Tam's Gardens

09/06/2026

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Every gardener loses plants.

Every gardener deals with pests.

Every gardener makes mistakes.

The difference is that gardeners keep learning and keep growing.

That's how better gardens are built.

09/06/2026

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Last fall I dug a 4-foot wide, 8-foot long, 2-foot deep trench in my backyard and filled it with everything most people throw away. Logs from a dead apple tree at the bottom. Branches and twigs over the logs. Fall leaves over the branches. Grass clippings over the leaves. Six inches of topsoil over everything, mounded into a curved hill.

That's a hugelkultur bed. German for 'hill culture.' My grandparents would have called it 'using what you have.'

Total cost: $15 for a yard of topsoil to finish. Everything else was free yard waste.

I planted it this spring with squash, melons, beans. The bed retains water like a sponge. Everything growing on it is double the size of my normal beds.

The decomposing wood inside feeds the plants for 7-10 years.

03/05/2026

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Mexican Marigold: AKA Passionfruit marigold, (Tagetes lemmonii), which originates from Arizona through to Mexico. Also know as Passionfruit marigold as it smells like an exotic ripe passionfruit! It occurs at an elevation of 1,200 to 2,400m above sea level which is how it received one of its common names, mountain marigold. This plant was named after the Lemmons, a husband and wife team of plant collectors who found it in the late 1800’s, did you know that when you see a botanical name that ends in (ii) it refers to the surname of the person the plant is named after in this instance Lemmonii.

Passionfruit marigold is a fabulous plant that has an extended flowering period, from autumn right through to winter. It has beautiful yellow daisy flowers, and is well known for its leaves. They possess an aroma which can be easily smelled when the wind passes over the foliage, or when the leaves are crushed. They have a number of benefits in the garden:

1. First off, the roots and stems emit a chemical that insects find unpleasant and so this keeps them away.
2. Tolerant of full sun and partial shade
3. Drought tolerant and thrives on irregular watering
4. Snails and slugs will leave them alone completely because of their bitter taste
5. The help and attract beneficial insects including bees
6. They help repel and reduce the numbers of root knotting nematodes in the soil
7. They are low maintenance
8. and add a level of colour and beauty to the garden

Companions: tomatoes, eggplants, lettuce, basil, broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, eggplant, gourds, kale, potatoes, squash. I always grow a couple in posts so that I can take to pot to plants that i need protected as they make great masking plants due to their aromatic foliage and their ability to attract in beneficial insects, like lace wings, and hover flies.

Pests: none known to me.

If you want to learn more about how to use your own garden to grow an edible garden, how to keep the chemicals out of your garden and off your plate, then go to my website and purchase a book or two to get you started, https://craigcastree.com.au/shop

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27/04/2026

Composting at Wonderland Retreat
Great time of year to add thick compost around our trees.
Very happy chickens, who will scratch up the cleared area, ready for the next batch 😊

25/04/2026

I love this time of the year 😊

22/04/2026

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04/04/2026

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There was a moment in my own backyard when I stopped and thought…What real difference can I make on such a small block of land?
Our block is about 500sqm, and only 120sqm grows our food. It felt small… almost insignificant.

Your messages changed everything;
Stories of changed gardens.
Changed habits.
Changed lives.

And that’s when it hit me…
This isn’t about one garden — it’s about all of us.

If each of us regenerates a small patch of soil, those patches add up. And together, we create something far bigger than we ever could alone.

So on the 9th of February 2026, I asked a simple question: How much space are you regenerating at home?

From workshops, books, talks, and posts — anyone applying RegenEdible principles.

The result?
In just 9 weeks…76,365 acres of land are now being regenerated. Let that sink in. That’s not one farm. That’s a community.

People choosing to feed the soil, grow real food, and rebuild life beneath their feet.

And we’re only just getting started.

I’ll be sharing monthly tallies and an annual total so we can all see the impact we’re making together.

Because this proves something powerful…

Small actions, done collectively, create real change, It all counts.

If you haven’t already put your postcode down and the square metres or bigger you are the steward of, please enter it on the link below and click the button and send it so I can add yours to the tally.

https://craigcastree.com.au/regen-revolution

Let’s keep growing this — from the ground up

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02/04/2026

I think the Pomegranates are ripe, even though they don't look red enough.
I need to pick them and use them, before they all split and the bugs get in them.
If anyone would like some, please let me know