ABOUT Plant-A-Genda and Deni McKenzie

While operating a Bed & Breakfast / Farmstay just out of Armidale, New South Wales, I wanted to cook fresh, organic vegetables for my guests. Having come from Melbourne, Victoria though, the climate in the New England region is quite different - to say the least! 

A wall chart with 'When to Plant What' started me thinking and planning, but also I found that I was accumulating jars of seeds everywhere, some named and some not.  Also, when I could find half an hour to plant some vegetables, I quite often 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 avoid these problems. One in which I could file easily but that allowed for sequential plantings.  Also imperative was the need to have the dividers standing up, not flopping over.  Not only an easy filing system for the seeds, but a companion planting plan to avoid having to spray the plants and increase the taste sensation.. From this the Seed Bible came into existance, along with 'The Box' now known as the Plant-A-Genda.

It was extremely difficult then to find 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.

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.  This new yellow box is also longer than the old one, featuring corrugated cardboard inserts instead of plastic sides.  Unfortunately, Made In Australia usually means it costs more than if it were made overseas in Asian.

We now live outside Armidale, but still in the New England Tablelands.  Our Winters are cold, but there are still things to plant.  However, much of the gardening at this time of the year is a time for rejuvenating the garden beds and sitting down to work out what seeds are needed, based on what one prefers 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 fertilisers [composted manure] 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.  People buying the Plant-a-Genda get the attachments by email giving these tips.

I have yet to meet a gardener who knows everything, and I am no exception. However, if you need more 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.