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Grow Your Own

We’ve all heard the terms, ‘Sustainable Living’, ‘Carbon Footprint’ and ‘Renewable Energy’.  The trend is most definitely towards living a greener life using eco-friendly methods. However, if a self-composting toilet is just a step too far and the thought of wearing a hemp skirt gives you goosebumps, fear not!  There are plenty of things you can do to become more self-sufficient and environmentally aware, while having a bit of fun along the way.  The Welly Diaries is the result of my own search for that happy medium between being a gas-guzzling consumer and a quinoa-eating eco-warrior.

It all started for me when I bought my first pair of outlandishly coloured wellies and let’s face it, we all have a pair in the shed now thanks to Kate Moss and the whole ‘festival look’.  How about using the power of those polka-dot wellies to produce something more than a muddy field?  Yes people, I’m talking about the very glamourous vegetable patch. Gardening is no longer the reserve of vast landowners or glasshouse-dwelling retirees. With lots of new products on the market, even urban dwellers can have a slice of the good life.

If the thought of digging up the garden does not appeal, there is a much easier solution now available. Raised beds are essentially wooden boxes of varying size, into which you pour your soil and voila, instant beds in which to plant your veggies, which will unquestionably taste better than anything you can buy in the shops and save you money on your shopping bills. Plus you will have the added glow of self-satisfaction that comes along with putting your home-grown food on the table.

It all started for me when I bought my first pair of outlandishly coloured wellies

Now, I made my own rudimentary bed out of some untreated timber (chemical-free so nothing nasty will seep into your soil), but if you don’t fancy getting out the hammer and nails, you can buy flat-packed beds in any hardware store.  Or if you want to skip a few steps, you can buy them already planted from Quickcrop.ie. This innovative company will install the raised bed in your garden and fill it up with plants, so you can skip the hard part and sit back while your garden grows. If squares are not your thing, why not try Grow Rings? Another new Irish company that recently featured on Dragon’s Den supply flat pack raised beds that pop up into a circle and provide the perfect foundation for all types of plants.

Then it’s off to the garden centre to load up on seeds, compost and fertiliser. The very first seeds I planted were courgettes, which grow extremely well here and produce the most beautiful star-shaped yellow flowers that brighten up the garden too. Depending on the time of year, you can plant directly into the soil or use bedding trays. I placed my bedding trays into the warmth and darkness of the hot press for a week to give them a good head start. Transplanting the baby plants can be tricky, so a good tip is to plant them in toilet roll holders, which hold the soil together and break down naturally once planted.

If you don’t have a garden, but would still like a vegetable patch, check out Allotments.ie who have listings of allotments in your area. Unfortunately, Galway Council does not seem to have any allotments available at the moment, but there are several private allotments in the county listed on the site. Not to be left out, apartment dwellers can get their hands dirty too and literally grow bags of potatoes!  Space is not an issue here as you can grow a fine crop of potatoes in tubs or heavy-duty polypropylene bags, available in most hardware stores. Everything you need for summer salads, lettuce, spring onions and tomatoes can be planted in easy to use grow bags. A balcony is an ideal place to grow vegetables and most importantly, a rabbit-free zone!

If veggies are not your thing, you could always try fruit. Strawberries are a real summertime treat and these hardy plants keep coming back every year, bigger and better. You can plant them in anything, even hanging baskets (just keep them off the ground). But this pink strawberry planter from Woodies is too cute to resist. Once your crop ripens, it’s time to get jamming. With Sure Set sugar, you will never worry about your jam setting again. Simply mix equal amounts of fruit and sugar on the stove, sterilise some old jars by boiling them in hot water and you’ve got your very own homemade jam. There is a lovely homely feeling about putting sticky labels on your very own jam pots and giving them as gifts.

However, if you just want to dip your toe in the soil, why not try an herb garden in your window? A few pretty pots of rosemary, basil or parsley, which you can pick up at any local supermarket, would be an ideal way to start. Again, Woodies stock an herb growing kit with chives, which produce a beautiful lilac flower and would brighten up any corner. Getting a little messy and feeling the soil in your hands transports you back to days of childhood mischief and if you do have little ones at home, get them involved. Peas are a must have! For one thing, they grow on ‘wigwams’, which can be a lot of fun and games to make. Get three or more bamboo canes, root them into the soil and then tie them at the top with some string. The pea shoots will grow up around it and best of all, small fingers can pick them when they’re ripe and eat them right out of their pods.

It’s a learning process and most importantly, an enjoyable and rewarding one

You can follow lunar cycles and consult planting calendars, but if you’re just starting out, don’t get too caught up in the details. The back of the seed packet usually gives enough info. The main thing is to get involved and you will soon realise that you do not have to be an expert to make your garden grow. It’s a learning process and most importantly, an enjoyable and rewarding one.  With gardening, you can spend as much or as little as you like on tools and accessories. You can grow a plant in an old bean tin (washed out of course!) and you can even get your plants for free by sharing slips and cuttings with family and friends. There are plenty of resources online and the only limit is your imagination…or perhaps the size of your pots!

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