Garden Insights + Share Table

Garden Insights: Madingley Homestead

Presented by Debbie and Brodie Bassingthwaighte

Sunday 22 September 2024

2.00 pm - 4.30 pm

88 Richards Road, Postmans Ridge, Q 4352

This event is organised by Permaculture Toowoomba Inc.

Bookings are Essential

Bookings are essential so that we have contact details and know how many will be attending.

What We'll Do

We’ll start at 2.00 pm with a welcome and introduction. We like to visit a range of different gardens, each as unique as the gardeners who live there. It’s wonderful to see the diverse garden styles, approaches, and plants that can be grown in our bioregion.

In September we're offering an extra spring bonus with a second Garden Insights. We usually meet on the first Sunday of each month, but this month we'll meet again on the fourth Sunday - a special opportunity to get together.

We'll be welcomed by Debbie and Brodie Bassingthwaighte at their 5-acre permaculture homestead in the Lockyer Valley (just 10 minutes from Toowoomba).

What We'll See

5-acre (2 hectare) Land for Wildlife property bisected by spring-fed Rocky Creek
challenging growing conditions (low rainfall, cold overnight winter temperatures with frosts, high daytime summer temperatures)

Zone 1

kitchen garden with annual herbs and veggies in wicking beds
Asian-inspired food garden with gingers, mints, and dwarf fruit trees
aromatic apothecary garden with healing, medicinal and scented plants

Zone 2

holistic fruit orchard including some young low-chill espaliered trees, established trees, and drought-hardy varieties
integrated poultry systems (chickens, geese, turkeys, Muscovy, quail, guinea fowl)
wildlife habitat garden (with nest boxes, frog hotel, lizard lounge, native bee hives, fairy garden)
nursery and propagation area
worm farm and compost area
native bushfood garden in it's early stages of development

Zone 3

riparian wildlife corridor along the creek (with evidence of significant damage from flooding in February 2022)
Tree Troff Drinkers for arboreal wildlife

The Story Behind the Garden (a few words from Debbie)

We live on a peaceful 5-acre permaculture homestead in the Lockyer Valley just a 10-minute drive from Toowoomba. It's been our home for 22 years and has seen many changes and challenges - destructive floods in 2011 and 2022, time caring for teenagers, young adults, aging parents, and grandchildren, full-time work and months away travelling in our caravan.

Through all these seasons of life, our garden has been a work in progress, slowly evolving as family commitments, priorities and finances allow. We learn as we go, and adapt things to meet our changing needs. The house and outdoor living spaces are being retrofitted over time. We have grid-connected solar power and we’re independent of other external connections with a bio-septic system that recycles all waste, and tanks for rainwater storage.

We have an aspirational vision for Madingley Homestead that keeps us moving forward. (I wrote this in 2017 when I completed the first of several PDCs.) Perhaps one day we'll come close to achieving this!

About Debbie and Brodie

As semi-retired teachers, Debbie and Brodie enjoy living a simple life that feels interconnected with nature and community. Debbie is the designer and Brodie has the practical skills to create this abundant garden that nourishes family, friends, and wildlife.

You might like to see Debbie’s website, Nurtured Life, focused on empowering resilience and self-reliance as a curator of living wisdom. It includes a potpourri of blog posts for inspiration, links to events, and resources (recipes, plant profiles, and bookshelf) to build skills and knowledge.

Debbie is also the founding President of Permaculture Toowoomba Inc.

Collage of photographs of Madingley Homestead

Afternoon Tea (provided)

A light afternoon tea will be provided (including Gluten Free and Vegan options).

What to Bring

KeepCup or similar for your drink at afternoon tea (we're trying to minimise waste)
Chair
Water Bottle
Sun protection
Clothes and footwear suitable for outdoor weather conditions
Donations of surplus produce for the Share Table

Share Table

Do you have surplus?

We encourage you to bring your surplus produce, plants, seeds, books, craft supplies, and resources to share with others at our events.

Some ideas of what you could bring include – fruit, vegetables, herbs, eggs, honey, milk, jams, pickles, preserves, jars, ferments, starters, SCOBYs, seeds, plants, seedlings, cuttings, tubers, pots, tools, gardening magazines, permaculture books, recipes, patterns, manure, coffee grounds, compost additives, worms, mealworms, wool, fabric, craft supplies, soap, natural cleaning products, plastic alternatives, produce bags – the list is extensive.

Please bring whatever you can and then take home whatever you need within our culture of generosity and free sharing

Directions

If driving from Toowoomba, head east down the range and through Withcott. Turn left into Connoles Road (the first road after the Murphys Creek turnoff – you’ll see Dependable Sheds on the right of the highway). Then turn immediately right into Richards Road. 88 is the last property at the end of Richards Road (only 880m off the highway). The road is sealed and suitable for all vehicle access.

Parking

Off street parking is available. Please drive carefully off the road along the driveway towards the house and park nose-in along the right of the driveway.

Access

The garden is relatively flat and mostly suitable for wheelchairs, walking frames and strollers if needed. The toilet has a grab rail for support, but is not large enough for wheelchair access.

Children are always welcome with close adult supervision for their safety.

We hope we see you there!

Cost

Financial Members of Permaculture Toowoomba Inc. - Free
First-time Visitors to a Permaculture Toowoomba Inc. Event - Free
Non-Members - $10 per person
Children attending with an Adult - Free (but please book so we know the total numbers)

Membership

Annual Membership of Permaculture Toowoomba Inc. is due by 31 December each year. It's only $40 per person or $30 for a second or subsequent adult living in the same home. After 30 June, fees are 1/2 price for 1/2 year.

If you join now, membership is valid for until the end of 2024.

Members can attend all events and workshops during the year at no cost. You can pay your membership at checkout when you book to attend this event.

Please complete a Membership form which will be available at the event for anyone wishing to join, or available here for download at http://www.permaculturetoowoomba.com.au/membership/