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The edible garden – part 4
By Zahrah Nasir
The boundary wall of ‘The Edible Garden’ should, by this time, have been
planting with a good assortment of climbers which produce something useful and
tasty to eat so we will now take a look at what you can grow to keep them
company.
I would suggest that the border in which the climbers are planted be kept at a
width of approximately three feet as this allows enough space to grow some
interesting things, plus, it is easy to weed etc without having to put a foot on
the all important surface of the soil.
The edging for these borders, remember, four boundary walls so, if you like,
then four borders, should be selected carefully, not to high to be obstructive,
not too low to as to be a waste of time and absolutely no sharp edges. Natural
stone can create a wonderful effect but is on the expensive side, therefore,
keeping budgetary constraints in mind, I would suggest using bricks which, if
inserted at an angle, can also be very pleasing to the eye. A word of warning
here, please don’t utilize hollow ‘breeze blocks’ for this purpose as their
empty centers provide instant homes for wasps, scorpions, snakes, slugs, snails
and other nasties!
I would also suggest that the width of the pathway edging these borders be two
to three feet wide, which is usually quite enough, although having said this,
you also need to make provisions for easy negotiation for push chairs if you
expect to have young children visiting your ‘Edible Garden’ or for people in
wheelchairs.
The pathways themselves can be constructed out of carefully laid paving slabs,
bricks arranged in artistic patterns or plain old concrete which, providing that
the correct ratio of sand/cement/stone chips has been used may prove to be the
easiest to maintain as there should then be no cracks for stubborn weeds to
force their way through.
Now, time to get back to the all important subject of under-planting your
climbers.
Over the years people appear to have become far more interested in growing and
using both medicinal and culinary herbs, many of them ‘imported’ varieties which
can thrive in Karachi if correct attention is given to their individual
requirements. Many of these herbs are shallow rooted annuals which will not
interfere in the slightest with the climbers beneath which they tend to very
happy as the climbers provide them with the all important protection from the
deadly rays of direct sunlight and they repay this kindness by helping to keep
the climbers roots cool, they also help to prevent the evaporation of water from
the soil by keeping it covered, which, in turn, helps to minimize the amount of
precious water required to keep the ‘Edible garden’ healthy and alive.
Amongst the easiest to grow herbs in this category are:
Basil, of which there are numerous varieties including an attractive dark purple
leafed, pink flowered, extremely aromatic one;
Coriander; Oregano; Chamomile; Borage both blue and white flowered and which, if
happy, self seeds all over the place; Parsley, truly a bi-annual but best
treated as an annual in Karachi and whose wonderfully bright green or dark
emerald leaves are highly decorative as well as highly nutritious; Arugula,
sometimes known as ‘Rocket’; ‘Ajmud’; ‘Ajwain’; Balm; Chevril; Dill; Marjoram
and Perilla.
Perennial herbs tend to be deeper rooted than annual ones therefore, with the
exception of Plecanthrus, an indigenous herb which is sometimes called ‘Spanish
Thyme’ amongst other things, are better grown in suitable clay pots or other
suitable containers. Clay pots are often the best as these retain moisture and
keep the plants roots far cooler than plastic or metal ones which heat up and
dry out rapidly.
Amongst the range of perennial herbs, often better grown as annuals in Karachi
and being sown in September and November along with other plants falling into
the ‘cool-annual’ category are:
Fennel of which the Bronze variety is quite stunning; Aniseed; Feverfew, an
interesting member of the chrysanthemum family of plants; Thyme and please give
Citrus Thyme a try, it’s wonderful; Sage, botanically known as ‘Salvia
officinalis’; Spanish Sage or ‘Salvia lavandulifolia which has the same
medicinal and culinary uses, Chives, Garlic Chives and the numerous varieties of
Mint.
Both Lemon Grass and Ginger can be grown in the ‘Edible Garden’, directly in the
ground or in pots if you like but, if grown in the ground then they are not
suitable companions for the climbers, the Lemon Grass as it is very greedy for
the same nutrients that the climbers need and Ginger because it must be dug up
when harvested and this would unnecessarily disturb the roots of the climbers.
Seasonal vegetables which can also be grown in these boundary wall borders
include:
Lettuce of which there are now some remarkably attractive varieties around;
Cabbages, including the ornamental ones and yes, they are edible; Cauliflower,
try the purple one for a change; Celery; Spinach; Carrots, the ‘stump rooted’ or
dwarf varieties only; Mustard Mizuna; Swiss Chard with its orange, yellow, red,
white or green stems and Endive.
Other vegetables will be grown in specially prepared beds in the central area of
the ‘Edible Garden’ and we will get on to this subject the next time around.
Edible flowers which can be mixed in with the herbs and vegetables in the
boundary borders include:
Geraniums; Pelargonium; Nasturtium; Tagetes; Pansies; Violas; Calendula; Bellis;
Evening Primrose; Carnations; Pinks and Wallflowers of course, we can’t miss out
on the obvious!
Oh! You might even manage to find room in this border for some strawberry plants
although they are just has happy, sometimes more so, in pots.
As ‘The Edible Garden’ is being created on the ‘No Dig’ principle then it is
extremely important to always have a good supply of ‘mulching’ material to hand.
This can be in the form of well rotted organic compost, wilted weeds or grass
clippings, shredded newspaper or other waste paper, chopped straw or any other
natural ‘waste’ product, fallen leaves for example, which you come across.
The method is that whenever you decide to weed or tidy up the garden, or when
you consider that the plants need feeding, this mulching material is spread all
around the plants, not touching their stems which would suffer adversely from
the heat generated by a new mulch, but not, under any circumstances, dug in to
the soil.
The mulch will rot down and feed the soil and the plants at its own, and natures
pace, it also serves to suppress weeds and conserve soil moisture at the same
time. In using this method of topping up and feeding the soil without disturbing
its structure in the slightest, you gradually increase soil fertility and the
activity of beneficial beasties such as earthworms by a tremendous degree and,
in time, the benefits are there for you to reap.
We will take a look at some veggies next week so, until then, keep up the good
work please!
• Submit your garden questions and queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com and a
selection of answers will appear in future issues of ‘The Review’
ENDS
Pic caps:
1. Blue Borage.
2. Calendulas.
3. Useful feverfew.
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