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Local News Local government results still alive The local government elections may seem insignificant in today’s environment of upheaval, but for 18 local candidates (four Mayoral, four Division 1 and ten Division 5) the wait for a result is ongoing. The final postal votes are being counted after the April 7, 5pm cut off for them to be received by the Electoral Commission of Queensland, and preference allocation will most likely commence after that. Nevertheless, there appears to be a clear result in the race to be the Mayor, with incumbent Mark Jamieson (on 49%) well ahead of nearest rival Chris Thompson (33%). Mark Burgess and Donald Innes have respectively recorded 10% and 6% of the vote. The same is likely in the Division 1 election, with incumbent Rick Baberowski sitting at 49% and holding a considerable lead over Jenny Broderick on 29%. The two remaining candidates, Mark Davis (11%) and Raelene Ellis (9%), are out of the running. Commenting on social media, Rick thanked the community for putting their trust in him for another term.

“The result will not be officially confirmed for another week or so, but I will be working through that time in my role as the current councillor,” wrote Rick. “I hope the new council can be finalised soon so that we can work on putting together a package of measures to help the community.” The contest for Division 5 is very different and remains on a knife-edge. The two frontrunners are neck and neck, with around 560 votes separating Winston Johnston (3,768; 25.96%) and Tracy Burton (3,208; 22.1%), with none of the other eight candidates reaching double percentage figures. Both leading candidates remain confident. Tracy Burton commented on social media that it was a strong result for the Queensland Greens. “It's too close to call so now we wait,” wrote Tracy. “Huge heartfelt thanks to my team for such a dedicated, grassroots effort.” With such a close result, Winston acknowledges that the allocation of preferences will be crucial.

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ANZAC Day

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Visual commemoration of ANZAC Day

Recently GC&M News was contacted by Raylee Morton who works in Beerwah and is concerned about the cancellation of ANZAC Day commemorations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She had been wondering what we could all do to honour and show our respect to the diggers and those who have served and sacrificed their lives for our freedom and lifestyle - without being able to leave our homes. Raylee said she heard about the ABC radio broadcast at 6am on ANZAC Day, but wondered if this was the best we could do even in these restricted days. “The idea I have come up with is based on the ‘tie a yellow ribbon on the ole oak tree’ principle but with purple, I thought purple as they use purple ribbon on ANZAC wreaths,” she said. “We could encourage people at home to get involved by tying purple ribbons or homemade streamers to their fences, balconies, trees, gates, cars or in their window(s). “We can also get the kids involved, particularly as the kids are home from school, they could make streamers or get

arty or crafty, drawing colour pictures and / or traditional symbols of ANZAC such as the poppy (red or purple), slouch hat, poppy wreath, flame of remembrance or the riderless horse for their front yard.” The added benefit of this project is that it can keep everyone busy while learning about the history of the ANZACs and families can share what they have learned with each other on April 25. Raylee encourages businesses that are open to also get involved by printing purple ANZAC Day "Lest we forget" posters and placing them in their office / shop windows. Raylee said she found this ANZAC Day quote online which was very apt, it reads: “This is a day not of celebration but of national memory. It’s a day when we learn, and learn again, of the horror of purposeless war. It is a day for looking after your mates, cherishing your home, your neighbourhood and family. It’s a day for realising how rare this wonderful country of ours is and how precious it is.” Raylee said that being able to do something positive and meaningful to honour the fighting spirit of the ANZACs

Acknowledging ANZAC Day at Landsborough Kindy in 2018 and the Australian and New Zealanders since who have served and died defending our freedom would lift the spirits of all Australians by bringing our spirits together in remembrance – while protecting our most cherished and vulnerable by staying apart. “It is important to involve our children and grandchildren by giving them a special project like this,” she added, suggesting that on ANZAC Day at 6am when we stand at the end of our driveway or on our balconies and listen to the ABC radio broadcast the children can, at the appropriate time, place their tribute poppies, streamers or posters whatever they have made - on their mailbox, gate or fence. Parents can post photos of the children's ANZAC tribute with a special message

