Inspiration for Small SpacesInspiration!for!Small!Spaces!18th April!2011

Why!did!I!want!a!garden?! It’s!great!for!the!soul!g! Makes!the!house!feel!more!like!a!home! Need herbs on hand for salads and for cooking! Need!herbs!on!hand!for!salads!and!for!cooking

What do I have?What!do!I!have?! A!deck!(3"4!sq!metres)!in!a!town!house!apartment

What!did!I!try!growing?! Herbs

! Basils,!Mints,!Rosemary,!Lavender,!Curry,!Spring!Onions,!Chives,!Coriander,!Parsley,!Nasturtium,!Aloe!Vera,!Camomile,!Sunflower,!Lettuce,!Rocket

! Veggies!and!Fruitsgg! Tomatoes,!Chillies,!Blueberry,!Boysenberries,!Grape,!Strawberries,!Beans,!Kaffir!Lime,!Kumara

North

Movable!pots!within!planter!reservoir

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Sheltered!area!lents

Enjoyment/!working!spaceWork

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Issues!faced!

! Environmental!conditions! Choosing!the!right!plants! Watering! Pest!control! Garden waste managementGarden!waste!management

Tips!for!small!spaces! Square!movable!pots! Use!a!table! Balance! Plant more of the same! Plant!more!of!the!same

I F dIssues!Faced

Issues!faced!– Environmental!conditions

! A!deck!is!a!tricky!place!for!a!gardend k b hi h !! My!deck!can!be!scorching!hot!

! My!apartment!complex!creates!a!wind!tunnel!effect!

! Factors!to!consider! Know the environmental characteristics of your spaceKnow!the!environmental!characteristics!of!your!space! Best!to!respond!to!the!given!environmental!conditions!by!planting!accordinglyy p g g y

! You!can!try!to!modify!the!environment!" Temperature,!direct!sunlight,!water,!wind,!nutrients

! You!can!work!against!your!environment!but!it!takes!lots!of!your!attention!and!effort!!

Issues!faced!– Choosing!the!right!plants! A!dilemma...

! The plants I want to grow struggle in the environmentThe!plants!I!want!to!grow!struggle!in!the!environment!I’ve!got!

F t t id! Factors!to!consider! Different!plants!have!different!environmental!

f R d th l b l f l t ld i dpreferences!" Read!the!labels!of!plants!sold!in!garden!centres

! Some plants dislike living in pots! Some!plants!dislike!living!in!pots! Modify!the!environmental!conditions!to!fit!the!plant’s!requirementsrequirements

! Plants!get!stressed!when!they!don’t!get!what!they!need! A balance of temperature direct sunlight water wind! A!balance!of!temperature,!direct!sunlight,!water,!wind,!nutrients

Issues!faced!– Watering! Watering!became!a!huge!part!of!my!routine...

! No outdoor tap nearbyNo!outdoor!tap!nearby! 5!Watering!cans!twice!a!day! Summer rain doesn’t really help! Summer!rain!doesn t!really!help

! Factors!to!consider! Size!of!pots!and!soil!volume!matters! The!more!plants!you!have,!the!more!you!have!to!water!! Some!plants!are!thirstier!than!others! The!larger!the!plant,!the!more!it!transpires! Mulching!and!creating!a!reservoir!at!the!base!of!the!pots!helps

Issues!faced!– Pest!Control! I!wasn’t!the!only!one!eyeing!my!delicious!crop!

! Caterpillars aphids spider mites mealy bugs birdsCaterpillars,!aphids,!spider!mites,!mealy!bugs,!birds

! Factors!to!consider! Insects!attack!stressed,!unhealthy!or!diseased!plants!first!– Prevention!is!better!than!the!cure.

! Companion!planting!doesn’t!work!with!small!gardens! Isolated!gardens!in!a!concrete!jungle!may!not!harbour!

d i k h ff ipredator!insects!to!make!them!effective! Spraying!pyrethrum!is!a!great!last!resort!for!small!gardensgardens

Issues!faced!– Garden!waste!management

! There!is!more!waste!than!meets!the!eyeA d l f i h I ’ d l! A!garden!creates!a!lot!of!organic!waste!that!I!can’t!deal!with!in!my!apartment

! I regularly sweep the compound of leaf litter! I!regularly!sweep!the!compound!of!leaf!litter

! Factors!to!consider! Where!is!all!the!garden!waste!going?!! Good!organic!waste!should!not!end!up!in!the!landfillg p! It!takes!effort!and!commitment!to!deal!with!waste!properly

Ti f S ll STips!for!Small!Spaces

Tips!"Movable!Square!Buckets! 12L!Plastic!Buckets!

! Good amount of soil volumeGood!amount!of!soil!volume! Plastic!is!light! Water!is!retained!wellWater!is!retained!well

! Square!is!the!best!shape!to!arrange!plants!in!a!compact!mannerp! Square!format!minimises!the!gaps!between!pots!and!reduces!unwanted!spillage!during!watering

! Movable!pots!are!great!when!the!garden!needs!rearrangementg! This!way!you!could!move!plants!within!the!planter!to!suit!their!requirements

Tips!– Use!a!table

! Great!for!potting!up!and!tending!to!your!plantsf b k! Better!for!your!back

! Easier!for!cleanup!(as!opposed!to!cleaning!the!deck)

! What!about!underneath?! Great for storing tools and other equipmentGreat!for!storing!tools!and!other!equipment! Good!shady!and!sheltered!environment!for!seedlings

Tips!– Balance

! A!garden!like!an!eco"system!needs!to!be!in!balancebalance! Temperature,!Sunlight,!Water,!Air,!Wind,!Nutrients

h h f h ll! Too!much!or!not!enough!of!each!item!will!put!your!plants!in!stress

! R b th t h l t i diff t! Remember!that!each!plant!is!different

! Know!your!crop!welly p! Read!up!about!it,!and!make!sure!it!gets!the!appropriate!environment!so!you!can!get!the!most!out!of!them

Tips!– Plant!more!of!the!same

! The!ease!of!uniformityCh ll d h if! Chances!are,!a!small!garden!has!pretty!uniform!conditions

! It is easier to plan and manage a small garden around! It!is!easier!to!plan!and!manage!a!small!garden!around!plants!that!have!uniform!requirements

! Know!your!crop!well! Better!to!pay!attention!to!a!few!crops!than!to!be!confused!by!too!many!!

Remember to ENJOY!Remember!!to!ENJOY!