We can all agree that the events of the past year has reset our connection with nature – we cradle the beauty, joy and healing powers of the world closer than ever and our desire to nurture the planet forms the new normal.
Organic food cultivator, small space specialist and How to Grow Your Dinner author Claire Ratinon's approach to that connection shows that this renewed yearning can be satisfied in our own back garden (or balcony space!), no matter how small. And did we mention the results are deliciously edible?
Here, Claire answers some of the most common questions for small-space, vegetable-growing enthusiasts.
How To: Cultivate an
Edible Garden
Organic food grower & author
Claire Ratinon shows us how to craft
a dinner-producing back garden
What can I sow right now?
"Spring is when vegetable growers sow the majority of their seeds, as the lengthening days and gathering warmth is what many edible plants need to get growing. Now is the time to sow lettuce, kohlrabi, peas, beetroot, chard, parsley, dill, spring onions and leeks. I tend to sow seeds into seed trays as it allows me to give the seedlings a little protection in their first vulnerable weeks of life. As they get larger, I steadily introduce them to the outdoors in the daytime so that when it’s time to plant them out, they’ll be ready for a life of growing outside.
It’s also a good time to sow basil although this plant is much more sensitive to the cold so it won’t be placed outside until it is definitely summer time. Other warmth loving plants that can be sown now include French and runner beans, courgettes, squash and cucumbers but only place these outside when the nights are no longer freezing cold as they won’t survive a frost.
While it is too late to sow seeds for chillies, peppers, tomatoes and aubergines, it’s still possible to find these as young plants in garden centres or to order them online. The benefit of growing plants this way is having been started and cared for by professionals in an ideal environment, they should be strong and healthy by the time they get to you."
"Spring is when vegetable growers sow the majority of their seeds, as the lengthening days and gathering warmth is what many edible plants need to get growing. Now is the time to sow lettuce, kohlrabi, peas, beetroot, chard, parsley, dill, spring onions and leeks. I tend to sow seeds into seed trays as it allows me to give the seedlings a little protection in their first vulnerable weeks of life. As they get larger, I steadily introduce them to the outdoors in the daytime so that when it’s time to plant them out, they’ll be ready for a life of growing outside.
It’s also a good time to sow basil although this plant is much more sensitive to the cold so it won’t be placed outside until it is definitely summer time. Other warmth loving plants that can be sown now include French and runner beans, courgettes, squash and cucumbers but only place these outside when the nights are no longer freezing cold as they won’t survive a frost.
While it is too late to sow seeds for chillies, peppers, tomatoes and aubergines, it’s still possible to find these as young plants in garden centres or to order them online. The benefit of growing plants this way is having been started and cared for by professionals in an ideal environment, they should be strong and healthy by the time they get to you."
How about the coming months? What can I plant now that will provide yield in the future?
"Once your plants are growing and in their final sunny position – in the ground or in a container – your job will be to care for them so that they thrive and produce a harvest. Regular watering is a must, especially in the hotter months and giving the hungrier plants like courgettes and tomatoes a regular feed of organic liquid seaweed will support your plants to produce flowers and fruit. Some plants need support as they grow so before your cordon tomatoes get tall, push a bamboo cane into the ground an inch away from the stem and tie them together loosely with twine. Vining plants that clamber upwards, like climbing beans and cucumbers also need a structure – a trellis or an arch – to hold on to as they grow.
As the season progresses, you can sow more beetroot, spring onions and lettuce for a bonus harvest before autumn arrives. Summer is also when you sow purple sprouting broccoli, spring cabbage, mustard greens and radicchio which will go in the ground at the height of the season and remain there through winter for harvesting by the following spring."
"Once your plants are growing and in their final sunny position – in the ground or in a container – your job will be to care for them so that they thrive and produce a harvest. Regular watering is a must, especially in the hotter months and giving the hungrier plants like courgettes and tomatoes a regular feed of organic liquid seaweed will support your plants to produce flowers and fruit. Some plants need support as they grow so before your cordon tomatoes get tall, push a bamboo cane into the ground an inch away from the stem and tie them together loosely with twine. Vining plants that clamber upwards, like climbing beans and cucumbers also need a structure – a trellis or an arch – to hold on to as they grow.
As the season progresses, you can sow more beetroot, spring onions and lettuce for a bonus harvest before autumn arrives. Summer is also when you sow purple sprouting broccoli, spring cabbage, mustard greens and radicchio which will go in the ground at the height of the season and remain there through winter for harvesting by the following spring."
I have a small garden. Which plants should I opt for?
Although many edible plants need a lot of room to grow, there are plenty of options for smaller gardens as long as you have access to enough sunshine. Plants that don’t take up much space include chard, spring onions, leafy herbs such as dill and parsley and edible flowers such as viola and bush-type nasturtium. If you have a wall that you can attach a trellis to, you can make use of your vertical space by growing climbing plants like beans and cucumbers upwards. Alternatively, pots and hanging baskets can be fixed onto a wall and planted up with tumbling cherry tomatoes or strawberries.
Although many edible plants need a lot of room to grow, there are plenty of options for smaller gardens as long as you have access to enough sunshine. Plants that don’t take up much space include chard, spring onions, leafy herbs such as dill and parsley and edible flowers such as viola and bush-type nasturtium. If you have a wall that you can attach a trellis to, you can make use of your vertical space by growing climbing plants like beans and cucumbers upwards. Alternatively, pots and hanging baskets can be fixed onto a wall and planted up with tumbling cherry tomatoes or strawberries.
My garden is paved. What should I do?
Using pots and grow bags is a great way to create an edible garden even if your space is paved over or rented, or if you’re not able to bend down or kneel on the ground. The larger the container you can fit into your growing space, the greater the possibilities. Shallow rooting plants like lettuce and radish can be grown in containers that are only 10cm deep. Dwarf varieties of French beans, chillies and tomatoes grow well in pots. Bush courgette and small winter squash varieties need a larger pot (at least 45cm wide) but with regular feeding and watering, can provide an impressive yield.
Using pots and grow bags is a great way to create an edible garden even if your space is paved over or rented, or if you’re not able to bend down or kneel on the ground. The larger the container you can fit into your growing space, the greater the possibilities. Shallow rooting plants like lettuce and radish can be grown in containers that are only 10cm deep. Dwarf varieties of French beans, chillies and tomatoes grow well in pots. Bush courgette and small winter squash varieties need a larger pot (at least 45cm wide) but with regular feeding and watering, can provide an impressive yield.