Gardening has many health and therapeutic benefits, and can be enjoyed by everyone. People with disabilities, older people and children can find it especially rewarding to spend time in the garden growing their own food. With some planning and thought, you can create an interesting, productive and pleasant space that can be used as an edible garden. Award winning Landscaper, Phillip Withers, shares his top 4 tip to creating and maintaining an edible garden.
The team at Phillip Withers Landscape Design have seen the rise in popularity of edible gardens first hand and now incorporate edible elements into the majority of their garden designs. Here are our top 4 tips on how to create and maintain your edible garden.
Design is key
When planning your edible garden, ask yourself one question: how much space do I have? And remember, an edible garden can be as simple as one herb planter box on the windowsill, or as labour intensive as a backyard veggie patch.
- Check your soil before you start planting.
Well draining soil with plenty of organic matter is ideal.
Get Creative
There are a variety of containers that can be adapted for growing edible plants in so let your imagination run wild. Old wheelbarrows and bathtubs with holes for drainage; wine barrels and other recycled containers; and raised gardens beds which can be purpose built are just a few to get your started.
- What to plant?
Favourite fruits and vegetables, along with herbs and other edible plants are always a good place to start. And think about incorporating a sensory appeal to your edible garden by growing plants you like to see, smell and touch.
Visit the Phillip Withers Landscape Design team and garden ‘I SEE WILD’ at the 2017 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, Garden A76 from March 29-April 2, 2017. Follow Phillip and his team on Instagram @phillip_withers www.phillipwithers.com
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