We started a kitchen garden!
Yep, with no yard.
In the middle of the city.
With no garden beds. Or space!
HOW?
Using pots on our balcony.
Our harvest has been AMAZING!
And today I’m sharing with you EXACTLY how we started our kitchen garden and kept it growing and thriving!
It’s surprisingly simple.
Low maintenance.
And one of the best ways to teach your kids about fruit and veg!
Before we dive into our gardening adventures – have you bought your copy of our Baking with Kids eCookbook yet?
IT’S YOUR STEP-BY-STEP ROAD MAP TO SUCCESSFULLY BAKING WITH YOUR KIDS WITHOUT DESTROYING YOUR KITCHEN, LOSING YOUR MIND OR BAKING SOGGY MUFFINS.
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Okay – back to our kitchen garden!
HERE. WE. GO!!!!
What you’ll need…
- Pots with drainage holes (terracotta, plastic, glazed – totally up to you)
- Good quality potting mix (I used organic vegetable and herb potting mix)
- Seedlings (more about those below)
- Small handheld shovel
- Gardening gloves
- Vegetable, herb and tomato liquid fertiliser
- Watering can (or hose)
- A spot with full sun throughout the day to place your pots
- Trellis (if you choose to plant climbers like snow peas)
How to plant your seedlings
- Grab your pot and using the small shovel cover the base with potting mix.
- Gently coax your seedling out of its pot/container.
- Tease the roots of the seedlings just a little.
- Place the seedling into the pot so it sits level with the top of the pot.
- Fill the remainder of the pot with potting mix.
- Water the seedling in well.
How to feed and water your kitchen garden?
To reap the largest harvest possible from your potted herbs, fruit and vegetables, it’s essential to water and feed your darlings well.
Here’s what to do…
- Water seedlings in well with a fine watering can.
- Every other day give your pots a good soaking with water either using a watering can or hose.
- Once a week, add the liquid fertiliser (I use vegetable, tomato and herb boost and feed liquid fertiliser concentrate) to your watering can and give your pots a good feed. This gives your crops an instant boost of goodness.
What seedlings to plant?
Choosing what to plant is the best fun!
But yes, a little daunting to decide when you’re beginning!
To help you get started we’ve had great success with…
basil, mint, dill, coriander, thyme, parsley, sage, eggplant, snow peas, beans, cherry tomatoes, rocket, spinach, beetroot, chilli, carrot, capsicum, strawberries, blueberries, cos lettuce, kale, endive, rainbow chard, violas and marigolds.
And please, don’t be afraid to mix up the pots!
Companion planting not only looks beautiful but wards off pests. And for me, has been the best form of pest control so far!
Here’s what I mean by companion planting…
Companion planting is simply grouping plants together so they help each other grow better. They look gorgeous, help each other thrive and keep the pests away!
These companion plant combinations have worked for us…
Eggplant with thyme and oregano.
Kale with marigolds, basil and snap dragons.
Kale with spinach and cos lettuce.
Parsley with violas, strawberries and marigolds.
Cherry tomatoes with chives, marigolds and basil.
Capsicum with marigolds and parsley.
Harvest time!
How to harvest your crops…
Reaping what you sow is by far the most satisfying part of having a kitchen garden.
Your harvest timing will depend on what you plant and when it reaches maturity.
Salad leaves and herbs can be constantly collected for the kitchen.
Kale, rainbow chard, beetroot, carrots, tomatoes, eggplant, chilli’s etc will need to be collected once they reach maturity. Simply read the notes on your seeding’s label for when to do so. It’s really easy.
Quick tips for growing your kitchen garden…
Place you pots in a spot with full sun.
Start small.
Don’t be afraid of failure – it’s when you learn the most!
Plant what you’d like to eat!
Plant varieties you can’t buy at the fruit market!
Cover your pots at night to keep pests (eg. possums) away.
Use companion planting as a natural pest control!
Remember to use liquid fertiliser!
Water your pots regularly!
Get the kids involved!
Have fun!
We started our kitchen garden in pots a mere 12 weeks ago.
I’m blown away with what we’ve achieved, grown and harvested.
I’ve saved a tonne of money.
And the kids are loving our green adventure.
I used to think having a vegetable patch meant a move to the country. I was wrong!
Growing your a kitchen garden in pots is simple, fast, fun and delicious.
I hope today’s blog post has inspired you to start your own kitchen garden too!
If you have any question, please leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you!
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That’s great info. I must make a start. Can I please ask what you use to cover your pots at night? Thanks Michelle!
Hi Michelle! Thank you, so happy you enjoyed the post. Don’t laugh, but I just use old bed sheets to cover the pots at night. It’s quick, simple, inexpensive and does the job beautifully. Hope that helps gorgeous! Kayla xx
AMAZING!!! I’m desperate to do something like this as well! Our balcony faces south so we don’t get any sun unfortunately 🙁 but we’ll be moving soon and a kitchen garden is a priority for me! Thanks for sharing! I can’t wait to get started.
This is exciting! I have some herbs in pots at the moment but they have never done too well. Your tip to fertilise them weekly is possibly where I’m going wrong. Can I ask which fertiliser you have been using?
Looks beautiful! Can I ask what size pots you used, particularly for the companion planting? Thanks for sharing!
Hi Emma! Thanks so much! For the companion plating we used large terracotta pots (approx. 50 cm diameter), just the ones you find at Bunnings. Hope that helps. Kayla x