The fact is: when the next world disaster strikes and the shops are all empty of food again, which we all know will eventually happen, then there simply isn't going to be enough fresh food to go around.  And even if you can find some  to buy, it will be too expensive and too old, because it has taken so long to get to you. And then we have the lack of nutritional value in most of the supermarket fresh produce and the chemicals that are sprayed all over them.

If we have any chance of eating well enough to stay at all healthy, we all need to start growing at least some of the food we eat. 

At the 'Creating My Wonderland' workshop, we demonstrate a myriad of ideas for help our community take back some control over their lives, by implementing more sustainable systems.

With sustainability in mind, creating your own Wonderland has to be a step in the right direction.

The magic of My Wonderland is that it makes me want to never leave.

The minute I step out, I am drawn into the garden, and then hours and hours go by and it is hard to stop doing things. The thrill of each new growth, or the sudden appearance of flowers. A new idea to implement, a garden bed to replant, more seeds to put in. Food to pick and food to cook and then food to eat.

Our aim here at Wonderland Retreat is to help others do the same. For more information check out our website:

www.wonderland-retreat.com.au

Thank you to this lovely bunch of people, for guiding me through my first 'Creating My Wonderland' workshop last weekend.

I have spent the last 20 years building Wonderland Retreat, with a dream to somehow share some of these ideas with others. But we don't really know how to do these things until we actually try.I was blown away by the encouragement and positive feedback .

After the first guided educational tour, we did a second walk around the garden and harvested food for the guests to take home.

Also a delicious lunch together and some great conversations, sorry we forgot to take pictures of that part.

My first ever paid for workshop is in 3 days. Saturday 3 October 2026

Wish me luck!

Beetroot is a super food, and is one of my favourite things to grow! 

Beetroot Dip with greek yogurt, garlic and lime juice.

Pickled with cinnamon and cloves.

Leaves used for greens in the next vegetarian dish.

Stalks and any wrinkled leaves go to the chickens/compost.

Not a single thing wasted. 

Mulberry tree dripping in mulberries, and they are just starting turn black.

Pomegranate starting to get it's leaves

Mango in full bloom, lets hope it holds it's fruit.

This is my view from my kitchen window. An ever changing picture.

Today's creation from Tam's Garden

Pickled Beetroot - luxury!

What we don't eat, the chickens do.

I love my life.

Creating My Wonderland - 4 hour workshop - $100 per person

Saturday 3 October 10am -2pm.

Refreshments provided

Discussion and a tour around My Wonderland, demonstrating the environmental improvements already implemented and talking through ideas for what's coming next.

https://www.stickytickets.com.au/9SZ8IM

Looking forward to lunch today at Wonderland Retreat - Grow your own food and share a meal together.

Calendula: One of the most underrated Medicinal Herbs 

If you had to choose just a handful of herbs to grow, Calendula (Calendula officinalis) should always make the list. It flowers almost all year round, bringing bright splashes of golden orange to the garden even through the colder months, and right now it's absolutely flourishing, attracting many beneficial insects into the garden.

Calendula is one of the very best herbs for inflamed, damaged, or slow healing skin. It helps stimulate tissue repair, supports healthy circulation to damaged areas, and encourages the growth of new skin. Use it for cuts, scrapes, burns, bruises, insect bites, cracked hands, rashes, eczema, and minor skin infections. You'll find Calendula infused into many of the healing balms and moisturisers because it's so wonderfully soothing and restorative.

Its actions include:

* Anti-inflammatory

* Antimicrobial

* Antifungal

* Antiseptic

* Vulnerary (supports wound healing)

* Lymphatic

* Mildly astringent

* Emmenagogue (supports healthy menstrual flow)

Much of Calendula's anti-inflammatory activity comes from compounds called triterpenoids, along with flavonoids and carotenoids, all of which have been well studied for their beneficial effects. The flowers are the part most used medicinally.

Calendula is also a nutritious edible flower.

The vibrant petals are rich in antioxidant compounds including lutein, beta-carotene, and flavonoids, along with small amounts of vitamin C. These colourful pigments help protect our cells from oxidative stress while supporting healthy skin and eyesight.

The petals have a mild peppery flavour and can be scattered through salads, stirred into rice dishes, baked into cakes and biscuits, infused into vinegars, or sprinkled over almost any meal to brighten both the plate and your day. Even the young leaves are edible, although they're a little more bitter.

Fresh flower heads can be infused into tea, while dried flowers are perfect for storing and using throughout the year. I most often dry them before infusing them into oil to make healing balms and moisturisers, but they can also be made into herbal teas, skin washes, compresses, bath soaks, and soothing gargles.

Calendula is also one of the easiest medicinal herbs to grow. It happily self-seeds, flowers prolifically, attracts bees and other beneficial insects, and makes a fantastic companion plant in the vegetable garden.