The gap between those who can access and use digital technology and those who can't
Although it seems like a lot of work, once you have laid the foundation, gardening is as easy as watering your plants a few times a week as necessary. Compared to the time you have to invest, the benefits are well worth it.
To start with, you need to find a plot of land. If you do not have a backyard, then enquire about community plots nearby. This also makes gardening a good way to meet your neighbors.
Firstly, there are the benefits of organic living. You get cheap organic produce from your own backyard! It is also better for the environment because fewer chemicals are released into the air, and better for your body as you will not be ingesting any nasty chemicals accidentally.
If you have a busy garden, make sure your patch is far away from the other shrubs. Little critters such as slugs will travel from plant to plant, so you want your garden to be isolated.
Don't just try and turn over a large part of your garden without a planting plan. Only dig where you know you will plant, otherwise the weeds will take over again and make your garden look pretty bad.
Mark out the shape and size of your patch using rocks, or you can be more specific and use a tape measure if you wish. Then, grab your shovel and start turning over the soil round and round.
Making a patch is a great way to teach children about biology while also giving them some responsibility to look after their own plants. They can see the circle of life in action, and hopefully, also eat some veggies at the end of it.
If you are unable to dig a spade's head down into the ground, you can compensate for this by piling on manure or compost. The heaped bed will give the seedlings enough space to grow.
In order to make the soil fertile for your seeds, put some homemade or store-bought compost on the top and mix it in with the normal soil using your shovel.
To make sure that your veggies and fruits will grow strong, make sure the patch you choose has at least five hours of sunlight a day.
If you have a farm nearby or see some place selling manure, get some. Cow poop, or any kind of animal poop really, makes fantastic fertilizer. It's worth the stink!
If your ground is too shallow you can also make a raised bed. Get some old wooden planks, or any kind of panel, and hammer the corners together to make a box. It does not have to be super strong, just enough to contain your soil. It looks quite fancy as well.
During this process, make sure you are removing all the weeds and roots that you come across. Turn the soil as deep as a spade's head.
Most beans do not need space on the ground, but space in the air. They grow upward, so make sure they have something to climb up such as bamboo sticks or a wall.
The best time to plant your seeds is in the springtime because everything is just waking up from winter. The soil is a bit warmer, and so you will have produce by the end of summer. You can essentially plant anything in spring.
Secondly, gardening can be seen as another type of mediation. It is no wonder that so many temples are built in garden paradises. Working the land with your hands helps you feel connected, grounded, and focused.
Despite it being called a vegetable patch, you can mix it up by adding some fruit. You could plant some strawberries in among your carrots, or some raspberries on the fringe of your garden.
You do not actually need much to make a vegetable patch. The crucial basics are a shovel, a spade, gardening gloves, seeds, and a water source. A pitchfork and a gardening fork will also make things easier, but they are not strictly necessary.
If you have a wall that receives sunlight at the top but not on the ground, then it is the perfect place for beans because they will grow towards the light.
If you are a little late to the game, you can still plant seeds in fall for a winter harvest. Vegetables sturdy enough to stand the cold are potatoes, shallots, onions, garlic, and spring onions.
You want to make sure your seedlings are happily growing, so make sure you check on them a few times a week. A good way to do this is to buy a chalkboard and record their conditions, such as if it has been too rainy or too sunny for them.
Gardening enriches your life–you spend more time outside, eat healthier food, and bring yourself away from the everyday rat race. So take a moment, and appreciate what you have created.
Sources: (BBC)
See also: Sustainable tricks that will make you a better gardener
Here are some general spatial rules for the most common veggies. Salads need 20 cm (7.9 in) of space, carrots need 35 cm (13.8 in), beans need 45 cm (17.7 in), and zucchini need 75 cm (29.5 in).
When your soil is nice and nutritious, you can start putting the seeds in. It is recommended to draw what you want to plant first so you can ensure there is enough space between the plants. If plants are too close to one another, they strangle each other.
Birds, slugs, mice–they all love a little snack. Your garden is the first place they'll go, so make sure you protect your patch. If you see signs of unwanted critters, buy some netting from a garden center and prop it up over your produce.
You can make the project even more fun by decorating. You could plant pretty flowers on the border, or add some colorful labels to each line of seeds.
Take some soil in your hand and analyze it. What does it look like? If it seems more like clay or is more difficult to break up, add some horticultural grit to loosen it up a bit.
If the earth looks more sandy, then it is easier to work with but is less nutritious for the plants. To make up for it, add lots of compost and mix it in.
The birds are singing, the flowers are bursting open in the sun, and what are you doing? Reading a magazine? Watching a TV show? Why do this, when you could be helping mother nature along by making your own gardening plot?
Growing your own vegetables brings with it a wealth of benefits. Not only will you eat your healthy, pesticide-free produce, but you will also spend more time outside gardening, a proven meditative exercise. It could be a project for children or an opportunity for you to harness a new skill. Whatever the motivation, there are few reasons not to start growing your own fruit and vegetables.
For the absolute gardening beginner, here is a step-by-step guide to making your own vegetable patch. Click through to get that green thumb.
How to make your own vegetable patch
How to grow your own crops, step by step
LIFESTYLE Gardening
The birds are singing, the flowers are bursting open in the sun, and what are you doing? Reading a magazine? Watching a TV show? Why do this, when you could be helping mother nature along by making your own gardening plot?
Growing your own vegetables brings with it a wealth of benefits. Not only will you eat your healthy, pesticide-free produce, but you will also spend more time outside gardening, a proven meditative exercise. It could be a project for children or an opportunity for you to harness a new skill. Whatever the motivation, there are few reasons not to start growing your own fruit and vegetables.
For the absolute gardening beginner, here is a step-by-step guide to making your own vegetable patch. Click through to get that green thumb.