Meet the gardeners and their garden

As an ethnobotanist, Jessica is interested in the relationship between plants and people including the way in which different cultures use plants for food, medicines, clothing, fuels and other purposes.  Jessica has created a small front garden that showcases different types of native edibles with informative signs, so encouraging passersby to pause and learn about some of the amazing bush tucker foods that can be grown locally in Bass Coast.  In addition to native edibles, this garden includes some traditional vegetables and young fruit trees.  Jessica’s husband, Trevor, is a consulting arborist, so it was no surprise that they bought and planted a pair of fruit trees for their fourth (fruits and flowers) wedding anniversary!

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Come to see, learn and be inspired!

• Jessica encourages visitors to taste the leaves and flowers of some of the native edibles in her garden.  The leaves of the Tasmanian pepperberry have a spicy, peppery flavour, with the tongue-numbing heat taking about a minute to intensify - you have been warned!

• As part of her commitment to sustainable living practices, Jessica also uses the plants in her garden for other, non-food purposes.  Her whole family uses a deodorant paste made by Jessica from Australian native essential oils.  Native mint bushes (prosanthera) are pruned, dehydrated and used to create an oil similar to Vicks vapor rub.  For Christmas, she creates clay decorations and wreaths from native plants. 

• Traditional fruits, nuts and berries in this garden include apricots, cherries, nectarines, mulberries, oranges, chestnuts and strawberries.  Some of the Australian native fruits, nuts and berries include Kakadu plum, macadamias and midyim berries.  There are also edible tuber plants such as native leek and yam daisy.

• With a background in running educational workshops for both children and adults, Jessica's garden will include a series of displays and fun interactive activities that will allow you to learn more about Australian native edibles and their uses.  This could include demonstrations on seed saving, displays of plants and seaweed that can be locally foraged, examples of how native edibles can be stored, dehydrated and preserved, as well as sales of native edible tube stock.

 

Parking and accessibility

Parking on adjacent streets.  The garden is flat and easily accessible.

 

Address

22 Seaspray Avenue, Cape Woolamai

For more information about Jessica, see: https://backyard-botany.com/