1 Welcome to organic vegetable gardening

WHY GROW YOUR OWN?

Increasing numbers of people are discovering the edible rewards and personal satisfaction of growing their own food. Mass-crop production may have brought the price of vegetables down, but taste and freshness are often sacrificed. The convenience of calling into the local supermarket, with its many aisles of goods and checkout queues, is not so convenient if the alternative is wandering around the garden and picking your own vegetables.

We are continually reminded of the need to diversify what we eat. Health professionals encourage us to eat at least three serves of fruit and five different vegetables each day. However, it makes sense to assume that the more diverse your diet, the more likely you will be able to supply your body with all the nutrients and minerals needed for good health.

Growing a diverse range of edible plants at home is easy and empowering. It allows you to start taking responsibility for your own wellbeing. You can also save money and benefit from some enjoyable exercise.

The vegetable garden of the 1950s saw the entire back garden dedicated to market garden-like production that fed an extended family and friends. Today we are more likely to mix vegetables and herbs together. We pop a few tomatoes or lettuce seedlings around the garden and grow vegetables in pots. But more of us are growing non-hybrid, heirloom varieties, and a new generation of gardeners is learning how to collect, clean and save their own seeds for replanting.

What we grow is also changing. Interest in international cuisine is increasing. As we become more adventurous in the kitchen, we tend to diversify what we grow in our gardens. It is becoming commonplace for gardeners to talk of growing water chestnuts, kangkong, hibiscus spinach, ginger and turmeric.

Some of these plants are not only wonderful to eat but also actually easier to grow than many traditional vegetable crops. In some cases, you do not need a vegetable garden to accommodate them. These versatile plants can be grown as garden shrubs, understorey plants or in water gardens. If you are restricted to growing in pots, you will be impressed by just how adaptable some of these plants can be. Even the smallest window box can provide a harvest of micro-greens.

Australian bush tucker plants have entered the realm of gourmet food. Some of the best bush tucker plants currently available can be grown in pots, the backyard or as street trees; they can even be found in local parks and reserves.

WHAT IS ORGANIC GROWING?

According to Brisbane Organic Growers, ‘Growing organically by definition is growing without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers, using open-pollinated seed and free from genetic engineering. Organic gardening is working with nature, using the natural resources of soil, air, water and the return of animal and plant waste to create healthy soil. Plants grown in healthy soil are healthy and resistant to pests and diseases.’

The philosophy of these growers is echoed by other organic growing groups, city farms, seed saver networks, and biodynamic and permaculture organisations. Groups such as these are well placed to assist those wanting more information about going organic.

Membership of organic growing organisations has grown steadily over recent years, but consumer concern about the safety of genetically engineered plants and potential pesticide residue has sparked new interest in organic g