Don looked at an outdoor area that was not functional. The walkway was cluttered with pots and the barbecue was in the wrong place. He suggested replacing the old barbecue with a potted kitchen garden, and building a new Besser Block barbecue in a more suitable location.

Potted kitchen garden

Don potted up troughs with salad greens, including lettuce, chicory, mizuna and spinach. He also planted some smaller pots with tea herbs, including lemon grass, lemon verbena, lemon balm, peppermint and sage.

Lettuce (Latuca sativa) Don planted red oak-leaf and green oak-leaf varieties, which can be repeat harvested. ‘Anita’ is also a repeat harvest variety worth trying. It has deep-red leaves and a sweet flavour, which is delicious when combined with bitter herbs such as endive and chicory.

Chicory (Cichorium intybus) The leaves of chicory have a slightly bitter taste. The rapid growing inner leaves have the mildest flavour. Chicory is a traditional digestive and liver tonic. It likes a sunny to partly shaded position and reaches a height of around 30cm and a width of 25cm.

Mizuna (Brassica rapa ssp nipposinica var. laciniata)

Mizuna is a popular vegetable in Japan and a frequent ingredient in mesclun. The young leaves are milder than the mature ones and may be harvested as required by cutting them about 2.5cm above the crown.

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)

‘English Hybrid’ is a popular variety. Leaves can be harvested from the base of the plant as needed.

Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) This clump-forming perennial has arching, lemon-scented leaves. It is easily grown in frost-free climates, but in cold climates it needs to be cultivated in a pot and given winter protection. It likes a sunny position. While the base of the stem is commonly used in Asian cooking, the leaves make a pleasant herbal tea. Lemon grass is good for digestion and is reputed to have a sedative action.

Lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla)

A deciduous shrub with lemon-scented, pointed leaves and tiny pale lilac-to-white flowers. The leaves taste stronger when plucked straight from the plant. It is suitable for frost-free areas. Like lemon grass, it can be grown in a pot in cold areas and placed under cover during winter. Lemon verbena should be grown in full sun. Cut it back in late winter to encourage new growth and to prevent the plant becoming leggy.

Peppermint (Mentha x piperata) Peppermint is the mint most commonly used for tea. It is a vigorous creeping perennial with pale-pink flowers. Cut it back frequently so new leaves will be produced and to prevent it becoming straggly. It is best grown in a pot as it can spread rapidly through the garden. Peppermint likes a semi-shaded situation.

Sage (Salvia officinalis) Sage makes a refreshing cup of tea. It is a shrubby, evergreen perennial, which has blue/purple flowers and grows to about 1m (3’) tall. It likes a sunny position and well-drained soil.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) A lemon-scented perennial with insignificant, pale-yellow flowers. It likes a semi-shaded situation protected from afternoon sun. It will self-seed prolifically in cool areas, so remove flowerheads before they turn to seed.

Planting your kitchen garden

1. Start with pots and troughs large enough to hold the plants and provide enough room between them so that they can spread to their mature width. (Tip: make sure there are holes in the bottom of the containers. If not, drill some, starting with a small drill bit then moving to a larger bit.) Fill the containers with a good quality potting mix, such as Yates Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter. This will supply essential nutrients to keep your greens growing steadily.
2. Water the plants in their containers half an hour before planting. Remove the plant from its container, taking care not to damage the roots.
3. Make a hole for the plant in the potting mix and allow enough room to ensure that you don’t squash the roots when planting. Place in the hole and firm the potting mix around the plant.
4. Water the plants thoroughly. Water regularly while they are growing to encourage steady growth. Harvest as required.
   

Further information

• Salad greens and tea herbs in 100mm (4") pots range in price from $3.30 - $4.95.
• Galvanised steel troughs (from ‘The Urban Collection’) are available from nurseries and garden centres. They cost approximately $400 for a set of 4. For your closest stockist phone (02) 9700 0188 or email: lisa@emac-lawton.com.au
• Yates Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter costs around $15 per 15-litre bag.

Copyright CTC Productions 2003