There’s a reason that pumpkin soup is a classic the world over; because it’s delicious! A wonderful and traditional winter warmer, pumpkin & leek soup can feed a family and makes short work of a big harvest. Something about winter makes me crave smooth, creamy soups. The type that melt in your mouth yet are
Recently I was asked if it is possible to grow blueberries in the ground in my area, and in Australia in general. The answer is ‘yes- as long as you create the right soil for blueberries first‘. Blueberries require an acidic soil, but most natural soils in Australia are quite alkaline. This means that you’ll
Many people enjoy having their fruit trees and exotic plants in pots- and some of them require a specific acidic potting mix in order to thrive. In this article I’ll be showing you how to create an acidic potting mix that plants like blueberries, camellias and azaleas will love. Soil or potting mix ‘acidity’ refers
One of the most prolific fruit trees in my orchard is a dwarf navel orange tree. It’s 35 years old (don’t ask me how I know this!) and still going strong, but like all heavy producers it needs regular maintenance to stay at its best. In this article I’m going to show you how to
Ginger is one of the worlds most useful and beneficial foods. Fragrant, tasty, and with a multitude of health-promoting qualities, it’s no wonder that ginger is expensive to buy. But it’s crazy to pay supermarket prices when you can grow your own organic ginger for so much less. I’ve been growing ginger successfully for many
Mid-morning, afternoons, on the go…whenever you need a quick snack, these savoury herb muffins are a winner! They’re perfect to include in school or work lunches, and can be batch-cooked & frozen for later. We all know how lovely it is to cook with fresh herbs from our own garden, and this recipe brings those
Common name: cabbage white butterfly, small white, cabbage white, cabbage butterfly. Scientific name: Pieris rapae Where it is found: widespread in Europe, Asia & north Africa. Also present in Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia. Scarce in desert climates. In Australia: This pest is all over Australia, but more widespread in southern areas. It was accidentally
Are your veggies shrivelling up and dying before they reach full size? Are you getting flowers but no fruit? Then you might be suffering from a lack of pollination. But there’s no need to give up on growing vegetables- you can learn to pollinate them yourself. What is Pollination? Pollination means the transfer of pollen
Strawberry season is upon us! Whooohooo! I always get excited because I love home grown strawberries. This marinated strawberries recipe is super easy, you just have to be patient enough to let them marinate before you eat them. Ever since I started growing my own strawberries about 10 years ago (it was my first crop
White oil is a multi-purpose pest treatment that is a must-have for every food garden. It is used to combat sap-sucking and chewing insects like aphids, scale, mealy bug and citrus leaf miner. It suffocates rather than poisons these insects, so they can’t develop a resistance to it. You can buy a commercial white oil
I’m a big fan of upcycling random items to use in my garden. Sometimes it’s by accident, sometimes by design. Purpose-made items are increasingly expensive, and if we can save money & landfill at the same time, then it’s a win-win. All sorts of things can find a new purpose in the garden- you’re only
Mint is one of the best-known and loved herbs. It’s attractive in the garden & versatile in the kitchen, with lots of different varieties to grow and try. You can add it to all sorts of salads, meals and drinks, and even freeze it in ice cubes. But if you don’t know how to grow
Growing a plant from a cutting is one of the most important skills a gardener can learn. Whether your focus is food gardening or ornamentals, propagation via cuttings is one of the main ways we can reduce the cost of gardening and get more plants. Because seriously, what kind of gardener doesn’t want more plants?!
‘As easy as shelling peas’- well that’s how the saying goes- but is growing snow peas really that easy? Well yes, it can be easy, if you follow my 5 top tips on how to grow a ton of snow peas! Snow peas are usually grown to eat whole, and they’re remarkably similar to sugar
If you’re new to growing your veggies from seed, then you might not be familiar with seed raising pellets. Also called peat pellets, Jiffy seed starters & grow pellets, seed raising pellets are designed to make seed starting easier and more convenient for gardeners. They look like small brown discs, and are made from a
One of the best-known edible and medicinal herbs, sage has been grown for centuries in temperate areas of Europe. Part of the plant group known as salvias, common edible sage (salvia officinalis) is just one of over 900 types of sage, many of which are grown as ornamentals. This perennial herb has a reputation for
Everybody loves pancakes- I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t. But sometimes pancakes are not the healthiest food on the planet. So I added vegetables and made them gluten- and lactose free. These versatile veggie pancakes can be sweet or savoury- that’s a better batter! These pancakes have zucchini (courgette) and carrot in them.
This traditional Greek tzatziki dip is a classic! Just thinking about it transports me back to the holidays we had in the Greek islands. Tzatziki is very refreshing and this version is full of cucumber. Tzatziki dip is a natural accompaniment to Greek dishes like gyros and souvlaki. I like to use it instead of
Turmeric belongs to to the ginger plant family, and is one of the most famous foods in the world. This is due to its versatility in cooking and its medicinal qualities. I grow a ton of turmeric every year, and you can too- just follow these key points. Scientific tests have shown that turmeric stimulates
Fruit trees grown in every climate can benefit from a mulch of some description. Mulch is a layer of material (usually organic) applied to the surface of soil which looks attractive and benefits the plants it covers. Mulch adds nutrition, helps protect the root zone, limits damage done by extreme weather and makes mowing maintenance
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.
