Planting Plan Spring 2016
Have a look at our plan for the Spring planting… [more]
Kale Chips
Garden member Mikaila made these delicious treats Vegan kale chips 283 g chopped kale leaves, washed, thoroughly dried (stems removed) 30 ml grape seed, olive or avocado oil 1/4 cup / 30 g raw cashews, soaked in water for 2-4 hours 2 Tbsp / 14 g raw or roasted (unsalted) sunflower seeds 6 Tbsp 18 [more]
Acidity and alkalinity of soils
While plants differ from each other in terms of their tolerance for acidity or alkalinity, most plants do best in neutral soil. This is because roots cannot absorb nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium if the soil is too acidic, and they cannot absorb trace elements like iron, manganese and copper if the soil [more]
Plants roots and soil
Healthy plants develop by taking in nutrients through the roots. Roots can only absorb nutrients that are dissolved, so solid soil components and compost need to be broken down through the action of soil micro-organisms. Thousands of fungi and soil bacteria naturally exist in fertile soil, but worm castings are also a great source [more]
Zucchini flower pie
This is a recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi – (he calls it Corsican Pie with courgette flowers) I made this one using zucchini flowers, swiss chard and some kale from the garden. Ingredients •1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced (85g) •3 celery stalks with leaves, thinly sliced (220g) •8 large Swiss chard leaves, white stalks discarded, [more]
Blue triangle
Blue triangles, also called common bluebottles, are swallowtail butterflies native to eastern Australia and southeastern Asia. They are very quick and skillful fliers and reach a wingspan of 8 cm. The butterfly itself feeds on nectar, its caterpillar specialises on the leaves of Australian native trees and doesn’t affect any of the crops in our garden. [more]
Black soldier fly
Black soldier flies are slender flies about 18 mm long and 5 wide with a dark black body and transparent wings, usually folded together on their backs. The flies are fairly slow moving, often not even trying to escape. They mimic the appearance of wasps to scare off predators but can’t sting or bite. The [more]
Minute two-spotted ladybird
This shy little beetle is just 3 mm big and a native to eastern and southern Australia. It will drop or fly away quickly if disturbed. If we think of beetles the picture of a ladybird is very often the first thing that comes into our mind. The minute two-spotted ladybird doesn’t really match this [more]