Home | Grow Your Own Food in the Kitchen Garden
Here's just one of the ten chapters in this book. It covers getting started after planning what you want and where to grow.
Chapter 3 of 10
Build and revise again.
Now That We Know What We Have, It Is Time to Get Digging
So now it is time to develop where you will build. A lot depends on how serious you will take the kitchen garden.
Kitchen gardening can start as a hobby or small interest for some, whereas others would be a self-sustaining model. It can quickly change as what might start as just a hobby could soon develop into full-scale production even by the end of the year.
For example, you may decide to increase the size of the paths or change the areas from low-lying to raised beds. There is no better time to reflect on your design in the garden.
Make a Tools List
The tools you need depend on what scale you will be working at.
Still, there are some tools we all need for the average gardener, including fork and spade, along with trowels, pruners, rakes, buckets, spraying tools, wheelbarrow, and watering tools.
You might then need your accessories such as gloves and hats. And don't forget the kids' tools too. The larger the production may then suggest the need for powered tools.
Your budget might dictate how resourceful you need to be. Reusing a pair of old garden gates as a climbing frame, for instance, will last and be productive. Likewise, recycling wood is only effective if it is in good condition; otherwise, you will replace it as quickly as you made it.
It is essential to work out how much space is needed. Be careful of the scale in production and the effects of running the garden.
A compost heap, for example, should run all year and not instantly fill up, which was a mistake I noticed shortly after clearing the site. Unfortunately, it left me no more spare room, which meant a quick fix was needed.
A compost heap is good for the garden and nature.
Homemade compost is essential for the future care of the soil, not just this year but for years to come.
It should be sized to fit accordingly depending on how much work will be done in a year's worth in the garden.
A note to all gardeners is that what you build is not inspected by the masses, and practicality is paramount.
Including some stone walls adds a lovely touch to the kitchen garden. However, there are pros and cons to any walls or raised beds.
The benefit of stone is the amount of heat that can build up. It will then transfer to the soil making the plants grow better on cooler days.
Using Raised Beds
Due to the soil drying out more in the warmer months, we need more watering or mulching to help the dryness.
The same applies to most raised beds as the soil level is now unnatural compared to the water table. However, if your garden is heavy, this may be a solution.
Making Pathways
Even after the design and the development stages, we can change the layout again to make the paths more accessible.
And that's the wonderful part of gardening as we can move things around just as we do inside the home.
Your paths need to be hard-wearing as you work around the plots.
Paperback Layout
Above is what to expect in the ebook version. If you would like a paperback with a more luxurious layout, then the example below is what it would look like.