Glasshouse Country & Maleny News

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Visual commemor

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ANZAC biscuits

Glass House Mountains local Amanda Smyth from the ‘Cooker and a Looker’ blog is dedicated to serving everyday real food for real people: fresh, easy recipe ideas for nourishing families and effortlessly entertaining friends. She recently explained that the traditional Australian biscuits earned their name because they were sent overseas to soldiers in World War I. Lacking butter and eggs, the biscuits kept well and made it to the front line without spoiling.

Amanda’s recipe Ingredients 1 cup oats 1 cup plain flour 1 cup sugar ¾ cup coconut

125g butter 2 tbs golden syrup ½ tsp bicarb of soda 1 tbs boiling water

Method Combine oats, flour, sugar and coconut. Combine butter and golden syrup, stir over gentle heat until melted. Mix bicarb and boiling water, add to butter mixture. Stir into dry ingredients. Place tablespoons of the mixture onto a greased baking tray and bake for 20 minutes at 150C. To learn more about Amanda make sure to like and follow her Cooker and a Looker - Home Cooking + Farm Life Facebook page. And if you have a variation on the traditional ANZAC biscuit recipe make sure you share it with us for our April 22 edition, just in time for ANZAC Day, email editorial@gcnews.com.au https://www.facebook.com/CookerAndALooker/

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Community News

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Community Centres' update Community Centres' update Community Centres' update As with most of the other Neighbourhood/ Community Centres in our area, most of our usual services have been suspended. However, we are still assisting people with emergency relief which is available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. To get help, call us on 5494 1255 - if the phone is temporarily unattended, there is a message on the phone with instructions for accessing help. Leave your name, phone number and tell us what help you require and we will return your call and give you an appointment time to pick up food etc. Please bring your own bags if you require food. You will also need to bring ID - this can be a Centrelink card or a drivers licence. Please note that Centrelink clients no longer have to provide a Centrelink statement. We can provide the following emergency relief: non-perishable food items, bread, some perishable food, Woolworths food vouchers, Telstra phone vouchers, PBS prescriptions, Go Cards and Go Card top ups. Please note, we have not got any toilet paper! We also do No Interest Loans (NILS) if you need help with a new appliance etc.

As with most of the other Neighbourhood/ Community Centres in our area, most of our usual services have been suspended. However, we are still assisting people with emergency relief which is available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. To get help, call us on 5494 1255 - if the phone is temporarily unattended, there is a message on the phone with instructions for accessing help. Leave your name, phone number and tell us what help you require and we will return your call and give you an appointment time to pick up food etc. Please bring your own bags if you require food. You will also need to bring ID - this can be a Centrelink card or a drivers licence. Please note that Centrelink clients no longer have to provide a Centrelink statement. We can provide the following emergency relief: non-perishable food items, bread, some perishable food, Woolworths food vouchers, Telstra phone vouchers, PBS prescriptions, Go Cards and Go Card top ups. Please note, we have not got any toilet paper! We also do No Interest Loans (NILS) if you need help with a new appliance etc.

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Glasshouse Country & Maleny News

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Pressure off Unitywater Community Centres' update customers As with most of the other Neighbourhood/ Community Centres in our area, most of our usual services have been suspended. However, we are still assisting people with emergency relief which is available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. To get help, call us on 5494 1255 - if the phone is temporarily unattended, there is a message on the phone with instructions for accessing help. Leave your name, phone number and tell us what help you require and we will return your call and give you an appointment time to pick up food etc. Please bring your own bags if you require food. You will also need to bring ID - this can be a Centrelink card or a drivers licence. Please note that Centrelink clients no longer have to provide a Centrelink statement. We can provide the following emergency relief: non-perishable food items, bread, some perishable food, Woolworths food vouchers, Telstra phone vouchers, PBS prescriptions, Go Cards and Go Card top ups. Please note, we have not got any toilet paper! We also do No Interest Loans (NILS) if you need help with a new appliance etc.

