Carole and Phil live in a beautiful part of Gleniffer with spectacular
views of the Dorrigo rainforest.
Their north facing solar passive house
with the expansive edible gardens out front is a great example of a
self-sustaining household for two. Their intention is to not have to
bring anything in for their garden/home and to not take any waste out,
and they have almost achieved this.
The edible gardens
are inspiring, we all walked away with many ideas.
 |
| Pineapple |
Here are some highlights.
The
pineapples are planted from the tops of pineapples they've eaten and are in a hot sunny
spot close to the house. This creates a beautiful bank of structural plants
with grey greens and reds and a seasonal abundance of fruit, though there is
some fighting with the local bush rats to who gets the ripe pineapples first…
 |
| Kale, possibly 'Cavallo Nero' kale, in the netted vegetable garden |
In a
carefully netted section of the garden the blueberries were abundant. The different varieties grown spread the times at which they ripen, a strategy
applied to other fruits as well.
There were peanuts aplenty at Carole and Phil's.
We saw lot's of tips and practical ideas as well such as the way small birds, that
take care of bugs, are allowed into the netted areas with vegetables (but not the
berry plot) while big birds were kept out.
Thanks Carole and Phil. It was inspiring!
Text mostly by Erik.
Here are some more pics.
 |
| Fig |
 |
| Grapes |
 |
| Netted vegetable garden |
 |
| Salad vegetables often need shade under our intense subtropical summer sun. |
 |
| Warrigal Greens and Row Beans |
 |
| Persimmon |
 |
| Netted garden |
 |
| Macadamias |
 |
| Garlic drying on the verandah |
 |
| Chili |
 |
| Peanuts |
 |
| Our afternoon teas are always a highlight and often showcase the edibles we grow. |
