We live in a society where most of us have become reliant on the supply of goods from others. But, you’d be surprised by how self-sufficient you can be in your own backyard.
Even in the middle of a bustling city.
Here’s some sustainable ideas you can adopt at home without too much fuss.
Be resourceful
Self-sufficiency is all about becoming more resourceful, injecting more thought into the way you live and work and of course, saving money.
The first step is to work out what you’re most dependent on. Then, how you can make better use of local community resources and your own skills. If you live near a farmers market or can buy from a quality local grocer it makes no sense to plant things that are readily available and inexpensive to buy.
Ask yourself how you can make better use of local community resources and your own skills?
For us, it’s about coming back to our roots and implementing the old fashioned ways of life we was raised on. We grew fruit and vegetables and learnt from an early age about seasonality.
Our families designed special enclosures to house the growth of homegrown goods and once picked, they took pride of place on the windowsill to ripen.
Fuss free sustainable living
You may dream of living in the country on a large block of land you can plant out, or you may simply want to step away from the throw-away culture of today’s society, often criticised for it’s overuse of packaging and plastic; either way you can definitely still be more self sufficient in your home whilst living in an urban environment.
Start small
You certainly don’t have to grow everything you eat, but you’d be surprised by what you can produce, even in a small apartment environment, to become a little more self-sufficient. Herbs, leafy vegetables and berries are all great options to grow on a balcony or in a courtyard.
Herbs, leafy vegetables and berries are all great options to grow on a balcony or in a courtyard.
Courtyard growing means focused growing
If you’re limited for space – with an apartment balcony or a small courtyard – choosing what you plant is important.
Your choices depend on how much sun you have. Some vegetables tolerate less sun than others, but on the flipside, some require 8-10 hours of sunlight, particularly plants bearing fruit.
In terms of containers, here’s some ideas to maximise space:
- you could suspend baskets
- have a stand for multiple herbs
- get creative; plastic or metal bins or crates are all suitable to plant in as long as you ensure there are holes in the base for drainage.
For smaller crops, you could even use of vintage metal kettles if you want something with a little more personality.
Aquaponics
Want to take it a step further?
A growing trend we’ve been researching recently is the ancient technique of aquaponics.
On a home scale, this is growing in popularity in many Asian and European communities. Even in apartment living, housing an aquaponics tank can feed an entire family with green herbs and leafy green vegetables.
If you aren’t familiar with Aquaponics, this involves a closed cycle tank system, where the fish and plants coexist in a symbiotic relationship – the fish feed the plants (through their waste) and the plants feed the fish. A small aquaponics setup could be a great introduction to your home, if only for greens alone!
A growing trend we’ve been researching recently is the ancient technique of aquaponics.
All homes can accommodate some level of a sustainable, self-sufficient, lifestyle. It all comes down to using your space, efficiently & cleverly, to incorporate some homegrown goodness.
Give it a go and see what you think. A small pot with some herbs is a perfect place to start.
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