I’m Rach, UK born living with husband (Mr T) and 4 children in Brisbane’s bayside suburb of Wynnum. I have wanted to try and live a more sustainable, slower, greener life for a while now. I remember as a child growing up having a big strawberry patch, eating peas straight off the vine, wandering around munching on a stick of rhubarb that I dipped in a pot of sugar, foraging for blackberries along the canal, and having a big hessian bag of homegrown potatoes in the shed. I also had to duck under wild caught rabbits hanging in the door of the shed, to get to the potatoes, but that’s another story…
When I was in uni I had dreams of possibly moving to the country and having a small patch of land on which to live as self sufficiently as possible. But I soon realised that I wanted to stay close to family, friends and I enjoyed being able to access the city or sea easily. And realistically, I’m not sure I’m cut out for that level of self reliance without the back up of shops at hand 😉
So this is my compromise! We have a large enough garden that we can grow quite a lot of produce if we want to, Wynnum is on the bay so I can easily duck down to the water front for my dose of sea gazing and people watching, and as we are just off the Gateway motorway so much of Brisbane and surrounds is easily accessible.
I have been recently diagnosed with ADHD and (highly suspected) ASD and I find that this slower paced life is great for my mental health. And the physical activities of being the in the garden, preserving, cooking and crafting certainly help to quieten an overactive brain. I am discovering more tips and tricks for managing in a neurotypical (NT) world and will no doubt post about those at some point. My diagnosis has made a huge difference to me.
My Bayside Homestead website has been created for a few reasons: to keep track of my adventures in this way of life and to help/encourage others that may want to take their own steps to growing and preserving food. I am still learning and I am in no way an expert gardener/grower, but I am finding lots of joy in the process for myself and I do love sharing what I have or know with my community. You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram.
I also have an urban honesty stall – Kenmar Honesty Stall where I sell some of the many, many plants that I propagate. I put the smaller plants on my stall and then direct sell larger plants, indoor, and shade plants. Kenmar Honesty Stall can also be followed on Facebook and Instagram or if you are in the Wynnum – Manly area you can pop past and check it out.
I’m planning on doing some posts on my “early years”, for my own record and because it can be a bit cathartic.
School Years
Bayside Homestead 