We have a lot of sunny hillside space going unused, and we’re wondering about growing a grain crop.

Quinoa (see photo) is not a grass, like wheat etc: it sounds interesting and tastes OK too, but so far I haven’t found any useful information about whether it would grow here – apart from discovering that it originated in the Andes, likes warm days and colder nights, takes 4 – 6 months to mature and should be planted once the frosts are over.

Amaranth can be planted with quinoa so they must require similar conditions: while it might be another possibility I don’t know what it tastes like!

Does anyone in the valley have experience with backyard grain-growing, or know where we can learn more about it?

For starters have a look at this website.

Trish-131

Ever wondered what it would be like if a team of locals came in the did your garden up – in one day! Well, that’s the idea behind the ‘Permablitz’ movement, now popular in Melbourne.

Instead of each homeowner slogging away on their own garden, groups of householders band together and do each other’s gardens. Your garden gets blitzed on a chosen week-end. Good gardening solutions and ideas come from many heads rather than one.

Nobody gets out of doing the work, but it is a fun way to get things done and it’s commuty bonding too. Is there scope to do this in our community? I know of somebody in West Hobart who had her garden done over this way.

Check out the Permablitz website for more.

(With thanks to Philip-136)