Grow plants and prosper: intensive gardening at its                                                  finest
                                 (February 2018)
​
Richard and Pheap’s garden, which is wholly productive in nature, is a shining example of how veggies, herbs, fruiting plants and recycled innovations can not only be useful, but also aesthetic, structured and inspiring. The northside property is approximately 300m, 100m of which is designated growing space. A further 100m of body corporate communal garden space is also utilised by the couple.
 
Although relatively small, the gently sloping garden is connected yet diverse and interesting for people and wildlife alike. Planting beds are raised for improved drainage, and they are easily accessed from all sides via easy care walkways topped with wood chips. This organic garden is beautifully maintained but far from sterile – it is not unusual for Pheap to be out planting veggies late into the summer evenings, to reduce transplant shock and take advantage of seasonal downpours.
 
The once impoverished and severely compacted soil is now a fertile plant and soil life metropolis. The couple regularly add manure, compost and organic mulch to good effect. The bulk of watering is carried out using town water supply.
 
There are many innovations and practices in evidence throughout Richard and Pheap’s garden, including:

• Worm bins (recycled buckets with lids around 10ltrs in volume), which are dug in-ground and have regular holes along the sides, allowing worms to come and go as they please. Richard said the bottom of the bucket can be cut out or left intact, depending on whether you want to utilise the finished product elsewhere in the garden or not.  Pheap suggested adding a little manure, mulch and prepared compost before filling with worm-friendly kitchen scraps, but it is not essential. The lid is used to prevent waterlogging and protect the worms from direct sunlight.
• Pheap maintains an open-air, cold compost pile, which is approximately 1.3 metres long, 80cm wide and 30cm deep. Pheap layers manure, finely chopped mulch, and garden vegetation, leaving it to break down over time into a super compost for use in the garden.
• A climbing rope for gourdes has been hung from the pergola and secured at ground level with tent pegs. There is also a recycled fold down clothes line on top of the pergola for extra growing space once they have established. This vigorous annual plant conveniently provides protection from the hot summer sun.
• Richard has constructed homemade yeast traps from old soft drink bottles for the control of fruit fly. Going on the distinct and somewhat gross black layer floating on the liquid inside, I deem them a resounding success. Simply stir in a dessert spoon of vegemite in hot water, pour into the trap, and hang it in fruiting trees during the growing season.

• Seed saving is up front and centre in this bumper harvest grower’s garden – an invaluable practice which saves money, time and desirable genetic traits, such as hardiness to local growing conditions. Pheap regularly seed shares with friends, family and fortunate bystanders such as myself. Growing from seed also allows Pheap to grow more unusual plants, which aren’t readily available in garden centres.
•  Pheap’s favourite tool is a folding army shovel/pick – its compact size and unbreakable quality make it the perfect adhoc gardening tool.

 
Among the wide range of well-known productive veggies growing in Richard and Pheap’s northside garden, there are also many exotic and unusual ones. Frost tender lemon grass is growing well in a protected and sunny spot in-ground, and taro with its oversized foliage gives a tropical feel amongst the greenery. Of particular interest was the edible leafy green, Cleome gynandra, known as African cabbage, spider wisp or cat’s whiskers. Pheap calls it ‘Mo-mee-an’ (sounds like) and uses it to create the traditional Thai pickling dish, pak-sian-dong.
 
One could say Richard and Pheap have a passion for Feijoas (Acca sellowiana), with at least 30 growing on the property and with more freshly germinated seedlings on the way. The trees are hard pruned each season, to give less, but much larger, fruit.
 
A thriving golden delicious and a red delicious apple tree have been pruned to 7 or 8 lateral branches with the central leader still intact. The lateral branches have been trained to be primarily horizontal (vertical growth doesn’t fruit well and downward growth tends to be weak and prone to breaking). The trees are kept at a modest height for ease of picking and maintenance.  Richard applies Neem oil at critical times throughout the growing season to successfully destroy the eggs of the ever-present and destructive codling moth.
 
An established seedling grown apricot tree flowers and fruits later in the season, which means it misses those late frosts our Canberra climate is known for. It has been pruned to a vase shape to promote maximum air circulation and subsequently reduce incidence of fungal diseases.  
 
Richard and Pheap also have garden plots at Charnwood Community Garden, which is run by the not-for-profit organisation, Canberra Organic Growers Society. The couple grow a range of productive crops at the site, such as climbing beans, potatoes, berries, ever-more Feijoas, and leafy greens. They have been trialling the Back to Eden Gardening method with good results (popular organic growing method promoting fertile soils and using deep layers of bark mulch).
 
Unsurprisingly, Richard and Pheap are passionate and competent cooks, creating a wide range of seasonal dishes and preserves.  Richard makes a refreshing and moreish dip with radish, onion, tomato, rocket, avocado, lime juice and salt and pepper, which he whizzes in a food processor.
 
One preserve I couldn’t get enough of was the pickled and dried radish strips Pheap makes – I was sampling these salty flavoursome treats like nobody’s business. She uses large white radishes, which are sliced into strips around 7cm x 2.5cm and combined with salt before being left to sit overnight. The excess liquid is drained from the radishes before adding white vinegar and raw sugar, and then they are dehydrated on trays either outside or in an electric dehydrator.
 

 
 

Versatile in-ground worm farm bucket.

Thriving lemon grass growing in-ground in a protected and sunny aspect.

Outlook to the side of the property – this garden is as aesthetic as it is productive.

Richard’s homemade yeast trap for control of fruit fly.

Pheap’s favourite adhoc gardening tool, the folding military shovel.