Get started growing your own food
WANT TO GROW YOUR OWN FOOD BUT DON’T HAVE THE ROOM? THERE ARE LOADS OF SPACE-SAVING GROWING OPTIONS TO HELP YOU THINK BIG IN A SMALL GARDEN
GARDENERS have been using innovative ways to grow fruit and vegetables for thousands of years, but in modern times not everyone has the space or time to dedicate to a full-blown vegetable garden. So how do we marry modern life with the fact that growing our own food is an intrinsically good thing to do? The increase in popularity of growing plants on patios or apartment-block balconies, or even on a humble windowsill, shows that we can adapt our edible gardening to suit our available space. Here’s how…
When travelling in Kenya recently, I saw an example of multi-storey gardening: potatoes were being grown in woven hessian bags filled with soil, which had little slits or pockets to conserve water. The top of the struc- ture was watered and each tuber was connected with the water as it made its way down through the soil.
I tried this at home in my garden, filling a bag with good soil and planting potato chits along the perimeter circumference every nine inches or so. It worked like a dream. The tubers sprouted out the side of the bag and a huge crop of potatoes was achieved. What is required is an open, sunny position for the bag, and regular watering.
The system is often used to grow strawberries, in con- tainers known as strawberry pots. These are in effect huge jars with pockets built in
along the side. You fill the jars with really good-quality soil and plant the strawberry runners into each pocket. Take care that the pockets don’t dry out and apply some liquid food to the soil, such as tomato food. A single strawberry pot can provide a great crop of fruit.
As garden spaces get smaller, fruit trees are being adapted to take up less space, with many varieties being bred to being grown in pots and containers.
These fruit trees are grown on small rootstocks. The fruit-producing part of the plant is grafted onto a vigorous but smaller root. The most popular type of miniature fruit trees are called Ballerinas and are perfect for pots. They need a rich soil and mustn’t be let dry out. Plant some ground cover on top of the soil, such as ophiopogon, a deep-green grass which helps restrict water loss. With apple trees, you may need to plant a few different types of plant so they can cross-pollinate. Miniature fruit trees can look great in pots, especially when the fruit is forming and ripening.
In small spaces you can train fruit trees to grow in lines along warm walls. This will maximise the space available and add to the aesthetic of your garden. Bear in mind that they do need a sunny aspect, fertile soil and considered pruning and training.
Keeping bees is becoming extremely popular too and our urban areas and cityscapes make a good environment for them, with lots of rooftops and loads of green space. Learn a little bit through enthusiasts or classes and introduce your own hive to your own rooftop. The bees will do the work, flying around looking for pollen and our benefit includes that lovely golden syrup.
Windowboxes allow us to dabble in growing our own food — especially herbs, which thrive in a small space that has lots of sunshine. Rosemary is my top choice when looking to grow an all-year-round herb.
Many of the herbs we like to consume are Mediterranean and, while they won’t survive severe frost, they will put up a great battle for the rest of the year, bearing up to drying winds and a little bit of drought. This is especially true of any herb which has leaves of silvery appearance such as sage or the curry plant, helichrysum. Try low-growing thyme, which will creep over the edge of the box like a green carpet, or mossy chamomile — it’s delightful. Even if you don’t make tea from it, just run your hands over it and release the oil residue on your fingers.
The big new trend in gardening is vertical gardening — this is plants growing in compartments against walls, just as climbing plants do. There are new modular systems available which are becoming cost-effective and easy to do. Simply plant into modules and then just hang it off a rack. Species such as lettuce, basil, tomatoes and strawberries work well, or try a mixture between ornamentals and food-producing plants. Anything that trails and spreads such as nasturtiums, petunias and fuchsias would look great. As with all planting arrangements, follow irrigation instruments carefully.