words Al Woods
If you do not have a lot of outside space on your property, you may think that this restricts you to growing either decorative plants or vegetables, but this is not necessarily the case.
Growing vegetables does not require a lot of space; you just need to plan the design of the garden well and choose the best vegetables to be grown in a small space.
Vegetables are good for your health; even more so when they are organically grown. The problem is that some organic vegetables can be expensive to buy from the store. This is why it makes sense to make the most of the space you have and grow vegetables in your own home or garden.
Growing vegetables indoors
If you do not have a lot of exterior space on your property, you have the opportunity to grow vegetables inside your home. This can be a great way of using a spare room. Indoor vegetable growing is also ideal for anyone who lives in a cold climate. Take time to read a guide on indoor vegetable gardening and you can get tips on how to grow vegetables including spinach, kale, radishes and beet, without having to use any outdoor space.
Planning a small vegetable garden
If you have outdoor space on your property, you only need a 4’ x 8’ raised bed in which to grow vegetables. You can build a raised bed from several different materials including timber, bricks, sleepers or paving slabs.
Once you have constructed the bed, it’s a good idea to add height at the centre, by using a tepee style trellis. You can use this structure to grow dwarf varieties of vine vegetables. After you have the centre of the vegetable garden designed, you should continue to plant outwards.
The next stage should be to plant any vegetables that require staking, such as peppers. The next layer of the garden should consist of those vegetables that grow quickly, such as early carrots. This makes it easy to harvest these vegetables when they are ready. The garden can be finished off by planting any trailing vegetables in the corners and attractive green leafy vegetables along the edges to brighten up the space.
Vegetables to grow in a small space
One of the most important things to remember, when you are deciding what to grow in a small vegetable garden, is that you should not waste space by growing vegetables that you do not enjoy eating. There are plenty of vegetables to choose from.
- Shallots – These vegetables can be expensive to buy in the store, and they do not require a lot of space to grow.
- Mangetout – Mangetout are easier to grow than peas and you can simply pick the pods, wash them and eat them. These vegetables are ideal for growing on the trellis at the centre of the garden.
- Herbs – Herbs can easily be grown outside. They can be grown in a separate herb garden or placed on the edges of your vegetable garden.
Small vegetable gardens can be very productive. You do not need a lot of space to grow healthy vegetables; you just need to plan how to use the space you have effectively.
