Johanna Griggs has been busy working on her rural NSW property for months now and it looks like all that hard work is finally paying off.
The Better Homes and Gardens presenter purchased the farm with her husband Todd Huggins years ago and the pair have been working on getting the land up to scratch so they can eventually live off the grid and be self sustainable with their own produce and stock.
This week Joh shared several photos and videos on her Instagram showing the couple’s progress on the Hunter Valley property with their veggie boxes coming along nicely despite the dry conditions in the area.
Joh revealed they’re using wicking beds to keep their plants irrigated – wicking beds are a highly effective way of hydrating gardens in arid areas where water is scarce.
The garden beds looked to be positively flourishing, although Joh admitted they’d recently been victim to an influx of pesky moths and caterpillars.
“Even though we have bird proof netting all over our patch – the first few broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower seedlings I put in got absolutely smashed by cabbage moths and subsequently caterpillars,” she wrote.
“So I’m trying this moth proof netting over the beds with those particular seedlings in them. It will be interesting to see how they work and also to see if they are effective with frost.”
She also told her Instagram followers that they’re composting their garden beds a combination of chicken manure and worm wee and that the beds are now filled with winter crops that will grow at different stages throughout the season to stagger their produce production.
She added: “I’m learning every day I’m in my garden; what works, what doesn’t work. It’s unreal!”
Joh and Todd sold their previous home in Sydney’s Northern Beaches in 2018, allowing them to focus more on their farm as they try to get it up to scratch.
Aside from their flourishing garden, the pair also have a small number of stock on their peaceful property and Joh has revealed in the past they plan to plant fruit trees too.
The TV host previously showed off her stunning farm in Better Homes and Gardens magazine, giving readers a sneak peek at her quiet life away from the cameras.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEYLD8CIn5j/
The gorgeous photos also gave readers a glimpse at inside the country-style home Joh and Todd share on the property with a beautiful family tree mural taking centre stage in the house and neutral colours used to create a seamless feel from land to home.