How much room does a kitchen garden need ? As we grow our way through the recession many homeowners are once again experiencing the thrill of planting small crops on our own land, even if most of it is paved. The potager as it's known in Europe is a staple of the home, used for growing vegetables to put in the potage (or soup). Then flowers are grown artfully through the beds to encourage only the beneficial insects. Compost, or kitchen waste is turned back into the soil to make it balanced and textured and water-absorbing ; very economical in these lean times, not to mention healthy and a fun place to muck around.
Food gardening is on the rise in the United States. It's estimated that 33 million households had an at-home garden in 2008 according to the National Gardening Association. An additional 7 million households are expected to grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs or berries in 2009. The most popular vegetable crops are tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, beans, carrots, squash, onions, lettuce and peas. More than half the households said they grow their own food to improve the taste or quality or to save money on food bills. Thirty-four percent said the economic recession was a motivation for their food growing activities.
Some herbs grow like weeds around San Diego. The Mediterranean types like rosemary and lavender don't seem to need much water, just good drainage. I visited a friend in Ocean Beach who has an overflowing mandarine orange tree that is rarely watered or fertilized and I had a meyer lemon tree that I killed with too much water once. Now I think I'd like to try a fruit tree like plum or apricot or an avocado should do well in this area.
