Issue 22 Feature: Green House
- Words by Peppermint
Frosty mornings have many of us sleeping late and spending more time indoors. But if you can bring yourself to brave the chill, the milder months are the perfect time to tend your backyard veggie patch and get ready for the harvest seasons ahead. “With less rain and blue skies on the mountain, winter is my favourite time to get stuck into the garden and prepare for spring,” says Brenda Fawdon of Mondo Organics. When we first visited Brenda’s Tamborine property back in April for our Issue 22 Green House feature, she was busy replenishing her uber-productive kitchen garden with new organic seedlings. Now, as they bask and bloom in the winter sunshine, Brenda has a few tricks up her sleeve to make sure the garden receives all the TLC it needs. Read on for her top winter gardening tips and details about her upcoming appearance at the launch of Harvest in Brisbane – and remember to read the full story of Brenda’s beautiful Gold Coast Hinterland home in our latest edition, Winter Issue 22!
I love winter – it means less weeds in the garden and loads of slow cooking in the kitchen! So as the days become shorter and cooler and the mower has a well earned sleep, it’s time to get into the garden for a clean up.
We always plant a stack of sugar snaps on a trellis – they give us a brilliant result every time and rarely make it into the pot, because we pick them straight from the tendrils and munch or throw them through a salad.
Lettuce, broad beans, kale, rainbow chard, kohlrabi, turnip, purple cabbage – actually, all of the brassica vegetables are perfect to plant during the cooler months.
Strawberries and citrus enjoy a fortnightly dose of seaweed fertiliser at this time of year; strawberries need it to start fruiting, and citrus loves to be replenished after an autumn of fruiting.
Remember to keep the water up to your veggie garden in the morning or late afternoon during the dryer cool months, and enjoy the winter sunshine while you do.
For more food inspiration, you can see Brenda this weekend at Harvest, a new exhibition celebrating food in art, opening at Brisbane’s GOMA. Brenda will be joining audiences for a free discussion about food and sustainability on Saturday from 1.30pm, followed by the launch of the Harvest: Art, Film + Food publication, which features recipes from some of Australia’s best chefs, including Brenda’s own famous chocolate dandelion pudding!
Images by Natalie McComas for Peppermint Magazine.
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
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“We are in unprecedented times in the United States, at least in terms of having a government who openly and unabashedly disparages, rejects and causes harm to trans folks and other marginalised groups, including immigrants. So my team decided I should make a piece of art that included the words ‘You Belong Here’ that people could hang in their homes, and this piece was born.” @LisaCongdon 💕
These words were spoken by Lisa in our latest issue, and they are now more relevant than ever. Our latest issue is full of creativity, inclusivity and belonging. Our cover is the front door, welcoming you into our house of hope. You are welcome. You are valued. Take a seat at our table.
YOU BELONG HERE. 🫶
Issue 64 cover artwork by @LisaCongdon
At newsagents and stockists now.
#PeppermintMagazine #EqualRights #LGBTQI+ #Equality #YouBelong
As issue 64’s gorgeous cover artwork by artist @LisaCongdon proudly proclaims: you belong here. Yet for trans and non-binary people, acceptance still remains hard won – and increasingly under threat.
In our latest issue, we spoke to actress and transgender rights advocate @GeorgieStone, multi-hyphenate life coach, pilates and meditation teacher, diversity educator and runway model @RudiLandmann, artist and seven-time Archibald finalist Kim Leutwyler (@CarlosBob) and multidisciplinary artist Sunday Jemmott of @SundaysArtClub about their wins and worries – and why belonging matters deeply.
Read more from our ‘Transforming the Narrative’ feature in issue 64, at newsagents and stockists now!
Photos: @NickCog, @KateLukePhotography for @DangerousFemales, Kim Leutwyler, @RissVisualStudio
#PeppermintMagazine #YouBelong #TransLivesMatter #NonBinary #HumanRights
Who’s going to the sold out Liberty Fabrics Showcase in Brisbane or Melbourne? 🙋♀️
To say we’re excited is an understatement! Maybe we’re biased because our lovely Laura (Sewing Manager) is walking in the fashion parade along with many other incredible sewists in our community, but also - there’s SO many good things: retail stalls featuring exclusive products, rare finds and all things @LibertyFabrics, and sneak peeks at brand-new quilting and fashion collections, including the Liberty Fabrics Spring/Summer ‘Floral Rebellion’ collection.
Also - Liberty legends Mary-Ann Dunkley (Head of Design) and Anna Buruma (ex-Head of Archive) are flying in from London especially!
Keep an eye on our socials this weekend for BTS! 🌸🌼🌺
Brisbane 7/2/26
Melb 14/2/26
From @Laura_The_Maker:
If you know me irl then you probably know that I only do one take for my reels so enjoy this vid of me saying thousands of words about an exciting collaboration I’m participating in for 2026!
Thanks to the teams @2GreenZebras @Regent_Street_Fabrics and @StyleArc for including me on the runway. I absolutely can’t wait!
Obviously I’ll be hoping for enough scrap fabric to make some kind of accessories…
#libertyfabrics #libertyfabricsshowcase
🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
