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So far Anne Gibson has created 155 blog entries.

Gardening Tips for May

With so many changes happening globally in such a short time, no doubt you’ve been thinking about your health and source of your food. I believe there’s never been a more important time to grow at least some of your own fresh ingredients. To build a healthy immune system, food security and live more sustainably. As I was moving house recently, I wasn’t able to send out the April newsletter but will make up for it as I have been recording many videos at my new garden to share with you soon. You can watch some of my recent videos here.

This month’s newsletter focuses on practical solutions and tips for growing your own food. If you’re new to growing edibles or gardening, dive into my 10 tips for beginners to shortcut your learning. Make yourself a cuppa and dig in! With love and to your good health.

Grow your own Food Security

Food security isn’t linked to a supermarket and long-distance transport systems. Instead, being able to provide for your own needs and sourcing local, in-season produce within your own community, supports a resilient food system. I grew up in a suburban backyard dedicated to food production. For me, that was normal. We snacked on vegetables and picked fruit from the trees when we were hungry while mum preserved the harvest and dad made compost.

“The average person is still under the aberrant delusion that food should be somebody else’s responsibility until I’m ready to eat it. The first supermarket supposedly appeared on the American landscape in 1946. That is not very long ago. Until then, where was all the food? Dear folks, the food was in homes, gardens, local fields, and forests. It was near kitchens, near tables, near bedsides. It was in the pantry, the cellar, the backyard.” – Joel Salatin, Folks, This Ain’t Normal: A Farmer’s Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World

It’s food for thought isn’t it?

Gardening and Sustainable Living Bundle

Have you have been feeling less secure about your food supply this year? Maybe growing food for health and living more sustainably has become more of a priority for you. If so, I’ve got some timely and helpful resources to share with you. Whether you are new to growing food or a seasoned gardener, there are always new things to learn and apply! Nature and plants are great teachers but I’ve also devoted time to reading, researching and studying to become healthier, more resilient and grow the best food garden I possibly can. Every year I layer my learning and deepen my skill set and this is one of the resources I’ve invested in.

I’ve partnered with Ultimate Bundles and am excited to release my new organic gardening eBook as one of 33 resources in a bundle of gardening, sustainable living, and homesteading eCourses + eBooks. If you’re interested in growing food, preserving techniques, healthy soil, planning, and optimising small space gardens, you can check out the Gardening & Sustainable Living Bundle here. 21 eBooks + 7 eCourses + 5 printables and planners for just $19.99. At a genuine 95% discount for just 5 days 18-22 May. Dig in!

This week I’ll be sending out bonus tips on sustainable edible gardening and sharing some of the insights I’ve had from a few of the resources in this bundle that I’ve benefited from personally. If you want to skip these tips and emails, just wait for next month’s newsletter.

Easy Food Gardening Guide for Beginners

Are you a beginner food Gardener or relatively new to growing edibles? Feeling overwhelmed and want to avoid mistakes? Not sure where to start and want to boost your confidence? In my latest article, I share 10 TIPS to help fast track you to grow a healthy edible garden with easy steps and advice. Dig in!

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Anne Gibson2020-05-19T00:08:16+10:00Categories: Newsletters|0 Comments

Easy Food Gardening Guide for Beginners

New to growing food? If you’re just getting started or relatively new to growing edibles, it can feel overwhelming. Once you get started, I promise you it’s not only an addictive hobby (in a good way) but also incredibly rewarding for your physical, mental and emotional health. You’ve made an empowering decision to become somewhat self-sufficient. Congratulations! Whilst it’s likely you’ll make a few mistakes along the way, don’t let that stop you from getting started or trying again. If you lose a few plants, consider those moments as learning opportunities to do better next time rather than failures.

This 10 Tip Guide for Beginners will help fast track your new garden with easy steps & advice.

This 10 Tip Food Gardening Guide for Beginners will help fast track your new garden with easy steps & advice.

Easy Food Gardening Guide for Beginners

Everyone was a beginner gardener at some point but it doesn’t last for long! There are some key guidelines to keep in mind when you first start a food garden. I hope these ten tips will shortcut you to successfully growing an abundant productive kitchen garden.

1. Start Small … Really Small!

Starting a food garden is exciting and overwhelming all at once! Think of yourself more like a new plant ‘parent’ starting out and preparing for the arrival of your new plant ‘kids.’ It’s unlikely you would cope with a whole tribe from day one, right? So, plan where your new babies are going to live first and start with just one or two pots and plants. Maybe a couple of your favourite herbs or a few leafy greens to add to daily salads.

