We are having a late Spring this year, but today was a truly perfect Spring day. All the plants in the garden are growing at phenomenal speeds. Don’t miss your chance to get in on the action!
Basil Plant by futureshape
Where: grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks
Harvest: from February Click to continue…
Rastafarian Balcony Garden – Jamacian radio station by cecilia macaulay
Like millions of people, I live in a city apartment with limited access to land. Fortunately, like millions of people again, I have an outdoor balcony, and it’s a growing opportunity not to be missed.
This weekend I really took the time to clean my balcony, take stock of what pots I have, and decide what I want to grow this summer. My main objective is to produce the most food possible, but also to create a beautiful sanctuary, where I can enjoy my morning tea or read a book.
I wanted some inspiration for this project, so I went looking around the web for ideas on how other people created their balcony getaways. Here you go, a gallery of beautiful and inspiring balcony gardens we can learn from. Click to continue…
August is the time to bring out seed catalogues and start to envision what the garden will look like in the summer. Exciting! This year I am ordering my seeds and seedlings from Diggers, and I would highly recommend it to those looking for quality organic and heirloom seeds. Give your garden a strong and natural start!
On to the planting/planning list, graciously provided by Gardenate.
Asparagus by Bianca
Where: sow in garden, or plant as crowns; frost tender
Harvest: from 24 months (!!!) Click to continue…
July means winter around here (it’s still hard for me to get used to this), so we are looking at winter crops of mostly roots and thick leafy greens. July’s list is similar to what to plant in June, except as the cold rainy days move in, more tender vegetables move out. June’s list featured 12 brave winter vegetables, where as July brings in only 9. Oh well, we could be under layers of snow, I suppose 
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Descanso Gardens – Autumn 2009 by Rockin Robin
Where: Sow in garden
Harvest: from August – September Click to continue…
'Data Migration' by jeremymiranda
It’s not always about doing it yourself…by “it” I mean our hard work at being sustainable and Earth-friendly. From ancient times, humans have been most successful and prosperous when living in healthy communities. We are no exception. But the beauty of modern high-tech world is that we can be connected with an extended community of like-minded individuals available to us, whether they are next door or on another continent. Think Flickr, Facebook, Etsy…
You’ve probably already heard of Etsy, but if you haven’t then go, NOW! Etsy is probably one of my favourite things about the 21st century. With thousands of talented artists just a click away, Etsy is the essence of “direct sale” from producer to consumer. Click to continue…
It’s beginning of winter in Sydney, but planting in the garden continues. Below is a list of cool-season vegetables that can be planed June. I received this list in a newsletter from Gardenate and then enhanced it by adding photos and my own tips.
cabbage by flora.cyclam
When we think of food gardens, we often envision neat rows of tomato and cucumber plants waiting to be harvested. While those plants are definitely rightful citizens of kitchen gardens, growing food plants in isolation from other natural inhabitants is inefficient. When we plant a single kind of crop over large areas (called monoculture), we make the plants and soil vulnerable to pest invasions, drought and depletion. Instead, the goal is to create eco-systems in which each plant fulfils multiple functions and supports the other plants. These functions include attracting beneficial insects, deterring pests, enriching the soils and keeping moisture in.
Many of the plants below are found in the wild and are even considered to be “weeds”! Actually, weeds are really just plants that are “unwanted” in a particular area, rather than placed there by design. The key is to learn the different functions of plants and to create synergistic relationships between them. Whatever needs are fulfilled by the plants themselves, that’s the work that the gardener does not have to do. Click to continue…
