new to gardening

gingerbeer

Hi Chinatown. I have two recycle boxes on the go with carrots in one and i put a few cabbage & broccoli in the other ( i was just experimenting really). the council here are replacing them all in Oct but will not be collecting the old ones so i hope to go get a few more from people wanting to get rid of them :-)

FROSTYFRECKLE

Hi Chinatown,

You were asking about plants that are shade tolerant, how about -
beetroot, broccoli, chives, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mint, parsley, radishes, rhubarb, salsify, spinach, and turnips. Just checked my kitchen planner book, these plants are listed as being shade tolerant. Great idea using the recycling boxes, pity my council is still using them.

2cats1kid

Just in case you go looking for the compost and can't find it, it's ericaceous that you are after for blueberries.

I'd have thought that the recycling box would be fine for carrots or pots. I'd like to collect a few as people now have wheelie bins, but most people like us use the boxes to collect a heap indoors and then move it outdoors once or twice a fortnight rather than all the time, so no-one is parting with them!

chinatown_2

Thank you for the replies. I asked on freecycle for some pots this afternoon and an hour or so later had a reply off a lady. So I met her at her allotment and my god it was fantastic! Huge, very very neat like a country garden, it even had a mini chalet/wood cottage in the middle with an open fire, beds, setees etc. Ah I wish I had a place like that. (that wasnt her house, she lives across the road).
Anyway she was very kind and gave me loads of pots in various sizes and a bag full of her runner beans too! She said to pop back any time for more stuff. How kind.

FROSTYFRECKLE

Well done Chinatown, the woman sounds very kind. You have made me green with envy. Would love an allotment myself. Just enjoy growing your own veggies they taste so much better than shop bought.:D

chinatown_2

About th polystyrene for drainage.... Im getting some given to me from freecycle tomorrow, do I just break some up and line the bottom of the pots then fill them with compost? My daughter is raring to go as we just bought a load of seeds today!:j

Jack's_mummy

That's what I do chinatown. Just a layer in the bottom

jamiesmum538

any ideas where to buy them or what to buy and when?
i use a lot of herbs in homemade sauces ect so thought to save money i could grow my own
any advice?

olly300

jamiesmum538 if you do a search before you post you will find that lots of your questions will have answers to them already.;)

You can buy cheap growing herbs from supermarkets like Lidl or Aldi, and then re-pot them. This is because the supermarkets put as many herbs as possible into a pot to make a good display.

You can also buy seeds from places like Wilkinsons and Woolworths. Most packets will have instructions on them.

While you can still keep plants outside at the moment due to being near the end of the growing probably the best place to keep them for ease of use would be on a sunny window sill in a room that you heat in the winter.

More info can be find via these links:
http://www.herbexpert.co.uk/AboutHerbsCategory.html
http://www.herbsociety.co.uk/

smellymel74

i find herbs are some of the easiest things to grow and a great way to save money as buying them in the supermarkets can be expensive! i also dry batches of those that die back in winter so i've a steady supply throughout the year. i grow:mint - best in a pot as it's invasive. i bought one of those supermarket living herb plants, stuck it in a big terracota pot in spring and it's gone mental. no feeding, nothing. will die down in winter but regrows in spring.rosemary - also in a pot as it's drought tolerant so doesn't need watering often but can be grown in well-drained soil in a sunny spot. i bought it with 4 others in B&Q in spring when they had a 5-for£5 offer. it was only dinky but is now going strong. i believe they have 3 larger size herb plants for £5 in B&Q now. evergreen so adds winter colour.golden thyme - also in a pot but as with rosemary it can be grown in the ground so long as it's well drained.curry plant - pretty silver-leaved perennial that's great added to salads or curries.sage - grown from seed this spring. it's huge now and really bushy.coriander - grown from seed this spring but since it doesn't last terribly long (either because it wilts or gets eaten!) i sow seeds every few weeks from spring to late autumn. basil - as above.i've found all are easy to grow and don't need much attention - just keep compost moist if you're growing from seed until they've sprouted. otherwise they tend to be drought tolerant so need virtually no watering, even when in pots. don't seem to get much disease or pest either and way cheaper and more satisfying than buying them. might be a bit late in the season but you could still get some basil and coriander seeds from B&Q/wilkos etc. and do them this year. otherwise go for spring.have a go I say. good luck!