Help MBE grow his dinner 2010

lemonjelly

Hi Mr BE

observed your thread last year. I'm also a fan of your cooking threads (been up to much recently - I haven't read any cooking threads for 4-5 months now!)

I'm hav=ing a second year of growing. To be honest, I just make it up as I go along.

Last year I grew:

Tomatoes - did really well!:D Loads. & so much tastier than shop bought!
Cucumbers - again did well, but I didn't move them up into a bigger pot & they didn't grow as well as they could.
Sprouts - christmas dinner (planted them late, so were a little small, but very tasty)
Lettuce - on a cycle through the year
Cabbage - tasted vile!:(

This year I am trying again with tomatoes (planted 8 seeds) & sprouts (planted 8 seeds again) both planted a week or so ago - early enough I hope.

I'm going to have a go at doing cucumbers better.
I'm also going to try runner beans, courgettes & broccolli (sp?) for the first time.

I'm 10-15 miles away from you, so we should have similar climates.

It is an idea to plant some simple flowers to promote bees coming to your garden to increase pollination!

Good luck - I'll revisit soon. My diary tells me I have my next batch of planting to do in a week or so...

PS my sprouts & toms haven't sprouted yet...

katholicos

mrbadexample wrote: »

It's a 6' x 6' Norfolk Greenhouse, and it's plastic, not glass. Reasonably cheap but a devil to put together.

Oh dear, hard to put together you say?

Well, no greenhouse for me then, I just want the sort that hasn't been invented yet, the 'pop up' kind don't you know....remove from the box and voila!

I might be waiting a while eh?

mrbadexample

lemonjelly wrote: »

It is an idea to plant some simple flowers to promote bees coming to your garden to increase pollination!

Ooo, someone local to play with. I don't, as a rule, grow anything I can't eat, but have been considering growing something for bees (not actually for that reason, I just like bees). So, any recommendations that:

a) are zero maintenance
b) won't take over the garden
c) bees like?

annie123

Lavendar is the answer to all 3

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/plantfinder/lavender_1.asp

Furny

Yep, i fancy planting Lavender too, love the smell. If anyone knows any good offers on it anywhere please feel free to post!

annie123

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/plants1/group/lavender.html?er=google;term=lavender+plants&gclid=CIWtyN7zmqACFUgf3wodAiIzdw

42 plug plants for £10 is good but a lot of plants unless you want a hedge or split the cost with friends etc, there is usually a free postage code around.

But the cheapest way is cuttings, and over the next few months is the right time. If you spot one you like in a garden, knock and ask, most gardeners are only too happy to oblige I've found. They root very easily.

or buy one from a garden centre and take cuttings from that

misskool

i got 6 plants from lidl last year, about £3/£4

Megansmum

hi mbe, i read your thread last year and look forward to picking up lots more tips this year!

I am in Derby, what sorts of things are ok to start sowing indoors now? Some packets say one thing but then peeps on here have already started sowing...It gets so confusing.. I wish everyone would put where they are from so i know if they are further south and that's why they're sowing before the packets say.....

annie123

Megansmum, there is no need to sow before the packet dates, newbie gardeners often get excited and start too soon, I know I did many years ago.
It also makes a difference if you have a greenhouse/lean-to etc.
Sometimes it pays off to sow early other times not, it all depends on the weather.
The link below lets you know your local first and last frost dates, its useful as a guide when starting out.

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/main/weather1.asp

Remember each year is different, in mild winters I have started sowing early Feb in cold ones like this year I'm only just starting a few bits and lots of things need regular sowing every 2 weeks anyway like peas for example so you would still be sowing for many months yet.


March is a good time to start lots of things, but remember we have 4 weeks of the month, plenty of time

misskool

megansmum: you can sow lots indoors now but you'd the space to keep them if you haven't got any way of protecting them.

I've sowed peas, broad beans and more peas. I've got some chillies, tomatoes, aubergines but I'm down south and I have a greenhouse. I also have spare room to coddle them if the weather doesn't turn soon.

What are you planning to grow?