This summer I experimented growing tomatoes in an African keyhole garden kit by Vita Gardens. What is a keyhole garden? A keyhole garden is a permaculture garden design meant to increase the amount of space available for plants by decreasing the area reserved for pathways. Companion planting is planting different kinds of crops together in the same garden in order to best satisfy those needs. They are known as a keyhole garden because the structure involves using a central enclosed area, or basket, which holds compost. If you’re planting late in the season, stick to seedlings or advanced plants. The keyhole garden was developed in sub-Saharan Africa to help people grow food in hot, dry conditions – much like we have here in Texas during the Summer months. (I did water the soil when the plants were very young). By using creative patterns and designs, gardeners can increase productivity, especially with the use of keyhole garden beds. See more ideas about Keyhole garden, Garden beds, Raised garden. Plant your fruits and vegetables. Some challenge the space saving virtues of… Some challenge the space saving virtues of… Keyhole gardens are commonly seen in permaculture because they are beautiful and productive, ideal for small spaces, and can accommodate a variety of plants, annual vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Companion planting is planting different kinds of crops together in the same garden in order to best satisfy those needs. I dropped compostable materials into the column. Combining different kinds of plants in a same garden bed can be done in different ways, but the general idea is to plant leafy crops next to root vegetables. Choosing the right plants for a keyhole garden and planting them in the right way will give you a satisfactory result. Space, soil nutrients, and pest management are key considerations in planning your garden. Exciting concepts have paved the way for ways you can grow your food and create a special garden for particular needs. My keyhole garden turned 1 year-old the other day, here’s a few things I learned along the way. I couldn’t find photos of my keyhole garden in Texas, but I can tell you how mine worked. It is advisable to plant taller items at the center of the lock and the lower-growing ones at the front. Consisting of several layers of mulch, earth and other easy to gather materials, keyhole gardens offer a number of important advantages: They are highly sustainable. Gardening is evolving, and so are the ways of gardening. Planting a keyhole garden. It is very efficient at holding moisture and retaining nutrients. And so was born the Keyhole garden. In our blog series we have tried to explain concepts like creating a salsa garden or a vegetable noodle garden, and today again we have brought the idea of a Keyhole Salad Garden. Not only was it fun, easy and fairly cheap to build, but it’s been way more productive than I ever imagined. The book is written in first person in a casual and easy style, making it easy to read and understand. Carolyn Black Adams County Master Gardener (7/3) A new method of gardening is proving to be less labor-intensive and more affordable for all individuals who desire to grow their own food. Combining different kinds of plants in a same bed can be done in different ways, but the general idea is to plant leafy crops next to root vegetables. When we started designing our garden beds in our new location, I knew I wanted to integrate permaculture design, symmetry and beauty for some edible landscaping.I loved the idea of creating a mix of a keyhole garden with a mandala design. Keyhole gardens are so named because they have a notch in them much like their namesake. See more ideas about keyhole garden, garden, veggie garden. This method uses small and centralised type of gardening that keeps the compost nourished. The indentation allows gardeners to add uncooked vegetable scraps, greywater, and manure into a composting basket that sits in the center of the bed. A keyhole garden is a raised garden bed built from organic materials layered in a circle between six and eight feet wide. Planting Keyhole Garden. Attention, body-conscious plant lovers! Choosing the right plants for a keyhole garden and planting them in the right way will give you a satisfactory result. Keyhole Garden Pros. A keyhole garden introduces a no-dig, permaculture design in the form of a raised bed with a continual feed at the top for manure, vegetable scraps, paper and other brown and green matter. For more ideas on building and planting your own keyhole garden, take a look at our Keyhole Gardening board on Pinterest. One of the oldest gardening tricks is this - you save seed from your best plants and you eat the rest. Series of Keyhole Beds Mandala Garden. They require very little water, even in dry climates. The column is also where you should water your garden. Keyhole Garden Construction. But the good news is, no matter where you live or the weather conditions, you can greatly benefit from this type of gardening. This is not a comprehensive how-to. The book provides a general overview of keyhole gardening, a way of growing plants through the use of a raised garden system. There are versions of the keyhole garden that include a “compost tower” in the middle, with soil built up to the sides of the tower, sloping down. If you want to grow vegetables in our 5th season, try growing edible succulents. They produce nutrient-rich crops. African Keyhole Garden Kit. A keyhole garden introduces a no-till, permaculture design in the form of a raised bed with a compost basket at the top to provide nourishment for your garden. Keyhole garden beds are a