“I live in Adelaide with my husband in our own home on a standard suburban block. I have always been passionate about gardening but only really started to focus on it more in the last few years. My aim is to try and live a more sustainable lifestyle so growing my own food is just one way that i can do that.
My set up at home involves 3 raised veggie beds, but I also lease a plot of land at my local community garden. Being part of a community garden is great for those that may not have loads of space at home but also those that want to learn and share with others. We often run workshops and have plant sales for the local community. We meet every Saturday at the garden.
I love to grow standard kitchen staples, things like tomatoes, capsicum, eggplants, Cucumber, beans, Pumpkins etc. You name it and I’ve probably tried to grow it.
I also like to compost, I have both the standard compost bins as well as numerous worm farms. There is nothing better than adding fresh compost to your beds to help promote healthy soil. I'm also passionate about growing natives and pollinator friendly plants. I love looking out the kitchen window and seeing the backyard teaming with life.
One of the struggles I find here in Adelaide is our extreme summer temperatures and trying to keep everything alive. Mulching and regular watering are key to bumper crops.
My message to you would be to get out and give it a go. It's all about trial and error. You learn from your mistakes and the rewards are definitely worth it.”