Start small with a few fresh ingredients like herbs or leafy greens for salads

Keep it really simple and get to know the basics first in a small space. You can always grow your plant ‘family’ once you know what to expect and have ironed out any teething issues! Go slow and gain your confidence gradually. It’s better to lose one or two plants than a whole garden. That could be an expensive lesson to learn.

2. Choose the Best Location

It’s exciting thinking about picking your own food. However, just like the home where YOU live, plants have needs for their personal space too! Especially plant ‘babies’ or seeds and ‘toddler’ seedlings. You need to care for them and provide a protected ‘room’ or spot to live in.

Pick the sunniest location in your garden, courtyard or balcony for most plants, ideally out of the wind. Food plants need adequate sunlight or good natural light to grow. If you have a lot of shade, don’t despair. There are plenty of edibles that will do well in partial shade too.

Once you’ve got that figured out, make sure you have easy access to water nearby so you can keep the moisture up to your plants.

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Anne Gibson2020-05-21T07:52:12+10:00Categories: Garden Maintenance, Planning & Design, Tips & Tricks, Vegetables & Herbs|Tags: Beginner gardeners, vegetable & herb gardens, Vegetable gardening|0 Comments

Gardening Tips for March

Given the times we are all living in and trying to adjust to, this month I wanted to share some really practical empowering information to help you grow a survival food and medicinal garden. I’m about to move house, so this newsletter is brief but I’ve put my time and love into one of the most important articles I’ve ever written. I hope you get great value from it and make the time to read it. Make yourself a cuppa and dig in! With love and to your good health.

Plants for a Survival Food and Medicinal Garden

If you are concerned about food security, there’s never been a better time to grow a survival food and medicinal garden. This article will help you learn how to start, plan and choose the best survival foods and medicinal garden plants. I’ve put together a handy list of the best edibles and plants to grow. I also explain how plant defences can help human health too. This article is packed with resources for beginner gardeners and anyone wanting to grow a productive kitchen garden for food security and health. If you find this useful, please share with your community and family.

A Garden Sanctuary for Mental and Physical Health

I encourage you to utilise your time to learn, read, grow more food and expand your garden in any way you can. Use your garden as a refuge for mental health and wellbeing. Use all your senses fully.

Physical exercise helps relieve stress, so dig a little, carry some compost or pot up some plants! Read and play games outdoors! Getting your hands in the soil helps declutter the mind while you focus on something positive and anticipate the harvest. Nurturing seeds and plants daily gives you meaningful work to do.
Soak up some sun. Absorbing vitamin D from sunshine helps build and strengthen a healthy immune system and countless studies show this vitamin helps prevent depression.
Listen to the sounds of nature – birds singing, bees buzzing, frogs croaking and the breeze blowing in the trees. Soak up that beautiful energy!

Relax outdoors in fresh air – read play and garden

Smell the fragrance from your plants. Enjoy the flower perfume, the scent of herbs and brew up a healing tea to inhale and sip while you spend time outside.
Observe. Stop to notice the little things happening in your garden that perhaps you don’t always have time to see. Note these in your garden journal and appreciate the time to see your garden without rushing. Where are those ants going? Notice new flowers opening. Why are those leaves discoloured? You’ll open up a whole new world of discovery and opportunities to investigate and learn. Record your observations – these valuable reflections will serve you well in years to come.

7 Ways to Source Seeds and Grow Plants

I know many are struggling to source seeds or seedlings right now with a rush to buy up online and at nurseries and shops. Time to think creatively! Here are a few ideas to help you start a garden from seeds and plant material you may already have or still be able to find.

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Anne Gibson2020-03-29T14:03:58+10:00Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Garden sanctuary, Sourcing seeds, Survival food garden|0 Comments

Plants for a Survival Food and Medicinal Garden

If you are concerned about food security, there’s never been a better time to grow a survival food and medicinal garden. There’s no need to worry about buying fresh food if you grow your own groceries in your ‘backyard supermarket’! Your own food garden not only saves money and time but also provides peace of mind and nutritious fresh ingredients.

When you live sustainably, you don’t have to rely totally on supermarkets always having full shelves, just for daily basic needs. Living simply and eating a plant-based diet rich in nutrients and healing compounds can help to promote good health and a strong immune system. Connecting with nature via a food garden may help relieve stress, bring joy and a feeling of control by growing at least some of what you eat.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” ― Hippocrates

How Plant Defences Can Help Humans Too

Plants naturally have their own in-built defence mechanisms – phytochemicals – that help them resist pest and disease attack. When we eat healthy, nutrient-dense organically grown foods, our immune systems benefit too! I’ve found that a diet rich in fruits, herbs and vegetables provides energy, health and wellbeing.

