THIS column is always on about gardening the easy way – either different tools to use, what to plant with little or no cost, or easy ways to do things for those who find gardening hard to master.
Pineapples are one thing that I’ve turned to over the years, however getting about 30 fruit per year with very little input has made me more lazy than I already was.
So, the other day I decided to get out of the rut I’m in and start a little garden “off the ground”, where I can manage to grow some different vegetables from time to time and share some of my experiences with you.
It’s only going to be about 950mm x 600mm, quite small by some standards, but it’s a start, and one has to start somewhere. Using an old Coles stock stand that I’ve had for years, I decided to make the middle shelf my main growing section while still leaving the bottom open steel shelving to maybe use later.
I decided to make a box- like structure, about 200mm high all round, with a shade cloth bottom to retain the “soil” and to allow any excess water to seep through.
Bunnings will cut your timber to size and all you do is screw it together.
I thought at a later date that growing a dwarf pumpkin could be the way to go, hand pollinating if there were no bees around. You can certainly get more pumpkins this way than relying on nature and the bees to do it for you.
Having the veges on a stand, and if it was needed to protect them from pests or the weather, this could be accomplished quite easily by a covering of sorts.
Oddly enough, I’m a little excited at the prospect of growing something different besides pineapples and seeing what I can accomplish after a couple of years’ hiatus.
I thought I’d try a few lettuces, a few bush beans and some garlic chives, just to see that I haven’t lost my touch. Then maybe the pumpkins later on.
Planting started a few days ago on June 2, and I’m looking forward to the outcome.
So you seniors out there, or any of our readers, why don’t you get and give it a go!
Till next time.
