Permaculture teacher and author Kath Irvine helps a first-time gardener get started.
Q: “With the rising cost of everything in the supermarket lately, I’ve been thinking of planting my own fruit trees and a vegetable garden. However, I’m a little confused as to where to start. Raised garden bed or
A: As with anything new, start small while you find your feet. My favourite way to begin is to grow vegetables in containers — a temporary set-up that buys you time so you can get to know your backyard and discover fruit and vegetable crops that suit your environment. This knowledge banishes confusion and gets you off to a flying start!
Veges and herbs grow happily in anything (boxes, feed sacks, broken buckets), as long as water can exit and there was nothing toxic in the container prior. Fish bins and fruit crates are awesome too — the wide surface area fits a lot in. Bunch containers together for moisture retention and protection in a sunny, sheltered spot close to the house and hose. Crops that are near to hand are always the best cared for.
Kick off with easy, productive autumn crops like bok choy, mizuna, chard, silverbeet, kale, loose-leaf salads, parsley, spring onions, calendula, chamomile and peas. Join a local garden group to speed your learning regarding optimal planting times and varieties that best suit your area.
When your vegetables are up and running, turn your attention to learning all the microclimates in your garden. This info takes time to gather but removes all the guesswork out of what to plant where and ensures a strong start. Learn every nook and cranny and what each has to offer in each season, be it sunny, shady, sheltered, frosty, soggy, etc. Get outside in all the weather, especially the lousy stuff!
Work up a list of the fruit you wish to grow and research the requirements of each so that at planting time you can match them to their preferred conditions.
A few top tips
- Don’t rush into fruit! Choose varieties with care and consider ways to maximise your space by training fruit on walls, decks or wires, or growing in EverGrow Bags.
- Vege pods are better suited to flowers and herbs that need little nutrition and don’t mind drying out — thyme, oregano, gazanias and sage for instance. They aren’t my fave as they’re separated from the soil biology and the deep nutrition of the earth. Growing in the ground is healthier, cheaper and way more space-efficient. Only use raised beds if your soil is poorly drained or concrete.
- Farmers’ markets, community gardens and local organic growers bring you fresher, better-quality food than supermarkets, and will tide you over while you get your food gardens going. They’re useful connections for learning and support.
Permaculture teacher Kath Irvine is the author of ‘The Edible Backyard: A Practical Guide to Growing Organic Fruit and Vegetables All Year Round’ and ‘Pruning Fruit Trees, A Beginner’s Guide’. Her website TheEdibleBackyard.co.nz offers garden advice, courses, personalised coaching, recipes and everything you need to know about generating your own produce at home.