Unitywater has announced changes to support customers through the COVID-19 pandemic. The utility has announced that for the next six months, it will be extending bill due dates from 30 days to 60 days and will not be charging interest on overdue bills. Customers do not need to do anything - both changes will happen automatically. Unitywater chairman Jim Soorley said they were working to help customers wherever possible. “We are very mindful of the current situation and the pressure it’s placing on families and businesses across our service area,” he said. “We have introduced some automatic changes to help ease what is, in some cases, a very stressful and uncertain time. “We know that some customers are facing financial challenges and we encourage any customers who may be having trouble paying their bill to contact us as soon as possible so that we can

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You Said It Appreciation Thanks for your information about the Local Council Elections Divisions 5 & 1. The profiles of candidates have been invaluable. I would have been voting blind without this. Many thanks again! Lester Jerman

Absolute stupidity I cannot believe the stupidity of some Aussies. Normally they say Aussies band together in times of crisis, well hasn’t that gone out the window as far as the shopping is concerned. Also people who will not listen to the rules. Please stop buying up those essential items as there really might be some people out here that would like to pick up just one item of toilet paper, milk, flour, pasta or baked beans. Come on and do the right thing for everyone concerned. We don’t constantly want to be going back and forwards to the shop looking for them, especially toilet paper because if people can’t get it there are no options to use other materials. The last thing we need are sewerage problems. It makes me so angry that this is happening. Grow up people and do the right thing! Kaz Glass House Mountains

All Keynesians now It’s amazing how a virus in China converted the Neo-Liberal Morrison Government into a bunch of dyed in the wool Keynesians. It was only a few months ago that ‘The Economist’ was bemoaning the fact that conventional economic theory of inflation and unemployment no longer worked. The Keynesian pump priming is a much needed antidote and stimulus for the current economic malaise and slowdown but as the Prime Minister exclaimed "watch out what you ask for". By 2021 Australian public debt will be around at least one trillion dollars. The 21-22 budget will make Tony Abbott's first budget look like a tea party. In its return to its neo-Liberal roots the Government will slash, burn and cut public spending to repay our debt and bring the budget back to surplus. Gone will be all the sacred cows: negative gearing; rural subsidies, franking credits; unnecessary middle class welfare; corporate welfare; large infrastructure projects etc. The size of the Government will be pruned and there will be massive cuts to education, welfare and health. I wonder whether the Morrison Government will end up like the Scullin Government in the 0

Letters full page Body text: 11/12.5 (.5pt paragraph spacing) Heading: 14/16 Approx 1090 words 1930's. After doing all the hard yards to take Australian out of the Great Depression it lost office. Roy Clogstoun Maleny Great time filler Sunshine Coast Libraries now offer a complete range of recent and favourite oldies films and they pick up the cost of downloading them! We have registered and have watched many recent movies and some old ones too, including "Mon Uncle" and others by Jaques Tati and John Wayne; and there are dozens of Australian documentaries to choose from. There are many genres from which to choose. They are just the thing for 'stay at homes' to help fill in the time when the weeding is finished for the day! Alycia & Ron Watson Glass House Mountains

Devastated My grandfather marched off to WW1 as a19 year old and returned with two glass eyes. My grandmother used to read him the newspaper every morning with his cup of tea. My elderly friend and I both read our newspaper front to back every week and then discuss the local issues. Neither of us has a computer, but I think I can get your online edition on my small mobile phone. (By the way, good on you for keeping it up and not ripping off advertisers) Looks like I’m going to turn in to my grandmother, and read it to Allan. Wendy Archer Landsborough Editor’s note Yes Wendy you can read the newspaper on your phone, it may take a little bit of manoeuvring but you can enlarge parts of the page to make it easier to read the stories, we will be sending out an email this week to all our subscribers giving them advice on how to make it a little easier.

