Leonie's Edible Garden News - April 2013

Leonie's Edible Paradise

Hello my fellow gardens, it has been an eventful couple of months and for those who know me well, know I would not have it any other way. It truly seems to be conference season. I kicked off with 2 intensive days with Dr Arden Andersen from the USA giving us up-to-date information on the dangerous nonorganic practices and the disturbing effects they are having on ourbodies,especially women and children – think varies cancers, miscarriages etc. Predominantly, it reinforced that we have to take control of our health and question what is the tangible truth behind what the moneymaking industries (including medial) are preaching. We need to consider if the information/food they are providing is really for our health or purely for the health of the shareholders. It is a serious subject that I’m extremely passionate about because our health is becoming compromised for the benefit and greed of investors.

I have just returned from the National Speaker Association annual conference, a collective group of talented presenters from all over the world that were truly inspiring. I would encourage you to observe the tireless work of a young man who was confronted with a brutal reality that he was incapable of achieving anything. He was on sixteen tablets a day and relying on his disability pension to survive, but Glen had a dream. He was motivated to help our society’s troubled youth that struggled with drugs, alcohol, dietary and image problems, with a strong focus on getting adolescents back on a path, and predominantly giving them hope. His passion has driven him to achieve wonderful things and he was certainly worth the standing ovation he received.

I’m back to school teaching primary students the wonders of the garden and we had a delightful term. We focussed on cutting the green manure crop of cowpea and wild birdseed mix, and preparing the garden for the seedlings to be planted. This month I’m concentrating on a school that I have been at for 4 years and it has lived and breathed my Edible School Gardens program to the fullest with healthy food, organic soil, children constantly eating the luscious garden, strong environmental ethics and it predominantly witnessed the development of a strong community bond.

An obvious change in my life has been the decision to transform my home into an education centre and although the lead up to the course saw horrible weather conditions from drought to almost flooding again, I’m pleased to announce that the organic gardening courses ran smoothly and I received only positive feedback, and I loved doing them! Over the course of the year we will be continuing the core workshops of Growing healthy Food - the Essential Tool Kit andTaking the Next Step as well collaborating with complimentary health professionals, such as, this month, I haveMax Porter from Native Sun Cuisine providing the students with an opportunity to immerse in the full cuisine experience; teaching them how to cook the healthy food I grow and enjoy a delicious lunch.
Click here for workshop information for April/May.
Feel free to send in any suggestions for future workshops.

Additionally, I’m having difficulty naming my property… Originally I thought of Leonie’s Lakeside Paradise but it exclusively relates to me, so I require your help in naming my new educational property. It is 1.5 acres, initially only bad, hard soil and gum trees but has since been transformed into a gardening paradise with 2/3 of the property dedicated to growing organic food and having chooks and the other 1/3 is devoted to returning the land to its original wilderness and ‘green’ space that is met by a natural waterway with a relaxed ambiance and appearance exactly like that of a fresh water lake.

Whoever’s creative and original name is chosen will receive a copy of my book,Edible School Gardens (postage available worldwide), send your suggestions to Leonie.
My family and friends have contributed some ideas for inspiration:

• Diggin’ In or should that be no diggin’ in
• Pitching in
• Leonie’s edible garden (LEG)
• Permie paradise
• Hearty harvest haven or healthy harvest haven
• Harvest house/home
• Edible 'eaven
• Billabong bounty or bountiful billabong
• Leonie’s lair or land
• Fertile flats
• Spring fed farm
• Sprout house
• Awesome acres
• Paradise of plenty, house of plenty
• Roo retreat
• Chicken inn for my chook house
• Salad days
• Green Acres

Worm Wisdom 

Observation is the best plan.  Take time to observe  - look, listen, smell, feel and..... enjoy :)

Digging & Doing

Mineralise your gardens now.  It’s fundamental to have healthy, living, organic soil, as it is responsible for producing our food and providing the ‘fuel’ and ‘nutrients’ to our body, which equals our health. Autumn (and spring for our European friends) is the time when the earth/soil is prepared to receive, so add rock minerals to your soil.  Rock minerals are trace elements/minerals that plants require for optimum health.  If the minerals are in our soils and plants then they are available to us when we consume this delicious and nutritious food.  Minerals are also food for your microbes and fungi.

Planting Seeds

When you get your seeds have a good examination of them, discard any that are damaged or deformed, as these will produce weak plants. Ideally you should be planting biodynamic or organic seeds as they will grow the strongest plants and produce plants with a higher nutrient value, and this is ultimately what we want – the healthiest food imaginable.
Pre-soak seeds in a weak seaweed solution for a couple of hours before planting, this will help the plants to be stronger, healthier and germinate earlier.

Plant seeds to a depth of twice the seed’s width, if the seed is 2mm wide you would plant it 4mm deep.
You can either plant in a ‘drill’ (line) or individually to the appropriate depth then gently replace the soil on top and water in with a tablespoon of Epsom salts in a 9Litre watering can, add some worm juice and stir. Water in a back and forth motion so it’s like rain.
Epsom salts (magnesium) is only added when we first plant seeds as it promotes germination, not every time we water.

I’m also speaking at the following events, I would love you to come and introduce yourself to me and tell me all about your garden, I love hearing about people’s gardens and seeing photos.

“I’m not good with stuff in the classroom, but I’m really smart in the garden”(Kids Speak quote).