Choosing the Right Variety
Some of the most popular cabbage varieties grown include White (Cannonball), Savoy, Red cabbage and Chinese cabbage. White (Cannonball) cabbage is a compact variety that is easy to grow and produces large heads. Savoy cabbage has crinkled leaves and a mild flavour, making it a great choice for salads. Red cabbage is a colourful variety that adds a splash of colour to any dish. Chinese cabbage include Bok Choy and Pac Choy and are popular in Asian cooking.
Growing food at home is very popular and whatever form your garden may take, herbs are easy to grow and very rewarding. Fresh or dried, herbs add zest to cooking, perfume the house and have natural medicinal and cosmetic benefits. Craft making with herbs has wide appeal. Create Pot pourri, Tussie mussies and infused Vinegars from your own garden.
Putting it Together
So very versatile, the herb garden can be formal like a circular bed with an ornamental centre piece, or as informal as a rockery. Plant them throughout the garden, mixed in with vegetables, or the flower border and even between paving stones. The smallest living spaces can accommodate a few herbs in pots on a windowsill, the porch steps, and a window box or in a hanging basket.
Here’s a selection of edible herbs to get you started.
Planting in dry places
• Basil – Traditionally used in Italian cooking. Spicy and pungent, it is delicious with tomatoes, vegies, pasta & salads.
• Dill – delicate anise flavoured leaves that combine well with fish and vegetables. The seeds can be used in pickles and breads.
• Garlic – The pungent aroma enhances many styles of cuisine. Well known in French & Mediterranean cooking it also has remarkable medicinal properties.
• Marjoram – Traditionally used in mixed herbs. Good addition for savoury dishes, tomatoes, meats.
• Oregano – Similar to marjoram. Add to pasta, pizza, tomatoes, meats, dressings.
• Sage – Traditionally used for meat stuffings. Good for drying
• Tarragon (French) – Good accompaniment to chicken, fish, and vegetable dishes and herb vinegar.
• Thyme – Garden and Lemon thyme are invaluable additions to savoury dishes, meat dishes, soups, salads, vegetables and baking. There are many other ornamental varieties.
Planting in damp places
• Chives – Delicate onion flavour used in savoury dishes, salads and as a garnish for soup.
• Chervil – Delicate aniseed flavour good for enhancing fish and egg dishes.
• Coriander – Spicy and intense, invaluable for curry dishes.
• Fennel – Delicious flavour for fish or meats—raw or braised
• Mint – Used traditionally with potatoes, peas, lamb. Also refreshing in salads and as a garnish for fruits and summer drinks.
• Parsley - Its' refreshing flavour is widely used in savoury sauces, meat dishes, soups, salads, baking and garnishes
Site, Soil and Planting
Dry tolerant herbs require a sunny position with well-drained soil. Herbs requiring damp conditions will grow in sun or semi shade. Work a good organic fertiliser into the soil prior to planting. The addition of compost prior to planting will also be beneficial.
There are many other herbs for many purposes. Listed below are a few examples.
Teas
• Lemon Balm – To relieve headaches
• Borage – Lifts the spirits
• Roman Chamomile – Calming
Ornamental
• *Basil, purple – A striking colour contrast
• Catmint – Misty lavender flowers. Lovely under roses
• Curry Plant – Silver leaves, rich scent
• Hyssop – Ideal for low hedges
• Savoury – Fragrant evergreen, ideal for edgings
Lawns of delicious fragrance
• Corsican Jewel mint – Tiny, strongly scented leaves
• Pennyroyal mint – Crisp peppermint smell
• Thyme – Purple, White, Woolly, are just a few of the carpeting Thymes
* These herbs require replanting with new plants each year. Note. Borage will self seed very freely
When to plant Herbs
When putting an herb garden together it may be difficult to buy all the plants at one time as many are seasonal and only available at certain times.
Planting can be done whenever plants are available provided regular watering is carried out in summer.
After Care
• Trim after flowering to keep compact, bushy and to encourage new growth.
• Water as required in summer. Mulch in early spring and autumn.
• Feed with a quality high quality fertiliser in early spring.
Harvesting
Pick leaves and flowers in the morning after dew has evaporated. If you are growing culinary herbs choose a place near the kitchen for convenience. For most herbs, create pockets using stones for dry lovers and add more organic material to help retain moisture for damp loving herbs. Herbs can be grown in many styles of containers.
With house blocks becoming smaller and homes becoming larger, the garden for many people looks much different to the gardens of the past. The garden may be a small backyard, a courtyard or an apartment balcony. Small areas do not mean that you need to miss out on the pleasures of growing your own food. There have been fantastic ranges small growing fruiting trees developed that are perfect for pots and small garden spaces.
