Backyard Kitchen Gardening

Backyard Kitchen Garden
Backyard Kitchen Garden

Kitchen gardens have been around since people decided to grow plants for their own use rather than gathering them from the wild. Kitchen gardens are not only a great use for extra back yard space, they also make tasty cooking more convenient as you can grow your own herbs such as rosemary or mint and use them as and when you please. Green is always easy on the eye, especially if you can put it in your food.

There are a few things you will need to buy if you do not already have, before you embark on this fulfilling journey. Planting tools such as a spade, a hoe, gardening gloves, a garden hose, a wheelbarrow or bucket and a watering just to mention a few.

It is important to know when long and short rains are so as to keep alert to the weather patterns in your area. Before you start, here are a few tips to guide you:

Picking a spot.
Picking a spot where you would like to have your kitchen garden is important, as this will determine whether your plants will strive or thrive. A sunny spot, one that gets a good amount of sun will do. Soil type is also key as you want soil that drains well, that is it doesn’t drain too fast or hold water for too long, so loam soil is ideal. You’ll also need to make sure that the soil is healthy enough to sustain life so adding compost to it will continue to nurture the soil and grow healthy plants.

What to plant.
When deciding what to plant, you must really do your homework and get to know what the plants need in terms of water, soil fertility and temperature; however as a first timer it’s advisable to start small and plant what you like to eat. Growing what you like to eat is rewarding as you will tend to look forward to a bountiful harvest. Crops such as chilies, rosemary, sukumawiki, and tomatoes will do well. You could plant these crops from either seeds or seedlings, though seeds are cheaper though they’ll take longer to grow. Start easy, know what works and what does not then take it from there.

Maintaining your garden.
This is easier than you think. To start with, you need to keep your soil healthy by adding mulch in the form of leaves, cut grass or dead weeds to it. This wards off pests and helps keep moisture in the soil. Remember to water your plants regularly especially for the younger plants that haven’t developed a deep root structure yet. Putting up a small fence around your garden will also help keep off birds and other pests.

The most fulfilling thing about a kitchen garden is that you not only get to see the transformation of seeds to healthy plants, but you also get to enjoy the fruits of your labor, quite literally!