If you are wondering why you’ve been waiting a while for your latest Garden Harvest e-mag, it’s because I’ve just returned from 6 weeks in France, Cornwall and Singapore doing some serious research into environmental education, garden developments and all things edible. It was a wonderful break filled with many colourful gardens and interesting characters. It helped me realise again what a wonderful opportunity we have here for growing good food throughout the year.
Over the next few issues I'd like to bring you some of the highlights, with ideas we can use here in our eco friendly productive gardens.
Shady Gardens Solution
One of the most intriguing garden bed ideas I saw was at Trengwainton Garden in Cornwall. They suffer from poor sun access in winter so have created ‘reclining’ beds. It’s a great idea for those of us who have shady gardens but still long to grow our own food and flowers.
The ways it works is the garden beds are mounded towards the morning sun or to the north, maximising the solar access for plants on all sides of the bed. A bit like a solar panel on a house roof really. These beds are about 2 metres high with a slope of about 1:2.5. In your garden you could adapt this to be say 1 metre high at the peak and 2.5 metres deep. Perfect drainage, sun for all the plants in the bed and pretty successful all round I should think.
Free Plant Food
Another great idea form Trengwainton is the comfrey press. See the picture and explanation in ‘In the Garden’. Create your own free herbal tonic that’s high in potash and magnesium for hungry plants.
Wildflowers In Gardens and Orchards
The gardens of Burgundy and Provence were a picture. They do potager (kitchen) and herb gardens really well. I realised their obsession with order, neatness and companion planting. Every vegie garden has flowers and flowering herbs amongst the rows.
Even in the Potager du Roi, the Kings garden at Versailles, horticulturists are trialling wildflower ‘meadows’ between the fruit trees to encourage pollination and soil fertility.
Our orchards can similarly have plantings between trees of green manures, cover crops and the good bug mix available from Green Harvest through mail order.
FAB HERB GARDENS & WORKSHOPS TOO
Having had first hand experience of the glorious herb gardens I’m so excited to be starting the Herb Gardens Galore workshops on Sunday 25 July at Mt Coot-tha. We will explore how to plan, design, create and harvest your very own subtropical herb garden at home. Imagine how much you’ll save on buying herbs and the wonderful flavours you’ll have available to you in the kitchen with your own fresh herbs. I’d love you to be part of these popular workshops, so call me soon on 3349 2962 to book in.
One of my favourite herbal recipes we’ll be trying at the workshops is Rosemary and Apricot Brownies. Find the recipe on the Ecobotanica website under ‘Garden Snippets – Recipes’.
Natasha Mirosch and The Courier Mail
Catch up with me in the Courier Mail Tuesday 20th July. Natasha Mirosch will be featuring me and executive chef Brent Southcombe in a 1 page spread. We’ll be talking growing fresh food, creating superb, lustful recipes from our gardens and our forthcoming Gourmet Gardening Workshop - A first for Brisbane! To book in you must be quick as places are limited for this boutique event in Brent’s garden and kitchen. Ph. 3349 2962 or email linda@ecobotanica.com.au
YAKON FOR SALE
I have fresh packs of organically grown Yakon sets (new plants) for sale. $6 per pack will give you plenty of plants. Yakon is a delicious vegetable ready to eat like pears when raw, or cooked it tastes like potato. Great for diabetics as it has no carbs.
WHY NOT book into a workshop today? Do it before you forget! Email me or send to linda@ecobotanica.com.au