“Phytochemicals are biologically active, naturally occurring chemical compounds found in plants, which provide health benefits for humans as medicinal ingredients and nutrients (HASLER & BLUMBERG, 1999). They protect plants from disease and damage, and also contribute to the plant’s colour, aroma and flavour. In general, the plant chemicals that protect plants from environmental hazards such as pollution, stress, drought, UV exposure and pathogenic attack are called as phytochemicals (GIBSON et al., 1998; MATHAI, 2000). Recently, it has been clearly shown that they also have roles in the protection of human health, when their dietary intake is significant (SAMROT et al., 2009; KOCHE et al., 2010).”

Why are phytochemicals important for you? Because as you can see from the above research studies, they have high value in terms of their protective properties. When you grow your own food, you can be sure your plants are raised in healthy living soil, devoid of chemicals and high in nutrients. These plants, in turn, can then provide you with optimal health via their nutrients.

If you have a lawn, turn it into lunch! I helped one of my clients turn her front yard into a productive edible food garden in just 10 weeks – enough to share with her neighbours. You can too!

Starting a Survival Food and Medicinal Garden

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Anne Gibson2020-03-30T09:22:49+10:00Categories: Grow Your Own Food, Health and wellness, Plant Selection|Tags: Food security, grow your own food, Medicinal plants, Small kitchen garden, Survival food garden, vegetable & herb gardens|0 Comments

Gardening Tips for February

The last few weeks have created a lot of uncertainty around the world with the threat of a pandemic. It’s a timely reminder to reflect on our health, how sustainable our lives are and whether we can feed ourselves from our home gardens or are dependent on our global food system. So, this month’s newsletter focuses on practical and positive ways you can support your health with nourishing foods and herbs.

Gardening Tips for February

Here in subtropical SE Queensland, Australia, we’re still in the thick of summer heat, humidity and rain. Last month we were in drought, had bushfires and dust storms, and now it’s too wet in many areas! Soggy soil, high temperatures and humidity create the perfect environment for many fungal diseases like powdery mildew and root rot. Not to mention the increase in hungry insects like grasshoppers and caterpillars feasting on the new growth!

Subtropical SE Queensland – What to Plant Now

If your water tanks are full and soil moist from recent rains, it’s an ideal time to sow seeds to raise seedlings ready for autumn planting and put in the last of fast-growing summer crops. Or sow sunflower seeds as microgreens for fast-growing protein-rich ingredients. Citrus, pumpkins, tomatoes, summer spinach varieties, spring onions, herbs and cucamelons are growing like crazy in my garden. With a move to a new garden soon, I’m taking cuttings in the new moon cycle so they strike roots quickly. You can propagate your garden for free in this way.

READ Gardening Tips for February for what to do now in SE QLD, pests to watch for and more. (Download PDF)

Subtropical Planting Guide – a laminated perpetual guide to the 5 seasons in SE QLD

For other locations, read my article on what to plant and when.

Grow a Medicinal Herb Garden to Build a Strong Immune System

One of the reasons I grow my own food and specifically, a wide range of herbs, is because a Home Pharmacy Garden is the first place I ‘shop’ to support my family’s health. I believe there’s never been a more important time to focus your energy on the medicinal properties of the plants you grow. Herbs, in particular, help support a healthy immune system with phytonutrients like vitamins and antioxidants. (more…)

Anne Gibson2020-02-29T16:04:18+10:00Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Herbs, Home Pharmacy Garden, Medicinal plants, microgreens, Onion family, seeds & seed saving, sprouts, Vitamin C|0 Comments

Gardening Tips for January

The start of 2020 has been challenging for many gardeners, especially here in Australia with drought and fires affecting life, health and the environment on so many levels. My heart goes out to all those personally or indirectly affected. We’re starting to see how quickly such events impact our food supply and the rising cost of vegetables.

On a positive note, the start of a new year is the ideal time to reflect back, plan ahead and look forward to what you want to grow and learn. So this month I share resources to help you with those goals, gardening tips for January and what to do in your garden in subtropical Queensland; ways gardening can improve your health; sensational tips on strawberries; bushfire garden recovery and food security threats. Lots to dig into in this month’s newsletter!

