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My top 5 tag team crops to maximise garden space and give you more food
My early potatoes - which I planted in August - have been growing beautifully throughout spring, and now they are well and truly ready for harvesting just in time for Christmas. However once these beauties are pulled I will be left with an empty garden, which is something I don't like to have, as soil is at its healthiest when it is covered with life. Luckily the potatoes will leave the ground loose and friable, which is an absolute blessing for the beans I will plant straigh
2 days ago5 min read
How watering by hand saves me time -and stress - in the garden
OK, so this might be a point of contention with many gardeners I talk to, but I don’t like, use, or agree with fancy irrigation systems. In my mind, they’re one of the main reasons so many gardens fail, and why so many gardeners become disconnected from what they’re actually trying to grow. I know, I know - some of you are probably wondering in disbelief how on earth it’s possible to maintain a thriving garden without drip feeders, built-in timers, or soak hoses. Aren’t those
Dec 95 min read
The three mistakes people make when growing carrots - and how to avoid them
The humble carrot is something we all like to have on hand, as they are very versatile in the kitchen and used in so many recipes. But the heavily sprayed sickly-sweet carrots found in supermarkets bare no resemblance to their earthy and complexly flavoured homegrown counterparts, and given that carrots are one of our nations most eaten foods - and they are often heavily sprayed with pesticides - we really should be trying to grow as many as possible to at least ease the burd
Dec 25 min read
How busy gardeners can save time: 5 simple strategies to reduce garden overwhelm
For those gardening in the Southern Hemisphere, late November is undoubtedly one of the busiest times of the year, with pretty much all our summer crops either in the ground and needing watering and attention, or about to be planted. But with the festive season just around the corner, and the end of year wind down already in motion, it’s a busy time in general, so allocating even just ten minutes a day towards growing your own food can feel daunting. I work with women who wan
Nov 257 min read
How to grow lettuce right through summer (without it bolting!)
We all like lettuce through summer, but hot weather and dry days can make it bolt fast. Here I share a few tips so you can grow crisp lettuces all summer long, without it going to flower.
Nov 186 min read
Planning an organic vegetable garden that thrives using companion planting and crop rotation
When you begin vegetable gardening on a large scale, building up disease and pest resistance through companion planting and crop rotation becomes imperative, and arranging this on paper before planting time means I can keep my rotating crops organised, and anticipate where I need to leave room to include my companion plants. Now this may feel easier said that done, but both are important and are all the more reason to plan your gardens out on paper first, before you plant any
Nov 116 min read
My Top Ten Flowers for a Thriving and Beautiful Kitchen Garden
Growing flowers throughout the veggie patch is a key aspect of how I teach others to grow - by weaving different varieties of flowers amongst our edibles, we can create a resilient and diverse garden that has a healthy ecosystem teeming with wildlife and a balanced group of plants that all quietly work in harmony with each other.
Oct 37 min read
How to Fill Your New Raised Garden Beds Without Going Broke
If you have decided that this is the year you will actually build those raised garden bed, and now you have found yourself wondering how on earth to fill them without spending a fortune, this post is for you.
Depending on the depth of your beds, you could be looking at a lot of soil. But the good news is, you don’t need to fill them with perfect topsoil from top to bottom. Instead, get resourceful and use some clever layering, starting from the bottom up.
Jul 194 min read
Get your winter garden working behind the scenes, so you don't have to
How to build better soil in mid-winter without effort, and set it up for a thriving spring It might look quiet out there - the tomato vines are long gone and bar the regular winter culprit, a lot of your garden beds may be feeling a bit empty. And maybe, like many gardeners, you’ve stepped back to let the garden rest until spring. However mid-winter is the perfect time to tend to those empty beds and give your soil a pick-me up, so that when spring arrives you feel prepared i
Jul 155 min read
Preserving the tomato glut even if you are short on time
Today I’m sharing a Classic Tomato Sauce recipe that will save you time (and stress) in the kitchen.
Apr 234 min read
Five ways to eat beetroot that DON'T include preserving - how to cook and eat beetroot
Hello and happy March! It seems like the year is speeding by, and with it being the start of autumn where I am (lucky you if you are in the beginnings of spring), my days are filled as fast as my kitchen bench, dealing with all the produce this abundant season has to offer. One of the things I have an overwhelm of is beetroot, and a question I get asked often is “but what should I do with all my beetroot, it’s only good for preserving, right? I don't even know how to cook bee
Mar 124 min read
Master growing herbs in the garden to elevate your cooking
Growing a selection of your own culinary herbs is one of the single best things you can do to to elevate your cooking.
Jan 279 min read
Reflecting on the past ~ setting goals and pursuing dreams for 2025
Today I am setting goals and pursuing dreams for 2025, and I find myself looking back at the life my partner and I have built with our sons.
Jan 16 min read
How to solve pollination problems in your summer garden
Discover simple techniques for hand-pollinating tomatoes, cucurbits, and sweetcorn for an abundance of summer produce.
Dec 19, 20244 min read
Transform your garden ~ and kitchen ~ with fresh herbs
The secret to a thriving, abundant and pest-free kitchen garden is to keep it jam packed with a wide selection of vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs. At the moment I have zucchini, cherry tomatoes, green runner beans and capsicums growing alongside different varieties of lettuce, ruby chard, silverbeet, dahlias, calendula, cosmos and cornflowers. These are all happily meandering together in a 1m x 2m bed, so it may sound like there isn’t much room for anything else, but I
Dec 4, 20244 min read
10 Steps to Growing Tomatoes for a Bountiful Harvest
I’ve been growing tomatoes in my garden for over 20 yrs, so I want to share the 10 steps I take to growing tomatoes for a bountiful harvest.
Oct 27, 20247 min read
The Art of How to Grow the Humble Potato
The first of my monthly deep dives into how to grow an edible crop. Today is an in-depth guide for growing the humble potato.
Oct 5, 20249 min read
How Discipline Has Taught Me The Magic Of Play
Discipline had unlocked the complete opposite of discipline ~ play. And playing with the hoop more, led me to know the next set of moves I w
Sep 26, 20246 min read
Top & Flop Early Summer Crops, and a Series of Unfortunate Events
Things are flourishing, such as the espaliered pears which are dripping with pendulums of burgundy fruit.
Dec 14, 20235 min read
Raising Stock of the Wriggly Breed - Farming Worms for Juice and Castings
After a failed attempt at a worm farm many years ago Brett and I did a lot of research before making the farms we use now.
Jul 8, 20237 min read
"In this time of fast foods and instant gratification, when even some health foods are highly processed, we could all benefit from taking the time to bridge the gap between the kitchen and the garden, so we can better nourish ourselves and our families."~ Aby
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