After years of drought, Melbourne couple Cathy and Warren Scott’s lawn was looking worn. Together with their children, Stephanie, 20, and Andrew, 18, they decided to do something drastic. For the past 17 years the back lawn of their suburban block in Glen Iris, 11km east of the Melbourne CBD, covered 50m² and had been the venue for family games of backyard cricket.
It was Warren’s idea to take out the lawn and try growing vegetables and, with a little persuasion, Cathy agreed to give it a go. “In the past I had found vegetable gardens messy, but I’ve tried to ensure there is a formality and symmetry here that’s pleasing to the eye,” she says. Gardening has always been a passion for Cathy. She has her own garden maintenance business, in addition to the thriving patch at home. “People say I have green hands,” she says.
And looking at what she has created, it certainly rings true. Garden landscaper and designer John Sutherland contributed to the design and construction. He levelled the backyard, insisted on good drainage and helped them remove trees – a robinia and an apple – to make room for the vegetables.
The formal parterre is divided into four distinct sections that are surrounded by white gravel paths, with a cream urn in a central circle providing an interesting focal point. Surrounding the parterre is a cottage garden border, filled with roses, catmint, forget-me-nots and alyssum. These plants not only look pretty but also attract bees for the vegies. The backyard faces north, and a nearby maple and jacaranda provide shade. In the parterre, each section is hedged with parsley. “We wanted to define the areas, and parsley is ideal for this,” says Cathy. Care has also gone into plant selection. Each section is planted with diagonal rows of different vegetables and, because Cathy loves order in the garden, each section mirrors its opposite. “I wanted balance and symmetry, and have used leaf textures and colours to create this beauty,” she says.
Along the hot, west side of the house, a sultana grapevine provides much-needed shade. “We harvest about 10 bunches of fruit a year, but the added bonus of the vine is that it keeps the house and bricks cool,” says Warren. The clothesline is also tucked away along the west side of the house.
Reaping the benefits
Cathy and Warren were so keen to get the backyard planted that when they started they put in row after row of cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. “But that meant a harvesting glut,” says Cathy. “We have learnt to stagger the planting times and plant a week apart so that the harvest covers a longer period. We’re really just experimenting with what works for us. We’ve tried heirloom varieties of tomatoes, chillies and capsicums, and planted many different lettuces. “Last season the cabbages and broccoli were really successful,” she says. “We bought some seedlings, but found that seeds planted straight into the ground had better germination rates, particularly with peas. We had tried the seedlings, but the seeds planted later outpaced them.”
They also take photos of the plantings each season, so they have a visual record to aid crop rotation. Any surplus produce is bartered or swapped with neighbours and a neighbour’s chooks receive all the leftover greens. “Sharing the huge amount of produce with others has given us so much pleasure,” says Cathy. “People say they can really taste the difference between our vegetables and what they buy in the shop. Neighbours and friends who visit go home with bags full of herbs, silverbeet – whatever is in season. Many of our friends have been inspired to go home and plant some herbs in their own backyard.”
Warren and Cathy believe the key to the success of their vegie garden has been the good quality of its soil. Measuring about 50cm deep, the soil has been enriched with wetting agents, plenty of organic matter, mushroom compost, cow manure, blood and bone, and their own homemade compost. “We are constantly replenishing the soil, and we mulch with pea straw and mushroom compost,” says Warren.
The garden is totally organic. After work each day, Warren relaxes by harvesting produce for dinner, picking off caterpillars and other pests as he goes. The largest pests they face are possums, common in parts of Melbourne, but a plastic owl with glow-in-the-dark eyes seems to scare them off. “We just have to remember to move it around the garden,” says Cathy. Steps to sustainability
To keep their garden lush through the drier months, Cathy and Warren have three tanks, which hold a total of 7000L of water, collected from the roof. “It takes about 30mm of rain to fill the tanks, which were installed five years ago,” says Warren. “We use the water to flush the toilet in winter but in summer it’s used on the garden.”
Exchanging their drought-affected lawn for a vegetable garden has given them so much pleasure, and the move has changed their eating habits, too. Now Cathy loves trying out new recipes using vegies from their harvest. “We cook straight from the garden, so whatever is in season is what we’re eating,” says Warren. “There was broccoli week, cauliflower week, and we have made lots of tabouli from all the parsley we’ve grown.”
“This way of living has to be better for the environment,” says Cathy. “We are not using any pesticides, we just walk to the back door to pick our produce – so there are no transportation costs – and it’s so healthy. “We are looking forward to the autumn, and planting our parsnips, carrots and swedes,” she says. “It’s about the challenge of continuous cropping in our backyard, of doing something good for the environment and the joy of us being able to give away so much fresh, home-grown produce.”
Advertisements of 2013 Comforter Sets: If you want to decor your bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 King Bedding Sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment