17 Apr A KITCHEN GARDEN CAN HELP YOU SELL YOUR HOME

If you are looking at a simple way, of making your home more attractive to today’s buyer, consider a kitchen garden, as a selling feature, even for luxury homes and well-to-do families.
With the rising cost of food, planting your own vegetables and fruit, not only brings down your weekly food bill costs, but improves the quality of your organic, home grown produce.  Even your children will benefit educationally, by monitoring plant growth from seedlings, to the end table produce.  Some points to consider:-

• Ideally, section off part of the garden that receives direct sunlight, solely for planting and growing.  Even if your garden is not south facing, the furthest point of the garden, may well receive just sufficient sunlight for plant growth.
• Endeavour to make the kitchen garden attractive, perhaps with paths, carefully positioned vegetation, rows of potatoes, carrots, cabbages, beetroots and runner beam sticks.  All add colour to the garden and create a decorative back drop.
• Consider planting fruit bearing trees (apples, pears and plums), although this can take three to five years, before the first fruits can be picked.  Fruit bearing plants, such as strawberries, gooseberries, black currants, are all easy to grow.
• Be adventurous and plant grape vines, fig and olive trees.  Creating a Mediterranean style feel, not only is visually appealing, but will also produce fruits, not normally expected in British gardens, if weather permits.
• A greenhouse is a must, for plants that need that extra heat for growth, such as tomatoes and cucumbers.  Not forgetting, it is an ideal place for seedlings to germinate, before outside planting.
• Consider a herb garden, rosemary, thyme, sage and mint.  Each type ideally positioned individually at ground level, in old china Belfast sinks, as this will prevent root spreading and taking over your garden.
• Have compost bins, to produce your organic fertiliser.
• Ideally, position a water tap near to the kitchen garden, for ease of watering.  Do not forget to protect the pipework, from freezing in the winter.  Even better, consider water butts, collecting water directly off the main family house, or greenhouse, as in this way, you are doing your bit for the environment too.