My wife and I had been talking about how much we'd love to have our own veggie garden for years now but with life being so busy we just continued to put it off. That was until 2020 came around and brought with it COVID-19. What a crazy year we've had so far! But the one thing COVID has taught my family and I is to slow down and smell the roses, or in this case, the broccoli.
With Australia in lockdown we decided it was the perfect time to design and build a one-of-a-kind organic vegetable garden. The bottom portion of our backyard was being unused. It had a steep slope down onto a grassed area with surrounding Agapanthus. We decided the best way to make use of the space was to tier the garden into sections and use recycled colour-bond sheeting to construct raised garden beds.
And so it began!
The first step was to remove the Agapanthus. If you've ever tried removing over 50 Agapanthus by hand then I'm sure you'll know just how hard it can be. Luckily the excavator was able to make light work of it and within 30 minutes we'd cleared the steep slope completely.
Next it was time to cut into the side of the slope to create the two tiers and secure it with heavy duty star pickets and steel sheeting. This is where it got exciting as we could see just how much more space we'd gained as a result of sectioning off the slope.
Then we moved onto clearing the bottom garden to create three large raised garden beds which would give us a total of 6 garden beds - much more than we first thought which was a bonus!
Next it was a matter of filling each with organic compost mix and topping with sugar cane mulch to keep the soil moist and enriched with nutrients. We also couldn't forget the bird netting that sits over conduit pipes to protect our veggies from the birds.
After a few months of work on and off, this is the result so far...
So far we have grown (and still growing):
Tomatoes (Big Beef and Cherry Tomatoes)
Broccoli
Pak Choy
Celery
Potato
Pumpkin
Carrots
Onion
Rocket
Leek
Lettuce
Radish
Zucchini
Cucumber
Rockmelon
Watermelon
Strawberry
Parsley
Oregano
Basil
Chilli
Dill
Lemon
Mandarin
Tamarillo
Sage
Peas
Beans
We've been amazed at just how much we can grow here in the Blue Mountains and how different the fruit and vegetables taste when compared to store-bought produce (not to mention the savings!). Plus, we have peace of mind that our vegetable garden is completely organic - no nasty's used of any kind.
Of course this is a labour of love but we're all able to see the benefits - the kids even eat their greens now because they've been able to pick them directly from our backyard. I'll be sure to keep posting updated photos as the garden matures and crops are rotated.
Cheers,
Michael
Interested in turning your garden into a fully functioning organic fruit and vegetable patch?
You'll save money, enjoy everyday food freshness, and have piece of mind that you're eating organic produce straight from your own garden!
Contact Michael to organise an obligation-free quote
and turn your love for fresh produce into a real-life experience
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