Spring has Sprung

I'm a huge advocate of grow-your-own organic, pesticide-free vegies. I know it's challenging especially when you live in the city in a high-rise apartment with just a small balcony or window-ledge. But herbs and vegetables need remarkably little room and as long as you have a few hours of sun each day you can tailor your crop to suit your space restrictions. Nothing tastes as good as fresh hand-picked rocket or tomatoes and you'll be saving yourself money at the same time!

With Spring just around the corner I've cleared out the remnants of my winter vegetable crops and put in some sunny greens and herbs. Emptying out old pots and refilling them with fresh potting mix, blood and bone and chicken manure (if you're lucky enough to have some handy) is back-breaking work. Skip your gym workout one day, dedicate your morning to planting instead and watch your little babies bloom into delicious produce..hhhmmmmmmm...

First plantings: Tom Thumb tomatoes, sweet basil, peas, and rocket. To give my seedlings an extra boost I've used a nursery quality potting mix, blood and bone fertilizer and chicken manure.

I should have my first tomato crop in about eight weeks' time. I can just picture it now....toasted sourdough rubbed with a cut garlic clove, thick sweet slices of tomato, a few aniseed-flavoured basil leaves, cracked black pepper and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.