Whats In The HeART

Growing peas are one of the easiest crops to grow, and you don’t need a big garden. A pot on a verandah is enough. Peas do well in cooler temperatures. Simple, productive, and something anyone can try. So give it a go, if you love peas as much as I do. 💛🫛

Natural pest control sometimes comes down to simple, hands-on methods like removing pests yourself. I don’t rely on chemicals for pest management. Instead, I stay observant and deal with problems early, before they get out of control.

I care about growing and eating good food without using chemicals, so keeping on top of pests is important to me, it helps me avoid needing to use them at all.

I’ve been growing and using this plant for the past five years, experimenting with it as an alternative to corn starch and flour.

After harvesting the rhizomes, it can be processed into a flour that is naturally gluten free and useful in baking and cooking.

It also works well as a thickener in place of cornflour, which is often highly processed and commonly genetically modified.

What I like about Queensland arrowroot is that it can be grown at home and used as part of everyday cooking, from thickening soups and sauces to baking bread, biscuits and cakes.

Over time, I’ve come to appreciate how useful this plant is, and how the garden can provide alternatives to ingredients we often rely on from the supermarket.

Five years of quietly experimenting and learning from the garden.





QueenslandArrowroot

There’s something comforting about cooking with what’s already growing.

Today it is butternut pumpkin.

I baked the pumpkin first, then added it to the pot with onions, vegetable stock, salt and a bay leaf. Once onion softens and flavour blends together, I use a hand blender and sometimes add some milk, I prefer the flavour to cream.

Because this pumpkin was grown without sprays, I’m comfortable using the skin too. The skin carries with it a number of health benefits too.

Simple food, made from what’s on hand.
Food tastes different when it comes from your own soil.

The elderberry syrup came from the taller tree in front of the camera.
I don’t use plants blindly.

When someone is unwell, I track their symptoms. I monitor temperature and consult a doctor.

For me, growing food and plant medicine isn’t about rejecting modern care or pretending plants are miracle cures. It’s about understanding what I grow and using my edible garden as a learning ground.

Learning how foods or medicinal plants work, knowing when to use them, and when not to. There’s a difference between trends and experiencing the effects of a plant.

I like to experiment, but I also prioritize being cautious and responsible, ensuring that any plant I use is appropriate, safe, and part of a balanced approach to health.