Annsleigh Gardens

31/05/2026

One of our busiest months ever!..... and still recovering from Agfest with over 55,000 people attending. Held over three days we managed to make it through - just!

With four weeks downtime getting ready, setting up and recovery, we managed to find time to extract the seeds from various pumpkins, squash and zucchini - now just waiting for them to dry before we package and make them available on our website. Also, tomatoes are busy fermenting on the bench to clean and purify them, skirret seed is ready for sieving with the crowns almost ready for sale. Have also done a bit of work on our website adding great books and other bits and pieces.

While at Agfest, we did a quick wander and came across a fantastic product - something which we've been looking for for quite a while. We're excited to announce that we've teamed up with 'Tough Soaps', an artisinal, home-based, family business producing soaps, moisturisers and shampoo based largely on tallow - an ingredient used for thousands of years for nourishing and moisturising the skin, hair and everything else. Unlike most others, they actually produce their own grass fed tallow from beef produced on their own farm. The reason it works...... tallow is pretty much bio-identical to our skin's own oils. Makes sense! (see article below)

Another exciting thing this month is that a good friend came and took aerial shots of our gardens. Such a different perspective and such beauty with the Autumn colours. Didn't realise our gutters needed cleaning so badly though! - have added it to the long list of 'To Do's'. We've shared some of the photos below....... Oh, and we also did another interview with Meg & Bec from ABC Rural. Apparently it has already aired but we missed out on seeing it - heard people enjoyed listening though so must have passed the test!!!! :0)

This month we're also introducing the first of our classes / events kicking off with our upcoming 'Guided Forest Therapy Walk'. It's based on the Japanese Shinrin Yoku which means 'forest bathing' and is highly therapeutic. A great way to experience Annsleigh Gardens with all five senses! :0)

Well, that's all for this month.

We hope you enjoy the photos!

Happy gardening!

Kerryn (& Akiera)

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22/05/2026

15/05/2026

Come explore Annsleigh Gardens with our GUIDED Forest Therapy Walk. Use all of your senses, breathe deeply and stretch amongst the trees. Experience the deep relaxation of a guided forest therapy walk, designed to boost your immune system and lower stress hormones. Slow down to observe the garden and finish up with a cup of herbal tea.

Based on Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) which is the Japanese practice of immersing oneself in nature by mindfully engaging all five senses. Established in the 1980s, this nature therapy aims to reduce stress, lower cortisol levels, and boost immunity through the inhalation of natural plant oils called phytoncides.

Your guide is Elspeth Brock a certified Forest Therapy guide, and horticulturist.

When: Sunday 24th May
Time: 9:30-11:30am
Duration: 2hrs
(subject to weather conditions)

Click on the link below to book your place. Limited spaces.

https://www.thelostseed.com.au/guided-forest-therapy-walk

30/04/2026

NOTE: We will be closed from 5th to 10th May 2026 while we set up for AGFEST - hope to see you there! :0)
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Autumn is one of our favourite months...... a time of harvest and seed processing, planting and preparation for the winter months.

Our seed bank is now full with harvested pumpkins, zucchini, squash, celery and skirret just waiting for the last bit of maturity and drying before seed is extracted, processed and winnowed. Tomatoes are also being harvested and fermented to clean the seed prior to drying. Garlic is almost finished being planted out.

'Annsleigh Gardens' is showing its beauty with an array of autumn colours and mushrooms poking their heads through the soil. We've been madly rushing........

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04/04/2026

CLOSED - Easter Sunday
OPENING - Monday 6th April onwards
ENTRY: Seed Bank (free)
Open Garden ($12)
(NOTE: We are a working seed farm so don't expect pristine and manicured. Still looks great though and plenty of 'rooms' to explore!)

04/04/2026

Well, things are certainly starting to cool down and we've got our fingers, toes and everything else crossed hoping that the pumpkins, tomatoes and melons will ripen before the first frost so that we can extract those precious seeds.

It's such a beautiful time of year though, with all of the autumn colours beginning to show.

We've been keeping ourselves busy with a plentiful seed harvest of broad beans, celery, tomatoes and pumpkin and keep an eye out for our new 'Ancient Grain Collection' on our website. Have also been busy preparing the garden beds for garlic planting (although we haven't quite got that far yet!) and also dug up the first of the Jerusalem Artichokes which is so much fun!

