My Veggie Patch: Rediscover the joy of growing your own backyard food

by Richard Bruinsma

A Rosemount couple has launched a business offering upmarket raised garden beds for homeowners. 

“My Veggie Patch”, established by Riordan and Bethany Butler, saw a need to re-establish the backyard growing of veggies, fruits and herbs. They will launch publicly – including providing expertise in bio-organic soil, water preservation, seasonal and site-specific planting plans, and ongoing support and management – at the Queensland Garden Expo at Nambour (July 7-9).

The raised beds are designed in a kitchen garden style, where the fruit, veggies, herbs and even edible flowers are within easy access to the owner’s kitchen. It’s a style suitable for even the smallest back yards.

“The humble backyard veggie patch used to be such an important and valuable thing in past decades, and we are learning now just how much we seriously miss the benefits of those gardens,” Mr Butler said.

“There are countless fears around these days about the high cost of vegetables, concerns about nutrition and food security, and the problems associated with over-farming, and our organic raised garden beds help to address all those concerns.

“To have a kitchen-garden style garden in your yard provides healthy produce, but also convenience, a significant money saving, and the satisfaction that you’re looking after yourself and your family.”

My Veggie Patch has designed and constructed the raised garden beds from Australian cypress, which is naturally termite-resistant. Their flagship product includes two powder-coated arched trellises, strong enough to support climbing vines like passionfruit, tomatoes, beans, even pumpkins.

The couple also manages the ‘construction’ of the beds, including nutrient rich ‘alive soils’ free of chemical fertiliser and pesticides, self-watering bed systems, seasonal, site-specific and sun-related planting scheduling, and ongoing management and advisory support.

“You get this amazingly vibrant food that tastes exceptional and is really good for you, and that’s what we want to bring to the world through My Veggie Patch.

“I believe that people will turn back to having control over their own food sources and I think that those that get on the front foot early with that are going to be far better poised for the uncertainty of what the future might hold for us.”

Info: www.myveggiepatch.au.