Recent articles by Jian Liu
Fast-growing greens to fill garden gaps
Autumn is a good time to plant fast-growing green to help fill garden gaps when your summer harvest is over.
Add spice with chillies
Jian Liu loves growing and eating chillies and capsicums, from the hot to the mild. Here’s how to get started in your own garden and choose what’s right for you.
Grow colourful corn!
Corn in all its colours and types thrives in our hot summers and can be packed into a small space making it an ideal backyard vegie, writes Jian Liu.
The joys of growing rhubarb
The scent of rhubarb and apple pie coming from a kitchen is oh-so tempting, especially when you've grown the rhubarb yourself. You can get started with these tips from Jian Liu.
Expert tips for the best homegrown broccoli
Jian Liu shares her answer to an important question when you are starting to grow broccoli in your patch: is it better to plant seeds or seedlings?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Managing your greenhouse microclimate
Adding a greenhouse to your garden can take your food growing to another level, especially as they protect plants from the elements and extreme temperatures.
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.