I love quick creations. I enjoy gardening, crafting and cooking, but for me it's mostly the outcome I enjoy, rather than the process. I'm impatient.
I thought my raised strawbale garden was as good as it gets in terms of instant economical raised garden beds, but I've found an even cheaper and quicker option….
Remember those bags of mushroom compost that i've been raving about? They cost me only $2, I harvested kilo's of mushrooms from them, and now i'm growing veges in them. Talk about value for money.
I simply placed the bags directly on the ground, made drainage holes by stabbing with a pitch fork a few times, and then planted out. Done. In 5 minutes.
I know many of you are thinking right now….This doesn't help me, I don't have a mushroom farm nearby. You can also use bags of potting mix*.
Simply place the bag where you want your garden and use a knife to cut an opening in the top.
Stab the bag all over with a pitch-fork to create lots of drainage holes in the bottom.
Plant your seedlings or seeds.
Water. Done. In less than fine minutes again.
I'd like to say I came up with this idea. But I didn't. Both the mushroom compost and potting mix ideas came from a great little book No-Dig Gardening: How to create an instant, low maintenance garden by Allen Gilbert.
Enjoy your 5 minute gardening.
*A commercially bagged potting mix is not exactly environmentally friendly. They can contain synthetic fertilisers which require lots of energy to create, can also contain sand mined from natural ecosystems, and may also have travelled long distances. For example, I broke all the rules buying the above bag of potting mix. It contains washed sand, slow-release fertiliser, and travelled interstate hundreds of kilometres. To reduce the ecological impact of bagged potting mix, look for locally made organic compost made from recycled materials. For example, some councils sell bagged compost made from composted green waste.
P.S. A big thank you to those of you who joined in my choose your own {eco} adventure. I loved learning what interested you the most and i'll definitely be playing again. The winner of the giveaway is….drum-roll…..Number 18 – Chrissy! I promise I didn't rig it to save on postage fees. I'm sure i'll see you soon Chrissy at the upcoming Hunter Alliance for Childhood or Playdates for the Planet events and i'll bring your book along.
Thanks all for playing along 🙂
