Burying your vegetable scraps from the kitchen straight into the garden is one of the easiest ways to recycle organic waste. It’s an old method that is tried and true; many of us had grandparents who buried their vegetable scraps. Popular around 40 years ago, it is now coming back into fashion as we continue
There are a few rules, do’s and don’ts to making compost in this way, so I thought I would start with one bin (of the 2 I have) to test how it would go and if it would go well, I will start to use the other one too. I have been using it for
In the past few years, the Art of Gardening has gained tremendous popularity, to the point where it is now mainstream. Students, teachers, grandmums and neighbours are all doing it. It’s the “in thing”! Gardening is cool! Let’s keep it that way! With the rise of gardening, resources and articles are globally produced, providing us
Vegetable gardening is so much fun and has such great rewards for the body and soul. There’s nothing better than connecting with nature, getting some exercise, then reaping the benefit of fresh organic veggies on your plate every day. We’re living in increasingly difficult times and uncertainty is all around. Thousands of us are spending
Flowers the world over have romanced us for centuries. Who can forget the scent of jasmine in summer, a bunch of fresh roses, or their mothers favourite perfume? It’s easy to think of flowers as purely decorative, but they’re so much more than a pretty face. Used in the vegetable garden to attract pollinators, the
When it comes to gardening, subtropical zones have a very specific set of climatic conditions to work with. We have the luxury of growing right through a mild winter with minimal pest issues, yet winter is seldom cold enough for favourites like garlic and brassicas to crop well. The intense heat of the sun in
I was going to create a YouTube video to thank my subscribers for their wonderful and generous support over 2021 but I thought that this year I would write a short article on Christmas Eve instead. I’ll be 53 early next year and I often (during a quiet pondering moment) think about how I’m now
These cupcakes are a big hit in my household, eventhough they have courgette in them. I promiss you don’t taste it! So it is a great way to sneak in some extra veggies (especially effective for non-vegetable-eating kids).I have fooled many people with these cupcakes. Never ever has anyone guessed they have courgette in them.
. For vegetable gardeners, one of the most important jobs is to revitalise your soil for the next growing season, and resting your veggie beds will help with that.
The wet summer season in the subtropics is a time for lush grass, sunshine, Christmas holidays and vigorous plant growth. So what better time to investigate some new and interesting fruit trees for your orchard? The traditional fruit trees that require a cold snap to set fruit are never going to be winners in the
Growing new plants from cuttings is a great way to increase your plant collection and save money at the same time. Growing new plants from cuttings is a great way to increase your plant collection and save money at the same time.
In order to make the best use of your space, you need to know what will grow successfully in the shade.
There’s so much to learn as a beginner gardener….To that end, here is a dictionary of important terms used in gardening. It covers everything except plants!
Although it is autumn, I’m still harvesting summer carrots. I love them and I love making delicious recipes with them. This is one of those recipes that I come back to again and again because it is so easy, healthy, yummy and you don’t even need an oven for this one! It is also vegan
This is the last in a series of articles about the issues I’ve had in my geodesic dome greenhouse and grow tunnel. Here is the previous chapter, where I tell about the possum problems. With a feeling of failure weighing heavily upon me, I left the greenhouses to fend for themselves for a few weeks.
This is the fourth part in a series of articles on my self-built geodesic dome greenhouse. If you need to catch up, here is part 3. It’s All About the Possums! As if my problems with light and powdery mildew weren’t enough, I now had pest damage to contend with. Will it ever end?! The
The Queensland fruit fly is a serious garden pest that destroys a wide variety of crops by laying its eggs inside fruit and vegetables. This results in fruit which is full of maggots and rotting, sloppy flesh…in other words, completely ruined. While they are a nuisance for the backyard gardener, the damage they cause means
This recipe is a staple in my home. I make it a lot, because it is healthy, easy, tasty and versatile. It is also lactose-, gluten- and sugarfree. I can use a lot of vegetables in one recipe and use it for dinner, lunch (or your kids school lunchboxes) or as a filling snack. This
The best place to start with permaculture is your own backyard. That might be as small as a paved courtyard or as big as a farm; either way, anyone can put permaculture into practice. Permaculture is a flexible system that caters for every type of property. It allows you to start small, and build up
High-raised garden beds are all the rage these days- and why not?! I’ve been using them for years for their many advantages. They’re fantastic to garden in, so convenient, easy to use and to water. But they’re not the quickest to fill, and they do take a lot of material. I’m going to show you
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.
