Commercial gardening the new trend

By Zuurah Karungi

Commercial gardening is the use of edible plants in the garden rather than flowers and lawn. These may include fruits, vegetables, spices like mint, herbs among others.

Fruits

Fruits should be planted on the garden sides because they may damage the house due to falling fruits. On the same note trees with big roots like avocados, jackfruits and mangoes should be planted a reasonable distance from the house.

To bring out the commercial bit, these fruits should be planted in plenty but in an artistic way to retain the beauty flowers would have brought. The fruits themselves will bring in a seasonal beauty of flowers and then fruits.

Fruits also act as decor in a a garden.

Vegetables

“These can be planted in decorated vessels to bring out beauty or you can have them planted directly in the soil. You have an option of planting them in the backyard, in the compound or both,” Boniface Wanja a landscaper says.

You can also have them as hanging plants placed in nice vessels on the porch. The best could be tomatoes, strawberries, eggplants among others. However Wanja notes that you  should constantly weed and spray them as insects and caterpillars may attack them.

Vegetable will give you food and money

Food plants

Some people choose to plant bananas, sweet potatoes, pumpkins among other food stuffs. These can be planted in line on the extreme end of the garden or a few randomly thrown in the middle of the garden. Incorporate lawn for the case of cassava and Matooke, the plants act as unique décor in the garden as well as give you food. You can have the sweet potatoes in the backyard or the garden sides as well.

These will give you food and add beauty to the garden.

Herbs and spices

So many Ugandans are into herbs, these keep you healthy, keep away snakes and mosquitoes, give you medicine and may earn you money. These include Mint, Local basil, peppermint, lemon grass among others.

Add herbs

Caution

“Cleanliness is key, you need to do constant cleaning, weeding and trimming of plants and crops to keep the place clean and free from insect invasion,” he says adding that you can also constantly spray the crops to avoid insect attack.