Urban Agriculture

A good friend of mine recently told me to stop whining: if I really felt that the world was in such a sorry state, then why didn't I get off my lazy butt to do something about it. She was right, of course, and I'm the first person to admit that I'm a bit of an armchair philosopher. I subscribe to many idealistic utopias, but spend next to no time trying to work towards their realisation.

Amongst other things, this is true for my views on gardening and agriculture: I have long been an enthusiastic supporter of organic gardening, permaculture, chicken tractors and forest gardens ... in theory! Only recently have I made my first tentative practical experiments in this field and I have Abalimi Bezekhaya to thank for this conversion. My wife has been doing some work for Abalimi and has introduced me to the work they have been doing on the Cape Flats.

With my newfound enthusiasm, I started to convert a small corner behind our house into a very modest herb, vegetable and fruit garden. The narrow passage is relatively shady, but well protected from Cape Town winds and the excavations of our adolescent Labrador. The soil is very sandy and shallow and not suited to my plans. I built a few simple, rectangular wooden frames, about 30 cm high, filled them with soil and compost and started to plant out various seedlings and to sow carrots, lettuce and radishes.

I planted a lemon tree in the corner and a nectarine tree against the north-facing wall. Both have taken off really well and we are eagerly awaiting our first harvest. I've grown, amongst other things, rhubarb, cape gooseberry, various mints, artichokes (globe and Jerusalem), fennel, oregano, parsley, chives, comfrey, basil, strawberries, chamomile and rosemary.

There have been the expected teething problems, like finding out what grows well where, and which of it we actually consume as a family; the odd insect pest decimating part of our crop (I've since installed rock piles and two tiny tyre ponds to attract lizards and predatory insects to help deal with these plagues). The benefits of my little project have been overwhelming: Daddy gets a regular workout in the fresh air and our young city kids learn that food can come straight from your own backyard without detours via the supermarket or the fast-food joint (alas, it still comes without the latest Disney toy made in China!).

For me, my first practical forays into urban agriculture have been slow, but immensely satisfying, and I've already got more ambitious plans to expand my area of operation into other parts of our garden (as soon as I've found a way to doggy-proof them). I want to plant a variety of fruit trees and berry bushes and some of the more space-consuming crops like potatoes. I also want a compost heap ... I'm still a bit of a dreamer in many regards.

What kind of gardener are you? Are you an urban agriculturer, changing the world one small backyard at time, or do you just dabble with the dahlias? Do you prefer to do it yourself or get the professionals in? Share your gardening stories with us.