Self Sufficient Potager Garden

It was 8 years ago when my then fiancee and I decided to aim towards a more self sufficient lifestyle; one where we would earn money on our own terms, reduce household expenditures, and decrease our carbon footprint. Since graduating university, I had worked full time, 9-5 for over a decade and believed there must be a better way to switch from 'work to live' to 'live to work' without it costing a fortune.

Growing our own food was always part of the plans. I followed a family legacy as my Grandfather kept an allotment and my mother successfully grows nurseries and cuttings. Additionally, I wanted to reduce reliance on store-bought produce which tends to be inferior in quality, have a shorter life, have a higher ecological impact on the planet due to the miles food travels, use of pesticides, and non-recyclable packaging.

We decided to use the front garden as for 16 years it never served any real purpose; the property is set approx 2-3 feet lower than the road level therefore the front boundary has a wall to secure this height difference and the ground slopes towards the house. I was inspired by the French-style Potager Garden due to its beauty and functionality and the plan was to avoid using money and get creative with reclaimed materials.

Within the journey so far, my husband and I have remained self employed continuing to reduce monthly outgoings to minimum spend. We now regularly reuse/recycle/mend & make do to reduce expenses. Creating the kitchen garden has now given us a working base to grow produce in all seasons.

Developing the garden was tough at first as we had to clear the grass and rampant bindweed which took a couple of years as we did it organically using cardboard and weed control fabric. During this time we calculated sun positions during the changing seasons so the crops could get maximum exposure. We used reclaimed earth and transplanted mature hardy rosemary and lavender. While developing the ‘potager’ aspect of the garden we used reclaimed bricks, rocks, and stones from my husbands building projects as decoration.

It was in March of 2020 (as lockdown brought spare time) that the garden expanded and we began planting our first crops, including growing from leftovers. We successfully harvested lettuce, tomatoes, garlic, celery, parsley, sage, broccoli, and strawberries. It felt incredibly satisfying eating those first lettuce leaves and tomatoes. They were fresh, nutritious, and tasted so much better. Also, no packaging!

Garlic, celery, parsley, sage, broccoli, and strawberries survived the winter. I also decided I wanted to establish 4 rotational beds for brassica, beans/legumes, roots(carrots, shallots, radish) and potatoes and try new plant varieties including more edible flowers and complimentary crops which encourage pollinating insects.

The new grows started at the beginning of spring 2021 were: lettuce (seed & water regrowth), rocket, edible cornflowers, runner/broad bean and leeks. I also picked up some wild flower scatter seeds which encourage bees into some unused pots. Because last year I was overzealous seed scattering, it produced more lettuce and cress than we could consume and unfortunately, it spoiled. So I’d only seeded smaller batches in pots rather than putting them directly into the Belfast sink like the previous year.

However, the weather so far in 2021 has been awful. The seedlings had been moved from the indoors to the greenhouse as the weather warmed, then unexpectedly we had frost and snow over Easter into the second week of April and only half of them survived. Even now there has been so little sun and constant rain, any hopes of quality time in the garden are slim.

So attention has turned to preventative maintenance as it was quickly apparent that we would need to reduce plant pests. We researched using organic methods. Initially the most straightforward option is to grow plants that keep bugs away. Companion planting uses catnip for mosquitoes, lavender for moths, fleas, flies, mosquitoes, mint/peppermint for spiders, mosquitoes, and ants, marigolds for aphids, rosemary for fleas and tics, and basil for houseflies.

I still swear by egg shells for slugs and snails. I transplanted regrown lettuce into the outdoor Belfast sink last year and slugs decided to feast on it. By scattering a layer of crushed eggshells around the plants the slugs and snails cannot crawl across them. I’ve also been drying orange peels as they are proving effective at keeping the local cats away from using any exposed soil as a litter tray. It was recommended I try neem oil as it is very effective as a general pest repellent and doesn't have any effect on edible produce. I also like the idea of using ladybirds for control of aphids.

The netting and support stakes we used last year weren't effective and our produce took damage in forms of broken stems during high winds and pieces that got stuck in the netting or from stakes breaking. As our crops are still infantile at the moment we’ve no need to support them, however we have been collecting up disused wooden pallets and branches to make new support posts and vertical planters which should prevent further wind damage.

Chores for the maintenance of the kitchen garden are now regularly written on our to do list.

This spring we are planning to connect and position the irrigation pipes. The system is currently working in parts but as it was second hand, it’s been difficult to change some of the drippers and spurs to give more accurate watering.

Also on the To Do list is to mark out final pathways and growing areas. The two boxed bed areas are forming part of the rotational areas and now have the broccoli (Brassica) in one bed and were intended for the Beans growing in the next. Unfortunately, the beans were some of the plants that didn’t survive the sudden April frost so the intention is to get some established plants for this year as a replacement.

I have remarked the ‘mound’ where my beloved cat has been buried. I’ve been inspired by images of false rivers using stones or floor creeping flowers and have edged a spiral on the mound from stones reclaimed from Portugal and Oman and laid slate pieces sweeping around one side to represent a river. The plan is to purchase a solar powered water feature to install at the top to make it look as if there is a real river. In between the swirl of stones I intend to plant smaller sections of succulents for drama and aesthetics

This journey has been making me feel mindful because when I’m kneeling down and touching the soil it’s grounding. Nurturing the living plants brings such calm. I feel exemplary because having a young child growing up in a quickly-changing world, it’s important to teach her how to grow little miracles. The gardening process allowed us to test time honored methods, practice routine, and share responsibility.

We are excited about the future because we have been discussing how to collect rain water to reduce water consumption, we are researching into solar panels and energy reduction/using renewable resources. All of which is reducing our waste/carbon footprint as a family and setting an example for future generations.