I have been so busy with moving back here, getting the garden sorted and with work commitments. But I am on track now and ready to write regularly again. The snow peas this year and the end of 2020 have been fabulous! This is one vegetable I do absolutely love growing at home, in my urban patch, and avoid buying from the shops.
Sourced in seeds.
I sourced these seeds in during COVID, at the very start of the pandemic, when everyone was madly buying seeds. It seems so long ago, around March 2020, when a man reached out to me, from regional New South Wales, wanting to buy snow pea seeds in bulk, which I got in immediately for him, packaged up and sent off. So the seeds I currently have for these are treated with a seed protectant. They are a great variety called Mammoth Melting. The germination rate is excellent, the flavour of the the snow peas are delicious and crunchy, and they’re just a pleasure to grow. I do strive to grow as many open pollinated seeds here, but sometimes I do source them in, on request.
Bang for your buck.
What I do love about snow peas is that here, in my garden, I can grow them mostly all year round. I avoid growing them when there’s frosts expected as the frost effected flowers won’t usually produce peas, from my experience. Other than that I love to sow seeds every 3-4 weeks so I have a continuous supply of these beauties. They don’t like full, hot, harsh sun either, but that works well here in Ballarat. If we do have a hot, sunny day, I make sure they get a big drink at the end or the start of the day. Snow peas are also fabulous grown as a micro green, for snow pea tendrils, used in salads and garnishes, as well as being a fantastic seed to save and re sow, staying true to type. Also you receive the added benefit of high yields, and eating the fresh produce often before it even reaches inside to your kitchen for preparation.
Home grown goodness.
I don’t know about you, but I love the fact that I know my veggies have been freshly picked, without the addition of any chemicals or pesticides. I know what I am eating is good for me, I’ve sown the seeds and I’ve watched them grow. I always encourage people to grow what they love to eat when raising an edible garden, whether it’s on a big scale or an urban permie patch like mine. This saves you money at the check out, saves on food miles and is an all round wonderful, feel good moment when you’re out there picking your crop, reaping what you have sown. Please touch base if you have any questions on growing veggies, or wanting me to source in seeds for you. I often have other seeds in stock, not yet featured on the website. Thanks for reading, and I hope I’ve inspired you to send a few minutes ordering seeds and popping them into the ground at your place and watching them grow. Happy gardening, love Cath.
Rosemary is something that has always been part of our garden. I love the different varieties, with different coloured flowers, from white to blues, purples and pinks, which the bees adore. I started growing Rosemary originally as I loved adding it to the classic roast lamb and roasted potatoes, adding whole sprigs to the roasting pan. From here I branched out and learnt how to grow more of it and found more uses for it in the kitchen. A fabulous herb for drying, to be chopped up and stored in an air tight container for use at a later date. I do love it on top of freshly baked foccacia, with a drizzle of olive oil and some sea salt……yum. I have a lot to still research about the herbal and health uses for Rosemary and it’s benefits, including moth deterrents, beauty uses and so on.
It’s botanical name means “Dew of the sea”.
Growing well in all sorts of conditions, but not liking ‘wet feet.’ I’ve grown Rosemary in all types of soil, currently we have the plants sitting in a clay based soil which we are trying to build up and break down with compost, worm castings and mulch. Rosemary is gorgeous as a hedge, in pots or as part of your herb garden. The aroma from this plant is beautiful, and it’s dark green foliage a delight on the eyes.
I love growing rosemary from cuttings
Getting them started in jars of water and waiting for roots to form. I have tried many times, mostly unsuccessfully to grow as cutting straight into potting mix, striking with either some honey or root powder on the ends. (On occasion I have had the odd success this way). I have tried bunching the ends together in a pot to encourage the growth hormone but seeing the roots in the water and planting out the ‘heel’ with roots in tact seems to work wonders. I do hope you grow this lovely herb too, If not see if you can get a cutting from a friend and start some off. Gardening doesn’t have to be expensive, buying established plants. If you’re happy to have a little patience then give the cuttings a go! In time you will be able to offer cuttings to your friends and you’ll be enjoying the aromas and flavors of this delicious herb from your own backyard. Happy Gardening!
