SMALL WONDER
Good Organic Gardening|Good Organic Gardening #10.6
HOW GOOD PLANNING AND HARD WORK BUILT A CONTAINED BUT PRODUCTIVE GARDEN ON A RECLAIMED SAND DUNE.
Chris Stafford
SMALL WONDER

In its exposed location on the Hunter coast, Fern Bay is either the northernmost suburb of Newcastle or the southernmost region of Port Stephens. Officially, it’s the latter.

A high-flying bird would see wetlands and reclaimed dunes bisected by the twin channels of the mighty Hunter River. So, when Andrew and Cynthia Meyles moved into a new housing estate in Fern Bay, the immediate challenge was the soil — or rather, the sand.

“The soil was barren,” says Andrew, “and I had to spend a couple of years building up the organic matter to make it fertile and productive. I brought in some soil for the garden beds and it was full of nematodes that I’ve had to learn how to control.

“Moving from Tasmania to Newcastle meant I had to adjust to a completely different growing climate and I made many blunders in the process.”

Not that you’d notice now. Somehow, this suburban block accommodates a generously proportioned house, a large swathe of lush buffalo grass and, most impressive of all, a meticulously planned and prolific 120m2 vegie patch comprising 15 raised beds, each 50cm high, six of them wicking beds.

There are also some large pots and, planted directly into the ground, pineapples, figs and coffee as well as a row of thriving citrus trees along the back fence.

It is, in Andrew’s own words, “a very structured garden that is intensively cropped using many different types of vegetables”.

Among the main crops are tomatoes, asparagus, sweetcorn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, silverbeet, spring onions, lettuce, coriander, beetroot, carrots, zucchini, Lebanese cucumbers, broccoli, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, leeks, snow peas, spinach and various herbs.

Andrew also grows rockmelons, spaghetti squash, pumpkins, chillies, capsicums, bull peppers, climbing beans, bush beans, edamame, bok choy, turnip, won bok, blueberries, rhubarb and strawberries.

Denne historien er fra Good Organic Gardening #10.6-utgaven av Good Organic Gardening.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra Good Organic Gardening #10.6-utgaven av Good Organic Gardening.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA GOOD ORGANIC GARDENINGSe alt
Glamour girls
Good Organic Gardening

Glamour girls

EVERYONE LOVES A HARDWORKING ISA BROWN BUT GET A LOAD OF THESE CHIC CHICKENS AND FEATHERED FASHIONISTAS

time-read
5 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
FRIED VEG
Good Organic Gardening

FRIED VEG

IT’S POSSIBLE TO ENJOY A FRY-UP IN A DELICIOUSLY HEALTHY WAY BY TURNING TO SOME FRY-FRIENDLY PLANTS

time-read
4 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
BEYOND BIG RED
Good Organic Gardening

BEYOND BIG RED

TOMATOES COME IN ALL SHAPES, SIZES AND COLOURS, SO NOW’S THE TIME TO EXPLORE THEIR INFINITE VARIETY

time-read
4 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
EVEN MORE TROPPO
Good Organic Gardening

EVEN MORE TROPPO

ANOTHER SENSATIONAL SIX TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR GARDEN — OR YOUR FRUIT SALAD

time-read
5 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
LET'S STALK RHUBARB
Good Organic Gardening

LET'S STALK RHUBARB

JUST AS TOMATO IS A FRUIT USED AS A VEGETABLE, RHUBARB IS A VEGETABLE COMMONLY CONSUMED AS A DESSERT

time-read
5 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
FOOD OF THE GODS
Good Organic Gardening

FOOD OF THE GODS

THE FLESHY FRUIT OF THE FICUS WAS MUHAMMAD’S FAVOURITE AND BUDDHA FOUND ENLIGHTENMENT UNDER A FIG TREE

time-read
5 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
MAKING GOOD BETTER
Good Organic Gardening

MAKING GOOD BETTER

THE IRREPRESSIBLE TV PRESENTER WRITES ABOUT HOW SHE, WITH HUSBAND ANTON AND DAUGHTER FRIDA, TURNED A STEEP HOBART BLOCK INTO A PRODUCTIVE GARDEN

time-read
7 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
True lily
Good Organic Gardening

True lily

MANY PLANTS ARE CALLED LILIES BUT IT’S THE MEMBERS OF THE GENUS LILIUM THAT ARE THE REAL DEAL

time-read
5 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
SALTY BUDS
Good Organic Gardening

SALTY BUDS

THE CAPER BUSH PRODUCES TWO DISTINCT BUT EQUALLY DELICIOUS, TANGY MORSELS: CAPERS AND CAPERBERRIES

time-read
5 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.5
Ducks on duty
Good Organic Gardening

Ducks on duty

BUSY, VIGILANT, HARD ON GARDEN PESTS AND GENEROUS LAYERS — YOU’VE GOTTA LOVE A DUCK!

time-read
5 mins  |
Good Organic Gardening 12.4