Harvest Basket E-Magazine
Creating an edible garden that doesn't cost the earth
 
 
  
Zucchini can be planted now. These are stripey and golden  heritage varieties from Eden Seeds.
 
Warm weather brings on the droops!
 Ah, the warm weather and dusty days have really played havoc with gardens, especially our leafy greens. I find my watercress in the hanging basket needs a daily drink and I need to keep an eagle eye on the seeds so they don't dry out. 
 
Unfortunately I left the tap open just a tad on the water tanks and all my precious rainwater leaked over the garden. It wasn't completely wasted, as it flowed across the tiny piece of grass left and into the vegies. BUT, I have had to buy water in for the first time in 3 years.
 
It was quite a lovely (albeit expensive) experience really, as I watched Andy our water delivery man spray all of my garden with the remaining amount that didn't fit into the tanks. I had the mulch ready and covered the moist soil immediately with a thick blanket of it.
 
I am sure I felt the plants heave a sigh of relief after a few days of parchment leaves!
 
 
Tune in to the ABC Saturday 3 October.
I will be a guest on Warren Boland's show after the 9 o'clock news Saturday morning. Tune in to 612 ABC if you'd like to hear the goss.
  
The Home Harvest workshop brochures and posters have been printed and distributed to garden centres and the venues. Keep an eye out for them!
 
This also means that there will be a sudden demand for enrollments. Call me soon to secure your spot. Bring a friend  and unroll together if you'd like some moral support. I have small workshops to ensure personalised attention. You will find a copy of the brochure on the website. www.ecobotanica.com.au
 
The workshops are just $65 each or $185 for a series. A savings of $10. Booking for a series means you will get a workbook and exclusive access to the 'Ask Linda' online forum after the series to tie up any lingering questions.
 
These bush bean seeds are growing in preparation for the Naturally Good vegies workshop starting October 18
 
The Simple Ingredients
My recipe for success Part 2
 
Our second ‘ingredient’ in a successful productive garden is to grow locally suitable productive plants.
 
We can waste our money planting what TV shows tell us grows well 2000 kilometer's from our garden.
Even local changes in elevation can affect what you can grow when. For example, I am able to put in eggplants and cucumbers a few weeks before my Toowoomba friends, just because frosts are less likely in the coastal regions than up on the plateau.
 
So, even though you may love the idea of a cashew nut tree in Toowoomba, for example, or a peach in Cairns, it’s unlikely that it will succeed without much blood sweat and tears because it just won’t like your climate.
I will cover lots of suitable plantings in the ‘Fabulous Fruit’ series.
 
Planting food species well-acclimatised, to your area will give you kilograms of healthy, successful fruit and veg.
 
Not all the happy-looking seedlings you find on the shelves will grow either. Buyer beware! Come along to the  ‘Naturally Good Vegies’ workshops or a ‘Fabulous Fruit Series’ and see how you can quickly find and grow them yourself.

 'Til next time, happy gardening...Linda

.Eco-friendly Gardening Workshops 
In October and November

 Book for one workshop $65 (incl GST), Or book a whole series $185 and save.
 
Each workshop also includes your own workbook and organic products to try at home.
 
Naturally Good Vegies series at the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha.
 
Fabulous Fruit Series at the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha.
 
Easy Grow Gardens at Roma Street Parkland.
A series of 3 workshops.
 
Herb Garden series at Roma Street Parkland.
 
Family Christmas fun at Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha
 
Book or enquire now.
phone 3349 2962





 
  
 

Eco Tip:
 
 Using a pair of hedge clippers rather than turning on an electric hedge trimmer will build your biceps and save money at the gym.
They are often high energy users so using the manual  alternative will also reduce pollution and save on your energy bill.
 
The professionals know that you get a better cut too with less tissue damage to the plants. This means quicker recovery with less dead wood remaining.

Handy garden hint:
 If you find cane trash mulch is blowing all around the garden on windy days, do one of two things: If you have enough tank water, make sure you wet it down after spreading it around. This will laying to bed it into the garden.
 
Or, next time, you may consider buying a bale of spent lucerne. It doesn't seem to blow as much in high wind areas.
 
If using lucerne, I always specify spent lucerne as it is no longer good for animal feed, having been wet by inclement weather.
But, it is still great for the garden, and cheaper too. 
 
In the garden in September
 
The Clemsons Spineless OKRA that I put into seed trays a week and a half ago are starting to poke up out of the soil. They are delicious I am told by a friend . I am expecting tall bushes with handsome fruit that will be tender and delicious in curries.
More bush beans are going in this weekend and the Borlotti beans are now up about 10cm tall.