When I was told about Sarah's Garden in Gowrie (named for an 18-year-old, now ex-cat), the garden selector for Open Gardens Canberra, said Jane Rankine, one of the garden owners, "is a good cook - of cakes, at least". Now I know that her husband, Andrew Rankine is a good cook too, specialising in a sourdough bread (known as "Dad bread") made using fresh rainwater from a garden tank.
Jane's garden notes, available online under the OCG website, have delicious touches of humour and they will tempt you to visit. Irises and Alister Clark roses line curving garden beds, there are courtyards with saffron crocus in a planter by the clothesline, Jane's "potting precinct" and a tank garden filled with herbs.
At the openings, on November 5-6, there will be talks on the solar-passive house and the garden's 40-year history. Fruit trees were planted by the previous owners, Alan and Jan Miles, in the 1980s and there are crab apple, plum and apricot, the latter two used for homemade jam.
A timber latticed structure made by Andrew forms a "picture frame" which divides the garden.
Vegetables are grown in raised beds, triffid silver beet, a young row of carrots raised from seed, lettuces, artichokes, laden snow peas, oregano and, as Jane is the great-granddaughter of a strawberry grower from Victoria, strawberry plants abound.
Local Indigenous species of plants are favourites, especially on mounds, and, beyond the battleaxe block a "guerrilla garden" stretches out into an urban park planted with local grassland species. Pollinators are planted particularly for bees which bring life to the garden and the Rankines host a bee hive for Kevin Martin of Kambah who sells Martin's Honey at the Southside Farmers' Sunday markets. I have tasted the lip-licking Cowra blend.
On Saturday at 2pm there will be a concert by the Wattas - the five members and friends, who perform locally, combine to make music, modern, old, country folk, city rock and a little classic pop.
From 10am to 2pm on both days there will be a market stall and tea and cake will be for sale. Jane says they had fun with friends over for arvo tea to taste the cinnamon tea cake and scones while "next door got the butter cake" - lucky neighbours! She offered us recipe riches - her daughters said, "Oh Mum make your teacake" while her sister, in Perth, shared their mother's updated recipe for Dutch butter cake (which follows).
Open Gardens Canberra: Sarah's Garden, 45 Middleton Circuit, Gowrie, open November 5-6, from 10am to 4pm, bookings online.
COGS Kambah Community Garden Open Day
Celebrating 21 years, the Kambah organic community garden will hold its annual open day and seedling sale on November 5, from 10am to 3pm (cnr Springbett St and O'Halloran Cct, Kambah), free entry.
Garry Winter says seedling swill include tomatoes, zucchini varieties, lettuce, spinach and pumpkins. Among the herbs are parsley, chives, Vietnamese mint, chocolate mint, coriander and oregano.
You can inspect 36 individual plots filled with garlic, broad beans, rhubarb and asparagus ready to harvest. Winter greens that have thrived in the rains include silver beet, rocket, spinach and rainbow chard while blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and red currants are forming fruit.
The LDK Choir, associated with LDK Seniors' Living Community in Tuggeranong, will be performing and there will be a coffee van with fruit juices and Mexican-style food, a sausage sizzle, and a 21st birthday cake for the celebration. MLAs Rebecca Vassarotti and Jonathan Davis will be attending.
Jane's mum's Dutch butter cake
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
pinch salt
3/4 cup castor sugar
125g butter, meted
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup milk
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease 20cm round cake tin or line with baking paper.
2. Sift flour with salt, add sugar and stir. Melt butter, add a little milk to cool, add lightly beaten eggs and vanilla.
3. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix to combine adding milk as you go. Do not over mix.
4. Pour into prepared tin and bake in moderate oven for 35 minutes.
5. Cake is done when skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Turn onto wire rack and cool.
6. Decorate with a light dusting of icing sugar and edible flowers from the garden.
Variation: Add seasonal fruits, eg blueberries or cut plums in half, gently press cut side down on top of cake mix before baking.
Gluten free version: replace flour with half almond meal and half a good quality gluten-free self-raising flour and one teaspoon baking powder.