neat permaculture design. Tip: Plant … Here are some good options. A keyhole garden is a two-meter-wide circular raised garden with a keyhole-shaped indentation on one side. The following is a list of recurring points made for the garden design to work efficiently. You don’t have to crawl over anything, possibly damaging delicate greens while doing so. Sep 11, 2018 - Explore Virginia Brauer's board "Keyhole Gardening", followed by 231 people on Pinterest. This gardening method utilises the scarce materials available, and through the methods we will see later in this article, and indeed elsewhere , converts them into viable soil suitable for growing a range of vegetables. Good for areas with little/poor soil ... Pallet Gardening; Plastic Grow Bags; Spiral Herb Garden; Strawbale Garden; Table Gardens; Vertical Pallet Garden; Woven/Cloth Garden (Smart Pot) For more information about the benefits of raised beds check out this factsheet: Raised Bed Gardening. The Keyhole Garden simply offered a solution to the many problems the African villages faced when attempting to grow vegetables. Check out the article on raised bed ideas to find more suggestions relating to garden bed shape and design. It is usually circular in form. You should … In the center of the circle, a composting well funnels nutrients from food waste into the nearby soil. It’s the intrigue of learning new methods that keeps me growing each season. Combine your love for gardening with a seriously effective workout, building a keyhole garden out of paving stones. If you haven’t constructed a garden as yet then consider a garden of this sort. 7 comments . General Recommendations: Before planting begins, allow the fill material to settle for a week or more. The author writes of his experience in building and growing keyhole gardens, and includes a number of photos of both the process and end result. The keyhole garden is essentially a round raised bed garden built on a compost pile with a central compost basket. Now, here in NE Minnesota, we don’t typically deal with either of those things. The biggest advantage of keyhole gardening is that you can save space along with water. A keyhole garden is a circular raised bed with a compost basket in the center and a notch "cut" out for easy access (from above, it looks like a keyhole). The Keyhole Garden in May of 2019. Keyhole Gardening. See more ideas about Keyhole garden, Garden, Permaculture. Of all of my projects over the past couple of years, the keyhole garden has been one of my favorites. The garden is constructed from low-cost, recycled, reusable, and locally-available materials, and uses a number of layers to nourish the soil, making it more productive. • Beans x 3 • Tomatoes x 4 • Capsicums x 3 • Lettuce x 6 • Silverbeet x 7 • Carrots – space plants about 5cm apart • Beetroot – space plants about 10cm apart. I now have an abundance of ripening tomatoes and that was the goal! There, drought is prevalent as well as extreme heat. May 24, 2019 - Explore Irene Grimes's board "Keyhole Garden" on Pinterest. Keyhole gardens have made a name for themselves, this popular garden method is making waves so why not get in on the action and have a garden of your own you will be so happy that you invested the time that will pay off in big ways. Typically, the walls are made of stone to give the garden a rigid shape, and to help trap moisture in the bed. The indentation allows gardeners easy access to the garden in order to add uncooked vegetable scraps, grey-water, and manure into a composting basket that sits in the center of the bed. It is advisable to plant taller items at the center of the garden and the lower-growing ones at the front. A keyhole garden is a small garden with a unique, keyhole shape. In this way, composting materials can be added to the basket throughout the growing season to provide nutrients for the plants. But a new method of gardening is proving to be less labor-intensive and more affordable for individuals who grow their own food. After a month or two, the soil level will drop some due to the bottom layers of the garden decomposing, so you may need to add additional soil to the top layer after this happens. They often utilise the ideas of the keyhole bed, and can often incorporate a range of integrated keyhole beds in the design. Many mandala gardens are more intricate in form. Gardening is many … A keyhole garden is a raised, circular garden bed with a keyhole-shaped indentation on one side. This way, you can reach all the glorious plants you’ve packed the space with. I made a column of chicken wire to hold the compost, and set it in the middle. In a permaculture keyhole garden, plants that are used on a regular basis (and those that require the most upkeep) are placed nearest the home quick and easy access. They’re ideal for small spaces because that lovely little notch allows you to walk into the centre of the garden. It’s been an enjoyable process, but with any new garden technique there’s always a learning curve. Jan 18, 2020 - Explore paulene stimson's board "Keyhole garden" on Pinterest. Keyhole gardening is one of those methods that has been created to grow healthy plants in dry climates. Soil is then placed around this central area and kept in place using stones or bricks. Keyhole gardens are great for planting edible crops. If you would like detailed information to construct a Keyhole Garden, please follow the links provided at the end of this article, otherwise, refer to the Cross-section View A-A at left (click for a larger image).. Just like growing plants in a container with the added benefit of much richer. 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