“Fernside” is an extra-large urban block in Pennant Hills. Fernside House was built in 1915 and is heritage listed, as is the front garden, established at the same time. The front garden features camellias, azaleas and rose beds, reflecting the original character of the property.
The rear of the property is home to our fruit and vegetable gardens, along with chickens and beehives. Since purchasing the property almost ten years ago, our aim has been to move towards a more sustainable lifestyle by growing our own fruit and vegetables. We’ve spent many years composting and improving the soil, although gardening means working alongside nature and things don’t always go to plan.
This past summer has been particularly tough, and some parts of the garden haven’t gone as well as hoped. I’m currently rebuilding sections of the garden and creating new “no dig” beds. The recent removal of a large neighbouring tree will also bring extra afternoon light.
In summer we harvest peaches, berries and apples, followed by figs, grapes and citrus. Our veggie patch has corn, asparagus, peas, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, potatoes, brassicas and leafy greens.
We also enjoy fresh eggs and summer honey.
Come and see the fruits of my labour.