During the COVID-19 crisis in particular, spending large periods of time at home can lead to increased feelings of isolation and in turn further impact an individual’s mental health. We’re here to ensure that people don’t have to go through it alone. If you are a veteran, or a family member of one, who has an injury as a result of service or are struggling with your mental health, please reach out today to enquire about booking an appointment. Our staff understands what it means to serve and are trained in working with a wide range of issues, injuries and illnesses that you may be facing during this challenging time.

Appreciation Thanks for your information about the Local Council Elections Divisions 5 & 1. The profiles of candidates have been invaluable. I would have been voting blind without this. Many thanks again! Lester Jerman

All Keynesians now Mates4Mates still providing services for veterans I write to let local veterans impacted by their service know that they can still reach out to Mates4Mates for support during this time. All psychology and exercise psychology appointments are now available via Skype, FaceTime or phone to ensure that people can access vital support, no matter where they live.

It’s amazing how a virus in China converted the Neo-Liberal Morrison Government into a bunch of dyed in the wool Keynesians. It was only a few months ago that ‘The Economist’ was bemoaning the fact that conventional economic theory of inflation and unemployment no longer worked. The Keynesian pump priming is a much needed antidote and stimulus for the current economic malaise and slowdown but as the Prime Minister exclaimed "watch out what you ask for". Glasshouse Country & Maleny News

Columist 1/6 page Columist 1/3 page Body text: 11/12.5 (1pt paragraph spacing) Body text: 11/12.5 (1pt paragraph spacing) 130 words 320 words with Senior Constable Susan Lowndes Beerwah Police Station

with Senior Constable Susan Lowndes Beerwah Police Station

POLICE BEAT The message on the Sunshine Coast is #Stayhome The message from Sunshine Coast Council, Noosa Council, Surf Life Saving Queensland and Sunshine Coast District Police is clear. We are calling on everyone on the Sunshine Coast to STAY HOME to help #StopTheSpread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). We love our visitors, but now is not the time to be holidaying here. While we understand there are some reasons you may need to go out - like essential shopping, medical care, exercise, work or education - but it's important to avoid crowding and gathering in large groups, even when exercising. If you do go out to exercise and your favourite walking track, beach or dog park is crowded, turn around and go home. We're all in this together and we all need to make sensible choices to ensure public areas like our beaches aren't closed. Anyone flouting the social distance rules risks a $1,334 fine, but more importantly, they may be risking someone's life. If you see someone not following the rules, never take matters into your own hands. Please contact Crime Stoppers instead on 1800 333 000 or visit www. crimestoppers.com.au The message on the Sunshine Coast is #Stayhome The message from Sunshine Coast Council, Noosa Council, Surf Life Saving Queensland and Sunshine Coast District Police is clear. We are calling on everyone on the Sunshine Coast to STAY HOME to help #StopTheSpread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). We love our visitors, but now is not the time to be holidaying here. While we understand there are some reasons you may need to go out - like essential shopping, medical care, exercise, work or education - but it's important to avoid crowding and gathering in large groups, even when exercising. If you do go out to exercise and your favourite walking track, beach or dog park is crowded, turn around and go home. We're all in this together and we all need Contact numbers for the Beerwah Station 5436 5222, Policelink 131444 and Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000

