Introduction.

The garden is a place I’ve come to spend a huge part of my life. So much so, it’s become my job to spend hours nurturing and harvesting plants, day in, day out. I love my job because people, places and plants all offer something new and exciting each and every day. Working with enthusiastic people to grow the food they love in new landscapes keeps the challenge fresh and the rewards fruitful.

For my partner Tess and me, the garden is our refuge and one of the calmest places in which we can be. It’s a place for us to slow down from the crazy pace of modern life. In the garden, your mind can unwind, reflect and pause to appreciate the simple beauty of nature. As life becomes more hectic and the relentless pursuit to ‘do it all’ dominates our days, growing your own food is a rewarding antidote and a quiet escape from the stress of the modern world.

Living in Sydney for nearly ten years, we’ve found the need to create daily rituals that provide us with opportunities to slow down and cultivate our own recipe for the good life. We’ve discovered that gardening and cooking ensure we maintain a simple, meaningful life in the chaos of the city. Whether it’s sipping a cup of tea as we water our herbs in the morning light, or spending 30 minutes a day tending to our vegie patch, gardening in particular provides us with a time for reflection and tranquillity.

Growing up on the South Coast of New South Wales, my brothers and I were exposed to the practicalities of growing food, maintaining an orchard and raising the odd calf, chicken or kangaroo. Providing food for the family, collecting rainwater and living resourcefully were all essential parts of growing up on an acreage – it’s a lifestyle and upbringing I value dearly. The appreciation and principles I learned as a kid from the bush motivated me to re-create this lifestyle for the people around me in the city. I just felt that city living would be better for everyone if they improved their lifestyle and slowed down by focusing on the fun of gardening and creative cooking.

For those of you who already have a garden, you know that the size of the garden doesn’t matter – it’s the total experience that it brings you. Maybe it’s growing the tastiest Meyer lemon you’ve ever had, or the satisfaction of knowing that your basil and chilli are within arm’s reach when it comes time to flavour your favourite dish. The garden-to-plate experience can be as small or as big as you like – the important thing is to enjoy it. I think that the popular surf brand slogan ‘Only a surfer knows the feeling’ can relate to the garden-to-plate lifestyle, too. Only a gardener knows the feeling.

With its constant hum and everyday hustle, city life is quite the opposite of taking a moment to sit on a mossy log by a creek within a national park. This can sometimes mean that city dwellers feel disconnected from nature and long to be back in touch with the natural world. This connection is especially important for children growing up in the city who may miss regular opportunities to explore the great outdoors. I believe that easing off life’s accelerator enough to allow you to truly connect to your creativity and grow your own food is a positive step towards a more fulfilling life. While the hard work, juggle and stress of modern life continue to pull us in all directions until we are overwhelmed, the simple act of gardening forces us to be in the present moment. Our gardens help us to slow down, bring us back to earth and enable us to enjoy the simple things. I believe we need our gardens now more than ever.

I’ve had the genuine pleasure of gardening with people of all abilities, from kids at school through to the staff of large corporations. The common thread I’ve noticed is that we are all capable, caring growers when given the time and space to learn.

Tess and I wrote this book to not only tell the story of how we managed to bring the good life from the farm into the city, but also in the hopes of teaching and inspiring people like you to do the same. It’s easy to feel rushed, stressed and overwhelmed, and we often feel like the pace of modern life hijacks our sense of calm, but it’s possible to add simple rituals to our daily lives to help us to slow down and smell the roses (or rosemary!).

We hope these garden tips and kitchen recipes inspire you to soak up the outdoors, reconnect with your food, share with your community and live the good life.

If you’re keen to slow down and grow, then you’re ready to go!

Let’s get started.

Byron

‘Soak up the outdoors, reconnect with your food, share with your community and live the good life.’