[Aussie Oscar]

G'day everyone! I'v just joined the forum and look forward to sharing gardening tips, hints, experiences and maybe some photos with you. I'm in my 50's, semi retired enjoy Rock music guitar fishing and cooking. I've been a St John (NSW) Ambulance volunteer for three years. I live in the northern Illawarra district of NSW Australia, roughly 70 miles south of Sydney on the eastern Pacific coast. The climate is mostly mild. I;ve been gardening on and off for the past 30 years but hardly an expert. Naturally I grow the most common veggies - lettuce tomato cucumber but I'm looking at growing some australian native plants and fruit trees. I know I'm on the other side of the world to most of you but our gardens here are much the same. Maybe I can share some slightly different methods of growing and even discuss some vegetables that are native to Australia. But really, veggie gardeners are mostly the same the world over! See ya soon!
Aussie Oscar

 

[PHONETOOL]

Hello and welcome

 

[stephanie]

hello and welcome to the forum, I would love to here about native veggies to australia. I am up in washington state near the olympic rain forest on the pacific coast. needless to say I get more than my share of rain fungus and slugs are issues as well as too much rain. great area for growing mushrooms though.

 

[Aussie Oscar]

Hi Stephanie thanks for the reply. I suppose the climate is cooler in the Mt Olympus area than here. It sounds like the Snowy Mountains region near the NSW southern border, although Mt Olympus is higher than Mt Kosciusko - Australia's highest mountain. I guess you get snow in winter as well. We do have mushroom farms here in the northern Illawarra because of the cliff range a couple of miles to the west, the farmers have made used of old abandoned coal mine tunnels. I'm doing some research on Australian veggies and will get back to you soon. See ya!
Aussie Oscar

 

[Aussie Oscar]

Hi PHONETOOL thanks for your reply. See ya!
Aussie Oscar

 

[stephanie]

no caves or old mines for growing mushrooms they grow out in the open forest under the leaves and on stumps. yes I get snow every year usually around 2 feet at worst case and 6 inches best case. Green houses and cold frames are almost mandatory around my area. I get moss growing on my car/trucks/horse trailers every winter and clean it off every spring.

 

[Aussie Oscar]

its been raining solid for three days with maybe another three to come. Can't do a thing in the yard. I'll get cabin fever

 

[stephanie]

its been raining solid for three days with maybe another three to come. Can't do a thing in the yard. I'll get cabin fever

that happens all the time here longest time we had rain was 36 days in a row. one of the biggest jokes for seattle is this: a couple was visiting from out of town and stopped to ask a kid this question: Does it ever stop raining here? the little kid looked at the couple and said: how the hell should I know I am not old enough!