Amanda's Garden

Feed barrel wicking bed

A garden group I'm part of runs monthly garden visits.  During some fine weather at the start of February we made a visit to a relatively new garden in the south-west of Brisbane.  The garden hosts a variety of spices, fruit, herbs and vegetables and is also home to a small flock of chickens and ducks.  Stepping stones spell the names of all the family members and the kids' trampoline and cubby house form the enclosure and protection for the chickens which reflects how well the family works together and is included in garden.  Most things are imaginatively created from repurposed materials like the feed-barrel wicking beds and concrete sinks on their side for the ducks' nests.

It was a wonderful day to explore the garden, gather new ideas, chat about gardening in general and share seeds and plant cuttings with other members over a little home made morning tea (complete with home made wine and icecream tasting).  I was even fortunate enough to have the time to stay for lunch and sample some freshly baked bread.

Thank you Amanda and Mark for sharing your garden and food with us.

Beautiful lush rosellas

Bishop's cap chillies

An orange loaded with fruit

The ducks live under the citrus and help with keeping the weeds down and fertilising

Awesome biplane made from beer cans. The propeller works!

Herb hanging pots make a nice screen for the deck.  A pineapple steals the show in the middle.

Basil and a chilli bush with pumpkins quickly closing in

Home made stepping stones make a path around the banana and pawpaw (papaya) circle

Chickens in their safe pen, although the new hen managed to escape during the visit somehow

The raised beds will be converted to wicking beds due to water and nutrient leach from a nearby humongous fig tree (Ficus benjamina)