19 August 2023

We produced fruit, vegetables, nuts, eggs and loofahs from 1998 until 2021

Looking towards the outside world.

I love where I live. My home is situated at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac of ten houses.  I have neighbours on both sides and across the road an old saw mill which is completely screened by a couple of hundred trees. Back in the day when this area was opened up, cedar and silky oak trees were logged and brought down the mountain on timber wagons pulled by teams of oxen. They came to the saw mill close to my house where the logs were dragged across the land and launched from a natural outcrop in the creek in my backyard. They floated downstream to the coast and put on clipper ships which sailed to England and India.  

We bought our home in 1993 but didn't move here till 1997. Our soil tests at that time showed this was "virgin land" which had never been lived on or cultivated. The creek is our back border and it still flows but there are no other signs of the history of the land, the men, the oxen or the timber wagons.




These three photos are our old garden beds. The two beds closest to the house are the beds I'm planting in now.

We decided very early on that we wanted to get the full value of our land by improving the soil and growing food. We bought heirloom chickens, installed water tanks, erected fences and started gardening. We produced fruit, vegetables, nuts, eggs and loofahs from 1998 until 2021 when Hanno became ill. I literally walked out of the garden in October 2021 to tend to Hanno, leaving the tools as they were, and didn't go back until early this year.

The garden when I walked out in October 2021. When I went back earlier this year, it was completely dead.


Some of our heirloom chickens. We generally kept between 12 - 20.

Hanno did the digging, weeded garden beds, made compost, looked after the chickens, planted seedlings and left the gardens fallow from late November to March ever year. It was too hot to garden, there were too many bugs and as it was our wet season, nature took care of the watering. We were excited to plan our new season in January and February every year and started working back in the garden in early March. Doing this allowed us to rest over summer, eat the freshest organic produce, produce much of what we needed and share a lot of it with our family, friends and neighbours.

My part of the gardening took place every afternoon from 2.00 - 4.00 pm when shade covered the garden. I pruned, weeded, moved plants, staked, watered and harvested to my heart's content. I preserved a lot of that produce by making jams, sauces, tonics, cordials, relishes and pickles. We cut down on the cost of our food shopping and made ourselves happy by being productive and working outside in the fresh air.

Here is part of the potted garden I created out the front.

I decided recently that the potted garden I made in the front garden wasn't enough. I wanted what I once had - the opportunity to sit in a joyous space, breathe fresh air, watch the wildlife and think about the ghosts - both men and horses, who moved massive tree trunks across this land. I wanted to see my house from a different perspective; I wanted to see the outside as well as the inside. So at the beginning of this week, after I'd had the garden dug over and compost added, I started planting flowers in two garden beds. In a small separate garden that used to be an old sand pit, I'm growing the herbs I eat, chillies and two tomato bushes. I grow comfrey next to the compost and use it to make organic fertiliser. It doesn't look like much at the moment but like every garden it will grow into something entirely different with a little help from me and Mother Nature.





These four photos above are the new beds I've just planted.

Roses have been moved back to where they used to be and are growing well. Roses are as tough as old boots and they only die if you don't water them. There's a standard dark red Munstead Wood, a standard pale pink-white rose called Seduction, a climber called Pinkie, two pink Cecile Brunner mini climbers, the pink Montville Rose, a pale yellow hybrid tea rose called Elina, pink climber Dorothy Perkins and I have The Fairy rose which I'll plant in a pot and have on the side of the garden. I also have English lavender, salvias, gaura, penstemon, foxgloves, yarrow, several daisies, chrysanthemums, Queen Anne's lace, snapdragons, buddleja - butter fly bush, society garlic and a small lemon tree in a pot. There are a couple of other plants there that I'll remember as soon as I post this but I hope you get the general idea.  I'll continue planting until I can no longer see the garden bed.  Shane came down to help me with the final planting which was all in the middle of the beds. I get very dizzy when I step on uneven ground so I was very grateful when he said he would come and help.

The plants are a large part of the garden but it's the physical space I love the most; it feels different in there. I have a place to sit in the shade and I can see the entire backyard as well as an air corridor that starts around 500 meters away in the bush and flows into our backyard.  Male Willy Wagtails use it to show off, swooping and gliding in front of the female birds, and it's the corridor insects use when they start hatching in the bush and move into suburbia annoying us gardeners.

