My Home-grown Journey

notenoughcash

Hi everyone, I have been growing my own veg in a limited space and on a limited budget for a few years now. I get a little braver every year and for the last 2 years have constantly had stuff growing all year round. I am by no means an expert but grow-your-own has been a part of me forever with my parents and grandparents ensuring this is something I have been involved in for as long as I can remember.

I am a very busy single mum but I want other people in a similar position to me who may be considering trying to grow their own to see just how easy and rewarding it can be. We spend hours and hours enjoying this activity together, which costs a minimal amount, is fantastic exercise and a great excuse to be out in the fresh air even at this time of year. I re-use and recycle anything and everything and I am always open to shring packs of seeds with other gardeners.

I am waiting to hear about a local allotment which I am so excited about, it may take some time yet but once I get one I'll never be away. I would love the space to grow ALL of our own veg eventually.

I will update on here as often as I can with how we are progressing throughout the year and once I have worked out how to I will add some photos

notenoughcash

I spent most of the day in the garden yesterday, it was very sunny here and rather cold but I soon warmed up once I was digging and weeding.

We currently have winter onions in the ground and some brocolli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts under a cold frame (made from some bricks, corrugated plastic and old strips of glass a neighbour was going to throw in a skip) and seed potatoes chitting in egg boxes ready to be planted in a few weeks.

I have a collection of old kitchen bins, buckets, empty compost bags and various other bits and pieces that people like to donate to me that they would otherwise bin in return for a few bits of veg throughot the year. It is amazing what people will give to you once they realise your passion.

We have just put a bucket over the rhubarb crown to force it's growth. This was given to me free a few years ago and has been amazing. We regularly have rhubarb crumble after sunday dinner, give loads away to friends and neighbours and there are 12 bottles of rhubarb wine maturing in the cellar!!

The peas will be going in shortly, dozens of them as there is nothing better than a fresh supply of garden peas from plant to plate in half an hour.

evie451

hi notenoughcash sounds like you have been busy!

i am waiting on my seed potatoes which i ordered in the new year and am hoping that i can hold off planting stuff for another couple of weeks as here in the frozen north i can't chance starting too early......
What pea varieties do you use? i am trying to choose at the moment....

notenoughcash

The peas I have in right now are wilko own brand early croppers and there are loads in the packet for £1. I was really successful with these last year but just didn't plant enough!

Some more seed potatoes and garlic have arrived this morning and we have some sunshine again today so will hopefully be having another productive garden day!

notenoughcash

Had a lovely couple of hours just pottering round my garden today, having a general tidy round and thinking about what will be planted where. I've decided to go for it and try setting a couple of potatoes off in tubs in the shed. I have loads so if they don't work it isn't the end of the world but if it gives them a good start and I get an early crop then it's a bonus!

I have also signed up for freecycle and put a wanted ad on there so I can start collecting extras for my allotment once I get it!

SuzieMum

It is threads like this that get me all excited to carry on! It is only my second year and I have already got my stock of seeds, compost, last yrs pots etc. Today we spent (me, husband and 3yr old!) about an hour digging over the veg patch (about 3m x 1m). It's thoroughly weeded, bonemealed and ready to go. I am itching to get my tomatos, cherry tomatos, peppers etc off in the hot porch but I think I'll wait a couple of weeks.
I was going to do runner beans again as they were sucessful last year but I fancy the peas now you have mentioned them. Do they go up canes like runner beans do? Thanks and good luck!

notenoughcash

Yeah, just like that, and they are by far the best thing I grow. Check on the pack as to how tall they grow, the ones I have at the min only grow to 24" and I fasten garden twine round canes set in a zig zag half an inch apart. They grow beautiful little flowers and then the crops themselves are wonderful. The kids love to eat them straight out of the pod, which is why I intend on growing so many more this year as more than half never made it out of the garden last year! The taste is so much more intense than the shop-bought ones and you can freeze them. I usually sow seeds every two-to-three weeks to ensure a good supply throughout late spring/early summer.

Karmacat

What a lovely thread! Especially good that its from someone who already has some knowledge. I'm just digging over a little spot 3' x 3' to start doing things. And I've just rationalised my cardboard box of garden stuff (!) and found loads of seed packets, most of them still in date - free packet of sunflower seeds, 2 of cornflowers (one free) 2 of lettuce, one of radish, two cress and one cornsalad. I think I'd better plant something .....

Please keep this going!

notenoughcash

I'm pleased people are interested in this and will definately be keeping it going. It's a great way to keep me motivated and make sure I keep it up plus the chance to pass on and gain more valuable knowledge.

I've only managed an hour outside today as the weather isn't great, but I'm on top of most of the jobs that can be done at this time any way, although the fresh air and the little sprouting spring bulbs is enough to lift anyone's mood!

scotsaver

Hi notenoughcash - this thread is brilliant, thanks for starting this, I shall definitely be following you, I have been growing tomatoes for a few years and have established Blackberries, blackcurrants, rhubarb and an apple tree but for the first time last year we grew our own potatoes, salad leaves etc and as a result I've well and truly got the green finger bug. Bought loads of packets of seeds at the end of the season last year when they were reduced and have dug over a large flower bed to make more growing space for this year, planning on growing more spuds, salad potatoes, carrots, leeks, cabbages, peas, beans, tomatoes, peppers, chillies, rocket, lettuces etc etc. Got a couple of books out of the Library and now just waiting for the Frost to go so I can get out there and make a start.:D Although I am Scottish, I live in Kent and have a South facing Garden so know we can get some good results from what we grow. Also want to make sure that we are growing veg all year round instead of just in the Summer as we have done in the past. I shall be following your progress and we can all support one another. Thanks again.

kazzys51

hi all i am looking for some info/motivation im desperate to grow something but having not a clue where to start (im going to ask probably a lot of stupid questions here goes the babble) i thought about starting with potatoes mabey in grow bags what is the name a good organic one? is it earlys? when harvested do they keep for long? i and the bags from ikea are they tall enough for tottys? or rubble sacks i too are on a budget.

i have a back garden(grassed at mo) realisticly im not sure about how much time id have to dedicate to a patch if i started it could anyone give me an idea what id have to do with it to make it right for growing patch is about 5 by 4 mtrs ive got a wee baba so keen to bring him up growing stuff but limited for time any help would be really appreciated thanks for reading kazzys