With so many changes happening globally in such a short time, no doubt you’ve been thinking about your health and the 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 of 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.
This year, I’ve partnered with Ultimate Bundles to promote my recently published 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 US$19.99. At a genuine 95% discount for just 5 days (5 days 18-22 May). Dig in!
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!
Mondays On ABC Radio
On Mondays, I invite you to listen to ABC Radio Sunshine Coast (90.3 FM) and tune in from 5.45pm for a bite-sized ‘Plant of the Week’ segment. I chat with radio host, Sheridan Stewart to share quick tips on growing a different plant each week. You can listen in live. I also post tips on the plant of the week on my Facebook page, so if you’ve missed these, check out recent posts for tips.
Small Space Gardening
As face-to-face workshops were cancelled due to lockdown, our local Sunshine Coast libraries have put together online resources with many of my videos and tips on growing food in small spaces. Check them out here.
Gardening Tips for May
With cooler autumn conditions here in subtropical SE Queensland, Australia there are just SO many delicious edibles to grow. Citrus fruits are plentiful and we’re enjoying giant pomelos (the large round fruit below) that taste like sweet grapefruit and weigh over 1kg each! I currently have 30 of them to work our way through! That’s over a month’s worth of eating. Lemons, limes and mandarins are on our daily menu. Passionfruit and pineapple are at their sweetest right now and we are eating them for breakfast too. Pumpkins are ready and I’m roasting and cooking in soups, curries and dips. We eat seasonally and our menu is based on what’s fresh and ready to harvest.
Recent harvest from my garden
For those that crave coriander, peas and rocket, their time has come! Start preparing now for planting above ground edibles with the new moon growth phase next week. Gardening is great therapy for stress and improves wellbeing, so make some time to grow something this month!
Subtropical SE Queensland – What to Plant Now
READ Gardening Tips for May for what to do now in SE Queensland, 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.
Missed the last newsletter?
Read here. It’s packed with useful tips you can apply right now.
Ready to start sowing seeds and planting? These tutorials may help:
- Seed Starting Guide: Quick Tips for Starting Seeds Successfully
- Growing Your Own Food from Seed
- 3 Steps to Prepare Your Garden for Planting
- 6 Tips for Abundant Edible Container Gardens
- Design Tips for a Productive Kitchen Garden
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Want more inspiring ideas?
Each week I share photos and videos of what I’m growing, harvesting and eating from my garden and ways I use my homegrown food. Follow me for more tips and inspiration in between newsletters.
I look forward to sharing more news and ways to grow good health next month.
Happy gardening!
Anne
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© Copyright Anne Gibson, The Micro Gardener 2020. https://themicrogardener.com. All rights reserved.
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