Glasshouse Country & Maleny News

Elected Representatives

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Andrew Wallace

Rick Baberowski

Federal Member for Fisher

Coronavirus COVID-19 All of us are facing difficult times right now as we play our part in saving lives and saving livelihoods across the Sunshine Coast from the COVID-19 outbreak. My office is receiving hundreds of new emails and phone calls every day from Fisher residents who are doing it tough. We are doing our best to get back to everyone as quickly as we can, and if you have contacted me but have not had an immediate reply, please have patience. Rest assured that we are responding and helping as quickly as we possibly can. Since last week’s column, the Government has introduced an historic new package of measures with an unprecedented investment of $130 billion to help more businesses stay open and six million more people to keep their jobs through this coronavirus crisis. This third tranche of Federal Government assistance now equals $320 billion being spent over the next six months to help Australians weather this public health and economic storm. That sum equates to 16.4% of Australia’s Gross Domestic Product. Eligible employers who register with the Australian Taxation Office will now receive $1,500 per fortnight from the Government to pay to every eligible employee that they keep in their job. This applies to full time and part time employees, as well as casual employees who have been employed with that employer for more than 12 months. Eligible employers include businesses, sole traders, self-employed people and not for profits which have lost more than 30% of their turnover since the coronavirus crisis began or 50% for the largest businesses nationwide. These JobKeeper payments will be backdated to 1 March 2020, so if you have been stood down or let go since that date, contact your employer to check whether they are registering for this scheme. If so, you may be eligible to retain your job, receive payment from your employer, supplemented and supported by the Federal Government, instead of going onto JobSeeker allowance through Centrelink. The Government has also acted decisively to make childcare free for families who need it to keep working or to protect vulnerable children. Since Monday 6 April, the Government has been providing unprecedented direct funding to childcare Andrew.wallace.mp@aph.gov.au www.andrewwallacemp.com.au Search us on Facebook Wallace4Fisher 0

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providers if they stay open and do not charge families fees for care. This payment is on top of the JobKeeper Payment they will also receive and will help make sure that if you need your local childcare, it will still be open and absolutely free for you to use. It will also allow childcare centres to waive fees for children who are absent from care, so if you have terminated your children’s enrolment since 17 February then please get back in contact with your centre and see if you can re-start their arrangements. You will not have to send your child to care or pay a gap fee, but it will mean that their place is held until things are back to normal. We are also providing extra funding for new healthcare options. This includes $669 million to expand Medicaresubsidised Ttelehealth services for all Australians so that you can access GPs and specialists, allied health workers, nurses, psychologists and others bulked billed services from home using your telephone or video conferencing apps. It is important to point out that these measures introduced by the Federal Government are proportionate, scalable, and affordable, and they have an end date which at this stage is in six months. Finally, the Government has introduced new ways to keep up with the latest information. In addition to visiting www. australia.gov.au you can now download a free app, called Coronavirus Australia from both the Apple App Store and if you use an android device, the Play Store. You can also join a WhatsApp group, Australia’s largest ever chat group, at www.aus.gov. au/whatsapp. Again I am also providing the most important information through my email distribution list and you can sign up for that at www.andrewwallacemp.com. au through the ‘Contact’ tab. You can also find daily updates on my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/wallace4fisher. Thank you all for your patience, your dedication and for all your hard work adapting to this difficult time. Thank you also for your continued support online of this terrific newspaper, which plays an absolutely vital role in our community. I could not be happier to see it back up and running. I extend my best wishes to you and your family and I ask that wherever possible, to help us reduce the spread of COVID-19, Call Andrew on... P 5493 5556

Thank you I want to take the opportunity to thank the community for putting your trust in me for another term as your representative. It is an outstanding honour. Until the result is officially confirmed, I will be working through that time in my role as the current councillor. Obviously, the difficult times have meant there hasn’t been much celebration at my house, and I’m currently setting up a home office so that I can participate in the new council from home as much as possible. My thoughts go out to all the healthcare workers dealing with this crisis on the “front lines” and to anyone else affected, either in terms of health, work or family. Personally, my daughter-in-law is a nurse who has just returned to work, so I am looking at not being able to see her or my son until it’s safe to do so, which could be some months. I’m sure most readers have similar stories. I hope the new council can be finalised soon so that we can work on putting together a package of measures to help the community. Until then, I support the mayor and the CEO working together to use their directive powers to take whatever actions necessary. Finally, thank you to my supporters and family, and thank you to the whole community and the other candidates for participating in the democratic process. I think we all understand now is the time to pull together, stay safe, and look after those most impacted by this crisis.

