Urban Homestead Artist

01/05/2026

The Autumn colour is reminding me if I don’t get some veggies going thing could be lean! So off to visit Sarah at to grab some seedings. I’ve been terribly slack planting seeds of late. I’m trying to get some studio time in! It was straight back to the studio to work in a big oil painting. When I’m worm out from that I’ll plant these babies up.

29/04/2026

How’s everyones Autumn garden going?

Friends, mine is super late, tho despite being too busy to garden for many weeks, baby chokos are just starting with so many buds on our vine this year! I had to pull it out of the tree this time so we didn’t donate them all to the possums. We might actually get a harvest.

I haven’t even started my seeds but thankfully random winter volunteers have popped up here and there. In fact one little brocollette plant was picked yesterday. Small pickings but hey.

I really want to get red cabbage, purple sprouting broccoli and Chinese broccoli in though. I never grow enough beetroot so yesterday I yanked a handful of dried seeds from a plant and literally threw them all around me. Same with a few onion varieties. Hopefully some will take until I plant some “properly”

Summer veggies are STILL winding down so I began starting the clean up this week, harvesting before cutting plants at ground level. Trombonchino was the star of Summer with one plant producing 30 big Ts!!! I’ll be saving those seeds. Cucumbers and tomatoes are almost done. The Malaka tomatoes came back from the dead to produce a second flush so glad I didn’t get to cleaning them up!

Today I’ll plant pre-sprouted broad beans and snow peas. I find I lose less to rodents if I pre sprout.

Thankfully leafy greens grow themselves each year so silverbeet, spinach and perennials like rhubarb, lemons, tons of parsley, and scarlet runner beans are being harvested here and there. The asparagus has recently finished - I think 😂

So not a big winter garden but a little is better than none and allowing plants to go to seed always ensures nature plants when you have no time to.

My chickens are getting old now so we only get an egg a day max but still enjoy their company.

How about you?

15/04/2026

I’ve not had a lot of energy the past month for gardening or art, so for April I decided to play small and test out oil pastels in a small 10x10cm watercolour sketchbook. Not easy if compared to soft pastel but I’m finding it a worthy medium. These are the pages completed so far…

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXGkqseETe4/?igsh=MXp4MXl3dm5qY2I0

11/04/2026

Couldn’t have said it better myself. I’ve been banging this drum for years. Something growing is always better than nothing. The more everyone does, the leas pressure in the system and reliance on our inn competent and destructive global leadership. Plant something - anything and take care of your soil . Then you won’t need fertilisers!

FOOD SECURITY – TIME TO THINK DIFFERENTLY

I don’t want to alarm anyone… but I do think the writing is on the wall.

What we’re seeing right now with the fuel crisis — and more importantly the fertiliser crisis — is starting to hit home.

I’m aware that in some of Australia’s major food-growing regions, farmers are not planting up to 40% of their crops. Quite simply, they can’t afford the diesel or the cost of inputs like urea fertiliser.

That has real consequences.

👉 Fewer crops going in the ground
👉 Less food coming out
👉 Higher prices on the shelves
👉 And likely shortages in the near future

Now, this is just my opinion… but I believe there has never been a more important time than right now to start growing more of your own food.

And the good news?

You can start small — and you can start today.

As we move into the cooler months, there are plenty of quick-growing crops you can get into the ground:

🥬 Asian greens — bok choy, pak choy, choi sum
🌱 Radish
🌿 Spring onions
🥗 Lettuce

Even in cooler weather, a feed is better than no feed.

Then think a little further ahead:

🥬 Silverbeet
🥦 Broccoli
🥬 Cabbage
🥦 Cauliflower

These take longer, but they’ll keep you fed down the track.

And here’s the key…

👉 Use all the space you’ve got.

Front yard, backyard, along the fence line, in pots — wherever you can grow something, do it.

Don’t forget your companion planting either. Mixing plants helps build stronger, more resilient systems that support each other.

This isn’t about panic — it’s about preparation.

Small actions, done consistently, can make a big difference — for you, your family, and collectively for all of us.

📚 If you’d like guidance on growing healthy, nutrient-dense food, all six of my books are available to help you get started and build confidence.

👉 https://craigcastree.com.au

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Bye for now.

21/03/2026

New video!

Join me for a long awaited end of summer garden tour here on the Urban Homestead Artist channel. This season brought huge abundance, a few surprises, and one...

09/03/2026

It’s been amazing bringing in a heavy basket of fresh produce every night but tonight I noticed the tomatoes are winding up and some becoming diseased. It’s always sad when they finish up but recent heavy rains have knocked them pretty hard. It’s green tomato time for most of them when I need to cut them at the soil.

To date I thave made a delicious tomato sauce, canned chunky tomatoes and tomatoes with Tromboncino, several fermented jars with garlic and basil and many baked slices so far with the abundance of tomatoes. I have gifted some to family and friends too.

As I planted about 25+ varieties this year, I will update which did the best and tasted the most delicious in a video soon. Then unfortunately out come the garden secateurs as I make room for Autumn planting.

How’s everyone going with their tommies!?

08/03/2026

Tonight’s basket load. It’s amazing how much a few seeds here and there end up producing. Imagine if everyone planted a few each day. How different things would be right now. Let’s get something growing friends! Anything is better than nothing. It all adds up.

02/03/2026

My biggest tomato weigh in so far! Who guessed the closest? 🍅

28/02/2026

AM harvest from part of our suburban yard.

This week I noticed leaves collecting inside the bagged apples and bugs starting to nibble. I began picking today tho some were still a little green. With so many tomatoes, it is easy to use the green apples to make more delicious pickles or chutney.

Many looked ripe, which is something enough my hubby looks forward. He is quite sensitive to whatever they spray on apples so store apples make him quite ill. Our apples have nothing on them - not even ‘organic’ sprays so a real treat for him.

There is still plenty on the tree. This double-grafted tree (according to online search advice) was supposed to be ripped out when it got sick 3 years ago. It continues to soldier on and return to us fruit every year sharing a space with comfrey, strawberries and chives. So far it continues to earn its space in our small garden.

26/02/2026

NEW VIDEO DROP! There has been a gap in uploads so I made this one special. I know many of you have asked for me to share more on how I can and preserve our produce naturally. This video is packed with tips, several ways I process food to create shelf stable convenient meals. It covers navigating allergies, fermenting, low fat complete meaty meals and lowering the addition of sugar - often a main ingredient. Pantry and fridge tour to boot!

This is about 45minutes but covers A LOT!

Be sure to comment and say hello. It’s been a while 🤦‍♀️

👉🏽 Urbanhomrsteadartist on YouTube

23/02/2026

Just picked this whopper tomato! Yes, it’s one tomato from a double blossom. Even one side would weigh a lot. Can you guess how much it weighed?