KatMac's (soon-to-be) Suburban Oasis

katmac · **Posted:** Fri Sep 26, 2014 5:23 pm

Hi Everyone,

I've been hanging out mainly on the Aquaponics forum until now, but there's some inspiring stuff here that's made me want to ramp up my efforts in the backyard as a whole. At the moment it's a fairly blank canvas.

For now my suburban farming is restricted to:

A pond-based Aquaponics system with Koi and a lonely Silver Perch, soon to be two systems with many more SP.

A Portabello mushroom box :thumb:

Olive trees

Small finger lime tree

Raised garden beds set aside for vegie production.

I've kept chickens before at this property but I hope to get myself set up properly again soon and start a new flock soon. Ornamental bantam breeds are my preference for now, but I may try some Australorps for meat and eggs in future too.

I've also just called the council to check on any restrictions on keeping bees, as I'd love to set up a hive as well.

Looking forward to using this forum to chart my successes and failures over the journey, as well as learning a few new tips and tricks along the way

Thanks

katmac · **Posted:** Fri Sep 26, 2014 5:37 pm

First pics - early days!

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katmac · **Posted:** Fri Sep 26, 2014 5:39 pm

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Bender · **Posted:** Sat Sep 27, 2014 1:26 am

Welcome to the dark side kat. It's amazing how much can be produced in a suburban back yard. I would also like to try keeping bees to produce honey

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jayendra · **Posted:** Sat Sep 27, 2014 7:19 am

I like your fire pit photo with the birch trees- did you intend the asymmetrical planting position of the fourth one?

Charlie · **Posted:** Sat Sep 27, 2014 1:11 pm

Look forward to your gardens progress Kat

Ccbear · **Posted:** Sat Sep 27, 2014 4:17 pm

We all started some where Kat, the end results are worth it. Backyards use to supply most of a families vegies in the past and no reason they can not do it again. A couple of chooks and your bee hive can even give you produce to trade. Cheers

katmac · **Posted:** Thu Oct 02, 2014 5:29 pm

Thanks everyone

It was a busy long weekend in the garden, but I haven't taken any photos. I will have to do that when I get home this afternoon.

I just found out today that I can't have bees because I don't have 10m clearance from my house and my boundary for the hive. Who has 20m of open yard in the suburbs these days?

But.... I was also thinking of how majestic a couple of peacocks strutting around would be.... Totally impractical, but majestic... Can't. Stop. Saying. Majestic...

I think they would need decent trees for roosting in though. I don't think they are quite so inclined to roost inside a hen house. Feel free to tell me I'm wrong though.

katmac · **Posted:** Sat Oct 04, 2014 12:42 am

Ok I forgot to take pics outside today, but the mulch won't be here until tomorrow anyway.

What I did do, is capture some pics of my much more successful round of seedlings. The potting mix I used for the others was an open bag of cheap stuff and clearly not up to the job.
Now I have pumpkins, loofah, yellow cheery toms, and coriander coming up in this container.

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katmac · **Posted:** Sat Oct 04, 2014 12:46 am

Wow image quality isn't flash when they're set to 'small'.

I also planted an egg carton and empty milk bottle out with some more pumpkins and loofah seeds, another crack at sunflowers (though yet to see anything), lettuce, basil, coriander, capsicum, broccoli and some more beefsteak tomatoes.

Some of the current seedlings are very close to being able to go in the ground. Just need to build the last raised bed and get the soil right and then these babies can go in :-)

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katmac · **Posted:** Mon Oct 06, 2014 7:09 pm

Did a major buy up of seeds yesterday at the big M, and then more today on Australian Seed online. I'm really excited to see how the Collard Greens go in particular. I have quite a few friends keen on the Creole and Cajun dishes and it's not the same without the real deal.

I also got a truckload of mulch delivered for the long-neglected front courtyard. Mother dearest is donating a frangipani for the centre. I would have loved a lemon tree in there, but free is free ;-)
There will be a border of lobelia lilac carpet around the edge just to soften it up, but I would also like to stick some extra veggies in there too if I get my planning right. Does anyone have suggestions for some attractive, shade loving edibles? Otherwise it will be ornamentals. Maybe some lavender too, since I can at least use the flowers in my baking :-D
Just looked on Gumtree and I might have a win with the lemon tree after all!

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katmac · **Posted:** Tue Oct 07, 2014 12:31 am

For the only people who will care about a box full of dirt, I present to you: mycelium :-D

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Jaymie · **Posted:** Tue Oct 07, 2014 6:04 am

katmac · **Posted:** Wed Oct 08, 2014 1:58 am

Inspired by Colum's comment on an Aquaponics thread, and Azira's prompting, I had a crack at making cheese tonight at a girlfriend's place. I really should have done it on my own stove, as it took much longer using unfamiliar appliances. But I think we did pretty well for a first attempt!
Mozzarella and Ricotta, which is still draining. I will go back tomorrow so we can mix in some herbs and spices and garlic.

Next time I think I'll make a video of the process, as it's quite interesting. I've just sent an email to a supplier up in the Swan Valley to order some specific cultures and moulds for making different types of cheese too, it looks like good fun, and something that the little one would enjoy.

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katmac · **Posted:** Wed Oct 08, 2014 4:04 pm

2 days without the boys and I have been rather productive. Seedlings re-potted, cheese made, and tonight I am picking up some lavender plants for my front courtyard.

I have more seedlings to do as well, but I really must find a potting bench instead of sitting in a pile of potting mix.

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