Tag Archives: Veggies

Planting out a spring garden at Rebecca and Andy’s place

This month the Guildford Kitchen Gardeners are getting our hands dirty.  Rebecca and Andy have been wanting a vegie garden for a while, and have generously agreed to share putting it together with us.  If you’ve been wanting to set up a garden and haven’t known where to start, this is a great way to learn.

They’ve done all the hard work, so we’ll come in and help them finish it off, followed by afternoon tea, of course.

Please bring:  your gardening gloves and gardening tools, something for the sharing table if you have excess in your garden, some homemade yumminess to share for afternoon tea.  (these last two are not obligatory – if you’d like to bring something to share, please do but don’t feel obliged, we will have plenty).  Also, if you have a camp chair, you might want to have a sit down after all the hard work.

Here’s how it will work:

1.30:   Arrive and reacquaint with everyone
2pm:  Let’s get to work!  Rebecca has plans of what’s to be planted where, as well as seeds and seedlings.  We’ll be moving some soil, then planting seeds and seedlings.  There are also a couple of trees needing new homes.  Rebecca will have seeds and vegie seedlings, but would love donations if anyone has herb seedlings looking for a new home.
3.30:  Time for a well earned cuppa, biccie and a chat.
4pm: Done!

As we go, we’ll discuss soil health, companion planting, timing of planting various species, recipes and whatever else is of interest.

Please RSVP for address, to guildfordkitchengardeners@gmail.com.

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Keeping Backyard Chooks

Kitchen Gardeners' founders

Chickens are the perfect animal for a permaculture system. They convert food scraps to eggs, clean up weeds and fallen fruit and are a great source of manure – the skill is to set them up to work for you and not against you!

In July the TTG Kitchen Gardeners’ Society are meeting to learn about keeping backyard chooks. If you want to know how to set up a run for happy chooks, how to feed and care for them, and how to choose the right chickens for your requirements, then please join us.

We’ll also be talking about adopting battery-farm hens: where to get them, the advantages and disadvantages, and how to provide for their unique needs.

As this event is at a private home space is limited and bookings are essential. Please email guildfordkitchengardeners@gmail.com or call Elizabeth on 0417 718 051 to RSVP.

When: Sunday 1st July 2012, 1.30 – 3.30pm followed by tea and scones
Where: Marmalade Cottage, Midland (RSVP for address)

Plant your Garlic!

Ever been frustrated that all the garlic in the shops seems to come from China and Argentina?! Well, it’s the time of year to plant, and it’s super easy, here’s how I do it….

Get some garlic (preferably local)

Prepare a veggie bed, loosen the soil, and mix in some compost or manure if handy

Push the cloves into the ground so the top of the clove is below the soil (2-5 cm)

Repeat with ~10-15 cm between cloves and ~15-30 cm between rows

Water well

Care instructions:

Keep weeds under control, garlic don’t like competition

Winter rain does much of the watering, but they will need watering during dry periods

Harvesting:

As summer approaches, the garlic leaves will begin to brown off

Pull up the garlic when a few green leaves are still left (these create the tissue cover for the bulb)

Hang up in a shed to dry, then store in a cool, dry, dark place and enjoy 🙂

Other tips:

I heard Sabrina Hahn on the radio say that putting the garlic in the fridge for a week helps it to germinate.

You don’t need veggie beds, just plant some garlic between the roses or around the garden

Reduce and stop watering the week before harvesting to avoid mould

Try to avoid the super white garlic in the shops from China, it’s usually bleached

Garlic grows well with many other plants, but may inhibit peas, beans and parsley, so grow separately from these

Garlic can deter ants, aphids, caterpillars, slugs and other soft-bodied pests

Got more tips on growing garlic, please post!

Addition – See photos of one of my crops here