3 Tips for Planning this Year’s Garden

In this short article, I share how I plan my garden at the start of each year + there’s a free journal download for you! I discuss ways to learn valuable lessons; reflect on past successes and disappointments for key insights and dig for details when planning this year’s garden. READ NOW.

Photos of projects and plants can help spark ideas for this year’s garden plans

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” ― Benjamin Franklin

How to Set Goals for this Year

If you’re going to invest time, money and effort into your garden – even a few pots – isn’t it worth having a plan? At least an idea of what you’d like to achieve in a broad sense. Maybe you want to grow food to support your health and wellbeing, overcome a problem, learn how to grow and use herbs, design a space to expand what you can grow or try container gardening. Or maybe you haven’t given this year’s garden any thought yet!

Wherever you’re at, this article is packed with easy-to-achieve goals and resources to get you going.

17 Garden Goals for Your Health and Wellbeing

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When you make a purchase, you are making a difference by helping support my education work to teach people how to grow healthy food.

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Anne Gibson2020-02-28T21:04:46+10:00Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Bushfire garden recovery, Drought, Garden planning, Gardening tips, January, New year, Strawberries, Summer|2 Comments

3 Tips for Planning this Year’s Garden

Planning this year’s garden? At the start of a new year, I take time to reflect on the past year and learn valuable lessons from my garden. Why bother? As a life long ‘student’ in Nature’s garden ‘classroom’, I make incredible discoveries and observations every year and always learn new things that make gardening more enjoyable and easier. You can too!

3 Tips for Planning this Year’s Garden

1. Learn Lessons by Observing

When you literally ‘stop to smell the roses‘, you not only slow down for a few minutes to relieve stress with beauty and fragrance, but this action can open up a whole new world of discovery. You may notice aphids and ants or spots on the leaves.

Rather than going unnoticed, these observations can help you learn how to remedy or prevent any potential problems. Instead of feeling disappointed when you notice ‘problems’, consider them ‘learning opportunities’!

3 Tips for Planning this Year's Garden: Learn Lessons by Observing your Garden

Observing details can help with troubleshooting and insightful discoveries

By studying details like how plants grow under diverse weather conditions or how insects interact at different times, you can start to form patterns and learn so much about your garden.

What to Observe in your Garden

For example, I spend time observing the various microclimates; plant varieties; which cultivars do well and those that don’t. I have discovered which plants tough it out without water for months (little champions!) and which plants are vulnerable to pests or diseases.

The insights are fascinating and valuable data for decision-making. I know which plants are easy, low-maintenance and highly productive and those who don’t deserve a space because they’re too ‘precious’ and a pain in the neck! Grow more of what works and less of what doesn’t.

Take a closer look at your garden to open up a whole new world of insights

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Anne Gibson2020-01-30T17:16:40+10:00Categories: Blog, Garden Maintenance, Planning & Design, Tips & Tricks|Tags: Garden Design, Garden Planning & Design, Micro gardening, Tips|0 Comments

December 2019 Newsletter

It’s the last newsletter for the year and I hope you enjoy it. For many gardeners, it’s been a tough one facing health issues and climate challenges. So I’ve collated some good health news from interesting research studies on how gardening may help prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and written a timely article on tips for gardening in a dry climate. I have also been writing a series of articles on the art of seed saving – a skill every gardener should master for personal food security and to mitigate extreme climate conditions. Plus I’ve created a quick intro video on moon gardening. Grab a relaxing herb tea and dig in!

As it’s the season of giving, there’s also a special 15% Discount Coupon for you! Simply use the code XMAS on checkout and save on all educational products in The Shop during December!

Gardening in Dry Climate Conditions

Gardening in dry climate conditions can be really stressful but there are loads of simple strategies you can apply to make it easier. Many gardeners in Australia and around the world have been struggling to keep gardens alive and thriving. Drought, winds, dust storms, extended heatwaves and fires have been impacting plants, people and our wildlife.

For many gardeners though, water – or lack of it – is our biggest issue. Struggling, water-stressed plants become magnets for pest insects as nature’s ‘clean up crew’ move in to feed. It’s natural to expect some casualties in hot and dry weather. Without sufficient water, crops can’t take up nutrients from the soil to grow, flower and fruit. Small container gardens also need more frequent watering.

I’m in a drought-stricken area, currently experiencing a heatwave with dry winds, high temps and no let-up in sight. It’s tough – I get it! So how do I protect my garden and grow food in these conditions? In my latest article, I share sustainable, practical strategies for gardening in dry climate conditions. These 18 tips will give you options to help your plants not just survive but thrive.

