Chapter 10. Family gardens

A family garden provides many benefits for many people and is at the heart of family life. A healthy and productive family garden provides:

• Tasty and nutritious non-staple foods all year round
• Extra food to make sauces, pickles, jams, etc
• Medicines, cooking herbs, and spices
• Income from the sale of surplus family garden produce
• Vegetable seedlings, as well as fruit trees, native trees, and other crops when the garden includes a small nursery

This chapter explains:

• Garden site analysis
• Integrated garden designs
• Garden bed designs, including ‘gardens with compost’ techniques
• Reducing garden maintenance
• Planting times and methods
• Integrating animals, paddies, and fish ponds with your garden

Contents include:

• Step by step garden site analysis
• Integrated garden design
  – Water flow and water management
  – Garden access and paths
  – Garden beds
  – Fences
  – Garden structures
  – Compost and compost resources storage
  – Small nurseries
  – Trees, shrubs, and flowers
  – Ponds
• Garden bed designs
  – Raised beds
  – No-dig garden beds
  – Wicking garden beds
  – Spiral gardens
  – Sloping land garden beds
  – Garden and compost integration
  – Garden beds with fish ponds and paddies
• Garden maintenance
• Planting methods and planting times