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Blog
What To Plant In June
June is not the month to close the garden gate and wait for spring. In fact, June is one of the best months to get your winter veggie garden going properly, especially if you love peas, beetroot, carrots, brassicas, kale and lettuce. The garden may feel slower now....
Winter Mulching: The Do’s and Don’ts That Actually Matter
One of the biggest mistakes I see every winter is gardeners leaving their beds completely bare because they think nothing is growing. The tomatoes are finished, the beans are gone, and suddenly the veggie garden looks like it has gone into hibernation. The problem is...
What Is The Black Stuff Under My Citrus Leaves?
One of the most common messages we get during autumn and winter is: “Tash… what is this black sticky stuff all over my citrus leaves?” And honestly, once you notice it, you suddenly start seeing it EVERYWHERE on citrus trees. That black layer underneath the leaves —...
Why We LOVE Using Ollas In The Garden
There is something incredibly satisfying about finding simple, old-fashioned gardening methods that still work beautifully today — and ollas are exactly that. An olla (pronounced oy-ya) is one of the oldest watering methods in the world, dating back thousands of years. And honestly? Sometimes the oldest methods are still the smartest.
An olla is simply an unglazed terracotta pot buried in the soil and filled with water. The magic happens because the terracotta slowly releases moisture directly into the surrounding soil exactly where plant roots need it most. Instead of watering from above and losing huge amounts of water through evaporation, wind or runoff, the water slowly seeps deep into the soil over time. Plants then naturally pull the moisture they need as the soil dries out.
And honestly… they just work. Sometimes gardening gadgets can feel complicated or expensive, but ollas are beautifully simple. You can make one yourself in less than an hour.
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News From The Coop!!
Welcome to a brand new Friday insert here at VanZylStead — News From The Coop. Because apparently somewhere along our suburban homesteading journey, we became “chicken people.” And honestly? These girls are simultaneously the best decision and the most annoying...
Gardening in Winter Shade — Is It Really Worth It?
We all know the feeling! One minute your garden feels bright and productive in summer… and then winter arrives and suddenly half the garden feels cold, damp and permanently shady. The sun sits lower in the sky, walls cast longer shadows, trees block precious light and...