Gardening in Australia

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Comment by Tamsin Salehian on November 10, 2009 at 7:15am

Hi everyone,
I have just joined the group. I moved up to Sydney from Melbourne five years ago and am getting used to the different things that grow here. Still not used to the wallabies and possums eating everything (they cross the road and bound up the street from the reserve and have hit pay dirt!!) and I have realised I need to double the height of the chicken wire I have staked around the vegie patch! I have two small children five and almost three and the kids and I started a new vegie patch this season closer to the back door. It is kind of a mandala garden with a herb spiral in the centre. The kids play a big part in the planting and design which is really nice as I love being in the garden so having not trying to drag me back inside is wonderful. The corn is just coming up and the rockmelon has it's first flowers. I have decided to plant only edible plants and flowers so the kids can pick any fruit or flower to try, and as I LOVE adding flowers to everything we cook I am always on the look out for new ideas. Right now I have borage, thyme, oregano, dianthus, calendula, zucchini, chives, violas, bellis perenis for flowers (as well as for fruit/greens)... I am planning to add day lilies. Everything is growing quite slowly but I think this may be due to the nightly pruning it is getting care of local wildlife, although our soils aren't great, I add a bag of cow manure at first planting and mulch with lucerne but as we live on a very steep bush block I haven't the strength to bring up much more as the garden is well up above the road. So it is a garden that will have to grow against the odds, but we are hoping to put a water tank in so maybe it will get watered all summer!! I look forward to reading posts and hearing about everyones gardens, food and social change activities! Happy plantings, Tamsin.

Comment by Heather Marsh on October 19, 2009 at 4:25am

Hi All,
I'm starting Transition Town Blackwood. I thought it may interest you guys as Transition Towns are all about local resources (transport, education, health and FOOD) as a way of dealing with the dual problems of peak oil and climate change.
There is now a Transition Towns Australia blogspot. It's really easy to start and there is lots of support out there on how to do it.
Just put in five more fruit trees, potatoes, beans, beetroot, pumpkins, zuchini, corriander, corn, strawberries, tomatos and lots more. Will post soon with photos.
:0) Heather

Comment by Tim Pearson on October 18, 2009 at 10:24pm

Hi Melanie,
Isn't it great mixing cultures horticulturaly speaking you can learn so much from each other.I grew mustard, fenureek and coriander all from seed obtained from a local Indian shop (bought as spice) threw them randomly over the bed and up they came provided grazing for me and then dug the lot in as a green manure. The fenugreek is a nitrogen fixing plant. Maybe its better to dig the mustard in rather than wait for the seed as the seed is so readily avaiable or leave some to mature.Regards Tim

Comment by Melanie on October 17, 2009 at 3:17am

Hi Everyone

Long time no chat, but the garden has once again taken over my attention to the exclusion of all else, in particular study for my exams.

I live in a block of 4 units, and as the only resident who is also an owner, I spend a lot of time looking after the grounds. I've established vegetable and herb plots in the last two years and until recently made all the decisions about the contents of the garden.

One day a vacant unit was leased to a Karen couple newly arrived from Burma. That was a Friday. On the Saturday I was digging and fertilising a new plot, and Mrs Li promptly asked me to plant her seeds and cuttings obtained from members of the local Karen community. So, my new plant went over to mustard greens, curry leaf and Thai basil.

I now have a field (yes, really) of 1.5 metre high mustard plants and am waiting to collect the seeds. They seem to behave like peas - there are pods with seeds inside. I'm not quite sure how much longer they will take to mature - any advice? They did make bountiful salad greens all through winter.

I write this because it has been a wonderful experience to interact with my new neighbours, and beneficial for both of us. As a community garden it is still only a community of two, but my herbs such as oregano and thyme are growing so well I am thinking of dividing them all up and delivering them to others in the street - they are at risk of becoming weeds if I don't. Its purely con-incidence that many of the neighbours have fruit trees.....

Cheers

Comment by Jacki on October 16, 2009 at 10:20pm

Well moved house 3 months ago so had to start afresh.Bonus the fruit trees and setting fruit after a lot of hard work as they have been neglected and can only use grey water.We also have an olive tree- any ideas or help on how to preserve the fruit would be great.I think summer is well on the way! heres to rain god knows we need it desperately here in Qld so if you have any spare?
Happy gardening and its good to be back.

Comment by Heather Anne Brownlee on October 7, 2009 at 7:12am

Hi everyone. I am also new to the group. I live in Adelaide, work part time, have twin preschool aged boys and try to grow vegetables in my 'spare time'! I also have six chickens. I am looking forward to contributing to this group.

Comment by Jane on September 15, 2009 at 7:29pm

I'm in SA also... Kapunda. I have lots of veges and 11 chooks.

Comment by Gill Didsbury on September 15, 2009 at 5:50pm

Hi,
New to this group, I live in South Australia, grow veg and have five chooks (more to come lol)

Gill

Comment by Jay O'Val on August 22, 2009 at 2:21am

Enjoying this wonderful warm weather (in Sydney) and wondering if we'll get another cold snap...

Comment by kate henshaw on August 21, 2009 at 6:36pm

dear Jane,
thanks for your comments. i looked at your blog. it's wonderful. you sound like a busy and remarkable person. i love the paintings that i saw. i too make sour doughbread (starter nicely captured from the marrickville air!) and consider that a part of gardening. i have kefir and kombucha too. more gardening! and yes i spend time each day reading and researching permaculture...
kate
http://bobocreek.blogspot.com/

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