Date: August 16, 2011

Raised gardens are a simple way to save on grocery bills

Saving money on grocery bills appeals to everyone as does the idea of picking fresh vegetables from your very own garden.

Hastings District Council sustainability campaign Sus'd is offering residents a chance to do both by supporting the FREE gardening workshops run by the Environment Centre.

The vegetable gardening workshops are being held at the Community Garden next to the Environment Centre fortnightly on Saturdays starting on Saturday September 10th 2011.

Sus'd is also running a competition which will see a raised garden (40cm x 1.8m x1.2m) given away in Flaxmere, Hastings and Havelock North. The prize package includes free seeds and a tutorial on how to plant and grow your own veges.

An advisor will help erect the garden and plant it out in summer vegetables, while giving a one hour tutorial to the winner, their friends, family and neighbours on how to look after the garden.

A sample garden has been assembled in the Hastings Library and filled with pumpkins which will show what the finished product looks like.

Sus'd project manager, Angela Atkins says," the raised gardens may seem small but you can plant plenty of veges in them including tomatoes, lettuce, radish, parsley, chives, carrots, spring onions, basil and beetroot."

"You certainly don't have to have the traditional quarter acre section to supplement your weekly veges - even pots at the backdoor or on the deck can produce an abundant crop," Mrs Atkins says.

"Growing your own food means you will be eating fresher products, which contain more nutrients, and there will be less carbon emissions as the food hasn't been transported over long distances. The raised gardens also encourage people to get outside and be active."

For more information about the workshops or to enter the garden bed competition, visit www.susd.org.nz Entry forms for the raised garden competition are also available at district libraries.

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