The Backyard Gardener

The Backyard Gardener Garden Design and Gardening Workshops

The answer to most garden questions starts with soil and the answer to most soil questions starts with organic matter. T...
30/03/2025

The answer to most garden questions starts with soil and the answer to most soil questions starts with organic matter. This soil is ideal. Free draining, full of organic matter with BALANCED fertility. You could eat it!

Tomatoes out. Broccoli and lettuces in. Looking good
30/03/2025

Tomatoes out. Broccoli and lettuces in. Looking good

Been away for a week and the garden is thriving. Tomatoes everywhere, lettuce has got away from us and cucurbits have re...
09/11/2024

Been away for a week and the garden is thriving. Tomatoes everywhere, lettuce has got away from us and cucurbits have really put on some growth. Plenty of fresh salads ahead!

New garden bed thriving. Tomatoes setting and we've had a lot of lettuce already. Set up for summer
23/10/2024

New garden bed thriving. Tomatoes setting and we've had a lot of lettuce already. Set up for summer

Garden beds now complete and fully planted. Picking lettuce already, tomatoes flowering
11/10/2024

Garden beds now complete and fully planted. Picking lettuce already, tomatoes flowering

It's been a while! Been preparing new garden. First new plantings in new raised beds. Tomatoes, basil, capsicum and eggp...
21/09/2024

It's been a while! Been preparing new garden. First new plantings in new raised beds. Tomatoes, basil, capsicum and eggplant in cold frame waiting for soil temperature to lift.

Salvia africana lutea. Just one of the brilliant varieties of salvias. Great compliment to the more traditional blues an...
06/09/2021

Salvia africana lutea. Just one of the brilliant varieties of salvias. Great compliment to the more traditional blues and purples. Tough as nails

Nice combination on a cold showery winters day.
25/08/2021

Nice combination on a cold showery winters day.

Mulching is a really component of good gardening. It moderates soil temperature, conserves moisture, suppresses weeds an...
19/08/2021

Mulching is a really component of good gardening. It moderates soil temperature, conserves moisture, suppresses weeds and feeds soil biota(living stuff). Here we are applying pea straw but you could equally use barley, wheat or beans. Pea straw has marginally more nitrogen but if using other straws this could be supplemented with manures.

The value of soil biota(living stuff) is very much underestimated by most gardeners and commentators.Two points!1. Most ...
13/08/2021

The value of soil biota(living stuff) is very much underestimated by most gardeners and commentators.
Two points!
1. Most of the nutrient applied can only be made available to your plants through the action of biota.
2. Cultivation(digging) soil destroys many of the well established structures created by biota.
Take away lessons
Change your mindset to feeding the soil not the plant. Get to soil right and the plant will take care of itself.
Avoid digging the soil! It's mostly recreational.
A shovel full of compost will do more good than hours of pointless digging

Bit gloomy? This splash of sunshine might brighten your day.
25/07/2021

Bit gloomy? This splash of sunshine might brighten your day.

Brilliant article in Gardening Australia magazine about the role of beneficial fungi in soils. Great explanation of why ...
21/07/2021

Brilliant article in Gardening Australia magazine about the role of beneficial fungi in soils. Great explanation of why cultivation is damaging. Don't dig soil, feed it, mulch it and let the soil flora and fauna do the work.

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