Visit Sandford Aimee and Greg 2025

The October visit for the Southern Food Garden Group was an inspiring reminder of how much can be achieved in a short time when two experienced gardeners put their hearts and minds (and backs!) to it.  Aimee and Greg moved to their Sandford property a little over two years ago and have transformed it into a beautiful and productive garden that, as one visitor said, "has everything!"  

 

Aimee and Greg are long-standing members of the Food Garden Group and have hosted visits to their previous property in New Town twice before (in 2014 and 2017). Having reached the limits of that small suburban block, they began the search for a larger site with more optimal growing conditions, eventually settling on this sunny five acre property with a gentle, northeast facing slope overlooking Pipe Clay Lagoon. 

Plans for the various vegetable gardens and orchards were designed with the goal of self-sufficiency in fruit and vegetables, with some saleable surplus. As with all plans, there have been some adjustments along the way and, at only two years in, the final vision is still taking shape.

Hosts Greg and Aimee introduce their property

 

The first major project on the new property was the construction of the main vegetable garden.  This patch sits directly outside the kitchen and provides all of the family's produce plus some surplus that is sold on.  The garden beds, paths and fences were built by Greg and Aimee with assistance from Aimee's father. Where possible, leftover materials found on the property or sourced from family and friends were used to build this space.  A load of commercial compost enhanced with fish waste gave the beds a kick start.

The veggie patch is loaded with winter greens: chard, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, and masses of alliums.  Newly planted lettuces are coming up fast, and more will be sown as the winter crops finish up.

 

Succession sowing of lettuces in the veggie patch

This year's brassicas are almost finished

The chard crop was bountiful this year; in addition to the family's own eating, about 60 bunches were sold. 

The back fence of the patch is a wire trellis, currently home to densely planted peas (green, purple, and snap varieties) that also act as a partial windbreak for the veggies. Sugar snap peas were produced in excess and sold, despite the best efforts of the native hens to consume as much of the crop as possible. In summer, cucumbers take the place of the peas and the pickle production line is in full swing for many months.  

Rear view of the pea screen for the veggie garden

Just outside the entrance to the veggie patch is a stand of gooseberry bushes.  These have been transplanted from Aimee and Greg's previous garden in New Town, and from Aimee's late father's garden; a lovely nod to the continuity between gardens old and new. 

Gooseberries outside the veggie patch

 

The other main vegetable growing area on the property is in and around the newly constructed glasshouse.
 

An existing concrete slab (from an old shed) forms the foundation of the glasshouse, which was constructed by a local builder from reclaimed materials.  Sliding glass doors and multiple screened windows on three sides of the structure allow for good ventilation and temperature control. 

Two beds of tomatoes will grow up along strings attached to the glasshouse rafters. A shelf mounted along the back wall provides a warm spot for raising seedlings. 

 

The northern side of the property is home to two fruit tree orchards: one for stone fruit (peaches, nectarines and apricots) and one for citrus. The stone fruit orchard runs down a gentle slope, and is the site of an experiment with grey-water irrigation.  Greg has dug two channels along the outside of the orchard, filled with gravel.  The grey water is released above the orchard and runs down the slope, much of it filling the channels, slowing the flow and diverting the water away from the surface.  While it is still early days, this method of irrigation seems to be successful so far. 

At only two years in, the trees in the orchard are still well off maturity, but hopes are high for a reasonable crop this year, and for bountiful harvests in years to come.  

 

 

One of Aimee and Greg's ambitions for this property was to be able to grow a large crop of lemons, so having a good spot for a citrus orchard was key.  While the trees get good sunshine and are surviving well, the windy, exposed conditions are creating some challenges.  The current plan is to create a windbreak along the northwestern edge of the orchard by creating a trellis planted with runner beans.

  

A third orchard, on the Southern side of the property, has been planted around some of the existing ornamental trees. Apples, plums, apricots and greengages sit up on this highest point on the property, providing a pretty spot to enjoy the view out over the lagoon

A series of bramble berries trained over rebar trellises will soon provide additional screening of the property from the road.  The permanent plant markers (off-cuts labelled with permanent marker and then varnished to protect from the elements) are helpful for those who need a little help to distinguish between the loganberries, marionberries, youngberries, boysenberries and blackberries growing here. 

Last, but not least on the fruit front: the raspberry patch. Three newly-constructed raised beds have been filled and planted following the guide produced by Max on the food garden blog.  The two outside beds hold summer and autumn-fruiting raspberries (one type in each bed, for ease of pruning), and the central bed has dahlia tubers.  

 Just down from the raspberries is a tiny oak sapling.  This tree was grown from seed collected from an oak tree planted at the Rokeby cricket ground after the 1967 bushfires. Although it will be a while before it provides much shade for the sheep, Aimee and Greg value it as a symbol of connection between their garden and the natural history of the local area. 

Compost produced from garden waste is enriched with manure from the small herd of Dorper sheep, in a three-bay compost system. 

Happy chickens provide a steady supply of eggs, despite some issues with crows stealing eggs.  To date, efforts to keep the crows away from the chooks have been largely unsuccessful - tips from others who have managed this problem are welcome. 

 

As usual, the produce and morning tea tables were well stocked, and thoroughly appreciated! Many thanks to everyone who contributed.  

This food garden visit was notable for one other reason: after more than 100 visits over the past 17 years, this visit was not introduced by Max!  While Max and Gaye will remain pivotal to the organisation of the Food Garden Group and garden visits, they are now sharing that responsibility with longtime FGG members Pauline and Dirk. Many thanks, as always, to Max, Gaye, Pauline, and Dirk - none of this could happen without you!

Dirk introduces the garden visit

Thanks to Aimee and Greg for inviting us to spend a beautiful, sunny spring morning sharing their impressive and inspiring garden.