Growing Organic! Herbs, Flowers and Fruit

While my site has concentrated on the vegetable garden, the same orchad construction techniques can be used for flower beds, herbs and fruit trees.

Herbs

Organic Fruit

Herbs can be planted right into the no dig orchad bed. Because of their uses, the herb orchad should be situated in a sunny spot very near your kitchen. Then you can plainly step out the door and make an ordinary meal into a culinary delight! If there isn't an unavoidable space handy, herbs will grow very well in containers.

Growing Organic! Herbs, Flowers and Fruit

However, if you do have the space, there is a astounding scheme called the 'Herb Spiral' you can build. It's very space efficient and caters for the varied microclimates that herbs like.

It involves construction a vertical spiral, commonly from rocks, about 6 ft across and 2-3 feet high. The top is quite dry and hot, the bottom is moist and there is a sunny side and a shady side. A orchad of this size will need about 1.5 cubic metres of soil or compost materials.

The top is good for Mediterranearn type herbs like rosemary, thyme and sage. The mid sections suit chives, shallots, Italian parsley, tarragon, rocket and coriander. The lower, cooler section suits borage, peppermint, pennywort and lemon balm. These are just suggestions as there are many plants that will grow in your spiral.

Useful note: For those in the Northern hemisphere, the hottest side of your spiral will be facing south. For those in the Southern hemisphere, the hottest side of your spiral will be facing north.

Flowers and Shrubs

Every orchad has some sort of attractive flowers or shrubs. It's underlying to our idea of a garden! The no dig gardening method will allow then to thrive no matter where you are.

There isn't the space to go into specifics here, but some simple considerations before you get started...

Fruit trees

To use the no dig orchad method with fruit trees, you have to be patient. The orchad will have to be 2-3 generations on before the benefits have gone deep enough for the fruit tree to be planted. However, once the hard yards are done (mostly by local worms!), you should be thinking about planting your own fruit trees.

Apples are the most popular fruit on the planet. Do you recall how the fruit tasted when you were a kid? Nothing like the stuff you get today. The disturbing thing is that pesticides can be taken into the fruit and stay there long after harvest. Then they are waxed and stored in chemical dependant environments. Seriously reconsider growing your own fruit.

Berry canes, apples, cherries, lemons, limes, plums, pears, oranges, there's no end to the possibilities. observe what will grow in your neighbourhood and plant those trees! It's not too hard and a particular tree (apple) can net up to 500 apples in a growing season.

Growing items of your own food is incredibly rewarding. Even decorating your house with cut flowers that you have grown yourself is vastly more satisfying than just buying a bunch. Gardening is a creative and spiritually nourishing pastime. Ponder your space. imagine the limitless collection ready to you. Then go crazy with inspiration!

Growing Organic! Herbs, Flowers and Fruit

krona 7.5 quart stock pot