The Italian Gardener

Franchi Sementi vegetable and herb seeds are increasingly popular with backyard gardeners, restaurants, small farmers and others who grow seedlings for sale or sell garden products. Listed below are recommended websites that may be of interest.

Gundaroo Tiller: Producers of organic vegetables, mostly from Franchi Seeds, and genuine free range eggs, and sellers of a wonderful range of gardening tools and equipment for the backyard and small scale commercial growers. Allsun Farm can be visited on open days that are normally held twice a year and are held in association with Australia's Open Garden Scheme.

Bumper Crop Seedlings: Growing high quality organic seedlings from Franchi Seed, that are ideally suited to the climate in the Canberra region ie short hot summers and frosty cold winters. A range of heirloom and hybrid varieties selected for their flavour and performance. Franchi varieties include tomatoes, peppers and chillis, eggplants, okra and basil. Seedlings are sold at events in the Canberra region.

GreenSmart Pots: Ideal for those that wish to grow in containers on a paved area. The soil is kept moist by capillay action from a water chamber that provides for the plants for up to 10 days, depending on the weather and the crop. Franchi vegetables and herbs have been grown very successfully in these containers and are recommended by the manufacturers.

Taste of Calabria: The Italian Gardener is based in Wollongong, a culturally diverse city with people from the countries surrounding the Mediterranean well represented. Fiorina of Taste of Calabria (tastecalabria@gmail.com, 0401 507 057)  presents cooking classes based on an intimate knowledge of the cooking of the region. She is also a keen gardener and grows and enjoys Franch Sementi vegetables and herbs.

The Veggie Garden: Marika Whitfield horticulturist and passionate vegetable grower on the Gold Coast. She has been a very able assistant at ABC Gardening Expos in Brisbane and now is managing a wonderful garden project growing lots of Franchi vegetables and is holding gardening classes. Information about growing vegetables in the tropics is generally in short supply and Marika experience ensures sage advice. See her website fo details and her blog for some great pictures from the garden.