Jackie Gower - Green thumbs for small spaces

Friday, February 03, 2012 1:57 PM

I can't believe how much money we save on food since we started growing our own veges a couple of years ago.  It's staggering!  Growing your own food is so rewarding – it's fresher, healthier and much, much cheaper.  You don't even need a vege patch to grow it in!  Even the most inexperienced gardeners can get started with these tried and true ideas from www.simplesavings.co.nz

Styrofoam boxes.  You can get these free from greengrocers and supermarkets if you ask.  They can easily be placed anywhere to get the full sun or shade as required.  Find a nice deep one and fill with good quality potting mix.  These are big enough to grow all sorts of veges like tomatoes, carrots, spring onions and cucumbers.  I love to recycle these boxes rather than send them to landfill but any sort of tub will do.

Hanging baskets.Great for growing lettuces!  Use the 'multihole' variety and plant a lettuce seedling in each of the holes.  These are also excellent for growing herbs.  You can't beat fresh herbs - parsley, sage, coriander, mint, and oregano - for flavouring soups and salads. 

Pots.Vegetables don't have to be grown in the ground.  Pots come in all shapes and sizes and look great on a sunny deck or even the back doorstep if that's all the space you have.  Plastic terracotta pots are cheaper than the real thing and the soil doesn't dry out so much.  Even a pot of a frequently used herb on a window sill will save you money. You can get herb plants for about $5 rather than $2.00 a bunch from the supermarket, so it doesn't take long for them to start saving you money. 

Trellis.  Grow your veges skywards for a great space saver!  A trellis against a wall or balcony railing is ideal for growing veges such as climbing beans or peas.

The best way to cultivate a garden on a small site is to use a variation on 'square-foot gardening'. Their website is an invaluable source of information on this subject - visit them at http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

If you don't have enough space for a garden of your own but would love to have one, investigate the possibility of a community garden in your area. These are plots where people are able to garden or swap and share gardening tips. Phone your local council to find the nearest one!