landscape your vegie patch

With grocery prices on the rise, there is no better time to plant a backyard vegetable patch. Apart from the cost-saving and convenience of having fresh produce readily available, home-grown fruit and vegetables also provide peace of mind in knowing what's really gone into those crunchy greens or tasty tomatoes.

Spring is the ideal time of year to undertake such a project and with the October long weekend coming up budding gardeners have the perfect opportunity to create a patch to be proud of.

"With a bit of planning and attention, a vegetable garden can offer beautifully fresh and tasty herbs, fruit and vegetables all year round," explains Ronny Abboud, Factory Outlet Manager at Boral Masonry.

"Spring is the perfect time to plant and a simple project will provide beautiful fresh food to entertain with over the summer months."

A home grown veggie patch needs attention to ensure its success.

Here are Ronny's simple tips:
1. Design - plan the best plot for your veggie patch. Your veggies need at least six hours of sunshine a day to grow well, choose a spot away from trees and large shrubs.
2. Think about your back, why bend down to reach your garden, when you can build it up towards you! Raised beds have several advantages for the vegetables as well as your own convenience. The above ground working area makes it much easier to work the soil and much simpler to weed as there is access from all sides. Boral's Heathstone Grande retaining wall system is ideal for creating smart, contemporary raised garden beds and is simple to install. The versatile range can be used for curves, corners and steps.
3. Prevent stepping all over your veggie patch and destroying the tiny seedlings competing for space. Large format pavers such as Boral Aspenstone can create borders for your vegetable patch while also offering space to set down tools or walk on when watering, making maintenance of the patch easier. No more treading on seedlings!
4. Plant the seeds and don't forget to water them. Group your vegetables and leave enough room for them to grow. Plant seedlings for quick and easy results. Reap the rewards of all your hard work!
5. Reuse the same patch, whilst keeping your garden looking tidy all year round. A big plus of having a landscaped veggie patch, is that it looks good all year round.

For fresh garden recipes, to view other gardening projects for spring or for your free copy of the 2009-2010 Outdoor Design Guide contact Boral on 1300 134 002 or visit www. boral. com. au/odg.

Related articles:

Trends In Landscaping
Heathstone
Heathstone Regal
Precinct Pavers
Q&A with Jamie Durie