Productive Gardens

Welcome to our first 2011 newsletter!

I hope you have had an enjoyable festive season and have not been severely effected by the flood crisis gripping large parts of Qld. Our thoughts are with those living in flooded communities and the farmers who have a huge task ahead of them to rebuild their infrastructure and get new crops in the ground.

Fruit and vegetable prices are driven by supply and demand in our economy so we are already seeing prices increasing dramatically in most parts of the country due to this break in the supply chain. While I'm not saying it's easy to grow all the food we need, you can very nicely supplement your meals with lots of fresh home grown produce at next to no cost. In this newsletter I have picked 4 of the simplest growing systems to tell you about.

Happy harvesting,

Growing Your Own

Just imagine the delicious meals you’ll enjoy with the herbs and vegetables you pick ripe, fresh, straight from your own garden. Flavours you’ve almost forgotten... but can now enjoy again.

Imagine the compliments you’ll receive from family and friends as they visit for meals. And the things they say when they see the lush green bounty growing right outside your kitchen. They’ll hardly believe you’ve grown all this yourself.

Imagine the sense of satisfaction, the pride you’ ll have knowing you’re giving your family the healthiest, most nutritious food available. Super-foods that give you extra energy, the ability to focus longer and the goodness you need to lose weight, build muscle and feel years younger.

Herbs and vegetables that are brimming with natural colour and flavour, not spoiled by nasty chemicals. And alive with freshness, not dying in cold storage or from thousands of kilometres in transport trucks.

Imagine the convenience of picking fresh produce a few steps from your kitchen. No more hurried, last-minute trips to the busy grocery store to pick up ingredients for dinner. Your own garden will provide all the fresh goodies you need, all year round.

And imagine the calm, serene feeling you’ll enjoy looking out at your thriving garden. Brighten your verandah, add fresh appeal to your courtyard. Your home will feel cool, relaxed and alive with goodness. The aromas too will energise your senses and give you new-found energy.

Forget paying $4 for a bag of soggy salad leaves; $3 for a bunch of herbs; or $5 for a couple of capsicums. With your own edible garden, you will be harvesting the freshest, most delicious lettuce you’ve ever tasted for just...

1 Cent Each!

That’s right, it’s not a misprint. You will be growing your own salad ‘super-foods’ for as little as 1 cent each because many packets of lettuce contain over 1200 seeds. Even if you had the brownest thumbs and lots didn't come up, you'd still be harvesting barrow loads for next to no cost!

You’ll be enjoying more delicious, more nutritious, more convenient and more affordable fresh herbs, fruit and vegetables than ever before.

Growing Method 1 

A 4 layer stacking garden with trolley combo makes it very easy to grow all you need very close to the kitchen. You'll have lots of fun choosing 13 of your favorite herbs, flowers or salad greens to fill all the pockets. The only limitation is your imagination!  Then it will provide fresh produce and enjoyment for years to come.

Ideal for anyone with a small space or those who love having fresh herbs on hand when they are cooking. The heavy duty wire trolleys make them easy to move and rotate for nice even sunlight for healthy growth.

What about for the junior chef in the family???? A great way for them to be able to help provide for the families meals and cook with the taste and flavours that only fresh herbs can deliver.

Find out more about the Stacking Gardens

Growing Method 2

Have you been thinking about building a raised veggie garden for ages? Raised beds automatically create good drainage which eliminates any water logging issues. Make it really nice and easy by starting off with one or two of these raised beds. They arrive as a flat pack and it's just a matter of screwing the top and bottom frames together and then the panels clip in.

These gardens can be easily filled from some bags of soil and compost you may already have in the garden, you don't need to get in a whole truck load of soil. The depth of 300mm is more than enough to successfully grow all sorts of herbs, fruit, veg a nd salad greens. Why don't you click here to find out more about the raised beds and to also watch a quick presentation on how easy they are to assemble.

Find out more about the Raised Garden Beds

Growing Method 3

A Greenbo planter.

These are very new in Australia, you may have seen them on Better Homes & Gardens and a few other shows recently?  With 8 funky colours to choose from, they are sure to brighten up any railing and transform the look.

Greenbo's literally hang on nearly all sizes and types of railings and balustrade. Being 30cm in diameter, they will take some good sized plants whether they may be herbs, ornamental plants or lettuce and salad greens.

I keep a couple of these on my back deck railing growing all the oakleaf lettuce and rocket that we need.

Find out more about Greenbo's

Growing Method 4

An Ezy Grow raised garden planter

There are so many instances where an Ezy Grow garden is just perfect. For people in retirement villages who miss their gardens, those with bad backs who don't bend so well, those with good backs but don't want to go all the way out to the back garden to get the herbs they need. Space is always at a premium in a unit or town house so these are just the shot.

