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How our garden has grown!

Posted on March 01, 2022

We planted our edible native garden during our Primary Come in Day in November last year, and it's thriving! After plenty of summer rain, and thanks to the careful planting by students, the plants are really coming along. Some our favourites are:

Warrigal (pictured above)- The Warrigal has taken off! Warrigal Greens can be used in the same way you’d use spinach, chard, silverbeet and bok choy. Like with spinach, the leaves are rich in oxalates, so should be blanched or cooked before eating. Small yellowish flowers will appear in Spring and Summer; these may be eaten too. For a simple and delicious preparation, stir fry this vegetable with a little garlic. It may also be enjoyed in soups, stews, and as a steamed vegetable.

Ever Blooming Wattle (below): We can see the very first tiny buds forming on our Ever Blooming Wattle. The gum of this wattle, after softening it in water, is used to relieve chest pains.

Scented Emu Bush (below): A very unique “eucalyptus like” Australian aromatic, very strong, a very important healing herbal tea.

Native Pelargonium (below): This little plant was showing some buds when it was planted, and now it's in full bloom! The large fleshy roots of the Native Pelargonium can be roasted and eaten. The roots contain nutritious starch although some contain tannin making them unpalatable, but useful as a treatment for diarrhoea.

Muntries (below): This woody plant bears clusters of green berries that turn purplish/red and fragrant as they ripen. Berries are about 1cm in diameter and crunchy in texture with the flavour of a spicy apple. Perfect for eating raw in salads and cheese platters, or cooked in jams, pies, muffins, puddings or with meats. They contain up to four times more antioxidants than blueberries.

Below is a photo of the garden when it was first planted in November last year, and how it looks now. What a difference!