86 – Getting fed without giving a fig

Not everyone’s a gardener, but that does not mean we can’t all grow some food. Grow stuff that is pest resistant and doesn’t need tender loving care. Find food growing in the wild.

Plant it where it will look after itself. Create edible landscapes.

Rosemary, oregano and thyme grow wild across Mediterranean hillsides, and that suits our climate too. Most of the food we eat has a wild cousin that needs no tender loving care. We can re-wild our gardens by encouraging those wild things at home.

Here’s a plan

First step is separating the beneficial wild things from the toxic.

One corner of your backyard is greener than the rest. Identify the food in that patch by searching for the names rattled off below, or search for edible weeds. Pull out the baddies and eat the goodies.

Yeehah, you’re already gardening.

Leafy and upright plants include sorrel, mustard, stinging nettle, dandelions or amaranth. Sprawling wild greens include chickweed, gotu kola, oregano, thyme and mint. Succulents like aloe vera and portulaca are commonplace. Bushes like rosemary, pigeon peas, tulsi, coffee and curry plants grow wild.

Related stories – Cherry Tomatoes, Tabbouleh and Food Waste