Abundant Productive Gardens

TOWARDS SELF SUFFICIENCY
 
Our gardens are a wonderful place to start towards our self sufficiency journey, whether you want to become virtually totally self sufficient, or just provide your family with some healthy home grown produce.

The following article is designed to provide ideas, outlines, and stimulate inquiry for anyone interested in finding out more, or setting up their own productive food producing garden. Of course, these principles are not limited only to producing food, although that is our focus here, and can be applied to whatever type of garden you desire. 

 

BENEFITS OF GARDENING

• Working with our gardens allows us to become more aware of the season and natural cycles.
• Getting hands-on with the soil and living things connects us to the earth in deeper ways.
• Gardening can be very mentally soothing and replenishing.
• They joy of seeing things come alive and flourish with our care.
• Sunshine, fresh air and exercise!
• Healthy food grown with respect and care.
• Wonderful hands-on experience for children!

GROWING FOOD

Growing your own food means you know exactly what you put into it... and don't put into it! You create your own healthy soils, fertilise and control pests naturally without toxic chemicals, allow produce to grow in season and ripen naturally, and can eat it fresh... even directly from the plant! You food doesn't end up travelling hundreds of kilometres to your table, spending months in cold storage or ripened unnaturally by gas.

It is probably best to start off with just a few of the easier to grow veggies, when starting out, and then increase as you get the hang of it. 

Some questions to ponder:

What veggies will grow easily in your particular climate? What will you actually eat? Or could swap with others for things you want? How much room do you have? some veggies, like pumpkins and melons, require a lot of space, while as others can be grown fairly close together. What was grown in the space previously and how might that affect what you plant there? How else can you use your space, other than just in the ground planting? Do you have vertical areas you can utilise too, to grow things such as vines? What about strawberries and cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets? Window boxes and pots for herbs? Dwarf fruit trees in large pots?

ORGANIC GARDENING

Organic gardening means growing plants using only natural fertilisers such as composted material and the work of worms. It takes advantage of natural pest control methods by planting plants that have natural repellant properties and by attracting beneficial creatures to your garden. Healthy living soil is of utmost importance, as is choosing the right plants and the right place for them.

Some things to consider:

What are some of the various forms of organically fertilising your soil? What kinds can you easily access or design for? What pest problems are you most likely to encounter, considering your local area and the types of plants you are growing? How are these best handled? What about home-made natural pest control sprays etc? What beneficial creatures will most help you keep these pests under control and how will you attract them? What about repellant plants? Some of these considerations are discussed in more depth in below sections.

COMPANION PLANTING

Utilising plants which are beneficial to each other in some ways is the principle behind companion planting. And, of course, separating those that are detrimental to each other. Some plants help by releasing substances into the soil that other plants need, or by changing the composition of the soil to be better suited. Some help repel the pests that attack certain plants. yet others provide valuable shade or shelter to young developing plants until they are better able to deal with conditions themselves.

Some plants just don't do well in close proximity to certain others, because of substances released, vigorous competition for nutrients, different water requirements etc.

There is some disagreement as to how useful companion planting actually is, but why not give it a go and see how it works for you.

So...

What do you want to grow and which of them should be planted together, or apart, to get the best out of your garden? What else might you add to complement those plants? What other plants might you include in your garden- and where- to help repel pests?

PERMACULTURE

Permaculture is a holistic approach to all human endeavour, including growing food, regeneration, building homes, creating communities, using sustainable methods based on the observation of, and working with, nature.

In our gardens it means creating gardens which mimic the principles of nature, using symbiotic relationships and where there is no waste and everything produced is used somewhere in the cycle in a never ending loop. Plants, living creatures and micro-organisms, and humans are all part of the loop.

Here are some permaculture principles to research further and possibly put into use:

Food Forests Guilds Swales and other water harvesting Layering Designing for multiple function Using chickens etc for tilling and pest control

LIVING SOILS

Soil used in most modern agriculture is virtually "dead" soil, because the use of toxic pesticides and fertilisers has basically killed all of the beneficial organisms in the soil. Even much of our garden soil is depleted, or poisoned by toxins, and needs restoration.

A lot can be achieved by adding rich composted material to the soil. This also encourages worms to migrate into your soil, who then carry out their vital work in creating rich soil. Other micro-organisms also may "move in" and you can also buy live micro-organisms to add. Manures also play an important role in adding nutrients to soil, as can "worm castings" and "worm tea" produced in a worm farm. Nitrogen fixing crops can also be grown and left to decompose into the soil, as can any prunings or discarded parts of plants. 

Here's some suggestions to start getting your soil in rich, living condition:

Have your soil tested for nutrient and micro-organism content. What might you need to add to your soil to condition it and encourage beneficial micro-organisms and vibrant growth? What kind of soil do you have? Acid? Alkaline? Clay? Sandy? What do you need to add to improve its pH or composition to better suit what you want to grow and to hold/drain water better? Start a compost heap to be used on your garden. Find a source of organic manure, such as chicken or rabbit. Or get your own rabbits or chickens and use them for manure, along with other uses. Most manures are better composted, as they can be too strong to use directly and also can contain bacteria which requires the heat of the composting procedure to kill it. Start a worm farm (- do some research first!)

COMPOST AND WORMS

Having a compost heap is one of the important systems in an organic self sufficient garden. It eliminates a lot of "waste" and returns it to the soil where it once again helps provide valuable nutrients and soil structure. It isn't hard once you get the hang of it, and is usually fairly correctable if things start to go wrong.

