Grow to Eat

Everyone will have noticed how prices are on the march ever-upwards, fuel and food most noticeably. Luckily for us and you, we’ve all been growing our own veggies for months or years, haven’t we? Now the neighbours are starting to peer over the fence, hopeful expressions on their faces and a touch of lust in their eyes as they see the rows of Swiss chard and carrots ready to be used… At least the timing is good for them to become part of the Grow to Eat family: spring has sprung, the earth is warm and rain is beginning to fall over most of the country. Soon everything that hits the ground will grow and anyone with even pale-green fingers will have a glut of tomatoes to share. So when you…

When Arthur and Noelene Menningke moved into their Parkview home, the courtyard outside their kitchen was in a rather sorry state, only really used to dry clothes and as the entrance to staff accommodation. “For a professional landscaper, I tend to neglect my own garden,” chuckles Arthur, “so it took me a while to get stuck into the courtyard.” As it already had a number of fruit trees and was right by the kitchen, Arthur, a passionate cook, decided that it would make the perfect potager. “As the new kitchen double doors were opening onto this space, I wanted the garden to be an area where we could practice soil-to-table principals as well as being an area for entertainment and quiet contemplation,” he explains. “I chose a formal design to fit in…

I have a confession to make… I’m a bit of a ‘prepper’. I haven’t quite got to the point of stockpiling canned beans and tuna, but as a South African I believe that a certain degree of ‘state-proofing’ is necessary in the form of off-grid water (borehole and rainwater), a backup-battery system and, more recently, a food-garden tunnel on the side of my house. The problem is, I’m great at implementing and building these off-grid concepts, but I’m absolutely lousy at maintaining them. I was reminded of this fact when I wandered around the Neighbourhood Farm’s Fish Hoek location in Cape Town. The 1 300m2 community farm was glistening with dew that morning across rows and rows of healthy vegetables, whereas back home my own garden tunnel looked more like a…

Strawberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow, making them great for beginners! When it comes to taste, homegrown strawberries are definitely much tastier than store-bought ones, which are usually picked before they’re really ready. Allowing strawberries to fully ripen before harvesting means MORE FLAVOUR! Pest control tips • Keeping beds weed-free and using mulch can deter slugs and bugs. Spread sand over the strawberry bed to deter slugs.• For bigger bugs, spray your plants with puréed garlic or neem oil. How to plant strawberries Spring is the best time to plant strawberries. Pots or bags of strawberries are usually available throughout the growing season from most nurseries. Space the plants about 50cm apart in each direction, and if you are planting rows, using a string line as a guide to keep them…

This season try Strawberry ‘Florian’. This is no ordinary strawberry: it’s a high-quality, world-class strawberry variety you could expect to be served at Wimbledon, accompanied by whipped cream and Pimm’s! It is a Japanese-style strawberry that is beautifully aromatic and has a delicious flavour. It’s not the traditional untidy, trailing plant but a compact plant of just 35cm with bright pink flowers. Sow in spring and harvest the delicious fruits from early summer right through until the first night frost next year autumn. Tip: Sow from early spring in seed trays using coir/peat or seedling mix. The seed is tiny so cover lightly, press down, keep moist, be patient as germinations takes up to 3 weeks, and thin out at 8 weeks leaving 35cm between plants. Water frequently and remove runners from…

A strawberry seed is very small and there are around 200 on every fruit. So if you were to grow the seeds from just one strawberry, you could have a beautiful patch that produces mounds of strawberries every season. So what do you do with them once everyone, including the neighbours, has had their fill of fresh, delectable strawberries straight from the plant? Here are 10 ways to make strawberry season last all year round: 1. Freeze The most popular and easiest way to keep strawberries for longer is to freeze them. They won’t be the same as fresh strawberries when they are defrosted due to their high water content, but they can be used for a multitude of desserts, smoothies, sauces and cakes. Before freezing, wash the strawberries gently and remove…