The vegetable patch has become the most fashionable home improvement accessory, a makeover for the credit crunch era that should add value to your property in the long term. The “home allotment†(its virtues are extolled by Jamie Oliver) is not only proof of your impeccable green credentials, it is also a source of cheaper food Landscaping Stone. The cost of staples such as rice, bread, eggs and meat are rising relentlessly around the world, with no sign of let-up, and consumers are increasingly being forced to opt for less expensive fruit and vegetables to make their household budgets stack up.
But all that sowing, mulching, watering and reaping to grow your own may not be as much of a chore as you suppose, and fruit and veg simply tastes better if you eat it fresh from the ground. It’s all to do with the sugars: the natural sugars in a courgette, for example, will start turning to starch within minutes of it being cut from the vine, a process that will rob the courgettes of much of their beautiful sweet flavour.
Can anyone grow their own fruit and vegetables? The answer is yes. Even someone with a window box or small balcony can cultivate a wide variety of herbs, vegetables - or even fruit. Home allotments are easy to get going and now is the perfect time of year to start.
First, you will need a growing area. This can be a few large pots or a couple of grow bags. If you have the space, build a raised bed using timber. In my work as a garden designer in southeast London, I build stylish raised beds for my clients using untreated French oak railway sleepers, which are bolted together. These raised beds are normally 480mm (19in) high by 2.6m long by 1.3m wide, but they can be virtually any size.
A raised bed is prepared by first adding a layer of shingle for drainage. It is then filled with a mixture of good landscaper’s loam and farm manure. Choosing the right location for your raised bed can be difficult within the restrictions of most gardens, but try to find the sunniest spot and not under overhanging trees.
The principles for large pots, grow bags and window boxes are the same: just remember that the smaller the container the more watering they will need. One useful tip for containers is to stand them on a tray or saucer filled with gravel. This helps to stop the soil from drying out, while the gravel stops waterlogging around the roots. Now you have prepared your planting area, you can choose what to grow. The options are vast, from exotic pak choi to the humble spud. My choice for the garden allotment would have to include courgettes, French beans, strawberries and sweetcorn. You could also try an apple tree. Or why not be adventurous and give blueberries a go?
Courgettes (Cucurbita pepo): these are among the most productive vegetables you can grow. Aim to have three or four plants and to stagger the planting. Start by sowing the seeds in 7.5cm pots, 3cm deep in moist compost, placing the pot on a warm windowsill. When well-established, plant out in their final position and give them room to grow.
Sweetcorn (Zea mays): freshly picked, they are a treat. Again, sow them in pots or trays indoors and stagger the sowing, so that you get a steady flow of ripe cobs and not a flood. Sweetcorn is a hungry plant, so before planting out make sure to add plenty of organic fertiliser to the bed. Plant sweetcorn in blocks and not rows, so that they crosspollinate. Try them straight on to the barbecue - just fabulous.
Beans: French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) are a must in any home allotment. They like well-drained soil and need support: dwarf French beans require a few twigs to support the plants, while runners need a framework of bamboo poles or similar. Sow the seeds in 7.5cm pots, 4cm deep in moist multi-purpose compost, and place on a windowsill. Once germinated, harden off by placing outside in the shade during the day, and plant out two to three weeks later. Water well.
Strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa): Fruit such as these are best bought as plants in late summer or early autumn. Choose a good all-round type such as “Cambridge Vigour†or a perpetual fruiter like “Aromelâ€. I like to plant strawberries through a landscaping fabric. Simply spread a sheet over the area to be planted and secure it with pegs to the raised bed surround. Cut holes in the fabric and then plant into the prepared soil beneath. This will keep the soil around the shallow roots moist and warm, ensuring an early crop of fat beautiful strawberries. I have tried the landscaping fabric planting method on many plants, and it also works well for courgettes, tomatoes and sweetcorn.
Apples (Malus Sylvestris var. domestica): To achieve the best results you need a sunny, sheltered spot. Apples are best grown in the ground, but there are some varieties that can be pot-grown. The height and size of an apple tree is mainly determined by the root stock; ask your garden centre for advice on which variety to choose. Most apples require a second tree for pollination, so buy two trees of similar varieties. After planting, water well throughout the first two summers and thin out fruit as they develop.
Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum): Landscaping Stone For the more adventurous gardener, these fruit bushes prefer acid soil and slight shade or sun. Blueberries are also good in pots: use a 38cm or bigger pot and plant in ericaceous compost. One tip is to use collected rainwater and to feed with organic seaweed extract regularly throughout the growing season.
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