Kay Gee: Garden Planning & Australian Mountain Pepper Creative Seasoning Network Dedicated to Cooking and Gardening With Herbs and Spices - Planning "Eco-Zones" in the Herb Garden Winter in Melbourne, Australia, is often not very conducive to gardening. When the weather is grey, cold, and drizzly, then the next best thing is to do some garden planning. If a herb garden is something you’ve always wanted to make, a little preliminary planning is well worthwhile. Generally herbs like an open sunny position, though there are some that tolerate shade (we'll talk about them another time). Because many of the popular sun-loving herbs grow naturally in exposed areas where the soil is poor, it is important to keep these herbs together and to ensure that taller species, such as borage, don’t block the light from the lower growing ones, such as thyme. In a place like Australia where it’s particularly important to use water wisely, grouping the drought tolerant species together in an eco-zone keeps water wastage to a minimum. For example, you can designate part of your garden to be a "dry" eco-zone and only include plants that require very little water and can tolerate poor soil. Another part may be the "forest floor" eco-zone where you have plants that grow well with deep shade, lots of nutrients in the soil, and lots of water.Preparing the Garden Site In my Melbourne garden I’ve chosen the sunniest spot I can find; a space where a cluster of old plum trees, infested with borers and Pear and Cherry Slugs, until recently stood. The soil is unimpressive which is fine. I have added organic matter to improve water retention and soil structure - herbs like freely-draining soil - but I won’t be adding any fertiliser at this stage. Too much fertiliser and these herbs tend to become lush and sappy with very little flavour. Something to remember about the design of a herb garden is that the plants must be very accessible. Given that you grow the plants to harvest them regularly, you must be able to reach them easily. Raised beds are very convenient for this. One of the more interesting examples I have seen was an excellent garden made with a grouping of pieces of up-ended cement piping of varying heights and widths. The whole of my garden is raised with wooden sleepers ( known as "railroad ties" in the US), but as it is in a corner of the garden it still needs dividing paths for easy access. My garden is in my north-facing backyard. US readers should remember that here in the Southern Hemisphere a north facing garden maximises exposure to sunlight. When I plant herbs I must ensure that the tall ones are on the southern side or western side. Taller plants on the western boundary will give some protection from the hot late afternoon summer sun. Mountain Pepper; An Australian Bushfood I have been interested in Australian bushfoods for many years, long before they became trendy here. "Bushfoods" are derived from plants and animals which are native to the Australian bush, deserts, and coastal areas. I am particularly keen to try growing Mountain Pepper (Tasmannia lanceolata). This plant won’t be part of the herb garden as such because it is a small tree that can grow up to 5 meters (16 feet) tall. It is indigenous to cool mountain areas of Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales so in my Melbourne garden it is going to need a semi-shaded, protected position and ample water. When I say "it", I really mean "them" - I want two trees because this species is dioecious. Dioecious" means that there are separate male and female plants so I will need both if I hope to harvest pepperberries. However, I will settle for either sex if I have to, because the leaves as well as the berries can be used in cooking. Mountain Pepper is a very pretty plant with dark glossy foliage and bright red stems. I will happily include them as decorative understorey plants in another part of my garden. Cream flowers are borne in summer and if these are fertilised, they are followed by black berries. The difficult part may be in finding nurseries that sell the plants though I have a few avenues to explore. One nearby nursery specializing in native Australian plants, which is a favourite of mine holds bushfood promotions from time to time with free tastings - yum! Using Mountain Pepper The leaves, flower buds and the berries of Mountain Pepper can all be used to season food. The aromatic leaves can be used fresh or dried and powdered. The flavour is hot and peppery with a hint of chili. The berries have a distinctive spicy, pungent taste. They can be used fresh or dried, whole or ground. The dried berries can be used in a pepper mill in the same way as peppercorns are. Mountain Pepper can be substituted in any recipe that calls for pepper, but you must remember that Mountain Pepper has much more kick! While the likelihood of finding a Tasmannia lanceolata plant in your local northern hemisphere plant nursery is very remote, you can still taste this condiment . Mountain Pepper is exported overseas. To find out more about suppliers, etc. you may like to visit the "Bush Tucker Supply Australia" site at http://www.bushtucker.com.au. For those of you not living in Australia, "tucker" is slang for food or rations, originally kept in a traveler's "tuckerbag".Kay can be reached via email at geejk@global-garden.com.au.Questions? Comments? Click on the envelope to send us an email!© 1998 Kay Gee. All Rights Reserved.