Gardener, writer and Permaculture teacher Graham Burnett reports from his recent class at the Idler and gives his top tips for creating an urban garden which is fun and productive

I WAS VERY pleased to present a workshop on urban permaculture gardening in the very wonderful setting of the shady courtyard of The Idler Academy last Wednesday, a most cool and pleasant oasis only yards away from the hustle and bustle of West London on the hottest day of the year – an evening made especially agreeable by the complimentary Hendrick’s cocktail for both students and tutor! This set the scene for a most relaxed yet fertile session. I was introduced as a “permaculture expert”, but this is a label I’ve always shied away from, as the collective wisdom of the group yields a far richer exchange of knowledge, ideas and experiences than any one individual can offer.

Really, there’s only one way of managing a garden – and that’s your own! But it’s always useful to have a few guidelines to help you out. How you choose to manage your plot will depend on its size and what you want from it, as well as your time, energy and other commitments. For example, do you see yourself as a hardcore self-sufficiency buff, or does your family or job mean that your garden is more about having a place to chill out and maybe provide yourself with a few home grown vegetables for the kitchen table? Whatever your approach, it’s worth drawing up a plan of how you are going to manage your bit of ground. It’s also a good idea to keep records of what you have planted where each year, including sowing and harvest dates, and which varieties have performed well (and, just as importantly, which haven’t!).

Getting to know your own garden is crucial. Think about climate and aspect: Where are your sunny and shady spots? A south facing garden will obviously get more sun than one that is north facing, and it’s also worth remembering that afternoon sun (from the west) is better for growing plants than morning sun. Also don’t forget that the sun rises much lower on the horizon in winter than it does during the summer months. Do you have any frost pockets? Do neighbouring trees or buildings cast any shade? From which side does the wind tend to blow? What about water sources (install water butts to collect rain water from your roof if you can) and access issues?

As an alternative to boring straight lines and rows of vegetables, why not think about using “key-hole” beds that provide a variety of aspects, and maximises the available growing area as well as providing easy access to all plants without the need to walk on and compact the soil. They also encourage ‘mix and match’ cottage-style planting, a good way of creating a variety of vegetables, herbs and flowers.

Even the tiniest garden could include a wild area such as a small pond (make sure it is safe if you have young children!), a section of unmown grass and wild flowers like poppies and cornflowers or a small pile of logs. Uncultivated areas increase biodiversity as well as providing a refuge for wildlife such as birds, frogs, newts and hedgehogs, and beneficial insects that act as pollinators or pest control.

Even if you have very little space or your garden has been paved over, you can still grow some of your own using containers. Patios and balconies can be highly productive using all manner of recycled objects – try herbs or “mini-veg” varieties in 12 litre paint tubs (thoroughly cleaned!), builders’ bags, buckets or even a pair of old trainers used as a hanging basket! You can even grow potatoes in stacked car tyres filled with compost. Creating a “herb spiral” near your back door is a great way of a growing a variety of herbs in a compact space, with plants such as mints and watercress that prefer damp, shady conditions at the bottom to hot, dry-loving oregano and thymes at the top.

Consider giving over part of your growing area to fresh fruit production. Modern compact varieies of bush fruit such as gooseberries, worcesterberries or blackcurrants take up little space, whilst climbers like loganberries or blackberries (thornless varieties are available) can be used to cover ugly walls and fences as well as provide a crop. Even apple trees can be grown in a small garden by utilising M27 “dwarfing” and M106 “semi-dwarfing” rootstocks. By using grafted “family” trees you can grow two or three different types of apple on one tree.

Above all, the permaculture garden should be somewhere for relaxation and enjoyment, not yet another place to get hung up about whether or not you are “doing it right” or meeting others’ expectations. If growing your own isn’t a pleasure, then let’s face it, it probably isn’t worth doing at all! So make it fun and involve all the family and you’ll never look back…

ENDS

Follow Graham @spiralseed or visit his website at www.spiralseed.co.uk