1. Good Organic Gardening - January-February 2016

Sandra & Mick Nanka | GARDENING FOLK
Prevention is better than cure is
their philosophy, so they find growing a
multitude of herbs around the vegetables
and not planting them in blocks works
really well to cause confusion for the
would-be attackers.
Calendulas galore: a plant with so many uses
potentially harmful chemicals in them,
says Sandra.
“Nature finds a balance, and a few
holes here and there in the leaves don’t
really matter. That’s why we even limit
our organic pest control methods —
because we don’t want to harm any of the
beneficial insects. It’s important to nourish
the soil, and using organic methods will
equate to healthy soil, leading to healthy
plants, healthy humans and a healthy
planet. Simple!”
The fertilisers used include manure from
their chooks, worm castings from their
The Nankas’ top
gardening tips
Grow your own herbs and produce in
mixed profusion to confuse insects.
Plant crops in the right season.
Use herbs in the compost heap to add
minerals and help with breakdown.
When planting new plants:
– Soak seedlings in a seaweed solution
before planting.
– Add compost at the time of planting.
– Always fill the planting holes with
water first to ensure the soil is moist.
Let the annual herbs go to seed to
attract beneficial insects.
“The feature vegetable
garden is in the
mandala style with
bamboo used for edging.
There are also tank beds
and an area that’s a mix
of vegies grown in rows
with fruit trees dotted
in between.
two bathtub worm farms and compost and
pelletised manure during the growing season.
Compost production at Mudbrick
Cottage comprises five heaps 1.5m by 1.5m
each. In the main garden there’s a large
black compost bin and, in the nursery,
two further large heaps for all the plants
classed as throw-outs.
When it comes to bugs, organic controls
are the only methods Sandra and Mick use:
homemade white oil and Eco-oil on the fruit
trees and certified organic pyrethrum on
the odd occasion. If there are any red spider
mite outbreaks they order in some predatory
mites to control them.
The abundance of
the Nankas’ garden
“I love that we can look out across our garden
and think how wonderful that something so
beautiful (well, I think it’s beautiful) can also
be so useful,” says Sandra.
She and Mick think the most unique
feature of their garden is the vast number of
herb species they have growing and I’d have
to agree.
When asked what they like to do with their
harvests, both agree they love cooking and
herbs are an integral part of every meal. Even
the Mudbrick Cottage chickens have herbs
mixed into their daily diet.
Salads are at the top of the list in the
meals department — Sandra says they
often have up to 40 different plants in each
salad. Then there are herbal teas, infused
oils, ointments, tinctures, syrups and
poultices made lovingly on a regular basis
in the Nankas’ home.
The dehydrator also gets a workout
drying excess herbs and vegetables
while pestos, herb butters, chutneys and
jams are other ways they prolong their
enjoyment of their harvest.
You can find the Nankas’ online herb
business at herbcottage.com.au
Facebook: Mudbrick Cottage Herb Farm
Salvia officinalis: both leaves and flowers are edible
on the sage plant
Good Organic Gardening | 37