The key to successful productive gardening at home is to start small. In this way, small successes motivate the gardener to increase the garden incrementally.

A good place to start, regardless of your available space, is with potted herbs.
Herbs that we eat fresh taste better straight off the plant, and are full of health-giving properties. Some vegetables, too, can easily be grown in pots.

If though, like many of us here on the Range, you have a bit of land to play with for a productive garden, you first need to consider two questions:
‘How much produce do I need?’ and ‘How much time am I willing to commit to maintaining and harvesting?’

It is all very well to have an acre of land under fruit trees if you have a larger family or a voracious appetite for fruit. But, if you don’t have the time or inclination to deal with all the fruit, you can create a greater problem for yourself and others. Fallen fruit can harbour pests such as fruit fly larvae, running the risk of damage to future crops of yours and your neighbours. Fallen fruit will also attract rodents. The seeds from some fruit trees can make their way into forests and waterways, creating weed issues for future generations. A vegetable garden which is too large or just remains untended will quickly become a weed patch and the seeds from those weeds will haunt you for years to come.

Site location is also an important consideration. Parts of your productive garden which are used regularly should be relatively close to your house and kitchen. The closest being herbs and leafy greens, with fruit trees placed further away.

Most productive plants need full sunlight, though our harsh afternoon summer sun can scorch some crops. To prevent too much damage at the peak of summer, a row of trees on the west side of the vegetable plot will suffice. Regular water is also crucial.

Wind is another factor to consider. Harsh or constant winds will dry out plants rapidly, requiring larger quantities of water or sending the plants to seed prematurely. By planting shrubs around your garden or building a slatted fence, the impact of the wind will be reduced. Avoid building a solid fence or wall around your plot. Solid structures create turbulence on the leeward side of the structure.

When it comes to soil, the best call is to work with what is on site originally. Improving what you have will be cheaper than buying in soil. I will go into more detail about this next month.