The love of gardening seems to grow stronger in me every year. It helps me think about life and how I fit in, it brings back memories and helps me think about what's next. But it's also about the beautiful flowers and delicious produce that can be grown. And I'm happy to say that it's there for all of us if we have land or pots to grow in and the desire to work hard.

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71 comments

  1. Replies
    1. HELP, I’m new to blogs and I’m not sure who will get this message but it’s for Rhonda & it’s a question about the soap making. I’ve been making the original soap recipe which I love as it’s easy & is a beautiful soap. I have tried the new recipe but it takes longer to trace- is that correct? Also what made you change the recipe please.

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    2. The recipes are similar but one has calendula infused oil added, the basic soap is the same. Just make the first soap if you have no problems with that one.

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  2. im much the same , gardening ceases when one of us is ill , himself can be parked on a chair and i potter around with him telling me what im doing wrong and taking not a bit of notice ..lol

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  3. Dear Rhonda, it gladdens my heart to read of the delight that returning to a larger productive garden is bringing you. Since we bought our first home almost five years ago, the thing that brings me the greatest joy is the garden. Townsville heat and humidity makes it very difficult to garden 'nicely' from early October to early May, but still, the small and sometimes unexpected successes overflow my heart with happiness. Just picking some rocket, spring onions, a cucumber, a big bunch of parsley, a pumpkin and an armload of lemons and limes in the hottest months of Jan-March is like receiving a gold medal...all the hard work to keep them covered, watered, weeded, so that we can keep enjoying them when everything else dies away due to the extreme humidity - it's worth every hour of effort.
    And then there's the winter months when our garden overflows with snow peas, zucchini, tomatoes, lettuce, more cucumbers, capsicum, and so much more...those months are tiring, but they are such a blessing.
    Roses...oh my, how I love my roses. No matter the weather, no matter the heat, humidity, wet season - they grow, they bloom, they are a scented gift to our table. I have always loved the garden, but in this home, our home, it's a life gift that nourishes the soul. Even when it takes every ounce of energy from me! :-)
    Bless you and bless your days, months and years moving forward without your dear Hanno. May the garden continue to bring you joy.
    Hugs
    Jennifer
    PS: I am so happy you are blogging again. xx

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    1. Hi Jennifer. It's lovely seeing you here again. You've got the gardening bug just like I have. Isn't it wonderful! I know Townsville's climate well because my kids went to boarding school there. That humidity is tough but it seems like you've worked out a system to work through it. I think that's part of gardening too. It's working pushing the envelope and working out how to get the results you want. Happy gardening!

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  4. How lovely your garden will be again Rhonda, such wonderful spaces to spend time working in and wandering through. Take care, hugs for Gracie. Kate from Tassie xx

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  5. It's so wonderful to have you back, Rhonda. Gardening has provided great therapy for me in the 7 years of my widowhood. It provides a space to be both with my self, and my ghosts. Although, my food production is dismal, I persist. I have planted trees, flowers, herbs, tomatoes, peppers. Birds visit, I see life everywhere I look. My spirit is fed.
    Be well, Rhonda. Thank you again.
    Patricia

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  6. Found your blog spot by reading your books that are available at the online libraries(LIBBY library app. )They are available at Brisbane and also Moreton bay libraries thru the LIBBY App.

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  7. Gardening is a balm to the soul, and though I don't get time to just sit and look at my plantings as often as I like, I sit and plan what I am going to add to borders, and getting inspiration from other people's plantings lifts the spirits too. I grow tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes and runner beans. Everything in the brassica line got totally nobbled by slugs during the wet spell in July and August. Ah well. It's still a pleasure to sit down with even a partly home grown lunch, accompanied by tasty home made bread. I am a full-time carer for my husband now, so gardening is something I can do to be mindful and as Patricia said, it's great therapy.

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  8. How exciting ... and how motivating too. I also love spending time in the garden and reading this makes me want to try growing different things here in Perth.

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  9. Fijn weer een blog van je inspirerende blog te lezen.

    Groeten
    Loes

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  10. I'm glad you're blogging again. Love hearing about your garden

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  11. A lovely post, Rhonda! Your garden is so lovely, good to see you were able to revive your herbs and flower beds. I live about an hour and a half south of you. I love being outside in winter in this part of the world. So far, I have a small herb garden I have managed to keep alive, and soon we are planting some Australian native wildflowers about the yard to join the grevilleas and melaleucas. I'm always keen to attract birds and other pollinators. I hope to continue to expand my gardening skills and successes in the future!

