All Blog Posts (1,013)

After moving in just over a year ago, we've been busy planning the long term garden and still have lots of our plants and fruit trees in pots. We really have to put in some retaining walls to help with the top soil run off and create some lawn for the little one. 

Anyway, we recently put up the front fence and today I planted out a bunch of things that was ready. I'm hoping to turn it into a community herb garden for our neighbours to also enjoy. …

Is there a place where Food Groups/ Buyers/ wholesale groups share? Who can direct me to places where they meet online?

We used to be part of Chewsday in Annerley and now have Coochie Foodies on Coochiemudlo Island. Current purveyors are Food Connect Wholesale, Sovereign Foods with Thor Svensen and Mnt Cotton Farm with Ash. 

I am interested to see how we can collectively support farmers

Any connections or ideas welcome.

Ps I was the 16th member on this ning :) Happy to…

Well, I've just managed to get one last blog post in before the end of 2019 and what a year it has been!  I have been very busy but not so much in the garden because as usual, the December heat hits and not a lot vegie wise does any good.  Capsicums, Chilli,  Eggplant and corn is about all that does well in my garden.  Tomatoes struggle especially as I always get spider mite infestations.  Suprisingly, I have lettuce (salanova varieties at the front row of this picture vs normal varieties…

Just curious as to whether anyone does anything to extend the growing season around here?  Most of the online growing guides talk about using cold frames or poly tunnels to extending the period that your plants are able to ward off freezing solid.  But for me, I'd really like to grow some more cool weather crops for more of the year, and there's not too much information around apart from increasing shade.

I had the idea of planting in a zeer pot.  A zeer pot is an evaporative cooling…

Despite  the dry, we eat.

What more could you ask for?

After weeding, using my sickle-- as explained here -- I'm ready to plant out even more stuff.

My orchard is consolidating. It is situated inside the chook pen.…

My food forest is really starting to get established.

I put it in place at the end of winter this year on a slope out the back where nothing much has ever grown. Getting the garden in order there had always been a few phases of down the line after I'd done the more visible parts.  Its number had actually just come up: I've worked my way around most of the rest and I was taking a breather before getting stuck in--and then we realised some trees had grown up there, tall enough to be…

I've been focused on my Vetiver Ventures as my major outdoor activity. Consequently the vegetables and herbs have had to wait their turn before god attends to them.

I am god, you see...either that or a servant.

Whatever: the…

Hi guys, 

How is everyone's garden growing now that we are getting some lovely rain?  Mine is just looking glorious and is keeping me super busy.  I'm so excited at some firsts that are happening with the garden.  Namely the grapes!! Been in the ground 2 years and my carolina black from Daley's is just glorious.  I have about 6 bunches on the vine but this is the largest.  Check! IT! OUT!  I have a question for the grape growers amongst us.  I'm wanting to know if I need to…

Finished setting up my new aquaponic pond!  Well, I say finished... but are these sorts of things ever truly finished? I’ve been tinkering a lot over the last few weeks, so who knows what my next hare-brained scheme for it will be. But, I have reached the point where the only further plans I currently have in mind for it is to add more fish as the system cycles up to be able to handle their waste and trim the dracaena to give it a bit more sun as it establishes.…

Brenda and I would like to prove once and for all that WE grow the best, tastiest tomatoes in Greater Brisbane. So we are proposing to run a blindfold test at the Christmas event at Park Ridge.

Pretenders to the throne will need to bring along their best 1 or 2 varieties, and we will also buy some commercially produced types for testing as well. Those wanting to take part in the tasting, will need to have a friend to assist them. We will sit people down blindfolded at a table and the…

Hi everyone.

My garden is really coming into it's own at the moment despite the lack of water.  All my washing machine water is going on the garden and I refuse to not water my food crops when needed.  I have tried to reduce my reliance on pesticides etc and have been hoping that nature can do its thing.  I planted a bug and butterfly mix by green harvest and have massive queen anne's lace, borage and another pretty flower that I have no clue about.  I am seeing more…

After years of experimentation I now have a garden that has 'structure'. Less jungling and explosive but easier to manage than in days of yore.

Despite what may have been my past perspective, I have reduced the size of the garden that grows my veg.

Given my space quotient, compared to my BLF peers, this may seem an anathema.

But there…

Sorry for the sparse update. I've been having a devil of a time connecting my phone to my computer to share pictures. There's been more computer issues than that but that's computers in current year.

I filled my Birdies raised bed garden with soil and mixed in fertilizer on the advice from nursery staff. I *may* not have mixed it in well enough. Fingers crossed. 

Plants consist of Roma Tomato, Corn, Cucumber, Rosemary and Lavender (to keep fleas, ticks, flies,…

I may call on the animal kingdom to help me with my stock, but anything that floats in my soup du jour comes from outback.

Pride of place in the broth is always the radish.

I'm a daikon aficionado and that includes the Watermelon pinks (pictured).

I'm at that stage where I'm beginning to foster a supply line. They are never…

Tiny farm tales...

I have 48 quail eggs in the incubator, on day 7 now. They have about 10-12 days to go. That’s left me with four dozen eggs for eating. That’s a thought process that I mostly leave alone. I also have four or five old birds that I can tell will drop off the perch soon. I lost one on the weekend. Nature says the old must pass so the new can come on. People aren’t any different, except the span of years Is greater. 

I split a native bee…

Wanted,

Your weeds could be what I need!!

Do you have Oxalis in your garden beds? You should know this weed, it is the one that sends up large clover like leaves and has pretty pink flowers around at this time of the year. It is almost impossible to get rid of, as when you pull it up it has tiny little bits which break off and these start new plants. I am after the purple Oxalis, also known as Purple Shamrock. I have plenty of the Green leafed type. It is edible, and has a spicy…

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40956139

Have you all seen this! hahaha!

Hi guys, 

Well busy, busy days.  Starting to slowly transition the garden to more summer crops.  But when you are harvesting this (200g beans, 200g snow peas, 2kg tomatoes, 1.5 kg broccoli, 200 g strawberries, 250 g Zucchini,  handful of baby carrots  cause I always over plant, Pak choi, lettuce and silverbeet whenever I want it) it's hard to pull anything else out to make room as everything is still so productive. …

No rain. Brutal drying westerly winds. Warmer days...This time of year is 'Spring' -- sort of-- but without all the elements converging as they should.

A little precipitation would help. Enough to suppress this waiting and dampen the earth.

But as my ma used to say: be careful what you wish for.

Mind you, 'tis pleasant enough except for the gusts.

If you saw…

Apologies for being blog neglient - I have been unusually busy this last while with a couple of additional unexpected projects and work travel. I've found Instagram a much easier way to journal the garden harvests as you only have to post a photo and a very brief comment! You can follow me here: https://www.instagram.com/headgardenertfq/

Hope you are all well :)