I am true urbanite through and through, but I harbour a secret passion and desire to “one day” move coastal/rural on a small acre block.  My husband, being more of an urbanite than myself, is not so thrilled with my vision of organic greens, chickens roaming free and his wife floating around the yard in organic cotton clothing.  However, although this is a dream which I partly do long for, I love the city too much to leave it.  So instead of waiting for “one day” I have macrocarpa garden beds around my small urban backyard, so I can live that ‘self-sufficient dream’ now, in Auckland City.  (Hmmm, I wonder where I could hide some chickens away from my husband).

To help you along the same path, here are a few simple green guidelines and tips which can be followed by city slickers who want to reduce their carbon footprint, and live a healthy lifestyle, through organic gardening in small urban spaces.  Any non-green fingered city slicker can learn basic skills in growing organic vege, they will practically grow themselves!  In fact on walking in my front door tonight, I picked my very first organic strawberry  right outta my garden! I rinsed it, and as eating it realised there was no need to rinse! Noone had ever fondled it during the packaging process or in the store, and no pesticides or sprays had ever been used on it.  Good result.

Green Tip: It is crucial to keep pests at bay, without poisoning both your crops and your soil, and therefore your “temple” (hippie lingo) with toxins and pesticides. The most significant pests are snails and slugs.  To repel them organically, sprinkle egg or sea shells, sawdust or straw around your vege plants, as these fussy creatures do not like to crawl over sharp objects.  You can set traps, such as an upturned plant pot, as they love to hide out in the dark, but remember to check them daily.  There is also a good range of organic pest control products for sale at local garden centres such as Kings and Palmers. In fact untreated Macrocarpa has an incredible quality in keeping insects well away from your crops, with its natural pesticides and resistance to bugs, and I have found it be successful and keeping my veges unchewed! 

Green Tip:  Food waste makes up a huge part of our waste stations.  Yes, food waste is biodegradable, but it takes time, it’s smelly and can take longer to rot depending on what products are around it.  Create a compost bin.  To prevent toxins leaching into your compost, use recycled plastic compost bins, or wood, but be sure to use untreated wood.  Compost will reduce rubbish waste and adds excellent rich matter to your garden.  If you don’t want smelly compost lingering around your yard, donate it to a neighbourly community garden, such as the Grey Lynn Community Gardens.

Green Tip:  Protect our waterways; by pouring your morning coffee plunger leftovers or tea leaves straight onto your garden beds rather than down the sink, they will thrive on this morning fix.  Snails and slugs are repelled from the high acidity in coffee which are an added benefit for your greenery.   To further protect our waterways, milk products and food scraps should not be put down the sink, but straight onto the compost. 

Green Tip:  Share!  The beauty of urban organic gardening is being able to share the fruits of your labour with your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours.  In a large urban area like Auckland City, building a close community can be hard work, and sharing your veges is the perfect way to bridge the gap and help out your fellow urbanites struggling with the recession.  If you have a large family and need your veges, perhaps share the seeds!  There will be far more than you need for your next plant, to live self-sufficiently and help others too.