Saturday, August 28, 2010

10 easy foods to grow in small spaces

Today I was meant to be in the garden enjoying a full day of gardening while my precious ones were away for the weekend visiting Granny...however rain has forced me inside. I am not going to waste the time though! I have to plan our new veggie area and do some reading on more ways to grow nutritious food for my family.

A couple of months ago I bought a book called Fresh Food From Small Spaces which I enjoyed reading. While many of the things he recommended we had already implemented there were other ideas that we hadn't thought of. A few of the following suggestions come from this book, others are from what we have learnt along the way.



1. Salads in container troughs - these can be used outside on balconies, in courtyards or even on sunny window sills.

2. Carrots in deep buckets - large round buckets with drainage holes in the bottom are a great way to grow carrots. Again balconies, courtyards or sunny spots in your home. Just remember to use a tray to catch the overflow! Don't want stained carpets.

3. Hanging baskets for strawberries - even though these are seasonal treats, the health benefits of fresh berries are fantastic.



4. Sprouts - buy a sprouting system and make a variety of fresh sprouts for salads and sandwiches. This takes up such a little space on your kitchen counter.

5. Herbs in containers or hanging baskets - used for flavour or medicinal purpose, herbs are a must have in ever kitchen garden.




6. Miniture fruit trees or berry plants in pots - balconies or courtyards are great for this.

7. Making your own yoghurt or kefir which is full of good intestinal flora is simple to do in small spaces.



8. Growing mushrooms in a dark area! This is from the book and is a novel idea, one I will try someday as I love mushrooms.

9. Using wall space with trellises for beans, peas or vine. Beans and peas can be planted in large diameter pots against a wall with a trellis behind.

10. Wheat or barley grass is an easy power food to grow on your windowsill and can be used in smoothies and vegetable juices.

So there you go, some interesting ways to get whole food from your small spaces.

1 comment:

Samina said...

Great information and thanks for sharing. I live in an apartment and have recently started to grow plants, veggies and herbs.