As a young 12 year old, I remember reading the 'Yates Garden Guide' and dreaming about the wooden compost bins with the removable boards at the front.......... well guess what?!!! Forty-two years later, my dream has finally come true!!!! :0)
We're so excited about our new wooden compost bins (10 in total - just like in the book!) which are now ready for filling with autumn leaves. Our 5 acres produces such a large amount of leaves which are all collected, composted and then spread back out on the garden. It usually takes us a good 3 to 5 weeks of full time raking..... well worth the effort though!
Note: If you live in Tassie and have always wanted a wooden compost bin like the ones in the photos (no plastic!) then we highly recommend our supplier. He's just a young guy who builds these in his backyard out of recycled timber. They're super solid and we absolutely LOVE ours. He's based in Launceston and if you'd like his contact details just let us know.

Also, just a reminder....... Our Heritage Seed Bank is NOW OPEN Sunday to Thursday 9am to 2pm. Also open is Annsleigh Gardens which includes our heritage seed saving garden. If you're like me and you love looking at other people's gardens, you're welcome to come and wander around amongst the heirloom veggies and autumn leaves. Entry fee applies which helps us to keep the garden and seed saving going!

Note: Closed Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day.
(WARNING: We are a working seed farm so don't expect pristine and manicured. Still looks great though and plenty of 'rooms' to explore!)

We've also now just finished the Seed germination testing of our whole seed bank with the majority of seed packets showing up at 99% germination and all at over 85%.

With all this going on, this month we also attended the Heirloom Festival at Quamby Estate near Hagley with our market stall. Met a heap of gardening people and had fun presenting a talk about hand pollinating pumpkins. Yet just when you think all of the fun is over, we are also making plans for the absolutely huge Agfest happening on 6-8th May in Carrick, Tasmania. With over 55,000 people expected to come, we're just madly getting things ready. We'd love to see you there!

Note: Our Heritage Seed Bank and gardens will be closed during Agfest and the lead up to it from 6th to 10th May - reopening on 11th May.

Well, that's it for this month!

We hope you enjoy the photos!

Happy gardening!

Kerryn (& Akiera)

15/03/2026

Sorry all - typo mistake. Gardens opening Tuesday 17th March (not 16th as per previous post). We’re also closed Monday 16th due to family commitments.

13/03/2026

Please note that our Seed Bank and Gardens will be closed on Sunday 15th March as we'll be attending the upcoming Tasmanian Heirloom Festival at Quamby Estate (TAS). We'll have available our full range of seeds, seed storage tins and plenty more. We'll also be presenting a demonstration on 'How to Hand Pollinate Flowers to Ensure Purity' at 11:30am which will overall mean a very busy day........ Hope to see you there! :0)

https://www.heirloomfest.au/

09/03/2026

Hi there!

Well, we've finally made it!!! Our Heritage Seed Bank is NOW OPEN Sunday to Thursday 9am to 2pm (finally, I know!!!)
Also, we plan on opening the gardens up 'warts and all' on 16th March - simply because Autumn is just too beautiful not to.

(WARNING: We are a working seed farm so don't expect pristine and manicured. Still looks great though and plenty of 'rooms' to explore!)

Our pumpkins, zucchini and squash are still flowering although coming to an end which frees up an extra few hours for us in the day! This now allows time to mulch and plant out the winter crops as well as garlic.

One of our favourite things to do is to collect the barley straw direct from the farmer in the field and just when we thought it couldn't get any cheaper we came across some bales for $2 ....... did I mention how much we love Tassie!!!! Along with the barley straw we're trialling some fantastic wool mulch from 'Belly & Bum' full of 'dags' (this is wool mixed with poo!) around the tomatoes and wondering if it may (possibly!) extend the season just a bit? So they're all tucked in ready for the winter with a nice woolen blanket! Worth a try at least! :0)

Seed germination testing also begins this week and lasts for around 1 month. This is where we test our whole seed bank stock to make sure it passes. We'd much rather be out in the garden but it's a job worth doing!

Also, only one week to go and the Heirloom Festival at Quamby Estate, near Hagley is in full swing. We're just madly getting things ready as we'll be having a market stall there as well as doing an informative demonstration on 'Hand Pollinating Flowers for Purity'. We'd love to see you there! :0)

Note: Our Heritage Seed Bank and gardens will be closed on this day (15th March)

Our Winter / Spring seed harvest is now finished with many of our peas and broad beans now harvested, dried, winnowed, packaged and made available on our website. Garlic bulbs have also now finished drying and have been cleaned and packaged so are also available. We're still adding these to our website though, along with photos and descriptions, so if it says 'sold out' try again a bit later.

Well, that's it for this month!

We hope you enjoy the photos!

Happy gardening!

Kerryn (& Akiera)

www.thelostseed.com.au