Gardening

Welcome to my garden — a small, peaceful space where roots run deep and every leaf tells a story.

Here, I grow more than just food. I grow memories from Papua New Guinea, tropical staples like cassava, yams, and taro, alongside roses, passionfruit, and herbs I’ve collected over the years.

This page is my garden journal — a place to share what’s blooming, what’s being harvested, and the little surprises that make gardening such a joy. Whether something is pushing up from the soil or flowering for the first time, this is where I write it down, season by season.

Garden Chronicles → The Soil I Built (Yam Bed Ready)

I woke up at 5am — it was already daybreak. The air was soft, the garden quiet.

After the heavy rain falls — that’s my time to do a bit of gardening.

I aerated the ground and mixed in years of mower waste with a touch of soil boost, getting it ready for the yams. Every handful felt like a memory of seasons gone, built slowly by hand.

Sometimes, growth begins long before planting day. 🌿

Back home, we just planted and let nature take care of it.

The soil asks for help — a boost, a mix, a bit of care to stay alive.

So I listen, I learn, and I keep tending.

Different soil, same heart.

Still me — still planting after the rain. 🌧️🌿

The Story Behind the Dish:

From Garden to Gathering: A taste of PNG in Yeppoon / Rockhampton. Talk about how the smell of cassava cooking on coconut cream brings memories of home, and how even in a place like Yeppoon / Rockhampton PNG spirit lives on through food and community.

Yesterday, I sat in the shade of a park shelter in Rockhampton, surrounded by sisters. We gathered not just to eat, but to plan-our community’s part in Papua New Guinea’s 50th Independence Celebrations this coming September. And like always, the food came with us. I brought this dish: cassava from my garden, cooked in coconut milk, with tender silverbeet and a hint of chilli. The Chicken was marinated and spicy, but this cassava-this was comfort. Earthly, soft, slightly sweet and wrapped in the richness of coconut. A dish you don’t need to explain to anyone from back home. It speaks for itself. We all cook the same way where I come from-instinctively, generously. This isn’t just a plate of Cassava. It’s the taste of home-steamed and stirred and shared.

Scenes from our Rockhampton gathering-where food, laughter and stories came together.

No measuring spoons, just memory and love. And we eat together like this, far from PNG but still wrap in its spirit, something special happens time slows down: stories unfold. And even in Rockhampton Park we are back talking and laughing like we always did. Men were away on a long Easter weekend, so, it was just us women. And maybe that’s why the cassava especially tastes so good-because it felt like something just ours. A moment of shared pride and planning, with full hearts and plates. Next time, we’ve agreed to meet at the club, so no one must cook, but I’ll remember this gathering, and this dish, as one of those small, beautiful reminders that even the simplest home cooking can carry the biggest stories.

In this place, the essence of PNG is celebrated through the sharing of meals, stories, and laughter that echoes the warmth of home. Families come together, gathering around tables laden with dishes that carry the Flavors of my homeland—yams, taro, and the ever-present bananas. Each bite is infused with memories, and the act of cooking is an homage to our heritage.

Here, in Yeppoon and Rockhampton, the PNG community flourishes, embracing the rhythms of life while nurturing traditions that have been passed down through generations. The spirit of togetherness, much like the Flavors we create, transcends boundaries, bridging the gap between our past and present, reminding us that even far from home, we can cultivate a piece of our culture and share it with those around us.