This wonderful plant is growing beautifully in our Autumn garden here in Ballarat. We started growing this about 5 years ago, from a cutting given to us by my fiancé’s very kind Mother, who is a green thumb to say the least. I have been lucky enough to receive many cutting from this lovely lady, feeling so grateful I can benefit from the knowledge of gardening from her which is being passed on to me. I had never heard of this plant before so I was very keen to learn more about it.
A native perennial vegetable
Growing well here in Australia and New Zealand, this can be grown from cuttings or seeds. We now no longer buy spinach from the supermarket, as I used to buy spinach every week as part of our weekly grocery shop. We can now pick it as we need it, but unlike other spinach such as English or Malabar spinach, the leaves from the Warrigal Greens do need to be cooked. Leaves are picked from the stems. We usually give the stems to the worms in the worm farms or add them to the compost bin. The freshly picked leaves must be blanched before eating. They are very high in anti oxidants. The leaves are thicker than other spinach and contain oxalic acid so not recommended to be eaten raw. We always cook the leaves off slightly, giving off a superb spinach flavour and a lovely bright green colour.
I have now learnt how to save the seeds
I ordered a packet of Warrigal Green seeds online from The Seed Collection and looked at the seeds then went outside to compare them to the plant. I knew Warrigal Greens self seeded but for some reason I just hadn’t captured the opportunity to collect any. I had just broken pieces off from the plant, stuck them back into the ground and grew them that way, like you would a succulent. So this year I discovered how to save the seeds successfully, something I was over the moon about! I just love growing seeds and adding them to my current seed list. The seeds go from plump, green and rounded to a dried, black almost triangle or oval shape. Large seeds, at about half a centimetre in width and 1 centimetre in length. They will self seed easily otherwise you can sow them about 1-2 centimetres deep and about 25 cm apart. They will also tolerate light frosts, so just perfect to have here in our kitchen garden. Why not get some growing in yours!
The rocket is growing so well here in our Ballarat Autumn garden. My attempt at growing rocket leaves from seed hasn’t always been successful, but this attempt has given us the best results yet. I have had many attempts at growing this lovely, peppery leaf, but by far these leaves are the biggest and loveliest, concluding that it pays to persevere. It is slowly going to flower, with it’s little white blooms attracting the bees. These gorgeous flowers are edible, so can be enjoyed in salads or as a garnish. The vibrant, green leaves are picked as we want them and taken inside into the kitchen, rinsed off and added to many culinary delights.
This quick growing salad leaf doesn’t take up much space in your vegetable patch
This veggie loves full sun or part shade and only needs a couple of square feet to keep you in supply! The seeds can be sown every 2-4 weeks, known as successional sowing. This will keep a never ending patch of rocket growing, fresh at your fingertips, for you to pick. Our rocket sits nicely in a corner of one of the raised beds, and I am spoilt for choice on which leaves to harvest. I prefer the large leaf variety of rocket, with soft rounded edges with leaves growing about 5cm wide and about 15cm long, which includes the stalk. We use it in so many different ways, that’s why we love growing it, for it’s flavour and versatility. It is also a perfect leaf to grow in boxes or pots. I sow the seeds failry close together but it also can be sown up to 20cm apart.
Harvest leaves regularly and enjoy the freshness from your garden
There’s nothing better than food from your back yard garden to your plate. Knowing the food has been grown by you and is free of pesticides and chemicals. Knowing it’s good for you, full of flavour and is pure and simple. You can harvest young or more mature leaves, depending on the dish you are preparing. Rocket goes so well in soups, risottos, pesto’s, salads and so much more. I highly recommend you add this to your patch. I also have wasabi rocket seeds available too if you really want to spice things up and give these a try, Happy gardening!
It’s raining here today in the garden, the end of April 2020. Ballarat has started to experience colder weather of late and Winter feels like it is well and truly on it’s way. One of the glorious things about the garden though at the moment is the borage, Borago officinalis. The stunning, bee attracting bright blue flowers are everywhere in the garden, having grown there from seeds from the previous plant,. It’s seeds which have scattered through out the garden beds with the wind. This plant is definitely one of my favourites and I hope to enjoy it in the garden for years to come.
The borage has self seeded so easily
We have so many borage plants due to it self seeding. Each blue flower creates a delicate seed pod, and over time small, long black seeds appear and effortlessly fall from the pod. I do my best to collect the seeds by hand, knowing how easily they will germinate and grow, self seeding wherever they fall. I watch the flowers change to a pod, then opening slightly to reveal the green seeds which turn black once ready to fall.
