In the latest edition of ABC Organic Gardener’s Essential Guide we celebrate the incredible bounty of old-world fruit and vegies. Known as heirlooms, they’ve been grown for centuries around the world.

From 900-year-old ‘Purple Dragon’ carrots, to apples and oranges that arrived with the First Fleet, we show you just how easy it is to grow your own, and recommend the best cultivars for your patch.

Plus, we share the delights of bygone beauties: there are old-fashioned flowers to grow, rare chooks and pigs to rear, and hand-forged tools to lighten your gardening load.