Terrace Kitchen Garden @ Velachery

A kitchen garden seems to have become a buzzword of sorts.Everyone wants to try a hand at it. Not all that difficult, but not as simple as well.

In our most recent project at Velachery, our clients had already taken numerous measures to make their roof waterproof. Further more they have used special tiles which reflect the sunlight and as a result make their rooms much cooler. These may,however, not be ideal solutions for the ones who cannot afford to splurge as much.

So SPACES explored the rule of three’s here. Three important point to keep in mind while setting up any terrace garden be it kitchen or ornamental!

Step 1: Ensure there isn’t too much weight that is concentrated across your terrace, identify load bearing points of your building. Typically this will restrict you to the edges of the terrace,and maybe a small portion in the middle.

Step 2: Make sure, there is never a chance for the water to seep through the roof. Always have a base, like maybe stands(which may add weight to your terrace) or in this case, drainage cells! These light weight contraptions allow water to either evaporate or run off, never stagnate.

Step 3: A shade net is a must for your ground variety of veggies, especially for the Chennai heat. And a sound support structure for your climber veggies.

A look at the pot garden set up on the other end of their terrace.

We literally can’t wait for this wall to become all glorified by the greenery we have planted by it!

If you too feel that your home requires more greenery, approach SPACES for a quote today!!

The way to a Kitchen Garden

Hello People! It has been a rather long, comatose period from us. Apologies for that. As known, SPACES is still budding (Oh yes! 🙂 Pun intended) and growing. We are proud to announce we’ve successfully completed a few projects. We are definitely amazed by our learning curve in such a short period. It has only egged us to work harder.

So to dive into our topic of the hour, here are some insights and tips when it comes to starting your own veggie garden.

We have worked on kitchen gardens at large and particularly at Velachery, we have gotten some pretty good results. So based on our experience, we thought we could offer some tidbits on the same. Posting a few snaps here.This is how the garden looks now.

The best way to start is to get the basics right .And there are,however a few things, at least from a chennaiite’s perspective, to use without fail. The netted structure weaved around the wooden pillars in the picture above is known as a shade net. For a city like Chennai, where the sunny periods (sometimes even during the “supposed winter”) could harm the plants and veggies, these nets come in  handy and are extremely resourceful.They reduce the sunlight coming in by a considerable amount, as much as 50% lesser and gives a very ‘green house-y effect’!

SPACES always strives to achieve cost-effective measures and tries to find the best deal. And that is how we discovered these Grow bags (placed on the floor of the above picture). These bags are pretty useful and they are packed with a mixture of coco peat .So these are like a go-to item when it comes to placing saplings on terrace or other similar areas.The below picture is a closer look at the grow bags. Ideally one single load can hold up to four openings with a sapling planted in each one of them.So it works out more cheaper than buying pots. The sheet placed beneath the bags is used as an extra precaution for water proofing. Once grown, carefully select the healthiest of the lot and retain them. Since plants can become too competitive given the smaller space for growth and nutrients.

One important point to consider here is that not all saplings can directly be placed into these grow bags.Some particular varieties like Brinjal, tomatoes or chillies need to be planted in a Pro Tray before being shifted out. An example of the pro tray is in the above picture at the right hand corner. Look out for something that looks like an egg tray.

So the next step. Soil Nutrients. SPACES recommends an organic product called Panchakavya. A simple Google search would yield results that it is made of cow urine and manure.That makes it highly organic and nutritious for the soil. Odds are garden enthusiasts around this part of the town might be familiar with it and its uses. It is a powerful ingredient and nurtures your garden brilliantly. We have observed that the plants grow healthier and they look extremely lush. If anyone is seriously considering setting up a garden, this should definitely be in their add-on list. A side note, the grow bags are pretty much useless without providing the essential nutrition for the soil such as panchakavya. Alternatively , Humic acid could also be considered.

Since this is the best season (Aadi month) to grow a garden and in the above one, we’ve tried most varieties from greens like palak, Sirukeerai, Molakeerai (different species of spinach) to creepers such as beans, gourds, and cucumbers etc. Also this season , mostly the rains quench the thirst of the plants. Otherwise, this could pose a problem. In such cases , we’ve realized that a drip irrigation is most advantageous and hassle-free. It ensures, as the name suggests, there is constant water dripping into the garden. Below picture is an example.

Lastly to consider about would be Pest Control. Lets face it. Many of us have constant complaints of plants gone awry or dry or infested. The best of the lot sometimes get easily attacked if not on proper check. There is a product named bio guns available which sprayed on the foliage once in probably 30 days or so provides a good enough immunity. Just keep in mind; this needs to be applied to the shoot system.

Hopefully this has been informative at some level. Please feel free to share your thoughts as well. Of course, you could contact us regarding any inquiries or doubts, and we will be glad to assist you from start to end in setting up a garden. If this has helped you or inspired you to start your own garden, please share it with us and like us on facebook.

After all, we know the learning never stops.

Do visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Spaces.Gardening