Do you have a green thumb? Gotta tout my own horn here.

[Jules76 (Julian)]

Same here with the renting. Would love to have my own garden. At every place I've rented, I've always loved to imagine what I would do with the garden if I owned the house. Ferns, Fruschia's, Orchid's, would love to create a tropical garden.

But my tropical garden wouldn't be complete without Carnivorous Plants. Always been fascinated by these plants which turn the food chain upside down by supplementing their nutritional requirements by catching and digesting insects. They have even been known to catch small lizards/frogs on ocassion!

But for now, I just have to be content with growing them in pots. I brought a Hanging Pitcher Plant a few months back which has rekindled my interest after so many years. It's absolutely loving the humidity at the moment with all this rain.

[astroron (Ron)]

As I said when I was round your place last week,it looks fantastic
I should start one to help supplement the budget

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

You've got to do it Ron.
I'll pot up some seedlings for you.
Though don't you have access to the neighbours vegie patch?

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

You've got to do it Ron.
I'll pot up some seedlings for you.
Though don't you have access to the neighbours vegie patch?

Thanks JJ he's back now for a while
I am fairly lazy when it comes to gardening, but when I start I can get things done

[middy]

Wow Julian, you can buy Monkey Cups in Brisbane? I love Monkey Cups. You see a lot of those in the rainforests of Borneo and while climbing Mt. Kinabalu. I'm like you, I find carniverous plants intriguing. I had a Venus Fly Trap once many years ago but it didn't last long.

P.S. Nice vegie patch too Paul

[astroron (Ron)]

Andrew,Monkey Cups where part of our survival training when I was in the army we used to drink out them after the rain, that is if there where no insects in them.
When did you climb Mt Kinabalu?

[AlexN]

Looks great Paul! See, this is the reason I have time for a million pets.. I don't grow all my own food.. Mind you, a few carnivorous plants wouldn't go astray... I had a Venus flytrap for quite a few years when I was living in Melbourne..

Its amazing how lush that garden has gotten in just 12 months!! Great job indeed..

My dad grows some of his own veges hydroponically.. The taste is a little different, although the plants look incredibly healthy... Hydro seems to be a matter of getting the TDS right for whatever plant you're growing... As I said though, the taste is a bit weird...

[middy]

I first attempted the climb back in 1999. I reached the Laban Rata resthouse and that night it absolutely poured with rain all night. There were gushing torrents of water coming down from the peak. The guide decided it was too dangerous to attempt the rest of the climb to the peak so that was as far as I got.

My second attempt was supposed to be last year when I was over there for a wedding. This time I caught a flu in Singapore the week before and I hadn't got rid of it fully before we were due to climb. I made the decision not to even attempt the climb that time.

I might get another chance early next year (third time lucky), as I have another wedding to go to in Malaysia again. Let's hope there is no rain and I am fit and healthy enough this time. I'm not getting any younger.

P.S. Did I say your vegie patch looks great Paul.

[Ric]

Hi Paul, that's a great looking garden that you have going.

I'm still building my vege garden and orchard along the permaculture lines, It's taking a while but we're getting there.

A friend of mine is having a lot of success with biodynamics so I might have to look into that as well.

Cheers

[Liz]

Fantastic job Paul!! Naked woman still visible too

Great job everyone else as well .... I think vegie gardens in the back yard are the way to go .... am renting too but could do one if wasnt so lazy

[rogerg (Roger)]

Vege garden looks good Paul, sounds like it's been very successful too Sure helps being in tropical Queensland I bet

My wife & I have enjoyed having our vege garden running for 5 years now. It was originally her thing, but I've become more active in it in the last couple of years. It produces quite a bit, but nothing like yours would be able to in Queensland. Our struggle is through summer, when it's impossible to water the plants enough to keep them happy - day after day above 35. We haven't had rain for over 3 months. And then in winter nothing grows because temps are so low.

Each meal we count how many of our own herbs & vege's we've managed to include.

Our biggest success is usually with spinach, tomatoes, pumpkins, beetroot, broad beans, zucchini and capsicums. Have had good years of squash, potatoes and eggplant. Can't grow onions or garlic, and our pashionfruit has only given us 2 fruits after 5 years.

I'm trying to make our vege garden more self sustaining and cost less, but it's a struggle. We have a worm farm now, with the hope of producing better fertiliser than we were getting from our compost bin, which had issues with tree roots always getting in to it.

We have a small orchard too, just enjoyed 25 nectarines over the last few weeks. Have two oranges, two apples, two mandarins, one nectarine, one peach, one almond, one grapefruit, one lemon. Most of the trees are only just starting to produce useable quantities of fruit, as they've all been in the ground only 1-4 years old.

What type of pest are you keeping out with the fence and wood etc around the base of the fence? Looks like you have someone keen on your produce Our biggest pest is portuguese millipede's, munch all the seedlings and hard to control.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Passionfruit? Damn weeds here. They are like this all over the fence.

Good move getting the worm compost. When fully operational with only one persons scraps going in there I collect around 6-8 litres of concentrate a week which makes around 25-30 litres of liquid fert.

Forget onion and garlic. Some have the knack, others don't. I don't.

The barricading at the bottom of the fence is to keep bandicoots out. Because I'm very liberal with my worm stuff they love to help me turn my veggie patch over looking for them. One night I forgot to shut the gate and the next morning the bed that I'd lovingly spread worm casting, compost and mulch over the previous afternoon looked like the surface of the moon. At least they confined themselves to the one bed. If they get in on just a normal night the whole veggie patch looks like a mine field where all the mines have gone off.

[Jules76 (Julian)]

Originally Posted by middy

Wow Julian, you can buy Monkey Cups in Brisbane? I love Monkey Cups. You see a lot of those in the rainforests of Borneo and while climbing Mt. Kinabalu. I'm like you, I find carniverous plants intriguing. I had a Venus Fly Trap once many years ago but it didn't last long.

Yeah picked up my "Monkey Cup" lol from my local Bunnings (Oxley) of all places. Wish I remembered what time of the year it was (which is important) because you won't find them any other time.

Would love to see them in the wild!

Fly Traps are overrated. I prefer to stick with Pitcher Plants thesedays.

[Jen]

nice Paul, its coming along great

[TrevorW]

Tops Paul

I can make weeds grow

Macadamia's mate around $22 kg and each tree will produce around 65 kg a year