Boy, am I grateful for supermarkets – food is always available, I just pay for it. But it’s different with farm animals, where it’s necessary to carefully manage food supply to see them safely through winter. Grass growth slows dramatically...... Read More

I was ill-prepared for the profound sorrow I felt with the death of my husband’s main heading dog. In her last hours, lying next to her alone on the floor of the vets, waiting for my husband, I saw the fragility of her life and the importance it...... Read More

Ageing is a natural process that we will all go through eventually, whether we want to or not. Some of us accept this process gracefully. Well, sort of gracefully because let’s be honest here, getting older is not for pussies. Meanwhile, for those...... Read More

I expect that like me, you have been enjoying the enhanced kaleidoscope of colours on our trees this autumn, brought about by unusually warm days and cooler nights. This has led me to reflect on trees in our countryside. When you really look, you will...... Read More

Malodorous smells from the mouth of our pets are off-putting and one of the more frequent complaints in veterinary practice. While there are a number of other reasons that can cause bad breath, teeth and gums tend to be the most regular culprits. We were...... Read More

As the days get cooler, wetter and shorter, the motivation to garden outside tends to drop off. For me ,one solution is working on my pot plants, of which I have a huge number – from little pots of plants I’ve recently propagated, through...... Read More

Grand French couturier Madeleine Vionnet once said, “when a woman smiles her dress must smile with her”, and I could not agree more. I am currently on the museum buzz, having been asked by the gorgeous ladies at the Albertland Museum to help...... Read More

We talk a lot these days about climate change, ecosystems services, carbon sequestration and a whole lot of other terms and concepts which seems at first glance to be rather removed from the direct interests of the farmer and the business of farming....... Read More

Although your average ornamental plant or tree in the paddock or garden can look relatively benign, often they can do harm to any hungry, scavenging pets in your home. Here is a list of the most common ones to look out for, what harm they can do to your...... Read More

Following on from my previous column, where I covered native plants for bees and other pollinators, there are many introduced species of trees which are excellent for bees on farms, lifestyle blocks and large gardens. They include all the eucalypts,...... Read More