Settlement Park While our parks are currently closed, it has still been good to see the progress on Settlement Park. The old play equipment had reached the end of its life and we made the decision to move the new equipment further into the open space and construct a pathway from the new Coochin Twins residential estate. This provides those residents with an easily accessible local park suitable for young families, and it is now safer for everyone as it is further away from the busy road. The second stage will include more landscaping and shade, and potentially more new play equipment. I look forward to seeing the community use the park once the restrictions are over and I have been happy to see families using the pathway already to get some exercise. Rick.Baberowski@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au Search us on Facebook Cr Rick Baberowski - Division 1

Call Rick on... P 5420 8987

Glasshouse Country & Maleny News

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Environment

Glasshouse Mountains Advancement Network Where song began In the 1990’s three tiny bones found near Kingaroy were aged at approximately 54 million years ago and were identified as fossils of perching birds – the oldest ever found. This find supported the theory that Australia was the origin of all Passerines (songbirds), also known as ‘perchers’ due to them having three forward toes and one backward, allowing them to perch even when asleep. Australia’s songbirds today have a huge wealth of form and behaviour that goes with tens of millions of years of evolution, ranging from tiny timid wrens to large combative magpies. Making up 47% of the world’s bird species, songbirds are often foragers, searching for food in trees, shrubs or leaf litter. Many build sophisticated nests, including baskets or

cups created from leaves, animal hair, cobwebs, lichen and moss. The moniker ‘songbird’ is somewhat misleading as not all Passerines have melodious calls, though most are relatively vocal. Australian songbirds include honeyeaters, fairy wrens, finches, willie wagtails, fantails, whistlers, treecreepers and pardalotes. Because our climate is relatively mild year round (compared with the harsh winters of the northern hemisphere), our songbirds are more sedentary, have smaller clutches, longer incubation and fledgling periods, and longer nesting seasons than their norther counterparts. They also tend to live longer. Slow breeding allows the development of larger more complex brains. Australian songbirds are among the most intelligent of birds, and include the most astounding of all songbirds, the superb lyrebird, whose ability to mimic sounds with incredible accuracy is unparalleled.

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In the Garden

Ode to the empty seed stand Have you tried to buy a packet of seed lately ... any seed? If you have, I feel your pain. And it’s not even the common fancy lettuce or French radish or giant Fordhook silverbeet - there’s no kohl rabi, no celeriac, no globe artichoke, no pickling gherkins … not even a single packet of okra (who even knows what okra is?) Is there some sort of gardening free-forall frenzy happening? Are people using all those empty toilet rolls to grow seedlings in? On the upside, I really hope that whatever people are doing with their seeds that they are taking good care of them and learning a little about how to grow and look after seedlings. And maybe … just maybe, there might be a new generation of avid gardeners emerging from the coronavirus ashes. Seeds are amazing things - little packets of hope and opportunity just waiting to burst forth and multiply. But they are also surprisingly fragile and need special treatment if they are to

survive to be planted. Rule number one. They have a used by date (it’s on the packet) so make sure you get them into some seed raising mix before then. Tip, the date relates to an unopened packet and that’s out the window once you tear it open. Rule number two. Don’t open the packet until you want to sow them. Seeds start to deteriorate from the day you expose them to the elements. Once opened, they – like a jar of sliced black olives – won’t last as long as you think. Rule number three. Learn about what it is that you’ve just spent your hard-earned cash panic buying. Don’t just rely on the 25 words on the seed packet - that’s just mostly marketing anyway. Is it actually suited to our climatic growing zone? (sorry if you’ve bought Brussels sprouts) Is it seasonal coming into winter? (sorry if you’ve bought capsicum) Does it take special conditions to germinate? (good luck with your Lebanese zucchini) How long does it take to grow to maturity? (you’ll be picking onions in December)

