Market Garden 1, 2, 3

In 2010 we started the development of a larger canvas for growing food with more space using a north facing virgin paddock that had been utilised for grazing. It was the paddock closest to where there had been an old dairy and it was compacted ground. We started with a huge windrow of cleared trees and shrubs which we burned then spread the ash all over the area of the future garden, deep ripped the ground and turned the soil over to bury the grass. A few weeks later we planted a legume crop which grew a thick matt of beans and organic material which we turned back into the ground to increase the organic components in the soil. Again after a couple of weeks we used a rototiller to break up the soil while combining blood and bone as well as mineral rock and dolomite lime.

Around the edges of the garden we planted Calistamon as a way of attracting bees into the area to
help with pollination which has been very successful. The original area of the garden covered 20 garden beds that were 25 metres long running northsouth and we carefully measured them out and even dug the good topsoil out of all the pathways, placing it back onto the planting areas in order to increase the depth of the friable soil.

The result was fantastic and those first crops we planted in that soil even in those early days gave us great confidence in our ability to grow exceptional food.

We did make some mistakes which are all part of the journey which have included using weed mat (which stopped moisture from penetrating and promptly dried out the soil), we also had challenges getting enough mulch to keep the gardens covered and we are still managing the clay component in the soil by adding increasing amounts of organic matter into the garden.

For the first four years of growing food in these gardens, the only water we had to use was precious rainwater however with the great rainfall we experienced across those years, everything we planted grew really well. With the past couple of years, being much drier, we have had to find another solution which led us to use the irrigation licence we hold to be able to pump water from the Orara River. With the help of specialised consultants we installed an irrigation system across the farm to be able to direct and manage the flow of water to any area required. Since solving the water supply challenges we have seen a significant increase in productivity and an increase in soil
health.

When asked what we grow in the gardens it has been a diverse mix of heirloom seeds and all the staples. We grow vegetables and leafy plants and flowers that are nutritionally rich, great tasting and suited to our growing climate planted in companion groups to both maximise the space used as well as developing a diverse mix of smells, colours and shapes which helps to protect against insects by spreading out the similar plants and through attracting predatory frogs and insects that eat pests.

We have also tried changing the orientation of the garden beds as well as variations on the size and composition of the plantings. Its an ongoing journey and we are still learning all the time.

Future plans will involve incorporating animals into the gardens to get them to help with the work of turning and fertilising the soil.