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  12. The pictures of your garden were always so beautiful and I'm glad you have decided to restart on a smaller scale. You have a beautiful space to work in!

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  13. I am so glad to hear that you have been able to redevelop your big garden and I can hear your joy in the words you write. Meanwhile, we are watching, listening and learning as we attempt to garden in a completely different environment in central Victoria. We had a significant frost 2 nights ago and have another 2 months before the risk of frost subsides. Nevertheless, I am busily planning for summer planting and will be starting to raise seeds in a warm environment in the coming weeks.

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  14. ThefruitbatandmeAugust 19, 2023 11:09 pm

    I am so very glad to have found your blog. You capture the quiet joy I feel every time I work in, or simply breathe in, my garden. I read somewhere that having your hands in the soil offers actual physical health benefits. I don't recall the details but the ideay resonated with me. I am currently in treatment for breast cancer. This year has been equal parts horrific and humbling. But time in my garden has been my way back to my normal. I hope that after the very sad loss of your husband, it is your way back to your normal too.

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  15. Dear Rhonda Jean, your garden looks so lovely. it is great Shane came to help. I can't wait to see how it will look in a couple of months. Have a wonderful weekend. Hugs from The Netherlands.

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  16. Well done, you! It's wonderful that you're back.

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  17. Hello Rhonda, Im so glad to see your blog active again. I live in the desert Phoenix Arizona, we have had the hottest summer in many years, 30 days over 110. My garden has not done well, I hand water and even early in the morning it is over 100. I will plant a fall garden which I think will be much better. Thanks for blogging again, Roxanne

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  18. Good to see you back Rhonda.

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  19. I love your spirit. You are full of plans and expectations. It is wonderful to adapt to one's environs and become a part of it; change it a little but immerse in what's already there. What a joyful life!

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  20. Rhonda, as you know we have a cooler climate here on the Darling Downs where we live. We haven’t had too much plant damage from frosts but have a possum problem as they eat through the netting I put over the peas. I mentioned this in a comment on your Instagram post and a lady told me she had had success with quassia chips. I haven’t used them in the garden as yet but put containers of them on my covered car at night to stop the possums in the shed from partying on my car. As I write this I am looking out the window at a Willy Wagtail which I rarely see here.

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  21. Gardening always seems to be a work in progress. I'm glad you are finding pleasure and peace again in your lovely garden.

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  22. I found your blog through someone else's blog. I'm an elder millennial and I desperately miss the community and connection blogspot gave us years ago. I can't wait to read more about your new garden.

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  23. I love how you express things .. both real and positive at the same time. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  24. I really enjoyed reading about the history of your land Rhonda, and seeing your view down the road. I've become well acquainted with your back yard over the years, but reading this post has made me see it in a whole new way. I'm glad your gardening comeback has brought you so much satisfaction and happiness. Can't wait to see what these beds look like in a few months! Beth in MN

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  25. It is so beautiful....I am so glad you have decided to keep blogging. It is just a privilege to follow you. Thank you.

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  26. So glad to see you again Rhonda! I'm happy to see that you are enjoying your gardening again. I'm sure you probably feel closer to Hanno there as well. I know after my parents passed, it made me feel better to tend their beautiful rose garden and gather mulberries and raspberries from the yard. You have been missed as you can see, I look forward to hearing about your gardens as they progress. Donna xx

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  27. So happy to see you back enjoying your garden Rhonda. Nature is such a great healer and having new plans and watching them grow and develop is so energising and uplifting. I cannot wait to see your garden mature and your flowers bloom. Delighted you are back here on your blog too. Like you I have grown increasingly disenchanted with Instagram. I much prefer to read a blog post and I also enjoy reading the comments of the others readers as well. Loved seeing Gracie too, I spent the whole evening here picking stickeyback seeds out of my own dogs after a walk earlier today. They are not impressed either. Lol. Xx

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  28. So good to see you back. I have followed you off and on for years. I'm ready to quit IG too. I started so I could follow sewists I like but now all I seem to get are bra ads.

    Joy in Nashville, Tennessee

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  29. I'm so glad you have found purpose once again in the garden - a garden grounds us and sets order in our world.

