Home-grown crops undoubtedly taste better and, freshly harvested from plot to plate, are bursting with nutrients. You don’t need a lot of room to grow edibles, which is great news for those of us with small gardens, courtyards, patios and balconies. Even the smallest garden can have fresh home-grown fruit, veg and herbs, whether in separate beds, grown vertically on the tiniest of balconies, or mingling among ornamentals. Given thought and care you can grow all kinds of crops, from tactile herbs, through root vegetables and fruit trees, for a small-scale productive garden. With limited space it’s sensible to plant compact varieties and vegetables that can be continually harvested, which keeps them producing, rather than ones that are removed completely.
Select fruit and veg you love to eat, look for ones that may be difficult to buy or expensive in the shops, such as heritage crops, and unusual varieties to extend your palette. Although saving money is not the main reason we choose to grow produce, it can also be a consideration in what we decide to grow. With the cost of living issues, now could well be the time to grow a healthy crop of vegetables, fruit and herbs ready for harvest throughout the year to lessen your reliance on stores and supermarkets. Assessing your micro-climate is the first step. A sunny, open but sheltered spot, ideally with morning sun and around six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day, soil enriched by compost and packets of seeds will soon get you started. To grow quickly and well vegetables need as much light as possible. Don’t despair though if you don’t have these conditions as some crops tolerate shade, such as cherries, blackberries, raspberries, rhubarb and blackcurrants.
In general, your ideal spot is conveniently close to a water source, has at least six hours of sunlight, is open for good air circulation, protected from strong winds and has soil that is loose, rich and drains well. Setting up a veggie bed is the most common way to grow edibles. In a small garden this can be just one well-planned bed, either lower in-ground on well-prepared soil or elevated, with the raised beds filled with good-quality soil. A tip: make raised beds high enough to be easy to access and wide enough to sit on for easy planting and harvesting. You may like to plant in neat rows or decorative patterns for a mini-potager effect, mixing in some companion planting. Rotating your crops ensures pests and diseases don’t build up, and also makes the nutrients added by one plant available to the subsequent plant. For example, root vegetables planted after leafy vegetables will use the phosphorous not needed by the leafy vegetables.
Think creatively and mix edibles among your flowers, plant up a mix of containers, introduce vertical gardens, or even fill window boxes to yield a ready harvest for the table. Grow climbers like peas and beans on tripods among floral displays, line beds with herbs such as chives, and remember that the rainbow colours of chard stems are particularly striking mingling with flowers. Train espaliered fruit on fences or as step-overs edging beds. Once you put your mind to it you are bound to come up with exciting ways to grow your bounty. Tubs, pots, troughs or even hanging baskets can be used to grow edibles. Whatever container you choose, especially re-purposed ones, make sure the material is safe and you won’t accidentally leach any chemicals into the soil, such as lead. If using salvage, check if it has had contact with agricultural chemicals or held any toxic substances. You could still use a planter you’re not sure about as a cachepot, by placing a safe container inside.
There are definite advantages to small-scale production - crops are relatively moveable, for instance, so you can shift them to get the best conditions, or grow them close to the kitchen for ease of use. You can also just grow what you need, sharing or swapping excess seeds and plants with friends and neighbours. Small-scale gardening allows you to look at the details, create decorative affects, and pay close attention to any pests and diseases. The fact that they're also cost-effective and easy to maintain are definite pluses. So do utilise any tiny spaces to grow delicious options, enabling you to add a special flavour or flourish to your meals with that home-grown touch. Take a wander around local gardens with productive plots to get growing tips, discover interesting varieties and gather ideas on how to incorporate some edibles into your home garden. September is particularly abundant, with summer crops still producing and autumn crops well on their way to being ready for harvest.
Get the look
• It’s all about growing what you need and of course love to eat
• Harvestable plants can blend attractively beside other plants, emulating the traditional potager cottage gardens of the past where flowers, vegetables, herbs and fruit are planted wherever they fit
• Especially decorative crops to tuck in include frilly lettuces and cabbages, architectural cardoons, runner beans scrambling up teepees which can be moved each year to minimize disease build-up, shimmering stems of rainbow chard and clouds of feathery asparagus and fennel
• Adding veg and fruit amongst your flowerbeds has another practical advantage, creating a mosaic tapestry of colours and scents confuses insect pests, making it difficult for them to find the veg or fruit they want to feed on
• Dwarf fruit trees can be planted directly into an ornamental bed, valued for their pretty blossom as well as fruit, and intermingled with roses as ideal companions
• Smaller edibles, such as chives, parsley and ferny-topped carrots make attractive edging to garden beds.
• Portable containers allow you to move them to sunny spots through the year
• Plant a large container with flowers and a range of crops, for example different salad leaves and chillies, - both decorative and practical. Regularly harvesting leaves of veg, such as chard and lettuce, planted in tight groups will avoid crowding
• Arranging a mix of containers with edibles can make an attractive vignette, and placing them in a convenient location also means you’ll use the produce more regularly
• Herbs are excellent potted plants, as most require good drainage
• Don’t forget the vertical element, starting with any suitable surfaces you have. Cover fences or walls with wire, twine or lattice for beans, peas or espaliered fruit, train vines up pergolas, create edible screens or step-over edging
• Crops to look out for this month include salads, chard, chillies, onions, apples, pears, quinces and raspberries
• Chat to gardeners also about what to sow and plant for over the winter and into spring
• Aim to be cost-effective by growing fruit and veg that is expensive in the shops
To know – gardens to visit:
• Sweetbriar, Ash, CT3 2AX
Open through the National Garden Scheme
Sunday Sept 15 (11-4)
In this delightful jungle of exciting combinations, created by RHS gold-medal winners Steve Edney and Louise Dowle, you will also find edibles incorporated, and all in an average-sized garden
ngs.org.uk
• Chartwell, Westerham, TN16 1PS
Discover a wide variety of apples in the orchard, along with abundant fruit and veg in the walled garden
nationaltrust.org.uk
• Godinton House and Garden, nr Ashford, TN23 3BP
Open Tues to Sunday to Oct 13 (12.30-5.30)
These timeless gardens include a walled garden with espaliered fruit and beds of veg and flowers mingling together
godintonhouse.co.uk
• Brogdale Collections, nr Faversham, ME13 8XZ
The national collection is an invaluable source for fruit trees
brogdalecollections.org
• Sissinghurst Castle, Sissinghurst, TN17 2AB
Make sure you have time to wander down to the beautiful organic, no-dig potager where vegetables, herbs and fruit feature
nationaltrust.org.uk
• Riverhill Himalayan Gardens, Riverhill, TN150RR
Open October 27 (10-5)
An evolving potager with a nix of cut flowers, edibles and medicinal plants
riverhillgardens.co.uk
