One of the biggest joys of gardening is its constant challenges. But as each new one greets us, we need to know how to manage it. Aside from issues with soil & the plants themselves, all sorts of unexpected weather conditions can occur, like a late frost, heat waves, freak storms, high winds, or too
When you’re new to gardening there’s so much to learn- and buy! Big things like soil, garden beds, and plants tend to take our attention first, but once you’ve answered those questions, managing the garden on a day-to-day basis becomes the focus. No matter what your tastes, budget, or location, there is an overwhelming amount
If you’re a beginner gardener & not quite sure how to start….this one’s for you! While more and more people are turning to food gardening to beat cost-of-living price rises, gardening should also feel like an enjoyable hobby, so it’s best if you can set your garden up the right way straight off so it
This recipe for vegan strawberry mylk and the bonus recipe for strawberry lemon mylkshake are cooling, creamy, fresh, sweet and sour. The perfect summer drinks if you ask me. As a child we used to get strawberry milk (or pink milk, as we called it) as a treat. We loved it! The colour, the taste,
This recipe for coconut & lemon macaroons is so simple, anyone can do it. And let me tell you… they are gooooood. When I make these macaroons for guests or as a present, they go fast. There are often none left by the time I have poured the tea! But I don’t mind, that’s why
The onset of spring brings an awakening to the garden- but it also brings pest activity. As fruit trees spring into action, bulbs come back to life and flowers bloom, so the insect population booms. Mid-August to early September is when we start to notice pests reappearing the garden in Queensland. You might start to
When you first start growing your own food, the excitement is real. So much so, that it can be hard to wait for your first harvest! But it’s easy to start eating from your own backyard quickly, if you sow the right crops. Here are our favourite 6 crops you can harvest in under 30
When you become a gardener, the idea that water is a precious yet essential resource reaches a whole new level. Obviously, plants don’t survive without it, but water quantity isn’t the only consideration. Water quality, too, can impact your plants in a variety of ways, which is especially important when it comes to growing fruits
When you first start vegetable gardening, the path to successful crops isn’t always clear. There’s a steep learning curve, especially when you’re starting your vegetables from seed. Variables like soil, watering, propagation, and maintenance can seem like minefields for the beginner. One technique that is critical to the success of any food garden, is potting
Don’t get the wrong mental picture: this deceptively-named edible plant is in fact a green leafy vegetable. An ancient annual salad green native to southern Europe, its name came about because it would typically self-seeded in corn fields. Don’t be surprised if you haven’t heard of Dutch corn salad- it is definitely a lesser-known edible.
We all know how good an authentic home-grown heirloom tomato is, so it’s no wonder that tomatoes are one of the most common plants in any home vegetable garden. But growing great produce is really only half of the self-sufficiency journey; we need to know how to use & preserve our harvests too. There are
We already know what a great food ginger is for its health and flavour qualities, but unfortunately it’s always expensive to buy. Growing your own ginger that you can preserve or eat as you like is much more cost effective- especially if you buy some rhizomes from a shop and plant them yourself. Here, we
Tomatoes are at the top of every vegetable gardeners’ must-grow list. And while the plant itself grows easily enough, producing large, tasty fruit can be deceptively tricky. Here, we explain 5 ways to make your home-grown tomatoes taste better. Keep Them Out of The Fridge Cold is the mortal enemy of tomatoes. This is something
This potato salad is so simple and easy to make, I love it. It is also very adaptable, so you can vary the ingredients according to your own taste & what you have on hand. Keep it simple or jazz it up; the choice is yours. The potato salad recipe below is a basic one
Lemons are one of the most versatile fruits on earth, so it’s no wonder a lemon tree is high on every gardeners must-have list. But once you get that wonderful lemon tree fruiting, you may well find yourself blessed with more lemons than you know what to do with! Luckily, lemons have an enormous array
It makes a lot of sense to preserve radishes so you can enjoy them at any time. Despite being quick and easy to grow, radishes don’t grow year-round in most climates. On top of that, oftentimes you’ll only want to use a little at a time. So it really does make sense to preserve them
This vegan apple & carrot cream is extremely versatile! You can use it on its own as a dessert (pudding), as breakfast, as a sauce, a condiment, a side dish, an ice cream topping or as a pie filling…the possibilities are endless. It’s no wonder I love this recipe and keep coming back to it!
Vegetable gardening is so exciting when you first start, and there’s so much to think about. The beds, the soil, the plants, the growing, the sun, the watering, and so on. But what happens once you’ve got everything in place? How do you maintain it? How do you know what to do? Here, our 5
The taste and texture of these pumpkin, rosemary & poppy seed cake bites strike a perfect balance. Think swoon-worthy sweet pumpkin pie with a light crunch from the poppy seeds. Think perfectly moist cake that’s as easy to eat as a biscuit…they’re all that and more. Naturally, freshly-picked organic, home-grown ingredients give the best flavour.
Perilla is a herb from the mint family which is often called by its Japanese name, shiso. A staple in many Asian cuisines, perilla leaves have a unique flavour which is hard to put into words. They’re a bit minty, a bit aniseed, and a bit unlike anything else! The seeds are wonderful too: they
Self Sufficient Me is a blog about self-sustainment by growing our own produce (plant/animal), and self-fulfilment by looking after our health (physical/mental) through exercise and slowing life down a little.