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  30. Gardening is so healing. It's such a wonderful way to connect with Mother Earth and ourselves. No doubt your garden beds will give you physical and spiritual nourishment! Blessings..daisy

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  31. It is lovely to see you back at your blog, Rhonda. I too walked away from my garden, in March of this year. I was getting ill and needed an operation and I thought I was done with my garden for 2023. But I have recovered quickly and have started to bring it back to some sort of civility! Gardening is good for the soul and I am glad that the garden is helping you

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  32. Thank you, Rhonda. It was really interesting to read about the history of the area you live. I often wish the land, the trees and plants could talk - what interesting stories they would have to tell! I'm so happy that you are finding joy in your garden. The power of nature to heal is astounding and your garden looks amazing.

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  33. Fabulous post Rhonda. And so uplifting. Well done you.

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  34. They say gardeners live longer due to the moderate exercise, fresh air and it's good for your mental health. I had the family over for a BBQ on Ekka Wednesday public holiday and even though I only have two 1200x1200 beds I made a salad with butterhead lettuce, rocket, coriander, snow peas and cherry tomatoes [I through in store bought cucumber] but honestly it made me feel so happy. Glad you have got a couple of garden beds to bring more joy into your life too. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane

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  35. Like you I find I can’t do as much as I’d like in the garden. I’ve had to accept that it’s going to have to be somewhat reduced but I’ve still to decide how to go about it.
    Will watch here with great interest

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  36. Last post was mine. Didn’t realise it was under Anonymous! Sorry!

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  37. I am very glad you are back on your blog. zane d clark

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  38. Francis AlzabareeAugust 23, 2023 2:11 pm

    I loved your ideas about organic gardening and I am very glad you are back on your blog, because there are many information about organic gardening thanks

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  39. It looks spectacular, Rhonda. So glad that you are able to garden again and that you have help for when you are dizzy. The climbing roses do really well here, too. They are so easy to grow. Life is so much better when you live in the middle of nature. Thanks for the reminder about spreading out compost. I need to do that this week.

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  40. I’m so happy to be reading your blogs again, Rhonda. Nicole L x

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  41. So glad to have you back Rhonda. Looking forward to seeing your new garden mature. Gail

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  42. Ah Rhonda so glad to see you are working to once again restore your beautiful gardens. Like you I am an avid gardener and it brings me such joy to see God's lovely diversity in each plant and growing thing. I am in the midst of making applesauce from an old apple tree that grows on our property and hoping my green beans begin producing so I can do a bit of canning. Take care and have a wonderful day.

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    1. What a joy to see you blogging again! There is more for you to teach us in the coming days. Blessings, Carolyn in Florida

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  43. When my husband died, it took me a long time to regain my creative self. I even had several months where I couldn't imagine how I would continue to garden on my own, I felt so numb to it -- which was shocking to me, and disturbing, because gardening had been my greatest love, and I had always been the most active of the two of us in the garden. Eight years later, I am still learning how to be myself, whoever that new person is. I guess I made it more difficult by somewhat violently relandscaping my whole place within months after becoming a widow!

    I could look at the pictures of your gardens all day -- there is so much going on there, and it looks like the picture of abundance and potential. So much history and tradition that you are working with, figuring out what to keep, what to let go. I wish you joy and peace in the journey. I know your garden and all it represents, the work it gives you to do, will be a comfort to you.

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  44. So glad you are posting again! I read from a commenter that you were back (on G’Donna’s website) and it made my whole day brighter. Thank you and happy gardening ;). Hilogene in Az

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  45. Hi Rhonda, So happy to see you blogging again. Love the photos of your garden, feels like a warm welcome every time I see them. I don't have much luck with my rose bush. It was a gift from an elderly friend. It grows but hasn't ever bloomed yet. Could you please write a post or a few tips about growing roses.

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    1. Helena, what's the climate there where you live? Do you fertilise your roses? Do you prune them?

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  46. I enjoy seeing your garden beds. I think growing something, anything a sign of hopefullness. I love to garden, but due to caretaking family members, I could not garden this year. It just about killed me, but I have come to grips with it and will try again next year. I feel like a part of me is missing, not having a garden. But hope springs eternal and next Spring will come and I will begin again, as you have.

    Thanks for the history on your property. How fascinating. I can almost picture it from your words.
    Take care and I am glad you dealt with Gracie and her face of sticky weeds, as best as you could. ;-)

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  47. Wonderful to see your back garden starting to take shape Rhonda. So excited to have you back on the blog!

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  48. que alegria que hayas vuelto rhonda,llevo siguiendote muchos anos y te extranaba mucho.Para mi tambien el jardin es mi relax..cuidate

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  49. So happy to see you're back my friend. Gardening is therapy. Well wishes to you and Gracie!

