Want to grow your own crops? Start by learning from others – in real life or online
I was working as a documentary producer in New York when I stumbled upon a rooftop farm and realised that growing food was the work for me. (Though I assure you there are less ridiculous ways to get started with edible plants.)
After my epiphany brought me back to London, I had to figure out how to grow without a garden (as even my windowsills were too narrow for a window box), so I spent my spare time volunteering in community gardens and city farms, starting to learn what it takes to sow, grow and harvest.
I found that all the growers I lent a hand to would repay my efforts by sharing with me their insight and experience as we harvested, weeded and mulched together.
Whether it’s someone up the street whose crops catch your eye or your allotment neighbour with an enviable plot, it’s especially useful to get advice from nearby gardeners who can tell you what does – and doesn’t – do well where you are. Despite having a horticultural qualification now, I truly believe the most enriching kind of learning I’ve experienced has been by the side of passionate plant people.
Volunteering, though, is the preserve of those with the privilege of free time, which so many of us don’t have enough of. When I was too busy working to volunteer, I’d be making my way through the secondhand gardening books I’d collected from charity shops.
While there are new books about growing released every year, most old ones contain the same information and are, of course, more affordable. I’d take an abundance of notes and then return the book to the charity shop for the next budding grower to find.
I got started in growing before lots of gardeners had taken to demonstrating their skills on social media. If there had been how-to videos and garden tours on my phone, that’s how I would have be learning. So if you’re also more of a visual learner, I recommend that you check out Rekha Mistry and Huw Richards (instagram.com/huwsgarden). Both offer great practical advice that takes you through the process of cultivating all sort of plants destined to end up on your plate.
If you’re lucky enough to have a sunny patch to call your own but feel a bit daunted by the prospect of growing into soil, consider starting with containers (I really like fabric grow bags and use plenty of them every season).
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The first book I wrote was about growing edible crops in containers, as this is a great way to try your hand at raising crops for the first time, plus it means you can still grow stuff if your outside space is paved over or rented.