These gardens have a large water collecting reservoir in the base section so there's no mess and over flowing to worry about. Being 100cm long and 50 cm wide there is plenty of room for all the favorites. Grow a tall tomato or cucumber at one end, some chilli's or capsicum in the middle and lettuce and salad greens at the front.

Find out more on the Ezy Grows

Still Not Sure? 

Why don't you grab a Free copy of my ebook "Raised Vegetable Gardens" which gives you the complete blue print to copy my growing methods and be harvesting your own fresh food in less than 8 weeks from scratch.

You'll get step by step instructions of how to plan and set up your own edible garden in a very short time. You'll also receive our Easy Edible Garden (Fast Harvest) Tips to help get the most from your garden.

As I said, it's totally free and all you need to do is click to go to my Raised Vegetable Gardens site and enter your email at the bottom. You'll be able to download it all within minutes.

Hi Friend,

With Christmas time upon us and thoughts turning to selecting gifts for loved ones, consider the enjoyment that a garden will continue to give, long after the festive season is over.

In this newsletter I'll mention a couple of our most popular gifts that never fail to be well received. Orders will be dispatched super quickly to ensure they arrive in plenty of time.

If I'm not talking to you in person before hand, I'd like to thank you for your custom and interest over the past twelve months and I hope you have a very merry Christmas. I look forward to being of assistance to you in 2011.

Happy harvesting,

Giveaway Magazines!

I have 6 current copies of "Growing Fruits and Veggies plus Herbs" to give away. All you need to do is go to our website here, Productive Gardens and watch the 90 second video about the brand new Greenbo planters. Click on the side bar to our Facebook page and just write down the name of the potting mix/ growing media I'm using in the video to plant up the Greenbo. I'll send out the magazines to the first 6 entries.

Gift Idea 1 

A 4 layer stacking garden with trolley combo makes a delightful present. Whoever receives it will have lots of fun choosing 13 of their favorite herbs, flowers or salad greens to fill all the pockets. The only limitation is their imagination!  Then it will provide fresh produce and enjoyment for years to come.

Ideal for anyone with a small space or those who love having fresh herbs on hand when they are cooking. The heavy duty wire trolleys make them easy to move and rotate for nice even sunlight for healthy growth.

What about for the junior chef in the family???? A great way for them to be able to help provide for the families meals and cook with the taste and flavours that only fresh herbs can deliver.

I still have a couple of spaces where we can deliver the fully planted Grand Potager in the Brisbane City Council area in the week before Christmas.
 

Find out more about the Stacking Gardens

Gift Idea 2

A Bokashi Kitchen composter. The Bokashi composters are a great way to turn all your waste kitchen scraps into the richest organic soil conditioner. This will handle all your scraps including vegetable peels, meat and dairy products.

The Bokashi microbes break down the fibre in the waste and then when you bury it shallowly in the garden, it reduces to a rich plant food in next to no time.

Turn the tap and drain off the liquid leachate and add to a watering can to give your plants a nice tonic boost. Can be kept under the sink or just outside the kitchen door. Available as either a one or a two bucket kit.

Find out more about the Bokashi Kitchen Composter

Gift Idea 3 

A Greenbo planter.

Being very new in Australia, you can be the first in your street or apartment building to have the stylish Greenbo planters on show. With 8 funky colours to choose from, they are sure to brighten up any railing and transform the look.

Greenbo's literally hang on nearly all sizes and types of railings and balustrade. Being 30cm in diameter, they will take a good sized plant whether they may be herbs, ornamental plants or lettuce and salad greens.

Find out more about Greenbo's

Gift Idea 4

An Ezy Grow raised garden planter

There are so many instances where an Ezy Grow garden is just perfect. For people in retirement villages who miss their gardens, those with bad backs who don't bend so well, those with good backs but don't want to go all the way out to the garden to get the herbs they need. Space is always at a premium in a unit or town house so these are just the shot.

These gardens have a large water collecting reservoir in the base section so there's no mess and over flowing to worry about. Being 100cm long and 50 cm wide there is plenty of room for all the favorites. Grow a tall tomato or cucumber at one end, some chilli's or capsicum in the middle and lettuce and salad greens at the front.

Find out more on the Ezy Grows

Gift Idea 5

If you are still unsure, a gift voucher is the way to go. You can have one sent to you in various set denominations or I can custom design one for a gift you have in mind but want your recipient to be able to choose the colour and when they would like it delivered.

Hi,

I have been getting to speak with lots of people as we have been present at a series of expos and shows around South East Qld recently.  There are a few common problems that crop up time and time again that are holding people back from achieving their desired outcome of being able to harvest plenty of fresh herbs and vegetables as they need them. In this newsletter I'm going to tackle the top 5 issues.

