Sarah's Melbourne Kitchen Garden

Why not download “Gardening for Beginners: Hints and tips for Melbourne Australia” by Sarah Jackson.

“Gardening for Beginners: Hints and Tips for Melbourne Australia” by Sarah Jackson

So you want to start a garden? No idea where to start? Then this may be the guide for you. “Gardening for Beginners” is a handy reference book with basic hints and tips for the new gardener. It contains no fancy terms, no superior expertise, just honest advice from someone just like you. There are sections on what tools to buy, growing vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers, dealing with pests, and working out which fertilisers are best for you.

It is written for a cool climate, but the advice is useful anywhere. The book is based on the quirky and informative blog Sarah’s M elbourne Kitchen Garden.

For more information about the book: “Gardening for Beginners”

My Melbourne Garden Show Photos

March 29, 2019March 29, 2019 sarahjwrites

I thoroughly enjoyed my day out at the Melbourne International Garden Show. There were some great exhibits and I have many more ideas for my garden. Although, may main aim for 2019 is to finish the paving down the side of the garden and do some much needed repair work on some of the old garden beds.

Here are my photos of the event:

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Garden Show, Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show

What’s on in Melbourne? – Garden Show

March 24, 2019January 3, 2019 sarahjwrites

The Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show starts this week, running from 27th to 31st March 2019.

It’s on the Melbourne Exhibition Centre & Carlton Gardens

Why not drop in. Tickets are available through the website: Garden Show

canning

“Preservation Pantry” by Sarah Marshall – A great guide for preserving

March 8, 2019February 28, 2019 sarahjwrites

“Preservation Pantry: Modern Canning from root to Top & Stem to Core” by Sarah Marshall

This has got to be one of the best guides to preserving fruit and vegetables that I have seen in a while. In addition to easy-to-understand descriptions for preserving and canning, there are helpful suggestions for storage, recommendations for equipment and tools required, and even recipes using your preserves. Great range of preserving ideas. I am looking forward to preparing the white wine & tomato sauce for marina as soon as my next lot of tomatoes are ripe. I suspect that this will become an often-leafed-through book in my kitchen.

Seasonal guide

Things to do in Autumn

March 1, 2019February 28, 2019 sarahjwrites

Yes I know, It’s hard to believe it, but Autumn is here already. We have at least another good month of Summer weather before we need to start on out Autumn gardening, but if you need some advice on what needs to be done check out the lists below:

What to plant in Autumn:

Salad Vegetables: Asian Greens, Lettuce, Endive, Salad Greens, Silver Beet, Spinach

Legumes: Beans, Peas

Root Vegetables: Beetroot, Carrots, Parsnips, Potatoes, Radish, Globe artichokes

Onions: Onions, Leeks, Garlic, Spring Onions, Fennel

Brassicas: Broccoli, Broccolini, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Mustard, Chinese Cabbage

Fruit: Strawberries

What to Harvest:

Pumpkins, Squash, Corn, Potatoes
Capsicum, Chillies (early season)
Lettuce, Salad Greens, Herbs
Berries (early season)
Apples

Jobs to do:

Weeding
Remove dead annuals, trim hedges and vines
Dead head flowers
Cut away dead berry canes, prune fruit trees
Clean BBQ (for Winter storage)
Clear Summer crops and till/fork through soil
Add manure, compost and fertilisers and dig through
Test soil and add necessary additives (dolomite for example)
Plant bulbs and sweat peas (April)
Lay down a layer of sugarcane mulch (or mulch of choice)

Potential Problems:

Sometimes cold snaps make it difficult to get seeds to germinate and seedlings to harden off (survive the cold). You may want to consider using a frame over the beds to keep the seedlings warm.