All Blog Posts (1,020)

1. Had 60 two week old quail turn up today to join the chooks and ducks in the new vermin proof pen. 

My wife was talking to one of the ladies that come here Wednesdays.

She said to her, "Your husband is over weight. Is that why your garden is so overgrown and messy?'

While a bit rude, this crude perspective  rules the neatness obsessed.

My garden is overgrown because I want it that way. What…

Made it to my first GV on the weekend, thanks all for being so welcoming.

Two and a half years ago I joined BLF and I was just looking back at some old pictures, wow how things have changed.  Last year till now I picked phalsa, blueberries,grumichamas,black jabotacabas,black sapote,acerola,guavas,peanutbutter fruit,mangos, lychees,longans, wampies,papaya, red and black mulberries, starfruit,miracle fruit,figs,dwarf amberrellas,ice cream beans, yellow jabotacabas, muscadines,…

Hasn't this rain been wonderful. It has made a tremendous difference to our place. Where all the Grass had died we now have Green & everything else has come back from being drought stressed. My Figs are so happy we even have babies on one tree for the first time.

I have been very quiet on the Blog front, almost 2 years quiet, due to not wanting and not being allowed (OT Rules) in the Veg Patch until my garden path had been replaced (due to bulging tree roots), and I have been…

Would there be any of our members who are Grafting, Air-layering, Marcotting, Pegging Enthusiast (with good sound knowledge) - Available for talks at our Garden Visits.

If not a member with knowledge perhaps you know someone who does or has worked in the industry and who would be willing to come along to one of our Garden Visits. They will be well remunerated with a Good Spread for Morning Tea.

 Hi everyone,

I am wondering if anyone knows where I may be able to get some Jerusalem artichoke tubers to plant.  They are a great vegetable but I have not found any around.

Thank you

I have long been a mulch junkie such that my garden has been built with lawn clippings. It is now a rich loam chock full of life. It is spongy and worm dense.

Hypothetically any weed 'problem' was simply blanketed with more mulch.

But with the recent drought conditions my working template fell apart. I was now overhead watering and my mulch supply -- via the 'Mower Men' of my acquaintance --dropped off to nothing.

Then the …

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…

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,…