Visit Sue H 17 February 2019

Every season the aim is to offer visits to a wide variety of food gardens - western shore, eastern shore, country, urban, bush, sea level, and mountain.

I was delighted when Sue put her hand up for a visit to her garden, because with limited space available, she literally uses every opportunity on her balcony and in her small garden.  The result was inspirational for anyone who wants to make the most out of available space.

In the photo above Sue (middle with glasses) welcomed us and told us about her 20 years experience with her very own part of planet earth.

Once long ago she started with polystyrene boxes on her balcony, but those days are well and truly over. These days Sue uses corrugated-iron raised beds, made to her specifications by TankTec.  The beds are less wide than they normally are, have a metal bottom with holes, and were installed slightly off the concrete.  All this, so water can get away easily.  TankTec might well get some more orders for them after this food garden visit.

Very healthy looking capsicums and spring onions, on Sue's balcony.  There is a large green capsicum behind the leaves in the photo below. Who says you can't have a food garden on your balcony?

 

The photo below shows another great use of space: a well-designed mini glass house, also on the balcony.

The narrow garden below is full, but thriving!

Sue's corn was coming along well on the day we visited.

All beds in Sue's garden are raised, and most of them contained a great mix of food plants and flowering plants

With a wide variety of food plants such as tomatoes, lettuce, endive, olives, apples, blueberries, black currants, corn, herbs, eggplant, ... , this small urban garden is very productive, and with its many flowers, very attractive to bees as well!

There were two compost bays in the shadiest part of the garden. Well done, Sue!

In the photo below Sue showed us cutters that can be extended to a length of 4 or 5 metres. Sue uses these in delicate above-height pruning of neighbouring bushes and trees, when they hang over the fence. By keeping them trimmed she maximises sun in her garden.

So here we were with a small group (25 was the RSVP maximum for this visit) on a balcony with a fabulous view over the Derwent, on a nice warm day, and visiting a very nice and productive small garden.  Everyone had the opportunity to talk to everyone, and a good time was had by all.

Thank you very much Sue and husband for hosting this visit.

I wasn't quick enough to take a photo of the produce-table before everyone carried away the many and varied contributions, but I was able to conquer some of the yummies brought in for morning tea.

Thanks everyone for a great morning, and we will gladly do it all again in a month time!