Frugal Living: Electricity & Water Saving Tips

Water Saving Tips Here in the highveld, i.e., Gauteng region of South Africa, we don't receive much rain during winter. Luckily the colder months and lower plant activity means that plants aren't as thirsty either. However, let's look at how to lessen your watering requirements even more, because let's be honest now: Who wants to…

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Penny Royal: The Living Mulch

I can get really tired of weeding and become irritated when new ones pop up in the garden, especially in the areas that border my veg plots – AKA ‘The Weed Zones’! So I decided I would like to plant something there that would compete and displace the weeds, preferably something that is useful to…

Sustainable, Productive and Economical Vegetable Gardening (Part 4): Vegetable Garden Planting Guide & Management

When you consider an ideal vegetable garden I imagine that many of you (as well as myself at one point too) had the following image in mind: Vegetables arranged in neat regimented lines or blocks containing one type of vegetable, perfectly bordered by some type of hedging and clear weed free paths between the planted…

Natural (Bio)fertilisers & Living Mulches: The Edible Legumes

I have been running several posts on using plants as biofertilisers, living mulch and even chicken feed. This post is a follow up on the living mulches that I have been experimenting with. Several plants (which include many legumes) that can be used as green manures and green chicken forage. Previously, I have used Penny…

Water: Rain & Grey water collection & storage

Water Gathering Techniques Now, when you start a veggie garden, ensure that you have access to water that is essentially free of charge. This will save you money and will not pull from valuable municipal water resources, especially when you live in semi-arid and arid areas (such as South Africa). Collecting Rainwater Now I have…