Our Story
We love fruit trees and home grown fruit! But on a normal suburban section (700m2) we have to be selective about our choices of trees and we want them to be able to produce for us! When we were looking around and learning about different varieties we found it was very hard to compare different varieties - especially if they were from different nurseries - and then sometimes you find a variety and it's not clear where you can get it from either.
We always have had lots of questions when it comes to choosing a variety or cultivar - When is harvest season (can we extend our growing season of home produced fruit)? Is this variety suitable for fresh eating, storing, preserving, cooking/baking? Is it self-fertile or does it need a pollinator, and which one? Does it suit our climate - is there a variety that does better in our warmer or cooler climate? Oh so many things to take into consideration. Of course speaking with the experts at your local plant store is also helpful, but sometimes it's nice to do your homework too and to know even the right questions you want to ask.
Currently we have approximately 28 fruit trees on our property, and at least the same number of berries, vines and other food producing shrubs. We are renovating an old glasshouse too and hoping to have that up and running for summer 2022. We are not aiming to become self-sufficient, it's not possible on this size a section, but we'd love to at least produce a good proportion of our own fruit and veges and improve the soil through composts and worm farms we've got going on. We are complete novices, but are interested in food preservation - and aim to do some dehydrating and canning with next years produce. Weve also got two little kids - 4 years old and an under 1 - so time in the garden and in food preservation is very scarce at the moment.
After working in the corporate sector for many years in digital and marketing roles, I'm balancing being a part=time stay at home mum and my own small business servicing local clients (particularly those using platforms such as Shopify and Wix). I am passionate about our environment, permaculture and local or community sufficiency. I believe that the more we can produce locally, or even at home, the less impact there naturally is on our environment - less waste, less packaging, less food miles and more resilience, more abundance, more community and healthier fresher food.
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