Alan's Garden Blog

This is an article I did for the Toowoomba Chronicle, thankfully edited by journalist-in-waiting, Ellen Singleton. Some good tips on gardening:Toiling away in the garden can be very therapeutic and the bountiful harvests are the icing on the cake. Unfortunately not all of us have the time to spare.There are a rapidly growing number of time-poor families who are keen to know just where their food comes from and how it was grown. Although limited, local markets can provide a connection with organic growers and the huge success of Toowoomba’s first Farmers Market goes to show just what interest there...

With minimum effort I have continued to grow vegges through one of our colder winters. The frames for greenhouse covers for my extra large gardens cost $150 and the film cut to size with my remarkable clips another $190. You could use my heavy duty frost cover instead of the film which sells for $45 (2 x 18.2 metres). I will even throw in the clips for free! Either way you can get a head start this spring. This is what the finished greenhouse looks like Nice and warm inside Garlic loves the cold Beetroot and spring onions Broccoli and...

I just finished installing ten gardens (each three metres long!) for Melissa and Warren at Washpool Farm Soaperie. They all have frames for cover such as frost, theres a surprise, bird netting and fruit fly mesh. Four are actual greenhouses. I was very impressed with Melissa's products (and constant supply of coffee). So if you are down that way definitely worth a look. You can also check out her Facebook page and order online: you won't be disappointed.   I did have some help Four Greenhouses to get a head start with planting Finished!  

Broccoli and Cabbage doing very nicely with Garden Mate and Wormpost I have been on the lookout for a rock mineral product for a while. Some of my Watersaver Gardens are up to seven years old and I am lazy-I don't want to go to the trouble of replacing the de-mineralised soil. I came across an organic product called Garden Mate and started using it a few weeks ago. Very happy with the results so far. I combine four handfuls per square metre with my own 'wormpost', a combination of compost, worms and micro-organisms. It is not just rock minerals,...