A mini market garden at home: Terra Viva
An easy way to take some control over the cost of living and grow your good health at the same time is having your own mini market garden. Terra Viva’s Peter Worsp shares his expert advice.
Fruit and vegetables are high in Vitamins A, C, antioxidants, minerals, and fibre, for protection against cancer and heart disease. A vegetable garden can be a highly decorative feature, whether it’s inground or in containers, raised beds, terracotta pots, or plastic pots inside vintage wooden crates. Larger containers give more options. Use vertical space with trellis or netting to grow climbing beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Use colourful flowering ornamentals that repel the ‘bad boys’ but attract the ‘goodies’ (marigolds, catnip, garlic, chrysanthemums, lavender).
WHY GROW YOUR OWN?
- Proximity and convenience.
- Control over the source and chemical treatment of veges, + zero ‘food miles’.
- Great mental health benefits. Studies show these range from combatting early-onset dementia to hyperactivity in children. The calming influence of the outdoors, physical handling of soil, and satisfaction were all pinpointed.
- Great way to connect children with nature (vegetables aren’t grown in supermarkets) Children generally have an inbuilt distrust of anything green and healthy, yet their mysterious thought processes persuade them to eat what they’ve grown themselves. Start them growing with the easy ones – cherry tomatoes, radishes, lettuces, strawberries.
- Minimises waste (how many bagged supermarket salad greens get binned?)
WHAT TO GROW
Remember, when God invented plants they were designed to grow so given reasonable conditions, success is easy. Grow the things you like best, that you use regularly, and need to be fresh.
Suggestions: the main herbs (basil, coriander, chives, parsley, mint, rosemary, thyme), lettuce, courgettes, strawberries, rhubarb, kūmara, beans, tomatoes, and rocket (transforms an ordinary salad into a culinary masterpiece).
Limited space? Avoid easily affordable fruit and veges that don’t have to be ultra-fresh, such as spuds.
HOW TO GROW
Soil preparation is the key. Get 100% soil improvement by digging in good quality compost, sheep pellets, Real Blood & Bone, and OceanFert seaweed pellets. Use good soil for inground planting, or top quality potting mix for containers. Sunny positions work best, and use liquid fertilisers after planting for instant results. Water is vital. Water on set days both for continuity and regularity.
For expert advice, visit us at 242 Roydvale Ave, Burnside, or call 03 358 5565.
