Grow what you cook: Sydney seasons

Veg and herbs for everyday cooking, grown on the NSW coast with seeds, potting mix and gear from Australian shops. See what I planted, what I used and how it went, from garden to plate.

How every post works

Followed the instructions and it still didn’t grow? Same here.
So instead of rules, you get real results from a backyard like yours: what worked, what’s still growing, and what I’ve picked up along the way.

Abundant strawberries growing indoors in a modern greenhouse setup.

Grown & tested

I’ve grown it here from start to finish. You’ll see the variety, the potting mix, the feed and where I bought them, plus how it turned out, and what I cooked with it.

Crates of vibrant peppers and rosemary placed on a rocky ground outdoors.

Growing now

It’s in the ground this season. I post updates as it grows, including the bits that go wrong.

A gardener cultivates a vibrant vegetable garden on a sunny day, highlighting hands-on agriculture.

Garden notes

Planning, tools, weather and useful things I’ve noticed or read about. Handy bits that aren’t a full growing trial, with sources linked where I’ve used them.

A gardener plants lettuce in a garden, focusing on sustainable horticulture practices.

Hi, I’m Jenny.

I started growing food for the same reasons you probably are. Supermarket veg goes limp within a week, half of it tastes of nothing, and the prices keep climbing.

I’ve been growing on the NSW coast, on and off, for about ten years. I’m not an expert, just someone who’s learned the hard way what works here and what doesn’t.

Garden Ask is where I share it all, so you can skip the costly mistakes and grow herbs and veg you’ll actually cook, picked fresh when you need them.

More about me

Let’s work it out together

I don’t have all the answers, and I’d rather learn alongside you. Got a question about something that won’t grow? A tip that worked in your backyard? Ask, share, or tell me what you’re planting this season. Helpful questions and tips become posts, with credit to you if you’d like it.

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