I am often asked how I manage to get so much food from such a small garden. There are a number of contributing factors to this, but one of the biggest is choosing the right varieties.

When you are working with very limited space, you certainly don't have "space to waste". Everything you decide to plant and grow needs to be worth the space it takes up. Therefore, taking the time to read and learn about the many different varietes of each crop will help you choose the ones with the greatest return. Over time, with much research, trial and error, I have established quite an extensive list of my tiny garden favourites.

Here are my top 3 to grow in Melbourne's cooler months;

Snow Peas - Mammoth Melting

Vertical climbers are a no brainer when it comes to growing food in small spaces! Whilst your ground space might be restricted, the sky is the limit (literally) when it comes to growing upwards. One 1m wide trellis will easily fit 10 snow pea plants. The beauty of snow peas too is that they are very beginner friendly and grow very easily from direct sowing - no need to fiddle around with pots and seed raising mix! They are a super prolific vegetable, and if healthy and strong will keep proving food through most of the cool season. My personal choose when it comes to a specific snow pea variety is the 'Mammoth Melting'. As vertical space has no limit, why would I choose a dwarfing variety? That will not only reduce the plant size, but the harvest too. I want to choose a variety that will grow tall and produce plenty of delicious food. This variety is a heavy cropper, growing to 2m tall, and produces large pods.

Pro Tip: The more you harvest snow peas, the more peas the plant will produce. Be sure to check on your plants every couple of days when they reach their peak production so that you can keep them picked and the vines producing.

Lettuce - loose leaf varieties

Lettuce is such a staple vegetable, and there is nothing worse than those soggy brown leaves at the bottom of a plastic bag of store bought lettuce. I am never without lettuce in my tiny edible garden! Specifically, loose leaf varieties. These crops take up next to no room, squeeze so easily inbetween and underneath other larger crops and if like the peas are happy and healthy will provide many harvests from the one plant throughout the season.

Pro Tip: When harvesting, pick off the outside leaves as you need them. The plant will continue to grow new leaves from the centre.

Silverbeet - Ruby Red

This wasn't always at the top of my list, however I have really come to love this veggie in the garden each winter for a numer of reasons. Firstly, it is one of the most 'fool proof' crops you can grow. Silverbeet is so easy to grow from seed, is very slow to bolt to seed and doesn't seem to be attacked by pests as much as things like kale and broccoli. Secondly, it's like a 2-for-1 deal. If you harvest the leaves when they are young and small, they can be added to your loose leaf lettuce for more variety and flavour. When harvested as large leaves, they are a nutrient dense super food that goes well in so many cooked dishes. Lastly, if you grow specifically the 'Ruby Red' variety, you will learn for yourself how beautifully vibrant the red stems look amongst a usually very green cool season veggie garden.

Pro Tip: Just like the loose leaf lettuce, harvest the leaves from the outside as you need them. The plant will continue to grow more leaves from the centre.

If you chose to only grow these three vegetables in your winter garden this year, I guarentee you will be able to harvest a huge amount of food. A few snow peas up a vertical support and a couple of silverbeet plants with plenty of lettuces growing all around them - you'll be harvesting all throughout the cooler growing season.

If this is something you want to achieve from your little garden this upcoming cool season, then don't forget I can help you make it happen! Click below to read more about the different edible garden services I offer.

Happy Growing!