So you’re ready to really start planting in your ring garden in mid spring. Suggested vegetables would be tomatoes 4-5 seedlings of whatever tallish variety you fancy. Mick has alwsy been a fan of gross lisse.
By the time the tomatoes grow up the peas, will have finished bearing fruit and been harvested and the remains dug into the compost heap.
Other suggestions for the centre ring might be climbing beans. The purple variety of climbing bean is a beauty. You might also try clematis. Yes, even this non gardener knows clematis is a flower. The addition of flowers keeps the bees busy and will help your crop.
You might even decide to include a couple of roses. We never did though, because of the thorns. You could try a thornless variety though. Sweet peas would also be a good option. If you got seeds planted in autumn they would flower through spring.
The next ring might include eggplant and sweet peppers.
The third ring might include dill or basil as well as capsicum or peppers, cucumbers, silver beet or spinach, cantaloupe or honey dew melons, zucchini and beetroot.
The fourth ring might have a combination of cucumbers, chives, and whatever type of herbs you like. Sage or thyme, oregano, basil, dill and marjoram are all ones used a lot. As well as the herbs and vegetables include dwarf marigolds. Not only will they add color they are an excellent pest repellent.
Your fifth ring might include lettuce, alternating with marigolds, chilies, nasturtiums, and herbs. Just be careful about growing mint in this garden though as it has a tendency to run riot and take over, smothering anything in its path.
These are only suggestions. Basically it’s your ring garden so you should plant whatever vegetables you use and flower combinations you like. But do remember to keep the marigolds as they are insect repellants.
The most important thing is not only that you benefit from the crop it produces but that you enjoy your garden, so experiment a little with the types of things to grow. The original ring garden which appeared in a Family Circle article back in September 1979, and written by Jacqueline Heriteau, included cress, Swiss chard, turnips, and squash which we never grew as we didn’t use them.
Mick has had several incarnations of this ring garden idea and it has always worked brilliantly. Have fun with it.
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