Create an Edible Garden on the Cheap

“I live on a small block”, “I do not have any space”…. These are just some of the excuses I hear from people who say they cannot have a garden. My block is 509m2, so not large by any means however I have been able to create a garden that feeds 2 adults and 2 children on a regular basis. I have stopped buying vegetables from the shops and have seen my grocery bill drop.

It has been wonderful to encourage my boys to help in the garden through planting, watering and picking. They love eating the veggies straight away and we always go out to check how things are growing. It is a wonderful family experience and something I am so glad we have done. We changed a part of our land that we never used into a garden that gives us all of our vegetables.

At Resourceful Living, my aim is to help people start their garden and reap the rewards that happen when you have a backyard veggie patch. It gives you so much more than just food.

So, I guess you are wondering how we did it. Here is our top 5 tips to getting the most out of your garden:

Raised Mounds instead of raised garden beds

To keep costs low, we went with the german way of planting “Hügelkultur”, meaning “hill culture” in German. It is a very old European system of composting logs, branches and other woody material by covering them with compostable plant materials and then covering the whole lot with a thin layer of soil to create a mound which can be planted up as a form of mounded. This meant that we did not spend money on raised garden beds, rather we used old sticks and other organic matter around the yard and built our mounds. We did purchase soil to add on top. This kept our cost low and meant we could then focus more on getting the seeds.

Swap unwanted lawn into a garden

We have been brought up to look at the luxurious green lawn, mowed perfectly. Though we need to change our ideals and realise that swapping out lawn for a veggie garden is not only a sustainable option but means that you are able to grow your food without pesticides and chemicals. You also reduce fossil fuels from the pollutants due to transporting the produce to the supermarket.

It’s good for your health

Being outside in the garden is great for you! Whether you are planting, weeding, or digging you are moving all different muscles all while getting some vitamin D. I find working in the garden also is a great stress reliever as it is so nice being surrounded by nature and edible plants.

Sharing makes you feel good

Since we started our garden, it is amazing how we swap food with family and friends. We get lemons, limes, oranges, and mandarins to just name a few in return for some of our veggies. It is great being able to share yummy produce.

It tastes SO good

Last but certainly not least, the produce that you grow yourself, tastes SO good! Oh my goodness, the first time we grew lettuce we were so surprised to find out it did not just taste like water as it does when you buy from the shops. It has changed our meals and limited the need to always add sauces. 

You do not need a large area, just start with what you can. There are a lot of vegetables that can be grown in pots too! So don’t let your land size put you off. Start small and grow from there, you will not look back!