I've been thinking: Small scale gardening 101

I've been thinking about expanding my garden through renting small areas in other persons yards.

Big league  on Home gardening would be a  Federation Park sized home where there is a good sized strip on each side of the house so much so that  I will start out with using one side of the house.

P.S. I have not seen the insides of a Valsayn property or a Lange Park property, however those would also be fantasy properties given the size of the land which surround those homes.

I will plant melongene,  ochro, cassava, pimentoes, beans, green bananas, and tomatoes. I know that each of these plants will grow at different times and produce in different quantities. Melongene, beans and ochro can be  the cash cows as once the plant starts bearing, cash will be generated within three months, once there is a  buyer for the products.  Pimentoes, tomatoes can be unpredictable as they are:

• Easily affected by rain, 
• May need some equipment such as cages to support the branches and
• From a cash outflow point of view, there will be some debate on when  the cages are needed.

Now for needs:

• Agreements/contracts, company formation & secretarial services, taxation - Now a company which is formed for a special purpose and which rents the land in a place like Federation Park, may not be seen as being economical as the rent may be astronomical in comparison to a place outside of the main areas of living, hence the company may make losses from the start. However, in looking at the cash flows of the company, one may have to look at whether the company is closed or whether there are participants outside of the main contributors  to the capital of the company or income generators or recipients of funds.
• Reporting and Monitoring - This includes accounting and record keeping so as to have institutional knowledge for each company and venture. 
• Plant & Equipment: 
• Fixed assets: 
• The cages for the tomatoes
• Other protective pieces (stones, wire etc)
• The tools  - gloves, shovel, hoe, rakes etc.
• Water buckets (2 small paint buckets would  be a start if one person is doing the labour)
• Wire fencing for bean plants if there are plans to expand the venture or enter into different product mixes.
• Items to be included in Inventory and or allocated to expenses: the plants. If a plant is capable of producing other plants and I am keeping it as a "stock plant" then that may be a fixed asset. I have one large plant which can be separated and used for offices and other places, so I would consider that a stock plant.  Cassava, on the other hand, can function as a stock plant for income generation and as a producer of crops for sale, thus in accounting, I may need to be specialised and have observations of the count, valuation of plants or just recording them in the books and records. 
• Vendors or Suppliers - 
• Potting Mix: 
• Mulch: 
• Fertilisers: (peels ~ pumpkin, banana, used coffee grounds, egg shells ~ we are organic)
• Epsom salts & large water bottles for when things are moving slowly.
• Access to water 
• Other facilities

Benefits:
The areas where the plants are placed, may require less cleaning and removal of grass as over time the lawn disappears... The plants spread and spread as you find other things to plant or as you plant things for the next season.

Sometimes when the plants are in bloom, the area becomes cooler and it is possible to put benches and relax under the shade or just read..

The ground in the area which is being planted appears to be differently colored as water is retained in the soil and is protected by the branches of the cassava or the melongene.

Some of us do not work with seasons and just keep planting, watering when the ground is dry and moving along.

Other Considerations:
Where persons are of the same mind, then some persons may work on the venture during the week with others doing the work on weekends.

In some ventures, one person may provide the cassava  and the bean plants which may change the expected life of the venture from a short term venture to a long term venture as some of these plants may last for more than a year if carefully nurtured and protected.

In some ventures, the costs are shared as there is the expectation of sharing of profits.

copyright: Jennifer N Bailey
email: jennifernbailey24d@gmail,com