Spring?

7 years ago by Rod Bailey

These warm days are attempting to seduce me into premature thoughts of spring, and with them the temptation to plant tomatoes and cucumbers and their other springtime friends. I cognitively, rationally know better, but it would be so nice to get them in early...  Saturday morning here in Rollands Plains brought the stark truth to light - winter is not over yet, not by a long shot. The frost here was degrees colder than any other we have had this year, with interesting coverings of i...

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Learn

7 years ago by Rod Bailey

Observation is a key to success. Watch, and ask questions. Follow through from cause to effect. Ask questions of the Creator, you will not be disappointed with the insights given. There is no better place for children to be and to learn practical usefulness that sets them up for success in life.  There is wisdom to be gained in the garden that can be found nowhere else. The lesson book of nature, as read in the garden, is one of the best means to come to an understanding of yourself and ...

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Consistency is key

7 years ago by Rod Bailey

Nature can quickly leave us behind. Zucchini's perfect yesterday will be monsters tomorrow. Small 'weeds' faithfully doing their job of covering bare soil will be like trees in another few weeks! Be prompt to act - a few aphids today on your red cabbage will be decimating your broad beans in a week!  A little bit of time spent regularly in your growing garden paradise is infinitely better use of that rare commodity that a larger chunk irregularly. The pri...

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Start small, and start simple

7 years ago by Rod Bailey

There is little more discouraging than going gung-ho and planting a big veggie patch, and watching it turn into a big weed patch, because you don't have the tools or skills to maintain it.  Start with a small manageable space, and grow some of your favourite veggies that are simple to grow. Why not start with the tomato's, cucumbers and lettuce that are always on the top of your supermarket shopping list? Find out from your mentor or a seed catalogue which varieties best suit you...

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Confirm your motivation

8 years ago by Rod Bailey

Gardening is hard work, needs ongoing (often daily) commitment, and can sometimes require an investment of money to get started - and will always involve disappointing setbacks and even some failures. You need to be sure why you are doing it. Come to a studied conclusion about why you have this budding desire to grow green things, write down each motivating factor, and keep this list handy to inspire you onward to your glorious intent! Take stock Take an inventory of all your availa...

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The best plan

8 years ago by Rod Bailey

There is a special satisfaction in living a busy and self-supporting life. Being a passive consumer reliant on others for our wellbeing does none of us any favours. There is no more fundamental area of our lives where most of us have the opportunity to be at least partly self-sufficient than in growing our own food! And you don't need to be blessed with many acres of land like I am to grow food. Think of all those hard and smart working Italian Nona's and Poppa's wh...

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Resilience for hard times

8 years ago by Rod Bailey

I well remember a time as a teenager when money was scarce, and we ate nearly exclusively out of Mum and Dad's garden. I would take a couple of Grosse Lisse tomato's, a Crystal Apple cucumber or two, a cob of corn, a couple of pieces of home-made bread and a salt shaker to school for my lunch. Money was scarce, but food was not - it was right there in our garden! And funny looks from classmates at lunch time didn't deter my relish of the simple food! Today we don't have t...

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Why grow your own food? Part Two

8 years ago by Rod Bailey

The health and nutrition benefits of home grown produce are plain. Eating food as grown in season has special health benefits. Picking food ripe and ready to eat makes a real difference to both taste and nutrition. Picking it as you need it guarantees a freshness that cannot come when it is picked green, refrigerated and transported hundreds or usually thousands of km's. Taking the time to carefully balance your soil and promote biological activity will improve nutrient and phytonu...

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Protection

8 years ago by Rod Bailey

Cabbage moths are still buzzing our brassica's looking for a pantry to lay their eggs in, knowing their caterpillar children will be well fed (and grow pudgy) on our brocolli or kale. Last month we began to protect against this travesty by using a certified natural insecticide called Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). This bacteria naturally is found in soil, on plant surfaces and in insects, and produces a toxic protein that paralyses the caterpillar's gut. Once th...

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Autumn

8 years ago by Rod Bailey

Autumn is my favourite time of year. In my surfing days gone by, it was because autumn was the season of good swell and consistent off-shore breezes, and cooler water and weather meant a thinning of the maddening crowd. Today in the garden it means gentle relief from a challenging summer, fresh misty mornings, and the start of a new autumn harvest. At the moment I am thoroughly enjoying the exquisite taste and texture of persimmons! Not all of my family join me in this enjoyment, bu...

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