Allium sativum

7 years ago by Rod Bailey

I love growing garlic .  It is one of the easiest crops to grow, there is little maintenance when it is mulched, and the production is fantastic. It's like having a strong, silent partner, one who will do whatever it takes to succeed, needs no help or advice, and will always return great dividends. A gardener's friend indeed. So glad to see our 2018 crop planted yesterday before overnight rain. I am really happy to see Australian garlic on your menu again. We have ...

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Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might...

7 years ago by Rod Bailey

Each of our youngsters have favourite things they do in the garden. Ella loves spreading lime (above). I have NO problem getting a volunteer when that job comes around - she is nearly pleading me to choose her to do it! Why does she like it so much?  Not sure, but I like it that she likes it! I never need to check that she is doing it properly - she always spreads it very nice and evenly, and goes right to the margin or into the corners. She does it cheerfully, and does it well...

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Better late than never...

7 years ago by Rod Bailey

We don't usually grow melons. Some years they have been fantastic, others, especially with wet summers, they have been a complete flop. So we put our precious time into more sure crops. Thus year Jack just wanted to grow some watermelons. So, about 2 months too late, we started some seedlings, and he transplanted them out into a few beds reserved to expand our rhubarb patch. And they grew, and grew, and, well, there he is with one of his watermelons. A just reward for the young ...

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Our Morning

7 years ago by Rod Bailey

It's hot and sweaty in the garden this morning. A few days ago I thought autumn had arrived, but summer isn't done with us yet!  I just thought I'd give you a snapshot of our Friday morning.  The youngsters and I are into the garden by 7am (Desley stays home to send out invoices, answer emails, and do whatever else ladies do at home). Jack is straight into picking zucchini and cucumbers. His observation reveals that my efforts to manage t...

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Good old 'taters

7 years ago by Rod Bailey

Scottish researchers are fighting back against the bunkum being spread about spuds in popular media. Professor Derek Stewart and Dr Mark Taylor of the James Hutton Institute in Dundee did a scientific review that revealed that potatoes are much more nutritious than originally thought.  In fact, they’re so healthy that these researchers believe that it is possible to subsist solely on potatoes and stay pretty healthy thanks to the nutrients they contain.&nbs...

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From the Sublime to the Sneaky

7 years ago by Rod Bailey

Last week I showed you Jack's  Ctenomorpha gargantua  that was 400mm + long. This week, I'm wondering if you can see the bugs (or grubs) on the Chinese Cabbage in this photo? No?  Look closer! I can assure you that they are there! Still can't see them? I can understand that. Sometimes I won't see them either, until I harvest these beautiful Chinese Cabbage for my family and yours, and then all becomes apparent... For lurking inside at least som...

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Bugs. Big Bugs.

7 years ago by Rod Bailey

Yes I know I have written about bugs before, but they are a recurring part of life in the garden. Spring and summer particulary sees us share our space (and food!) with a huge array of critters - thankfully most of them "on our side". . But isn't this one just a beauty! Jack found him last week at home - a nice specimen of Australia's (and possibly the world's) longest stick insect Ctenomorpha gargantua (we think). Though they are only supposed t...

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Please Pass the Corn

7 years ago by Rod Bailey

Corn ( Zea mays ) gets a pretty bad rap these days, but it seems to me it's just another innocent caught up in money web of big agribusiness. A cereal grain (and it seems that grains have all of a sudden become the enemy of health), seemingly first domesticated in southern Mexico a few thousand years ago, corn has become a staple food in many parts of the world. It is really easy to grow across a wide range of climates, and as new and sweeter varieties have been b...

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Early Mornings

7 years ago by Rod Bailey

I was up early last Tuesday digging spuds before it got too hot to be pleasant.  What a time to be alive! The sights, the sounds, the smells! And the exquisite feeling of the finest droplets of water flinging from the pollen laden Soteria flowers onto my face as I bumped their tall stems. What a time to be alive in the garden! If we are early risers (or NOT!), or if we would like to be but just can't get out of our comfy bed, I think we all unconsciou...

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Fresh New Look

7 years ago by Rod Bailey

We have long wanted a garden logo, so recently Desley contracted Vlad in Romania to design one for us. Isn't she a global villager? We hope you like Vlad's classy beetroot! You will soon see it on your boxes, market banner, brochures, and eventually on Suzie! New Market And with Suzie joining our team, we are now able to expand to the Laurieton Riverwalk Markets on the third Sunday of each month. Maybe we will see you there sometime beween 8am - 1pm. (For more info&nb...

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