What To Do- Botanic Obsessions Feature
Presenter: Sue McDougall
Episode: 19
1st September 2007
The Amanda Young Foundation is a non-profit community organisation dedicated to reducing deaths in WA from meningococcal disease and thanks to some dedicated gardeners you can become involved by visiting some great gardens that are open over spring and all gate proceeds go to the foundation. Now for a sneak preview of what is in store at a special garden in Jandakot called Botanic Obsessions open garden next weekend
The finishing touches are coming together, as they say there is no rest for the wicked.
Having large trees in the garden is an absolute blessing on those scorching hot days. The shade keeps the area underneath cool. But for garden owners they are often a curse in other seasons of the year, small gumnuts are one of the reasons that lawns struggle in some areas. There are so many of them that they form a layer of mulch on the lawn preventing the water and sunlight getting to where it is needed. They need to be removed regularly.
Planting up large pots with annuals is a way of adding some colour to the garden for spring without using too much water. You could go for strappy leaves and spiky foliage plants but many of us still like to see some flowers and some colour. Always use large containers as this means that there is enough soil around the plants’ roots to really hold some moisture in.
With correct plant selection and using colourful hardy shrubs and foliage plants Faye and Eddy have reduced their water consumption in their beautifully established garden by a whopping 70%. Its proof you can still have a fantastic garden without using huge amounts of water.
The standout feature in Faye and Eddy’s garden is the newly constructed kitchen garden. The buzz word around at the moment is sustainable and this garden is sustainable in all aspects. Faye wanted a garden that she could garden in all year round. The results are brilliant, you have just got to go and see it for yourself. It also comes complete with rainbow trout.
The fish waste water is pumped up into the grow beds for 15 mins of every hour. There are two bacteria that work to convert the nutrients into an available form for the plants, which are nitrates. The job of the plants is to take those nitrates out and return the clean filtered water aerated back to the fish.
This is a healthy alternative, with no waste. With an aquaponic system traditionally in aqua culture a lot of water would be wasted and have to be replaced with new water. With this system the water is circulated through the grow beds, with hydroponics as well; you have to add a lot of chemical nutrients which people try to avoid. Once you have spent the money on the system, there is no on going cost for the system, except for the fish food, and you can feed a family of 5 with fresh home grown healthy veggies.
Rainwater is collected from the roof to supplement the fish. And the end result is fresh fish and salad at the backdoor. It only takes up a small area and is such a creative use of space.
Botanic Obsessions
Open: 8th Saturday and 9th Sunday September
2 Clements Place
Jandakkot WA 6164
Amanda Young’s Open Gardens
Tom Hogg’s
Romancing the Stone
3 Lilian road,
Maida Vale
open from 10am 3rd September (Sunday morning).
A bit more information on how aquaponics work:
Faye Arcaros’ botanic obsession has seen the recent introduction of the clean green kitchen garden showcasing aquaponics!
The combination of aquaculture and hydroponics is the fish growers’ solution to clearing toxic water from the system and the answer to the hydroponic gardeners need for nutrient rich water saving time, energy and money. No need for costly fertilisers and no need to waste water, in fact the only water loss is through evaporation and transpiration.
After initial setup the only addition to the system is a commercial feed designed for edible fish to ensure optimum health and growth. The rainbow trout are fast growing and the system is capable of producing 50kg of fresh fish in 6 months.
The fish waste water is pumped to flood the grow beds which are filled with a medium of expanded clay. This acts as a bio filter supporting the necessary bacteria which occur naturally in air, soil and water. As ammonia builds up it can become toxic to the fish, this is where the bacteria come in; they convert it to nitrates, a form available to plants. As the nutrients are removed from the water it becomes clean and returns to the fish tank purified and aerated.
There are five beds producing an abundance of leafy vegetables, herbs and fruit grown from seeds and seedlings and ready for picking after only 6 weeks. The raised beds make it ideal for the elderly or wheelchair access and no digging or bending is required. Excess foliage is fed to the worms, and worms can then be fed to the fish as a special treat.
A great many lessons can be learned from a system like this in regards to protecting the environment and educating our children about healthy eating and growing your own food at the back door.
