Kitchen gardens
1 Recycle and regrow
You don’t need a backyard to be a compost pro. Turn your kitchen waste into eco-gold by setting up a bucket or bin system with tight-fitting lids. Compost buckets fit neatly in a cupboard and provide an easy, quick solution to organic waste disposal. Worm farms are also handy kitchen helpers and kits to set them up can be purchased from your local garden centre.
2 Snakes and spiders
There’s even space in the kitchen garden for gogga-inspired greenery! These plants will thrive in pots indoors:
• Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) An easy indoor customer that enjoys occasional watering on the windowsill. These plants are natural air purifiers that remove odours, fumes, and pollutants from the environment – very handy to have in the kitchen. Spider plants are non-toxic so they are safe for pets and kids.
• Snake plant/mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria) A good low-light contender that likes to be left alone. These plants are a great choice for the kitchen as they perform a unique type of sun-less photosynthesis, allowing them to release crisp oxygen all night long. They are highly adaptive to their environment and add an architectural element to any space.
Tip Maintain your indoor pot plants by replacing one-third of the topsoil with new, nutritious potting soil.
3 Hydroponic gardening
Experiment with going soil-free and dare to be different with an intriguing water-based kitchen garden. Hydroponic planting gives you complete control of the environment, minimises pests, boosts plant growth and enables multiple veg varieties in one space. There are also selfwatering vertical gardens available for elegant and eye-catching living décor.
These crops are suitable for hydroponic planting: lettuce, spinach, strawberry, blueberry, bell pepper, tomato and cucumber (remember to grow according to the season).
Tip Consult your garden centre for different installation options, DIY hydroponic beginner kits and nutrient formulas. >>