If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to start a veggie garden or grow more of your own food, but you don’t know where to start or you are having trouble getting motivated, here are some tips
Increase your knowledge.
- Do some internet browsing or buy a book – there are plenty out there.
- Do a workshop – many local councils run them so check out their website for a schedule.
- Do a course – there are lots on line or check out your local community college. Although they cost money, the fact that you have paid for it will motivate you to keep learning.
- Take a look at my website I have all the basics of how to become a backyard producer, set out in easy to follow modules.
- Join a local garden club or community garden. These organisations are full of people with lots of knowledge and experience that are more than willing to help you gain the skills and knowledge you need to grow your own food.
Choose the right spot
Plenty of sun, close to water, away from the kid’s football area – These are just a few things you need to consider when looking for a productive space. Find out exactly want you need before going to the cost and effort of putting a garden in.
Start small
- Why not start by growing some herbs in a pot – try something you use all the time such as parsley or coriander – easy to care for and a short term plant with lots of impact, looks fabulous and something to harvest every day, which will keep you motivated. Buy new plants every month to ensure supply.
- Start a small no dig garden and pop in something easy to grow like beans, silver beet and a tomato.
- Don’t over commit – there is nothing more disheartening then putting in a veggie patch that is too big for you to maintain and watching it disintegrate into a weed patch.As you grow more and have both success and failures you will be adding to your skills and experience which will allow you to grow more and more each year.
Grow what you eat.
If you are going to go to the trouble of growing your own veggies make sure it is stuff you will eat.
Know what to plant when
Success of failure in the veggie garden can be determined by simply know what plants to grow in what season. Check out my blog post that will help give you some ideas.
Plant successively
Plant a little bit often to have a continual harvest – for more details check out this blog post.
Maintain your motivation
Work out why you want to grow your own food and what will keep you motivated to continue to doing it.
A little bit of time every few days is all you need, might not sound like much but finding the motivation to do this week in and week out will be the deterring factor to your success in growing your own food.
Check out my website for a great exercise you can do that will help you maintain your motivation.
If all this is too hard just get out there and plant something, chances are, will a little bit of TLC you will be harvesting something in a few months.
For more information on starting your productive backyard, check out the website.
If you have questions about your garden, you can always ask me questions via my Facebook Page, Pinterest or Instagram!
I hope these few tips help you to find the motivation to get out there and get growing.
Happy Gardening
Kathy
