Our gardens couldn’t be more different. Mine in small pots, neatly aligned along a big city urban fence. A tiny garden that grows intwined with the sound of other city dwellers, the soft murmur of traffic and the occasional summertime song of hidden cicadas.
Her garden? It meanders. Through seemingly endless acres, aligned with a neighbouring rugged, blue coastline. The gentle honking song of Cape Barren Geese flying over head at dusk and dawn, and frogs…lots of frogs.
Now who’s garden am I speaking of? Well that would be Tanya from Ecolosophy (remember the one I wanted to face plant into last year?) I caught up with her recently to hear how her garden was growing and also to find out who won the giveaway.
So it’s been a little while since I face planted in your garden because of the sheer beauty of it all. What’s been growing since we last caught up?
Oh Brydie, we’ve been pretty lucky this year. Ordinarily at this time of year, our patch would have been burnt to a crisp by a few blazing hot days with northerly winds and no rain but so far we’ve had an exceptionally mild summer in Esperance, most days mid twenties, rain every so often, not a single day so far over 40 (please don’t jinx me weather fairy!) The Patch is churning out tomatoes by the bucket load so I’ve been making lots of slow roasted tomato sauce. I’ve been as inventive as possible but the yellow button squash have (FINALLY) come to an end so I can relax on finding new and exciting ways to hide them in the family meals.
My black frilly kale and I are at a standoff of sorts because on one hand, I learned how to make kale chips…and they’re lovely but on the other hand my kale just keeps getting prettier and prettier so I’m loath to remove a single leaf. Most of the greenery in the Patch now is assorted pumpkins, melons and gourds that are the obsession of my other half.
Every summertime there is a quest to grow the worlds largest vegetables (so far the biggest pumpkin has only got to about 50kg which is a few hundred kilos off the world record) but we do grow a nice big New Guinea Bean (here’s a snap of last years beans with my boys) We eat them when they’re small (about zucchini sized) but then we let them grow and grow and grow.
That bean picture is amazing. I’ll bet the boys were impressed with them. I’m certainly impressed! Now tell me also, who won the giveaway?
Well quite a few of your lovely readers popped in to the Ecolosophy Shop and had a wander through. And one of those lucky shoppers has won themselves a sweet eco giveaway of Ecolosophy goodness. Can I get a drum roll please?….. the winner is…..Diana Sayes.
Excellent! Well done Diana*. Tanya your garden is once again enviable and sadly, I’m now hesitantly going to go back to my small collection of pots…hmmm, three tomatoes anyone?
* Diana- Ecolosophy will be sending out your lovely little package soon.
Love this blog! Such great reading!
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Thanks Gabi…and hello 🙂
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Hullo Gabi 😉
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Wow! What a gorgeous garden. I’m sure your pots are lovely Brydie. Brydie I’m wondering…..do you have plans of moving to the country one day, or are you staying in the city? xo
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Ahhh the lots and lots of money question Julie…it’s a darn tricky one I can tell you!
As for my pots, I’m sure there is a certain potting charm to them…actually they do me wonders to be honest. It’s always amazing how just a little bit of greenery can make your day.
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It sure can Brydie. I hope all your dreams come true. xo
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Thanks Julie and I’m partial to a potted city garden too, we had one ourselves for many moons and it’s just as much therapy as a big old yard
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So lovely to chat with you Brydie! Wish I could send you home with a bucket of tomatoes and some herb cuttings… maybe one day xx Tanya@Ecolosophy
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Done deal dear lady. x
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Delicious garden Tanya! I love the prayer flags 🙂
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They look wonderful don’t they.
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Thanks Becs, we got a windsock for Christmas to add to it too. Cheers for the reminder
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Gorgeous Brydie and Tanya! Those beans are absolutely incredible! Happy gardening to you both x
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The beans are certainly good conversation starters for sure 😛
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I’m so pleased you’ve given us an update as I’ve been wondering how her garden has been coming along. It’s good to know the weather has been kind to all the things growing. What a great collection of tomatoes xx
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Aw thanks, yep we are LOVING the tomatoes this year (last years haul was not so happy) and feeling blessed with such a mild summer
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I know I am new here, Brydie, but I do love your way with words – it’s like opening a good book – I am so pleased I found you.
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How good has Summer been Tanya? I’m a Perth girl & it’s the first summer in the near,y 8 years I’ve lived here that I haven’t sworn everyday at the heat & the dry & the dust! Fingers crossed we don’t hit the daaaaaays of 40+ temps any time soon 🙂
Hi Brydie ( waves) x
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I know Reannon, you’ve had a coupla stinkers up there but we’ve escaped them completely so far this year. Last year was nuts in Perth from memory. Got my fingers and toes crossed for you that it stays mild as we cruise into Autumn xx
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I am gardening in pots as well, Brydie, but I love to see all the gorgeousness that others are able to grow in a bigger plot. It’s a lot of work, I know from past experience, but so worth the effort!
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Gardening in pots is just as rewarding Stacy, as long as you’re getting your hands dirty …it all counts 😉
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You do make me feel rather like hopping in the car and driving around the coast to visit Tanya and her garden. We are on strict water rationing here as the town dam is low but my garden seems to be holding up pretty well with some loving hand watering and mulching. Love your work, both of you. x
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Thanks Alison! We’re on very restricted water here too which is why I truly deeply love winter and sweet rain
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A lovely garden and a competitive one at that. Excellent share Ms Cityhippyfarmgirl and it would seem the mild weather is country wide. It’s usually pretty crispy around here about now but we have had regular rain events most of our summer and it’s halfway through! I am hoping that this doesn’t mean our “summer” now starts in February and we are due for 3 months of hot dry weather from then! Cheers for sharing this scrumptious garden with us all. I love a good garden and something new to peruse 🙂
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aw shucks… thanks very muchly!
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