FOOD GARDENING ON A SHOESTRING

It's possible, with some help from friends and neighbours, freecycling and being creative when reusing what's to hand.
Save with seed
When it comes to savings, a packet of seed will last two seasons or more. That beats a six pack of seedlings hands down. Even if you have a small garden and only want six tomatoes, there is no reason why they can't be started from seed.
Seed stored correctly can be viable for up to three years. Once a packet has been opened, it should be stored in a cool, dark place and kept closed (I use clothes pegs). A desk drawer is good, as long as you don't forget about them. Rather keep the packets in an airtight container or shoebox, and mark it as a seed box. You'll notice that all seed packets are date-stamped.
Vegetable Growing in South Africa by Charles W. Smith, is a very old garden manual, that sold for 10 shillings, which means it was probably printed in the 1950s. His advice is still sound. He writes, under General Rules: "It makes no difference how much fertiliser or water or care you give a crop grown from poor seed.
The result will be poor if the seed is poor. You may have to pay a little more for good seed but if the seed is good, it is worth the little more."
Freecycle - within your neighbourhood
One person's waste can be another's treasure. Make use of your community's WhatsApp group or Facebook to appeal for bagged leaves (for mulch and compost), discarded plastic plant pots for potting up seeds or growing on veggies and other items like paving stones, bricks, old planks, and even tools that people might be clearing out. Once people know what you want, you might find yourself buried under bags of leaves.
3 WAYS TO USE PLASTIC BOTTLES
1. As seed germinator
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2023-Ausgabe von The Gardener.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2023-Ausgabe von The Gardener.
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Preserving apples
The end of the apple season means that apples need to be preserved for the next six months until the next harvest is ready.

Golden Oregano
Origanum vulgare ‘Aureum’, as its name suggests, is golden yellow in full sun and cool weather. These bright herbs are highly fragrant, with a classic oregano taste and aroma, and are often used in the kitchen for pasta and pizza. In summer, the yellow leaves will be covered with small pink and purple flowers.

Potting up a conifer
Conifers generally are well-behaved plants with interesting, evergreen foliage and mostly formal and neat growth habits. This makes them stately candidates for roomy containers.

Enduring and venerable trees
There cannot ever be a good reason not to plant a tree, and somewhere there is just the right tree for you...

Daylilies make a comeback
Daylilies are making a comeback in 2025 with even more shapes, twists, ruffles, pleats, picotees, curves, and stunning colours and colour combinations. There are singles and doubles, big and small flowers, each unique, and yes, they only last a day! They do, however, have another flower bud just behind that one, ready to show off the next day.

How to make a fat ball
Some birds love a fat ball in winter to boost their energy levels. These are easy to make and a fun project to do with the kids.

The Princess and Obsession
It only takes two wonderful modern hybrids of old garden favourites to prepare a garden and containers for an unforgettable spring performance.

Pink and pretty
Pink colour shifters with hot appeal...

GROW the WALL
If you want lots of flowers in plantable concrete retaining wall blocks or lush stems and foliage cascading over dry stone walls, we have good plant suggestions for you!

Winter indoor plant care
Winter can be a tough time for your houseplants; a drop in natural light, drier air, and cold drafts can all influence their lush appeal. As plant lovers, spending more time indoors in winter creates opportunities to keep a close eye on your leafy companions and make some changes to avoid these common winter blues.