Earthwise Farm

06/06/2024

I love Borage ...info shared from a gardening page....

In the realm of gardening, there's a particular herb that stands out: borage. This adaptable plant, boasting vibrant blue flowers and a taste reminiscent of cucumbers, brings numerous advantages to both your garden and your personal well-being. Let's explore the wonders of borage and why it merits a place in your green sanctuary.

Borage, scientifically termed Borago officinalis, is an annual herb native to the Mediterranean but now cultivated worldwide. Its distinctive star-shaped blue blooms and fuzzy leaves not only enhance the visual appeal of any garden but also serve practical purposes beyond aesthetics.

One of borage's most appealing traits is its unique flavor. Its leaves and flowers offer a subtle hint of cucumber, making them a refreshing addition to salads, drinks, and desserts. Borage leaves can also garnish dishes or be steeped to create a calming tea. With its adaptable taste and diverse applications, borage is a must-have for culinary enthusiasts.

In addition to its culinary charm, borage boasts a rich history of medicinal use. Packed with essential fatty acids, notably gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), borage oil extracted from its seeds is a popular natural remedy for inflammation, skin issues, and hormonal imbalances. Borage tea is also believed to possess soothing properties, promoting relaxation and overall well-being.

Furthermore, borage contributes significantly to garden ecosystems. Its bright blue flowers are beloved by pollinators like bees and butterflies, making it an excellent choice for attracting beneficial insects. Moreover, borage enriches soil quality by accumulating vital nutrients such as potassium and calcium. Its deep roots aid in soil aeration and drainage, benefiting neighboring plants.

Cultivating borage is relatively straightforward, even for novice gardeners. It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, though it can tolerate partial shade and various soil types. Seeds can be sown directly into the ground in spring or started indoors a few weeks earlier. Once established, borage requires minimal upkeep and readily self-seeds, ensuring a continuous supply of foliage and blooms.

In summary, borage is a remarkable herb deserving of recognition in every garden. Whether for its culinary appeal, medicinal benefits, or garden enhancements, the allure of this versatile plant is undeniable. By incorporating borage into your garden, you not only enhance its beauty and biodiversity but also nourish your body and spirit. So, why delay? Plant some borage seeds today and witness the enchantment unfold in your garden!

31/05/2024

RESOURCES

One of my favourite things to do is to watch great youtube videos....Here is one, by a great Permaculturalist, Morag Gamble....This one is about No Dig Gardens which is how I have grown all my food and made all my Garden beds this way.....

Learn how to create a no dig garden that requires less water, less maintenance, have less pests and way more life than a normal vegetable garden. If you like...

30/05/2024

🌿🌿GARDEN CONSULTATIONS🌿🌿

🌻I am offering a few Garden Walk and Talks this Autumn and Winter.🌻

After over thirty years of Horticulture, Permaculture and Bush Regeneration Training and Teaching at Colleges, in Melbourne and Sydney and in the Dandenong Ranges Community, Learning on the go and Growing Food in my Bushland, Rental Property backyards, Designing and Planting out Gardens and No Dig Garden Beds, Keeping Weeds down in Gardens and Bushland, Keeping Healthy Chickens, Making No Dig Gardens and Compost, and generally living a very Down to Earth Lifestyle, I have found I can include Garden Consultation to my Skillset now!!🙏🌿🌻

🌻I am offering a Garden Walk and Talk for an hour or two and will write up a detailed point by point Email the next day to bring together everything we spoke about and include links to info about how to do some of the processes I talk about, ideas of local Permaculture Properties to visit, Youtube Videos for Education and local people to meet to increase your skills and to suit your requirements.....🙏🌿🌻

🌻Investment is $60 for just an hour walk and talk, an extra $60 to include a detailed email the next day, and $200 for three hours of practical support with either building a No Dig Garden, or Compost Heap together. Or ask if I can help with something else...No Mowing or Whipper Snipping though!!. Bartering and Energy Exchanges Welcome!!🙏🌿🌻

🌻I love looking at what you have started, listening to what ideas you have, discovering what you have in the way of Resources already, adding in my own knowledge and sharing more with you to help you Create the best Food Growing areas you can!! 🙏🌿🌻

🌻Please message me or comment below and lets get your Garden ready for the coming Spring Planting!! 💜🙏🌿🌻

06/03/2024

DOWN SIZING!!

After sixteen years living in this Rental in the Dandenong Ranges, with loads of land for experimenting with, I have been down sizing my Garden the last year or so. Partly because of my full time Caring duties, but also because of Morning Glory that decided to really take over in my Garden this Summer!!

I used to dig all the bits of Morning Glory out, one Spring I even had my daughter's partner come over and help mattock and dig through the whole netted Veggie Garden area, and I practically sieved each Garden Bed to take every single piece of stem and runners of the Morning Glory out. But this last year has been more taken up with Life and Death and challenges with Health. Not mine, a Loved Ones I Care for!!💜🙏💚

We had a lot of rain in Spring and early Summer...flooding for some!! This gave the Morning Glory the foothold I could never undo! So I started growing in pots on my deck. I am now noticing how hot and dry Summer has finally become! And glad I do not have expanses of Gardens to keep watered!

I used to grow loads of food in my Garden, but the end of Summer was always challenging as we live with only 12,000 litres of Rain Water. In a Rental. I looked yesterday and we are down to half. So I won't be planting anything yet.

