Increasing numbers of people are enjoying growing their own vegetables, with a particular emphasis on salad vegetables. It is most gratifying to be able harvest fresh leaves as required, confident in the knowledge that the leaves are fresh and have not been subject to applications of harmful pesticides.

Pots of vegetables prepared now will be at their freshest, ready for harvest by Christmas.

A large selection of pots is available, but if a self-watering pot is chosen, this will make care of the plants easier for the recipient. Water is added to a reservoir at the base of the pot. The plants then access water as it is required, thus avoiding under or over-watering. Weak solutions of soluble fertilisers may also be added to the water for ready access by the plants.

Selection of suitable plants is necessary. Smaller growing plants, such as those where the leaves are removed as required, would be ideal. New leaves quickly form and are soon available for harvest. If plants with a variety of leaf colour and shape are chosen, then the pot will look quite attractive on the patio table or bench.

A popular salad mix is known as mesclun mix. It is a mix of salad greens that are harvested and eaten together. Salad mixes or “mesclun” were originally French; the name comes from the word mescla, which means “to mix” in the local dialect of Nice. The idea was to make a salad that included diverse taste and texture sensation: bitter, sweet, tangy, crunchy and tender. The original recipe was a combination of early shoots of rocket, dandelion greens and lettuce. Other ingredients in a mix might include chicories (syn. radicchio), beetroot greens, asian greens (tatsoi, mizuna), spinach, kale, and mustard greens.

The seeds are sown close and picked when young. Seeds may need to be bought from a retailer selling ‘organic’ products. The composition of mesclun mixes varies. Some are spicy and include mustard greens, while others contain greens that are slightly bitter, including radicchio and endive. Others are selected for their colourful leaves.

In addition to pots of green salad vegetables, a pot of cherry tomatoes would make an ideal and attractive gift. If an elevated position is available for the pot, then small tomatoes will be able to hang down, creating a decorative and useful plant. In addition to the more common red-fruiting varieties, plants with fruits of other colours, including yellow and green, are often available. Most of these cherry tomato cultivars produce heavy crops over an extended period: the small, round Broad Ripple Yellow Currant; Yellow Pear and Baby Red Pear, both named for their shape; the round Yellow Tommy Toe and Red Tommy Toe; the large Sweet Bite; the orange and red-flecked Tigerella, with its lovely tart and refreshing taste.

Kurrajongs, which are native to eastern Australia, are useful trees to include in landscapes where drought tolerant trees are required. Trees occur naturally along the coast and through to the semi-arid inland. They grow in well-drained soil types, often occurring among rocky outcrops of granite or limestone and also thrive in deeper soils in some areas.

The name Kurrajong comes from the Dharuk “garrajun” or “fishing line”, as fishing lines were produced from kurrajong bark. They belong to the Brachychiton botanical group. Flowers are bell-shaped and white in colour with the inner flower tube streaked purple-brown. Cultivated hybrids involving B. populneus display pink or red flowers. Seeds are borne within woody, boat-shaped fruit 1-7 cm long and are surrounded by fine hairs that can cause skin and eye irritation. Brachychiton populneus x acerifolius ‘Jerilderie Red’ is an attractive densely canopied tree that grows to about 8m tall and 7m wide. It has a bloated trunk and a large lobed leaves. During the summer, the tree is densely packed with stunning powdery-red flowers that are shaped like small bells. It is available as a grafted tree, which results in it being slow growing.

Bella Pink is a small to medium shade tree offering glossy green foliage and pretty clusters of salmon pink, bell-shaped flowers in summer. It is also a grafted tree, with a compact size that makes it highly suitable for domestic landscapes. Flowers are bird attracting. The local landscape often feature the flowers of the Illawarra Flame Tree, B. acerifolius. Trees may grow to 35 metres. The flowers are bell-shaped and coral-red. The flowers contrast well with the darker bark on the trunk and branches of trees. Another well-known, but less commonly grown, variety of Brachychiton is the Bottle Tree (B. rupestris).

As passionfruit plants begin to set fruit their requirements for constant food and moisture increase. If this is not present in sufficient quantities, then the first self-preservation mechanism of the plant, in common with most fruit-producing plants, is to drop the fruit, thus allowing the plant to survive. In order to avoid this happening, an application of good quality compost, covered with a layer of mulch should be provided. Keep mulch away from the stem of the plant to reduce the possibility of a fungal disease.