate the diversity of the region, we’ve diversified our choices!

Left to its own devices, Desert Lime can grow up to 7m in height – yes, even grafted ones. Prune as needed to keep it to a manageable size. If growing a Tucker Bush Desert Lime, note the graft point and remember to remove any offshoot branches growing from below that point (those shoots won’t bear Desert Lime fruits).

Also known as “tiny forests” or “pocket forests”, these dense patches of nature differ from green spaces featuring mass plantings or ornamental landscapes. Micro-forests, by design, aim to include as much biodiversity as will fit in their space, even if the total number of plants is the same as any other garden.

Most of the native plants selected for this article are best planted around this time of year.

Sweet dishes were a clear favourite, with cakes, desserts and sweet snacks seen across all the responses. We’re now wondering if it could be because bushfood flavours are tasted more distinctly in sweets. For example, when you infuse shortbread or natural yoghurt with Lemon Myrtle, you get a strong sense of Lemon Myrtle’s intense citrus notes in the final product. Try Bindi Bindi Dreaming’s Lemon Myrtle Cake or Grzegorz Janecki’s Vegan Pavlova with Native Fruit to see what we mean.

For best results, water your potted plants lightly in three stages. First, go over the surface to wet the hydrophobic layer. Wait a few minutes, then go over the potting mix again: the water should penetrate the surface, wetting the soil just beneath. A few minutes later, water generously a final time. (If your plant lives in a pot with pebbles instead of drainage holes, use a spray bottle for the first stage, and skip the third.)

This prolific fruiter produces small, slightly tart “roseapples” with light apple-like flesh and a hard inner seed. Some species of Lilly Pilly fruit are today considered a superfood as they contain high levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium and potassium, with potential applications in the health, medicine, food and cosmetics industries.

Enjoy the sunset from a rewilded balcony garden, one you designed yourself with a smattering of tasty Australian bushfood plants.

Of course, anything is possible with enough effort, money and space. But if you’re just starting out or just wanting an ongoing supply of kitchen herbs, we recommend sticking to herbs, small vegetables, and succulents — the kinds of plants that belong in the Herb Layer of a micro–food forest.

Childhood isn’t the same as it used to be. With a steady increase of personal electronics and urbanisation over the last few decades, the kids of today tend to spend most of their leisure time indoors with their eyes fixed to a screen.

Treat friends and family to the taste of Australia. Our collection of recipes has grown over the last couple of years, thanks to the generosity and support of the Tucker Bush community. Here are our favourite choices for an impressive Christmas affair.

Although the Centre survived state funding cuts in 2019 that almost forced it into closure, what it needed next was a greener touch of love, something to give both residents and staff a sense of place and belonging.

Long known for its use in Aboriginal herbal medicine, Native Thyme was later added to the European taxonomic mint family under Prostanthera, a genus named after the Greek words for “addendum” and “anther” in honour of the small appendages on the flower anthers of its species.

Traditionally used in Aboriginal cuisine, wattleseed was typically ground into flour for damper. The gum, flowers, leaves and bark from various species of wattle were also used as bush medicine to treat diarrhoea, blisters and burns, coughs, eczema, and general sickness.

Growing a bushfood garden is about more than food production or learning how to keep a plant alive. In Australia, it’s part of a holistic approach to connecting with country and nature.

Make your Mothers Day lunch a little extra this year with a personal selection of homemade gourmet delights. These old favourite recipes use unique Australian botanicals to add that special flavour twist.

Hydroponic growing is particularly useful in modern homes with small backyards and plenty of room indoors (or in the garage).

In this post, we’ll cover specifically how to make an open terrarium with micro-food forest principles, combining Australian bushfoods and other terrarium-friendly plants.