As part of our ‘From the Plot’ series over on Instagram, we’ve been talking to inspirational growers who generously share their gardening knowledge with others. Louise Howell from @our_little_veg_garden certainly spreads the joy of gardening in her own unique way! Not only does this busy mum from Derby tend a garden, keep chickens and look after an allotment – she also quietly sets about transforming neglected spaces in her local community for everyone to enjoy.
Learn more about Louise in the full interview…
It started with a spud!
I started gardening by growing some potatoes with my young children. They enjoyed the activity, but I loved it even more! I quickly became fascinated with growing things and set out to learn everything I could in order to create my own vegetable garden at home, and then also an allotment too.
As a busy mum and midwife, I find a sense of peace and slowness in the garden. It has quickly become a way for me to rest and recharge, while allowing me to express a creativity I’d forgotten I had.
I’m inspired by my children
Images courtesy of @our_little_veg_garden
My children are a big inspiration for my garden. Educating them about where their food comes from is really important to me. I want the vegetable garden to be a maze of sights and smells that they can graze from while they play. Both of them adore eating peas straight from the pod and my daughter’s evening routine in summer is to pick every ripe raspberry off the canes and finish the lot.
My children have been exposed to a much greater variety of fruit and vegetables than they otherwise would and, because they’ve helped to grow them, they’re much more likely to try them.
Organised chaos is my favourite style
Images courtesy of @our_little_veg_garden
I’d describe my gardening style as organised chaos. At first glance it looks like a messy mix of edibles and ornamental plants but, in actuality, it’s carefully planned. I like to use every inch of space and pack my beds full, but attracting wildlife and working with nature is just as important to me as getting the biggest yields.
I also try to plant things together that I know will benefit each other in some way – permaculture basically.
I love to grow tomatoes
My favourite crop to grow has to be tomatoes. They are really productive and taste so much better when they’re home grown.
My proudest achievements
Images courtesy of @our_little_veg_garden
I’ve started to see every flowerbed in my local area as a potential growing space that could help pollinators, wildlife and biodiversity. So I’ve been approaching business owners and the council to offer to transform and care for these forgotten spaces. To date I’ve taken on 9 beds, and hope to transform more in the future.
Next season I’d like to add edible crops into these public beds to inspire people to have a go at growing their own. In particular I’d like to plant peas that people could pick and eat as they walk past. There’s nothing quite as delicious as peas fresh from the pod!
Let nature be your guide
My top tip for anyone new to vegetable gardening is just to keep it simple. It can feel overwhelming with all the advice on sowing depths, spacings between crops, types of compost etc. But actually, in most cases, you just need to push a seed into the ground and nature will do the rest. The tomatoes that self seed in cracks in my patio are often just as healthy as the ones I nurture in my polytunnel!
Grow like Louise
This trailing, basket-friendly variety can also be grown in patio containers
Image: Tomato ‘Tiny Temptations Mixed’ seeds from Suttons (© Branded Garden Products)
You can follow Louise over at @our_little_veg_garden. And if you want to read about other inspirational growers, check out all the people featured in our ‘From the Plot’ series for a wealth of practical advice.
