Keyhole gardens act like an organic ‘recycling unit’, using kitchen and garden waste and rainwater or grey water from the house to grow vegetables.
The original garden design is named after the keyhole shape seen when it is viewed from above. Compostable waste is placed in a central basket and the soil banked up around it, sloping down towards the retaining wall of the garden. Rainwater or waste water from the kitchen or bathroom is poured over the compost bin so that it seeps through to water the vegetables and feed them with nutrients from the compost at the same time.
The design of the garden allows easy access to top up the compost bin, and also to plant, weed and pick the vegetables. As an added bonus, two or three times as many vegetables can be produced than from a traditional plot.
In Africa, keyhole gardens are transforming lives by allowing the smallest plots of land to be used for food production. The stone wall surrounding the garden prevents soil erosion, protects the crops from livestock and helps retain moisture. In addition, the raised soil level of the garden makes it easy for the sick and elderly and even children to work.
In many areas, keyhole gardens have been so successful that families are able to feed themselves and have surplus produce to sell, providing additional income for the household.Athough his garden did not conform to the authentic keyhole shape, Paul’s aim was to prove that this system of vegetable growing could dramatically increase yields (as you can see from the photos), and to demonstrate how such gardens can be used to improve the diets of orphaned and vulnerable children in places like Munsieville, South Africa.
By producing large volumes of vitamin-rich vegetables and fruits all year round from limited resources, keyhole gardens can help provide some of the world’s poorest people with access to safe, healthy food. Click here to learn more about Project Hope’s work in Munsieville or make a donation.
