The “In the Garden” stamp issue, released on 1 August 2019, incorporates a range of sustainable gardening elements and activities across a large sheetlet that contains a minisheet of five stamps. The stamps feature a rainwater garden, which makes use of and purifies rainwater runoff; a veggie garden, to promote seasonal eating; a nest box, to protect small birds and other wildlife; a worm farm, to transform kitchen waste into valuable fertiliser; and pollinators, which are vital to ensuring plant growth and reproduction.
Stamps in The Issue
$1 - Rainwater gardenA rainwater garden, as its name suggests, makes use of rainwater but also benefits the health of surrounding waterways. It is a specifically designed and constructed garden bed that takes rainwater directly from the roof – the downpipe goes straight into it and overflow is directed into the stormwater system. A filtering mechanism is used to remove pollutants.
This rainwater garden houses Dianella caerulea and Green Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos viridis ), with pebbles surrounding the plants to retain soil moisture. Buzzing around the purple, strappy-leafed Dianella is a Blue-Banded Bee, a native bee that carries out “buzz pollination”. Buzz pollination is a technique that allows certain species of bees to release pollen from flowers with tubed-shaped anthers by gripping the flower and causing vibrations with its rapid wing movement. Honey bees can’t perform this type of pollination.
$1 - Worm farmWorms are incredible composters. Creating a worm farm enlists industrious worms to compost kitchen waste and produce nutritious fertiliser for the garden.
The worm farm is housed in a box made from recycled non-treated timber and has three layers: a layer for food waste and leaf litter, a layer for the worms to digest and sleep, and a layer to collect the worm “juice”, which becomes the concentrated liquid fertiliser that is so beneficial to the garden. The worm castings (worm waste) can also be used as slow-release fertiliser.
$1 - PollinatorsMany crops that we eat (fruits, vegetables and nuts) require animal-assisted pollination to grow and reproduce. In our garden, birds, butterflies and bees move pollen from the male structures of a plant (“anthers”) to the female structures (“stigma”). This results in fertilisation, which in turn allows the flower to produce seeds and bear fruit, and causes new plants to grow.
On this stamp, we can see an Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris ), a honey-eater found in south-eastern Australia that feeds on the nectar of Bottlebrush (Callistemon ) flowers. The Brachyscome daisies and Clustered Everlasting daisies attract pollinators such as honey bees, Painted Lady butterflies and native bees.
$2 - Veggie gardenThis veggie garden is housed in a raised, contained garden bed, so as to grow pesticide-free vegetables in a way that doesn’t involve digging up the ground and trampling through and compacting the soil. It is located in a sunny part of the garden, and at various times of the year, produces tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, pumpkin, broccoli and broad beans.
A marigold serves as a companion plant to attract bees for pollination and pest-eating ladybirds. Traditional scarecrows aren’t the best choice for a sustainable garden, as they can scare away the smaller birds that we want to attract and retain. Instead, we have included a small wooden windmill.
$1 - Nest boxThe Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus ) is a small (nine to 10 centimetres) and brightly coloured insect-eating bird, found only in Australia. This species enjoys living in gum trees, feeding in the foliage in the tree tops, though also sometimes in low shrubs. It also helps to keep down insect pests in the garden.
In addition to a pond or bird bath, one way of attracting and protecting the small birds in the garden is by constructing a nest box. This allows the birds to live, breed and build their nests in a protected environment. Nest boxes can also be constructed for other wildlife such as bats and possums.
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