Recent articles by Jian Liu

Some of the shade-loving greens Jian grows in her urban garden.
What to plant

Tips for growing edible plants in winter

Winter brings softer light and shorter days, with long shadows creating shady spots that can be difficult to grow in, but these tips from Jian Liu will help.

Figs are extremely long-lived and hardy.
Fruit & nuts

Grow your own fruit salad

Having your own fruit harvest means you have access to fresh produce at its peak flavour and juiciness. Jian Liu has many favourites – here's two you might want to grow yourself.

When babaco are fully ripe, they are sweet and juicy, with a star-shaped cross-section.
Fruit & nuts

Grow your own fruit: babaco and rockmelon

Fresh fruit is the best on a hot summer's day and these two will add a sweetness to a fruit salad that everyone will love.

Kuri (left) and pimply pumpkin (right).
Vegetables

Pumpkins: the all-season survival food

Jian Liu grows pumpkins in all sorts of places in her suburban garden, and not just because of their taste - they look great, too. They adorn her garden beds and arches, providing abundant harvests through summer and autumn. What's even better is that they store well for eating over winter.

Jian Liu's homemade raised beds.
Basics

Building your own raised beds

There are many ways we can save money within our gardens, here Jian Liu shares her tips for making your own raised beds using locally sourced ‘waste’ products. 

The polycarbonate greenhouse in Jian Liu's Melbourne backyard.
Basics

Managing your greenhouse microclimate

Adding a greenhouse to your garden can take your food growing to another level, writes Jian Liu.

Cabbages come into their own when preserved or fermented.
Preserving & fermented

Fermenting cabbage

Cabbages are wonderful raw or cooked, but they really come into their own when fermented and preserved, Jian Liu writes.

Jian Liu's food forest in Melbourne.
Basics

What is a food forest?

A permaculture concept, a food forest promises a self-sustaining system that produces an abundance of food if designed well. Here's why Jian Liu created one in her Melbourne backyard.

Plan your vegie bed in layers to make the most of space.
Build your garden

Top 5 tips for gardening success in a small space

Small gardens can be incredibly productive and Jian Liu has 5 tips to help you get more out of your limited space.

Jian Liu's Melbourne garden is a productive space, teeming with life and colour.
Inspirational gardeners

Backyard gardening success in Melbourne

Learn how a concrete backyard in urban Melbourne was turned into a wonderful food forest, filled with fresh produce.

Fresh Luffa acutangula or Angled gourd in a vegetable garden, ready to harvest.
Organic homes

Grow your own luffa

A multitasking veg you can eat and turn into a sponge? Growing luffas will give you both!

Composting is an important way to turn waste into nutrients for your garden.
Compost & mulch

Smart composting

Jian Liu has discovered a few tricks for harnessing all the benefits of compost, with minimal effort.