News and updates
Making your garden work for you
If you have not traditionally grown vegetables or are new to gardening, now is a good time to try your hand at growing for the table – especially given the increasing cost of foodstuffs and the concerns over “air-miles” that some of these “fresh” foods have travelled to reach the store.
A large garden is fine but it is not necessary as many vegetables can be successfully grown in small containers, window boxes or large planters. The minimum size for a container is around 12 inches deep by 12 inches across and it will need drainage holes. Dwarf beans, courgettes, radishes, tomatoes and come-again salad leaves are amongst the many types of vegetables that can be grown.
Raised beds constructed from sleepers or other timber materials make it easier to work an area and the enclosure will provide young plants with a degree of protection.
However, whatever the size of your vegetable patch, some general points to remember are:
- Choose a sunny spot with good drainage.
- Avoid shade caused by overhanging branches, buildings or hedges.
- Avoid the area adjacent to hedges as the soil tends to be dry.
- Protect plants from wind. A willow or hazel hurdle would provide a natural-looking windbreak.
- You may need to consider a rabbit-proof (or other marauding animal) fence using galvanised wire netting.
If a plot is divided into small areas it will enable you to rotate the crops minimising the possibility of disease. Paths between enclosures, formed from bark chips or other ground-cover materials, will stop your feet getting too muddy and allow easy access in all weathers for maintenance and weeding.
The end result will be the opportunity to enjoy the delicious taste of salads and vegetables at their freshest– and the effort involved really isn’t a chore and is within everyone’s capability.
Then pop the tools back into the shed, put your feet up and enjoy an al fresco meal of the fruits of your labour in the summerhouse or on the decking!