Urban Homestead Artist

19/10/2026

This is what an impatient tomato looks like. It refused go die off in autumn and rushing to fruit a second season NOW in Melbourne!

02/10/2026

Two strange things happening in my garden right now. While most people in Melbourne are thinking about planting tomatoes seed or baby seedlings soon, I discovered my first green tomato today! Also this weird cabbage is heading up but behaving like a sprouting broccoli. I’m undecided if they have crossed (as both were panted here and this is a volunteer) or is the cabbage in a hurry to go to seed. Your thoughts wise gardeners out there?

08/08/2026

The tally is in! The tromboncinos weighed approx 3-5kilos each. With 30 fruit, we ended up with approximately 120 kilos of food from this ONE plant! As it is gets closer to sowing seeds, consider this generous squash plant for your garden. Planted into good soil it will need a lot of space and reward you accordingly. We have been enjoying them as a pumpkin but likes them green also.

22/07/2026

The chokos grew well this season. We pocked the last one at almost 1 kilo. Some plants are such great value. Plant them and they reward you with so much food!

16/06/2026

I had no idea chokos grew this big! I guess my plant is finally content. I’ve been picking them smaller but these where on the other side of the fence. You know that “I’ll get to jobs” that get away from us?

01/05/2026

The Autumn colour is reminding me if I don’t get some veggies going thing could be lean! So off to visit Sarah at to grab some seedings. I’ve been terribly slack planting seeds of late. I’m trying to get some studio time in! It was straight back to the studio to work in a big oil painting. When I’m worm out from that I’ll plant these babies up.

29/04/2026

How’s everyones Autumn garden going?

Friends, mine is super late, tho despite being too busy to garden for many weeks, baby chokos are just starting with so many buds on our vine this year! I had to pull it out of the tree this time so we didn’t donate them all to the possums. We might actually get a harvest.

I haven’t even started my seeds but thankfully random winter volunteers have popped up here and there. In fact one little brocollette plant was picked yesterday. Small pickings but hey.

I really want to get red cabbage, purple sprouting broccoli and Chinese broccoli in though. I never grow enough beetroot so yesterday I yanked a handful of dried seeds from a plant and literally threw them all around me. Same with a few onion varieties. Hopefully some will take until I plant some “properly”

Summer veggies are STILL winding down so I began starting the clean up this week, harvesting before cutting plants at ground level. Trombonchino was the star of Summer with one plant producing 30 big Ts!!! I’ll be saving those seeds. Cucumbers and tomatoes are almost done. The Malaka tomatoes came back from the dead to produce a second flush so glad I didn’t get to cleaning them up!

Today I’ll plant pre-sprouted broad beans and snow peas. I find I lose less to rodents if I pre sprout.

Thankfully leafy greens grow themselves each year so silverbeet, spinach and perennials like rhubarb, lemons, tons of parsley, and scarlet runner beans are being harvested here and there. The asparagus has recently finished - I think 😂

So not a big winter garden but a little is better than none and allowing plants to go to seed always ensures nature plants when you have no time to.

My chickens are getting old now so we only get an egg a day max but still enjoy their company.

How about you?

15/04/2026

I’ve not had a lot of energy the past month for gardening or art, so for April I decided to play small and test out oil pastels in a small 10x10cm watercolour sketchbook. Not easy if compared to soft pastel but I’m finding it a worthy medium. These are the pages completed so far…

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXGkqseETe4/?igsh=MXp4MXl3dm5qY2I0

11/04/2026

Couldn’t have said it better myself. I’ve been banging this drum for years. Something growing is always better than nothing. The more everyone does, the leas pressure in the system and reliance on our inn competent and destructive global leadership. Plant something - anything and take care of your soil . Then you won’t need fertilisers!

FOOD SECURITY – TIME TO THINK DIFFERENTLY

I don’t want to alarm anyone… but I do think the writing is on the wall.

What we’re seeing right now with the fuel crisis — and more importantly the fertiliser crisis — is starting to hit home.

I’m aware that in some of Australia’s major food-growing regions, farmers are not planting up to 40% of their crops. Quite simply, they can’t afford the diesel or the cost of inputs like urea fertiliser.

That has real consequences.

👉 Fewer crops going in the ground
👉 Less food coming out
👉 Higher prices on the shelves
👉 And likely shortages in the near future

Now, this is just my opinion… but I believe there has never been a more important time than right now to start growing more of your own food.

And the good news?

You can start small — and you can start today.

As we move into the cooler months, there are plenty of quick-growing crops you can get into the ground:

🥬 Asian greens — bok choy, pak choy, choi sum
🌱 Radish
🌿 Spring onions
🥗 Lettuce

Even in cooler weather, a feed is better than no feed.

Then think a little further ahead:

🥬 Silverbeet
🥦 Broccoli
🥬 Cabbage
🥦 Cauliflower

These take longer, but they’ll keep you fed down the track.

And here’s the key…

👉 Use all the space you’ve got.

Front yard, backyard, along the fence line, in pots — wherever you can grow something, do it.

Don’t forget your companion planting either. Mixing plants helps build stronger, more resilient systems that support each other.

This isn’t about panic — it’s about preparation.

Small actions, done consistently, can make a big difference — for you, your family, and collectively for all of us.

📚 If you’d like guidance on growing healthy, nutrient-dense food, all six of my books are available to help you get started and build confidence.

👉 https://craigcastree.com.au

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Bye for now.