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When I commenced my apprenticeship, there was a strict emphasis on vegetables, fruit, and ornamental trees. Despite my early enthusiasm for flowers, shrubs, and lawns, I was advised to concentrate on the vegetables. I still recall the words of the Head Gardener at the time. “Learn to grow a decent vegetable and you’ll have earned the respect of your trade”. Very outdated I suppose, but wait, there’s more. On the third Saturday of each month a formal dinner was held. We were given the weekend’s leave but the Friday beforehand was dedicated to finishing touches on the grounds in addition to a selective harvesting of seasonal produce. We literally filled the kitchens with an assortment of our best vegetables. They were carefully...

I must admit that it has taken me a long while to be convinced of the benefits of soil testing. When I started out, most of the established gardens were resisting the obsessive wave of soil analysis which swept across the agricultural and commercial horticultural landscape. There were scientists and graduates from the universities wanting to help farmers and growers by analysing the chemical and physical properties of their soils. Several times each year, technical representatives from the emerging chemical and agricultural corporations would visit major farms, sporting grounds, and established gardens throughout the country. Around this time, I lived and worked on a private estate and was on one occasion harassed by a foreign gentleman seeking...

Last December I looked at some of the reasons motivating me to continue preparing fresh organic fruit and vegetable juices for my family. For those of you who are interested in making your own juice, I thought I’d take a look at the various technological options available to you. There are many implements and appliances available for making your own juice. These range from the relatively inexpensive to the almost unbelievably overpriced. While the equipment you choose needs to suit your intended purpose, it’s also important for it to fit within the parameters of your household budget. There’s no point forking out money for equipment you’re not going to use after a few weeks. Unfortunately, people often spend good money...

A lot of children enjoy the responsibility of managing their own garden. At first attempt it is preferable to restrict the overall size and complexity. Early success and positive reinforcement can be easily achieved by keeping things manageable. The necessary equipment need be no more sophisticated than a hand trowel, a sturdy pair of boots, some reinforced gardening gloves, sunhat, fertile seeds, scissors, string, and a decent watering can. Salad gardens are a great choice for children who appreciate routine and enjoy contributing in their own way to family meals. Salad greens are particularly easy to grow organically and are equally suitable for outdoor plots, container gardens, and window boxes. They are visually decorative and a combination...

In today’s world, a thoughtfully designed organic garden is one of the safest and most productive environments for children to engage and develop the full range of their physical and mental abilities. Without question, this depends upon an adequate level of adult supervision and an awareness of each child’s tendency to absorb both safe and unsafe practices through their capacity for close observation and imitation. Like most learning situations, garden safety requires constant instruction and practical application from individuals who elicit the respect and trust of their charges. By consistently demonstrating a strong commitment to garden and outdoor safety, parents and supervising adults can gradually promote a similar response in...