Gardening in Australia

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Comment by Mary Riekert on November 18, 2009 at 6:16pm

I reckon you are onto something Maggie. Maybe we should be growing lentils and chickpeas, prickly pears, quinoa and amaranth in summer not thirsty corn, tomatoes and basil. Did you see the lovely goat pics posted by Dr Sadana?

Comment by Jane on November 17, 2009 at 7:51pm

I am thinking of goats also... I have plenty of goat food! :)

Comment by Maggie on November 17, 2009 at 7:49pm

Hi Jane I saw the photos of your garden on your blog, who would have thought November could be so hot.
I reckon we might grow salt bush, parsley, purslane, dates and keep goats next summer!!!

Comment by Jane on November 17, 2009 at 7:23pm

We were safe from the fire, but the garden is a mess.
I have been away (babysitting for family) for a few weeks, thinking that I'd be back in time for the hot weather that ususally begins in mid December.... but no, I was too late!
I returned to find much of the garden dead and a lot in need of rapid harvest.

Your comment arrived as I was at the garden shop, replacing some of my plants that had died. I have put shade cloth over the part of the garden that I'll be maintaining through the summer (I never keep ALL of it going... too much water) and after the sun sets later today, some of the tougher plants wil be in.... the rest will wait (in the kitchen) until the weekend when the daytime temperatures are supposed to be under 40.

This year is certainly very different from summers past. I've had difficulty in the past, but nothing like this. My plan to grow much more during the winter, and freezing extra for the summer, is definitely the way to go!

Comment by Mary Riekert on November 17, 2009 at 6:59pm

Hi everyone, especially the South Australians. How are you holding up in the heat? Especially Jane up in Kapunda. Hope the fire didn't come anywhere close to you. We're bracing for a heatwave tomorrow and Friday but not as bad as SA.

Comment by Kathryn on November 17, 2009 at 2:14am

That sounds very interesting Steph, look forward to hearing from you regard your progress.

Hi Maggie

Comment by Maggie on November 17, 2009 at 12:03am

Hi everyone from frying Adelaide. We are having a November heatwave.
Our seedlings are waiting till Friday when we hope it will be cooler to plant them.
We were lucky to get our zucchinis in early and our already harvesting Franchi small round zucchini.
I am drying a whole lot of our herbs as everything just wants to go to seed.
We have shade cloth hung from the trees and we are having fun saving seed and composting and mulching.
We are having a tea break then back outside for more fun.
It is amazing how many small jobs there are to do in a veggie garden.
I guess you are all experiencing this hot weather, stay cool everyone.

Comment by Steph Webb on November 16, 2009 at 8:05pm

Hi everyone, I have started up my fruit and veggies in pots while we are renting before moving into our new place in the suburbs of Melbourne. In the meantime I am trying to learn as I go. I intend to set up a permaculture sustainable garden in the new garden. It should prove to be interesting as it is in a new developing estate. But there is grey water and solar heating for hot water systems to go in. I have got all sorts of things growing in pots all over the garden in the rental and driving my hubby nuts as everytime he looks i have added some more veggies or fruit trees to the garden. I hope to gain a lot of knowledge through others comments and experiences here too.

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

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