Eco Garden: Creating a new vegetable bed
21.08.2023 - 12:04
/ theunconventionalgardener.com
/ Emma Doughty
/ Eco Garden
Whether you made a New Year’s resolution to cut your carbon footprint, or the credit crunch is putting pressure on your food budget, now is the perfect time to try growing some of your own vegetables. You don’t need a lot of space, or expensive kit, to get started – and it doesn’t need to take up a lot of your time.
Finding a space First of all you’ll need to find some space for your vegetable patch. Most vegetables and fruits need a sunny spot, so think about which areas of your garden get the most light during the spring and summer (the peak growing times). Perhaps there’s a section of lawn that you could dig over, or room on the patio for a raised bed or some containers. Maybe you could grow some vegetables in your flower beds instead of splashing out on bedding plants – there are some varieties that look very ornamental. And don’t forget to look at your vertical spaces. Runner beans would look lovely clambering up a pergola, and you can train fruit bushes against walls and fences.
Try starting off with a small space, and think about expansion plans next year once you’ve got the hang of it.
Choosing crops There are two golden rules when you’re starting a new kitchen garden. The first is that you should only grow things that you’re going to eat. It doesn’t matter what the latest trend in vegetables is, or what exciting new varieties are listed in the seed catalogues – if no one in your family likes turnips, or sprouts, or even carrots, then you’re wasting valuable space by growing them.
The second rule is not to try to grow everything at once. You need to be realistic about how much space you have. Being self-sufficient in potatoes is a pipe dream unless you have an allotment, but it’s easy to grow enough herbs and salads
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