Some of the easiest vegetables to grow can greatly reduce your family’s food costs. Courgettes are probably the easiest and most versatile, and the plants are stunning enough to belong in a tropical garden. The plants are deep green, bushy and don’t need much space. They are not prone to insect attack. Three or four plants will be enough to provide a constant supply from late spring to early winter. Of the other squash family, gem squash rather than butternuts will give you a better yield for the space they occupy. They are both sprawlers and gem squash will rampantly climb over anything in its path. I have only one plant with a six meter main stem, that has produced over 30 large fruits and is still budding profusely. If you want to impress, grow some patty pans – they look so pretty you’ll want to put out your first produce on display rather than eat them!

Like us, plants need food. Anything planted in a patch of dead sand is going to be a disappointment. Rather start with a small area and dig in lots of ‘food’ for your plants. (more…)