Visit Avril 17 April 2016

On Sunday 17 April the Food Garden Group visited Avril and Brett's garden at Sandy Bay:

When Avril and Brett moved to their present home eight years ago, and then built a deck and balcony at the back of their house, there was little space left for a food garden. They faced a choice: to either not have a food garden, or have a one facing the street that was going to be so pretty that no one could possibly have any problem with it. They took up the challenge.

Now, five years after starting the project, we can say that they have succeeded spectacularly.

Avril and Brett's 'French parterre-style' food garden, complete with box hedges, and bordered by, at the street side, a row of espaliered fruit trees, has great visual appeal and is praised by neighbours and passers-by.

Here Avril (middle in blue) welcomes us and explains the planning and hard work that went into creating their food garden.

The area is divided in four beds, with a circular area and fountain in the middle. Each bed is bordered by box hedges. The paths are covered in artificial grass on weed mat.

Brett explained that they had the timber borders made by a saw mill. From a distance they look like normal hardwood railway sleepers, but they are wider (making the beds higher) and much longer.

The food garden is watered by an automated irrigation system that was put in before anything was planted.

At the street-side of the garden a row of espaliered fruit trees on a sturdy frame (see photo one above) creates a great border and privacy. Surprisingly no fruit is ever taken by passers-by.

One of the espaliered trees had some surprising fruit. Avril explained that her companion planting strategy is to plant deep-rooting plants with shallow-rooting plants. In this case the companion planting idea goes further: the bean plants provide the trees with nitrogen and the beans don't need a trellis.

Every available space is used, even along this shadier side of the house. A wasabi and thornless blackberry (see below) were quite happy. A blueberry bush found this side of the house a bit too shady.

In the corner of their first-floor balcony Avril and Brett put a bee hive with the opening facing out under the glass. This gives the bees an unimpeded flight path to the hive and no one on the balcony or below in the garden is hassled by bees. Clever!

Many thanks everyone for your contributions to a great morning tea. People also brought great stuff for the produce table. Thank you!

Avril and Brett helped me by being prepared to host this food garden visit at short notice.

My saying 'every food garden is different and there is always something to learn' definitely applied today. Thank you Avril and Brett!

This text was previously published on the Food Garden Group blog. It was written by Max Bee.