I have memories of my dad working every Saturday in his massive garden at the back of our large, sunny section and mum dealing with the colourful, soily veggies in her kitchen sink, which she would later cook for us. We lived simply but we ate well. One of my favourite smells is still the scent of a freshly picked tomato!
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As kids we were roped in to do weeding (which I hated) but I don’t remember getting involved in the food growing process; such a lost opportunity as I reflect back on it now. Once I’d grown up a bit and gained the privilege of buying my own property I discovered the delight of dirt, encouraged by my son. It’s immensely satisfying and therapeutic to work outdoors, watch beauty grow around you, and eat the fruit of your labours too!
With home ownership becoming an increasingly distant or impossible dream for most young Kiwis, and properties reducing significantly in size from the “good ol’ days”, the numbers of people living in rentals are growing. But does this mean we can’t have our own gardens? Thankfully despite this setback, there is a resurgence in the popularity of home gardening, shared communal plots, and schools providing gardens while educating our kids to grow - in more ways than one!
It’s a great idea for landlords to provide even a small patch of garden, or a raised planter box, so tenants have that opportunity to grow their own plants and make their rental “home”. If it encourages tenants to remain for longer and to take pride in where they are living, then it’s a win/win for all concerned.
Even with properties that are tiny it’s possible to grow a wide variety of plants in pots on a deck or patio – flowers, herbs, vegetables and even fruit! Just make sure you get some of the basics right, such as using the right potting mix and ensuring your pots have drainage holes; too much water sitting around a plants’ roots is a killer.
A key to creative success and really enjoying your environment and garden experience, is to choose the right plants:
- If you have limited space then beware plants that may start out as tiny seeds but will grow large, or spread widely once they are mature (like pumpkins!).
- You may want to avoid plants that require high maintenance and intervention from you and choose those that will thrive in your particular environment and climate, e.g. is your growing spot exposed to Wellington’s strong winds, is it very shady….?
I once planted some blue perennial flowers between white roses. I composted & watered them and was excited about the prospect of seeing them flower every year, only to be perplexed why they never thrived and some died! I eventually discovered they were sensitive to frosts (which I get every winter). I then had to go out every evening that I suspected a frost coming, cover them with a little paper tent I made and remember to bring the “tents” in the following mornings. It was such a pain. I eventually had to concede defeat and plant something else!
If a garden planter box encourages tenants to remain for longer and to take pride in where they are living, then it’s a win/win for all concerned.
There are lots of websites where you can get great tips on what to grow, how to grow them, and how to build simple planter boxes etc.
Here’s 5 easy perennial herbs to grow at home which are fun to cook with. And vegetables you can grow in pots.
Quick tips and ideas:
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- Recycle coffee grounds. They make an excellent fertilizer and compost.
- Protect your plants from snails and other pests by sprinkling crushed eggshells at their base.
- Make the most of your space - garden vertically in fabric planters (you can buy, or make your own), or in ground, tiered garden boxes.
- Plant flowers that attract insects like butterflies and bees.
- Consider planting perennial flowers so you can enjoy at least two years ++ of flowering.
- If you want flowers you can pick, choose annuals - they flower prolifically and easily. Keep picking/deadheading them so they will continue producing flowers (it’s their goal to produce seeds that way).
- Try companion planting. Many flowers work really well grown amongst vegetables, providing protection from pests etc.
- In winter grow annuals like primroses and pansies, and ornamental cabbages – they give cheer until spring arrives.
- Choose a dwarf fruit tree which is happy remaining in a container. Dwarf lemon trees are fantastic for contributing flavour to meals and baking – you can use both the fruit’s skin & juice and they’re a great alkaliser for your body!
- Get your kids involved - make the most of New World’s “My Little Gardener” scheme, with 24 seedling kits to collect and have fun growing herbs etc. with prizes to win.
- Plant cherry tomatoes and herbs in a hanging basket.
- Grow strawberries or salad vegetables in a windowbox.
- Group different sized containers together, with larger pots at the back & smallest at the front (pot colour repetition ensures unity of space). This looks really attractive and helps create more of a humid mini climate for the plants so they retain moisture better.
- Steps are great for large and heavy potted plants because they’re engineered to be structurally strong.
- Don’t have a green thumb? Opt for low care succulents. They like lots of light but are happy left alone - they even prefer if you forget to water them.
Experiment, grow what you like and enjoy!