Preparing your backyard organic garden for the inevitable high water demands of the dry summer and autumn periods is an ideal winter activity. One method of saving water involves converting the driest portion of your back yard into an organic bush tucker garden. This can be achieved by selecting from the extensive colourful array of daisies, lilies, herbs, orchids, etc., commonly found amongst the grass and sedge tussocks that characterise our grassy woodland communities.
Described below are a few tempting floral and tasty treats, drawn from the many inter-tussock plant options, along with a brief note on their bush tucker attributes.
Firstly, the ground hugging, Native Cranberry (Astroloma humifusum), has attractive long lasting winter bell-shaped flowers and forms a sweet red berry which ripens in spring. Both the Peach Berry (Lissanthe strigosa) and the Ant's Delight (Acrotriche serrulata) are alternatives to the Native Cranberry. The Ant's Delight has an added bonus of the being able to have its flowers soaked in water to produce a pleasant nectar flavoured drink.
Another is the Native Pigface (Carprorotus rossii), which was such a treat for the Tasmanian Aborigines, that during lean times, they would camp nearby drifts of this plant to feast on its prized fruits. It is now recognised as of one of Australia's tastiest wild fruits. The flavour of these succulent, late summer ripening fruits has often been described as a blend between a strawberry and fig. Their fleshy leaves can also be cooked as greens or squeezed to provide soothing juices for bites and burns.
Our coastal grassy woodlands succulent ground cover named Warrigul Greens (Tetragonia implexicoma) could be one of the earliest bush tucker exports. By the 1820's the French were regularly harvesting it from their vegetable gardens following its importation by their early explorers. The English, as a result of Banks introduction, still enjoy it today as a pleasant spinach substitute, being ideal for stir-fries. Its succulent red fruit in late summer can also be eaten.
Many of the spring flowering herbaceous lilies die back during summer and autumn to form underground tubers of various shapes and sizes. The delicate, purple Fringed Twinning Lily often referred to as Daisy Bates or Nullabor Yam (Thysanotus patersonii) produces a long finger sized yam which has proved to be very nutritious by Aborigines, once cooked in a hot charcoal bed. Its leaves and flowers can also be cooked.
Other plants which have nutritious tubers located under their lush spring growth include; the yellow flowering Leek Lily with a intriguing botanical name of Bulbine bulbosa; the white flowering, vanilla scented Vanilla Lily (Arthropodium millefollium); the blue flowered, chocolate scented Chocolate Lily (Dichopogon strictus) and the numerous exquisite orchids. These include the Donkey, Sun, Greenhood, Potato, Flying Duck and Bearded Orchids. They all have a pair of edible tubers from which the Greek name Orchis is derived.
It is hoped that this brief introduction will help motivate the reader into upgrading the dry areas of your yard to form patches of colourful water saving grassland. The added bonus of course is a chance to sample some home grown organic bush tucker.
Phil Watson
