Practical gardening with Samantha: a greenhouse and polyculture

Samantha's garden is a dream full of vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. She grows enough to provide herself with vegetables all year round. At the same time, she leads a busy life as a professor and therefore has limited time for gardening. How does she combine that? Samantha's answer: a garden full of polyculture, in which her greenhouse from Euro-Serre plays an important role. Read how Samantha works and what her tips are for polyculture in a greenhouse.

Photos: Ken Stoffels photography.

Polyculture is a way of growing crops that focuses on combining crops, just as they would grow next to each other in nature. Polyculture is the opposite of monoculture, where you grow only one crop on a piece of land. “There are many versions of polyculture,” says Samantha. She developed her own method – called P-Mix – based on intensive polyculture, regenerative agriculture and healthy soil. “In my case, everything is mixed together,” Samantha explains cheerfully. She makes sure that the garden is always full of different types of vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers that grow together, so that they can strengthen each other. “Flowers and herbs not only attract pollinators, but also keep pests away thanks to their scent.”

The variety of crops in Samantha’s garden means there’s always something to harvest. “I’m self-sufficient when it comes to vegetables now,” she says. “There’s always something fresh to harvest. I used to think that wasn’t possible in the winter, but it is possible, and the greenhouse offers even more options.” A greenhouse was Samantha’s big dream when she still had a city garden and vegetable garden. “I didn’t necessarily want a greenhouse to grow peppers and tomatoes, but to be able to sow seeds for my garden,” she explains. Samantha now sows and harvests all year round. “It gets really hot in the summer, so the greenhouse is especially suitable for growing nightshade plants in the open ground,” she advises.

Samantha tries to make the most of her greenhouse. Here are 5 of her tips:

With polyculture, you can plant crops much closer together than usual. This way, you get more out of the surface area of ​​your greenhouse. “The recommended planting distances are based on monoculture,” Samantha explains. “With polyculture, you can sow and plant the different crops closer together.” For example, it is easier to plant a courgette plant and daisies close together than two courgette plants.

Automating processes like watering and opening windows makes it easier to maintain your garden. Samantha: “I find the automatic window openers super useful. I’m very busy with my job, so I really need them. I also have an automated drip system, so my plants get water when they need it, even when I’m away.”

A warm greenhouse is often also a dry greenhouse. “After each harvest, put down a nice layer of compost and only harvest the part of the plant that you want to harvest,” Samantha advises. “Let the rest of the plant die and return to the soil. A healthy soil retains moisture better.” A vegetated soil is therefore an important part of her way of gardening, both in the greenhouse and outside. “For that, I prefer to use living material than mulch,” Samantha explains.

Also use the vertical space of your greenhouse. Samantha: “I have racks at height in which crates full of potting soil are placed. I also sow in those crates in the winter, for example baby spinach. That way I actually have two floors of harvest.” Samantha has also stretched ropes in her greenhouse using the handy hooks on the ceiling. That way she can let plants such as cucumbers climb up.

There is no one way to garden. “If you’re just starting out in your garden, it’s fine to follow the general advice, but don’t be afraid to make it your own,” encourages Samantha. “Your own preferences matter.” What works in your garden will also depend on your specific garden, so take the time to get to know your garden and experiment with what excites you.

The garden is where Samantha finds peace in her busy life as a professor. “It’s one of the few things that helps me relax,” she says. “I work long hours and when they’re over, I often continue to brood for a long time. Digging in the soil with my hands is the only thing that helps me really let go. It also helps me slow down. I’m also interested in healthy food. Home-grown food is so much healthier and fresher, and it gives me satisfaction. I eat with the seasons. For example, I haven’t eaten fresh tomatoes for about seven months and I’m really looking forward to it now.”

Polyculture plays an important role in Samantha’s gardening and makes gardening possible alongside her busy job. “What I do most is pre-sowing, planting out and harvesting. Because the ground is covered with crops, there are almost no weeds. There is always something going on, whether it is a very dry or very wet season. The variety of crops also creates a spread of harvests and there is always something different to eat.”

Euro-Serre has been the expert in building hobby greenhouses and garden rooms for over 40 years. In the wide range of aluminium greenhouses and garden rooms, there is the right greenhouse for everyone. You can also go there for tailor-made advice and professional installation. With a greenhouse you reduce your ecological footprint, because you invest in organic food, which does not require polluting transport and energy-consuming cold stores. But that is not all. Euro-Serre greenhouses are exclusively produced locally using energy from solar panels. The raw materials are circular, which means that the waste flows are 95% recyclable. The powder coating is also environmentally friendly. This makes a greenhouse from Euro-Serre a sustainable choice.

Want to read more about Samantha's garden and her P-Mix method? You can find her tips and experiences on her website, plantingseeds.be , and on her Instagram page @plantingseeds.be .