Hi Sal, welcome! I'm sure you'll be hearing from Adam or Ray, who are gardeners from this forum and recently moved to Armidale. There is a thread about their garden ventures here

Let me know if you're interested in tomatoes or chillies - I can send some seeds.

Patrina (PP)

Hi Sal and welcome,
I've sent you an email with a little info that might be useful for someone with a bare block. Xmas is not a bad time to get started. You'd certainly be able to put in some of the early varieties of things like beans, capsicum, chilli, eggplant and tomato. Lettuce seems to grow most of the year here and I believe the chinese veggies do extremely well as do berries of all sorts, plums, peaches, apples, pomegranates. Citrus is more of a challenge and requires planning to provide a protected environment.
Anyway, see you when you get here.
Ray

Hello again,
Well I have to say thanks Ray and Patrina, it was really nice to get online this afternoon and find that people had already written back.
I know many things will change when I get there but it helps with being so isolated to have things to get excited about and I know that planning this garden will be one of them.
I just love the taking of iddy buddy dried up things and getting all kinds of wonderful delights from them.
I look forward to coming here often and getting lots of helpful advice.
Cheers
Sal

hello from Adam. Well. it really is a different kind of climate up here on the top of the mountain. Minus 6 most nights for months, and then spring fever, when everything goes mad and grows. You'll have a ball. We'll probably run into each other, Armidale is quite cosy. Like ray says, the berries grow well up here, and tomatoes, no humidity, and cool nights create perfect conditions for fruit set.
Can't wait to have you on board. You are now officially an Armidillo.

Minus 6 brrr... well Im glad that I'm coming in summer, will give me time to sort out the heating in the house before the cold nights return!!
Looking into all the plants that I could grow is making me think that a bigger block would be good!! Oh well start with what I have and take it from there.
cheers for now, Sal.