When Tara and her family moved in to their rental home the 12 x 4m back yard was bare concrete and small, weed filled garden beds. 6 years later, without making any permanent changes and by utilising mostly found and recycled items in ways that are impermanent and transportable, the space has been completely transformed.
Determined to overcome the challenges of both renting and container gardening, Tara has set out to show you can grow anything and everything in pots and raised beds.
Over the last 6 years Tara has grown everything from potatoes, corn, pumpkin and garlic, to tomatoes, chillies, beans, zucchini, greens and carrots alongside three potted citrus trees, an olive tree and her latest project, the ‘bare concrete berry patch’. The berry patch, situated on a patch of concrete in the middle of the garden has 6 strawberry varietals cascading from hanging planters, which in turn water pots of raspberries and a blackberry sitting beneath them.
In 2020, Tara took over what little under utilised space was left and installed a chicken coop and run. Their 5 heritage breed chickens join the bees and worms as their treasured and productive backyard pets. And while the chickens have been a little slow to start laying eggs, they have so far been lucky enough to harvest 30kg of honey.
