Barry's edible garden
Public housing tenant Barry has a green thumb and a garden full of surprises. What makes it so special? Check out his video.
My Garden Story
We’re doing things differently this year to celebrate the wonderful gardens of Queensland’s public housing tenants. We won’t be having judging, ceremonies or prizes like we usually do for the My Home Awards, but we would love to see the great things you are doing in your garden.
Tell us your gardening story
This year, Queensland public housing tenants are invited to share their gardening story, whether it’s a photo, a story, or poem.
Tell us what your garden means to you, or how your garden helps you to relax; what kinds of things you grow or how long you have been gardening. You can also share your gardening tips!
Keep an eye on this page and the Housing for Queensland Facebook page where your garden may be featured.
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Meet the gardeners
Tenants like you are growing amazing gardens. Get to know some of them.
Alan's great veggies
When you ask experienced vegetable gardener Alan what his planting advice is, he smiles and says “talk to them nicely”. Find out what else he does.
Go green in the garden
Elias grows food from garden scraps and recycles household containers as planters. Give it a try
Freedom and flowers
"Now that I’m in my own place, I can plant whatever flowers I like," says Jo. See her roses
Share your garden tips
Spring is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy your garden - the days are longer; the air is warm, and the time is ripe for gardening!
We've included some of the best tips from our tenants right here. If you know some others, why not share them? We'll post the best ones to this page, and to our social media channels.
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You don’t need a backyard to grow plants from seed. You can start with a pot or a polystyrene box – you can check your local fruit stores for left over polystyrene boxes.
Step 1: prepare your garden pot
Make sure your pot has drainage holes and fill your pot or box with soil or potting mix.
Refer to the seed packet for planting information before starting.
Step 2: water the soil
Water the soil lightly. Watering before planting the seeds protects them from being washed up and out of the soil.
Step 3: Planting the seeds
Make small holes or rows and sprinkle the seeds. The seed packet will tell you how far apart to plant and how deep to make the holes or rows.
If you plant too closely, you can always thin them out after they come up.
Cover with soil - sprinkle soil lightly on top of the seeds, pressing gently to ensure they have contact with the soil.
Step 4: Add sunshine and water
Keep your soil moist (not drenched) and warmed by the sun (not scorched).
Step 5: Enjoy your garden!
Watch in wonder as your first sprouts appear after 2-3 weeks.
Choose hardy plants
Grow plants that have good drought tolerance. Great choices include grevilleas, bottlebrush and lavender and succulents.
Mulch, mulch, mulch
Mulch around the base of plants to keep moisture in the soil. Consider using mulches, like sugarcane or straw, which break down and help improve the soil.
Compost and chook poo are good for your garden
Organic matter like compost and chicken manure fertilise and improve your soil and helps to retain water.
Don’t lose your water to evaporation
It’s best to water your plants early in the morning before the harsh afternoon sun arrives. This gives the roots time to soak up the water before you lose it to evaporation.
Recycle, recycle, recycle
From a glass of ‘old’ water to the water you use to cook your pasta in – it all counts! Before pouring it down the sink, think about whether your plants might be thirsty.
If your plants have been in the same pots for over a year, their roots may have outgrown the pot they are in.
To repot your plants, pull them out of the pot and untangle the roots gently. Place them in a bigger pot with fresh potting mix and some slow release fertiliser - the bigger the pot, the bigger the plant can grow, until it reaches the size range for that plant.
Spring is the perfect time to grow your favourite warmer season veggies and herbs in your garden.
Don’t worry if you don't have a backyard. There are plenty of herbs and veggies that can be grown in pots too!
Plants like basil, tomatoes, zucchinis, cucumbers, capsicum and parsley will help to keep your kitchen stocked with fresh ingredients.
Bees are important, not only for a source of honey, but because they pollinate plants. Nearly all flowers will attract bees, but there are some plants that are attract more than others.
Choose varieties that flower across the seasons - the longer they flower, the longer bees will be attracted to your garden.
Bees prefer yellow and blue flowers, so factor these into your selection.
To help get your garden buzzing, try planting some of these in your garden:
- Daisies (Asteraceae)
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
- Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans)
- Lavender (Lavandula cv)
- Basil (Ocimum cv)
Flowering plants will not just attract bees - they'll also attract other beneficial insects that are natural predators of pests like aphids.