Steve’s urban garden is impressive, with everything grown in containers in his concrete yard. He collects water from his greenhouse and adjacent rooftops to nourish his plants. IBCs are scattered throughout the space, serving as water reservoirs and homes for growing veggies like carrots and beetroot. He has a Three Sisters bed where corn, beans, and squash thrive together, supporting one another in harmony.
To maximise water retention and encourage diverse fungal communities in the soil, he has converted some tubs into Hugelkultur beds. Old glass crates against the fence cleverly create a vertical wall of strawberries, adding a splash of colour to the garden.
An impressive ebb-and-flow aquaponics setup dominates the space in one of the greenhouses, with a vertical fish tank above the grow bed inhabited by goldfish. The abundant Monstera plant appears to thrive in the nutrient-rich environment the fish waste provides.
A towering 2.5m banana plant also commands attention inside the greenhouse. Surprisingly, Steve reveals that the banana plant does better every summer when moved outside into the yard. Some have even fruited in the UK, defying expectations!
Citrus fruits flourish in this garden, a rarity in the northern English climate. His resilient hybrid Eureka lemons bear fruit continuously in an unheated greenhouse—the secret lies in carefully managing water levels.
Steve’s garden is a pollinator haven, with abundant flowers inviting a vibrant ecosystem. Bonsai trees, including an apple tree, add an artistic touch to the space. Mysterious pots house unique and intriguing-looking plants, like wasabi and Chilean guava, leaving visitors curious and enchanted.
This year’s garden lineup includes ginger, cucumbers, parsley, Thai basil, catnip, melons, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes in air pots. Steve’s homemade compost and vermicompost from wormeries enrich the soil, and he uses organic fertilisers, nutrient enhancers, and foliar feeds to support plant growth. If pests become a problem, he turns to neem oil as a natural solution.
Growing gardens is a pleasure for Steve, an activity shared with his family and the local community. He hosts a gardening club, and one of the activities is ‘the Passata Party’ at the end of each season, where participants come together to make and share the delicacy.
Steve also designs and builds practical, productive, and biodynamic garden spaces. His passion for gardening radiates through his vibrant and resourceful urban garden. The
dedication to sustainability and organic practices, and embracing the challenges of growing citrus in a northern climate sets a remarkable example for the community.