Creative growing in Jenna's compact garden

Meet Jenna, who proves you don’t need a big backyard to grow something delicious.

From clever vertical growing in her small urban garden to homegrown cherry tomatoes destined for pasta sauce, Jenna shares how she makes the most of every bit of space.

By Jenna Zanchettin
@jennagardens

Tell us a little about your garden: My garden is a small urban space, so every square metre has to earn its place. I love proving that you don’t need a huge backyard to grow loads of food. With a bit of planning and some vertical growing, you can fit far more into a small garden than most people think.

How did you start gardening? My grandparents were gardeners, so I’ve been around plants my whole life. I started working in horticulture at 16 and haven’t left! Once gardening gets you, it’s hard to walk away. There’s always something new to learn, whether it’s new plants, new products, or new techniques.

What are some of your proudest gardening successes? Hands down, my watermelons that I grew from seed last year! I was ridiculously proud of those. My tomatoes, dwarf fruit trees, and investing in self-watering garden beds.

If you had to choose, what’s your favourite thing to grow and why? Baby bush beans. I could eat them every day! They take up little room, you can succession plant them, and I find they hold on the plant better than climbing beans. They’re productive, easy to grow, and perfect for small gardens.

Despite not being a big tomato eater, what made you decide to start growing tomatoes? I love pasta, and pasta needs sauce! Cooked tomatoes are the only way I’ll eat them. Hamilton has such a fantastic climate for tomatoes once the frosts have finished.  They’re such a rewarding crop because you get to enjoy every stage, from the lush foliage, to the flowers, then the tiny green fruit, and finally months of ripe cherry tomatoes.

You built an impressive tomato frame last year.  Can you tell us about it? Honestly, I think I’ve cracked the code! All you need are sturdy stakes, galvanised mesh, and something solid like a fence to reinforce it. If you’ve got a sunny fence line in a small garden, it’s the perfect place to grow tomatoes vertically. I train the plants on the mesh almost like an espalier, so they naturally weave themselves through it. In winter the frame can be reused for peas.

Finish this sentence: “Anyone can be a gardener because…” Your garden doesn’t judge you or talk back. There’s a plant out there for everyone, no matter your space or experience.