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The edible garden – part 3
By Zahrah Nasir
The orientation of ‘The Edible Garden’ is something that must not be overlooked,
as, the south facing wall for example, will be much warmer and sunnier than the
wall facing north which should have a decent amount of shade. The east facing
wall will get the morning sun and the west facing one will get sunlight during
the late afternoon to sunset.
This orientation needs to be kept in mind when planting the chosen varieties of
climbers as some of them prefer more shade or more sun than others. Grapes and
roses require cooler conditions than Passion Flowers, the latter really thriving
in full sun as long as they are watered regularly, preferably in the evening
during hot weather. Infact, all watering is best done in the evening so that the
plants have the entire night in which to drink their fill, something they can
not do from a morning watering as the life preserving liquid begins to evaporate
as soon as the sun comes up. I am a great believer in ‘manual’ watering, even
though it is a time consuming job, as it is then possible to tend to the needs
of each plant, and area of the garden, on an individual basis. This method also
uses far less water then say a sprinkler which can use an amazing 1,760 pints of
water in a single hour, enough water to keep an average family going for two
full days!
Let’s now go back to planting around the boundary wall. The selected climbers
should be planted at a distance of 1 foot away from the base of the wall to
allow them to gain strength, all around, before they begin to climb. These
climbing plants, whichever variety , are best spaced at approximately 4 feet
apart as this gives them adequate growing space and allows for the
under-planting which comes next. All necessary climbing supports should be put
in place prior to planting as if they are put in after the plants, tender young
roots may very well be damaged.
If the garden area was first covered with new soil and manure then the climbers
are planted directly into holes, preferably about 1 foot deep in this and, if
you have spread mulching material (both discussed in Part 1 of ‘The Edible
Garden’) then dig down through this and into the original soil below to put in
the new plants. If the new plants have been purchased from a nursery they will
probably be either in plant pots or plastic sleeves, in which case they should
be carefully eased out, keeping as much of the soil and ‘root-ball’ intact as
possible, then gently inserted into their new home, the soil topped up, firmed
down and then watered.
This can be done at any time of the year but, on the other hand, if plants are
‘bare rooted’ they should only be transplanted during their dormant stage, this
stage varies from species to species and in different climatic conditions so
keep in mind that you do not transplant things when they are in full flower or
fruiting as a basic rule.
If the climbers have been grown from seed ‘on site’, then they should be planted
out at the 6 leaf stage when they will be strong enough to stand the shock of
being forcibly moved into their new location. When growing seeds of ‘permanent’
plants it is always a good idea to keep the pots or trays of seedlings in the
immediate vicinity of where they are to eventually go so that they are already
used to the conditions in that locality.
Mixed in with the above mentioned climbers you may like to try the following;
‘Akebia quinata’, a native of Japan which is a very vigorous climber, has highly
perfumed, almost chocolate coloured flowers followed by sausage shaped, edible
fruits; ‘Akebia trifoliata’ similar to the previous variety but with purple
flowers and edible fruit; Akebia trifoliate – Amethysts’, highly ornamental and
energetic, producing spectacular lavender coloured sausages which are claimed to
be extremely sweet and juicy ; ‘Actinidia chinensis’, the increasingly popular
‘Kiwi Fruit’, a vigorous vine with heart shaped leaves up to 9 inches long and
clusters of ivory coloured flowers followed by the greenish fruits; ‘Actinidia
kolomikta’ whose heart shaped leaves start out a metallic green, then change
their minds and become a variegated cream and white with pink bands, it also has
highly perfumed white flowers followed, in turn, by yellowish fruits high in
vitamin C or ‘Actinidia polygama’ the ‘Silver Vine’ with silver-white foliage
, fragrant white flowers and brilliant orange, egg-shaped fruits to use fresh or
dried.
For the ‘gazebo’, my choice is ‘Pueraria lobata’ the ‘Kudzu Vine’ which can grow
an incredible 60 feet in one season so needs to be ruled with a rod of iron. It
has large leaves, fragrant violet coloured flowers and will cover the gazebo or
any other open work seating area in no time at all and has literally zillions of
culinary uses including that the young leaves, remember there are plenty of
them, can be eaten raw, boiled, sautéed, fried or pickled!
Now that the boundary wall is, hopefully, well and truly planted it is time to
decide on the width of the bed, what to edge it with and what to under-plant the
climbers with as bare soil is a very bad thing to have anywhere in the garden.
Under normal conditions, it takes between 200 and 1,000 years to form 2.5cm of
new top soil and only 16 years to loose it to wind and rain which is one of the
reasons for introducing the ‘No Dig’ system in this ‘Edible Garden’.
Soil erosion is a global problem and dust particles analyzed in Brazil were
found to have originated in Africa whilst soil from China has blown all the way
to Hawaii!
We want our soil to stay firmly in place and the only reasonably successful
method of ensuring this is to keep every single square inch of it covered in
plants at all seasons of the year. Not an easy task I freely admit but one which
must be achieved if at all possible.
Next time around I will discuss the under-planting of the boundary wall areas
and other associated, very important tasks. Until then, it’s time to put on your
thinking caps and see if any of the information so far can be of practical use
in your own growing area or even in pots along your veranda or on the balcony.
Creating an ‘Edible Garden’, even in the smallest of places, can still be done.
ENDS
Pic caps:
1. Climbing roses.
2. An ‘Edible Garden’.
3. Something to strive for.
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