“The idea behind Neighbourhood Farm is to socially re-engineer and influence the urban mindset when it comes to food and the way we live and work in cities.”
“While most city dwellers do the bare minimum to embrace a greener lifestyle, most of us have lost touch with our natural environments and don’t understand our true impact on the earth or even how fix this problem. Cities have placed massive demands on our rural environments, but I believe that cities can become part of a bigger environmental solution instead of being the massive problem they are today. ” Justin Bonello
“It is estimated that by 2030 more than 2/3rds of humans will be city dwellers. This new biome, the realm of man with the city as its core, must now be recognized as man’s largest communal area of activity and co-operation – our centres of learning, culture, hospitalization, employment and entertainment. But what also exists is a communal opportunity to make a difference through small steps toward bigger and better changes.”
Off we went to Neighbourhood Farm at False Bay Hospital for a walk and a talk. How fascinating for Earth Kids to learn all about the vegetables and the bees, the composting and the companion planting. How big are those Aubergines! How sweet are those carrots! And a Jerusalem Artichoke? You don’t say!
Plants with a Purpose
- Wild garlic – eating and bees
- Perennial basil – eating and bees
- Spekboom – medicinal
- Lemons – all round goodness
- Gooseberries – easy to grow
- Comfrey – healing, minerals, compost activator
- Bulbinella – healing and bees
- Beans – nitrogen into soil
- Broccoli – anti cancer
- Leeks, celery, garlic, carrots, fava beans, spinach, lettuce – winter crops
Propagation = Multiplication
Make sure you plant the right vegetables for the Western Cape (Southern Peninsula) weather.
Grow what is easy to grow, for your garden setting and for your area. Choose what will be happiest in your environment.
Use Companion Planting – choose plants that are friends with other plants, boosting strengths and weaknesses in each other.
A good bed width is 0.8m to be able to jump over and the path should be the width of your foot, to walk along and not waste any space.
Remember to include DIVERSITY and SUSTAINABILITY in your planting plans.
Root vegetables are very hardy: potatoes, wit patat, beetroot, carrots, onions, garlic, Jerusalem Artichoke, and more.
Pest Control? Leave some plants for insects and plant particular plants for insects so that the insects move away from the vegetables you want to harvest.