Sustainable Gardening Australia Newsletter, Edition 87: August 2010
Turf Wars - Real Turf, Fake Turf
& the Environment
It’s time to talk turf….we’ve had a bit of rain, the soil is warming up, and loads of people are starting to think about sowing seed, rolling out grass, and spending the rest of their spare time mowing and maintaining their great green sea! So, what’s the story? Is fake grass better than real grass for the environment?
Some very well known and well respected gardeners say “Yes”, while others disagree. So, to solve these turf wars, a not so well known and occasionally respected gardener has done a bit of research, watched the grass grow, and presents you with the good, bad, and everything in between regarding real vs. fake. Get into Lawn and Order here!!
Figs - Getting Figgy With It!
Fabulous fruits formed by an internal flower, figs are a fantastic addition to any front (or back) yard. Alliteration aside
(oops), figs are so easy to grow there is no excuse not to pop one in. Fancy up your next party and impress your friends with figs!
Get figgy with it here.
Worms - They Make Great Pets
Getting wriggly with the wonderful world of worms! If you’re hunting about for the perfect pet, then we have the answer for you
– worms! These garbage gobbling, fertiliser forming, carbon crusading critters are a gardeners best friend, and with good reason! They munch our waste, feed our plants, improve our soil and can significantly reduce our carbon footprint.... welcome to the wonderful

world of worm farms. Get a wriggle on, and read all about it!
Grand Designs - Sustainable
Garden Design Part 3
Part three of a series that aims to help gardeners design or redesign (build or rebuild) their gardens as sustainable landscapes. Each month we will take you through the steps necessary to ensure the best possible outcome for all your hard work! This month, we look at drawing up the design...putting the theory, budget, and ideas onto paper.
Let's get drawing!
August In Your Patch
Forget the footy....it's time to kick some goals in the garden! So pull on your
(gardening) boots, and get amongst it!
Wherever you are in Australia, August is awesome in the patch! Go you gardeners!
It’s August in your Patch!
Strawberries – The Sweetest
Thing
Nothing compares to the taste of homegrown strawberries, and those monster things you buy in punnets at the shops are generally a poor (and expensive) imitation.
So, let’s grow strawberries - berry tasty, berry fun, and berry, berry easy!
Larvae Life - Peach Leaf Curl
This funky fungi is the scourge of stonefruit growers everywhere, and winter is the time to whack it – HARD! Click here to learn all about this pretty leaf lover!
Become an SGA Champion of Change... make a difference today!

People are becoming increasingly concerned about climate change and the state of our planet. But what to do to make a difference? By gardening sustainably we can all make a positive contribution to the health of our planet. Signing up as an SGA
Champion of Change can have an immediate and lasting impact on our environmental footprint. With your help we can influence government to adopt more sustainable practices in your community. Read all about it and register online at www.sgaonline.org.au/?page_id=819
Talk it up!
Got a gardening question you need answered? Want to connect with other gardeners in your neck of the woods? Want to have a yarn about the bigger issues, share some photos, and make some new friends?
Well, SGA has just the thing! Check out our online discussion forum, with hundreds of members just itching to have a chat and discuss your (gardening) problems. So go on, what are you waiting for... get chatting at www.sgaonline.org.au/phpbb/
CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE
GARDEN CENTRES
For a full list of SGA Certified Garden Centres click here.
ENVIRONMENTALLY CERTIFIED
LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS
Find a genuine green landscaper, designer or maintainence professional, using our new ECLIPS search function here
LOOKING FOR LOW ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
GARDEN PRODUCTS
Check out our SGA GreenUP product guide - we make finding environmentally friendly garden products easy! GreenUP Here!
SGA PODS - PRODUCTIVE, ORGANIC, DIVERSE,
SUSTAINABLE & SUSTAINABLE GARDEN GROUPS
Connect with your community and get involved in an SGA POD, our fantatstic

neighbourhood garden groups! Keen, click here.
SGA is a Carbon Neutral Organisation
Transport is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in
Australia (Australian Greenhouse Office). Research has shown that trees, over time, absorb carbon dioxide emissions. SGA staff record their fuel consumption each year and plant the equivalent number of indigenous plants to offset those emissions. To find out how many trees you need to plant check out the Carbon
Neutral Program Calculator at www.carbonneutral.com.au
. More info at www.sgaonline.org.au/?p=831
Visit SGA on the web at www.sgaonline.org.au
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