My potted garden

[Merenwen]

Around September last year, I decided that I wanted to become more self sufficient. I've been a vegetarian for about 8 years & a vegan for the last 2, so that makes it fairly easy!

I'm renting currently, so decided pots were the best option, so I wasn't wasting time & money if I move somewhere else in 12 months time.

I stopped buying fresh fruit & veg, instead spending the money each week on pots, soil, seeds & plants. The first few months didn't yield much, just spinach, tomatoes & a few capsicums, but as I learn, it is increasing daily.

My previous gardens have been aquaponic or hyydroponic, so switching to dirt was a little strange- a bit backwards I know.

All organically grown, no herbicide or pesticide. I'm using comfrey/grass tea as a fertilizer & plan to add Moringa to the mix once I get a tree established- I just planted one today.




Passionfruit & Peach.
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Sweet potato & watermelon.


Strawberries in hanging baskets, I have a few different varieties growing.


Basil, I grow heaps of this, any spare spots in the garden get basil added. It is so good for attracting bees & here in Perth it flowers pretty much all year round.


My furry little friends busy at work.


I put in a small pond, surrounded by basil, again for the bees, so they could have a drink. I used to see them all the time in my hydroponics systems during the flood cycle, sitting on the rocks to get at the water. The pond has also attracted frogs, I started hearing them at night a few weeks after putting it in.


I planted a couple of Pumpkins & some Fennel in this terrible sand, not expecting much, but they are growing quite well with some hardwood mulch & regular liquid fertilizer.



The corn is done, I plan to grow a lot more next season, I was a bit late this time around, but they still grew really well. I'm leaving the stalks where they are & have planted climbing peas in the pots to make use of them.



Recycled Spring onions. I bough one bunch of these from the supermarket when I first moved in & planted the left over roots after using them. I have let a few go to seed & spread them around throughout the garden. One of the easiest things to grow & something that I use in almost every meal.



My Capsicums are starting to do really well, this one is loaded with about a dozen.

Wow what an amazing garden - thank you for sharing

 

[Grandmother Goose]

Rather than trying to wipe them out, I have been retraining them for a few months. I drop caterpillars & grasshoppers that I take off the plants onto the ground near their nest . They make short work of them & have now started hanging out on the plants, just waiting for a meal to arrive.

Training ants... that's awesome and indeed it can be done in exactly the way you're doing, to go to a specific place for food. Unfortunately it's not so easy to train ants to stay away from an area you don't want them in, but a willingness to live with nature and all it's disadvantages and use what you can of it to your advantage is always a win.