Urban Farming Oz

I've had a veggie patch for decades but when I moved to Coffs Harbour, it was into a "over 50" village of manufactured homes that are densely placed. Over the first year, I dug up the 2m x 8m strip of lawn at the back of the house and hauled in pavers and heaps of dirt and compost. I've made narrow beds along the side of the house and with careful planning grow a lot of veggies. I've even found room for lemon, kaffir lime and comquat trees. It looks smart and shows what can be done in even the smallest of spaces. It is so good to see a resurgence of gardening! In two years, we will be moving to 80acres and I can't wait to get into a full sized veggie patch again!!

It was a shocker going from five 5'x20' beds in Oregon to a wee spot in the southern hemisphere. My little plot is just big enough for passion fruit, cucumbers, lettuces, radishes, peas, snake beans, beet root and tomatoes. I've got herbs growing along side the house and a couple of water dragons that keep the grasshopper/snail/slug population in check. I can toss a grub just under the house and one of them is right there for a snack. A few weeks ago I put in a little water pond (the prefab kind from Bunnings) under the kaffir lime and put in some mossy stuff around it for my not so little mates. About a month ago, I had a concrete drive put in and carport and that is where most of the ferns, orchids, fuchsias reside.

In a crowded park, this has given us privacy and a nice oasis to read the paper. There's always a breeze and the cool air from under the house seems to come up into the carport. It's a great spot for my worm farm. The principles are the same no matter the size of garden and it's jolly good exercise. I like being able to pick veggies just before they are eaten - much better nutrition!

The first thing I did was scrape up the grass and double dug the area, putting the grass bits upside down at the bottom. It took a few days but was worth the effort. I used pavers that were sold as 'seconds' at a lower price for the edging. Originally I brought in heaps of good soil and compost. Sugar cane mulch gets used liberally and every year I do a top up with compost and those stinky pellets. I rarely step into the dirt so it doesn't compact and is easily turned over.

The inexpensive garden arches are great for peas and beans. They are relatively easy to change position so I'm not growing them in the same spot every year. The space in between the arches are used for different lettuce greens. There is a passion fruit vine growing on the back fence which provides an attractive barrier between my place and the parking lot on the other side.

Two years ago, I was in the garden picking some lettuce and cherry tomatoes for dinner. I saw something brown running towards me from the tomato bush and thought "snake"!!! It went straight to my foot and licked my big toe. I did a leap into the air, the salad went everywhere and I fell on my bum in the garden. It was my introduction to the water dragon who stayed there staring at me like I was an idiot. In retrospect, I think the chap thought my toe was a cherry tomato and went for it. Not many people can say they have been kissed by a dragon! ;-)

He loves to sunbath early in the morning on the pavers. He'll just sit there and watch me as I'm hanging out the wash or puttering elsewhere in the garden. This year there is also a young female hanging about but she is very shy.