Villam Hortus

03/09/2026

Stephen’s Thursday dispatch - after yesterday’s rain it’s good to get some jobs done and there’s plenty of them. The girls are happy and looking good, Basil has been a model chaperone of sorts 😌

23/08/2026

There’s a Felix drop today at the Northcliffe Co-Op.

There'll be no deliveries on Wednesday or Friday this week.

We will be back this Saturday 29 Aug with all your favourites.

It's the last week of Winter and we are hand weeding Capeweed out to protect our paddocks to allow deep-rooted perennials to build soil depth with heavy root systems. Hello Tiger Balm 😔

14/08/2026

Finally settled on the location of the Villam Hortus rose garden in the house paddock and planted our bare-root David Austin’s. The plan is to add an arbour in the middle with climbing roses, and a pond at the far end. I’m imagining the heady perfume of summer days on the front verandah, looking out over an avenue of old-world roses, with blooms in every room of the farmhouse, and perhaps the special occasion cake topper.

07/07/2026

Brisk 7° morning for checking the fences and dams - two beanies and thermal gloves weather! The mauve clouds were magic.

Can report that Basil is busy speed-dating our apparently nonchalant heifers - will upload a Basil 🐂 post as soon as he's decent 😉

10/04/2026

Last of the figs and apples and hopefully the chooks won't go on strike anytime soon with winter on its way.

Apples currently supplied to and and eggs available from Radmila's Golden Pastries in Kirup.

Everybody deserves nutritious food that's affordable and this is why everything we grow is spray-free, organic and and farm fresh produce that tastes delicious - because life’s too short to eat dodgy food 👩‍🌾 🚜 🐝 🥇

18/03/2026

Our basil is flourishing (thankfully the chooks can’t get to it) and is there anyone who can't resist the smell and taste of fresh basil pesto! This stuff is magic added to minestrone, sandwiches, pizza or bruschetta.

Recipe for Traditional Basil Pesto recipe

Puree 1 clove garlic; 1/4 c lightly toasted pine nuts; 1 c basil leaves; 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/2 c EVOO. Fold in 1/3 c of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Pour into a small jar and add a thin layer EVOO on top. Makes 1 cup. Store in the fridge for up to a week (if it lasts that long) and use a clean spoon each time.

17/03/2026

Our mission is to nurture the land through sustainable farming practices that are in tune with nature, support our local communities, and produce healthy, chemical-free food that tastes really good.

In the cool of the towering Marri trees runs a stream that eventually meanders down to the Gardner River at the bottom of our property.

Towards the end of last year, we planted Wasabi Mazuma plants (Eutrema japonicum) in the rich loamy soil close to the stream edges and crossed our fingers that they would take and not be disturbed by foraging kangaroos. During our river health check today, we found that the plants survived and are healthy.

Wasabi is a semi-aquatic perennial herb that belongs to the Brassica family. They are treasured for their thick stems and can grow up to 10cm long and 1–3cm in diameter.

If you love Japanese food, it’s a condiment that’s essential for a traditional sushi experience. We hope to harvest the mature stems of wasabi for our restaurant clients in 24 months.

16/03/2026

Had a wonderful time exhibiting on the weekend at the 2026 Warren District Agricultural Society annual show in Manjimup - our three entries all got placed! We had so much fun and congrats to the organisers and volunteers for all the hard work that goes into creating such a great community event.

~ White bread loaf
~ Pork and fennel sausage rolls
~ Rock cakes

16/03/2026

We have apples, lots of them thanks to the bird netting although the roos still manage to scoot underneath and have a good feed. Doesn't matter, there's plenty to go around. We think they are Gala apples. They taste delicious. Apple turnover, apple crumble, stewed for breakfast and experimenting with the dehydrator to make fruit straps.

25/01/2026