1. Good Organic Gardening - January-February 2016

Farouk & Magda Khaled | GARDENING FOLK
Farouk shares with the insects, which he doesn’t
consider to be pests
“The garden needs
space to grow, sunlight
and plenty of air. I don’t
have much shadow in
my garden.”
on them,, such as a wrapped brick. “Then
turn the olives and lay the brick on the other
side. When they dry out, leave them on a flat
surface and then sprinkle olive oil on them
and then you can freeze them.
“I also hang garlic from the roof rafters in
the garage, as well as oregano. Oregano is
very strong and it is also good in tabouli.”
For Farouk, Magda’s tabouli salad is the
perfect cure for homesickness. “It’s so easy
to make and it tastes so-o-o good. Growing
up in Lebanon, my parents raised me to eat
healthy food from an early age. Tabouli can
be eaten with most dishes and it tastes fresh
and has a distinct texture and vivid colours.
“Anyone can make it. I don’t usually
measure the ingredients and sometimes I add
a variety of different other vegetables to it.
But no matter what vegetable you add, you’ll
find it’s beneficial to your health.”
garden bed such as my side garden,” he says.
“Water is precious and without it you’re
not able to keep the water levels maintained
in the soil beds. Keep water levels consistent
throughout the garden beds. Allowing it to
fluctuate will cause stress on the plant and
result in poor-quality fruit.”
Like many of us, Farouk regards gardening
not as work or even a pastime but as part of
life. He likes spending time with family and
friends “but my friends know me as someone
who enjoys my garden. When I wake up in the
morning you will find me in my garden plucking
a few green vegies for breakfast or dinner.
“I have a simple garden without fuss and
I just enjoy foraging about and checking on
new growth.”
The Khaleds preserve their black olives
by applying rock salt and placing a weight
Farouk’s Top Tips
• Keep your plants in harmony with
good and bad bugs.
• Don’t rake your lawn clippings.
• Allow your plants to grow without fuss.
• Espalier if necessary to conserve space,
especially if you have a small garden
like mine.
• Don’t grow tomatoes in the same
spot year after year.
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