Are there any special soil conditions that it requires? (how long has it been since you limed the soil) How big will it grow? (hope you’ve got some really tall stakes for those oxheart tomatoes) How do you sow that seed to get the best germination? (let’s see how many of those tiny celery seeds make it) Can you germinate and grow them in a container and then transplant them? (don’t expect too much from your carrots grown this way) What pests and diseases do you need to watch out for and how do you deal with them? (is that ladybug a good one or a bad one … tip, if it’s got 28 spots, it’s a baddie) Rule number four. How’s your growing medium looking? (that’s your soil). If all you’ve got is a cheap bag of potting mix in a black plastic pot, I’m not sure if the watermelon is really going to take off. Soil needs to be a balance of mineral components, organic components, sands, clays and nutrients. It also needs a healthy ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, worms and other organisms to work in harmony with

Keep gardening – keep healthy with Spencer and Karen Shaw In these trying and stressful times, your garden can be a healthy retreat to work in (stay fit), slow down in (relax and heal) and also enjoy the beauty of the natural world (look after your mental health). Here at Forest Heart eco-Nursery we’re doing our best to keep supplying plants and garden supplies to our community while maintaining a safe shopping environment for our customers. To keep you safe and healthy, we are: – Encouraging distance between customers and ourselves – Providing hand washing facilities for you and our staff to use – Using all our space and fresh air in our outdoor nursery – Spraying lemon myrtle disinfectant on the counter surfaces, the eftpos machine and till after every customer

We are also developing ways you can place an order and collect without having to come to the counter (zero contact service). Keep up-to date via our website www.forestheart.com.au or find us on Facebook. We’re all being affected by the COVID-19 virus and as we go into these unprecedented and uncertain times we want to do all that we can to ensure the safety of our customers and team, as well as the future of Forest Heart and Brush Turkey Enterprises. We’re following the advice of federal and state governments closely and continue to make changes as new information and directions are made.

FOREST HEART Eco-Nursery

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20 Coral Street, Maleny Call 07 5435 2193 www.forestheart.com.au

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the plants you want to grow. Do you know the soil pH? And do you know what it should be for the seeds you’ve bought? Rule number five. Store your seeds carefully. Leaving them in a hot garden shed is a sure way to quicken their demise. You need to keep them in a cool spot, away from light and moisture; and they will be attractive for rats, mice, cockroaches, possums, silverfish and weevils, so keep them pest-safe as well. Rule number six. Sowing seeds is more than just putting some dirt on them. If you’re sowing directly into the garden, you need to prepare the soil with a fine tilth. Seedlings don’t fare well trying to push up through clods of soil. If you’re sowing them into trays or containers, use a seed raising mix rather than just potting mix. Potting mix will be too coarse for the fine seeds to germinate and grow. Know how deep you need to sow the seeds and keep them moist but not overly watered. If you’ve bought all the bean packets – sow, water well just the once, put them under cover and don’t water again until the seedlings have pushed through. Rule number seven. Only sow as much as

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you want to plant, and only plant as much as you need to eat (and maybe a little extra for the neighbours). You sow a whole packet of cauliflower seeds and you’ll end up with a couple of hundred – the same goes with any of the herbs, lettuce, radish and Asian greens. Alternatively, give away the excess seedlings to others who haven’t been able to find any … anywhere. Rule number eight. Treat the young seedlings like your babies. They need special attention in their start to life, and any stress or mistakes now will set them back in the long run. Rule number nine. Enjoy your time in the garden looking after your new found hobby. Once you’re bitten, the gardening bug is forever. Don’t be put off by a failure, we all have them. Try again and try to work out what went wrong and you’ll become a better gardener next time. Rule number ten. Don’t buy all the seeds. Just buy what you need and what you actually want to grow. In the end, most fresh veggies are available in stores all year round, so it’s not a race for survival. There’s enough for everyone – hopefully including me (I just want one packet each of English and perpetual spinach seeds).

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