Gardening for Small Spaces, workshop at CAE
Looking forward to workshop at the CAE on ‘Gardening for Small Spaces’.
About Kate
Posts by Kate Smalley:
Apples
The first harvest from my multi grafted apple tree, perfect for small gardens.
Passion flower
Grow passion fruit for a vertical crop in a small space edible garden.
Kangaroo Paw
This is a massive stand of kangaroo paw, Anigozanthos sp. I found on the edge of the Gippsland Lakes. Usually a good choice for stunning native colour in a small space, best in sandy soils as is evident from the size of this specimen.
Front Gardens
Here’s a selection of small front gardens we have been working on. Of course everyone loves a rose but you can create beautiful sustainable front gardens which reflect your own individual style. Take a look at some of our front garden design ideas for some inspiration.
Mass planting
Have been up on The Gippsland Lakes enjoying the Christmas/New Year break. A beautiful part of the world and of course I managed to find a garden on the banks of the Tambo River at Johnsonville. This is the Charles Blackwood Garden, a small native garden
small orchard in Northcote
Just finished planting a small orchard in Northcote. We used 3 wine barrels and managed to fit 7 fruit trees. 2 apples, an early and mid season variety, that spreads the season for fresh apples. 2nd barrel a white flesh peach and a nectarine. And number 3 barrel a Kaffir and Tahitian lime (covered cooking and G&Ts) and a Eureka lemon, all on dwarf root stock which means you get the fruit in a small space. Then to cap it off herbs to fill it all out. So a small orchard and herb garden in a small space in Northcote. All edible.
Pre Auction makeover
This is a new townhouse in Hawthorn, lovely spot down by the river. The property had been landscaped but it needed some refining to get the wow factor. We’ve created this instant tropical garden in the downstairs courtyard, and a series of pots throughout the pool and front gardens.
Winter vegie planting
The first saturday in July so have been on The Good Earth with Mike O’Connell, 3WBC talking about winter vegie gardens.
Once again selling broad beans as a star crop. Why? Because they’re so easy to grow for great results, and not just the eating. These are a really simple crop that look great over winter, filling gaps in the garden that may otherwise look quite bare. Just head out to your local nursery or seed seller, buy the seeds and a bag of compost (because you should always feed the soil if you want good results). Spread the compost as a thin layer, 1 bag per square metre is good, cultivate in lightly, plant the seeds about a finger depth, and water.
Mike tells me the birds got to his so you might want to protect with netting, or a scarecrow or old CDs on string also deter the blighters.
Come spring when you are ready to harvest cut the plants off at the base, leave the roots in the ground because there’s lots of good nitrogen down there. Then you will be ready to plant out summer greens in the same patch and use up some of that nitrogen.
Rug up, put on a beanie and get moving out there, the cold will disappear in no time.
