How to grow an edible garden, part one: the secret ingredient

For me, there’s something magical about gardening. It’s my soul food, and my two gardens are a place to bathe in nature, laugh at the cheeky tiny willy wagtail that’s lecturing my cat from the safety of the clothesline, yell at the cockatoos who steal my sunflowers, work out frustrations, and recharge from the stresses of work. 

My grandparents' garden

Gardening is in my veins, inherited from previous generations, and my grandparents’ yard continues to be one of my favourite sources of inspiration and regeneration. What this all means is that three hours in the garden feel like half that, and I am virtually self-sufficient when it comes to growing vegies and even fruit most times of the year.

Before you start building any garden, let alone an edible one, it’s important to think about what you really want out of it. What do you find more enjoyable – working up a sweat digging manure in or pruning plants, or sitting in a green space with a glass of vino? Can you happily spend an hour or two most weeks of the year keeping your garden happy and healthy or do you want a garden that  generally looks after itself?

My backyard garden during summer.

Knowing all of these things will help ensure your garden matches your level of interest and commitment, so that you don’t end up resenting the potential burden on your time and energy.

If you’re new to gardening and not sure just how much you’ll like it, why not start small? A couple of pots of herbs will need a little bit of loving but aren’t going to take up too much time. Put them in a sunny spot, use a premium potting mix and water the pot every couple of days. While you’re out there, pinch a leaf of the herb, crush it between your fingers and smell it. Find reasons to add the herbs to your food, and take pleasure in telling others at the table, “I grew that”.

If you want more, upgrade to a small patch of dirt and plant a couple of vegies to match the season and your tastes. For a summer, try something like tomatoes, which need a bit of attention but will return the favour with a great crop within a few months. For winter, broad beans or peas are easy, delicious and will also improve the soil. Get some dirt under your nails, breathe in the fresh air, and revel in standing in the garden munching on peas straight from the plant – there’s nothing like it.

Snow peas, with a baby apricot tree poking through!

 

If you are a true green thumb, you’ll probably find yourself browsing the plant section of the hardware store, pulling out weeds while still in your pjs, cheering when it rains, or reading blogs like this one. As you continue to expand your garden and your skills, go gradually, have fun, experiment, invest in your soil and your plants, but most of all, use the garden in the way that makes you happiest, and you’ll reap more than just a supply of home-grown vegies.

My community garden plot during summer