Reimagining the edible garden

From balcony grapevines to courtyard food forests, gardeners like Lee Sullivan are proving you don’t need a sprawling suburban block to succeed with edible gardening. You just need curiosity, adaptability and a willingness to break the rules.

Like many gardening mums, Lee began growing food shortly after the birth of her first child, driven by the instinct to provide healthy, chemical-free produce for her family.
“I realised I had no idea what was on the fruit and vegetables I was buying,” she says. “Growing my own felt like the healthiest option for my family.” Gardening also supported her mental wellbeing through the turbulence of early parenthood; something many of us can attest to.

The edible gardening challenges

• A tiny concrete courtyard.
• Harsh, heat-reflective conditions.
• Increasing pressure to control pests naturally as her garden flourished.

The creative solutions

• Space limitations pushed Lee into vertical gardening. Trellises, arches and any climbable surface became growing real estate. “Vertical gardening doubled our space,” Lee says, and this is still a method she relies on, even after moving to a larger yard.
• For pests, she focused on building biologically active soil to strengthen plants from the ground up. But for fruit fly, she turned to mesh insect-proof bags, which she calls a complete ‘game changer’.

Lee’s small-space tips

• Feed your soil, not your plants.
• Grow upwards wherever possible.
• Expect failures; they’re part of learning.

Follow what’s happening in Lee’s garden here.

Read Marcelle’s full article in the Early Autumn 2026 issue, with creative gardening solutions from three more gardeners. You’ll find it in newsagents and selected supermarkets, or you can subscribe here to get an issue delivered to your door!