All over the world, from Sydney and Tokyo to Cairo and New York, people are coming together to create productive and beautiful gardens on their balconies, terraces and in shared city spaces.
Momentum is growing towards a more sustainable approach to gardening called Permaculture. Put simply, it’s the natural and holistic design of the space you have available for living and producing food. It reduces running costs, human workload and environmental degradation and works to improve soil fertility, productivity, human wellbeing and local biodiversity.
However if you thought all this only applied to large areas of agricultural land you’re wrong. It’s in the urban environment where much of the work is taking place. City dwellers are claiming disused plots as community gardens and no matter how small a balcony, roof or patch, people are becoming passionate about producing their own food.
It’s a system which marries old techniques with the new, encourages the sharing of information and inspires people from all walks of life to become passionate about growing and engaging with their food. The system is rallying young and old alike and getting them together to share ideas and try new techniques, no matter how inhospitable the climate they call home may be or how little space they have to use.
As Permaculture evolves it changes and adapts, encompasses and grows and yet the egalitarian principles of ‘earth care, people care, fair share’ remain at its core. Considering it was only conceived in the 1970s it has come a long way – fast.
This week, TOAD introduces a few simple and effective Permaculture principles to improve your vegetable growing success. It’s actually surprisingly easy to grow a number of things in your garden or on the balcony. And who doesn’t like the idea of fresh herbs and veggies straight from the plant, free of chemicals and right on your doorstep? Our top choices also look particularly pretty while they’re growing too!
Set up
First of all, think about how you can use your space and where the sun falls across the area. Try to put larger plants at the back, climbers up (or down) the walls and smaller types which need more tending, such as rocket and herbs, at the front. Most plants need partial sun but some, like basil, just can’t get enough, so it’s important to monitor your plants and see how they flourish. The great thing about containers is that if they’re not right you can just move ’em to another spot!
Once you have a plan you need some pots and containers. These are extremely affordable and available in a large variety of shapes and sizes. For most things you will need a minimum of 12cm deep and 12cm wide for one plant. Also look for darker, glazed pots because this will reduce water evaporation.
One thing to remember with containers is they dry out quickly and the roots get hotter than they would in the ground, so remember to water a minimum of once a day.
To reduce water consumption and give your plants a boost try a practice called ‘mulching’. This involves covering the soil around the plant’s base with a permeable, but protective, layer. The idea is that water can go through to the roots but not evaporate away (saving water) plus the material should slowly disintegrate releasing nutrients into the soil to feed the plant as it grows. Newspaper and wood chips are ideal for this but you can also use gravel too. Just place on the soil surface and water as normal.
Everything you need to get gardening is available right here in Abu Dhabi, from organic soil to plant foods. Mazaraa, near the South African Embassy, Al Mushrif (02 447 9933) sells organic soil (Dhs15 per kg) to start you off and also sells the amazing Bokashi bins (Dhs380). The Bokashi device ingeniously turns kitchen waste, hygienically and safely, into compost with no effort from you at all.
Just feed your scraps into the bin and add a layer of the ‘magic’ mix provided and hey-presto in a few months it’s turned from rubbish into rich, fertile soil.
Buying seeds and plants
Often it’s actually better to buy from the small local garden centres because they stock the local desert heat-resistant varieties. Try to choose the healthiest looking plants, with richly coloured leaves. Also try pulling the pot off the root base. If the roots are heavy and tangled it will take longer to adjust to life in a new container.
Seeds can be collected from lots of supermarket vegetables. The best are local (because they’re adapted for the heat) and organic (no GMO, pesticides etc). Cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkins and melons all grow really well from seeds collected this way.
Whether you buy seedlings and plants from a garden centre or grow your own from collected seeds, it’s really not that tricky. We’ve listed the top toughie plants, ideal for both beginners and experienced gardeners alike. They’re all non-fussy and, with some basic care, will produce a delicious, homegrown harvest for you all through the winter and spring. Just remember to wait until temperatures drop below 30°C at night before you start planting outside. If you want to start now try germinating them in smaller pots inside, on window ledges for example.
Basil
Surprisingly easy to germinate and maintain, this herb grows readily from seed. In the absence of cold, our climate turns the normally annual plant into a small perennial shrub. See our top pesto recipe on how to make the most of your basil.
Propagation: Buy locally because the European and other varieties just don’t grow well in this region. Choose either the red-stemmed or white-stemmed local varieties.
Buying: Buy small plants in all local gardening shops.
Maintenance: Basil likes lots of water and lots of sun (even UAE sun, so don’t be shy).
Cropping: Use the growing tops from each branch for cooking and this will make the plant bushier and a lot more productive.
Cherry tomatoes
A pretty bush with small yellow flowers. The mini varieties give a far higher yield than normal tomatoes, resist heat and they’re also attractive plants!
Propagation: Buy good heat-resistant varieties or try collecting seeds from local supermarket varieties.
Maintenance: You will need something to support the tomatoes as they grow – sticks or a wall trellis work well, but make sure to tie the stalks up securely.
Butternut Squash
These large leafy climbers will cover everything if you’re not careful. Train them up walls and along paths for a great tropical effect.
Propagation: Pick a good example from the supermarket and dry the seeds, then plant into pots or garden soil, keeping the seeds 10cm apart.
Maintenance: Squash will grow pretty much anywhere. They need partial sun and lots of water.
Cucumbers
These are really pretty climbing plants that are great for covering walls and trellises.
Propagation: Collect seeds from supermarket purchases.
Maintenance: Cucumbers will grow pretty much anywhere. They do need sun and lots of water. Train them up walls to avoid prolonged contact of fruit with the soil or they will rot.
Melon
These large leafy climbers are great for walls and fences.
Propagation: Pick a good example from the supermarket and dry the seeds, then plant into pots or garden soil, keeping the seeds 10cm apart.
Maintenance: Melons will grow pretty much anywhere; they do need sun however, to ripen the fruit, and lots of water daily.
Sweet potato
Considering they are one of the most nutritious veggies we know of, and in this climate grow like weeds, who wouldn’t want to grow them? Add to this they are exceptionally difficult to mistreat and are great wall coverage, what’s not to like?
Propagation: Buy from the supermarket and soak in water for 24 hours, then plant out in large containers. After two weeks there should be shoots which can be cut off when they are around 15cm and these can be planted in other pots, while the original plant will continue to make shoots.
Maintenance: Loves lots of shade and a little water will have this one growing in no time.
How to make fresh pesto
Nothing is as evocative of cooler evenings and al fresco dining as a simple pasta with loads of fresh pesto. The more basil you grow the more pesto you will have, so don’t be stingy!
Makes: one jar
2 tbsp pine nuts
Pinch of salt
250g fresh basil leaves (pick off as much of the stalk as you can, as this discolours easily)
50g hard Italian cheese
1 or 2 garlic cloves chopped (optional)
300ml extra virgin olive oil
1. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan and then allow to cool. Place in a food blender.
2. Add the basil leaves a few at a time and blend.
3. Add the cheese and garlic then gradually incorporate the oil, reserving a little for the top.
4. Spoon the pesto into a jar, and cover the top with oil. Refrigerate until use.
