WE STARTED HERE
Welcome to the City Smallholder. We hope you enjoy these pages and invite you to follow our journey as we endeavour to chart the difficulties met when seeking a self-sufficient and supermarket-free lifestyle in an urban environment. Our own journey began in the summer of 2009 with the smallest of plots – approximately 30 square metres of land running along the side of the bungalow we are renovating. The ground had suffered years of abuse by the “concrete it over” mentality of the previous owner and our early gardening sessions involved hour upon hour with a sledge-hammer, wheelbarrow, and skip before there was any hope of the crops shown below. But the success we felt by turning our tiny urban corner into useable growing space spurred us on to our much larger “grow your own” plans for 2010. Yes, bigger things are on the horizon since we plan to use all the land we have (less than 100 square metres) to feed ourselves all year around. Is this possible using the gardens that surround our tiny two-bedroom bungalow? Maybe, if we stick to a potato-free diet. The coming year will tell. Is anyone else short of growing space?
Good luck with your self-sufficient plans.
It can be done, we have been self-sufficient in the vegetable department for several years.
Mind you we do have some what more space than you.
The taste, ease and sense of acheivement is wonderful when you do become self-sufficient.
The real key to successful vegetable gardening is:
Position – Make sure you have full sun all day, or near as dam it.
Soil – Dig deep for your first dig, then add plenty of well rotted manure or home made compost. Then add more manure or compost, every year.
I admire your endeavours.
All the best
Chris
Dear Chris,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. A neighbour gave pretty much the same advice about compost and manure last year, and the beans in the background of the photo were planted in what was initially a well dug trench filled with home-made compost and manure like you describe. This worked well, since the beans kept going until October and fed us many times over. The freezer is filled with what we couldn’t use, so we are at least self-sufficient with this type of veg.
Best regards,
David
PS: I like your website
Hi David,
Yup, its the same every year, beans, beans, and a big freezer full of more beans. Good job we like them.
There’s always far too many for us, family and friends to eat so we give loads to local charaties (homeless mainly) especially around Christmas.
Don’t know if you have room for a poly tunnel?
If you have you can extend the growing seasons by weeks each end!
Highly recommended, we spend hours in ours. Its sheltered, warmer than outside, but above all peacful.
Aint gardening wonderful?
All the best
Chris
Great idea. All power to your elbows (and knees). I’ll be interested to see how you get on. But you don’t have to go potato-free. Get some old tyres and plant in them. No digging required and the spuds taste lovely.