12:00a.m. 6th September 2008

Judith Taylor in her Cooran vegie garden with children John Jack and Janah. Photo: Geoff Potter/n21492c

When Judith Taylor saw broccoli for sale at nearly $10/kg recently, she gave silent thanks that hers cost her little more than some time.

Judith, of Cooran, grows her own broccoli and numerous other vegetables in her garden, and is one of an increasing number of people doing so.

Abandoned through affluence towards the end of the last century, vegie gardens are back in vogue as householders look for ways to spend less and taste more.

> Breakthrough in vegetable growing

Popular ABC radio gardening presenter Annette McFarlane writes in her new book, Organic Vegetable Gardening, that an increase in seedling sales points to more people rejecting shop-bought vegetables to grow their own.

“As society became more affluent, and people could afford to buy their own vegetables, garden designs tended to focus more on the ornamental rather than productive annuals, shrubs and trees,” Annette writes.

“Today’s society is as affluent as it has ever been but increasingly people are discovering the edible rewards and personal satisfaction of growing their own vegetables.”

Judith has long-loved gardening but also grows vegetables because it makes more sense financially.

For Judith, a vegetarian, it makes sense to grow as many of her own vegetables as she can, including tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, lettuce, spring onions, beetroot, spinach, corn and sweet potatoes.

Judith’s children, John Jack, nearly three, and Janah, 15 months, play outside while their mum tends the vegies.

A vegetarian, Judith has grown her vegetables for so long that she does not notice how good they taste, but other people do.

“I might take a salad with my lettuce and tomatoes and people will comment on them and ask, ‘Did you grow these yourself?’”

For those of you who don’t know where to start, the Vegie Village at Peregian is a great way for beginners to learn how to grow their own vegetables.

The village, at Di Hurst Oval, to the west of the David Low Way at Peregian Beach, comprises 40 allotments of four square metres each.

An annual membership fee of $20 buys you use of an allotment for a year, where you can grow your own vegies and learn from other like-minded souls.

The Vegie Village has proven so popular that there is a waiting list for allotments and discussions are under way about starting similar projects elsewhere on the Sunshine Coast. If you want to dip your toe in the water and find out what Veggie Village is about, join in the Spring Solstice brunch on September 22 at 11am.

For information, go to www.veggievillage.com.au where you will find helpful ideas about how to start your own vegetable garden.

Workshops in growing vegetables using permaculture methods are also held at the Yandina Community Garden.

Build a no-dig garden

To build a 2m x 3m, no-dig garden, you will need: four bales lucerne, one barrow each of compost and manure, one bale of straw and wet newspaper.

Slash or mow any existing lawn or weeds. Water the area thoroughly. Lay down a thick layer of wet newspaper – overlapping it well. Alternate thin layers of the lucerne, compost and manure, wetting each layer thoroughly. When all these materials are used, soak the layers again.

Spread the straw over the top to form a mulch and water once more.

Leave at least two weeks before planting, re-wetting if necessary. Covering the rest with plastic will heat up the layers and help them to break down more quickly.

To plant, create small pockets within the lucerne layer and fill them with compost. Plant seeds or seedlings into the compost pockets, drawing the straw mulch layer back in around the plants. Leafy crops such as silver beet, spinach and lettuce will grow well , as will tomatoes, melons and pumpkins.

– From Organic Vegetable Gardening, by Annette McFarlane