Seeds of change

Influenced by changing lifestyles and trends that ebb and flow, the art of gardening continues to evolve in surprising ways

-  CARROL BAKER

The feeling of putting your hands in freshly dug earth, of connecting with Mother Nature in a very real way, is a beautiful thing. After all, there's nothing like the joy of watching seedlings emerge from the earth, of filling a basket with your own bounty of fresh produce to share, or of seeing kids running barefoot through the veggie patch and nibbling on cherry tomatoes as juice runs down their chins.

There's no doubt more of us are growing our own vegetables and fruits and relishing in the grow-your-own culture that continues to flourish. Marcelle Swanson, horticulture editor at The Diggers Club, says recent events like the global pandemic have brought renewed interest in growing vegetables and herbs at home. "It's highlighted the importance of our connection with our food and our food supply," she says. "Instead of robotically purchasing the ingredients we need from the supermarket, we have started to think about what we could grow at home and have begun creating meals to suit what we have available, in season, from our gardens."

SOWING SEEDS OF JOY

For a fledgling gardener, growing seedlings does give you a head start. There are so many benefits if you decide to grow from seed, including watching your seeds germinate. If you are concerned about any complexities associated with growing food from seed, Marcelle says it's easier than you might think. The first thing to consider is water. "Seeds need moisture; water morning and night depending on the soil or seed raising mix (if growing in punnets)," she advises.

Temperature is also important as all seeds have an ideal temperature range for seed germination. "Summer crops like tomatoes and chillies need higher soil temperatures than cool-season crops like radish," she says. "A heat mat can help to artificially create this, or you can germinate seed in punnets inside to help with ambient temperatures."