For the first time in my life, I don’t have a yard. Bad timing, considering the latest craze to hit my block is vegetable gardens and most people I know consider it inexcusable to not compost.

My mum, dad and I are currently embroiled in a hugely competitive game to see who can grow the most potatoes in a bucket by christmas. Despite rumours of sabotage and the occasional ‘planting’ of potatoes in and around certain people’s buckets, we are progressing splendidly. Anyone who lives in a concrete jungle, I highly recommend this as a form of getting back to nature. Potatoes sprout like nothing else, there is nothing more satisfying than watching a plant grow - except maybe counting the potatoes it produces.

I also now have a small potted herb garden. My basil fell to an untimely death fairly soon after planting - I am a Wellingtonian, trained to forget on the one still day a year, that every other day blows a gale and I planted on that one still day. Poor basil couldn’t handle the jandal, as we say. Herbs, in general though, are great to grow if you live in the city. They are small, they smell divine and you kind of feel like Jamie Oliver when you pop out to nip a few leaves off your mint plant.

My biggest pots hold some tomatoes and capsicum. I cottoned onto the wind when they fell flat on their faces, so now my little seedlings have old orange juice bottles acting as mini greenhouses. These so far have proven more successful than the passionfruit plant I HAD to buy before leaving home (which was some years ago now) Which my mum battled constantly before it produced anything resembling fruit. My mother is a practical woman, and she resorted to buying this massive vine a man passionfruit plant in the hope that would produce some babies. Clearly it took some years for the passion to spark.

But my best, best, most favourite garden thing is my worm farm. Did you know that around 40% of your household waste is food scraps, and those food scraps clog up landfills AND cost you a fortune in rubbish bags. I’ve composted my scraps for a while now, but suddenly faced with the issue of having no land, I felt a crisis on it’s way. However, one night out with friends, and wouldn’t you know it, someone had the solution.

Each wee worm eats a gram of food a day. You buy them in 1/2 kilo packs (yes, they courier them to you)… That’s a lot of food scraps. The best thing is that unlike compost, worm farms are said not to smell (mine is a mere few weeks old so it hasn’t really had time to prove it). Which means they can fit right outside your door. I think some people even keep them inside.

If you live in NZ, head straight to the warehouse, where you can get 2 worm farms for $60, which not only solves your personal composting challenge, but gives you a head start on the christmas present buying :)