Herbs in a clay pot. Credit: Art Aspirations @ Flickr.com
All of us here at Kev’s Patch have our own vegie patches – we’ve seen first hand how much fun they are, how much money you can save with them, and how good they are for the environment.
But maybe you’re a bit hesitant to try a full vegetable garden, or you don’t have the room, and yet you’d like to get some of the benefits. Why not try growing a few herbs in pots?
Most herbs are dead-easy to grow, and don’t need much special care. As long as they’ve got sun, water and a bit of food, they’ll happily grow anywhere, even your kitchen windowsill. It’s a great way to figure out if you’re keen for a more extensive edible garden!
The easiest herbs to grow are the ones we use frequently in cooking – parsley, chives, mint, basil. To get them going, here’s a few steps you can follow:
- Find a place to put your herb pots. Pick a spot that’s facing north or north-east, and gets at least 5 hours of sun a day. The nearer it is to your kitchen, the more you’ll remember to use your herbs once they’re grown.
- Buy 2 or 3 packets of seeds or seedlings of the herbs you most like to eat or cook with, and a container to put them in. The container should be at least 15 cm deep, or as tall as your hand. If you’ve got a long container, you can put all your herbs in it, about 15 cm apart, or you can get individual pots for each plant. You’ll also need a small amount of potting mix.
- Fill your container to about two-thirds with the potting mix, then add the seeds or seedlings according to the directions on the label.
- Give your herbs a little water – they don’t like to be soggy, so don’t over-do it. After they’ve grown a bit, you’ll know when they need a drink because they’ll look tired and droopy – give them some water and watch them perk right up again.
Once your herbs are growing, you can just pick off leaves to use whenever you feel like it. Frequent picking encourages them to grow more, but always leave the plant at least two-thirds of it’s leaves.
Later on, we’ll post some ideas for getting more adventurous with growing your own food! Let us know if you’ve got any suggestions.
I have only just come across this campaign today, and I think it is a great idea, but probably will need a great deal more publicity fo really take off.
Why not capitalise on the popularity of the Facebook “Farmville” application and the wildfire-like spread seen for previous Facebook/internet media campaigns (used by “Kevin07″ himself). Create a Facebook group to spread word of the Kev’s Patch campaign. Veggie gardening & enviromental responsibility is becoming more popular among my fellow Gen X/Y’s and we are also famously susceptible to internet-based viral campaigns. The media also seems to be taking attention to facebook based movements. It would also be a good way to give fellow gardeners and new converts advice and encouragement in their efforts.
For someone relativly new to gardening it is wonderful to find blogs that cater to Australian gardening conditions.. Most every site I come across is for American gardeners. It would be great to get information about growing other vegetables similar to the information you have given about growing herbs.
You read our minds! We’ve got plans for a Facebook page but haven’t had much time lately. When we get it going we’ll definitely post about it here so you can find out about it. You could subscribe to Kev’s Patch via RSS or email if you like so you don’t miss out on updates… just click the orange box in the address bar of your browser.
Dear Kev’s Patchers,
What a great idea! I came across this blog today & was so impressed, I wrote to Kev myself. I am living in the Netherlands with my Aussie wife: we plan a move to Oz in the not too distant future. And get really involved in permaculture, transition & any other way that reduces carbon & consumption.
I wrote to my own MP today on the 38 Degrees campaign for 10:10 to reduce the UK’s carbon. These guys need to hear millions of our voices to make them act. Millions of letters/ e-mails/ phone calls add up!
Kudos!
Chloe
Here’s what I wrote to the PM…
Dear Sir,
I am delighted by the mounting campaign to have an organic food producing garden as part of the gardens at The Lodge: it is a wonderful idea, with many long-term benefits for Australians. Having a large scale organic garden, where the Australian public is invited to participate on many levels, is a fantastic educational tool, and a superb step in the right direction. It would be a great opportunity to interact with school children, the press, growers groups: a small, yet real way to let Australians and the world know you are taking food-security and carbon-reduction seriously.
For future food security, Australia will need knowledgeable gardeners in ever-increasing numbers. With oil producers meeting together to stop the sale of oil in US dollars, and with oil reserves declining in every single oil-producing nation, teaching the nation to become gardeners is crucial to both health and the economy.
More immediately, it would be great PR to have a large scale Permaculture-based system started in the grounds, to encourage Aussies to reduce their carbon footprints by saving food-miles/fuel in farm production/oil-based chemicals & fertilisers and packaging. Imagine the impact of being able to boast that a large percentage of all the food eaten in The Lodge (whether that be day-to-day, or for official functions) is grown organically and prepared on the premises!
Furthermore, leading by example on rain-catchment and the re-use of grey water within The Lodge would also address growing water-security problems faced all over the country: billions of litres of water fall from the sky and can be used. Water is more valuable than gold.
My wife is Australian, and we plan to move back to Oz within the next three years: we hope to do this, as we believe Australia has the knowledge, wisdom and guts to address its myriad ecological problems. Innovations abound in Australia, but need the funding and the vision of its political leaders to take the world by storm on every ecological front.
One incredibly important example of this is re-hydrating Australia’s abused agricultural/pastoral land, by enabling pioneers like Peter Andrews to pursue their water-systems restoration; while capturing billions of tonnes of carbon, and stopping soil erosion. To do this, fast-track alterations must happen to laws that are hindering a system that has produced astonishing, reliable results, many of which have been independently scientifically proven. People all over the world are watching Peter Andrews and are incredulous that leaders in Australia are not reacting swiftly and decisively to enable his wisdom and experience to be used, taught, spread and fostered. The man is a national treasure and should be celebrated as the quintessential ballsy Aussie, willing to take risks and win.
Removing legal barriers to the rehydration of the land is the only way Australia can have food security: anything less is criminal. Not to act on this issue is to take the food out of the mouths of future Australian children. Why lose key agricultural land to salination, when a workable and cheap solution is glaringly available: a system that of course needs additions and honing, but one that is a working miracle reality.
Mr Prime Minister, the world is watching and Australia can lead. Australia to me is a place where innovation, boldness, and a pioneering spirit should be allowed to thrive. With the diminishing levels of fossil fuels, energy-descent is an unavoidable reality – Australians need bold, immediate action. The world needs leaders who are brave enough to stand up and take a host of courageous and drastic actions. The current crisis is an opportunity for such leaders to create a legacy for future generations.
Please let me know what you, personally, can and will do on these two issues: first, of an organic, permaculture food-garden at The Lodge and second, of removing the laws that stop the rehydration of local river systems across Australia, pioneered by Peter Andrews.
Thank you, Sir, for your future action and courage to do the right thing.
Yours sincerely
Chloe Wolsey
That’s a great letter, thanks so much for joining in! I hope you enjoy Australia when you get here :)