What is hugelkultur, or how to create a garden on a hill of plant waste

Hugelkultur was popularised in the19 60s and 70s by the Austrian Sepp Holzer. Photo: AFP

Hugelkultur is a horticultural method that allows a vegetable garden to be created on a mound of plant waste. There are many advantages to the technique, particularly when it comes to water retention.

Also known as hill farming, this approach was popularised in the 1960s and 70s by Austrian permaculture advocate Sepp Holzer, a pioneer of ecological farming.