Happy harvesting,

.

Problem No 1 - Bugs!

We are working with nature here so inevitably we'll run into some bugs from time to time!

The secret is feeding/improving the soil as healthy plants will resist pest and disease attack naturally. By making sure your plants receive plenty of sunlight will also help build their strength through photosynthesis and their own manufacture of food.

Most of the insects we have trouble with as home gardeners can be controlled safely with Eco-Neem.  If caterpillars are specifically the problem, Dipel is a natural bacteria that works well.

Problem No 2 - Time!

Save heaps of time by having a system where you can harvest fresh herbs and salad greens from literally right out side the kitchen door. I see it all the time, once we have to walk more than 30 steps to plant/maintain/harvest an edible garden, it doesn't get done. So by having aStacking Garden or Ezygrow Garden growing on your deck/balcony/patio, you can easily water as you pass by and grab the freshest sprigs of your favourite herbs while you're cooking!

Problem No 3 - Watering! 

By automating mundane jobs like watering will save lots of time and also take away the worry of having to find someone to water your plants when you're away for a week or two. The best self watering system I have come across that doesn't need pumps or electricity is called Wet Pots. These porous clay bulbs distribute water right into the root zone where the plants need it. It's called a "Plant Controlled Watering System" as the plants can influence the rate at which water is released. It's just a matter of connecting the Wet Pots with small tubing and connecting to a reservoir or your rain water tank and gravity will take over from there.

Problem No 4 - Space!

It is amazing how much you can actually grow in the tiniest of spaces whether that be on your balcony, the patio or a corner of your garden. The main requirement is sunlight, most other factors can be adapted.

Where ground/floor space is limited, the best way to grow is up! A Stacking Garden or two could provide the main system enabling you to grow a high yield of your favourite herbs and salad greens on a small footprint. Make use of the climbing ability of tomatoes, cucumber and passion fruit by heading them up a stake/obelisk/trellis. Hanging baskets can be filled with lettuces, capsicums and tomatoes can trail over the side. Set up shelves on the walls/fences for pots and troughs.

Problem No 5 - When/how to fertilise!

I am seeing lots of instances where raised garden beds have been set up and an organic soil brought on site to fill them. A lot of these so called "soils" only contain composted organic material and don't have the grit and structure to maintain the air filled spaces that plants need to take in their oxygen. Further more, often these organic soils continue to compost or breakdown and the micro-organisms that assist in this, draw all available nitrogen from the soil leaving nothing for the plants.

It is important to replace/top up the nutrients in the soil on a regular basis and plants growing in pots and containers rely on us solely for their nutrients, other than the sun of course. Organic fertilisers take some time to be broken down by micro-organisms into a form that the plants can absorb so you need to be thinking a little ahead of time. Blended fertilisers like Eco88 work more quickly and also have some slower release organic components.

I also need to point out that Seasol isn't really a fertiliser. As it's seaweed based, it does contain a small amount of Potassium but it is really a plant conditioner or tonic. If you are using Seasol, you will also need to be applying a complete fertiliser.

I am having the best results by using a complete liquid nutrient. By adding a small amount of nutrient to the watering can each time you water, you know your plants are getting the right nutrients in the right amount.

Exciting New Products!

I am excited to announce that Productive Gardens have been approved as a reseller for the famous Canna range of nutrients and growing media. Canna is a Dutch company that is synonymous with the highest quality products. Canna's products are well known for high yields, purity of raw materials, user friendliness and their unrivaled concern for the health of the grower and consumer.

I have noticed immediate increased crops of tomatoes since I have started using the Canna PK13-14 which is designed to give unmatchable flower size and fruit weight. A word of warning - Canna products are super concentrated so you need to follow the directions closely. For example, you usually only need 1-3 ml per litre of water so a bottle will last for ages.

How's Your Lawn?

I've got to say that I'm rather proud of the grass on my footpath, it's the lushest, darkest green and most weed free of any within quite a few blocks from what I have seen!

The secret!

I use Eco88's as a fertiliser just once a year and it has improved the lawn out of sight from what it was a few years ago. The grass is growing so thickly, weeds haven't got a hope of poking their heads through. The added iron also helps give it the healthy, dark green colour. With rain about, this is the time to get it on. Also great for veggie gardens and fruit trees. Eco88 really is a one bag do all type of fertiliser.

*******  New Stock Arrived ******  We run out last time!

School Gardens

If your school or kindergarten would like to start an edible garden, please give me a call. I  have put together a range of packages ranging from small container gardens to extensive raised garden bed systems. I can work with you to design and supply all components necessary for a smooth transition to setting up a productive garden.