How to make your small garden eco-friendly

Just having a small garden makes it very green. You aren’t going to be using huge amounts of water or riding around on a lawn mower. Instead you’ll be spending a good amount of time outside without all the fuss.

There are a few things you can do to make your little garden even more eco-friendly. It doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming looking after a garden.

Image credit: crosshatchling.co.uk

SAVE WATER

If you have a small garden then it’s likely you won’t need to water it too regularly anyway but there are a few things you can do to cut down your water consumption even further.

Choose drought-resistant plants. Eucalyptus and acacia are plants that can add colour to your garden and they come in all sorts of sizes.

Banksia Ericifolia is a small plant that doesn’t require much watering. It can be placed in shaded areas — such as flower beds near buildings, or under trees — that won’t get much water even when it does rain.

Having a paved or synthetic grass garden can also cut down on watering too as you won’t need to worry about how long you can leave your grass without watering before it begins to go yellow.

If you have room then a water butt attached to a down pipe is a great way to make use of the rain. The butt collects water and you can then use this to water your garden.

DIVIDE YOUR PLANTS

Instead of driving all the way to the garden centre for new plants, you should take a look at the ones you already have. Are there any you can dig up and divide? Not only is this good for the plants but it gives you extras to plant in a bare space in your garden.

If you divide your perennials when all your annuals die down, you have something to replace them with. It also rejuvenates the plants, makes them easier to control and increases their numbers. This saves you money on new plants as well as a trip in the car.

GROW YOUR OWN

By growing your own herbs, fruit and vegetables, you’re reducing your food miles for those items to zero. If you avoid the use of pesticides then you will be eating your own organic food. It’s much better for you and there’s a sense of pride in growing what you eat.

Small citrus trees in pots are great for small gardens and balconies and it’s easy to grow things like chillies and peppers in a pot too.

You could also have a kitchen garden. A few pots of herbs on a sunny windowsill will give you more than enough to cook with. Basil, coriander, mint and thyme are good herbs to start with.

If you want to control pests then the best way to do this naturally is with home made remedies. One of these is a garlic spray. Boil roughly chopped garlic then steep until the water cools. Remove the garlic bits and pop into a spray bottle to use on your plants. It’ll get rid of pests and deter them too.

Author Bio

Joel Hunter is a writer and outdoor designer working with Global Synthetic Grass.

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Top tips for starting your own herb garden

Spring has officially sprung here in Australia… and if you’ve always wanted to grow your own herb garden now is the perfect time.

Not only will you save yourself some money (those pre-packed supermarket herbs are expensive), you’ll also get the satisfaction of eating the produce you have grown yourself, which tastes so much better and is organic.

HERE’S SOME GROWING TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED

You don’t need a large space, if you have a small garden you can grow your herbs in pots on a balcony, a sunny windowsill or even a raised veggie patch.

Just remember the more accessible the herbs are, the more likely you are to use them in the kitchen.

1. SUNLIGHT

Most herbs do best in full sun (a minimum of 6 hours per day). There are some exceptions – mint, parsley, chervil and coriander will grow in part shade.

2. GOOD SOIL DRAINAGE

Plant your herbs in free-draining soil. If your herbs are in pots make sure they have plenty of drainage holes and use a premium potting mix especially for herbs or veggies.

Prior to planting in a raised veggie patch, condition the soil with good organic matter, compost and manure.

Don’t forget to mulch around your plants to help retain moisture and discourage snails and grubs.

3. FERTILISER

Don’t over fertilise. Most herbs grow well without additional fertilisers especially if the soil prior to planting has been improved with compost or organic matter.

Leafy herbs like coriander, parsley and rocket do well with some liquid fertilizer every 3 weeks (Seasol works well).

4. WATER

Water in young plants when first planted, keeping the soil moist until established. Once the plants are established water 1-2 times per week or as needed.

If your herbs are in pots, you will need to water them more regularly as the soil dries out much quicker.