For further information :
www.aquaponica.com.au
Episode: 19
1st September 2007
The Amanda Young Foundation is a non-profit community organisation dedicated to reducing deaths in WA from meningococcal disease and thanks to some dedicated gardeners you can become involved by visiting some great gardens that are open over spring and all gate proceeds go to the foundation. Now for a sneak preview of what is in store at a special garden in Jandakot called Botanic Obsessions open garden next weekend
The finishing touches are coming together, as they say there is no rest for the wicked.
Having large trees in the garden is an absolute blessing on those scorching hot days. The shade keeps the area underneath cool. But for garden owners they are often a curse in other seasons of the year, small gumnuts are one of the reasons that lawns struggle in some areas. There are so many of them that they form a layer of mulch on the lawn preventing the water and sunlight getting to where it is needed. They need to be removed regularly.
Planting up large pots with annuals is a way of adding some colour to the garden for spring without using too much water. You could go for strappy leaves and spiky foliage plants but many of us still like to see some flowers and some colour. Always use large containers as this means that there is enough soil around the plants’ roots to really hold some moisture in.
With correct plant selection and using colourful hardy shrubs and foliage plants Faye and Eddy have reduced their water consumption in their beautifully established garden by a whopping 70%. Its proof you can still have a fantastic garden without using huge amounts of water.
The standout feature in Faye and Eddy’s garden is the newly constructed kitchen garden. The buzz word around at the moment is sustainable and this garden is sustainable in all aspects. Faye wanted a garden that she could garden in all year round. The results are brilliant, you have just got to go and see it for yourself. It also comes complete with rainbow trout.
The fish waste water is pumped up into the grow beds for 15 mins of every hour. There are two bacteria that work to convert the nutrients into an available form for the plants, which are nitrates. The job of the plants is to take those nitrates out and return the clean filtered water aerated back to the fish.
This is a healthy alternative, with no waste. With an aquaponic system traditionally in aqua culture a lot of water would be wasted and have to be replaced with new water. With this system the water is circulated through the grow beds, with hydroponics as well; you have to add a lot of chemical nutrients which people try to avoid. Once you have spent the money on the system, there is no on going cost for the system, except for the fish food, and you can feed a family of 5 with fresh home grown healthy veggies.
Rainwater is collected from the roof to supplement the fish. And the end result is fresh fish and salad at the backdoor. It only takes up a small area and is such a creative use of space.
Botanic Obsessions
Open: 8th Saturday and 9th Sunday September
2 Clements Place
Jandakkot WA 6164
Amanda Young’s Open Gardens
Tom Hogg’s
Romancing the Stone
3 Lilian road,
Maida Vale
open from 10am 3rd September (Sunday morning).
A bit more information on how aquaponics work:
Faye Arcaros’ botanic obsession has seen the recent introduction of the clean green kitchen garden showcasing aquaponics!
The combination of aquaculture and hydroponics is the fish growers’ solution to clearing toxic water from the system and the answer to the hydroponic gardeners need for nutrient rich water saving time, energy and money. No need for costly fertilisers and no need to waste water, in fact the only water loss is through evaporation and transpiration.
After initial setup the only addition to the system is a commercial feed designed for edible fish to ensure optimum health and growth. The rainbow trout are fast growing and the system is capable of producing 50kg of fresh fish in 6 months.
The fish waste water is pumped to flood the grow beds which are filled with a medium of expanded clay. This acts as a bio filter supporting the necessary bacteria which occur naturally in air, soil and water. As ammonia builds up it can become toxic to the fish, this is where the bacteria come in; they convert it to nitrates, a form available to plants. As the nutrients are removed from the water it becomes clean and returns to the fish tank purified and aerated.
There are five beds producing an abundance of leafy vegetables, herbs and fruit grown from seeds and seedlings and ready for picking after only 6 weeks. The raised beds make it ideal for the elderly or wheelchair access and no digging or bending is required. Excess foliage is fed to the worms, and worms can then be fed to the fish as a special treat.
A great many lessons can be learned from a system like this in regards to protecting the environment and educating our children about healthy eating and growing your own food at the back door.
For further information :
www.aquaponica.com.au
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