Compost Considerations:

What kind of compost facility would suit you best? An open heap? A vertical compost bin? A rotary compost barrel? What are the pros and cons of each? How long does each type take to properly break down? What materials are ok to compost... and what is inadvisable? Is your compost getting hot enough and how could you increase its temperature? What do you do if your compost gets too wet... too smelly... too dry? How can you discourage rodents etc from "dining" on your composting materials?

Worm farms take a little more precise care as you are dealing with living creatures, however, with some knowledge and the right conditions, your worms can live contentedly and provide you with an excellent source of fertiliser... as well as munch through a large amount of kitchen waste.

Worm Wonderings:

What kinds of worm farms are there, and which would suit you best? Where is the best location for a worm farm and what are the ideal conditions? How can you protect your worms from intense heat or cold? How many worms should you obtain and what kind? What is safe to feed your worms? What is toxic or bad for worms... or bad from a use point of view?

ANIMALS AND MANURES

The relationship between animals and the land is an important part of permaculture, and any gardener can benefit from either what they produce (as in manures) or their actions (as in tilling the soil, eating insects, keeping down grass and weeds.)

Chickens and ducks are common choices for gardens. Not only do they carry out valuable garden work, but they can provide you with eggs- if you eat them. Rabbits are also good at eating down grass and provide an ideal manure, which is very gentle. If you have large areas of weeds or grass that need "mowing" you could go for a cow or goat, and get milk too, if you use it.

Of course, keeping animals does require certain considerations:

What kind of animal/s will be best suited to your situation? Have you properly researched the pros and cons of having these creatures in your garden... and know when and where they can safely and usefully be let loose in it? Do you actually have the time, energy and facilities to take on these living creatures and provide them with a happy life? Do you have suitable shelter for them from heat and cold, sleeping and laying etc? Can you protect them from predators or excess shock? Can you afford, and are you willing, to pay the various required vet expenses, both for standard care and emergencies?

WATER IN THE GARDEN

Without water, life on earth would cease. The same applies in your garden. Not only is water essential for the very things you are growing, but to attract the beneficial creatures to your garden. Supplying water to these things needs to be thought through properly so as to do it in an efficient, non wasteful manner.

Things to consider about managing water in your garden:

Where will your water come from? Mains water? Well or bore? Harvested water in rainwater tanks or rain barrels? What about grey water... could you use this on your non-edible plants or fruit trees? Could you use a reed bed system to cleanse grey water so that it can be used elsewhere? How will you get water to where it is needed? By hose or watering can? Irrigation system... and if so what kind? How much water, how often, do your various plants require? What time of the day will be best to water? How will you handle any water restrictions, now or in the future? Can you put into place principles which will help your garden be more drought tolerant? What about water for birds and other creatures? Will you have bird baths? A pond? Fountain?

ATTRACTING BENEFICIAL INSECTS, BIRDS ETC

Birds, insects, reptiles and all kinds of micro-organism play a very important role in your garden. They help control pests, fertilise flowers, spread seeds, provide manure and condition the soil... not to mention the pleasure they can give to humans as we see them busy about their tasks.

Creature Comforts:

What creatures do you want to attract and what will they do for your garden? What kinds of things will help attract them? Specific flowers or plants? Water? Shelter? The presence or absence of some other creature? How will you safeguard these creatures from possible predators such as cats? How will you provide water for them... and can you make it safe so that they can't drown and have easy access/exit?

PLANTS FOR SHADE AND MICRO-CLIMATE

Plants can be used to help with temperature control inside your house as well as outside areas. Deciduous trees are a wonderful way of keeping out the summer heat when they are in leaf, and allowing the sun's rays to warm in winter when they have lost their leaves. Thick plantings of bushes can insulate walls. Creepers and vines can shade pergolas and verandas, or even shade houses and aviaries. Areas of greenery, even ground covers, are much cooler than areas of concrete or paving.

They can also create micro climates in your garden, which then allows for more diversity and more climate sensitive plants to be grown, than a barren, windswept, open to heat and cold area would allow. Shade by trees or well covered ground by low growing plants also helps water retention, by cutting down evaporation.

Ways plants may be helpful in controlling climate at your place:

Do you have walls which retain lots of heat in summer? What about large windows which allow lovely warmth through in winter... but bake you in summer? Would some of your outdoor areas benefit from being shaded? Do you want all year round shade, or something that will lose its leaves in winter? Do you have a lot of paved outdoor areas that retain heat and might be better planted with ground covers or turned into other garden areas?

COMMUNITY GARDENS

Community gardens serve important functions within a community. First, they enable people who may not have much, or any, land available for veggie gardens to access land and grow fresh, healthy produce for their families. Secondly, it brings community together and builds a shared goal. Other benefits include increased health from exercise and an improved diet, and from getting out in the fresh air and sunshine, as well as the accompanying mental benefits.

So why not join or start a Community Garden?

Some things to consider:

How might you promote and fund raise for your community garden? What kind of model should we use... separate family plots, or an all in together group garden? Who would be eligible to take part? Would there be any kind of fee involved? How would work and produce sharing be organised, if applicable? Where could we access land? What improvements to the soil and general location might be needed? Would we insist on only organic practices and seeds/plants? What will we plant? Will we save seed and propagate our own plants? What else will we need- compost heap? Worm farm? Sheds? Picnic facilities? How will we water our garden? Who will water it? What garden tools will we need and how will we obtain them? Where will we store them?