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GET DOWN GET DIRTY Planting your own organic vegetables not only gives you food for your table, it is also a rewarding and relaxing outdoor activity. Here are some tips to get you growing WORDS VIVIAN WARBY
HE HOME garden – whether planted with veggies or flowers – became many a family’s safe space when the pandemic hit. The garden served to supplement the menu, provide an escape for children and those working from home after long hours on the screen and, as anyone who has got their hands dirty in soil will know, function as a way to help people mentally exhale. Trend analysts foresee gardening activities growing this 2 0 2 1
year – even if it is just a container on a window sill. But the biggest trend by far – and one set to continue – is kitchen gardens, with many households planning and growing their own vegetables. www.lifeisagarden.co.za gives beginners this advice: DON’T SHY AWAY FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS For your first growing quest, start small. Think about whether you want to use containers,
plant straight into the ground or use raised beds. Consider your space and available time to guide your growing style. Sowing a couple of seeds in an empty space in your flower beds is as good a beginning as any. Be careful not to overpopulate your space. Your veggies will increase in size and need room to grow and climb. Planting too close together will also cause veggies to shade one another. Refer to the seed