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  50. It's so good to see you posting here again. I love seeing your gardening and cooking the most. I live in the Finger Lakes of New York State USA and it's so interesting to see what your life and seasons are in Australia. Thank you.

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  51. So thankful you're back! I live on the side of a cliff in northeastern Alabama. And I've read your blog for years. My husband and I downsized and moved up here to a small cottage last year. So I'm starting all over - especially with the gardens. You give me a lot of hope and inspiration with your lifestyle and optimistic outlook. Thanks!

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  52. Thank you for sharing Rhonda..yes I too have upped my game in the garden and am planting more flowers as I do enjoying going into my space and seeing all the colours..pondering like you said what next…so nice that you’re in the gardens and doing the things you like or the things your soul needs…I’ve held back a bit from that and have found that peace only comes when I do the soul things ..enjoy your garden TFS Marianne. X

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  53. Thankyou so much for linking to me in your side bar Rhonda. I need to get a blog list in my side-bar again, I used to have one that rotated those who had most recently posted but it no longer works which is a bit annoying. I love your blue and white ceramic chook who is watching over your garden! We got a couple of good things done this weekend past. We hung a gate to replace a makeshift panel to keep livestock out of the garden,and then Hoopla the dairy goat broke in and systematically munched a dozen kale plants, my strawberry plants and some herbs before I realised she had broken in. Aggie alerted me thankfully! We also put in a new pump in the fountain as one of the border collies chewed up the old one I have been holding off on planting seeds hoping the spring rains will come but it's all looking terribly dry. xx

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  54. Your words make my life better.
    This is Diane in Austin, TX

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  55. Your garden (older and newer) is beautiful, Miss Rhonda. I have found my garden and gardening efforts reflect my life and what is going on in it. Sometimes life throws curveballs and creates in me a sadness or depression which result in my garden suffering right along with me. In more joyful or healing times, my garden recuperates and blossoms right along with me. I'm sure your garden is happy to see you visiting again and is embracing you tightly with it's little green arms!

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    1. This is a lovely way to describe a garden and is exactly the way my garden and I have spent the past year. Thank you for sharing. Carolyn in Florida

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  56. Hi Rhonda, lovely to see you are writing on your blog again. I used to live in Montville and did a soap making course with you in Maleny many years ago. We have since moved down to Victoria to be close to my parents and now live in another beautiful part of the country (Marysville). Complete opposite challenges you have with your garden but we are getting to know them and starting to have a productive garden. I look forward to reading your posts, happy gardening and warm wishes to you and Gracie !

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  57. So glad to see you back Rhonda and to know that you are getting back into the gardening. I always say that gardening is the answer to everything and even if it's just a bit of weeding here and there it just makes you feel so much better.

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  58. Loving seeing the photos of your garden once again Rhonda, and knowing that you are out there enjoying the sunshine that I (personally) find so very energising each day - but also so healing when 'life' is weighing heavily on me...
    Having you back in my weeks is an absolute treasure - thankyou 💓
    🌻

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  59. This is lovely to read Jenny - thankyou :)
    (Sarah - on the FNQ Tablelands)

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  60. You didn’t mention the fish you harvested from that huge tank! Or am I thinking of another blog?
    I’m glad you are back. I’ve always loved to read your posts. It inspires me to do more.
    I’m probably a similar age to you and I too have had to cut back a lot. 15 years ago I could maintain an allotment full of veg, as well as a similar sized garden at home, and do all the preserving etc.
    But I’m slowing down and having to take care due to dizziness and falls. But my heart is still in it all and so I love to read your output.
    And I have your books which are also wonderful to read, as I often do!

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  61. I'm so glad to see you back here, Rhonda, and I wish you all the best with your lovely life and beautiful garden!

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  62. Lovely to see you again Rhonda. Sometimes we need to dig in the dirt. It often makes me feel good. Damac xx

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  63. Glad to see you back Rhonda. Many hugs….

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  64. It makes my heart sing to be able to read new blog posts from you again, Rhonda. I'm so glad that you have re-found your love of gardening.

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  65. Hi Rhonda and friends. Have been following your ethos and advice for many years. Agree with many of the comments and hacks already described. Years ago we invested in a sun oven (basically an enclosed insulated box lined with reflective material that you put in the sun) and we use this in high summer to cook food outside so we don’t heat up the kitchen and the rest of the house. We also have an electric induction plate that we can cook on quickly outside. Both have been very successful.

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