I love vertical garden pocket beds! A great design for edible spaces where space is limited. If you do not have space to grow out, then grow up! These are the pocket beds at Leeds University.
Pocket beds are wall mounted “pockets” filled with soil in which you grow herbs, flowers and other small plants.
What to be doing in April
April is a good time to be:
- taking off any dead parts of plants to encourage new spring growth
- replacing dead plants with seeds or new plants (use seed compost for this)
- refilling the pockets so they are full of soil
As the name suggests pocket, beds are self-contained, so at the start of the growing season, you need to top up the pockets with soil to help replace the nutrients used up during the course of the previous growing season.
What you grow will depend on the aspect of your Pocket Bed. This just means how much sun your pocket beds will get as particular types of plants are more or less shade tolerant. This pocket bed gets plenty of sun and has amongst others:
- Thyme
- Fennel
- Fever Few
- Lemon balm
- Curry Plants
- Chard
- Rosemary
- Purple Sage
- Primula
- Nasturtium
- Chives
- Sweet Peas
Footnote!
One of the joys of creating edible spaces is that you involve all of your senses. The smell of the herbs – thyme, lemon balm and curry plant – amazingly fresh. Colourful flowers, bright and pleasing to the eye. Plants to nibble and taste. Fingertips in cool, moist soil, hands gently cradling new plants, hard and wrinkly seeds, dry, brittle, dead plants and soft green shoots. Add in the warmth from April sunshine that feels both comforting and energising.
TRISH TRAVEL FOOD 