Gardening with Gael - Vegetable gardens need commitment

My vegetable garden is a sorry sight. All that survived me being away either died or went to seed except for the curly kale which grew about another ten centimetres and now look like miniature palm trees. They give the otherwise tragic garden a somewhat tropical flavor.

On our dog walks my friends discuss the ways they are saving water – buckets in the shower, tubs in the sinks, water conservation measures my friend Dawn has used for years. I have flooded many a room trying to catch the overflow from the washing machine, letting it empty into a line of buckets and occasionally getting caught out when it empties while I am elsewhere. Water is a predominant feature at this time of year made all the more apparent by the frequent appearances of the water trucks.

I am very fortunate that I still have the bore from when we had the cottages and it was necessary for all the laundry. There is no excuse really. After water the next principal ingredient for a successful vegetable garden is commitment. It does need watering regularly and at this time of the year every day. There needs to be a ready tap. Unwinding long coils of hose through undergrowth and around trees is so daunting that it is easier to say tomorrow/they look alright/I need to get dinner on/I don’t want to miss The Chase. These excuses really demonstrate a lack of commitment.

Vegetable gardens do need weeding, particularly garlic which intensely dislikes competition. Here a raised bed makes everything not only easier but a pleasure. Although everything died while I was away somehow the weeds flourished. I used to enjoy scrambling around on my hands and knees and once I’m down there I still do. Getting down and getting back up again requires as much mental effort as physical. I have been scratching around the perimeter of the workshop looking for likely materials with which to build a raised bed. One year Box collected tyres for just that purpose. Somehow, although the shape appeals, the tyres don’t. I think it’s the ratio of tyre to dirt.

Accessibility is another feature of success. I chose a site that I could see from my kitchen window with the supposition that I would be able to keep a close eye on developments. The down side is that the garden is in full blistering sun and no matter what I barrow into it somehow everything fries into a crisp with remarkable speed. That, combined with distance from a tap are two factors I need to reconsider. Thyme, rosemary and dill are the only plants thriving. Some respite from the sun might have to be considered.

At the Home Show last year my friend Sue bought a Vegepod. This amazing piece of equipment is roughly a metre by a metre and stands about waist height. There is a lift up cover made from knitted polyethylene which keeps off the bugs and protects the plants from too much sun. She has a constant supply of herbs, her basil is prolific and all manner of salad greens. She is trying baby beets and carrots. There is a self-watering feature although Sue manages hers herself. The Vegepod and some tomatoes growing in buckets keep their family well fed.

This article has helped me rethink my vegetable beds and I think I have found a new and ideal spot, close to the tap, near the fence, some filtered light and close to the house. The existing fence can double as one wall. A pile of old earth bricks will provide the sides and I will be ready to enjoy a new variety of homegrown greens.

My curly kale thrived while I was away.

After water the next principal ingredient for a successful vegetable garden is commitment.