I just wanted to let you all know I have decided to retire from Marty's Garden and the online world of gardening. I want to thank everyone for their support over the years. Everyone has been awesome and it's been an amazing journey of over 15 years I will close this account in a couple of days. I recommend that you reach out to any new friends and get their details so you can keep contact with them. Sending lots of love to you all. Marty & Sherly

Thank you to everyone who has also been sharing something different about themselves here, other than just gardening. It really helps us all get to know each other better and connect with those who have similar interests. Mine is my faith, surfing, and photography. Really, anything to do with nature I enjoy, but my latest is catching the morning fog in an Aussie landscape near my home. Please feel free to share your other passions, your morning experience, or anything else you may enjoy! I know members here, including myself, will enjoy seeing your special moments or time together!

When it comes to choosing what to plant in the garden, one plant is at the top of my list - Swiss Chard. Also known as Silverbeet, it is part of the same family as Beetroot and Spinach. I find Swiss Chard (Silverbeet) easy and uncomplicated to grow. So, if you are looking at some easy gardening wins to build your veggie-growing confidence, I recommend growing this wonderful plant. It is very hardy, keeps putting out food, and can last for several years. The seeds come in a cluster, so when planting you may have multiple seeds strike from the same cluster. Not to worry, you can separate them and grow them on individually. You can start raising them as seedlings from about August onward. In sub-tropical climates, like Mulimbimby, Murwulimbah, the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Coffs Harbour (I have probably murdered those place names!), you can grow them year-round. That said, they are not huge fans of full sun in the middle of summer, and they will wilt in extreme temperatures. Keep the water up and they'll bounce back well. They don't mind dappled shade, so my tip is to move them to a shady spot in the peak of a summer's day. Best of all, they come in a range of colourful choices to brighten up your garden. Check out the colour in this pot!!

For the grow challenge, I have decided to grow my second round of Tomatoes and Chili's in containers, as I don't want the hassle of staking. Determinate Tomatoes also don't need any pruning and can be very productive, but only for a shorter time period. I will save seeds from the Heirloom determinate varieties for next season or keep growing on through the year, as I have a winter spot that does quite well. There are a lot of different determinate varieties, and they can be quite fun to grow. There are even micro varieties for small spaces. Are you growing Determinate Tomatoes too, or about to get some started? In the Tomato and Chili Grow challenge course, I help you choose the right varieties for your area/ region/climate and provide more in-depth insights on indeterminate and determinate tomatoes. Happy Gardening Marty

So today I'm writing up my self-sufficiency plan for 2026. I have all the very typical things in there like my soap making and my pickling and my jams and all my baking and all those things What I'm looking for in terms of feedback is because I'm moving from back from a meat based diet to a plant based diet. What do you consider something that's more unusual that you like to grow? So far on my list I've got asparagus, broccoli, beans, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, corn, celery, cucumber,spinach, dried beans various types of, garlic, onions, Peppers, lettuce, spring onions, tomatoes, kale,sweet potatoes, pumpkin, strawberry, Blackberry, blueberry, cranberries, raspberries, pineapples. Egg plant ,egg plant I can't put any fruit trees in but I can put them in containers... What am my missing from my list in terms of sowing?