THIS ISSUE
I write this as we go into the gentle season of autumn, but how could we forget the searing summer we experienced this year? The NSW Hunter Valley, where I live, is one of the areas that copped the worst of it and, for the first time, my summer vegie garden succumbed to the intense heat. Plants were bolting, wilting and just looking sad. Finally, to put an end to its struggle and mine, I opened the gate and let the chickens do their worst, then replanted when the weather became saner. It made me realise again the importance of good garden planning. In my case, I could have thought more about protection from the savage mid-afternoon western sun in temperatures like we experienced. Garden planning needs to take account of…