SHOW ME THE STRATEGIES

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Anne Gibson2020-02-28T21:06:01+10:00Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Gardening in Dry Climates, Health and wellness, Moon gardening, seeds & seed saving|0 Comments

18 Top Tips for Gardening in Dry Climate Conditions

Extreme temperatures and long periods without any significant rain in many places are some of the biggest problems. It’s no wonder many gardeners are giving up trying to grow an edible garden.

Yet a garden – no matter how small – gives us hope as well as healthy food. It feeds our mind, body and soul; provides wonderful stress relief; and is a welcome sanctuary to escape to. Even a single, well-cared-for plant can bring great joy and healing.

So, what can we do to help our gardens survive and even thrive?

18 Top Tips for Gardening in Dry Climate Conditions

For years I’ve endured all sorts of harsh growing conditions in my gardens. By careful observation, applying Permaculture design principles and journalling where my gardens have been exposed to harsh dry or hot weather, I’ve learned how to grow a kitchen garden that not only survives but thrives! This has enabled me to help my clients who suffer similar problems but in different locations to get the most out of their edible gardens.

I hope by sharing some of these strategies, you will be able to enjoy an abundant productive kitchen garden too.

1. Audit your Garden and Make Tough Choices

That’s right! If you can’t save ALL your plants, prioritise and focus on keeping the most valuable ones alive. If conditions are really tough and you have limited water resources, concentrate on your high-value fruit trees, perennials and essential crops.

Turn thirsty, low-value plants into compost to feed your soil. Some plants may just have to survive without your help or be sacrificed to save others.

Collect seeds and take cuttings to pot up as a backup plan! You can always start again with these.

Save seeds from your garden to sow again in more favourable weather

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Anne Gibson2019-12-15T13:22:03+10:00Categories: Garden Maintenance, Planning & Design, Grow Your Own Food, Problem Solving|Tags: Drought, Gardening in Dry Climates, Water, watering|0 Comments

October 2019 Newsletter

In this newsletter, I discuss earthworms in container gardens; risks and safety tips for using bagged soil mixes; introduce a new herb and medicinal plant guide; share tips for changing seasons and moon gardening timing. Grab a cuppa and dig in!

Earthworms in Pots

Earthworms provide incredible benefits in the garden. They help aerate the soil with their tunnels, opening soil pores and improving soil structure and drainage. This helps plant roots access oxygen and allows moisture and nutrients to penetrate. They digest organic matter and leave their castings (‘vermicast’ or poop) with soluble nutrients plants can access immediately, improving crop yields. Vermicast is humus and a pure plant food and soil conditioner. Earthworms are wonderful soil workers indeed!

If you have container gardens and add garden soil or compost to your potting mix, then you may sometimes find an earthworm or two. Whilst earthworms perform many valuable roles, they can occasionally be problematic in pots, especially small ones. If you have just one or two worms, it may take a while for their tunnels to make an impact. However, if you have a community (yes they will breed!) then the plant roots may become exposed to too much air in the potting mix.

The other thing to watch for is if you are raising seedlings in a small pot and there is little organic matter in the potting or seed raising mix, any earthworms present may resort to eating the plant roots if all the organic materials are consumed. I was doing container garden maintenance once and picked up an old pot that was very heavy. Curious, I discovered it was almost pure worm castings that were retaining moisture and the pot was filled with earthworms! They had turned all the potting mix media and mulch into vermicast.

Earthworms with their rich castings

Feeding Earthworms and Repotting Plants

If you notice fresh worm castings on top of the potting mix or mulch, or around the base of the pot, these are a clue of their presence. If you notice a potted plant declining and suspect you have earthworms in your potting mix, you have a couple of options. Keep providing plenty of alternate organic matter like mulch to the top of the pot for the worms to eat instead of your plant roots.

Alternatively, repot your plant. This is simply a matter of upturning your pot and gently setting aside your plants in a cool location. Give them a quick soak in liquid seaweed as a boost. Then look for a network of tunnels in the potting mix and worms squirming around. If you can, rescue your earthworms and add them back into your garden soil where they can continue to work for you. The worm castings are indeed beneficial, so you want to retain this valuable free plant food in your potting mix.

Get your own easy DIY Homemade Potting Mix Recipe Guide using worm castings.

Learn more about the business and biology of worms with the Worm Farming Secrets eBook.

Moon Calendar Gardening Guide
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Anne Gibson2019-12-04T16:23:05+10:00Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Bagged soil, Container gardening, Healthy soil, Herbs, Moon gardening, Potting Mix, Problem Solving, Soil|0 Comments

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