Crops in the city

Grow fresh food in any space with these tips and tricks you can use at your place

Grow fresh food in any space with these tips

do you want to grow fruit and vegies but think you don’t have the space? Think again! This amazing edible garden above an inner-city Sydney building is a verdant inspiration. And whether you’re gardening on a rooftop or the concrete slab where your old shed used to be, or even in a paved courtyard, the same principles apply.

1 The big secret to small-space gardening? Pots, and lots of them! They’re perfect for citrus trees and herbs. And look at how fab a container of chillies looks on the table.

2 This bee hut is practical and so cute to boot but if you’re not ready to become an apiarist, add a bug hotel to a wall or fence to give other beneficial insects shelter in your garden.

3 It’s easy to be green! Space is no barrier when it comes to gardening sustainably. You can buy a 220L compost tumbler for under $200, or get a compost bin that fits under the kitchen sink, to turn food scraps into free fertiliser.

4 Succulents are simple to

grow from cuttings. At Wayside, propagated succulents are transferred to ceramic pots and sold in the op-shop.

5 Are you gardening in an

exposed area? Install mesh fencing and camouflage it with Tillandsia usneoides. The air plant, also called old man’s beard, will soften the look and block wind but still let sun through. Add a passionfruit vine and the fence doubles as a support for an edible.