The flowers are bee attracting and edible
The flowers grow a form a pink star shape, the pink turning to shades of blues and purples. The bees of course love blue and purple flowers so they are often seen buzzing around the garden, a welcomed sight, that is for sure. We also use the flowers as garnishes to dishes, frozen within ice blocks for drinks and can be sugar coated for desserts. I also sell these by the punnet to a local vegetarian restaurant in town. They look stunning on the plate, as a pop of colour. They have a delicate almost cucumber like flavour, lovely to eat, with the soft petals and the texture of a small flower. These seeds feature in my bee mix seed packet as well as a stand alone pack. Once you grow borage you too can collect the seeds or let them do their thing.
Growing borage
The best way to grown borage is sowing seeds after frosts in a sunny spot. It can grow up to 85 cm high and give you a stunning display of top heavy flowers! It seems to be in our garden all year round, which is a pleasant way to naturally repel pests and is a fabulous companion to most plants. If you haven’t tried borage then give this gorgeous plant a go.
Calendulas are one of my favourite flowers to grow. These gorgeous bright yellow and orange flowers are currently scattered throughout our Autumn garden here in Ballarat and have started to go to seed. I have been outside collecting and packaging them up as a packet on their own as well as including them into my popular Bee Mix packet.
Seed harvesting from Calendulas
I love to harvest their seeds by hand. The Calendulas plant is beneficial for attracting the bees, beneficial insects and will self-seed if you let them. I have been growing Calendulas for about 3 years now. Each time, I enjoy their blooms and watch the seeds form over time. Once the seeds are dried on the plant, I take a bowl out to the garden and handpick the seeds, always scattering more as I go.
I clean up the seed heads and am left with the small circular seeds in my hand and I am in awe of how nature creates such a gorgeous seed. Calendulas are so easy to grow, with literally a scattering of the seed by hand or let nature take its course and do the scattering for you. Calendulas will germinate easily in almost any well-drained soil type and they love a sunny position.
Calendulas are perfect in your kitchen garden
There are many benefits to growing Calendulas including having them as a companion plant and including them into your kitchen garden. The petals are edible, a very pretty addition to salads, and you can also dry the petals out and make a tea. All you need is about 1-2 tablespoons of dried petals per cup of tea, steeping for around 15 minutes. This can be enjoyed as a hot tea or a cold tea in Summertime.
How to grow Calendulas
Calendulas do very well as potted flowers on balconies, patios and around your garden for added colour. If you don’t want to save the seeds, remove the spent flower heads regularly to encourage more flowers.
Calendulas are best sown in late Summer through to early Winter. Depending on where you live will determine when to sow the seeds. I also sow seeds around what the plant is doing. Now that they are going to seed, I know that Autumn is always the right time to plant. Spring is also good, with lots of different flower seeds in, along with the bee mixes is wonderful.
You can sow them directly where you’d like them to grow in rows or bunches. I always sow seeds to the depth of twice the width of the seed. These seeds are only about half a centimetre in size, so I sow them at about 1 cm deep, but I have found scattering works each time so I am sticking with that easy method, and water every few days in the warmer months.
You should only have to wait about 2 weeks until they emerge into seedlings. I do love sowing seeds and seeing daily changes. I love watering them, nurturing them and observing the process. The garden is such a tranquil, peaceful place, I love it.
Love thy garden
I always advise people to grow what they love. If you love the yellow and orange splashes of colour in your garden, then I highly recommend Calendulas for your garden. They’re hardy plants, withstanding the Summer heat in Victoria with some watering and the occasional feed. They look gorgeous amongst sunflowers too, all flowering at the same time, they’re so pretty. They can be brought inside and put into a vase to brighten your home.
If you haven’t tried growing these wonderful blooms, then I highly recommend you give them a go. There are around 15 different types of Calendulas to choose from. I can see ours from our back window as I type this, it’s nice to look out onto them. I think I may go out and fill up a few pots and try growing them that way today. I think they’ll make some nice gifts for people too – who doesn’t love receiving a beautiful pot plant as a gift!
Grow what makes your heart sing. Grow what brings you joy.
