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84 guidesDassies and food gardens: protect a patch and observe
A garden beside rocky habitat may share its surroundings with dassies, also called rock hyraxes.
Core gardening: test a buried organic layer before scaling up
Core gardening usually describes a bed with an organic layer buried beneath the growing soil.
Chinese water chestnuts: a contained aquatic crop trial
Chinese water chestnut, Eleocharis dulcis, produces crisp edible corms beneath a stand of rush-like stems. It can be grown in a contained water garden, but it is a water-dependent crop rather than a shortcut to dryland food production.
Zinnias: bring flowers into a productive garden
Zinnias bring colour and insect activity into a food garden and can supply cut flowers. They are useful plants in their own right; their job need not be justified by claiming that they replace a large biomass shrub.
Productive hedges: shelter, privacy and habitat around a small plot
A hedge can define a garden, soften wind, provide habitat and sometimes produce food. On a small plot, its water demand, thorns and mature width deserve as much attention as its speed of growth.
Wood ash in soil and compost: test the need before adding more
Wood ash contains mineral residues from burning. It can change soil chemistry, including pH, so it should be treated as an amendment with a purpose and a measured dose rather than a harmless filler for every compost heap.
Growing towers: distinguish aeroponics from a vertical sales pitch
A growing tower can place several plants in a small footprint. Some towers mist suspended roots, while others circulate nutrient solution through channels or growing media. The shape alone does not tell you how the system works or whether it suits your home.
Garden weather records: learn what happens at your own site
A simple rainfall and weather record helps explain why a crop succeeded, struggled or needed extra water. Nearby forecasts remain useful, but your garden’s rainfall, frost and wind exposure may differ from the nearest reporting station.
Read a catchment map before changing how water moves
A catchment is the area from which runoff drains toward a shared outlet. Seeing your garden or farm within that larger area helps you understand incoming water, erosion and the effects of changes on neighbours downstream.
Shared garden land: agree access and responsibilities before planting
A shared garden needs more than a promising patch of soil. Clear land access, water arrangements and responsibilities help people invest their work without discovering later that the agreement meant different things to different participants.
Cutworms: protect newly planted seedlings
A seedling severed near soil level overnight may have been damaged by a cutworm. Confirm the pattern before treating: collapsing stems, chewing animals and mechanical damage need different responses.
Wall spiders: observe these hunting neighbours
Flat, fast-moving spiders on walls can be surprising visitors. Learning to recognise common hunting spiders can reduce unnecessary spraying and make the home garden a better place for a range of small predators.