ABOUT Plant-A-Genda and Deni McKenzie

While operating a Bed & Breakfast / Farmstay just out of Armidale New South Wales, I wished to cook fresh, organic vegetables for my guests. Having come from Melbourne Victoria though, the climate in the New Enlgand region was quite different to that I had grown up in.

A wall chart with 'When to Plant What' started me thinking and planning, but finding that I was accumulating jars of seeds everywhere, some named and some not, and when finding half an hour to plant some vegetables I quite often found that I didn't have the seeds I required, or they had been filed away for safe keping and could not be found.

I knew that there had to be a better system to help avoid these problems and provide an easy filing system for the seeds, as well as a companion planting plan to avoid having to spray the plants. From this the Seed Bible came into existance, along with 'The Box' now known as the Plant-A-Genda.

After finding it extremely hard to locate a supplier within Australia that could produce a box the way I required, the first Plant-A-Genda boxes were initially constructed using a blue box from China, and the dividers and plastic 'sides' produced in Sydney Australia.

Intent on making the Plant-A-Genda a truly Australian product though, I was pleased to announce that in 2008 the Plant-A-Genda box was now being soley produced in Australia with the help of the staff at Galma Pak in Sydney. The staff at Galma Park went right out of their way to achieve the best box at the lowest pricing for us, without any compromise and a strong focus on environmental friendliness. This new yellow box is also longer than the old one, featuring corrugated cardboard inserts instead of plastic sides.

We’ve found that for us in Armidale having a comparatively short season in Autumn and Winter, and Winter tends to be the time for rejuvenating our garden beds and sitting down to work out what seeds you want, based on what you prefer to eat. This is much easier now using this new system we have developed. Even in a Cold Climate you can still plant and grow some vegies - they just grow a bit more slowly. So regardless of where you live in the world, you can use the Plant-A-Genda to help organise and enjoy year round vegie gardening.

While the Plant-A-Genda can help you learn and stay organised in your vegie gardening, you will still need to add compost, vermiculite, and feed your garden with good safe fertalisers and charcoal to keep them in best shape. We have included these tips along with recipes on our CD-ROM which is included with the Plant-A-Gen!us product. The Hints and Recipes section of our website also contains lots of helpful information for planning and keeping your garden going.

I have yet to meet a gardener who knows everything, and I am no exception. However, if you need information I’m more than happy to find it out for you, one way or another! So always feel free to contact me at deni@plantagenda.com.au

...Happy Eating!

Deni McKenzie.