Vegie patch help needed

[Bathsheba]

We started one last year. We bought redwood sleepers, metal corners and joiners and had 1.5 cubic meters of compost soil delievered. it was done in a weekend but cost over $100... not including seeds/seedlings. The most successful crop was the potatoes I grew from peelings.

Those vegies you mentioned are actually quite tricky to grow successfully, from my experience and observation (I grew up on farms and we usually had a vegie patch as a kid). Zuccini isn't too bad... but broccoli is nortorious for being aphid infested and they are never anywhere as good as market/shop bought. Root crops are usually easier. If you want greens I highly recommend spinach... the baby spinach leaves are delicious and only take little while from seed to be usuable.... my kids loved them... ate them straight from the garden.

If I wanted to get something going for next to nothing I would get a hold of some old tyres... maybe about 6 (free) and stack them 2 high. I'd fill with soil and pop in some potato peelings that have small sprouts developing. In about 10 weeks you could have the equivalent to a large bag of spuds. No sprays needed. And not too much water... remember that water costs money too. You might be surprized by how much a vegie patch needs.

Alot would depend on the quality of your soil... most people get better results from raised beds... but it costs. We got our sleepers on special for $9 each... they usually retail for over $20. We needed 6 sleepers. Photos are in my FaceBook garden album.