OUR GUIDE TO SOME POPULAR HERBS YOU CAN EASILY GROW YOURSELF

Image credit: epicurious.com

1.CORIANDER - bright and citrusy flavour, used most commonly in Indian, Mexican and Vietnamese cuisines.
2.MINT – grows well in moist areas, even shade. Makes a great tea. Chop lightly and add to fruit salad, cocktails or yoghurt sauce
3.PARSLEY – the most widely grown herb. Chop finely and add at the last minute to seafood and meat sauces.
4.DILL – feathery fern like leaves. Goes great with fish & pickles.
5.BASIL – a super popular herb, always add to sauces at the last minute. To preserve bulk crops, put it in the food processor with olive oil and freeze for later.
6.OREGANO – a hint of sweetness combined with some spiciness adds warmth to any dish. Great on pizzas!
7.ROSEMARY – a woody shrub that loves full sun and dry conditions. Perfect with lamb.
8.CHIVES – a perennial herb, which adds onion flavour. Cut chives by grouping them tightly together & slice finely.
9.SAGE – can use the leave whole. Excellent with pork, soups and in stuffing mixes.
10.SAVORY – a peppery flavour, and commonly added into European beans, meat and poultry dishes.
11.THYME – a versatile herb that is great in sauces, or for flavouring eggs and cheese dishes.
12.TARRAGON has a licorice flavour that goes well with chicken.
13.MAJORAM– makes a great ground cover plant, closely related to Oregano. Great with lamb.

SOME COOL HERB INSPIRED GIFTS AVAILABLE IN THE SHOP

Throw this card in the garden and watch your complete herb garden grow. This delightful birthday or thank-you card makes a lovely gift in itself. Using 100% sustainably harvested paper and printed in Australia, this card contains four packets of herb seeds, including Parsley, Basil, Chives, and Dill. All seeds are Australian organic or bio-dynamically grown. Planting instructions feature on the reverse of the card.
$9.00 Click here to BUY.

These adorable handmade garden labels are freshly fired and back from the kiln. Each set contains 5 garden labels and would look fabulous in a kitchen windowsill herb garden so people can see how cute they are!
$29.95 set Click here to BUY.

A growing gift! This is the perfect gift for any garden lover. This gift tag, features a hand stamped ‘To.. and From..’ on one side and the words ‘ A little gift for your garden,’ on the other, together with the name of the seeds that are in the little bottle.
$3.95ea Click here to BUY.

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Edible Gardening in Small Spaces

Organic food has become increasingly popular but most shops treat it as a luxury item which more often than not means a luxury price tag. Being able to grow your own food free from pesticides and eat it straight from the garden is not only rewarding but tastes great too.

Think your outdoor space is too small to grow your own vegetables or herbs? We’ve found some clever ideas to not only get you inspired but to show you how to make the most of the space you have.

GUTTER GARDENING

Here these old gutters have been repurposed and suspended above one another making the perfect hanging vegetable patch. They also create an interesting talking point.

Image credit: herblog.com

PALLET GARDENS

Vertical gardens are all the rage these days, so why not try making an edible one. Fern Richardson from lifeonthebalcony.com shows you how to transform an old shipping pallet into a vertical garden. Click here to view Fern’s step-by-step instructions.

Image credit: lifeonthebalcony.com

WINE CRATES

Keeping with the repurposing theme, here some old wooden wine crates have been turned into planter boxes. Not only do they look unique, these planters can be easily moved to suit your balcony or patio space, or repostitioned to maximise growing conditions.

Image credit: lhdesignsblog.com

CLEVER USE OF SPACE

This is a great example of maximizing the space you have to its full potential. The retaining wall is filled with herbs and vegetables, creating an edible garden.  An ingenious way of maximizing space in an area not normally used for this purpose.

Image credit: jamiedurie.com

WHAT TO PLANT NOW

Here in Australia, Autumn has arrived so it’s now time to plant your winter leafy greens and root vegetables. Here’s a list to get you started.

• Beetroot
• Broad Beans
• Brussel Sprouts
• Onions
• Spring Onions
• Garlic
• Carrots
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Kohl Rabi
• Lettuce
• Silverbeet
• Spinach
• Rocket
• Peas
• Turnip
• Kale
• Parsnip
• Radish
• Coriander
• Perennial Herbs such as Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Sage, Fennel and Tarragon

We’d love you to share your inspiration, advice or ideas for growing small edible gardens in urban environments. Send us some photos or upload your comments, perhaps you have your own small veggie patch you would like to show us.

Watch this space! The Small Garden’s online store is coming soon.

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