Friday 11 September 2015



What a gorgeous spring day in Monbulk, blue sky, sunshine, birds tweeting in their nests, garden fairies actively pushing plants out of the ground, saying "come on, wake up, it is time to grow towards the sunlight". Globe artichokes are growing a healthy "head", asparagus is amazingly tender and tasty, the spears never make it to the kitchen, they get eaten on the spot. Blueberries are in bloom as well as all plums in white and peaches and apricots in pink, such a delight to the eyes.
One of my golden laced Wyandotte chookie knows it is spring and is heralding the call of Nature by sitting on the nest, hoping to nurture her babies but without a rooster, no chance of that happening, so she gets kicked out of the nest all day and put in quarantine until she can join the family again. Not much fun for her nor for me but otherwise she gets quite possessive of the nesting box and the other hens can't lay their eggs.

Last week i went to one of my favourite nurseries in the outer east, owned by John Ferris, a very knowledgeable man who specialises in perennial edible vegetables. If it can be grown and is edible, good chance John will have it.
https://www.facebook.com/edibleforestgardensoz
I realised that out of the 42 plants he talked about, I already had 36 growing in my garden....so i am well on my way to have a not only productive food garden but also a perennial one, meaning that I plant these once and they keep growing for years without disturbing the soil, without hard work on my part and without further expense.
I still love my annuals of course and will soon have tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis and pumpkins growing in the spring beds but they only last one season whilst the perennials are there for a long time.
This is a list of perennials in my garden


 Alexander,   Arrowroot (Canna Edulis),    Artichoke Globe, Artichoke chinese or Crosne,   Asparagus,   Beans Seven Year  or Scarlet Runner Beans,   Berries such as raspberries, blueberries and goji berry bushes, Buckwheat perennial,         Chicory,  Choko,  Comfrey,  land cress, Garlic Chives, Russian garlic, society garlic,  Ginger, Good King Henry or Lamb’s quarters, Horseradish,  Tree Kale, Leek perennial, Mint,  Mushroom plant,  Oca, NZ yam,  Onions Bunching, Egyptian, Welsh, potato onions, shallots, Parsley,   Radicchio,  Rainbow Chard Five Colour Mix,  Rhubarb,  Rock Samphire or sea fennel,  Rocket Turkish, Spinach Perpetual, Skirret or wild parsnips, Sorrel,  Sunchokes or Jerusalem artichokes, Sweet potato,Taro,Turmeric Warrigal Greens or Warrigal Spinach, Yacon, as well as herbs such as oregano, rosemary, sage, marjoram, calendula etc

Wishing you happiness every minute of your day.



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