our first garden

16 NOVEMBER, 2005

The garden we've made uses beds already designed by the previous tenants, so we only had to refill them with dirt and compost and plant seedlings. It rains all the time and everything thrives. Here you can see we've attempted companion planting with cucumbers climbing up a bamboo teepee next to a small crop of corn. I had ambitious plans for four rotating beds, but ended up giving in to the wild nature of the land and allowing pumpkins to spread as a natural ground cover and mulch.

I'm realising the Queensland climate requires a more free-form style of gardening than organic garden practices alone. All that rain and mud, coupled with a whole lot of sunshine requires a more holistic view. I’ve just discovered permaculture – a term coined by Bill Mollison – and I'm slowly beginning to learn about it.