I encourage you to get creative in your garden, grow blooms, veggies and herbs. It’s the perfect day to get out there, pot up some seed raising mix and prepare for a variety of colour. I know once I start sowing seeds in pots, I’ll think of other things to sow. Nigellas perhaps.
It’s early April, Autumn, and the garlic chives have all gone to flower in our garden. A beautiful row of them border one of the garden beds, next to them sits mint and borage. Garlic chives are a kitchen garden staple. They are easy to grow, a joy to look at and full of flavour.
I’ve always loved growing garlic chives, also known as Chinese Chives, as a standalone herb as well as their flowers and seeds. When I first started saving seed, I learnt that this plant was fun and easy to grow. I enjoyed the appearance of this gorgeous herb and it still reminds me of when I first started gardening. I would divide them and watch them grow, multiplying my plants over time and seeing the small clump I’d divided turn into a thick, healthy clump of delicious garlic chives.
Garlic chives in your kitchen garden
In Autumn, the gorgeous white star shaped flowers appear on the garlic chives. They are edible and attract the bees and butterflies. They are so delicate, and we have used the small individual flowers as garnish pieces to many dishes in our kitchen.
Garlic chives are a wonderful addition to your kitchen garden. You can use the flowers when they’re ready as well as chopping up the long, flat, slender, green garlic flavoured leaves. Different to traditional chives which have thinner, tubular leaves and more of an onion flavour rather than the stronger garlic favour.
We usually eat the leaves fresh, added to salads, potato dishes, they are so versatile, the list goes on. A lovely fresh addition to your prepared dish, giving extra flavour and colour. You can freeze the leaves also if you like, to use for up to 6 months.
Seed saving from garlic chives
The flowers from garlic chives turn into seed pods over time, which grow into black seeds. They stay true to type and are wonderful to save and re-sow. They don’t cross-pollinate with any other onions.
I started saving seeds to save money, so I didn’t have to buy the plant or another packet of seeds again, as well as regrowing them from existing clumps. The seeds are the best if sown again within 2-3 years when stored correctly.
I loved how much this plant gave back and then I started discovering so many other edible plants and researched more and more into seed saving. Plants are fascinating and so beautiful, having so many functions in the garden as well as in the kitchen. I just love using and growing herbs.
Growing your garlic chives
Garlic chives are great to grow here in Ballarat. They are quite hardy little plants, coping well with most temperatures, including frost.
It’s great to be able to divide your perennial garlic chives every few years in late Winter. Lift them out of the soil, give them a tidy up, separate the roots and re plant. Water them back in and fertilise (we use diluted ‘worm tea’ from our worm farms to give them a feed).
Leave them in a protected spot for a few days if repotting to give them time to recover and adjust to their new home. Don’t be alarmed if they may lay flat in your garden bed for a couple of days, they will bounce back and be straight again once they get settled.
Garlic chives are a great addition to your veggie garden, herb garden or in pots. They also make a great companion plant to carrots, tomatoes, celery and lettuce. Try to avoid planting with peas, beans, asparagus and spinach as they may compete for the similar nutrients in the soil.
Sowing from seed
If you choose to grow these from seed, you can sow straight into the desired position in your garden or into pots at about 1 cm deep and space them apart at about 3 to 4 cm. Keep in mind you can separate clumps at a later stage or keep as smaller clumps, whatever you choose. They love a pH soil of 6.0.
They look really lovely sown out in Spring in a pot with parsley, basil, dill and coriander. Sow all of these herbs seeds together in the one pot for a fabulous herb display.
Ready for picking
We have a big variety of herbs in our garden, using them almost daily.
We pick our garlic chives from near the base of the plant, when the leaves are about 10-15cm long in Sumer and Autumn. Nice to give them a cut and leave about 2 or 3 inches from the base of the plant so it can grow again. Try not to just pick the tips.
Final thought
It’s wonderful to have garlic chives in your own backyard or sitting in a pot at your kitchen windowsill, ready to pick as you please. It’s rewarding avoiding the supermarket and spending a fortune on bunched up or potted up herbs when your garden can supply what you need. The flavour of home-grown herbs certainly beats any store-bought product.
I highly recommend you give garlic chives a go. They are such a beautiful addition to anyone’s garden.
“If you would be happy all of your life – plant a garden.” Unknown.