There are now a number of varieties of dwarf citrus trees that are extremely popular and ideally suited for pots and containers on balconies or courtyards. Lovely sweetly-scented blossoms with lots of full-size fruit produced over a long fruiting season.
Flowering bulbs are a highlight in the garden and home. Spring flowering bulbs begin to flower in late winter and bring with them the colourful promise of the spring ahead.
Although all are referred to as ‘bulbs’, there are four different types of bulbs.
True Bulbs include tulips and daffodils.
Rhizomes are swollen stems such as Iris.
Tubers include plants such as dahlias and potatoes.
Corms include cyclamen and gladioli.
Spring flowering bulbs are planted from February to May. Some begin to flower as the days begin to lengthen in late winter and others create spectacular spring displays and will flower throughout the spring months. Spring flowering bulbs include Anemones, Daffodils, Dutch Iris, Freesias, Grape Hyacinth, Hyacinth, Jonquils, Ranunculi, Scillas, Spring Stars and Tulips.
Before planting tulips and hyacinths, put them in a paper bag and then into the crisper part of the fridge for about six to seven weeks. Mark them clearly so they are not mistakenly used for other purposes. This tricks the bulb by telling it that winter is over and they will flower earlier and more prolifically.
Cucurbits include cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini, squash, watermelon and rockmelon. These all share traits and enjoy similar growing conditions. All are easy to grow and highly productive in the home garden. Pumpkin and watermelon vines require room to grow but can trained over or structures. Cucumbers and rockmelons require less space and can be grown vertically on a trellis or obelisk.
Position
• Cucurbits require warm, frost-free conditions
• In cool areas, seedling can be started in protected positions and planted out once the risk of frost has passed.
• All cucurbits prefer full sun
• Their foliage (particularly zucchini and squash) is easily damaged and dried out in hot winds so grow in a protected position.
Planting
• Cucurbits require warm, frost-free conditions
• Sow seeds or plant cucurbits seedlings from September to January. In cool areas, seedling can be started in protected positions and planted out once the risk of frost has passed.
• Seeds and seedlings are readily available at Stoneman's during the planting season.
• If planting seeds, plant 2-3 seeds in each planting mound 10cm apart, and then thin them out to leave only the strongest seedling.
• Water seeds in well, but don’t water them again until they germinate – they are very prone to rotting.
• Don’t overcrowd cucurbits. They are very prone to fungal disease and need good airflow around the vines. In general, allow 2m between pumpkin and watermelon vines, 1m between zucchinis and squash and 20-30cm between cucumbers.
Watering and fertilising
• Cucurbits are vigorous growers. Apply an all-purpose fertiliser in the first week after planting. Follow up with regular light applications every 3-4 weeks.
• They have lots of foliage and dry out easily. Keep soil at the base of plants evenly moist as irregular watering can lead to poor production and poor-quality fruit.
• Avoid watering the foliage and remove old leaves to reduce fungal problems.
Support
• All cucurbit vines will climb if you let them.
•It is best to grow cucumbers on a 1 to 2m high trellis or support. the vines and fruit. This will support the vines and fruit, save space and keep and keep the fruit off the ground.
• Pumpkins and melons can be trained over up fence or over structures to save space in a small space.
Overcoming poor fruit set
Poor fruit set in cucurbits is often due to inadequate pollination and lack of bees. Pollinating flowers by hand is easy to do and will ensure an abundant crop. Identify the male and female flowers. Males have long slender stems and female flowers have a swollen base. Pick off a male flower, remove the petals to reveal the central ‘style”. Use a small artist paintbrush to brush the pollen onto the pistil inside the female flower. This is best done early in the morning.
Harvesting
Use secateurs to remove the fruits from their vines to avoid damage to fruit and vines. Leaving a length of stem on the harvested fruit helps to minimise deterioration
Pumpkin – Harvest when the fruit produces a hollow sound when tapped and stems are hard and dry. Clean and dry fruit and store in a cool, airy and dry spot.
Watermelon – Picking a ripe watermelon from the garden is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Give the fruit a tap – a ripe melon will have a dull thud sound. Also check the skin of the fruit where it meets the ground. It should be a yellow-white colour when mature.
Rockmelon – Smell the fruit. Ripe rockmelons have a strong sweet smell and come away freely from the vine. Store in the fridge.
Zucchini and Squash – Harvest young (zucchini 15-20cm long, squash 7-15cm wide) and store excess in the fridge. Larger fruit looks impressive but become watery and lose flavour. Check and harvest plants every 1-2 days.
Cucumber – Depends on the variety and use. Small fruit less than 10cm long are best for pickling. Harvest young to avoid large seeds.