Grow your own vegetables

This week I received a parcel in the mail from Amazon, containing a book called One Magic Square - Grow Your Own Food on One Square Metre by Australian gardener Lolo Hubein.

I bought this book as I live in an apartment and I don’t have a whole lot of space to grow veggies, though I’m desperate to grow my own food for many reasons, not least because I prefer the taste of home-grown, organic vegetables.

Breaking down the notion that gardening is complicated, in the chapter entitled ‘How to Get Started’, Lolo walks the reader through planting their first garden with pretty much everything they need to know in just over one page. After reading that one page, I could literally have gone out and planted a garden and I am no green thumb… yet.

It gives suggestions for over 30 different plots, including salad plots, curry plots, anti-cancer plots, stir-fry plots, pasta/pizza plots, berry plots and soup plots. My favourite is the autumn/winter curry plot containing kale, bok choy, cauliflower, fenugreek, onions, peas, carrots, rutabagas, daikon and coriander. All that in one square metre. Brilliant. I’m planting my first garden this weekend and am planning to start with one of the novice salad gardens, so wish me luck!

Community gardens
If you don’t have the space to grow your own, you might like to join a community garden. To find out more visit Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network.

So tell me, do you grow your own? What has been your biggest home grown success?