Over the past 12 years, German Marga Klink has transformed a 125 square meter garden in suburban Adelaide into a paradise for lovers of colorful plants.
His garden in Camden Park is home to a variety of plants you won't find in South Australia, including Queensland bottle trees and mango trees.
"It's the most expensive mango you've ever eaten...it's been fed a lot, mulched a lot and watered a lot," he said.
Marga surrounds the shade tree to protect her precious mangoes from freezing.
Turns out, mangoes aren't the only surprise you'll find as you stroll through the blooming gardens around Margari's house.
Catering vegetable garden
As a professional caterer, it's no surprise that Marga is passionate about growing her own food.
"When I was 15 I was told I wasn't doing well in school so I thought I might as well go to school," he said .
"This year marks 50 years [of working in the food industry]. So fabulous! Now I'm mostly in the park [where I spend my time]."
The garden is full of edible plants such as ginger or Chinese date palm.
“It cleans the blood really well, and I love it…when fresh it looks like a crisp apple; when it dries it looks like caramel candy,” Marga explained.
It also had acerola cherries native to the Caribbean.
"It's one of the fruits with the highest vitamin C content," Marga said.
"It really is a houseplant and it bears fruit about four times a year."
"I am a cook, I need medicinal plants."
Marga says that even as a chef, she would be lost without the plants that bloom in her garden.
“If I lived in an apartment, I would eat herbs first, no matter how small the room,” she says.
"I'm a cook, I need herbs."
In Marga's garden you will find lesser known plants that can be used for medicinal purposes or add certain flavors. An example is love.
"In Germany, it's called maggi grass, named after the spice," Marga said.
“He was very strong, unstoppable… but you always use him as a substitute.
“Excellent in a salad. It just boosts morale. »
Another favorite is anise hyssop, a perennial flowering plant in the mint family.
"If you take the leaves, it's really delicious as a mouth freshener," Marga said.
“Every salad I make, I put [leaves] and flowers in it. I love it, it's a beautiful plant."
Sharing my garden with the community
A clan is part of two groups that share their harvests, but they share their harvests with neighbors and passers-by.
“She has a lot of flowers and a lot of plants. “There is always food all year round,” Marga said.
Neighbors often pick the pearl curry leaves for making and children pick the flowers to decorate the cakes.
Marga also enjoys cooking with the food she grew up with. One of my favorite foods is Indian Pakora.
Marga's recipe combines homemade kale, spinach, horseradish, anise hyssop and curry leaves with potatoes, cumin, ginger and cilantro.
To bind the dough, he adds chickpea flour and then fry the pakoras in rice bran oil. Served with garlic cream, fresh mint leaves and homemade chili sauce.
"It's a delicious food because anyone can eat it," Marga said.
“It doesn't matter if you're vegetarian or gluten-free. It's just a vegetable bound without eggs.
Her garden helps her connect with other green thumbs in her community.
"If I walk past and see something, it inspires me, and people come here and are inspired," Marga said.
"That's what I love, inspiring people."
Marga's story is featured in the latest issue of Horticulture Australia, available on ABC iView from September 8.
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