I will just be keeping my potted Herbs, Silverbeet, Tomatoes etc alive by recycling my Washing Machine Final Rinse Water and giving everything a little feed....I have loads of home made Compost since we don't have Chickens anymore, and also use a little sprinkle of cow manure in the tops of my pots and water in with a little Seasol!💛💜🙏

I will be replanting Lettuce, Beetroot, and other Greens when we get a bit cooler in a week or so....otherwise with the heat sometimes things just bolt and go straight to seed!!💛💜🙏💚

It had been a while since I had the headspace to write about my Garden....but here it is...will add photos later!!💜🙏💚

10/01/2023

🌱HERBS AND FLOWERS IN THE GARDEN🌱🌱

Cool Summer Morning

Perfect for a Peaceful wander around the Garden. To see what's happening. No need to do anything.... Just greet each Flower and Herb as I see them...

And Perfect Weather for photos too with no big contrasts between Sun and Shadow....

And an amazing surprise....a St Johns Wort discovery!! Another name for this variety is Rose of Sharon!! Unfortunately not the Medicinal variety but apparently good for orange-yellow dye...

28/11/2022

🌱🌱GARDEN BED BUILDING🌱🌱

So glad I spent two hours in the garden this morning adding more chook shed Compost, Coffee Grounds and Pea Straw layers to a garden bed I started building a month or more ago.... 🙏🙏

This time I decided to turn two Pea Straw bales onto their sides to use as edging on the lower edge.... It's looking so lush now and ready for some mass plantings..... 🌱🌱

It's one of the only spots in my garden that gets almost full sun from mid morning ....just keeping my fingers crossed we get some Tomato growing Weather this Summer... At least this weekend is going to be 29/30 degrees C💓💛💜🙏

Now to attack my biggest, oldest garden area.... Morning Glory found its way in with some Raspberries someone gave me many tears ago.... Just a tiny piece of stem can take root and grow rapidly especially with all this rain.... I wish I could wipe the whole area clear and start again..... 😕😕😕

How is your garden growing?? 🌱🌱💜💜🙏🙏

19/11/2022

If your plan is for one year, plant rice
If your plan is for 10 years, plant trees
If your plan is for 100 years, Educate children.

Confucius

20/10/2022

Thanks to Shakti for organising this.... 💜😊🙏

03/10/2022

🌱🌱SPRING GARDENING 🌱🌱

Really loving these cool but sunny days.... I am getting so much done each time I spent an hour, or three, out in my garden.

It was great to see what food I have growing, from last Spring and Autumn plantings....from all the Herbs and plants that self sow... Silverbeet, Nasturtium, Fennel, Perennial Basil, Oregano, Warragul Greens, Celery, Parsley, Perennial Buckwheat, Herb Robert, Lemon Balm, Mint, Potatoes, Wormwood, Red Currants, Blueberries, Golden Berries, Bay Leaves, Lemons, Lime leaves, Calendula, Dock, Dandelion, Plantain, Lettuce, Beetroot Greens, Sorrel, Mullien, Pineapple Sage, White Sage, Comfrey, Borage, and Apple and Nashi trees yet to fruit....and Chickens laying daily eggs.... 🐔

Little spots of Beauty too.... 🙏🙏

Feeling Abundant!! 💜😊🙏

I have been approached by a local Permaculture Teacher who would like to bring her Permaculture Students for a walk and talk, show and tell of my garden in a month or so.... That's pretty exciting, I used to do that in the past.... 💜💜

14/08/2022

🌱🌹EDIBLE FLOWERS 🌹🌱

I have grown Vegetables and Herbs for many many years. In the last ten years I have been eating Weeds too such as Dock, Chickweed, Plantain and Dandelion Leaves and Dandelion Flowers....

I have had an Edible Flowers book for over twenty years, but raising three children alone as a single mum I got distracted a lot ....Now they are late teens to mid twenties I have more time....

Here are some of my favourites....with links to more info.... 😊💜🙏

🌱💜PANSIES!! 💜🌱

Pansies have long been a flower I love to grow and add to salads too....
More info here... 😊💜🙏

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/pansy/are-pansy-flowers-edible.htm #:~:text=Can%20you%20eat%20pansies%3F,its%20stem%20and%20eat%20away

🌱💛CALENDULA💛🌱

I love the multi purpose uses of Calendula flowers and the bright orange or yellow flowers in the garden.... I harvest the flowers and add fresh sprinkled on salads, or dry them and add the crumbled up flowers to Soap Making. I have also added Calendula flowers to Olive Oil in a glass jar and used as a healing oil, or used the strained oil to make Soap with. It has many skin healing properties amongst other uses.....

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/calendula/common-calendula-uses.htm

🌱💓SNAPDRAGONS!!💓 🌱

In recent years Snapdragons have been a favourite as when the seedlings grow and plants keep flowering and growing for more than a year or two.... Maybe they are self seeding??
I have just discovered the leaves and flowers are edible too as long as they are not chemically sprayed or treated....
Looks like my wild greens and flower salads this year are going to be more colourful!! 😊💜🙏

https://gardenerspath.com/plants/flowers/edible-snapdragons/

And there are more, Rose, Nasturtium and Lavender for instance. Here is more info....

https://whatscookingamerica.net/edibleflowers/edibleflowersmain.htm

20/06/2022