At this years Melbourne Flower & Garden Show,  I was on the hunt for new and interesting ways of growing edibles! 

Here are a few of the great new releases I found…..

I love the motto of Mat & Fabian from The Little Vegie Patch Co –  ”"A little food, a little fun; a little soul, a little sun; a little green, a little grow…The Little Veggie Patch Co.”

That about sums up this small business – The Little Vegie Patch Co – they might have started off small, but Mat & Fabian’s quirky, little business is growing very quickly! Due to popular demand, they’ve recently set up a nursery in St Kilda. They specialise in a range of recycled garden beds including the iconic apple crates and their nursery stocks a range of everyday edibles and some really unusual herbs, fruit trees and spices.

If you are ever in St Kilda, VIC check out their nursery!

For a really simple, easy to follow gardening book grab a copy of their book: “The Little Vegie Patch Co – How to Grow Food in Small Spaces” it is really well laid out and easy to follow. Taking you through basics of fruit & vegetable growing in small spaces – the photography is also brilliant.

Great book if you love loads of pictures and clear, easy to follow info! Highly recommend for the first time vegie grower.

Continuing on the small space gardening, but also leading into vertical gardening – I caught up with Brad from Takasho.

Check out their Urban Farmer range of products – designed to help you set up an edible oasis within a small space….OR just create more space growing space (and lets face it who does need that) in any sized garden.

They’ve got loads of trellises, climbing frames and arches – which can help add another dimension to an edible garden. They are of course also brilliant for training creeping vegies like snow peas, zucchini and cucumber along.

And not forgetting organic pest control and soil improvement, I also caught up with Steve & Peter from Eco-Organic Gardening. 

They’ve just added LIQUID forms of gypsum, lime and dolomite to their fully certified organic range of products. And when a 2ltr spray pack is equal to spreading 80kg of gypsum, I know which I’ll be using in my garden (which has horrid clay soils!) this autumn.

All in all a fantastic Melbourne Flower and Garden Show – the crowds were buzzing and some of the achievable show gardens were really inspiring.

If you missed it this year – make sure you get along next year! And get there early in the day to avoid the bulk of the crowds

Entries and voting on the Summer Harvest Competition have now closed and we have the winners……

 1st Prize – Gemmie from ACT

Gemmie wins the Tumbleweed Worm Cafe, worm farm and a selection of gardening goodies from Eco-organic Gardening and Neutrog Fertilisers.

We look forward to hearing how you go with your worm farm Gemmie, please post some pics on Bean There Dug That facebook page!

The 2 runners up – Amy from VIC and Catherine from VIC will each receive a selection of gardening goodies from Eco-organic Gardening and Neutrog Fertilisers.  Keep us updated on how these gardening products go in your garden!

Thanks to everyone who entered the competition AND to those who voted on their favourites, I loved all the creative and colourful entries! It is fantastic to see all the wonderful harvests from your garden, here’s hoping that your winter harvest is just as good

And a big thanks to Tumbleweed, Eco-0rganic Gardening and Neutrog Fertilisers for their support in providing the prizes.

Happy gardening!